The Cromer in my hand flashed, but I was still in the hideout. Members who are looking at me were the same too.

It was an unbelievable dream to hear about the various dimensions from the man wearing a black fedora and to see the Cromer in my hand.

Right then, an unknown voice came from outside. As the sound neared, giants dressed in white suddenly appeared, breaking the hideout door.

They were wearing masks that covered their entire face and did not feel like people, they were looking for the Cromer.

We’re complete strangers now. I stopped saying their names, and they’ve done the same to me. Was there a chance or moment where I had the power to relive those memories? If I’d found it, I would. 

It's been exactly 3 years ever since that incident. No matter how much I tried to suppress it, I could still hear the shouts of our last moments together.

"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER OR I'LL KILL THIS BITCH WITH MY BARE HANDS—!"

To no avail, that was the last thing I did remember that day. Why did I have to remember that?

My friends, my family, and my brothers, those words mean nothing coming out of my lips, it doesn't even make my heart flutter anymore. I wish there was a time where I could've felt it for the first time again. But I can't control time now, can I?

I was truly happy during those times. I felt like nothing could ever step in our way—! That we could somehow rebel against our seniors and start living our way.

I'm 22 years old, but I was still naive enough to believe that we could achieve our dreams, impossible ones.

I was truly stupid.

Stupid enough that our dreams that we couldn't reach got me to where I am, homeless and dirty, like a true orphan. Maybe Seonghwa was right. I could have saved myself and abandoned the boys, just so I could have a stable job and have stable food in my stomach, and have a stable life to live.

Maybe I could've found myself a nice girl or boy to love, and have a family or none. Maybe I could have had something. But yet again, I was too stupid to hang on to this dream with someone.

In another dimension, we could have had a group of our own. We could have had a fanbase, a community where we could have shared our stories and music, filled with laughter and tears. We could have been popular, and many seniors would praise us for our hearts. Then the world could see that this wasn't just a dream.

Who knew this dream could have killed me instead?

I was truly stupid.

I wonder how my childhood best friend's doing...? I dreamt that he got what he wanted, being a CEO of his own company with his subordinates besides him. Maybe he lived a great life, with children and a spouse? Maybe there were many mini Seonghwa's playing in his backyard? Shouting and playing with his busy father on a Sunday morning? Whatever he had, it had to have been great since he worked harder than all of us. But one thing's for certain, that man is not fulfilled.

How do I know? Because the life he wanted was sacrificed by him himself.

He didn't want that.

He wanted music, he wanted to live with us. He wanted to live with me, making music together.

That man, Park Seonghwa. Wherever he is, he's unhappy.

"Hehehehehehehe......"

I can hear a familiar voice.

"Hongjoong."

It's getting louder.

"Captain."

Louder.

"Kim Hongjoong!"

And I jolt awake, panting for breath. "Whu—?"

As I fluttered my eyes open, I could still see my familiar surroundings and sighed in relief. "Hah...... Who the fuck was that."

I rub my eyes and patted myself. "......"

"Captain."

My heart races to see a stranger in front of me. But I didn't react violently as I should be doing, because I couldn't move an inch.

The figure started advancing towards me slowly, like an adult approaching a small whimpering child, careful not to scare it.

I didn't know why, but for the first time in years, my heart palpitated immensely, the sort of feeling of fear. As I should be, there was a stranger in my warehouse.

The black clad then stopped right in front of me, and by then I could make out what he looked like: a fellow with a black hat, a black mask, and a black coat engulfing his entire figure, all the skin I could see were his hands and eyes... wait. Those eyes...

I try screaming, struggling to move, something. But I just couldn't. Is this a dream? But it's so vivid—! I could definitely smell this dusty warehouse. What the fuck is happening??

"I don't have much time, Cap', I tried getting a hold of you before, but you seemed to have tried to avoid me, that's a bit rude to speak to your old friend, no?" The black-clad chuckled. The way he spit out the word "friend", feels like we weren't.

Okay, now this is getting freaky. I was sure that what I was just hearing right now is my own voice. Saw my own eyes, and even felt that he was just the exact same build as me. If this is a sign that I should be getting more sleep from above, I promise now or never, just please let this be a dream.

"Tomorrow, same time again. Sleep early and we'll try this one more time—" the stranger raised his head up and seemed to be gazing at the crescent moon. "We still have time— no. We still have time before the full moon. I have a lot to say to you, Cap'."

Why does he keep calling me captain??

The stranger then glanced at the little hourglass held in his hand, was that always there? I was too focused on myself that I didn't see that little thing.

"I don't have that much time left in this lil' thing. Argh..." my pair of eyes looked into mine. "The world you're in is as real as the others. Stop thinking that this is the only one. Now then—" the black-clad then showed me the little hourglass in front of my numb face.

"This is the Cromer."

Do I look like I give a shit? I need to go home.

"Hehehe," that laugh, the same chuckle that I do was the exact replica. I shiver in disgust. "Did you really think that you all left each other like broken little teenage children just because of the reality of the world? Tsk, I thought you all were smarter than that. How was I your other half then? I feel embarrassed...."

What crack is he smoking to say that? "Other half"? How did he know my former family? How did he know about me? Did he mistake me for someone else? No, more importantly, why is he copying me!

He then stopped smiling and shifted the atmosphere. I attempt to gulp, he was certainly fearsome. "Open your eyes, you only split up because you decided to."

"....."

