While She Slept | Dreamcatcher

Chapter 22

Dami met eyes with Gahyeon as she parted from the hug. "Were you talking to yourself before I came in?"

"I was talking to Siyeon." Gahyeon admitted, already predicting Dami's strong reaction.

Dami blinked rapidly, pulling further away. "Si-Siyeon?"

"Her spirit-thingy threat--er, talked to me just now."

She stared back at Gahyeon with an unreadable expression. "Is this like when you saw Yoohyeon at the karaoke?"

"Yes. And I really didn't imagine it, before you say anything. I've seen SuA as well."

"I wasn't going to say that. You know that I know logic can't be applied to the situation we're in." She said shortly and looked directly at her with a small smile. "You wanna play video games with me? They're good for relieving stress, you know."

"Er, sure. Were you planning to anyway?"

"Yeah. I was on my way to the lounge when I heard you. Playing at night is also the best way to get past the 'Mum talk' about the violence and danger of video games to the mind." She grinned impishly and offered her hand, seeming determined to forget the strangeness of what Gahyeon had told her. "Coming?"

In the lounge they played video games together, on a low volume. Gahyeon settled back on the sofa, attempting to relax while Dami set up the Xbox to play one of her 18+ games.

***

Together, they played into the early hours of the morning. Gahyeon saw the time on the clock when she checked it between killing mutant monsters and protecting Dami's character.

Finally, a mutant beast leapt atop Dami's character and clawed them to the ground, ripping out the character's throat.

The game then asked if they wanted to restart the game from the last checkpoint.

Gahyeon looked over at Dami next to her, who snored delicately with her mouth open. She laughed quietly and put down her controller.

Tempted to wake her up, Gahyeon reached up a hand but decided against it, knowing she could easily stop her sleepwalking from her current position.

Gahyeon stood and stretched before she walked to the balcony doors and eased the curtains across, opened the doors and stepped out into the biting breeze.

For several seconds, she stood there, her hands on the railing and looked out across the sea of buildings that surrounded her loosely, broken up by twisting roads. She let the wind take its shapeless fingers through her hair and chill her skin. Her feet were already soaked with the morning dew covering the flooring.

Gahyeon then looked down, her mind curious as to what she was able to see. She leaned over the balcony and peered down at the parking lot below, sparsely filled with vehicles. Her flat was four floors up and she enjoyed the rush of adrenaline as she leaned her body further over the edge. Then she pulled herself up, no wish to fall to a potentially painful death and glanced at Dami, who still slept peacefully on the sofa.

She was oddly content at that moment as she turned back to the view spread out before her and the morning sky. She thought of no one but herself and that was the only time she could forget everyone, when she felt as if she was the only one who existed in the world.

Everyone, but herself. The pain of loss in her heart eased and she smiled briefly in the melancholy atmosphere.

She spun back to face the doors, her back to the night sky and re-entered the lounge. Dami was still sleeping, the controller in her hands. Gahyeon sat down beside her and eased Dami's body to the side so that she was leaning against Gahyeon. She also took the controller from Dami's limp grip and let Dami's warmth lull her into sleep.