I am back from the DEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!! (OTL because I took So Freaking LONG! But! I have a good news!) 
Good News = I have something special planned for the Finale of this here Fic!

Okay Ya’ll, just a heads up! This chapter is gonna be kiiiiinda longer than the previous ones (I might even have to divide it in parts 1 and 2, maybe even part 3). Cuz it’s the official final installment in ‘The Diary’ series. There will be a Bonus Chapter as an Epilogue of sorts after this. But, the story will officially come to end in this here update today.

So! My faithful Memes! Grab a couple of tissues. Some Nutella and a boyfriend/girlfriend for moral support. Close your bedroom doors and windows and get under a blanket. And let the games… begin

449-003 Daehakro,

Jongro-gu, Seoul

October 1, 1976

Dear Youngjae,

Jonghwan took his first steps today. I cried. A little… A lot actually. I’m just so proud!!!

We are going to visit Yongguk today. As soon as I finish posting this letter actually. Yongguk is gonna be so excited to see Jonghwan! Himchan is coming with me. He actually cried when he saw the little guy wobbling about everywhere. I’m so excited to show him around!

I ’m happy today, Youngjae. I’m glad I didn’t give Jonghwan up.

I wish you could see him, Jae. He resembles his mother so much but his smile… It’s oddly familiar to yours. My mind might be playing games with me but I see a lot of you in Jonghwan.

You would’ve loved him.

I love you,

Daehyun

Seoul 2018

Jongup watches Junhong packing his travel bag from the coffee table in his apartment and he doesn’t understand why things have come about in the way they have. Despite the exceedingly bizarre phone call with Junhong the night before Jongup had never expected the boy to come down to his apartment in the wee hours of dawn and beg him to take him to meet his uncle all the way in Daegu. Sure his semester was over, but Jongup had wanted to visit Junhong’s Grandpa’s grave in Busan once the holidays started.

Still, seeing how anxiously Junhong is packing his bags and how his hands tremble as they shove clothes into the airbag, he can’t possibly bring himself to say no. And either ways, it’s been months since he’s met his dearest uncle and grandfather, choosing to only communicate via letters or phone calls. This is a good thing for you he tells himself as he waits for Junhong to finish packing up, shifting his eyes at the two train tickets marked for Daegu.

“Junhongie” he whispers to the boy who barely responds with a grumble as he’s too busy packing up what looks like several boxes of letters. “I’ll be in my room packing too, okay? Let me know if you need anything.” Not waiting for an answer, Jongup ambles into his own bedroom with a sense of purpose about him.

He’s had his vacation bag ready since his break started two weeks ago. He was really looking forward to going to Busan with Junhong but seeing as there’s a change of venue, Jongup needs to pack one more thing.

As he sits down on his bed, staring at the contents of his bedside table, the boy heaves a sigh and grabs the leather clad, brown diary sitting peacefully on top of his laptop.

He’s not sure he’s ready to hear it all. He’s not even sure if he even wants to hear their story. It’s too pure in his mind to be tarnished by any details. But Jongup can't help but think of this sudden trip to Daegu as Universe’s way of solving the puzzle for him.

He never thought he needed answers to the Diary’s existence, but he’s sure about one thing. His grandfather will have to give me answers regardless of whether he wants to hear them or not.

Suwon 1976

“How is she now?” Himchan jerks his head towards the young girl, playing with play dough, in Daehyun’s apartment.

The younger boy looks at her helplessly pitiful figure, making a mess about her as he heaves a sigh. Looking away from the dismal sight, he bites his lips and turns back to his task of filling the kettle to boil water in, as he mumbles disheartened, “same as ever. I don’t think she’s getting better any time soon.”

A grim expression covers Himchan’s face at Daehyun’s hopeless words and he pats the boy’s shoulder encouragingly. Muttering back to him, “things will get better. And I’m always here to help you out, kiddo.”

“I know, Channie” Daehyun forces a smile upon his lips as the water in the kettle comes to a boil. He switches off the gas stove and turns to Himchan, who’s too busy playing with the fourteen month old baby in his arms. Clicking his fingers to gain the elder’s attention he points at the milk bottle next to the gas stove. “You’ll need to boil the milk bottle first and then fill it with milk. And then you can feed him the milk once it’s cool enough.”

