I literally can't stop listening to this. It's on replay on my laptop, my iPod, and my phone.

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I went outside, to the balcony. Shivering in the cold breeze, I pulled my sweater tighter around me, rubbing my arms. The wind blew my hair back from my face, cooling my cheek.

Looking up to the familiar night sky, I felt a sense of longing. Somewhere, in another part of the country, he was looking at the same night sky, wasn't he? Did he miss me, too, I wonder?

I shivered again, but braced the cold, and I could almost hear his voice drifting by on the wind, imagining the cold breeze brushing against my cheek was his cool touch. The stars above twinkled, reminding me of his dark brown eyes and how they sparkled when he laughed, and his smile that lit up my world. As the wind swept my hair, I imagined it breezing past his soft, brown locks.

 

Was it possible to miss someone this much? So much that you can almost hear them, see them, feel them, as if they were there?

How long had it been? Weeks? Months? How much longer will it take?

 

I the star-shaped pendant on my neck. He had given it to me before he left. He told me that it would be his promise that he would return. It was also a reminder of how we first met: in the old observatory, under the large telescope. We had both gone to watch the meteor shower. Like tonight, it was a clear sky.

 

After that, stargazing became a hobby, something for the both of us to do together. Sometimes we would camp out somewhere far away enough from the city and have picnics under the stars. We would lie on the grass and point out the constellations, even though both of us already knew them by heart.

 

I smiled unconsciously as I reminisced. I went inside, finally giving in to the cold. I shut the doors to the balcony and drew the curtains closed. My bare feet dragged along the soft carpet as I headed to the large bed that always felt so empty without him. I picked up the picture frame that was on the bedside table. It was a picture of the two of us at one of our many visits to the local observatory. I was smiling brightly at the camera while Daehyun was smiling at me. That smile… I missed that smile.

 

But I wouldn't have to miss it for long.

 

My phone buzzed, and I quickly picked it up without checking the caller ID, knowing who was on the other line. It was close to midnight, and no one else would be calling this late.

"Hey!" I greeted cheerfully.

"Heeey." replied the deep voice that I had been longing to hear. I could almost imagine him smiling at the other end.

"Miss me?" I playfully asked.

"Not at all." I heard him chuckle.

"Ready?" I said, getting up to grab a thicker sweater and went out the bedroom door.

"By the time you'll get here, I will be." he teased.

"Shut up and wait out front." I grabbed the keys from the kitchen counter on my way out. I locked the door of the house behind me and unlocked the car.

He chuckled his wonderful chuckle and simply said, "Ara, ara." before hanging up. I pocketed my phone, got in the driver's seat, and started the car. Soon, I was on the highway on the way to Incheon airport.

 

 

"Where is he? I told him to wait outside." I grumbled, rubbing my hands and regretting not bringing gloves. Inside, though, I was excited. Daehyun was coming home after so long. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

I stood on my toes, trying to spot him over the heads of all the people pouring out of the airport. Why are there so people flying at this time of night?

 

Finally, I saw him, and all my frustrations vanished in an instant. He looked right at me, and all the other people between us disappeared. A smile formed on his lips, and I unconsiously began to smile as well, struggling to hold back my emotions.

 

He rolled his luggage over to the car, and we stood in front of each other for a while, just smiling. It was as if we couldn't believe it was true.

Finally, he said, "I'm home."

 

And then I broke into tears, happy tears. I threw my arms around him and he held me as my hot, salty tears soaked through his jacket. He just laughed at me and we held each other tight, afraid that if we let go, all of this would be a dream.

"You always were such a crybaby."

I pulled back and slapped his arm. But I was so, so happy to finally hear his voice in person, not through the phone or computer, to see his face other than in pictures. I was so happy I couldn't speak.

He eyed the star pendant and smirked. "I promised I'd be back, didn't I?" I nodded and smiled, wiping my tears. He cupped my face with his hand in the familiar way that I missed so badly, and held his forehead against mine, the tips of our noses touching.

I looked into his dark eyes, full of love and longing. I was sure that my eyes mirrored the same emotions back. Well, except my eyes were red and bloated from crying.

 

I felt his soft lips against mine, gentle then firm. I leaned in to kiss him back. Our kiss became more passionate, with tongue. All those months of missing each other, of being so far apart, they suddenly didn't matter anymore. Our love had never faded; if anything, it was stronger now. Every second that I missed his smile, his laugh, his touch, I expressed in that kiss. And he did the same.

 

Finally, we pulled away, our smiles wide. I opened the trunk and he heaved in his suitcase with a grunt.

"Did you buy me any souvenirs?" I joked.

"Aren't you satisfied with just me?" he pouted, but broke into a smile. "Just kidding. I brought back some food."

"YAY, FOOD! You know how to satisfy a girl." I grinned widely.

"No, I only know how to satisfy you." He said as we both got into the car.

 

Arriving back at home, Daehyun left his suitcase in the living room and went straight to the couch, plopping down on it.

"Yah, where's the food? Bring out the food!" I said, poking his tummy.

Unexpectedly, he grabbed my arm and pulled my down, twisting me so that I was lying on my side beside him, with my back to him. He wrapped his arms around me and I settled into his embrace.

"I'm too sleepy to eat. I'll do it tomorrow." he whined.

"Are you using your aegyo voice? You know that doesn't work on me."

He didn't answer my question, and instead replied with, "This place hasn't changed at all since I left. Even the couch still smells the same." I chuckled softly at his comment. He buried his face into my shoulder and I could feel his breath on the nape of my neck. "Your hair still smells the same, too." his voice grew quiet.

 

After a while of him not saying anything, I whispered, "Daehyun? Daehyun-ah, you awake?" he responded with a mumble and exhaled loudly through his nose, sending tingles down my spine. I drew lazy circles on his arm with my thumb.

"Daehyun, I can't sleep."

He sighed. "How about I sing you to sleep?"

I snuggled deeper into his arms as he pulled me closer. He began to sing the lines of my favorite song, our song, that he had sung to me over the phone when I had a particularly bad day, when I missed him especially badly.

**Nuneul gamgo naega haneun iyagiljal deuleobwa

Naeui yaegiga ggeutnagi jeone neoneun ggumeul ggul geoya

Little star

Tonight

Bamsae naega jikyeojul geoya

Cheoeum neoreul mannasseul ddaen jeongmal nuni busyeosseo

Neoui misoreul cheoeum bwasseul ddaen sesangeul dagajyesseo

Little star

Tonight

Bamsae naega jikyeojul geoya

I closed my eyes and smiled, letting his familiar voice cover me like a protective blanket. I let every word sink in, relaxation washing over me as I felt his chest rise and fall with each intake of breath. This is what I had missed all this time, and this is what I needed all my life.

Nae pume angin chae gonhi chamdeun neol bomyeon

Naneun jamsido nuneul ddeol su eobseo

Ireoge yeppeunde

Sumi meojeul geot gata

 

My eyelids slowly grew heavy, but I was still smiling. I looked up at him, and he was smiling at me, too, his loving eyes saying everything that was unsaid. I my side as he continued singing, burying my head in his chest. I inhaled his familiar scent as he my hair. He sang the last line.

Pyeongsaeng naega jikyeojul geoya.

 

All night, I will watch over you.

"I love you." I whispered, smiling up at him.

"I love you." he whispered back, leaning down to kiss me on the lips. We fell asleep in each other's embrace.