An awakening shock sped through Jan Di's body as quick as it arrived. She jolted up between the silk sheets, stirring Jun Pyo in the process.
He inhaled sleepily.
"Did you have another bad dream?"
Dazed and unfocused, Jan Di nodded into the darkness.
"Was it you're parents again?"
She had begun having nightmares. Every other night or so, a horror movie would flash in her mind. Her parents being shipped far away, her brother falling ill terminally, Ga Eul being in a car accident. These roles replayed again and again and the only thing to assure her nobody was hurt would be to shoot out of bed in the middle of the night to call the person she had just witnessed imaginary death to. Middle of the night or not.
"No no it wasn't"
To buy time she began gulping down the glass of water sitting on her bedside table. Another recent problem she had to solve was that she no longer dreamt about her parents, Ga Eul or anyone she would have dreamt about a year ago. She woke up sweaty, disorientated and hot as a result of dreams about Yoon Ji Hoo. But the dreams were never bad. They were sweet, soft, entertaining and warm. What wakes her up is when their rare, serene connection was torn apart. Leaving the saddest and most regretful look on Ji Hoo's haunted face. It scared her far more than any other dream she had since moving to Paris.
Jun Pyo lay a comforting hand on Jan Di's back, he began caressing her gently.
"Who was it then? Ga Eul?"
Guilt penetrated Jan Di's soul deeper and deeper with every kind word Jun Pyo uttered.
"Ah-no no, it was my parents, they were both dying and...and I missed their funeral."
She didn't need to wing it much, Jun Pyo knew these dreams as well as she did.
He sat up and wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug, she lay a distant hand on his forearm.
"Its over now, just go back to sleep, OK? Or do you want to call you're parents?"
Her head shook firmly, conscious Jan Di had taken over her body, delirious Jan Di had gone into her head.
With no other comforts to offer, Jun Pyo eased her back under the sheets, enveloping her in his embrace, Jan Di had no choice but to simply try and sleep.
But she couldn't. The deadened contact between her and her soul mate, first love and best friend was torturing her. But she was to scared to call in case Jun Pyo found out, or...in case his life had moved on, that he was finally happy without her and she didn't know a thing about it.
That was the nightmare.