The next morning, Arashi found himself lying on the couch. As he stretched and sat up, he murmured, "I guess I fell asleep here last night."He glanced at the clock—it was 4 a.m. "Wow, I woke up way too early. And now I won't even be able to sleep again. What should I do? Mom said we'll be leaving at 10… until then, I guess I'll keep myself busy."
With that thought, Arashi went to his room, sat at his desk, and opened his laptop. Soon, he was lost in the world of gaming. Hours passed without him noticing, and before he realized it, the clock struck 9. He was supposed to get ready, but instead, he remained absorbed in his game. His mother assumed he must be preparing by now, but Arashi was still immersed in the digital battlefield.
At exactly 9:55, his mom came to his room, expecting to see him dressed and ready. She knocked on the door—no reply. She knocked again, louder—still no response. "Arashi?" she called out. Silence.
Finally, she opened the door, only to find Arashi still glued to his game. Not a single bag was packed, and he hadn't even started getting ready.
She stormed into the room, her voice sharp. "Is this how it should be, Arashi?"
Startled, Arashi quickly looked up from his screen. "Oh—Mom, you're awake? What… what did I do?"
She glared at him, the kind of look that could freeze anyone in place. "Look at the time!"
Confused, Arashi turned to the clock, expecting it to be around six. But as his eyes landed on the numbers, his jaw dropped. 9:55."What?! No way… Mom, believe me, it was just six a moment ago. I swear, I didn't even realize how late it got. I'm sorry—I'll get ready right now."
He shut down his game and rushed to the wardrobe. In moments of indecision, he always fell back on his favorite—black. Full black outfit, head to toe, the combination he trusted the most. Within minutes, he slipped into it and began hurriedly packing his bags.
By the time he zipped the last one, it was already 10:45. He stood there, ready at last, but his mom's expression hadn't softened.
"I told you to be ready by ten," she said, her tone heavy with disappointment. "But you… you don't take responsibility seriously. Fine, what's done is done. Now take your bag and put it in the car. I'll be there in a moment."
Her words cut deeper than she realized. Arashi's chest tightened with guilt. He hated letting her down like this. Why am I always like that? Why can't I just be careful, just once? She trusts me, and I broke that trust again…
Dragging his suitcase toward the door, Arashi kept his eyes low. The weight he carried wasn't just his luggage—it was the heaviness of his own regret.
Arashi settled into the car seat, still quiet from earlier. His mom joined him a moment later and said, "Arashi, can you quickly check if all the bags are there?"
He nodded, stepped out, and counted carefully—then frowned. "Mom… one bag is missing."
"Oh! I just remembered—I must have forgotten to bring it. It should be inside the house," she replied.
Taking the keys, Arashi hurried back, unlocked the door, and searched every corner. He looked under tables, behind chairs, even inside the closets, but no matter how carefully he checked, the bag was nowhere to be found. Frustrated, he returned to the car. "Mom, I can't find it. Can you tell me a specific place where it might be?"
"It's under there," she answered.
"Under where?" Arashi asked, blinking.
"Not underwear, Arashi—under the bed!" she snapped.
"Ohhh, sooo funny," he muttered with a weak grin before going back inside. He dropped to the floor and checked under every bed in the house. Still nothing. Again, he returned. "Mom, don't shout, but… it's not there."
"Then check the cabinet," she ordered.
Obeying, he searched through every shelf and drawer. Nothing. His patience snapped. "It's not there, Mom!"
Now it was her turn to be frustrated. She stepped out of the car. "Come with me."
Together, they searched again, but even she couldn't find the missing bag.
"See? I told you it's not here," Arashi said, arms folded.
His mom frowned, deep in thought. "Where could it have gone…? Let's check the car again."
They opened the trunk and counted. One, two, three… all the bags were there. Every single one.
She turned to him with exasperation. "Look! The bags are complete. Can't you see properly? You wasted half an hour for nothing! Do you even have eyes, or are they just decoration buttons?"
Arashi winced at the sting of her words, cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Mom, believe me—the bag wasn't there. I checked it myself! It only appeared after you looked, like you used some kind of magic. I swear!" Arashi protested.
"Enough, Arashi!" his mom snapped. "This all happens because of your phone and laptop. You've ruined your eyes with those screens!"
Something in Arashi cracked. He had been patient all morning, following every order, trying his best. But she didn't even know where the bag was herself. Then why was she blaming me? Why is it always my fault?
His voice finally rose. "Mom—!"
But the moment the word left his lips, a sharp pain struck his chest, like a needle piercing his heart. And then, clear as day, he heard her voice.
Control your emotions.
He froze. That same dream girl's voice.
Arashi's eyes shut instinctively. He inhaled slowly, deeply. When he opened them again, his tone was calm, almost gentle. "I'm sorry. Next time, I'll be more careful. I promise… I'm sorry."
His mom blinked, startled. She hadn't expected him to cool down so suddenly. Almost in disbelief, she simply nodded and started the car.
As they drove off, Arashi turned his gaze to the window, watching the blur of streets pass by. His mind, however, was caught on something else entirely. How did I do that? What was that voice? How did I… control myself?
His head ached faintly, but the voice lingered—soothing, warm, almost healing. She told me to control my emotions—and I did. But… it wasn't me. My body just moved on its own. Did she… take over me?