The elder of the two rolls his eyes and expertly rests the baby on his shoulders as he smacks Daehyun on the head, exclaiming “I know! I KNOW! You told me that like five hundred something times already!”

“I know, I’m just making sure you understand” Daehyun tries to defend himself but he can’t hide the smile that crosses his features at Himchan’s endearing behaviour. The smile doesn’t last too long though, as he watches the baby in Himchan’s arms yawn sleepily, his thumb as he drools a little over the man’s shoulders. “I’m just scared he’ll forget me once I get back.”

Himchan watches Daehyun caress the child’s face with tears b his eyes and he brings out his hand to pat the boy’s head as he promises, “I’ll bring him down to the base to meet you every now and then. And you can always send recordings of your voice to him, while you’re at it. I’ll send pictures of him to you every month too.” When Daehyun nods biting his lips, clearly not at all ready to part with the child, Himchan rolls his eyes and tells him to “come on! It’s only two and a half years. Jonghwan is NOT going to forget you, Daehyun!”

“I know! I know!” the boy wails, nonetheless continuing to cry as he watches Jonghwan sleep, “I just… I don’t want to leave him.”

“I’ll take care of him,” Himchan mutters, holding Daehyun's hand that’s resting on his shoulders, “I promise, Jonghwan” he turns to look at the girl still too busy playing with dough “and his mother will be safe by the time you get back from your enlistment, Daehyun.”

A forced smile is all Daehyun finds himself capable of giving the man, but he knows Himchan doesn’t mind.

Seoul 2018

Jongup tries to make sense of the scene in front of him but he’s at a complete loss at what to make of it. He watches, rather worriedly, as Junhong brings out another box of letters down the staircase and towards the taxi he has rented to take them to the train station. Eyeing the boy in utter confusion he pulls Junhong away from the hood of the car after he’s done shoving all the boxes in.

“Okay. I don’t get it” he begins, all too aware of the fact that the taxi driver is probably going to charge him extra for luggage overload. “Did you take up Wonnie Grandpa’s job as the postmaster over the weekend or something? What’s with all these letters?”

Junhong looks at him in apparent conflict, as if he’s fighting himself to speak and not at the same time. It doesn’t take him too long to answer though (thanks to the driver angrily honking at them to get in) “it’s a very long story, Yoonie.” He mumbles and it feels almost like dejavu, though Jongup knows he’s never heard that phrase from Junhong in that context ever before. “I’ll tell you once we get there.”

Jongup can’t even begin to process the words of the boy before he’s being pushed in the taxi by one Choi Junhong.

Suwon 1977

He caresses the picture in his hand as he places it into the envelope. Jonghwan is already a two years old and he looks more angelic than Daehyun remembers him to have looked. He can’t wait for his service to be over just to be able to hold the boy in his arms.

Daehyun reads and re-reads and re-reads his own letter over and over as he is walking towards the designated post box of the camp he’s assigned to. Taking caution in not dirtying the paper because this time it isn’t the marble paper he always uses. It’s the simple, course, brown paper that the army chief had given to him upon his entry.

449-003 Daehakro,

Jongro-gu, Seoul

August 18, 1977

Dear Youngjae,
It’s been six months since my enlistment and I can’t believe how much Jonghwan has grown already. I am so blessed he looks just like his mother. The same brown eyes and double eyelids. And the dimples that could contain all of earth’s waters in them if he tried.

I’ve gotten a little too daring with my descriptions, haven’t I? Having a child does that to you. Especially when your child is literally an angel in disguise as a Human. I kid you not, he’s the sweetest child I ever lay my eyes upon.

I’m sending a picture for you to see for yourself. Don’t be too alarmed at his cuteness. Though knowing you, you’ll start crying the moment you see him. You softie.

How are you, Jae? I heard Youngwon’s wife gave birth to a baby girl a month ago. I had almost forgotten she got pregnant again. I’m sorry for their loss too, Youngjae. Losing your child is something I would never wish upon anyone. Now that I have Jonghwan, I can imagine how much pain Youngwon must’ve suffered through.

He was so excited to be a father too. I’m sorry for their loss, Youngjae. I know you never even got to see Junhong before he died. I’m sorry for your loss too.

I tried contacting him when I found out but he didn’t seem too eager to talk to me. I don’t blame him after the fiasco that day at your father’s funeral. But he did talk to me. He cried. Apologised. And asked me to never cal