Dream (5)

The girl who resembled the hero asked me if I was okay.

"…Are you alright?"

I wasn't. A person who looked exactly like the hero from my dream had just shown up.

She bent at the waist and set down ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the sack of rice. In that instant, her image overlapped with the one from my dream, and I flinched back without thinking.

"What're you doing?"

"Eek!"

I was so tense I hadn't even noticed Lee Ji-yeon approaching. She gave me a weird look at my startled jump.

The delivery girl spotted Lee Ji-yeon and greeted her cheerfully. "Oh, hello! Rice delivery."

Lee Ji-yeon gave her a quick once-over. "Ah… yeah, just leave it there."

The delivery girl eyed Lee Ji-yeon curiously, then hesitantly ventured, "Um… are you by any chance Lee Ji-yeon?"

"…Yeah, that's me."

Evidently a fan, the delivery girl lit up. "Whoa, it really is you! I'm a huge fan—sis, you're so pretty!"

"Oh, a fan, huh… Thanks."

The girl glanced at me cautiously. "Um… do you, like… live ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠here?"

"…No, this is my manager's place."

"Ah, so you're the manager!"

Lee Ji-yeon seemed annoyed as the girl gushed about her songs and how fun her dramas were, so she just nodded along. Glancing at me, Lee Ji-yeon smiled brightly at the delivery girl. "Hey, since you're a fan… you know about me being here, right?"

"Of course! My lips are sealed—super heavy-duty lock."

"Thanks. Well, since you're a fan… how about an autograph?"

"Whoa! Thank you!"

The delivery girl dashed to her car for a pen and paper. Lee Ji-yeon watched her go, then shot me a sidelong glance.

She returned quickly with the paper, beaming as she handed it over. "…Name?"

"Hyeon Ha-yeon!"

Lee Ji-yeon signed it with flair and handed back the paper and pen. Hyeon Ha-yeon grinned ear-to-ear, genuinely thrilled. "Wow, thank you so much!"

"No problem. Thanks for the delivery."

"Yep! Have a great time!"

Hyeon Ha-yeon hugged the signed paper to her chest with a sunny smile and headed off. I stood there, staring blankly at her retreating figure.

Once the truck pulled away, Lee Ji-yeon frowned at me. "What?"

"Huh… what?"

"Why're you staring like that?"

"…Nothing."

Worried she'd get the wrong idea, I brushed it off and turned away, but she grabbed my wrist.

Seeing her face brought the dream rushing back, and I frowned without realizing. Oh crap, I thought, but it was too late—her expression had already hardened. She was pissed.

We stood there in a silent standoff for a while until I finally broke. "…Had a rough night with dreams."

She just stared, urging me on.

"Just… seeing that girl's face reminded me of the dream."

My excuse didn't land; her grip tightened. Her strength was surprising—my wrist started to hurt.

"…Ow."

"…"

She squeezed once more before letting go. Glaring, she said, "Put ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the rice in the storage."

"…Got it."

Lee Ji-yeon brushed past me into the house. Once she was gone, I let out a deep sigh. "Hoo…"

What a morning. Her handprint was still clear on my wrist.

"…How's she so strong?"

Rubbing it, I hoisted a sack to move it. It was way heavier than I'd expected.

"Hng!"

I'd assumed it was light since Hyeon Ha-yeon had carried two effortlessly. My mistake.

"…40 kilos?"

She'd handled them like nothing. …Is she really the hero?

The thought hit me: maybe Hyeon Ha-yeon really was the hero swinging that massive sword.

*

I said goodbye to her family and headed straight back to Seoul. After handing Lee Ji-yeon off to Chief Choi, I finally made it to my studio apartment.

Lying on the bed, I checked my phone—still only 2 p.m. The morning chaos had kept me wired, but now exhaustion crashed in. Stretching made me even sleepier.

I debated setting an alarm, but my eyes were already closing, consciousness fading.

*

The sky brimmed with light, but it didn't blind me. All around was pure radiance—nothing else visible.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

A beautiful woman's voice echoed. Turning, I saw her standing there. I approached without hesitation. Her eyes were hidden by the light, her flowing robes and holy halo familiar, her voice too. Thinking back, she was the woman talking to the man from my dream.

"Uh… greetings."

I mumbled dumbly in response to her greeting.

"…"

Some? It was total chaos. I'd had weird dreams back-to-back, and now a character from them was right in front of me.

"…What?"

I blurted in shock, but she ignored me. In a blink, she was close, hand on my head.

"Hey, what're you—"

The light over my eyes felt warm and cozy. My mind went hazy.

*

I came to in a different space. The goddess's words echoed in my head.

A figure stood before a half-ruined black tower—the man resembling me from the dream. He shouted at it, but no sound came.

The scene shifted. A child in a small room, innocently smiling like my younger self. Time sped up. Grown me fell in love with a woman—deeply, truly.

Battlefield. I shoved her aside to protect her—my head severed. Shift: Older me with another woman. Then, the first one appeared.

Two women fought viciously. I was bound, forced to watch.

Lifetimes passed: more women. I became limbless, blind, tongueless, even just a living head. Some expressed love through torture; others enjoyed it. One took young me; another, my aged self.

…What kind of lives did I live?

Dozens gathered for a ritual. Then two arrived, slaughtering them and fighting each other.

That dream again: me sobbing before the goddess.