A chill ran down his spine, but strangely, he didn't feel afraid. Instead, he felt… grateful. If I had shouted, Mom would've gotten even angrier. She might've told Dad, and then I'd be stuck listening to his lecture the whole ride. Whoever she is… she saved me this time.
On the way, Arashi's mom called his dad. "Guess what just happened," she said, excitement in her tone. "He shouted 'Mom!' and then froze. A few seconds of silence. And then… he apologized."
His dad listened carefully before nodding. "Good. He's learning. I'm glad. Something's changed in him."
"Yeah," she agreed softly. "He wasn't like this before. He rarely even smiled. But now… look at him."
Through the phone's camera, his dad caught a glimpse of Arashi sitting quietly by the window. Arashi had no idea they were watching him so closely.
"Hand him the phone," his dad said.
His mom passed it over. Arashi glanced at the screen, surprised to see his father's face.
"Yo, Arashi," his dad greeted with a grin. "What's up? Why the smile? Share it with us."
Arashi blinked. Smile? He hadn't even realized the corners of his lips were curved upward. "OH… just remembered something from my childhood," he replied softly, lying without hesitation.
But then, quickly, he added, "Dad, my throat's not good today. Can't talk much. Better if you speak to Mom."
It was another lie. The truth was, he simply didn't know what to say—how to keep conversations going without messing them up. He handed the phone back to his mom.
She and his father exchanged a look. They didn't buy his excuse, but neither of them pushed further.
Arashi leaned back in his seat, thoughts swirling. What's happening to me?
It was just a dream… so why does it feel like it's changing me? For years, I've tried to control myself, tried to become better. And yet, nothing ever worked. But now, after one dream… everything feels different.
He rubbed his forehead, unsettled. Maybe I'm overthinking. Maybe this is just me. Maybe my own hard work is finally paying off.
After a long drive, they finally reached Arashi's grandfather's house. Warm greetings filled the air as relatives hugged, laughed, and exchanged stories.
Soon, Arashi spotted Ren—his cousin and best buddy. The two rushed toward each other, grinning wide.
"Hey! Long time no see," Ren said as they sat down together. "So, what's new? How's life?"
"Same old," Arashi replied with a shrug. "You tell me. What's up with you?"
Ren's eyes lit up mischievously. "Guess what."
"What?" Arashi asked.
"No, no. Guess."
Arashi smirked. "Hmm… let me think. You got yourself a girlfriend, didn't you? I know for sure."
Ren's mouth dropped open in shock. "What?! Bro, how did you—how did you know that?"
Arashi leaned back with a smug grin. "You're still too young to understand. Just admit it. Am I wrong?"
Ren laughed nervously. "Okay, fine, listen. A few days ago, I went to the store to grab some things. And there… I met this girl."
"Ohhh, here we go," Arashi teased.
"No seriously, man! She started asking for my introduction, and bro…" Ren held his chest dramatically, "it was love at first sight. I couldn't stop talking to her. I gave her all my info. And then she said we should become friends and study together. On the very first day—we exchanged numbers."
Arashi raised a brow. "Smooth."
"And you know the craziest part?" Ren leaned closer. "She turned out to be the daughter of one of my mom's closest friends! Bro, what do I do? This has to be fate, right? She even shared a bunch of her secrets with me already. She's so sweet. I think she actually likes me back."
Arashi chuckled at his cousin's love struck expression.
Ren grinned sheepishly. "Pray for me, man. She's coming over today. I'll introduce you. But… doesn't this mean I have a chance? Tell me it does."
Arashi sighed and leaned back a little. "Ren, just because a girl shares secrets with you doesn't mean she's your girlfriend. It means she trusts you. But that trust could just be as a friend, nothing more. Sometimes, we misinterpret things—we think someone likes us, but in reality, they only see us as a close friend. So… don't raise your hopes too high. First, confirm how she actually feels about you, okay?"
Ren frowned. "Bro, you're literally demotivating me right now. But…" he paused, thinking, "I guess you do have a point."
He leaned forward, curious. "Anyway, forget me—what about you? Tell me something about your life."
Arashi hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Well… I've been having these strange dreams. There's this girl I keep seeing in my dreams, after every month. She doesn't show her full face, it's covered with a strange light, but her smile… it's always there. And in one dream, she said she loved me and told me to control my emotions and develop patience. The weird part? Ever since then, her words have been echoing in my head, like they're actually changing me."
Ren stared at him for a second, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Come on, bro, seriously? You expect me to believe that? Stop lying, you sound like you're telling me some anime plot. A dream girl teaching you life lessons? Really?"
Arashi's face flushed with frustration. "I'm serious, Ren."
But Ren just smirked, shaking his head. "Fine, fine. If you say so. But you know what's funny? Grandpa once asked me something similar—like, if I'd ever experienced dreams that felt… different. Maybe you should talk to him about it. He might actually have something useful to say."
"Grandpa…?" Arashi repeated quietly. His chest felt a strange warmth, almost like a flicker of light in the dark. For the first time in a while, he felt a little hope. Maybe someone would understand. Maybe he wasn't completely crazy after all.
Ren stretched and yawned. "Yeah. He asks weird stuff sometimes, but trust me—he knows things. Way more than we do. If you really think your dream means something, talk to him. Who knows? Maybe you'll get your answers."
Arashi nodded slowly, his mind racing. He couldn't explain it, but just the thought that Grandpa might actually know something made his heart beat faster.