PART 2. THE BEGINNING OF JULY.
chapter i. the daughter.
── ❝ they told me all of my cages were mental, so I got wasted like all my potential.❞
"Say cheese!"
No.
"Come on, girl.... smile a little!"
Another big, fat tear droplet tumbled down Y/N's cheek as she faced the camera with an artificial grin, her bottom lip quivering with frustration and rage.
Yesterday was a nightmare— both metaphorically and literally.
She got back home from Eunji's place, then got dragged through the mud by her mother for sleeping through her test, to the point where she even took away the books she had rented with her pocket money, and to top it off with a sweet little cherry, Y/N couldn't sleep all night because of a terrifying dream.
A dream that was connected to Dohwa.
The details were fuzzy, but they were still there, rigid and unmoving. An old telephone booth, a disappointed sigh when nobody picked up her call, purposeful strides across the tarmac of the streets, blinding car lights, widened eyes, a loud scream, then—
Boom. Nothing.
Y/N really hoped that this was a mere coincidence. That Dohwa's playful warning of 'checking both sides of the road before crossing' had no underlying meaning behind it. That all the loose ends she wasn't able to tie up right now were just mindless worries plaguing her overthinking mind.
If this never-ending string of agony was not enough to push Y/N to her limits, she was met with a pissed-off father waiting for her downstairs the very next morning. He was never the one to lecture her over anything, so it came off as quite a shock to the poor girl who was still recovering from the harsh sentences her mother had stabbed her with barely twenty-four hours ago.
Her seeking shelter at Eunji's house had proven to be more harmful than beneficial, unfortunately.
Now, her dad was trying to make up for the scolding by forcing her into a family picture with her mother and her cat, thinking that it would be alright if everyone simply pretended to forget about it. Usually, Y/N would play her part in this act too, because she didn't have the energy to put up with her parents' annoying attitude for another two days after a squabble.
Today, however... she was already on edge. The wound from her Mom's relentless screeching was fresh. The fear from the bone-chilling nightmare was fresh. The pain from her Dad's thirty-minute-long life lesson was fresh.
It all piled up into a giant ball of vexation. She needed to release her pent-up exasperation somewhere.
If not Eunji, then Dokja. If not Dokja, then Seojun. If not Seojun...
Then Dohwa.
She fiddled with her thumbs behind her back while her parents engaged themselves in a conversation, thinking of ways to sneak out without catching their watchful eye.
Placing her restless cat down, she quietly tiptoed to the backyard, her hands fishing into the pockets of her shorts to search for coins.
Y/N had plenty to spare, since she wouldn't be going out much anymore; thanks to the whole Maths exam fiasco that got her grounded during vacations. Life truly couldn't get any worse.
Without making any noise, she unlocked the backdoor and made a run for it. Instantly, the sun rays began their piercing assault, and she found herself squinting at her surroundings as sweat began to form all over her skin, the humidity baring its fangs within seconds of exposure to the huge summer sphere hanging above her.
"You better pick up, Dohwa."
Fourth ring.
Baek Dohwa answered the call on the fourth ring.
"Hello..."
And Y/N was wondering if it actually was him. What the hell had he undergone to sound like that?
"Did I actually manage to reach Kai this time or...?"
"Shut up. It's me." Dohwa groaned from the other end, a tinge of pain rolling off his voice. "My cheek is swollen... I can barely open my mouth... It hurts..."
Ouch.
She felt bad for trying to rant about her issues with him now. Perhaps, he had gotten the shorter end of the stick when it came to being happy. Perhaps, Y/N had it a bit better. Whatever of the two, at least she wasn't the one with an agonising injury.
"...I'm sorry. I'll call you once you'll feel better."
Dohwa made an incoherent noise in revolt. "You're not going anywhere... I have got some crazy shit to tell you..."
How come we're both always going through bad things at the same time?
"Well, then. You have my full attention."
"My father... he came over yesterday." He started, leading Y/N down a maze of questions. She didn't know anything about his family, so she wasn't sure what kind of reaction would be appropriate in this situation. "We got into an argument, and here I am, with a bruised face..."
"Wait. Give me the details. You're leaving me hanging here!"
"...Are you treating my trauma as entertainment?"
If it wasn't for his sarcastic tone, Y/N would've apologised profusely for being insensitive.
"I mean, you did say you had some crazy shit to tell me. You cannot give your audience a cliffhanger and expect them to be satisfied."
"I'm building up the suspense, sweetheart. I'll reveal all the secrets as time goes by. Mwah." Dohwa said, making a sickening kissing sound that sent shivers down Y/N's spine.
"...Don't ever do that again. Ew."
"Ew? Do you know how many teenage girls' dream you're living right now?"
Y/N stopped short, swallowing her retort begrudgingly as her nightmare came crawling back to her, its claws sinking into her thoughts yet again.
"Dream reminds me... uh, can you tell me about the dream you had?"
