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Epilogue

"I thought I would be fine after everything was finally over. Once court was over, once Hoseok was placed in an institution, and once I finally moved away from Busan." She swallowed her thick saliva, her foot tapping restlessly above the lavish wooden floor. "The thing is, everything is perfect. My life is finally normal, it's just wanted I wanted. But, I can't stop dreaming about that night. I can't stop dreaming of him."

Nali narrowed her eyes, listening to Seren's confession.

"Sorry... I mean... Hoseok. I can't stop dreaming about Hoseok." Seren corrected herself, shaking her head. "It still feels weird to say his name, even after almost two years."

Seren never considered therapy for her problems. She didn't want therapy, but Jimin encouraged her to start going to sessions, he claimed she needed to talk to somebody that could help her with her issue.

"It's gonna take some time, everything is. Getting used to saying his name, getting over what happened to you. You went through something very traumatic, it won't go away easily in just two years." Nali insisted, readjusting in her seat. "What exactly do you dream about?"

"It always starts the same. It's me and him, like normal. Like nothing happened, like he never let Jack take over. It's us having normal conversations, on a normal date, but it's always at the old bar I used to work at." Seren recalled, vividly remembering each dream she's ever had about Hoseok.

"Then, all of a sudden, I'm back at the park... deep in the park. And he's above me again, except he's Jack. And he's stabbing me. I can never understand why it's always so vivid, and so specific."

Nali nodded slowly, carefully analyzing Seren's nightmare with taut eyes that made Seren slightly adjust her posture.

"That could just mean that you're not over what happened to you. If in these nightmares you are scared, and you feel the way you felt two years ago, you haven't healed from what happened. Which, is understandable, don't think you should have grown from this in such little time."

Seren toyed with her fingers, hating how she still wasn't over what Hoseok did to her, even after she had moved away from her old home.

From the place where it all started.

"How has your love life been?" Nali changed the subject, seeing Seren was left silent.

"It's been... I've been trying to see new people. Well, just one person in particular, actually. He's been so patient with me, so loving and caring. I almost feel guilty for not being able to show that back to him sometimes." Seren revealed, rubbing away the chills that formed on her arm. "Somedays, I'm good to love him, and do the things couples do like go out on romantic dates. But, sometimes, there are days where I can't. Where I'm stuck in the past, where I think all this will fade from me one day, and I'm left alone."

"And you said your parents were also absent in your life, right?" Nail recalled, her finger tapping her crossed knee.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"I do think that this behavior has to do with Hoseok, but I also think it has to do with that. You never had your parents, but even after this tragic event happened to you, your parents still weren't there for you. You could convince yourself that you don't care and that you simply don't need them, but at the back of your mind, it hurts you. You needed them, and they weren't there. It's okay to admit that."

"I think it's just enhanced ever since you were in the hospital, so it now shows up in your love life." She finished, pushing her glasses up further against her nose.

"So, you don't think it has to do with Hoseok, or Jack?" Seren asked, her eyebrows pinching together.

"No, I do think it has to do with that. I also just think it has to do with your parents as well." She cleared her throat.