The old house resort located in the center of Daegu was popular by its dancing waves and white sand beach. Today, the resort was busy accommodating the last blow of tourists with the summer on its last week.

A black haired man sitting in the receptionist desk smiled as he greeted their customers. He'd been working there for a year now.

The old woman greeted him and loudly read the name tag above his chest, "Jung Yunho, I'd like to have two rooms for two days." she said.

Yunho nodded, tapping on his keyboard before handling her two keys. "Your room is on the east part, room 101 and 102. Enjoy your stay ma'am," he said, smiling.

His shift ended after an hour, he bid goodbye to the owner -- a bald old man who agreed he bought one of the rooms on the west part, near the shore.

The sunshine of August welcomed his skin upon slipping outside. Though the summer had been fazing hot, the sun that day was warm enough to feel good and not overbearing. The afternoon sky was cloudless with the breeze blowing gently and refreshing.

The general atmosphere of the resort was fantastic. As Yunho walked down the place where his room stood, he could hear the laughters of genuinely happy people. Children were playing and building sand castles, only for the waves to crush on them.

Though he intended to go back to his room, he find himself standing on the farthest end shore, surrounded by flowers that suddenly bloomed a year back. He sat on one of the pavements. His hearing could only catch the gentle sound of waves. It was a secluded place, far from the beach that no one bothered to stay at.

He looked at the calming ocean, reflecting the blue sky above. He gently touched one of the flowers all the while reaching for his necklace where a certain tab lies. A tab that was all left to him after the younger version of himself made a choice, a desicion. A desicion that proved to be hard even after a year.

A year. Time really flies, he thought. It has been a year since that fateful day, and though time had gone by, he was still waiting for Jaejoong's figure to appear somewhere and smile at him even though he knew he wouldn't be there.

He sighed, and when he was sure no one was around, he finally let his facade down. The happy smiling face seated in the receptionist desk was replaced by someone he no longer recognize.

Because behind all those smiles, behind closed doors entails that person that was him. A broken young man with nothing but memories. Memories that haunt him here and there.

He picked one of those beauties in front of him, only to be reminded by the one who planted them. He closed his eyes as memories overwhelmed him, but the images burns brighter in the dark.

He settled in looking up in the sky, facing the sun, trying to meet its rays. He almost wished it blinded him. He gritted his teeth and whistled and tapped out his feet in a strange irregular beat. He had to do it. To stop the memories.

How pathetic, he thought, inwardly laughing. The memories that defined one another was the same one that's tormenting him.

In the end, he chose to leave the place, the place where Jaejoong spread different kinds of flower seeds last summer. He made himself stand and walked away faster, because he swear, even after a year, Jaejoong's smell still lingered in the air. He could hear his laughter.

But he was tormented by solitary too. As he closed the door of his room, he leaned on it for support for he knew, he'll do that thing again, cry.

He was surrounded by too many people but he felt so .. alone. In his moment of weakness, he pulled the tab, placing it above his heart.

Strange enough, it brought him peace. He placed it in between his lips, find it was calming, like the soothing lips of Jaejoong.

He sighed and wondered if Jaejoong still has it. The rings they'd exchanged in their wedding -- a wedding that never existed on his memories was gone the second the unearthly spell was cast. It dissolved into thin air, taking Jaejoong along with it. Taking his everything away.

He stood up when the tears had dried and stopped, his eyes flying in his bed, where he find Jaejoong lying, patting the other side of the bed, waiting for him. He smiled and took a step closer, he was about to reach for him and caress his cheek when Jaejoong dissolved like mist through his fingers.

He weakly smiled. Pulling himself together, he looked away and settled his eyes in the kitchen, but Jaejoong was there, asking him what would he like for dinner. He saw him in the couch, crying while watching a tearjerker movie. He saw him in the bathroom's door, wet from the shower.

Finally, he saw him in front of him, wearing a smile before closing the gap between them. He closed his eyes and waited for his lips to press to his own, it never happened. He opened his eyes again and find there was no Jaejoong. He was not in the bed or in the kitchen or in the couch. He was nowhere, only the memories.

For the hundredth time, he asked himself why he'd picked that place to begin his new life with when there were too many things to remind him of Jaejoong.

He walked toward his bed, his eyes catching a crampled paper that was opened and folded for the hundredth time. He picked it up, it was a letter Jaejoong had left to the owner of the resort, thinking hell come back there.

He opened it again, and was welcomed by Jaejoong's careful handwriting. A letter why he was still trying to hold on.

Dear Jung Yunho,

Dr. Park said we still have three months but I have this feeling our time will be shorter that that, that's why I'm writing this letter while you're sleeping. Because I don't know if we'll have the chance to say goodbye, properly.

