Keerthu was bold in a quiet, unshakable way. People called her by many nicknames at school, but "Keerthu" was the name that fit her best. She was in 11th standard, juggling homework, classes, and the usual chaos of teenage life, but her days were ordinary—predictable, even.
Her nights were different.
Every night, without fail, she dreamed of the same boy.
He wasn't just a face—he felt real. Calm eyes, soft expression, as if he had known her somewhere she couldn't remember. Sometimes, they didn't even speak. Sometimes, they just stood in silence, watching the world around them.
She didn't know his name in the real world, but in her dreams, she called him Jinwoo.
What Keerthu didn't know was that Jinwoo was dreaming too. To him, she was only a figure—a girl who appeared in his sleep. He never questioned her existence, thinking she was nothing more than a recurring dream.
Until the night everything changed.
That night, Keerthu found herself in a hospital room. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly, and the steady beeping of machines filled the air. Jinwoo lay motionless on a bed, pale and fragile, almost like a porcelain doll. Fear tightened her chest.
She moved closer. "Wake up," she whispered. "Please."
Tears ran down her cheeks as she held his hand. She didn't know how, but she knew he could hear her. She willed him to open his eyes, to breathe, to come back.
And then, he did.
Jinwoo's fingers twitched. His eyes fluttered open.
Somewhere far away, in the real world, he woke up. He had no explanation for what pulled him back from the edge—but one thing was clear: he couldn't forget her.
Keerthu woke up too, heart still racing, feeling that strange connection tugging at her chest. For the first time, she wondered:
Was he really real?
Hook for Chapter 2:
Jinwoo wakes up and starts asking questions, but he has no idea that Keerthu is real. Meanwhile, Keerthu wonders if she will ever see him outside her dreams