unreal

A Coincidence?

As I see him again through my dreams, I hear the familiar tone of his voice echoing inside my ears, distant yet unbearably close, He tells me I should have been more awake, I should never have stayed there, lying still on that bed, letting my mind wander to the thought of him above me..his presence closing in, his arms around me, until I could no longer tell whether I was being held or suffocated.

I wake to the feeling of sunlight glistening through the window, They say sunlight is a sign of hope, but it has never felt that way to me.
To me, it only means another day of trying to function in this world without drowning in my dreams.

The moment I remember that I have to make it through the entire day until night comes, just so I can see him again, something inside me aches with frustration.

Because why aren't you real?

Can't you just visit me, just once? Let me feel the touch of your hand, Let me trace my fingers through your unshaven beard, just for a moment. Let me know what it would feel like to have you here..not somewhere inside my dreams, not somewhere my mind has created to keep me company, but here.

With me.

Just once.

I get up and get ready for the day, My life wasn't exactly the healthiest, but at least I made sure to eat enough to get through the day.

I grabbed my keys and headed out of my apartment, walking down the stairs toward my car, It wasn't fancy or particularly impressive, just a small, simple car that got me where I needed to go.

I drove to college and started my classes, They were boring, as usual, but I did my best to stay focused. I kept reminding myself that I needed to do well if I wanted to have a decent job in the future.

After my classes, my break started, I decided to stop by a café near my college, It was cozy and quiet, the kind of place that wasn't particularly well-known, I pushed the door open, and the little bell above it rang softly.

I looked around, surprised by the decorations, Plants hung from the ceiling, while red and white lilies sat in small containers around the café, And then I noticed the cats.

No... kittens.

Tiny kittens.

They were adorable, but one caught my attention more than the others—a little black kitten curled up against a white one, cuddling into its fur.

For a moment, the memory of my dream flashed through my mind.

It felt heavy to remember, yet somehow impossible to ignore, There was something strangely warm about the memory, despite the ache that came with it.

I shook myself out of my daze and walked toward the barista، She greeted me with a warm smile, and of course, I returned it.

"One cold black coffee, please."

It wasn't exactly my favourite drink, but I knew the bitterness would remind me of him.

I paid for my drink, and as I stepped aside, I felt a tall figure standing behind me.

Then he spoke.

"Black coffee..."

Oh.

I knew that voice.

I knew that tone.

That deep, tired voice I had been hearing in my dreams was standing right behind me.

I slowly turned around.

And there he was.

I couldn't help staring at him, my expression caught somewhere between surprise and fear.

His missy hair.

The dark circles beneath his eyes.

The unshaven beard.

Everything was exactly the same.

Except for one thing.

He didn't know me.

He looked back at me with a confused expression, but he didn't ask why I was staring. He simply waited.

Aizawa Shouta raised an eyebrow.

"Can you move, miss? I want to pay."

I immediately snapped out of it, suddenly flustered and embarrassed, I must have looked ridiculous, standing there and staring at him as if he were some kind of treasure.

I quickly stepped aside.

"Sorry."

I sat at one of the tables and waited for my coffee, I hadn't planned on staying, but now I found myself wanting to look at him.

I watched him from behind for a long moment, trying to convince myself that this was real.

Until a woman's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Your coffee."

She smiled as she handed it to me.

"Thank you."

I took a sip, and the bitterness spread across my tongue.

Yeah.

It tasted just like him.

Just like the man standing only a few feet away from me..the man I had spent countless nights dreaming about.

I didn't know whether I should consider this my lucky day or the beginning of something I should be afraid of.

Meeting someone from your dreams wasn't exactly an ordinary thing.

But one thing was certain.

I would make sure he knew me, too.

He would need me...

Just like I needed him every night in my dreams.