the summer of 1993 ── dohwa baek - Chapter 10: Chapter 10

L/N Y/N had just discovered what her heart truly desired after days of introspection──accurately or inaccurately, she didn't know. She was simply happy to have an answer and didn't worry herself about the specifics.
She wanted Baek Dohwa as a friend. Badly.
Not an acquaintance. Not a human diary. Not a partner. It would be easier to justify their fun conversations and his magnetic charm with the title of a 'friend' than an absolute stranger somewhere in Seoul, who only existed in her life as a mere voice.
That was a serious predicament in itself, along with something else that had been gnawing at her flesh.
Her nightmares had grown consistent, to the point where she started expecting them. She was no longer dreading those, but rather, picking apart every detail that was hidden inside them and jotting them down in a journal.
A red, tattered telephone booth: Check.
No one picking up the call: Check.
Getting absolutely wrecked by a car at the intersection: Check.
Lately, there had been a new addition. A boy. A very pretty boy with dirty blond hair and a gorgeous pair of brownish irises. Someone who looked straight out of the K-Pop industry, like a compressed version of Seo Taiji and the Boys. She wasn't complaining at the bizarreness of it, though.
He was always standing behind the booth, staring at her, following her, but unable to actually stop her, despite his mannerisms displaying how desperately he wanted to.
Greek God in the flesh: Check.
Soon, she connected a few dots which made her feel rather insane. Her appearing in Dohwa's dream, and Dohwa... definitely Dohwa appearing in hers. It had to be him. That made sense, but at the same time, she felt incredibly stupid. It was far too much of a stretch.
Her musings continued to bellow; how did her brain know what he looked like? How did his brain know what she looked like? Did they really make up an imaginary person in their heads, or...
This was terribly confusing for Y/N, who was only book-smart. Any issue outside of academics was something beyond her calibre. So she let it be, like the dumb idiot she was.
It will figure itself out. Who cares as long as I'm not getting physically affected? Or worse, financially?
After all, she got to see a breathtaking face in her dreams every night for free. A face she would never find in her school as it was infested with bread crusts and sweat rolls instead. Ew.
"I can't wait to leave this hell hole. Literal hell hole. It's so humid."
Her annoyance ballooned ginormously under the afternoon sunrays of July.
She was sprawled across the cold floor of her house, aching for any kind of relief she could get from the murderous heat. Minutes of twisting and turning— and then her doorbell rang. She didn't move.
It rang again. She didn't move.
Again. Nothing.
"Y/N! Someone's at the door!" Her mother's distant screams reverberated in the room, causing creases of irritation to appear on the girl's forehead. "Are you deaf?!"
"You go open it." She responded in a tired tone, rolling over to her stomach.
"Open the damn door before I come downstairs with a sli—"
Y/N was stood up in an instant. "Okay! Okay!"
I hate this house.
Her feet dragged against the ground, like she was a gladiator in Rome's Colosseum laden with metal chains. It took the entirety of her energy to throw the wooden door open, a questioning eyebrow raised to make her ire evident.
A pair of familiar faces awaited her.
"Seojun!" She grinned, which faltered when her gaze travelled to the person standing next to him. "And Dokja."
"Hey! Why don't I get a warm welcome!"
"Hello!" Seojun greeted, brimming with exuberance. Dokja continued to grumble in the background; so Y/N decided to ignore him even more actively. That would be entertaining.
"What's up?"
"We were passing by and—"
Dokja interrupted, "—and we saw this and thought, hey, this will cheer up our beloved best friend after the whole fiasco she had with her parents. You know, news moves fast when you tell something to Eunbi."
The 'this' in question was a keychain with a baby chick plushie attached to it. Round and tiny and yellow. Two obsidian beads for eyes. As much as she wanted to scrunch up her nose and express the betrayal she was feeling right now — something along the lines of Eunji, you little shit, — she couldn't. Instead, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, forming a delicate crescent.
"Thank you so much," She held the present gently, admiring its features. "God, I can't even be mad at her. I love you guys."
Seojun mirrored her enthusiasm. "It's the least we can do to help you feel better! Also, we were wondering if you could jo—"
"Y/N! What's taking you so long? Who was it?"
She just cannot let me breathe.
Dokja frowned, sparing a concerned glance at Y/N. He knew what that tone implied. 'Get back here immediately!' or 'I know your friends are here, don't even think about sneaking out.' He shared this vital piece of information with his clueless companion, hushed whispers floating in the air. Y/N gave them an apologetic pat on their shoulders.
"I'll see you both soon," She started, then lowered the decibels of her voice. "When she's not at home."
"Y/N!" Another warning call echoed from within, which forced the girl to bid her farewells and slam the door shut hastily. She could not risk another week of no pocket money.
The poor girl was dying for a can of cola.
"Why'd you only call me when you're high? Why'd you, why'd—"
Y/N stared at the receiver with pure disgust.
"...Dohwa?"
"Didn't you like my fresh opening to our daily conversations?"
"Are you... are you sure you're a trainee?"
"...What is that supposed to mean?"