He grew uncharacteristically quiet. After what felt like twenty seconds, he cleared his throat. "Why? It was nothing questionable, really. Don't worry too much about it."
"No, no. I... I had a nightmare." Y/N brought the receiver closer to her ear, her shaky breath reaching Dohwa. "And it was quite similar to the one you warned me about. Crossing the road, checking the streets and everything."
More silence filled the air. She waited for his response, impatience beginning to gnaw at her flesh.
"You see, Y/N... It was just a stupid dream. You were in a telephone booth, trying to call someone. You waited for a few minutes before collecting your change and walking out dejectedly. And..."
Hesiation. Infuriating hesitation, acting as a fortress between Y/N and the truth.
"It was just a stupid dream, right? So spit it out."
Dohwa heaved a huge sigh, seemingly attempting to organise his words into a careful web of explanation. "You were trudging on ahead, and when you reached an intersection, ready to cross the street... um... an— an accident occurred. It's stupid, I know! It doesn't make—"
"Do you know me?"
Y/N could not stop herself from interrupting him. She could not stop her rapid heartbeat. She could not stop the sudden chill that danced along her body. She could not stop her mouth from falling agape.
This was no coincidence.
A happenstance might mean the overlapping of one fact. Maybe two facts. But to have him have the exact same dream that she had, down to every detail? That was something far deeper. Far creepier. She didn't wish to know if this was a warning, or an unspoken connection shared between the two.
"...I do, I think?" Dohwa mumbled, transfixed by her behaviour.
"Like, actually. Have you seen me? Met me? Know where I live?"
Because how else would he have known what she looked like? Where she called from?
He let out a confused chuckle. "No, I don't know you like that. But I know that you're Y/N. You like weirdly old K-pop groups. You think having a smartphone is strange. You always have a shortage of curse words. Your way of speaking and thinking is similar to old hags."
Another explosion of perplexity clouded over Y/N's features.
"You... you don't? Do you know what I look like? I was in your dream, after all..."
"Not really. Maybe my brain just cooked up a scenario by itself, a made-up telephone booth, a made-up area around it, a made-up girl. Oh, now that you mention it..." Dohwa trailed off, adding fuel to the conundrum. "I can't recall the girl's — your — features. I was simply convinced that it was you, for some reason."
Y/N trusted him. It was idiotic on her part, since there was no reason to. Yet she did.
Her mother always babbled weird things about Psychology, and at some point, she did mention the concept of 'shared dreams'. While Y/N couldn't remember the specifics of it, she was certain that this phenomenon was affiliated with the current circumstance.
However, that still didn't quench the unsettling sensation bubbling in her stomach.
"You know, Dohwa, I saw the same thing." She said, her voice measured and stable. "Funny, isn't it?"
Dohwa whistled, audibly amazed. "Is this the nightmare you mentioned a while ago? This is sick."
Y/N did not have the time to panic about something as trivial as this. Something that merely resided in her subconscious. What did matter to her, though, was her rotten mood, courtesy to her lovely parents. Something that was real and affecting her horribly.
"You were correct. This is indeed stupid." She grumbled, rubbing her temples to keep her irritation at bay. "Hey, is it okay if I complain about something?"
"Woah, you're being kind enough to ask today? This has to be impossible."
Oh, how she hoped this boy would be able to see the roll of her eyes.
"I called you early today — I wouldn't have if I didn't have a reason to."
"And here I thought you were just missing me so much that you couldn't bear to wait till evening..."
Y/N snorted humourlessly. "Literally shut your trap if you don't want me to punch your other cheek and turn you into a pufferfish."
"You're brutal." Dohwa sniffed, stifling a feigned sob. "Can't you be a little nicer?"
"What do I get in return if I am a 'little nicer'?"
"My, is our beautiful bond a transactional relationship to you?"
Y/N replied before he could even finish. "Yes. Absolutely."
"...Wow. Okay. I guess I'll let you reach level eight in my story quest, meaning you'll unlock my tragic backstory. Meaning my past which is shrouded in darkness will be disclosed. Meaning you'll know what my deal with my father is."
The offer didn't sound half bad. She didn't understand why she enjoyed listening to him so much. Be it playful bickering or serious heart-to-hearts. Be it him giddily crushing over Su-ae or expressing his insecurities. Dohwa was a radio she never wished to turn off.
"Accepted. My 'nice' session starts right about now. It'll end as soon as the call hangs up."
"Perfect. Begin your complaining. I'm paying full attention."
And so she did.
The stagnant river of her emotions came rushing out, brimming with snide remarks. Her chest grew lighter, as if the vines coiling around it had withered.
Y/N L/N was a lot of things. She was the best friend of Eunji. She was the top student in her class. She was the owner of her cat. She was the daughter of her parents.
What she'd been enjoying the most lately, was being the partner of Baek Dohwa.
sorry for the unannounced disappearance lol ( writer's block and academics were beating my ass )
anyways i'm back for good now #trust 🔥
— 1965 words.