Dream Wandering • Yunsang

It's Just A Dream

For just over a whole week Yunho had thought that what he was experiencing was nothing more then a dream. A really strange, unnerving recurring dream.

It wasn't until his mother happened to walk past his room one night and witness her son shoot up out of bed that he finally understood the true meaning and weight of his dream.

"Yunho!" Mrs. Jeong yelped from the hallway outside Yunho's room, she was just on her way back from the bathroom and she was dressed comfortably in her night gown.

She ran up to Yunho whom was clutching his chest and breathing heavily.

Yunho tried to turn his body away but his mother was too quick, too observant and in seconds she was sitting on the bed beside him, bedside table light switched on filling the small space with a soft glow. She tried to turn his body back towards hers.

"Whats wrong? Are you ok" she asked, a comforting hand resting on Yunho's shoulder.

"I'm f-fine mum" Yunho said, regretting his stutter because it only seemed to make his mother more nervous and curious, the grip she had on his shoulder tightening.

Yunho was still too sure and too proud to admit that he was still having bad dreams at the age of 16.

"Sweetie you don't look like you're fine" she said, her eyes flitting to Yunho's chest.

Yunho suddenly realised that he was still clutching the space over his heart, his chest rising up and down in an uneven rhythm.

Yunho quickly placed his hands in his lap and downcast his eyes away from his mothers.

"Did you have a bad dream? Even I have them sometimes" his mother asked and reassured by giving his shoulder one final light squeeze before dropping her hand in her lap.

Yunho was silent for a moment before mumbling ". . .Something like that"

"Did you want to talk about it? Or we can just sit if you want? Or I can go?"

Yunho was silent once again, his mother was patient and kind and would wait all night if she needed too.

Yunho trusted her not to judge his nightmare. Yunho knew he judged himself more than his mother ever would, if she were to make assumptions.

"I keep having the same dream . ." Yunho began his eyes meeting his mothers for a moment before returning to his own hands.

Mrs. Jeong waved her hand encouraging Yunho to continue.

" . . actually, Well not really the same, its more of the place that's in my dream that's the same. There's this lush green garden you see, its filled with trees like a forest and there's little bits of quartz everywhere. And in this garden there's a boy in a pink jumper, my age I think, I don't know, I talked to him once but now I just try and avoid him, sometimes he chases me and if I run too far I wake up, sometimes I just wait and hide in the trees and eventually I wake up. Its actually quite pretty there and if it wasn't so damn real it'd probably be quite a nice dream. But it is real, its so real, I can feel the grass under my feet, the sun on my face, I can smell the flowers, I can feel my heart beating in my chest and the air passing in and out of my lungs when I breathe . . .Am I weird mum?" Yunho huffed, his cheeks turning pink from his sudden confession.

Mrs. Jeong smiled and chuckled.

"Mum why are you laughing at me? Its not funny!" Yunho pouted, regretting telling his nightmare to his mum.
Did she think he was silly for thinking bad of an experience and place so unique.

Mrs. Jeong placed a hand over her mouth to hide her smile and shook her head.

"Sweetie that's not any old dream, what your experiencing if I'm correct is really something rather special"

Yunho looked at his mum now rather then avoiding her gaze "S-special? How can a dream be special?"

"I'm surprised you haven't realised, I'm sure you would have gone over this in class already" Mrs. Jeong said as she tapped her chin in thought.

Yunho was really confused. "Class??? Mum, Tell me" Yunho prompted

Mrs. Jeong's smile softened, "OK, so you know your soulmate ability?"

"The ability to heal, Yeah?" Yunho answered

"And you know how since your soulmate hasn't appeared yet we assumed you were the older of the two since your soulmate ability has arisen first and in no way is able to lead you to them?"

"Yeaaaah?"

"Well, I think your soulmate has come of age and their ability has appeared"

". . .H-how do you know?? . .Whats their ability? Why haven't I met them yet? Wait have I met them yet? Mum I'm confused" Yunho pouted again, it was like his mother was handing him puzzle pieces but he had no clue on how to fit them together.

Mrs. Jeong smiled "Sweetie I think your soulmates ability is Dream Wandering"

Yunho's eyes went wide and everything seemed to still around him as all the puzzle pieces settled into place.

He suddenly remembered studying about dream wandering in school. He remembered his teacher Mr. Kim talking about how a soulmate can connect to their partner through their mind while they sleep, he remembered hearing all the stories from soulmates in a documentary they watched talking about how they shaped this special world within their minds together.

"Dream Wandering?" Yunho repeated as both a statement and a question.

Mrs. Jeong nodded.

Based on his knowledge, recent experiences and his mothers confirmation all the facts seemed to line up, his soulmate had the ability to dream wander.

Then another thought passed through his mind.

Only soulmates can enter this space, and the person in his dreams was most definitely a boy.

"Wait Mum?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Am I gay?"

Mrs. Jeong promptly shot up and shrugged, "That's for you to decide. Although I assume if your soulmate is a boy then perhaps you are? Its up to you, time will tell, I'm sure as you get to know that boy it'll all make sense"

Mrs. Jeong quickly kissed her son on the forehead before leaving the room and leaving him blubbering with questions.

"My soulmate is a boy?" Yunho questioned to himself after his mother had left.

He'd never considered the fact that his soulmate could be a guy, mainly because he'd never felt any sort of attraction for the opposite sex.

Yunho switched off his light and crawled back down under the covers hoping darkness would give him the answers he needed.

Unfortunately now all he could see in the darkness behind his eyes was the boy in the pink knit jumper.

And like most people, when you're alone in the darkness the strangest thoughts seem to pass through your head.

". . .He was kinda cute . . ."

Yunho rolled to his stomach, burying his head in his pillow unsure of what to feel.

That boy was his soulmate shouldn't he be happy? Not confused and concerned and also feeling a little bad since he had been trying to avoid said boy.

". . .I wonder what his name is?. . ."

Yunho groaned into his pillow and roled onto his back staring at his ceiling, refusing to close his eyes for fear of knowing where that would take him.

Maybe he couldn't sleep because he was running on high because he just discovered his soulmate, or maybe he was so shocked that his male soulmate meant that he liked boys, or maybe deep down he knew that if he closed his eyes he'd have to finally face the boy full on knowing exactly what he was and who he was.

Either way for the rest of the night Yunho chose not to sleep, not even exhaustion could overtake his weary body.

A/N I love a supportive mum hehe