She could not believe that was how hideous his singing voice was. What the hell was he even training for if he sounded like a deceased housefly? She could only hope he was an exceptional dancer to make up for it.
"Nothing. Quick question,"
Dohwa tutted. "No, no. You do not get to ask me anything after insulting me like that."
"Fuck you then."
"Oh, is that so?"
"I'm leaving."
A chuckle resonated in the atmosphere. "You're so fun to annoy."
"I'm going to ask you anyway. What do you look like?" Y/N leaned against the booth's fragile walls, holding back the curiosity that bubbled in the pits of her stomach.
"I knew you had a little crush on me. I knew it."
Her interest dissipated, now replaced with a mask of exasperation. One that slid its way onto her profile whenever Dohwa opened his mouth.
"You... ugh. I forgot the curses you taught me. Eat shit. Goodbye."
"Hey, hey! Don't hang up!" He panicked, flaring a spark of amusement within Y/N's heart. "Are you there? Dinosaur-core Grandma?"
"I will change my cat's name to Mr. Mistoffelees. Anything is better than Dohwa at this point."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm a silly blond man, I swear. Tall, blond and handsome. Ethereal plump lips, perfectly carved nose, naturally long lashes, hazel eyes that can drown you in a sea of b—"
She clicked her tongue. "And yet she chose Eunhyeok."
"...You're awful."
Before she could cook another roast for him, her neurons started rapidly levitating. He's exactly like the boy you see in your nightmares, they yelled in unison, He is the boy you see in your nightmares.
"I think I saw you. In my dreams, I mean." The words escaped her while she was busy adjusting the puzzle pieces. He would probably think of her as a freak for thinking about him, or—
"Oh my God." Dohwa gasped, "Are we meeting each other in our dreams? For real? This will make such a cute love story!"
"Huh?"
"I see you there too! Every single time I get that nightmare, I see you. Or what my mind thinks you look like."
"My mind somehow knows what you look like. The description you gave was scarily precise. I think I'm going crazy." Y/N muttered, tugging at the roots of her fallen strands. "Does the girl in yours... have E/C eyes? H/C hair?"
"...In a white top and jeans..?"
That was what I wore the first time I tried to call Kai.
She still didn't seem to care enough, surprisingly. It wasn't attacking her money, or her family, the two things she gave a fuck about. It was... creepy, that was all. A strange link that was established between her and Dohwa.
"So you were correct about that. Weird."
"Say hi tonight!"
"Die."
"I can't die when the moon is so beautiful tonight. Ya wanna see?" He breathed out, soft and gentle. She could imagine him resting his arms on the windowsill, basking under the waves of silver that dappled through the trees. He must have looked just like the moon.
Involuntarily, her attention anchored to the cosmic abyss above, searching for the pale celestial body that usually hid itself amid a blanket of clouds. Something that would give her solace, that she and Dohwa were under the same sky.
It... wasn't there.
"Loverboy. What moon are you yapping about?"
"I can send you a picture!"
"You're going to mail a photograph to me? For that simple a thing?"
He let out a bewildered grunt. "Dude. I can send you one on your phone and you... oh." Silence. It was an awkward moment of realisation for him. "You don't have a smartphone. Sorry. I keep forgetting."
"I don't know who does, actually. No one in my school has an idea as to what is a smartphone, let alone own it. Even my parents!" Mentioning her 'parents' left a bitter taste on her tongue, since she was still very pissed at them.
"Honestly, I don't know where you live. Everyone knows what that is."
"Seoul, my guy, Seoul. It's quite a rich place, and you surely have an idea because you live here too. I think I've told you before."
"No way. Then you're probably from the 90s!" Dohwa whistled, "You really are a Grandma, haha."
"...But we are in the 90s." Y/N tilted her head to the side, visibly transfixed.
"Y/N?" He paused for a brief moment, trying to determine the situation's mood. "That was a nice joke. Please don't say it with such certainty, though. It's scary."
She turned quiet.
"I... It's not a joke. What the hell are you saying?"
"Okay. Hold up. You seriously mean that you're from the 90s?"
"Everyone is from the 90s! We're al—"
"No, we're absolutely not. Do you have dementia or something similar of sorts?" He asked, genuinely. She felt greatly offended. "Or maybe it is a goofy joke. I'm being too dramatic."
Y/N caught a glimpse of a truck passing by, an old movie poster glued to its rusted body.
•••
SEOPYEONJE starring Kim Myun-gon and Oh Jung-Hae.
In cinemas from 10th April 1993!
•••
She sighed. Of course she wasn't delusional enough to not keep a record of the year she was in. However, a part of her was worried that if she pressed on the matter further, it'd lead to a useless argument.
"Whatever. I don't need a picture."
"Mhm, alright! You're missing out. We rarely get to have cold nights, so you better appreciate the moon!"
"I'm not sure what cold nights you're talking about. I wake up drenched in my own sweat every morning."
Dohwa laughed.
"Can't blame you. The summer of 2023 is deemed to be the hottest after all."
angst, angst and more angst to come.