The day after VEIL's performance aired, the campus felt noticeably louder than usual.
It was not because of midterms, and it certainly was not because of pharmacy lab results. The excitement carried a different rhythm. Every group chat notification, every passing conversation in the hallways, and even the casual murmurs near the vending machines circled back to the same topic.
VEIL.
"Did you see their stage last night? Jae Hyun's vocals were insane," a girl exclaimed as she walked past the library steps.
"Vocals? He looked unreal. I don't even think he blinked the whole time," her friend replied, laughing as she clutched her phone.
Haesol sat on her usual bench near the courtyard, her pharmacology notes open in front of her. From a distance, she appeared focused. Up close, it was obvious she had not turned a page in several minutes.
Everywhere she looked, someone was replaying the performance.
And every time she accidentally caught a glimpse of the screen, she saw the same smile.
The one that had followed her through her dreams.
Yura dropped into the seat beside her, holding her caramel latte like it was part of her personality. "At this point, I'm convinced we enrolled in the wrong department."
Haesol managed a faint smile. "You would not survive choreography practice."
"That is very true," Yura admitted before glancing at her phone again. "Oh. That explains why everyone is losing their minds."
Haesol closed her notebook. "What now?"
"The student council confirmed it. VEIL is coming today. Some mental health awareness campus tour. Their agency partnered with a few universities, and we got selected."
Haesol's posture stilled.
"Today?" she asked carefully.
"Grand hall. Around noon."
Haesol nodded, but her thoughts had already begun racing.
Her dreams had always included a campus stage. Bright lights. A crowd. And Jae Hyun standing slightly apart from the rest of the scene.
She had dismissed it as imagination.
Now she was not so sure.
.....
By noon, the grand hall was filled beyond capacity.
Students from other departments squeezed into the back rows. Professors attempted to maintain order, though even they seemed curious. Banners bearing VEIL's logo framed the stage, and professional lighting equipment had been arranged with deliberate precision.
Haesol sat beside Yura, her hands resting neatly in her lap.
"Relax," Yura whispered. "You look like you're about to take an oral exam."
"I'm fine," Haesol replied, though the brightness of the stage lights made her uneasy.
When the host stepped forward and announced VEIL's arrival, the hall erupted into cheers.
The five members entered with composed confidence. They bowed politely, their movements synchronized but natural.
Han Jae Hyun stepped forward during the introduction segment.
He did not exaggerate his gestures. He spoke calmly about the importance of mental health support among young adults, his tone steady and thoughtful rather than dramatic.
Haesol found herself watching him closely despite her effort not to.
At some point, his gaze moved across the audience.
It paused in her direction.
There was no grand reaction in his expression, but there was a flicker of curiosity, as if he felt something he could not immediately identify.
He gave a small, polite wave.
Haesol's chest tightened unexpectedly.
Yura leaned closer. "Haesol, are you okay?"
"I just need some air," she replied quietly.
She stood before Yura could question her further and made her way out of the hall.
...….
Outside, the air felt cooler.
Haesol gripped the railing near the entrance and tried to steady her breathing. The sense of familiarity was overwhelming. The lighting inside, the arrangement of the stage, even the order in which the members had spoken — it all mirrored fragments of her dreams.
The pressure behind her eyes began to build again.
She did not hear a clear voice this time, but the same unease settled into her chest.
Something was going to happen.
She just did not know when.
...….
Later that afternoon, she returned to her scheduled lecture. The classroom was half empty, many students still attending VEIL's extended talk.
The professor continued explaining dosage calculations while Haesol struggled to focus. Fatigue crept over her gradually, and her thoughts began to blur.
Without realizing it, she fell asleep.
The dream resumed with unsettling clarity.
Jae Hyun stood near a road close to the university gate. The evening sky was dim, and traffic moved steadily in the distance. He appeared distracted, glancing behind him as if someone had called his name.
Headlights approached faster than they should have.
Haesol tried to move toward him, but her body felt anchored in place.
The collision happened abruptly, violent and disorienting.
She woke with a sharp inhale.
The classroom was empty. The sunlight streaming through the windows suggested late afternoon.
Yura appeared at the doorway moments later. "Haesol? The event just ended. They're leaving now."
Leaving.
The image of the road from her dream returned immediately.
Haesol stood, grabbed her bag, and hurried out without explanation.
.....
The parking area near the campus gate was crowded but controlled. Staff directed students back while VEIL's vehicle waited near the exit.
The members walked toward the van, surrounded by security and management.
"Excuse me," Haesol called out, her voice steady but urgent.
Several people turned. The manager looked confused.
Jae Hyun stepped slightly forward. "You were in the hall earlier," he said, recognition evident in his tone.
"Yes," Haesol replied. "Could you wait a few minutes before leaving?"
The manager frowned. "We are already on a tight schedule."
"It will not take long," she continued carefully. "There might be traffic ahead."
Her explanation sounded thin even to her own ears, but she could not reveal the truth.
Jae Hyun studied her face. She did not look like someone seeking attention. She looked genuinely unsettled.
"We can wait a few minutes," he said to the manager.
Reluctantly, the manager agreed.
Seven minutes passed.
Then a loud collision echoed from beyond the university gate.
Everyone turned instinctively.
Two cars had crashed at the intersection just ahead, blocking the road entirely.
The staff immediately began discussing alternate routes.
Haesol felt her hands tremble slightly.
If they had left on schedule, they would have reached that intersection at that exact moment.
Yura stood beside her in stunned silence.
Jae Hyun looked from the accident scene back to Haesol.
"You mentioned traffic," he said slowly.
She nodded. "I had a feeling the intersection would be congested."
He did not question her further, but something in his expression shifted from casual curiosity to quiet acknowledgment.
Not suspicion.
Recognition.
As sirens approached and the manager reorganized their route, the situation outwardly became nothing more than an inconvenient delay.
But for Haesol, it confirmed something far more unsettling.
The dream had not been symbolic.
It had been precise.
And this time, she had intervened before it could repeat itself.
When the van finally departed using an alternate route, Jae Hyun glanced back once more. It was not dramatic or theatrical, but it carried awareness.
Their encounter had not been ordinary.
And Haesol understood, with unsettling clarity, that this would not be the last time their paths crossed.