002 - Red not Black

My alarm pulls me awake on time for once. Usually, I'd go back to sleep but the thoughts of last night keep running around my head forcing me to wake up. It was such a vivid dream, the closest I'll get to actually meeting them.
Twenty minutes later  I'm scrambling to the door, despite waking up on time I'm late. Just before I get to the door I glance out the window, grey clouds hang over the city, winter was truly here and it was gonna be a wet one. I sigh as I slip on my shoes and grab my umbrella before sprinting out to catch my bus.

As I reached the campus I saw my friend, Jangmi, running towards me, two slips of paper in her hand, a wild look in her eye. I stopped in my tracks, bracing myself as she practically threw herself at me. 
"Yumi, guess what!" she screamed, bouncing up and down. 
"Are you going to let me guess or are you just gonna tell me?" I sigh, used to her being excited about every tiny thing. We are polar opposites in personality and sometimes I wonder how we have been such close friends for so long. 
"You're looking at the proud owner of two tickets to EXO's next fan meeting!" she squealed, shoving the tickets in my face. My heart skipped a beat at the sound of EXO, I grabbed the tickets staring at the words on it so hard they were burned onto my eyelids when I blinked. 
"Holy " I whispered, "who are you gonna take?" 
"You, duh" Jangmi laughed, taking one of the tickets back, "that ones yours and close your mouth, you look like a fish." 
I did as I was told, looking down at my phone I saw the time.
', we gotta go, we're late.' I yelled, grabbing Jangmi by the arm and spinning her around. Together we raced past the other students, still groggy with sleep, unaware of us.  

Luckily we only had one lecture today but learning about business management at 9 in the morning isn' my favorite thing to do, especially with Jangmi snoring next to me. She stayed up all night to get those tickets and since she's taking me I made sure to record the lecture for her and keep her hidden from the professor. 

---

"I can't believe he went overtime," Jangmi moaned, patting her face to wake herself up, "now I don't have enough time to rest before my English lecture, remind me why I chose English?"

"Because you want to travel the world and meet a handsome, rich,  Western man," I giggle, "at least that's what you told me in high school, the teacher told you it was a bad idea but you're stubborn I guess." at this Jangmi threw me a look. "Anyway, I recorded the lecture for you, I'll send it when I get back, make sure your not late...again."

"Thank you! You seemed a bit off today, probably because it was so damn early. Make sure you get some rest when you get back," the small girls grin changes to a frown when she looks up, "looks like its gonna rain, quick get to the bus stop, I'll message you after this dumb English lecture is over."

Sure enough, dark, ominous clouds were forming above us. I gave a wave to Jangmi, thanking her again for the ticket and made my way to the bus stop, luckily for me, my bus arrived just minutes after me.  The ride back was uneventful, as I watched the rain start to pour I thought once again about last night. Was it really a dream? Surely, it had to be. There was no way a group of well-known idols would freely take public transport, surely their management wouldn't allow it. Yet for some reason, I felt as though it wasn't.

I pressed the button for my stop, tapped my card and made sure to thank the driver, the bus stop was undercover but by now it was pouring it down. Just as I was about to make a run for it I remembered I had grabbed my umbrella this morning. I rifled around in my bag, grabbing the handle and opening it up. 

I pause.

This wasn't my umbrella. Mine was red, not black, whose umbrella is this?!

Wait a minute, is this...Jongdae's? No, it can't be, that would mean my dream about him last night on the bus was...real?

"What tHE ACTUAL FU--," I begin before I see someone move in my peripheral, "fudge was what I was gonna say, hello Miss Park how are you?" I force a smile.  Miss Park throws me a look and a nod of acknowledgment,

"I'm doing better than you it seems, make sure you pay your rent on time this week Yumi." 

"Yes Miss Park, I'll have it on time, I hope you have a nice trip to wherever you're going!", I quickly give a wave and turn to run home and hide in embarrassment.

"Oh and Yumi," Miss Park calls out, "I saw your boyfriend last night on a walk, it's nice you have someone and aren't so lonely but please, no bringing him back, the floorboards aren't exactly soundproof and I need a good sleep." My cheeks burn I probably look like a goddamn tomato, frantically I spin around holding my hands out in front of me,

"Yes, of course, I won't bring my new boyfriend? Wait, who are you talking about?"

"The young, tall man that gave you the umbrella last night, you seemed very close so I assumed you were together. Rather sad if not, you looked good but I guess you're still lonely..." Miss Park stared up at me with sad eyes.

"Uh well yes, he's not my boyfriend so I'm lonely, well not lonely just alone and.." I stammer, trying to wrap my head around what she just told me.

"My bus has arrived, goodbye Yumi, I hope you and that young man see each other again and make sure to pay your rent on time." the old lady called out leaving me utterly bewildered and alone.

Not lonely.

---

My door thuds behind me. Carefully, I wrap the umbrella up and lean it on my entryway wall, staring at it for a few seconds as I slip my wet shoes off. I shake my head, something I realised I'd been doing quite often lately, and continued into my small apartment. I grab the ticket out of my bag before dumping it on the kitchen table and move to my bedroom, flopping down on the nice thick duvet. 

"I guess we will be seeing each other soon," I mumble, looking at the small ticket, "I'm set on returning that umbrella to its rightful owner whether they do remember me or not...I really hope you do though."