Joong:
DUNK!!!
A strangled gasp tore from Joongâs lips as he jolted awake, his body drenched in cold sweat. His chest heaved violently, and his heart pounded against his ribs like a drum in a raging storm.
His eyes darted around the room, panic settling deep in his bones.
Joong:
Hospital�
The soft beeping of the heart monitor echoed in the silence.
Joong:
DUNK!!
His scream ripped through the room as he tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his body, forcing him back onto the bed.
The door burst open.
Pond:
Joong!! Youâre awake! Thank god!
Pondâs relieved voice filled the room. He rushed to Joongâs side, his face pale with concern.
Joong grabbed Pondâs wrist, his grip shaky but desperate.
Joong:
Pond-whereâs Dunk?
Pond froze.
Joong saw the hesitation in his pondâs eyes.
Joong:
Pond, please-tell me where he is
Pond swallowed hard before forcing a small smile.
Pond:
Joong, just wait, okay? Let me call the doctor first
Joong:
But-
Pond:
Just wait
Before Joong could protest, Pond rushed out of the room.
Minutes later, the doctor entered with Pond and Phuwin trailing behind him.
The doctor gave Joong a reassuring smile as he checked his vitals.
Doctor:
Mr. Archen, youâre awake. Thatâs good news. Youâre recovering well
Joong didnât care about himself.
Joong:
Doctor, where is Dunk? Please, check him too
The doctorâs smile faltered.
He exchanged a brief glance with Pond and Phuwin.
Doctor:
Mr. Archen, I think you should rest for now
Joongâs fingers dug into the bedsheets.
Joong:
No. Where is Dunk?
The doctor hesitated.
Doctor:
Mr. Archen⦠I believe you might be experiencing some confusion due to your trauma.
Joongâs entire body went still.
His lips parted, eyes widening in disbelief.
Joong:
What�
Phuwin stepped forward.
Phuwin:
Joong, I think when you fell from the bridge, you hit your head really hard. You were unconscious for almost a day. Maybe⦠Maybe you had a dream?
Joong shook his head violently.
Joong:
NO! IT WASNâT A DREAM! HE FELL OFF THE BRIDGE!
Pond flinched at the raw desperation in Joongâs voice.
Pond:
Joong⦠who is Dunk?
Joong felt like the air had been sucked out of his lungs.
His mind reeled.
His vision blurred with panic.
Joong:
W-What are you saying? Are you joking? This isnât funny, Pond
Pond and Phuwin exchanged worried glances.
Phuwin:
Joong, listen to yourself. Youâre asking for someone we donât even know
Joongâs heart stopped.
Joong:
What�
Pond:
Joong, we donât know anyone named Dunk
Joongâs breath hitched. His pulse roared in his ears.
He looked at Phuwin.
At Pond.
At the doctor.
But all he saw was confusion.
No recognition.
No understanding.
His hands started shaking.
His chest tightened, his entire world crumbling before his eyes.
Joong:
No⦠No, this isnât real. Youâre lying. You HAVE to be lying
Phuwin took a step closer.
Phuwin:
Joong, calm down-
Joong grabbed Phuwinâs shirt, his eyes wild with desperation.
Joong:
Phuwin, PLEASE! I need to see him! My Dunk! My baby! Please-he needs me-
he-
His voice cracked, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Phuwinâs expression remained blank.
Pond looked utterly helpless.
Pond:
Joong⦠there is no Dunk
Joongâs legs gave out.
A strangled sob tore from his throat.
His hands clutched his hair, his breathing coming in ragged gasps.
Joong:
No.No. No. NO!
His mind screamed, his heart shattered into pieces.
Dunk existed.
He wasnât a dream.
He wasnât a hallucination.
Then whyâ¦
Why was he the only one who remembered him?
Joongâs entire body shook as a gut-wrenching scream ripped from his chest.
Joong
DUNK!!!!
But the only response was silence.
Joong didnât wait.
His heart pounded violently against his ribs as he shoved the hospital door open and ran.
Ran away from the confused faces.
Ran away from the lie they were telling him.
Dunk was real.
He was real.
He had to be.
Joongâs breath was ragged, his legs burned, but he didnât care.
He reached for his phone with trembling hands and typed-
Dunkâs number.
Nothing.
His throat tightened.
His fingers moved frantically as he searched through his call logs.
No record.
His breathing became erratic.
His heart pounded in his ears as he tapped into his photo gallery-
Scrolled
Scrolled
Searched
No pictures of Dunk.
His vision blurred. His hands shook violently.
He opened Instagram.
No account.
His entire body turned cold.
His mind spun.
This wasnât real.
This wasnât happening.
Dunk existed.
Joong had held him. Kissed him.
Felt his warmth.
Felt his love.
His fingers hesitated before he tapped into Google
He typed
Dunk
No results found.
Joong staggered back, his stomach churning with dread.
Joong:
No⦠No, no, no.
He tried again.
JoongDunk official couple
Nothing.
JoongDunk Japan fanmeet
Nothing.
Joong:
Dunk..
His fingers trembled too much to finish typing.
His chest tightened painfully.
A horrifying thought gripped his mind.
Had he been the only one to see Dunk?
Had Dunk⦠never existed at all?
His entire world tilted.
Joong gritted his teeth, shaking his head violently.
Joong:
NO! Dunk was real!!
My baby was real!!
He had to be!!
Without wasting another second, Joong ran.
His legs carried him straight to his companyâs building.
He didnât even bother catching his breath as he stormed into the office.
Tha was sitting at his desk, his eyes widening in shock as Joong burst through the door.
Tha:
Oh! Joong, Iâm glad youâre safe-
Joong:
Phi⦠where is Dunk?
Silence.
Tha blinked in confusion.
Tha:
Huh? Whoâs Dunk?
Joongâs body went rigid.
His breath caught in his throat.
Joong:
No⦠please, not you too
Tha frowned, concern deepening in his features.
Tha:
Joong, are you okay? Maybe you should rest-
Joong snapped.
Joong:
STOP IT!! STOP LYING TO ME!!
Tha flinched.
Joongâs eyes were wild, desperate, pleading.
Joong:
Phi, please⦠tell me you remember him! Dunk! My Dunk! My baby!
Tha stared at him blankly.
Joong felt the ground beneath him shatter.
Joong ran again.
Back to the one place that had always smelled like Dunk.
Felt like Dunk.
Their apartment.
His hands trembled as he unlocked the door, his heart racing so fast it hurt.
He stepped inside.
Silence.
His breath hitched as his eyes scanned the room-
The couch where Dunk had snuggled against himâ¦
The kitchen where Dunk had laughed while attempting to cookâ¦
The dining table where Joong had fed him countless timesâ¦
He ran to Dunkâs room.
Flung open the closet-
Empty.
No clothes.
No scent.
No trace of him.
His hands clutched the fabric of a sweater.
It wasnât Dunkâs.
Nothing here was.
It was as if-
He had never lived here at all.
Joong stumbled back, his knees hitting the floor as the weight of the realization crashed down on him.
Tears spilled down his cheeks.
His entire body trembled.
Joong:
No⦠please, noâ¦
He buried his face in his hands.
Joong:
Baby⦠donât do this to me. Please.
His shoulders shook violently.
He curled in on himself, his sobs echoing in the empty room.
Joong:
Dunk, please⦠come back
No answer.
No warmth.
Just an empty, hollow silence.
His Dunk was gone.
And no one even remembered he existed......