“Jimin?”
“Hmm?” he asked around a mouthful of tiramisu.
“Why did you come to my house today? I mean, how did you know about me?”
He stared at her for a few silent seconds. “I’m not sure.”
Frowning, she queried, “You’re not sure? You mean, you just suddenly appeared in my room?”
“Something like that. I was lying on my bed in my room staring at the ceiling in the dark when I heard you speak. Clear as a bell. ‘Fly to my room. Get me outta my blues. So I can feel brand new.’ Then I blinked. When I opened my eyes, I was standing in your room in the light of day. But apparently I came through the rain shower.”
“What?” Astounded, she simply stared at him. “Didn’t that freak you out?”
“Nah.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m clearly dreaming. So, I just decided to enjoy myself. It’s not every day that I suddenly appear in the bedroom of a cute girl. I’d best make the most of it.”
She choked on her tiramisu. After swallowing and then inhaling a deep breath, she whispered, “You think I’m cute?”
“Immensely,” he grinned, his chocolate eyes delving deeply into her own brown orbs. “Is it working?”
“What?” she continued to stare at him, this time clueless.
“The tiramisu. Is it cheering you up?”
She gazed at him for a moment. “You’re cheering me up, Jimin,” she finally murmured quietly.
“Excellent.” Those white teeth were flashing at her again before they disappeared behind another bite of tiramisu.
“How did you know my name?” she queried a few moments later.
“What?” he asked around his mouthful of custard and cream.
“You called me by my name. How did you know it?”
“I don’t know. I just did.”
“Curious. But if this is a dream, then it’s a shared one because I’m living it too. It feels real to me. You feel real to me.”
His eyes caressed hers for a few quiet seconds. “I understand. That’s exactly how I feel too.”
She sighed suddenly. “But, Jimin, you’re ten years older than I am. Eleven, actually. Until tomorrow.”
“That won’t matter in five years.”
“But it does matter now.”
“I suppose it does. But…we can still be friends, right?”
A bright smile broke across her face. “Absolutely.” The smile faltered. “How long do you suppose this dream will last?”
“At least until your birthday, I hope.”
“You’re planning to stay the night with me?” she asked in surprise.
“Well, I couldn’t help but notice you had an extra bed in your room. An unoccupied one.”
“The top bunk. Yeah. If you want it, it’s yours.”
“What will your mom say?”
“Apparently, she’s not in this dream. Besides, we just agreed to be friends.”
“Yeah, we did.” He shoved the last bite of his tiramisu into his mouth before pushing his plate towards the center of the table. “That was really good.”
The waiter reappeared, and Jimin ordered them both lunch while Nani watched his animated face in fascination. She noticed that his countenance shone brighter when he was interacting with people. Then, his expression seemed to dim as he was left alone.
“You don’t have to be on all the time, you know,” she remarked.
He glanced up at her in surprise. “What?”
“It’s okay with me if you just relax in my presence. I don’t expect you to smile every moment we spend together. Don’t wear yourself out trying to fulfill some image you think I have of you.”
His eyebrows knit themselves together as he stared at her. Silently. After a little while, his shoulders fell. As though he had been holding his breath since meeting her and only now let it all out. He appeared like a helium balloon from which someone had suddenly released all its air.
She watched Jimin seem to shrink before her. But the boy that was left sitting across from her didn’t appear less sweet. He did, in fact, seem to be more so.
He looked weary. Muted. But none the poorer for being human. Suddenly, he gave her a lopsided grin.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” she asked.
“For allowing me to…BE. To just…breathe.”
“And thank you, Jimin.”
“For what?” Those eyebrows were threatening his eyelashes again.
“For seeing me.”
