It was So Hyung.
Micha's mind raced. Why was he calling her now? After days of silence, when she had almost convinced herself not to think too much about him, here he was, reaching out in the middle of the night. The mere sight of his name made her heart flutter with nervous energy, a mix of anticipation and confusion swirling inside her.
She bit her lip, caught between excitement and hesitation. Her thoughts spiraled—what did this mean? Was it just a casual call, or something more? The uncertainty made her pulse quicken, and yet a part of her couldn't help but feel thrilled that he was thinking of her, even at this late hour.
Eu Nu, sensing Micha's sudden shift in energy, stirred again, her eyes slowly opening. "Micha? What's going on?" she mumbled, her voice groggy.
Micha, still staring at the phone, whispered softly, "It's So Hyung..."
Eu Nu immediately sat up, fully awake now. "So Hyung?" she repeated, her voice filled with surprise. "At this hour?"
Micha nodded, still processing her own emotions. The phone continued to ring, its persistent tone creating a tension in the air. She knew she had to decide—should she answer? Her heart was telling her yes, but her mind was a whirlpool of questions.
Her fingers hovered over the screen, trembling slightly. She felt a surge of excitement she couldn't quite control, mixed with a touch of anxiety. What would he say? Why now? There was only one way to find out.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Micha finally tapped the screen to answer the call, her heart racing as she lifted the phone to her ear.
"Hello?" Her voice was soft, tentative, but filled with emotion.
On the other end, there was a brief pause, a moment of silence that seemed to stretch on forever. And then, she heard his voice—warm and familiar, yet somehow different, as if this late-night call carried a deeper meaning.
"Micha," So Hyung said, his tone gentle, almost tender. "I couldn't stop thinking about you."
Her heart swelled, her excitement growing as her breath hitched again. She could hardly believe what she was hearing, and in that moment, all the doubts and worries she had been carrying seemed to melt away.
"I missed you," he added, his voice sending shivers down her spine.
Micha felt a wave of warmth wash over her, her earlier shock turning into a giddy excitement that filled her chest. She smiled, unable to help the butterflies fluttering inside her. "I missed you too, So Hyung," she whispered back, her voice filled with emotion.
In that moment, the world outside disappeared, and it was just the two of them—connected by the unexpected call, by the emotions they had both been holding back for so long. Micha could feel her heart racing, but this time, it wasn't just from the shock. It was from the thrill of knowing that, perhaps, this call meant more than she had ever hoped for.
After Micha ended the call with So Hyung, her heart still fluttered from the unexpected sweetness of his words. She lay back down, hugging her pillow with a soft, contented smile on her face, her mind replaying the conversation. But her peaceful moment didn't last long.
Beside her, Eu Nu stirred and sat up with a mischievous grin. "Well, well, well…" Eu Nu teased, propping herself up on one elbow. "What was that all about, hmm? Late-night calls from So Hyung? You two sound like something is brewing..."
Micha chuckled, playfully shoving her friend's arm. "Oh, stop it, Eu Nu. He was just calling to check in. Nothing serious."
"Nothing serious?" Eu Nu raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Micha, I could feel the energy in the air. You were practically glowing after that call. 'I missed you too, So Hyung,'" she mimicked in a sing-song voice, clearly enjoying teasing her.
Micha's cheeks flushed, and she laughed softly, burying her face in her pillow. "Okay, fine, maybe I'm happy he called, but it doesn't mean anything more than that! It's just... it's nice hearing from him."
Eu Nu's smile softened, and she nudged Micha gently. "Well, I'm glad he called. You deserve to be happy, you know. But don't let him play with your heart too much."
Micha nodded, grateful for Eu Nu's support. "I know. But tonight, I just want to enjoy the moment. I'll figure the rest out later."
Satisfied with her friend's response, Eu Nu yawned, stretching her arms. "Alright, alright. Enough teasing for tonight. Let's get some sleep. It's been a long day."
They both settled back into bed, the warmth of their friendship filling the room. Micha felt a sense of calm wash over her, and soon, they drifted into the embrace of sleep.
