A One Night of Bliss

Chapter Six: A Dreamful Kiss

She wanted to shed tears of joy because, finally, after a long time her dreams have come true. She wanted to cherish this moment. As this moment was a gift from the above. But despite convincing herself that she was happy, the sadness had engulfed her. She wanted to stop the ticking of the clock, and not to end this moment. But she had no choice. She has to leave and never come back.

When she calmed down, she gently freed herself from his forbearing embrace. She wiped away the tears that had fallen from her eyes and took a deep breath before she faced him with a determined gaze.

"Hyuk. Can you promise me something?"

Hyukjae knitted his eyebrows. He was puzzled by the sudden behavior of Dara. He was nervous, but he answered her.

"Sure. What it is?"

Dara took a deep breath. She was tried to hold her tears and compose herself. "Promise me that when you wake up from your dream tonight you will fix yourself and be happy. You will change your way and take care of yourself. You will stop torturing yourself. And you will forgive yourself for what had happened two years ago. Promise me you will move on. Can you promise me that?"

Hyukjae brows became more furrowed. He became more puzzled when he noticed the wryness in Dara's voice. It seems like she was saying goodbye to him and will never come back.

"Why so sudden?" He asked.

"Just promise me," Dara said simply. She held up her pinky finger, waiting for him to do the pink swear.

Hyukjae stared at Dara's pinky finger for a minute before deciding to do what she was asking.

"I promise," Hyukjae said, as the two of them locked their pinkies like two children who are making a childish oath. Except that the oath they've been making is not childish at all.

Dara's smile had bloomed once again on her lips. Now that she's sure that he will be alright tomorrow and the upcoming days, she's ready to leave. But before she leaves, there's one thing she has to do.

"Thank you," She said as the two of them let go of each other pinkies. "Now, Hyuk, I want you to close your eyes."

Hyukjae was taken aback by the sudden request. He's hesitant to do so but seeing the seriousness in her eyes, he did what he was told to do.

"No matter what happens, don't open your eyes okay? Don't back away." Dara said and Hyukjae nodded in acknowledgment. She held both hands of him tightly, preventing him to move his hands and be still in his place.

She took a deep breath countless times and composing herself to do the one last thing she had to do. The thing that gives her mixed feelings, the feeling of pain, regrets, and happiness. She was never a fan of goodbyes but in life, we have to say goodbye to have new beginnings. And that was what she aimed for, she wanted to give a new beginning to Hyukjae...

She slowly leans her face forward until there's just a small gap between their faces. She held her breath as she doesn't want to scare him on how close she is to him. She observed his face and noticed the visible marks of tiredness, pain, and sorrow to every nook and cranny of his face. She made a vow that this will be the last time he will look like that because she will turn all of his nightmares into a beautiful dream. She took a glanced at his cherry-like lips. It was a lip that enough to make her feel ecstatic. She wanted to feel that lips for infinity, but that infinite time was only good for tonight.

She slowly pressed their lips together, giving him a tender kiss in the process. She felt that his body became rigid, but she gripped his hands tightly, sending him a silent signal to calm down. And when she felt that he finally calmed down, she inwardly smiled and enjoyed the bliss of the moment. She began taking a mental sketch, describing the lips that were like an ecstasy. She savors the taste of this one cherry lips.

She didn't know how long they have been engaged in a blissful sensation, but she knew that it was the right time to let go; it was the right time to say goodbye. Without breaking the kiss, without letting go of his hands, she uttered her silent goodbye.

"Goodbye Hyuk. See you again in our next lifetime...."

"Hyukjae!" Heechul shook the shoulders of Hyukjae furiously. He's been trying to wake up his brother for an unkempt time now, but it seems that he was not planning to wake up soon.

"Lee Hyukjae!" Heechul shouted and slapped Hyukjae's face so hard that it made him stood up straight in flash. He whimpered in pain while holding his throbbing head. It was like that his head is splitting in half. He tried to open his eyes, but his vision was blurry. He blinked his eyes multiple times to fix his vision but no matter what he does his vision was still blurry. And he realized that he was crying.

Heechul, seeing the tears in Hyukjae's eyes, panicked. He panicked because his tears are so sudden that they brought worry to his heart.

"Why are you crying, are you okay?" Heechul asked as he took a seat in the bed beside Hyukjae.

Hyukjae wiped his tears and he tried to calm down. He took on his surroundings and he realized that he was in his bedroom. He is still wearing the clothes he had wore last night when he went to the bar for a drink. He looked at his brother who was looking at him with very worried eyes.

"Hyung, how did I got home last night?" He asked as he didn't have the memory of what had happened last night.

"Jungsoo and I picked up you at the bar last night," Heechul responded. "You were dead drunk, and Kyungsoo called us."

Hyukjae nodded in acknowledgment as he tried to remember what had happened last night. The moment he reached the bartender table, he was drinking nonstop until he passed out - his normal routine of drinking; but last night was completely different.

"Hyung, I dreamed about a girl," Hyukjae said.

"Really? Who?" Heechul asked as his brows are creased. "It is the reason why you are crying when you woke up?"

Hyukjae nodded once again as a response. He had a nice dream. He dreamed about a girl named Dara, who at first he finds naïve but he didn't know that she would give him a blissful feeling that he never felt. It was a dream that gives him a surreal feeling that he needed to distinguish if it's just a dream or a reality. It was the first time, he admitted to himself that he was having fun since the beginning of his messed up life. It was the first time that he let out the feeling of anguish that he never knew how to get rid of and it was comforting. He finds himself crying the moment, she kissed him. The kiss that he experienced in his dream was one of a kind kiss. It was like the kiss of hope, happiness, healing, and a new beginning.

As he promised her that the moment he would wake up from his dream, he would change his ways, he will fix his life, he will move on, and he will stop torturing himself. And to do all of it he needed to do the right thing...

"Hyung, let's visit Jieun."