The night after Luna was discharged from the hospital, she lay in her room, tossing in bed, drenched in sweat. A terrible nightmare had taken hold of her.
***
"Wake up, Luna! It's almost school time. Get up—Jae is waiting downstairs for you!"
A familiar voice from downstairs rang out loud enough for Luna to hear, "Let her sleep more, Aunt Jin. She's not a fan of studying anyway. I'll just tell her homeroom teacher she's still in dreamland. I'm heading out now. Bye, LuLu!"
Luna shot up from bed, her hair a tangled mess. "No, wait! I'm coming! I'm getting dressed!" she shouted, scrambling to get ready, flustered by Jae's teasing words.
Downstairs, Mr. Kim chuckled, shaking his head as he watched his nephew. "You sure know how to get her moving," he said, amused.
Jae smirked, casually taking a bite of his toast. "It's a special talent."
The two laughed, enjoying their breakfast as Luna hurried to catch up.
A short while later, Luna dashed down the stairs, hastily slipping on her shoes.
"Make sure to eat something before you go," Mrs. Kim reminded her, concern evident in her voice.
"Mom, there's no time! Jae, hurry up—we're going to be late because of you!" Luna huffed, shooting him an impatient glance.
Jae leaned back in his chair, unfazed. "Oh? Weren't you the one still asleep a few minutes ago?" he teased, taking his time finishing his drink.
Luna huffed, grabbing a piece of toast from the table and stuffing it in her mouth. "Let's just go!" she mumbled through the bread, tugging at his sleeve.
Mrs. Kim sighed, shaking her head. "At least take lunch with you—"
"Later, Mom! Bye!" Luna called out, already dragging Jae toward the door.
Mr. Kim chuckled. "That girl has more energy when she's running late."
"Don't worry, Aunt Jin. I'll feed her something," Jae reassured her as he stepped outside.
Before long, they were riding through the streets on Jae's bike, Luna clutching the back of his shirt as she sat closely behind him.
"Why do you look annoyed?" she asked, noticing the slight crease in his brow.
"If you keep waking up late like this, I'm not taking you to school anymore," Jae said firmly.
"You can go by yourself", he added.
"You always get the best grades and you're the smartest student in the whole school. You could come in first even if you skipped class, so why are you so obsessed with being on time?" Luna teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I don't care about being late," Jae replied flatly.
What he wouldn't say, though, was that he just didn't like her skipping meals.
"Alright, alright," Luna relented with a grin.
"Eat your bread and stop talking.." Jae said, rolling his eyes.
Luna took a bite but continued rambling anyway, her words muffled.
Jae glanced over his shoulder, "What are you even saying? I can't understand a word you're mumbling."
"I was talking about my dream last night," Luna continued.
"Sure... Sure... why bother waking up, just live in your dreams.."
Luna narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're always lost in dreams, but reality is right here. Maybe you should try living in it for once."
A tense silence settled between them. "You think I don't know that?" Her voice was quiet but sharp. "You think I want to keep waking up in a world that feels worse than my dreams?"
He sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair.
"Whatever. It's your life."
Luna exhaled slowly, willing herself to push past the sting of his words. "Forget it," she muttered, turning away.
"I shouldn't have said anything."
When he noticed she was upset, his expression softened. His tone shifted, no longer laced with sarcasm as he gently urged.
"Alright, tell me about it. What is it this time? A dinosaur? A talking teacup? people walk on walls? maybe—just maybe— did you wake up on a spaceship?" he teased, smirking.
"Oh no… don't tell me this is one of those escape room episodes," he groaned, throwing his hands up dramatically.
Next thing I know, you'll say we had to solve puzzles to escape an alien abduction or outrun a time-traveling assassin."
He shook his head with an exaggerated sigh.
"You… you really need to stop watching so much TV."
"No, it's about you and me," she began excitedly, her eyes lighting up.
"There were so many fireflies on a beach, glowing like tiny stars. And you and I… we were there, holding hands."
Her voice carried a kind of wonder, as if she was still caught in the magic of the dream. She waited a second for his reaction.
Jae smirked, a hint of pink dusting his cheeks.
"I think you're at the age where you're starting to develop romantic feelings for me," he teased, flashing a playful grin.
"You wish!" Luna scoffed. "It was just a dream. Don't flatter yourself."
Jae chuckled, still smirking. "Sure, sure. But holding hands on a beach under fireflies? Sounds pretty romantic to me."
Luna rolled her eyes before smacking his back again. "If you keep teasing me, I won't marry you in future!"
"Great! Then I'll date lots of girls instead. I'm already tired of seeing your face every day," Jae shot back with a mischievous smile.
