Parallel 평행; BTS

𝐈𝐈. 𝑇𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤

"I have a long way to go but
Why am I running in place?
I scream out of frustration
But the empty air echoes"

- Tomorrow

[ ☪ ]

An hour had passed since Ara saw the boy in front of her break apart. She didn't expect the outcome to be that way but she was glad she finally knew something, even though it was about a heartbreak. 

They had both settled in the living room, sitting opposite to each other so they were face to face. Ara has so many questions but no idea where to begin. She overheard Namjoon referring about privacy rules and a sensor from the other man who was in here. It felt like she was in a different type of world with different kind of rules. Way different from where she truly lives.

As she was about to ask, a phone ringtone broke the silence.

They both looked each other, surprised, especially Ara. She felt a vibration in her pocket and hesitantly took out whatever it was. It was indeed a phone and an unknown number was displayed on the screen.

This isn't my phone. She thought to herself. She quickly looked up at Namjoon but he wasn't sitting across her anymore. He was in the kitchen, preparing something she couldn't see much.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, she answered the phone, pressing it against her ear. She felt cold, the nervousness came back again.

"Hello?"

"You do know that," the unfamiliar voice speaks.

Ara had her brows knitted, confusion written on her face. "Know what?"

"That everything is just a dream right now."

Before she could answer, time has sped up right in front of her, her surroundings speeding up like a fast forward in a movie. It got darker and in a blink, she was brought back to the bedroom, Namjoon's bedroom specifically.

She blinked again and again, not believing what she just witnessed was real. She quickly looks to her side, to see a sleeping Namjoon.

The silence was too eerie, it formed goosebumps on her skin and suddenly the same phone ringtone rang again. Startled, she looked to her left to see the glowing screen of the phone. She took it and looked at the caller ID, it was an unsaved number.

She answered it again, nervously pressing it against her ear.

"Wake up."

"What?"

"I said wake up."

The voice repeated the same two words over and over again until it was painful for her to hear. She threw the phone out of fear and watched it break. Her heartbeat was faster now, she was scared of whatever's happening right now.

"Hey," her body shivered but soon calmed down a little when it was just Namjoon. His eyes were half open, he still looked sleepy. "You need to wake up."

"What? Why-"

He only smiled at her, which only made her even more confused, "Namjoon, what do you-"

Namjoon didn't hesitate to pull her close and kissed her forehead.

And slowly, everything went black.

She was yet again sent back to her reality.

.. - ·----· ... - .... . -.-. --- -. - .-. --- .-.. .-.. . -..

Namjoon could only sigh as he watched her disappear just like that. He clenched his jaw, anger now written on his face. And as expected, his phone rang this time.

He grabbed it and answered it right away.

"I told you not to call anymore." He said, his voice lacing with such bitterness. And it was unlikely him.

"You have to stop."

"Stop what? You should be stopped."

"I don't tolerate that attitude."

"I didn't ask to be here."

"What you're doing is against the rules."

"What you're doing is pathetic!"

"You can't feel this way to someone who is from another world."

"Our worlds are one."

"Namjoon-"

"Jin, you should be the one waking up."

Namjoon ended the call, his hands absentmindedly sliding through his hair, a way to calm himself down from the words that were exchanged from the phone call.

He was aware of the truth, but he didn't know what's inside of it.

His hand lands down on the spot where Ara was. He couldn't help it, he had to do what he had to. He soon stood up from his bed and approached the window. He looked out to see such bizarre looking place. A city that looks far from being real.

A replica of the real world.

He knows for sure his friend has done so many things for him, just to bring him happiness. But maybe the reason why he couldn't feel the arrant happiness is because he hadn't done something for himself. Happiness depends on ourselves.

That's why he did something that was considered against the rules here, wherever he was.

Happiness is a direction, not a place.

And he didn't want to be stuck in this place.

In that moment,

He looked at the most fragile world,

Happiness wasn't here,

Desperation was.

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Kim Seokjin