Lost in Her Dreams

The sun was almost set, its fading light casting a warm orange glow across the living room. Mike and Serena sat on opposite sides of the sofa, the silence between them thick yet oddly comfortable. As the last rays of sunlight dimmed, a thought struck Mike—he had constantly forgotten to ask her about something important. He turned toward Serena, his expression serious.

"Miss, do you have any sleep-related problems?"

Serena's breath hitched. She hadn't expected this question from him. But within seconds, she composed herself, her face neutral—neither cold nor vulnerable. She didn't answer immediately, as if weighing her response.

Mike, however, continued. "Miss, I think you already know this since it's your body…"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean to say?"

"Your sleepwalking. Last night, I saw you. You bumped your head two or three times against the wall while doing it."

"Yeah? So what if I sleepwalk?"

"..."

"Say something, you moron!" Serena snapped, a hint of irritation in her voice.

Mike sighed and leaned back against the sofa, running a hand through his hair.

"Okay, I get it. Seems like it's a personal issue, and you don't feel comfortable talking about it. If that's the case, I won't force you."

Serena blinked, a little taken aback. She had been expecting more questions, maybe even some teasing, but instead… he just dropped it?

Mike exhaled deeply, staring at the ceiling.

'What was I even trying to figure out? Even if I knew the reason, it's not like I could do anything about it. Only a specialist can actually help her. But then again, why the fuck Am I still thinking about it?'

Meanwhile, Serena remained quiet, her fingers lightly gripping her own arm. She couldn't ignore the small feeling of unease—one of her secrets was now exposed to Mike, her own student. If word got out, if he told anyone, she would never hear the end of it. But…

Her eyes flickered toward him, watching his expression as he sat there, lost in thought. There was no amusement in his face, no sense of mockery—just a quiet understanding. And something about that put her at ease.

'I didn't knew this guy could be this mature... He actually respects personal boundaries.'

She kept staring at his face for a minute longer before finally looking away, her mind clouded with thoughts she couldn't quite understand yet.

Night had fallen, wrapping the apartment in an eerie silence. After their earlier conversation about Serena's sleepwalking, neither of them had exchanged a word—not even during dinner. Only a brief "Goodnight" was spoken before they retired to their respective spaces—Mike on the sofa and Serena in his room.

Mike, however, couldn't sleep. His mind kept circling back to Serena. 'What if she sleepwalks again?' he wondered. He kept glancing at the clock on the wall, anxiously counting the minutes. But eventually, his heavy eyelids betrayed him, and he drifted off to sleep.

Some time later, Mike stirred awake, feeling thirsty. Luckily, he had kept a bottle of water nearby in the living room. After a few sips, he settled back on the sofa, but his thoughts wouldn't let him rest.

'I should check on her, just to make sure she's alright.'

That nagging concern pushed him to his feet. He quietly made his way to his room, where Serena was supposed to be sleeping. Standing in front of the door, he placed his ear against it, hoping to hear soft breathing or any signs of movement.

But...

The door creaked open under the light pressure of his head. Mike froze. 'It wasn't closed? Did she forgot to do it? Or...'

Cautiously, he pushed the door open and peered inside. His stomach tightened—Serena wasn't there. Not in or under the bed, not on the floor, and not in the bathroom.

Panic flared in his chest. 'where could she have gone?'

He quickly checked the rest of the apartment. The bathroom—empty. The living room—empty. That left only one place.

'The kitchen!'

Mike hurried toward it and switched on the light. His heart sank—and yet, at the same time, he felt relieved. There she was, standing in the middle of the kitchen, lost in her trance-like state.

She was sleepwalking again.

But something about it unsettled Mike. 'but... Can a person open a door while sleepwalking?' He shook off the thought; right now, the priority was guiding her back safely.

"Miss?" Mike whispered, stepping closer. He waved a hand in front of her face, but Serena's dull, unfocused eyes gave no reaction.

"Alright... I'll take you back to bed," he murmured.

Carefully, he placed his hand on her back and began guiding her. She shuffled forward at a painfully slow pace, her steps weak and hesitant, like a child unsure of how to walk.

As they moved, Serena murmured faintly under her breath.

"N... no... I-I... I was ne...eded... I-I... don't wanna go..."

Mike frowned, unable to understand her words. 'what's she is dreaming about?'

The progress was frustratingly slow. With each sluggish step, Mike realized this would take all night at this pace. 'forget it... she's lightweight...and she won't even mind in this state...'

With that thought, Mike carefully slipped one arm behind her back and the other under her knees. He lifted her effortlessly. Serena stirred slightly in his arms, her body instinctively shifting closer to his warmth. "Don't worry, Miss. I'll get you to bed," Mike whispered.

She felt delicate in his arms, vulnerable in a way that made Serena's fingers unconsciously curled into his shirt. Her grip tightened slightly, as if holding on for comfort. He walked carefully toward his room, but halfway there, he hesitated.

'if I put her in the room again, what if she start doing it again? And I don't even know if she can really open the door in this state or not.'

His gaze shifted to the sofa. 'It'll be much safer, if I keep her close...just for tonight I guess.'

Gently, he laid her down on the sofa where he had been sleeping earlier. She barely stirred, her breathing steady and calm. He grabbed a blanket from the armrest and draped it over her. "You're not as soulless as you pretend to be…" Mike muttered. Just as he tucked it around her, Serena's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.

"H-Hey... M-Miss?" Mike stammered, surprised.