Truth and Lies

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"Jaemin, I am telling you. This dream was weird. It felt like I was really there!" Jisung tried to explain to his friend who wasn't understanding it very well.

"Okay....so what do you want me to say?" Jaemin enquired, "It was a lucid dream. Nothing more, nothing less."

"But there was someone in it. A guy I don't even know!"

Jaemin sighed, stopping at his locker and opening it while the younger did likewise beside him. "Okay, so you dreamt of this guy. Why is this bothering you so much? Hm? Was he cute or something?"

"Ugh, that's not what I meant. I didn't even get to see his face properly. It was just the whole atmosphere of the dream that bothered me."

"You sure this isn't about a guy? You haven't dated anyone in like, a hundred years."

"Jaemin!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Anyway, I literally watched you fall asleep in front of me in class. You didn't fly away anywhere. You didn't disappear. You just fell asleep. Happy?"

Jisung huffed, packing his bag and nodding meekly. He wasn't happy though. Far from it. The pinkette just couldn't shake the feeling he got from his sleep induced illusion.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Jaemin patted his shoulder, brushing past and letting the younger get lost in his thoughts.

The young teen walked home, spacing out the whole way, and barely noticing he had even made it to the front door before he needed to let himself in. This wasn't at all like him, and he usually was quite alert and sharp.

"I'm home!" He called throughout the household, waiting for a response though receiving nothing. His parents must've been out shopping or working late or something.

"Great," he sighed tiredly, wishing there was someone around to break him from his trance. He tried to take a page from Jaemin's book and write it all off as one big dream.

But he couldn't.

The sensation of the grass, the sound of the creaky wooden door opening and the feeling of shock was all still so vivid.

Grabbing a quick glass of water and clambering upstairs to his room, Jisung closed his door behind him and slung himself onto his bed.

The idea of real sleep seemed like a plan. One without dreams, nightmares, thoughts swirling around or anything. Perhaps this was all he needed.

He buried his face into his pillow, leaving his uniform on and not bothering to crawl into the sheets. His eyes fluttered shut almost immediately, and it took no more than about three minutes for the boy to drift off to sleep.

"Ah, back again I see!" A high voice called out excitedly, forcing Jisung's eyes to fly open again.

He looked straight ahead, seeing a pair of folded legs a few feet away and a small cottage behind the figure. Groaning, the pink haired male sat up, picking a piece of grass off his cheek and realising exactly where he was.

"No...." he whispered.

"No what?" The white haired boy questioned, seated right in front of the ring of white flowers. "I thought I had made you up," he chuckled softly, "But I guess I didn't. Welcome back."

Jisung stared at him for a moment, taking in his interesting appearance, then swiftly scanning his surroundings once more. "I'm here again? What?!"

The other pressed his hand against the invisible force field separating them, "I'm Chenle. This is where I live, the Midnight Forest. Well, that's what I call it....I don't know it's real name."

The younger started to panic, scrambling onto all fours and looking in every direction. "H-how?! I can't be dreaming about the same place again, right?! Right?!"

The older shrugged, "If this is your dream, then what does that make me?" He tugged at the grass beneath him, "I can't get out..."

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