Luna glared at him. "You wouldn't dare!"
Jae just laughed, easily dodging another playful smack as he pedaled faster. "Guess we'll see!"
Her expression soured, and remained silent for the rest of the ride, finishing her breakfast.
When they reached the school, Luna dismounted the bike and started walking away without waiting for Jae, who was still parking it.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Jae called out, rushing after her and grabbing her hand to stop her.
"Why bother? You said you're bored of me, so I'll just leave. This way, you won't have to endure looking at my boring face," Luna replied, her tone sharp with irritation.
"Oh, looks like someone's upset," Jae teased, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Whatever," Luna muttered, trying to pull her hand free.
Jae placed his hands on her shoulders, his expression softening.
"LuLu, the only person I could never get bored of in this universe—or any other universe—is you.
I'll be with you forever. I promise."
Luna's cheeks reddened, but she quickly masked it with a playful grin. "I know. If you ever left me, Grandpa would hunt you down."
They both laughed out loud, the tension melting away as they walked into school together.
Luna and Jae had always been inseparable, despite the two-year age gap between them. Jae loved teasing Luna, and she took every opportunity to prank him right back.
Their dynamic was full of arguments, but it was also filled with a deep, unspoken bond—like Tom and Jerry, constantly bickering but always looking out for one another.
From a young age, Jae had taken it upon himself to be there for Luna, patiently listening to her endless dreams and never failing to walk her to school. Everyone at school saw them as childhood sweethearts, soulmates in their own quirky way, always side by side despite the playful chaos they created.
Despite their playful bickering, Luna was never truly alone. Because of the prominence of their family, no one dared to mess with her. But more than their family name, it was Jae's unwavering presence and constant protection that kept other kids from bothering her.
Jae always made sure to watch over Luna, even when they were at school. He'd find a spot where he could see her classroom, just in case something happened. His care for her ran deep, always there in the background.
"Where is Jae? Is he skipping classes now?" the homeroom teacher asked, glancing up from the attendance sheet.
The classroom remained still, the students glancing at each other, uncertain of where Jae had gone or when he'd left.
Meanwhile, Jae had slipped away to a quiet, secluded field known for its fireflies. He patiently waited for night to fall, determined to catch one for Luna. He remembered her excitement from the dream and wanted to make it come true for her.
"Got it!" Jae whispered excitedly, his eyes locking onto a glowing firefly in the darkened field. But just as he carefully caught it, the rain suddenly began to pour, drenching him within moments.
"Sorry, LuLu, I'll be there soon," Jae muttered to himself, tightly holding the small firefly in his hand. Without wasting another moment, he jumped on his bicycle and sped down the mountain road, anxious to get to Luna before she started to worry.
The rain made the path slippery, and in his rush, the bicycle skidded beneath him, sending him crashing to the ground. His body ached, bruised and sore, but he didn't let go of the firefly. Gritting his teeth, Jae pushed himself up and started running, his heart racing with the fear that Luna might already be upset.
Finally, as he spotted her walking along the road, he called out, "Luna!"
Breathing heavily, Jae extended his hand with a triumphant grin. "I found it!" he exclaimed, his voice bubbling with excitement, eager to see the joy on Luna's face.
He reached for her hand, and they began to playfully argue about whether to take the firefly home or let it go free. But before they could settle on anything, a car came speeding down the road. Too fast. Too close.
The screech of tires was deafening, and in the blink of an eye, the accident happened.
Jae was hurled to the ground, his body bruised and bloodied, pain coursing through him with every breath. The cold rain splashed against his face, but he struggled to stay conscious, the fading warmth of life slipping away too quickly.
His fingers gripped the small firefly, but its glow was fading, the tiny light escaping his grasp.
"No, no... I can't let it go. I promised her."
But despite his desperate grip, the firefly slipped from his hand, its faint glow barely visible as it floated away into the rainy sky.
Jae fought to hold on, each breath coming harder than the last as pain overwhelmed him. His vision blurred, but through the haze, he could make out Luna kneeling beside him, her face streaked with tears, her sobs filling the air.
He longed to comfort her, to wipe away her tears and tell her everything would be okay, but his body refused to move, as if it were no longer his own.
Luna's eyes widened in horror as Jae's body hit the ground, her breath catching in her throat. For a brief, agonizing moment, she froze, unable to comprehend what had just happened—her world shattering in an instant.
"No. No, this isn't real. This can't be real." Luna's mind refused to accept the scene before her. Her knees gave way, and she collapsed beside him, her hands shaking violently as she reached for him.
"You promised me.
You said you'd be with me forever.
You lied!"