I just want to say three things. I'm sorry. Thank you and I love you.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you so soon. I'm sorry for all those pains you'd felt because of me. I'm sorry if I made you worry. I'm sorry Ho.

I never wanna leave. I don't want to. I don't ever wanna say goodbye because I know we're still not done saying our 'Hello's'. But were in numbered days. I'm sorry I can't give you the eternity you deserve.

Even from the start, it was impossible for us to be together, we are burdened by the uncertainty of time and cruelness of fate but thank you, thank you for all the memorise we'd shared. Thank you for the laughters and the smiles and the euphoria only you can give me and for the kisses and late night conversations. Thank you for completing me. Thank you for loving me.

Lastly, I love you Jung Yunho. I love you more than anything in this world. I love your smile and hugs and kisses. I love all of you. I love how you made me appreciate everything.

Before you came, I wanted to die, just to forget the pain, but in reality, I just wanted to be saved. And you did. You saved me from misery.

I always cursed my own life, with the anxiety and fury I kept on holding back, but when I met you, I realized how I love really this life, because I get to spend it with you. And the anxiety and sadness and anger all disappeared the moment you walked into my life. I'm beyond blessed for having you Ho.

It's painful to leave but I know, I know you'll be fine.

And I know, someday, somewhere, we will be able to see each other again. In another life, I will definitely write our story, in that life, we will fall in love again with no sad endings. In another life, we will have our second chance and everything will fall in the right places.

In another life, we will find each other and we'll surely remember our love. Until then, live. Live for me.

PS. I planted flowers in the edge of the shore. I will be there, waiting for you, and together, we will watch as seasons change. I love you and goodbye.

-- Kim Jaejoong (May 2015)

He carefully folded it again and glanced at the table, somehow, he could picture Jaejoong there, writing his letter of goodbye in the middle of the night.

Goodbye. That word left resentment in his heart. What was so good about goodbyes? Goodbyes are sad.

No, in his months upon months of solitariness, he realized it wasn't the goodbye that's sad. It was the flashback that follows.

He placed that letter to his heart. When he first read the letter, he was tempted to go back to Seoul and find him, help him remember. Fortunately, he managed to restrain himself from doing so because he remembered that Jaejoong will die.

That's why he decided to moved and walked away, because he don't know if he'll ever stop himself when he sees him again.

He sighed and lay in the bed, wondering if the incompleteness in his life will ever go away. But the silence of his room answered him, and in the comfort of stillness, he let his mind wander on what really happened a year ago.

--

Unlike the person Yunho had expected her to be, the old woman looked pretty decent. She donned clothings that suggested she was just like any other woman her age. But when he entered the place after the old woman ushered him, he find himself with the presence of different kinds of statues of saints and other woodcrafts he don't know the name. Then, he realized the old hag wasn't just like anybody.

The old lady walked silently toward the altar, the scent of candles and incense reached his nose, he suddenly shivered.

The old woman looked straight at him, find it uncomfortable, he shifted his gaze. He almost wavered but when Jaejoong's face came to him, he nodded with conviction.

"What do I need to do?" he asked, confused because the old woman was just standing in front of him.

She shook her head, "Just relax and get ready to lose .. everything,"

He took a deeper breath before doing so. When he blinked, everything seemed to move slowly and he was falling, so fast, with no one to catch him.

When he opened his eyes once again, the morning light invaded his vision. He find himself on a bed.

It's not his bed, he thought. Immediately, he shot upright, finding the old woman seated on a chair, watching him.

"About time you wake up. The spell have already casted, you may leave now," she said, walking him toward the door. "But remember this, never ever tell to that person it was casted upon who you are and make them remember, or they'll die in an instant." she reminded.

Yunho nodded, pulling for his wallet only to be interrupted by her, "Take your money, I don't need that. You don't need to pay me," she said.

Before Yunho could even speak, the old woman was already walking away.

"Thank you," he uttered, the old woman stopped walking, "No. Don't thank me, I did not really helped you, I just made the whole predicament worse," she said but Yunho can't help and thanked her again.

The sun was already up in the sky and the city of Myeongdong was already filled with people walking here and there, Yunho pay them no heed, he continued to walk, hailing a cab after.

Once seated, he reached for his ring only to find it was gone. He sighed as the cab wheel passed the Han River, as usual it was already flooded with people taking in the early sun. He looked at the spot where their wedding's reception was held, but there was no reception that really took place. There was no makeshift place. As if everything was just a distant dream but on his memory, so sweet and wonderful.

They reached the hospital after and he quickly went to Jaejoong's room, his heart bulged when there's no Jaejoong. Instead, he find a male nurse changing the covers of the bed.