However, in the stillness of the night, something stirred in Micha's subconscious. A faint sound echoed in her mind, slowly growing louder. The peaceful slumber was soon interrupted by haunting cries—desperate, painful cries that filled her dreams.
In her dream, Micha found herself standing in a dark, unfamiliar place. The air around her was heavy, thick with the sound of agonized wails. She looked around, her heart racing as she tried to make sense of the chaos. Shadows moved in the distance, but the figures were blurred, their faces hidden in a haze. Yet, she could see the pain in their movements, the way they clutched their heads, blood dripping from unseen wounds. It was terrifying, surreal.
The cries grew louder, more intense, and Micha's body tensed with fear. She tried to move closer to the figures, to understand what was happening, but with each step, the faces remained out of focus, a frustrating blur.
Her breath quickened. She felt a cold chill run down her spine as if something terrible was about to happen. Just as she reached out, desperate to see, to understand—she jolted awake, gasping for air.
It was 3 a.m. The room was quiet, save for the soft, rhythmic breathing of Eu Nu beside her. Micha's heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing as she tried to shake off the lingering horror of the dream. The darkness of the room felt oppressive, the shadows on the walls reminding her of the blurred figures from her nightmare.
For a moment, she sat there in silence, listening to Eu Nu sleep peacefully beside her. She wanted to wake her friend, to tell her about the dream, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Eu Nu looked so serene, and Micha didn't want to disturb her over something that was probably just a figment of her imagination. After all, it was just a bad dream—wasn't it?
She hugged her knees to her chest, trying to calm her racing thoughts. "It's just a dream," she whispered to herself softly. "Just a dream."
But the vivid images of the crying figures, the blood, the blurry faces—they haunted her, lingering in the back of her mind. Micha took a deep breath and glanced at the clock. 3:15 a.m. Still a few hours before morning. She needed to rest, to push the dream out of her mind, but sleep felt elusive now.
Finally, after a few minutes of deep breathing and convincing herself that it was just her mind playing tricks on her, Micha lay back down, pulling the covers tightly around her. She glanced once more at Eu Nu, whose soft breaths were a comforting reminder that she wasn't alone. Micha closed her eyes, willing herself to find peace again.
And slowly, with the warmth of her friend by her side, Micha drifted back to sleep. This time, the darkness stayed at bay, and the rest of her night passed quietly, her dreams finally giving way to the calm she so desperately sought.
When morning came, sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. Micha stirred awake, her heart lighter now that the nightmares had faded into the distance of her subconscious. The comforting sound of Eu Nu's gentle breathing beside her reassured her that today was a new day, free from the fears of the night before.
Micha stretched her arms and yawned, feeling the familiar comfort of her bed. But as the memory of the nightmare from the night before crept back into her mind, she shook her head slightly, trying to dismiss it. It was just a dream, she reminded herself again, hoping to convince her heart as much as her mind.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," came Eu Nu's cheerful voice from beside her, startling Micha from her thoughts.
Micha turned to see Eu Nu smiling brightly, already awake and looking refreshed. "Good morning, Eu Nu," she replied, her voice soft and a little tired.
Eu Nu raised an eyebrow, her grin fading just a little as she studied Micha's face. "You don't look like you slept well. Everything okay? You seemed restless last night."
Micha hesitated for a moment, not wanting to bring up the nightmare, but then she realized it was Eu Nu—her best friend, the one person she could tell anything to. "I had a really weird dream," Micha admitted, biting her lip as she sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. "It was so vivid. I saw these people... injured, crying... but I couldn't see their faces. It felt so real, Eu Nu."
Eu Nu's expression softened as she listened, and she shifted closer to Micha on the bed. "That sounds intense. Are you sure you're okay? You know dreams can sometimes be our mind's way of telling us something—maybe stress, or something bothering you?"
Micha sighed, leaning her head back against the headboard. "I don't know. It was just so... disturbing. I woke up feeling like something bad was going to happen, but I don't know why."