Chapter Text
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tee was tired.
not the kind of tired where he could close his eyes and fall asleep immediately.
the kind where his whole body felt heavy, but his brain refused to shut up.
he lay flat on his bed, staring at the ceiling while the fan spun above him.
12:47 a.m.
his phone was beside his pillow.
he’d already checked everything.
messages.
social media.
the same three videos he’d watched twice because he wasn’t paying attention the first time.
nothing.
tee sighed and tossed his phone onto the other side of the bed.
“…i should sleep.”
he pulled the blanket up to his chest and closed his eyes.
five minutes passed.
then ten.
he opened them again.
“…great.”
he rolled onto his side.
the room was completely dark now, except for the faint light coming through the curtains from outside.
tee listened to the quiet.
a car passing somewhere downstairs.
the hum of the air conditioner.
his own breathing.
slowly…
his eyes became heavier.
his thoughts started becoming blurry.
the ceiling disappeared.
the sounds around him faded.
and eventually…
tee fell asleep.
he was standing somewhere unfamiliar.
tee blinked.
once.
twice.
the first thing he noticed was the sunlight.
warm light filtered through the trees above him, casting little shadows across a narrow path.
he looked down.
grass.
then around him.
trees.
flowers.
a quiet path stretching further into the distance.
“…what?”
he turned around.
there was no one there.
tee frowned.
“where am i?”
a soft voice answered from somewhere behind him.
“you’re finally here.”
tee froze.
he slowly turned around.
someone was sitting underneath a large tree.
a boy.
he had a book resting in his lap, one hand loosely holding the edge of the page.
he looked up at tee.
and smiled.
tee stared.
“…who are you?”
the boy closed his book.
“i was wondering when you’d ask.”
“…do i know you?”
“no.”
“then why are you here?”
the boy tilted his head.
“why are you here?”
tee opened his mouth.
nothing came out.
“…i don’t know.”
“me neither.”
there was something strange about the answer.
tee looked around again.
“this is a dream, isn’t it?”
the boy smiled.
“probably.”
“probably?”
“it feels like one.”
tee frowned.
“…that’s not very reassuring.”
the boy laughed.
it was soft.
quiet.
and for some reason…
familiar.
tee walked closer.
“what’s your name?”
the boy hesitated.
“…por.”
tee repeated it.
“por.”
something about the name felt strangely comforting.
“and yours?”
“tee.”
por smiled.
“nice to meet you, tee.”
tee sat down underneath the tree, leaving a small space between them.
“have we met before?”
por looked at him.
“…not that i remember.”
tee stared at him for a moment.
then looked away.
“right.”
they sat in silence.
it wasn’t awkward.
that was the weirdest part.
tee had known this person for approximately five minutes.
yet sitting beside him felt…
easy.
like he’d done it before.
like this wasn’t the first time.
like there would be a next time.
tee woke up the next morning at 7:15.
he stared at the ceiling.
for a few seconds, he didn’t move.
then the dream came rushing back.
the park.
the tree.
the boy.
por.
tee sat up.
“…por.”
he rubbed his eyes.
he couldn’t remember much else.
he didn’t know why he’d dreamed about a stranger.
he didn’t know why the dream felt so real.
and he definitely didn’t know why he could still remember the sound of por’s laugh.
tee reached for his phone.
he opened his notes app.
hesitated.
then typed:
por
he stared at the name.
“…what am i doing?”
he almost deleted it.
instead, he locked his phone and got ready for school.
by the time he left his apartment…
he had almost forgotten about the dream.
almost.
that night, tee was tired again.
he finished his homework.
showered.
got into bed.
and tried not to think about the dream.
it didn’t work.
his mind kept going back to the same thing.
por.
who was he?
why did tee remember him so clearly?
and…
would he appear again?
tee turned onto his side.
“…probably not.”
he closed his eyes.
eventually, sleep took over.
sunlight.
trees.
the same path.
tee’s eyes opened.
he immediately knew where he was.
“…no way.”
he looked around.
the same park.
the same tree.
the same quiet breeze.
and sitting beneath the tree…
was por.
por looked up.
a smile slowly appeared on his face.
“you’re back.”
tee stared at him.
“…you remember me?”
por laughed softly.
“of course.”
tee walked over.
“…i thought it was just a dream.”
“it is.”
“then why are you here again?”
por shrugged.
“maybe you wanted to see me.”
tee stopped.
“…i didn’t.”
por raised an eyebrow.
“you came back.”
“…”
“twice.”
tee looked away.
“…okay, maybe i did.”
por laughed.
and somehow…
tee knew this wouldn’t be the last time.
he just didn’t know yet…
that eventually, this dream would become the most important part of his life.
and por would become the person he looked for every time he closed his eyes.