Where is Jaejoong? Did the spell went wrong? How?

Questions flooded his mind, he snapped back to reality when the nurse said, "Sir, if you're looking for the patient of this room, I think they're still in the billing station, signing his discharge papers," 

He don't need to ask anything because the nurse provided it, smiling. "Mr. Kim have fully recovered last night, it was indeed a miracle,"

He managed a nod before walking out of the room, his feet making their way to him. Just this time, he said to himself. He just wanted to see him, one last time.

He ran in the hallways like a child, jumping, bouncing even. He felt giddy. Jaejoong was alive and well. He couldn't be happier.

He find three figures on the door of the billing station. He find Junsu and Yoochun talking with Jaejoong facing his back, talking to Dr. Park.

He slowly walked toward them and Yoochun noticed him. He kept his gaze, smiling at him.

His happiness was shattered into pieces when his best friend's eyes showed no recognition.

The camaderie that was once there was gone. Changmin was right, it hurts.

So before Jaejoong turned to his way, he altered his eyes and turned his back. He forced his trembling feet to move and ran.

No. He can't bear to see Jaejoong like that, with his eyes that once held an everlasting affection was gone, with his eyes showing no slightest recognition. It will be too much to bear.

Even when he was outside that memorable hospital, he didn't stopped running. Wishing it could help him dull the pain over his heart.

After running for miles, he decided moving to a place where he'll begun his life. And that brought him there, in the center of Daegu.

As the memories ended, Yunho turned to the other side of the bed, sighing. It happened a year ago but it felt like it was only yesterday. He closed his eyes, slowly, sleep devoured him and he succumbed to it, escaping the pain even for a while.

He woke up later that night, his face was sticky, his eyes felt heavy. He reached for his cupboard, grabbing an instant noodles. Pouring water on it, he waited for a minute before he settled on the couch, turning the television on.

His heart ached, because behind that black box, was the man he ever loved, smiling. He shut his eyes tight, thinking it was just a product of his imagination, but when he opened it, Jaejoong was still there, smiling at the camera before introducing himself.

His heart started to go on rampage, a familiar pounding only a man named Kim Jaejoong can do. A sound escaped from him, he was gasping for air to the point of pain, he don't know if he'd forgotten to breathe or there's no oxygen on his body.

He put down his dinner, hunger completely forgotten. He moved closer to the television.

Jaejoong was smiling behind it, as he traced the lines of Jaejoong's face with his hand, he asked to himself, "What's going on?"

The host nodded to Jaejoong, shaking each others hands, they both took their seats after. It took a while before Yunho finally realized why Jaejoong was there. 

Jaejoong had started writing, just like he always wanted to do.

He took a deeper breath as he took him in, particularly Jaejoong's smile. It was the very first time he'd seen him after a year, and for the first time, his face started to form a smile. A real smile that really belonged to him.

Somehow, all the pain he'd felt the past year just disappeared. Because Jaejoong was alive, because under the same sky, he was there. Alive, happy. He's gone to his life but still there. That was enough to make up for everything he'd been through.

The camera's angle shifted, much to his chagrin.

"Your book is really off the charts Mr. Kim," the host said, smiling. "It has already reached thousands of copies sold, what can you say about this sucess?"

The camera's angle came back to Jaejoong, "I'm really happy right now, I never thought it will be this much, I'm feeling ecstatic," he said, chucking.

Though they were miles away from each other, Yunho could feel his nervousness and happiness.

"So, I've been wondering where this idea came from?" the host said, "An immortal and a dying man, it was a great idea, not too cliche,"

Yunho's mouth agape. It can't be, he thought to himself. There's no way ..

Jaejoong gave a smile before answering, "Believe it or not, but that idea actually came out of nowhere. Maybe it's a dream. I just find myself writing it, and it felt right, writing it." he whispered the last words but Yunho clearly heard it. 

He smiled. An immortal and a dying man. Tears started rolling down his cheeks, that time though, he didn't bit his lips to stop himself from crying, because he was crying for the rightest of reasons.

It was there story. Just like he'd promised, he really wrote it. And perhaps, in that book, they finally have the ending they deserved.

"Nonetheless, it's a great story, so one more question Mr. Kim, you're studying Law in SM Academy, am i right?"

Jaejoong nodded at his question.

"So why write? Is it what you always wanted to do?"

Jaejoong nodded once again, "Yes. I loved writing since I was young, I just didn't had the guts to try and to do it. I can't remember it but I think something or someone must've pushed me to do it," Jaejoong finished.

Yunho clamped his hand on his mouth, a silver light passing down his cheeks. "It was me Jae, it was me." he said, wishing Jaejoong could hear him.

