You are Minty Lavender (Season 1)
EP38. Nightmare, Reality Beyond Fantasy
※This episode also unfolds from the female protagonist's perspective!
김여주
"No, no.....no!!!!!!!"
The car squeaked and spun around the road, leaving skid marks. The chilling sound covered my body in a cold sweat. The one staring at me, drawing a puddle of red blood, was none other than Taehyung.
I was so shocked that I screamed like crazy with my body shaking.
It was a dream, a terrible nightmare at that.
김여주
"...Haa.....haa...."
I jumped out of bed in surprise and looked at the clock. It was still 5 a.m.
I couldn't sleep because Taehyung left a few hours ago, so I was wandering around and somehow managed to fall asleep, but then I woke up like this.
김여주
"Ah... Really..."
The anxiety my empty head created was tormenting me, even shaking my dreams in its grip.
I was already in a deep sleep, and I knew I'd wander off if I lay down again, so I got out of bed to get some water.
'Tiring~!'
Just as I was about to open the door to leave, my phone rang and it seemed like I had a message.
김여주
"What...at this hour..."
I looked down at the text message I'd received since early morning, wondering if it hadn't arrived yet. The content of the message was as surprising as the time it arrived. I couldn't help but doubt my eyes.
-See you at the back alley of Ami Cafe until 2 o'clock-
The person who sent the text was Taehyung, and he even sent a message asking to meet again after leaving like that
김여주
".....!!!!"
My mouth was parched from panting from the nightmare, but I turned around and quickly headed to the bathroom, where I was heading for a drink of water. Water, a nap, and thirst were all but a thought in my mind. Taehyung had asked to meet, and even though it was early for our meeting, I had to get ready.
김여주
"F- ...
I ran to the bathroom like I was completely out of my mind, washed up without thinking, and then ran out.
I dried my wet hair and put on makeup, and then I thought about this and that. Well, it was just a thought, but it was actually a continuation of yesterday's delusions.
I wondered if Taehyung would hug me again. Why did he ask me to meet in that back alley instead of inside the Army Cafe? The text seemed harsh, but was it really a breakup? My own drama was unfolding in my head.
09:00 AM
김여주
"What the... why is time so slow..."
I stared at the clock hands, which were running normally, and blamed the speed for nothing. There was still quite a bit of time left until the 9 o'clock appointment.
As I was dazed, stroking every nook and cranny of my already-worn clothes, I suddenly noticed the lavender flowers filling my room. Before I lost my memory, lavender must have been my favorite flower, as every other piece of furniture had a vase filled with lavender.
김여주
"Lavender... I'm not particularly attracted to it right now... It's strange..."
No matter how I looked at it now, neither its scent nor its appearance seemed particularly appealing. Seeing as I wasn't attached enough to keep this much, I felt like there had to be a reason. But the more I tried to recall it, the more my head ached, and I felt suffocated, as if my heart had been locked in a lock.
Come to think of it, I was surrounded by questions. It's understandable, given my memory loss, but something about it felt off.
My room was wide open now, but it was surrounded by nails all around the window, a huge amount of lavender, and the bottom desk drawer was half-open and locked.
Even Taehyung, who kept trying to hide something from me, and that person named Park Jimin, who circled around me without saying a word, were already overflowing with questions.
김여주
"What is it...what could it be....."
I was rummaging through my room, hoping to find some clues, when the alarm rang.
'Whoosh! Woosh!'
01:50 PM
김여주
"Uh...I have to go."
I set the alarm 10 minutes before the appointment time in case I was late.
김여주
"Haa....haa..."
It was a distance I could have walked leisurely without being late, but I ran towards him like a madman, as if I had been waiting for this moment. My breath was puffing out of my throat, and my breathing was labored. But if I didn't meet Taehyung, tonight's nightmare was doomed to another day, so I ran with all my might.
As I ran as fast as I could, I saw Ami Cafe. Without hesitation, I turned the corner and headed down the back alley.
김여주
"Huk...Huk...Kim...Taehyung??"
김태형
"...you're here"
You're here, I ran with all my might, and all I got was you. I was the only one waiting for this encounter, and it felt like I was the only one clinging to it, so my pride was hit hard, but I held on.
김여주
"Why... did you call me..."
김태형
"Now... let's stop."
김여주
"No... That's not what I called you to say!!!!"
김태형
"No, that's right. To begin with, you and I have never dated, and I've never been your boyfriend... But let's stop."
김여주
"....."
김여주
"You.....huh...."
Taehyung muttered something only he knew. Suddenly, hot tears welled up in his eyes, the corners of his eyes stung, and he felt as if someone had grabbed his wrist, rendering him speechless.
김여주
"You...really...huh..."
김여주
"....You're selfish....you selfish brat...you"
김여주
"That's selfish!!!!!!"