He tsk-ed. "Well," he tapped the glass and now I can see, the sand falling down is coming to a end, "would you look at that, I'm out of time already." He smiled at me again and this time, it wasn't out of pleasantry. "Tomorrow. Same time. See you again, Cap'."

He told me to open my eyes, but he didn't need to tell me twice.

Hongjoong opened his eyes and panted for breath, it surely wasn't hot in the warehouse he's staying in, but he was sweating as if he just ran a marathon. His thoughts were in a daze, the combination of fear and confusion mixed with his overbearing thoughts, of course he's not in the right place right now.

"Hah..... hah.... hah......" Hongjoong spit out series of breaths one by one, and decided to pick up his old friend's mannerisms, Jung Wooyoung's.

Whenever he'd get attacks, Wooyoung would always tell his family first, but who can Hongjoong go to for support right now? His family abandoned him, and so did his brothers.

He finally got up in spite of himself and ran outside his shabbled home to breath some fresh air. He surely breathed in the smell of the grass, alright. His hideout was in the middle of no where, so it is to be expected that tall grass and trees would come and grow naturally in a place where only one person lived.

Splash! Hongjoong shakily cupped the water flowing out of his waterbottle and slapped his face with it to mobilize his nerves, oh yes, he didn't have a sink back at his place, he has nothing after all.

The sounds of crickets and Hongjoong's splashes was all the moon could hear. "What the fuck...." he whispered to himself.

Any normal peson would've felt weirded out by this, especially when your clone just told you all about your dark past and reminded you once again, he was starting to move on! How dare he?

By this point, Hongjoong's palpitating heart started to subside bit by bit. But now that he's calm, what would he do now? He couldn't just not acknowledge that very vivid dream... or was it really a dream? No, it definitely was. He couldn't move an inch there, and as he woke up, the black-clad disappeared as well as the "Cromer".

Hongjoong tsk-ed, he didn't need to follow what that stranger said, he could call it however he wanted, not that it matters anyway, it was just one weird dream, no big deal making a fuss over it.

But no, he definitely felt his breath, the leather couch, and the hair on his face. Everything felt real, especially that fellow, he heard his footsteps, felt the breath on his face, there's no denying that it wasn't real. Besides, the human brain works in complex ways, everything your subconscious tells you, it all mashes up inside one big sequence of dreams, of course it felt real...

No matter, Hongjoong thought. I have nothing to lose if all of this were to be true in fact.

"Hahahahahaha! Park Seonghwa! You're as stiff as a board! Just live a little!"

"You can't just make me dance and expect me to be good at it! You're mean!"

Hongjoong's giggle fills Seonghwa's heart. This boy started talking to him once they both met someplace during school, at one glance, this boy was the same age as him, fully dressed like a teenager who knows how to express himself. Slicked light blue hair and ears covered in earrings. And to top it all off, very handsome. Very intricate, Seonghwa thought.

While he glanced at his own figure, there was nothing he could express himself. He had no earrings, no hip clothes, and just regular plain black wavy hair. But was there anything wrong with being plain?

As Seonghwa stared at this handsome stranger, he couldn't help getting captivated by this Hongjoong. He moved as if he was water himself. And his stage presence. His stage presence. Every facial expression were to make your heart beat as if you yourself were dancing, but no, he was just watching, but his heart was the one beating fast.

"Well," Hongjoong panted. "that's basically how you do it. Easy enough right?"

".... how is any of that easy...? You were basically floating.... man..."

"Hahaha! You're quite funny, did you know?"

Seonghwa chuckled lightly at that compliment. Nothing in his life was beyond fun, so it was quite difficult for Seonghwa to keep up with this blue-haired man's energy, he was free spirited after all.

"Why don't you give it a try? I never see you do anything you want except study study study study— blah blah blaaahhhh." Hongjoong giggled once more. "I know that there's nothing wrong with studying, but you only do that when you want to. But," Hongjoong took a step closer and placed his fist against Seonghwa's heart.

"You're not enjoying that, are you?"

Seonghwa's eyes widened by his observation. It was true that he didn't enjoy studying, but he had to. That was the only way to live up to his peer's expectations. He was nearing adulthood after all, he had to try his best somehow; and that's through studying. Right?

"Like entertainment has everything to do with my future, Hongjoong-ssi, if you keep at it, you have to try at least getting a decent life, or else you're as good as dead."

"Hmmm.... I guess we do have different opinions, that's why you caught my eye in the first place, Park Seonghwa."

"You only talked to me because I interested you...."

"Hahaha! Nope! I started talking to you because I felt like it! Does everything need to have logic? C'mon now!"

Seonghwa smiled at his laughing friend. Though they were polar opposites with opposing opinions, he couldn't deny that he also started talking back because he felt like it.

But when Hongjoong stopped laughing, Seonghwa stopped as well. The blue-haired youth wrapped his arms around Seonghwa, and said: "Even if someone does work hard, it's not a guarantee that they'll become successful, you know? Just the same as someone who doesn't work hard, it's all up to fate. And it's our job to stay humble and stay kind. You hear me?"

Seonghwa half-believed him, nevertheless, he reached out to Hongjoong's fluffy cheeks and squished it. "I hear youuuu~"

Hongjoong revolted back and screamed. "GAGH! STOP THAT! I DON'T LIKE SKINSHIP AND YOU KNOW THAT!"

"Hahahahaha!" Seonghwa laughed  freely. "This is payback for being mean! C'mere and give me a hug!"

"NO—! STAY AWAY! STOP IT!"