The interview ended after that. Jaejoong promoted his book, thanking all those who already purchased it.

He turned off the television after. The next moment he became, he became unbearably .. sad.

In the silence that followed, the emptiness over his heart grew bigger. He tightly clutched his hand, biting his lips, harder this time, and raked his hair. He had to do anything again. Anything to stop himself from feeling the sadness that piled up around him. It was everywhere, it's in his bed, in his bathroom, in his kitchen. It was everywhere. What else can he do to orient himself from feeling that sea of melancholy?

He didn't bother to eat his dinner or put it in the sink, he just walked to his bed, trying to sleep again. It was the only way to avoid the pain. Luckily, he drifted off, thinking tomorrow's another day he'll pretend.

Pretend he was whole when in the inside, he was a mess and no one can ever fix him.

He woke up the next morning with a start. Pale morning light came around the edges of his room. He turned to his bathroom and prepared for work with faint enthusiasm. He fixed his smile on his bed before locking the door. But today, for some unknown reason, it didn't felt force.

He find his co-worker named Jack yawning behind the receptionist desk, smiling at him.

"Glad you're here man, I'm really sleepy. Last night was hectic," he continued to rant as he gathered his belongings. "Heck, a famous writer even checked in,"

Yunho didn't listened, just nodding his head out of courtesy. "I'm going man," Jack said, swiftly exiting the place.

He started his shift, smiling. People come and go and time flies. His shift ended and someone take his seat behind that desk. 

He slide his hands in his pocket, walking quietly, not minding the laughters and smiles that surrounds him.

Jaejoong's interview came back to him, he looked up the vast sky, wondering if Jaejoong was looking at it too. He stopped walking and watched as people enjoy the waves, wishing he'll have the chance to be happy like them.

That's when memories started to haunt him. Yesterday, the memory of their wedding tormented him, but now, that night on Changmin's place danced over his thoughts. He resumed walking, just like the memories resuming to taunt him.

"Where does memories go when it's forgotten?" Jaejoong was the one who asked that. It took a good while before he came up with an answer. "I think it dies. And goes away. It flowed with the water, burned with fire, dissolved into thin air,"

He took another step, another memory came up.

"Well, do you believe in the saying that the heart remember what the mind forgets?" Jaejoong's question echoed to hia ear.

He remembered saying no, explaining it was crap for heart was simply an organ that pumps blood, and Jaejoong, being Jaejoong countered him saying, "I'll show you, I'll still remember you in my heart even if my brain can't. I'll show you and you'll believe me," Jaejoong had said.

Yunho gritted his teeth when it ended there. A bitter smile adorned his face, looking back at the sky. A million miles from where he was, a billion days ago, that empty promise was uttered. And boy, was he willing to trade all of his tomorrows for that one yesterday.

He wanted to laugh or cry or curse or do all of that because he was right, heart was simply an organ. Oh. How he wanted it to be an organ that holds everything. That way, even with the toll of the spell, Jaejoong could still remember him. But he doesn't. And it hurts.

He returned his gaze forward and that's when he find him walking toward him.

His whole world stopped upon landing his eyes on Jaejoong's. He bit his lips until it bleed and he tasted it. He had to remind himself his mind was only playing tricks on him. It wasn't him. It can't be.

But Jaejoong was really there. In the same place he was in. Everything seemed to stop moving, everything was motionless. He could only see his figure as he walked to him. He couldn't hear the laughter of the tourists or the sound of the waves, he couldn't hear the breeze or the summer song that was playing.

Everything seemed like an eternity, it felt just like the two of them, it felt like it was there world and nothing could ever go wrong. For a second of infinity, everything felt right. He wanted to do something to stop time. 

What can he do to make this wonderful moment last? Nothing. Because time is cruel, it doesn't stop for anybody.

He was lost in his trance that he thought Jaejoong was there to give him a hug and a kiss, he had to remind himself they're strangers now.

He tried regaining his calm, but as he looked to Jaejoong's eyes, he find him smiling at him. A faint hope swelled up in his heart. Remember me, he unconsciously wished.

And when they walked passed each other, it only took a gentle breeze to destroy his hope. His heart he's been trying to mend broke into millions of pieces again, he don't know of he'll ever have the courage to pick it up. 

And though it was beyond painful, he dared to look back. He was only shifting his feet when a voice called his name.

"Yunho .."

Yunho was sure the voice came from Jaejoong.

Slowly, he turned around, his heart skipping a thousand beats. Air was escaping his lungs he almost thought he was dying.

He met Jaejoong's eyes, and he smiled at him, waving. And at that very moment, he thought that maybe, just maybe, a beautiful miracle had come to dominate his dull life once again ..