THE STAR SEEKERS

1. Dream of the Beginning

He could hear cars passing by, Taho talking, and Viken rustling through his snacks.
Soule sighed deeply.
Mundanity rushed into his veins as he felt the familiar sensations one by one.

Oh, I'm in the van.

He finally felt relieved.
Soule relaxed his stiff shoulders.

As the tension broke, he found his lips curving into a faint smile.

Eugene's seat was always beside Soule's in the van. Eugene seldom smiled, but here he was, giving Soule a light and reassuring smile.

You don't even like smiling...

Grateful, Soule rested his head on Eugene's sturdy shoulders, which were well-sculpted thanks to his regular workout sessions.

Eugene grumbled as though he was annoyed.

"Hey. Your head is heavy. Move it."
"I don't want to."
"Hey."

Eugene sighed. Soule suppressed a smile.
If Eugene truly did not want it, he could have pushed him away. But he didn't.
That was how Eugene was.
He was like a big brother bear. Although Eugene looked rough and fierce on the outside, deep down inside he was actually extremely kind and soft-hearted.

Eugene had slapped Viken on the back when the latter had first made this observation. The former snorted as he asked why he was being compared to an animal.

Only the members knew this side of Eugene.
He was like a secret shared only amongst them.
Soule smiled, unable to contain his excitement.

"What are you smiling about?"
"Hehe. Your shoulder is so stiff."
"Then move it."
"But it's comfortable. Just the right height."
"Seriously..."

Despite his grumbling, Eugene did not push him off.
Soule grinned and leaned closer onto Eugene.

They stayed like this for a while. Eugene observed Soule for a while before he commented,

"Well, now you're smiling a little."

Soule blinked as though he did not understand. His head slid down slightly. Eugene slightly lifted Soule by his forehead and laid his head back onto his shoulder.

"You were really struggling, you know. You slept like a baby. And then you started groaning. I was about to wake you up when your eyes suddenly shot open. You scared the heck out of me."
"It was that bad? I see..."

Soule sighed. He had been having such nightmares quite often lately.

"I think it must be the stress. I've been having such weird nightmares."
"What kind of nightmares?
"Um. Well, I'm in the middle of deserted places."

Soule slowly began to explain his dream.

"I try to stop something, but I can't."

As he recalled the fading dream, the uneasiness began to creep in once again.
Soule looked down at his hands.
The sticky red blood that had stained them was now gone.
Nevertheless, Soule's eyes trembled at the sudden onslaught of uneasiness.
His vision began to blur.
The asphalt road beyond the van's windshield seemed to rise up to swallow him whole.
Soule clutched his arms and began to murmur.

"It's not the time for this. I have to think. Think..."

Just then, a firm but smooth hand touched Soule's cheeks.

"Hey, you. Are you seriously all right? Is it really just a nightmare?"

Soule snapped out of his trance as he was brought back to reality by Eugene's warm hands.
He shook his head vigorously.