Chapter 2: Preparation

Soobin was never afraid to die. He believes that dying is a significant event of our lives that we cannot stop at all but not until he started to create his own world inside his head. At that point, where he can fully control his dreams, he wanted to live more.

He wants to dream more.

"You didn't actually agree on that, right?" Hueningkai asks, currently inside a café and Soobin's consuming water while he's drinking some iced latte.

"I said I'll think about it," Soobin replied.

"Soobin!" Kai exclaimed and frowns. "You know it's too risky already. You might end up dying!" he continued. "Please listen to me. Let's just look for work. I'll work to earn—"

"Are you stupid?"

"Huh?"

Soobin leans against the chair and looked outside the glass wall of the café, observing people outside. "Where are you going to get that amount in less than a week? Sell your organs? Your soul?" he asks and then looked at Kai. "I can earn it in a snap, Kai."

"But your life might get taken too in a snap, Soobin."

"I won't die... Not while dreaming," Soobin stated. "Once I found out more about that guy, I can surely find him in a matter of time, don't worry."

"You're always saying I shouldn't worry b-but... but you know I can't. Soobin, please. Don't do this," Hueningkai begged, almost crying.

"Just one day," Soobin said. "Let me try if for a day. If I'll feel pain or exhaustion, I'll quit," Soobin negotiated.

Hueningkai purses his lips for a second and just ended up sighing. "I don't even know how to stop you," he gives in and raised his pinky. "One day. Just one day, Choi Soobin."

Soobin smiles and intertwine their pinkies. "I promise."

Hueningkai is actually worried, he knows Soobin's capacity in terms of lucid dreaming but given Soobin's situation, there's no certainty in what will happen.

Soobin went back to the hospital to talk to Dr. Kim and to meet Yeonjun's friends so they can talk about the matter. "You said there's no brainwaves recorded, right?" Soobin ask the physician.

"Right," he agreed.

"So it means there's no REM happening. He's really wandering somewhere then," Soobin sighs and fixed his eyes to the patient. "I wonder where he has gone..."

"Yes, normally, we'll go through four stages as we sleep and fall into N3 then REM but since he's coma, there's really not...You're our last resort, Soobin. Please, take him back to us," Dr. Kim pleaded and Soobin turn around to see his pleading face.

"Don't worry that much, Dr. Kim," Soobin just assured, didn't even bother to give a smile or assurance.

"Hello!" a sudden deep yet uplifting voice appeared by the door and the both turn to see.

"Hello, Dr. Kim," another one voiced.

There are two people by the door with not that much height difference. The taller with brown hair who looks like just came out of a web comic and the other with prominent doe eyes, shorter, and has silver-faded hair. Soobin's eyes quickly scan the both and keep his observation inside him.

"Oh good thing you're already here! Beomgyu, Taehyun, meet Soobin and Soobin they are Yeonjun's friends, Beomgyu and Taehyun," Dr. Kim bridged the introductions.

Soobin bowed a little, "Nice to meet you, I'm Soobin," he introduced, didn't even bother to make it lively.

"Hi Soobin! Wow! You're such an angel! You're going to wake up Yeonjun right?" the taller, Beomgyu, exclaimed with such hyper voice.

"Thank you, Soobin," the shorter, Taehyun, just expressed and smiles at Soobin.

"Should we talk about Yeonjun?" Soobin suggested instead because he doesn't feel comfortable with the praises already.

The three of them went out of the hospital, went to the nearest café and decided to order something to drink. Soobin's on the other side of the seat and in front of him are the two sipping some Iced Americano.

"Dr. Kim said Yeonjun is a lucid dreamer too, is that right?" Soobin asks and the two nods. "Then, does he usually lucid dream? Constantly?" he added.

"No," Taehyun answers. "I don't think he can do it all the time—"

He got cut off by Beomgyu's voice. "Right! He always talks about what he's been dreaming and what he's doing in there but it wasn't always."

Soobin nods, "What does he usually dreamt of?" he asks again.

"Was it something like the world he wanted it to be?" Beomgyu asks Taehyun. "Something like he can do whatever he wants."