Even when I was dressed nicely and putting on my makeup with care, I thought I'd be able to smile again in front of Taehyung. But I was in a state of emotional breakdown, screaming at him and carelessly accusing him of being selfish.
김태형
"I know...I know everything. So...so...let's stop."
He spoke without even meeting my eyes. I tried to get even the slightest glance from him, but I slammed my fist into his shoulder, but he didn't budge. I found myself laughing. The drama I'd been fantasizing about had already been decided in his head: a breakup.
김여주
"You...have...liked me...all this time...?"
김태형
"Kim Yeo-ju, stop it."
김여주
"Okay, I'll stop... but... since I'm going to finish it anyway, I'm asking because I want to get everything out of it... huh... so tell me!!!!"
김태형
“This won’t change anything, Kim Yeo-ju.”
김여주
"I asked..!!!!!!...Keuheu..sob....sigh...."
Stupid Kim Yeo-ju. Crying again. I felt pathetic, wondering what I had left to cry about after having thrown my pride to the ground. But I couldn't stop the foolish tears from flowing because they were so painful.
김태형
"Haa...you. If you knew the truth...do you think you'd still cry because of me like this..?"
김여주
"Ugh!!!!...I'll cry then too...because you're leaving me...because I'm sad..!!!! Then too...ugh...sob...I'll cry!!!!"
Even in a situation where he was crying and making a fuss, I was the one who held his hand and told him not to go.
김태형
"No, that can't be true. So put this down and go now!!!"
He shook my hand away, very roughly and coldly. And at that moment, I heard the roar of sirens surrounding me in the back alley.
김태형
"....!!!Fuck...I told you to go really fast!!!!!!"
김여주
"Wh,what...!?"
He reacted sensitively to the loud siren sound, and only after hearing him spit out a foul swear word did I cautiously let go of his hand.
김여주
"G, Kim Tae-h...."
김태형
"Be quiet. From now on, don't come near me, don't touch me, and don't talk to me."
윤 순경
"Don't move!!!! Put your hands up!! Don't move an inch and don't even think about talking nonsense!!!"
김태형
"......."
Just as the sirens seemed to have died down, dozens of police officers suddenly surrounded the alley, their target being Taehyung. Unlike me, who was frozen in shock, he seemed strangely calm.
김여주
"......!!!! Yeah, what is this..!!!!!"
전정국
“Huh..!! Fuck. What kind of trick is this again, Kim Tae-hyung and Park Jimin? Where are you going to steal that bastard and come forward yourself?”
김태형
"Let's stop talking nonsense and get out of here."
전정국
"Huh...? Where does it hurt? I'm here to arrest a serial killer, and your precious Park Ji-m..."
김태형
"Fuck!!!!!! Shut up!!!!!!!!!!!!"
전정국
"what!?"
김태형
"Shut your mouth when I say nice things to you!!!! Can't you see that the serial killer you were trying to catch is talking to you!!!!!"
김여주
"....!!T, Taehyung..what are you talking about!?!?!!!!!"
김태형
"Haa... Kim Yeo-ju, please. Please go out to the right alley..."
김여주
"Haha, but..!!"
김태형
"Go!!!!!"
My mind was once again spinning and confused, with the police officers who seemed to already know the serial killer and the conversations they were having, shouting at each other as if they were familiar.
전정국
"Give me that bastard when I say nice things to him!!!!!"
김태형
"Here it is!!! That kid you're talking about!!!"
Taehyung frowned and showed his dislike for further argument, then took something out of his pocket and showed it to the police.
전정국
".....!!!!!!! G, why did you do that!!!!!!!"
The police officers seemed quite flustered, but only for a moment, and with a grim expression, they began to roughly handcuff Taehyung's hands.
김여주
"No, no... no... no!!!!!!!"
My mind, half-disoriented by the sight, seemed to have already lost all sense of reason. The screams I'd been screaming in my dreams were still there, the nightmares now real, only with different content.
전정국
"You...what the fuck are you doing!!!!!"
김태형
"It's noisy, let's go now."
He muttered, "I'm tired," and stared at me as if it were his last. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he seemed reluctant to let them fall. He forced himself to hold back a smile and spoke quietly to me.
김태형
"Park Jimin is in the alley on the right. I'll put it back now, so go back, Kim Yeo-ju."
김여주
"Ugh...ugh...Taehyung...keep...keep...Kim Taehyung!!!!!!!!!!!"
김여주
"There's no way you would do that...Huh!?...Ugh...Huh...What are you talking about!!!!"
김태형
"No. That's right. I'm a serial killer. I've decided to do that from today."
He kept shaking off the arms of the police officers who kept grabbing his arms, but he still smiled at me and said
And he kept saying things I still couldn't understand.
I just couldn't understand it...as I am now.
It was too overwhelming and difficult to accept as reality.
Where the painful nightmares and happy fantasies had swept away, a reality filled with even greater pain and sorrow confronted me.