하나: Stars and Dreams
Two lovers trapped in the cruel loop of fate. Can they escape the sad truth or will they just move on to what fate has in store for them?
Jimin's POV
“Are you okay?” I come closer to a girl around my age who’s sitting on the side of the street, covered with dirt.
“W-Who are you?” She asks back.
Just before I answer, I find myself sitting on my mattress, waking up from a strange dream about a girl I don’t know. It’s not the first time it has happened, it’s not the hundredth time either. I can’t even remember when it started, it used to be just once a month, now it’s almost every single day.
Usually, my dreams will just be forgotten because they’re mostly meaningless, but why does this one seems like a long story? It’s connected, but not in order. It’s important, but unclear. It doesn’t make sense. Why does it seem so familiar? What is it trying to say?
I shrug as my lay back down, hoping to fall asleep once more. I stare at the ceiling above me, eyes wide open showing no signs of sleepiness. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to fall back to sleep. I notice that the night is still young, judging from the lit candles that are still tall.
I walk out of my room to take a breather, looking at the night sky always calms me. It’s a habit I’ve grown to love since I was still a little kid, maybe because my mom and I used to do it often. I walk out to my usual stargazing spot, the garden on the back of the palace. Only people who lives in the palace have access to it, so it gives me a sense of security.
“One day, you’ll become a great king, and one day, you’ll meet the one who’ll stay alongside you. So remember, when that day comes, don’t let anyone interfere and just follow your heart.” The words of my mom rings in my head. Oh how I miss her so much, she didn’t get the chance to see me grow up and become king, just as she hoped.
The sound of owl and streaming water sound like music to my ears, some people find it creepy, but I find it comforting, a really nice addition to my sleepless nights of stargazing. I look up at the stars and moon that are aligned in place, trying to make out the constellations. My mom used to point at the stars and tell me what constellation it is, she said she learnt it from a wise friend of hers. My eyes widen as a see a shooting star, but my head seems to throb.
“Jimin, look! A shooting star!” The girl points at one as we sit on the grass field.
“Come on, make a wish!” I say as the closes her eyes and pray. “What did you wish for?”
“It’s a secret!” The puts her index finger in front of her lips, making me giggle.
“Just tell me!” I urge her as she laughs.
“I just wished so that we won’t be separated in the lives to come. We still have a long way ahead of us…” She smiles as she takes my hand.
Who is she?
One thing I know for sure, she’s not my mom or any girl whom I’ve seen. There’s something about her that just seems different. I still remember her face and voice, how her eyes light up when she sees a shooting star, how she expresses her feelings through her singing. Her voice so soft yet powerful enough to make my heart skip a beat.
“What are you doing?” I ask her from behind.
“Shush, she’s about to sleep...” She says as she pats the head of her little cousin.
“Oh, sorry.” I say, sitting beside her as she hums a tune.
I close my eyes at her singing, it makes me calm yet mesmerized. The tune soon stops when she lays her cousin who’s now sleeping.
I hear faint murmurs from behind the trees, curiosity rises and I decide to take a peek.
There was a girl standing, I focus on her appearance as the night light helps me see. Her hair looks so smooth tied up in a bun, skin that looks so soft that I would’ve mistaken her for one of the princesses that my father had arranged me with. She makes the handmaiden dress she is wearing to look like it belongs to a lost princess from another kingdom. I tried to see her face but I cannot have her notice me eavesdropping.
She is talking to someone, but I cannot see that person. However, her voice seems all too familiar for me. No handmaiden I know has that voice, but I know it from another source. It can’t be someone from the palace, I don’t recognize the voice. One thing I know, it’s a guy she’s talking to because of the low voice.
My legs were about to jolt up as my body was about to grab that person before my mind stops me from doing so. Even if I want to know who that stranger is, I shouldn’t interfere with their conversation. It was something my mom taught me when I was little, “No one likes a nosy person,” she used to say. She had always respect anyone’s privacy, something I like about her, unlike my father.
I notice that the girl is now done talking and the guy was nowhere in sight. She turns her back and is about to enter the palace again before I decided to approach her and accidentally bump into her, making her stumble. I catch her by the waist before she falls and hurt herself. She widens her eyes seeing me as I study her facial features. My other hand unintentionally brushes the side of her hair so that I can take a better look at her face.
“I’ve found you…”
End of this chapter