"Specifically," Soobin demanded.

"If I'm not mistaken and as far as I can remember, I think it's about performing something. Yeonjun really loves dancing, singing, and acting. That is why he wanted to enroll in a University majoring in performing arts," Taehyun stated.

Soobin nodded again, “Then, what was his last dream about? Did he told you guys something?”

"I can clearly remember it," Beomgyu started and sips on his drink first. "Yeonjun said he dreamt of an eclipse, that's all and he never wakes up again."

"Eclipse..."

"Why? Does it have some significant meaning?" Taehyun curiously asks Soobin when he heard him repeated it but he can't read the other because there are no changes in his expression.

"Can you guys take me to Yeonjun's room? The room where he always sleeps," Soobin asks instead.

They brought Soobin in Yeonjun's house and to his room. When Soobin went in he easily noticed the amount of vinyl CDs on a shelf, some thick books about the ideal world, and he also found some handwritten letters on the side.

"Yeonjun's quiet popular during our high school years," Beomgyu sounded when he saw Soobin looking at the letters.

Soobin didn't react anything and walk towards the bed, he pulled up the pillow and he saw a purple paper plane in there. He picked it up and scans it very well. He then hold in and went to the shelf where he saw the books. Beomgyu and Taehyun are just watching him do what he wants in confusion.

Soobin pulled a book and when he flips it, it stops when a bookmarked appear. It's a similar paper plane but what caught Soobin's attention is a sentence on that page.

Soobin once again looks around the room of Yeonjun for the last time before deciding to get out in there and go home. Hueningkai's not around. Soobin laid on his bed, putting the purple paper plane underneath his pillow, and he secured the coin on his hand then he closes his eyes, letting himself sleep.

After couple of minutes, Soobin found himself walking in a usual empty town of his dream. He's playing with the coin that's in his hand as he walks, wandering his eyes on the place where he is in.

"Choi Yeonjun, where are you..." he muttered as he keeps on walking, blowing some air inside his cheeks. "Choi Yeonjun," he called again.

He keeps on walking while his mind is occupied with everything that is related to Yeonjun. His surroundings started to change little by little. He's letting his mind plays and manipulates the dream while thinking about the guy.

Soobin paused from walking when he felt someone's staring at him. Soobin's dream will always be deserted; nothing's moving, ruined buildings, cars stranded on the road, and most of all no human. In his dream he's always alone but right now he can feel someone's presence.

Soobin slowly looks around and there is he again. The faceless man, wearing an all-black clothes, and is directly looking at Soobin without a visible eyes.

"Fuck," Soobin muttered and frustratedly closes his eyes.

He started walking fast, he can't run because it'll affect his physical health in the real world. He walks while still looking around, as if memorizing and looking for something. He stops and when he checked the man, he's not following him anymore.

Soobin bit his lowerlip and when he turned around his eyes widen when the dagger is about to hit his face, he quickly open his hand to protect himself while pouring some energy on it that made the man stops from moving, controlling the unknown man's actions.

"This is my dream and you can't kill me in here. I am the authority. Get lost," Soobin stated, jaw clenching and feeling a great amount of force from his whole body.

But when Soobin thought the man who always wanted to kill him stops, the dagger continued to goes in his way and so his last resort is to wake up from his dream.

Soobin is breathing heavily when he wake up, sweats all over his temple. He gets up and was about to flip the coin when he heard Hueningkai's voice calling him from the outside. So, he stands up and opens the door but he found no one.

"Kai?" Soobin called and looks around.

He went closer to the door and opens it but he got surprised by the sudden wind blowing and as if their unit is floating, he can only see clouds and nothing from where he is standing. He turns around only to see the man again coming at him.

"Why won't you fucking leave me alone!?" he shouted in anger and decided to jump off from the door.

Mid-air, he glared at the room where he was earlier that looks like a little box from where he is falling. He extended his hand towards that room's direction and it burned.

"Death has been following me around since then. I know I'm going to die but I refuse to affirm. I'll look for Choi Yeonjun and save my life."

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