Sunshine and Moonfall 

[g / angst / old couple] 

“Who are you?”

“I am Doh Kyungsoo.”

Two men with ashy tresses sat face to face. The bespectacled one slowly wiped the hand of the other in his lap with a warm towel.

“Who am I?”

“You’re Park Chanyeol.”

Kyungsoo placed the cooled towel on the small table beside him and smiled tenderly at the confused expression on the man across from him. Soft sunlight streamed in through the greenhouse’s glass roof, adding an extra touch of warmth to the tiny sanctuary. Chanyeol raised his head, welcoming the sunshine on his skin, and squinted comfortably like a lazy cat.  

“Where are we?”

Gliding his dark eyes over the wrinkles adoring his partner’s aged but handsome face, Kyungsoo gave a gentle pat on the back of other’s boney hand and answered quietly.

“Home.”

The sweet aroma of delphiniums lingered in the greenhouse, spread around by the summer breeze blowing in from opened windows. Shoots of white and purple flowers waved to the wafts of gentle wind. Kyungsoo leaned back into his bamboo chair and removed his glasses, shutting his eyes to fully enjoy the late afternoon sun. The man beside him watched quietly as the bespectacled man’s body gradually relaxed into the furniture and the cresses of his wrinkles slowly flattened.

“Tell me a story,” Chanyeol said suddenly, staring at the other’s profile. Kyungsoo cracked an eye open and turned to look at his partner. When he saw raw stubbornness and persistence in Chanyeol’s clear eyes, he sighed with a small chuckle.

“Okay.”

A happy and child-like smile bloomed on Chanyeol’s face and eagerly, the old man clumsily dragged himself and his chair closer to the other. Until they were sitting with their knees touching, Kyungsoo cleared his throat and began his story. His eyes were drifting to somewhere far, where only memories could reach.

“Once there were two men who worked together in the same company. Let’s call them Sunshine and Moonfall. Sunshine was loud and reckless, and you could always find him just by following his obnoxious laughter and the trail of mess he’d make whenever he went. But Sunshine was not a bad person; in fact he was a kind-hearted and honest young man. Although he probably caused more trouble than good most of the times, but deep down he has a heart of gold and the soul of an angel. Sunshine was always popular, with the women and men. Women adored him for his handsome good looks and captivating smiles, and the men respected him for his bravery and confidence. Like his name, Sunshine was always surrounded and loved by people.”

“What about Moonfall?,” Chanyeol interrupted all of a sudden, his eyes gazing curiously at Kyungsoo, “I want to hear more about Moonfall.”

The latter smiled and lowered his eyes, speaking slowly as he gave another pat on Chanyeol’s hand.

“Ah yes, Moonfall. Moonfall is the opposite of sunshine. He was quiet, reserved and he preferred to be by himself. Rather than socializing, he’d rather stay home and watch movies or tend to the flowers he was always meticulously cultivating. He does not like to attract attention so he always dressed in black, hoping he’d blend in with the shadows and never to be seen. He hated loud places where there are too many people and he hated loud people who attracted too much attention. So naturally, when he first met Sunshine, he hated him. He hated how Sunshine seemed to glow wherever he went, attracting people’s eyes on them and making Moonfall nervous from all the attentions he was not used to getting. He also hated how Sunshine seemed to have taken an immediate liking to him even though they were so different. Every day, Moonfall would grumble as Sunshine tagged behind him in the company and even outside during their free times.”

Kyungsoo looked up then and gazed into Chanyeol’s bright eyes, so clean and alien that it makes him want to cry.

“But gradually, Moonfall stopped his complaint about Sunshine and they became friends. Moonfall realized he actually had a lot in common with Sunshine. Although their personalities were the opposite in many ways, they did not clash; rather, they complimented each other extremely well. In Sunshine’s words, they were like soul mates. So day by day, as they became closer, Moonfall found himself relying more on Sunshine; as if like the real moonlight, he wouldn’t be whole without sunshine.”

Chanyeol continued to watch Kyungsoo intensely but the latter lowered his eyes again, avoiding the other’s burning gaze.

“Then one day Moonfall saw Sunshine walking down the street with another girl, happy smiles plastered on both of their faces. It dawned on him in that moment he had fallen in love with his best friend. Panicked but also discouraged because of his low self-esteem, Moonfall disappeared from Sunshine’s side and went back to living his lonesome life. He was afraid of what the world would say about his feelings, scared to be discovered, and most of all, he was terrified of being rejected by Sunshine. So selfishly, he decided to hide and suffocate his heart before Sunshine breaks it into dust.”

“But Sunshine didn’t break his heart because Sunshine loved his Moonfall.”

Chanyeol spoke suddenly and Kyungsoo snapped his head up. A pair of familiar gaze peered at him. There were the same love and tenderness shimmering in Chanyeol’s dark amber orbs as before; the same as all the time they’ve hugged, kissed, and shared body heat under the bed cover.

“Sunshine still loves Moonfall. Park Chanyeol still loves Doh Kyungsoo.”

Tear rushed into Kyungsoo’s widened eyes and his hand shook emotionally. Gently, Chanyeol linked their wrinkly hands together and he leaned forward, pressing against the other’s lined forehead.

“Moonfall ran to the edge of the sky and Sunshine followed close behind because without the moon, the sunshine could never look as bright. Without you in my life, I would never have been truly happy,” Chanyeol whispered and Kyungsoo nodded silently as drops of tear splattered on their touching knees.

“I missed you, so much,” Kyungsoo mumbled in between quiet, stifled sobs.

“I am still here,” Chanyeol replied and his calloused thumb glided across wet cheeks, “although at times I may be far away, I am still here.”

“I know, because you’d always return.”

“Yes, I always return.”

The two old men locked eyes again and they smiled.

“I missed you too, dearly.”

“I know.”

“I will always love you.”

“As will I.”

“… I know,” Chanyeol’s shaky hands cupped around Kyungsoo’s aged face. Time flew by too quickly and he had too little time with his love.

“I know…”

Inside a tiny greenhouse, shoots of delphinium bloomed beautifully in the sun. Their soft petals fluttered delicately in the breeze and subtle sweetness filled the peaceful space. In the centre of the greenhouse, two elderly men with silver hair sat face to face. The bespectacled man picked up the towel from the basin filled with warm water and wringed it dry. Across from him, a man with hollow eyes glanced listlessly at the outside. Letting out a deep sigh, Kyungsoo put a gentle smile on his face and reached for the boney hands folded together on the other’s lap. Feeling warmth on his skin, Chanyeol turned around and observed the man smiling sadly across from him. Tiny pricks of nameless pain poked at his heart as he regarded the graceful old man in front of him. Chanyeol thought the man’s face was so foreign yet so endearing, as if he had seen it somewhere before. But he could no longer remember.

“Who are you?”

“I am Doh Kyungsoo.”

“Who am I?”

“You’re Park Chanyeol.”

Two grey hair man locked eyes but only Kyungsoo smiled. Chanyeol simply blinked blankly at the familiar stranger sitting across from him.

“Where are you?”

“Home.”

A pause.

“Tell me a story...”

“… Okay. There were once two men, let’s call them Sunshine and Moonfall…” 

Author's note: Lee Hi - Dream