𝗶𝗱𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘆𝗲𝘁 ♡ dotae

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After mindlessly wandering through the neighbourhood, he found himself standing at the side of the lake. The azure water was tranquil, apart from the occasional ripples triggered by a gust of icy wind attacking the surroundings. The usual glistening on the surface of the lake wasn't there, making the body of water seem dull and darker than it was. The trees around were barren as they stood proudly, not being affected by the harsh weather. The sky was coated in azure paint, and by the looks of it, was ready to declare early nightfall.

A sudden wave of nostalgia hit him as he recalled ice skating on the frozen lakes back home. Images of him and his sister clinging onto each other and bursting into fits of laughter invaded his mind. He remembered his parents helping them up and teaching them how to skate, bright smiles evident on their faces. Taeyong exasperated, releasing a cloud of smoke into the atmosphere. The sudden memories that came back to him made Taeyong feel so far from home, as a wave of homesickness hit him.

His hair elegantly danced along with the wind before settling down in front of his doe eyes, obscuring his sight. Although his hickory orbs were always sparkling, that day they seemed to be a mixture of lifeless and upset as he gazed into the horizon. Whilst staring into the lake, he started taking a few steps back to head back home, not wary of the girl who was walking with her head down. Bumping into her, Taeyong was brought to his senses as he quickly composed himself and faced the female, immediately recognising her.

"You're the girl from the bookstore! Uh, Sora, wasn't it?"

"Taeyong Oppa! Nice to see you, and glad you remembered my name," she commented with a smile.

"What are you doing here? You might catch a cold." Taeyong's eyes flickered to check her outfit. All that was visible was baggy denim jeans and her black puffer jacket that was zipped midway, with a scarf that stayed snugly around her neck. The girl's hair was once again styled neatly, with no imperfections visible. Her nose and cheeks were tinted a rosy colour due to the weather.

"I came here with my older brother on a walk but I ran off when I saw a cat and now here we are," replied Sora as she looked around her surroundings. "He's nearby somewhere, I just can't see him because I'm blind."

Taeyong gave a little chuckle. "You could get sick from this weather."

"So could you, but here we both are. Want to sit down at those benches and talk?" His response was a nod as they both walked over and sat down, eyes still lingering on the lake. They stayed silent for a while, absorbing the calm atmosphere.

"Do you still think about your imaginary friend?" she suddenly queried after a few seconds, catching him off guard.

"Yeah, but it's becoming more of a bad habit. Every time I think or write about him I just feel worse and more lonely," Taeyong revealed with a frown before looking down at his fingers on his lap.

"Have you tried telling friends or someone?" Sora suggested. "Do you not trust them?"

"Not only that, I just don't think my friends will take me seriously, and I don't want to worry my parents or sister. It's a strange thing, you know? Not being able to fully trust people despite knowing them. And there's no reason or cause behind me not trusting them either. Then I have no one to share my feelings with, so they are pent up and I became so desperate to find the perfect person to tell, so I created someone just for myself."

The curious look on Sora's face was replaced with a frown as she looked at the older male. "Have you tried making new friends or seeking someone to speak to?"

Taeyong became flustered and his hand went up to scratch his nape. "I'm not good at making new friends."

Her lips formed an "o" shape before making a pouting face, gazing around the areas to figure out another suggestion.

"Don't worry too much about that, I'll find something out. How about your brother? Has he found his imaginary friend?"

"Nope, not yet," she told him before confessing something. "You know, I felt bad for my brother for running around like this, looking for someone he just made up, so I was going to tell him to give up. One day he told me he saw his imaginary friend in his dream, and apparently, anyone you see in your dreams is real. Not sure how true that is though."

"Your brother has a lot of determination, I could never," he admitted with a little laugh. "How old is he?"

"Twenty; he goes uni. Why, are you interested in him?" she cheekily added.

"Wha- no! I was just wondering," he responded defensively.

"You know, maybe I'll introduce you to him one day so he stops chasing after his made-up friend."

As the two were immersed in their conversation, they didn't realise how time flew, and then a buzz from Sora's pocket made her stop speaking as she read the message. It was a voice message and she tapped on it to hear what he was saying.

"I see you sitting on a bench next to some guy. If you don't get here quickly I'll tell your boyfriend you're cheating on him. Love, your brother." A heart emoji was sent afterwards.

"And this why some days I want to strangle him. But then again I wouldn't since he's so nice and even bothers to do my hair."

"You should get going before you get told off. Take care!" he cheerfully told her.

Before getting off the bench, she gave him a gentle hug and a pat on the back. Taeyong was startled, yet returned the gesture. "Look after yourself, Taeyong Oppa!" She gave him a wave and a smile before walking off, with him watching as Sora headed off towards a distant figure.

Exhaling deeply, he watched as the night sky had streaks of bubblegum colour running through, the black ink seeping through to gradually coat the remaining bits of light. As Taeyong stood up and headed in the direction of his home, the darkness enveloped him in its midnight blanket.

With his clouded mind, he didn't want to think of anything. Except being enveloped by Doyoung's arms.