Arc 10 : Was he important to him?

Lee Know lay still on his couch, his body finally succumbing to the exhaustion that had been gnawing at him all day. The weight of the unanswered questions still lingered in his mind, but his eyes grew heavier, his body too tired to resist the pull of sleep. Just as he was about to drift off, a voice pierced the quiet. "Hahaha, wah, this Hyung making scary jokes again!" The voice was filled with laughter, light and playful. Lee Know’s heart skipped a beat as the memory rushed forward, but once again, the face remained out of reach. He could feel the warmth of the moment, the familiar tone of the voice, but who was it? Before he could focus, the memory shifted, and another voice came through clearly. "Lee Know Hyung is a pig!" Lee Know felt a strange tug at his chest. He could almost picture the moment—someone teasing him, laughing as they made that silly comment. In his mind, he saw his hand reaching forward, grabbing a tissue, and gently pressing it to the person's mouth, as if to quiet them, even though they were laughing. "Stop calling me that," Lee Know murmured, smiling to himself, even though he couldn’t quite place the face attached to that laughter. Another voice joined in, overlapping the sounds of laughter. "Lee Know, your singing is so good today!" And then, a soft, familiar hum filled his mind, the sound of people singing together in a studio, the air thick with creativity. The memory was sharp—a moment from the afternoon, when they were all gathered together, voices blending in harmony. Lee Know remembered the feeling of being in the studio, the excitement, the energy between them. But still, the faces eluded him. Why couldn’t he see them? Why couldn’t he remember who was there with him in these moments? As the voices continued to overlap, Lee Know's chest tightened, the weight of it all pressing down on him. The laughter, the teasing, the warm words of praise—it felt so real, but it all faded like a dream slipping through his fingers. He needed answers. These voices, these moments—he knew them—but why was it so hard to put the faces together? --- Lee Know's body gave in, finally yielding to the exhaustion that had been building throughout the day. His eyelids grew heavy, and just as he was about to fall into sleep, another voice cut through the fog of his mind. "Hannah, yaahh, Han Jisung, let's go to the new cafe I told you about... okay?" Lee Know could almost see the smile, the excitement in the voice. But before he could focus on it, the reply came, clear and full of emotion. "Hyung, I can't. I still have to make another song. Can you just buy there yourself?" The response was unmistakable. Han Jisung—Jisung—his voice filled with that familiar warmth, but also with the focus of someone deep in their work. Lee Know’s heart skipped a beat as everything seemed to pause. His eyes snapped open, wide awake now. He could feel the weight of the memory, but something about it was different this time. It felt real, more tangible than the previous voices. The conversation had been so clear, so vivid. But why did hearing Han Jisung—his voice—trigger something in him? Who were they to each other in these memories? And why did it feel so comforting to hear his voice, even though his face still remained a blur? Lee Know sat up, his body tense, trying to steady his breath. Han Jisung... the name echoed in his mind. Was he... was he important to him? The feeling was undeniable. Jisung's voice had tugged at his heart, and Lee Know had felt the familiar urge to go to him, to share that small moment together. But he didn’t understand why this was the first time his memories had made him feel this way—this connection, this bond, so clearly formed in his mind, but still just out of reach. --- The fog of sleep was dissipating, but the questions and fragments of memories still lingered, leaving him with a deeper yearning for something he couldn’t name. Lee Know rubbed his eyes, frustration mixing with exhaustion. I need to understand, he thought, the urgency growing inside him. Who are they? Why do I hear them, but not see them? --- Lee Know stood still in front of the bathroom mirror, the cool water dripping from his face as he tried to steady his breathing. He wiped his face with a towel, his hands trembling slightly. The fog of sleep that had threatened to overtake him earlier still lingered, but now, his thoughts were more scattered than before. He couldn’t shake the voice he had just heard, the familiar sound of Han’s name echoing in his mind. His lips moved instinctively as he whispered, "Han... Han..." He couldn’t stop himself, as though saying his name would make everything clearer. But something hit him then—something sharp, like a missing puzzle piece falling into place. His eyes widened as a fragment of a memory resurfaced. "Lee Know hyung, promise me, you will find me if we ever got separated". Suddenly, Han's voice felt real in his head. He remember, he had gone to the haunted house with Han. Han... But why was he here now? Why was he trapped in this strange place, this bizarre universe where nothing seemed to make sense? He had been with Han, hadn’t he? They were supposed to be together, yet... he was alone now. A wave of realization washed over him, though it was still unclear. He couldn’t put the pieces together completely, but it was almost like his mind was starting to form a vague understanding. Sleep. Sleep is the answer, he thought suddenly, as if the solution had just dawned on him. He had been unable to rest, unable to sleep for long, as though this universe itself was keeping him awake. Every time he tried to surrender to sleep, it gave him only bits and pieces of his memories—small fragments, never enough to form a clear picture. Lee Know’s heart raced as the realization hit him with a new intensity. This place, this distorted reality, it didn’t want him to sleep. It wanted to keep him awake, keep him in a state of confusion, constantly dangling the memory fragments just out of his reach. But why? Was it the key to escaping? Maybe deep sleep, the kind that would allow him to rest completely, was the key to piecing everything together—escaping this strange space that felt like a dream but wasn’t quite one. The puzzle pieces would fall into place, and he could finally remember—everything. Lee Know turned back toward the mirror, his face pale but determined. He had to find a way to sleep, to rest deeply, without the memories fading. Only then would he be able to uncover the answers he so desperately needed. I need to sleep, he repeated to himself, the weight of it heavy in his chest. I need to remember ---