The phone rung.

Seems like we've been here before

 

Your eyes are seeing straight right through my core

 

It's kinda strange, but I like it

 

Ain't no reason tryna' fight it, yeah

Might be Déjà vu

 

First time we met, but I remembered you

 

We were creepin' in the night time

 

Maybe in another lifetime

Don't tell me you don't feel what I feel right now

 

it's written all over you

 

Don't tell me you don't feel what I feel somehow

 

I keep findin' my way back to you

It was the fifth time Seungwan saw her at the station.

Seungwan placed the stationary telephone near to her ear, not wanting to know what the person on the other end wanted to stay.

“Hello Sir,” Seungwan said quietly, but still audible.

“Who is this?” The one known as ‘sir’ said with a hint of arrogance in his tone.

“Son Seungwan, Sir,”

“Oh Son! Have you finished the report I requested?”

“No Sir,” Seungwan said solemnly, because the report wasn’t an easy task.

Having to go through the pains of World War II without actually being a soldier wasn’t an easy task.

Families were separated, lives were loss— to write about it just seemed cruel— but it was her job nevertheless.

“Pick up the pace will you? I need it by next week,” 

The line went dead silent.

Seungwan took a deep sigh, turning away from the local phone, crashing straight into a flash of white.

Papers were flung all over the place as Seungwan caught the mystery figure, the papers blocking her rather loopy vision.

“Oh- pardon me,” the figure- now clearly a girl apologised hastily as she pulled away from Seungwan’s embrace.

It was her.

They stared at each other for a few moments, the few moments that felt like an eternity.

“Do I know you?” Seungwan asked, fearing she was a little too forward.

“No, I don’t think so- I- I’m Joohyun,” the woman staggered, attempting to pick up the papers that were now lying flat on the ground.

“Leave it be,” Seungwan said, pulling Joohyun’s hand from the papers while she never broke eye contact.

God this girl looks familiar. 

“B- but those are yours,” 

“Yes, yes they are,”

There was silence, but it felt natural, like the rekindling of old moments.

“Are you sure I don’t know you?” Seungwan asked once more, because she swore she knew they had met before.

Another life possibly?

“I- I live around here, maybe you’ve seen me around?”

“Huh,” Seungwan was still holding her hand while she said that, a sudden thought in her head engaging her to take a glance at the giant clock in the station.

She was running out of time.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Seungwan asked, once again very straightforward.

“What?” Joohyun asked, the little pink tint on her cheeks burning a little brighter when Seungwan pulled her closer than before

“In the army- I mean— that’s what most women are doing here,” Seungwan continued.

“N- no, it’s my brother—”

“Seokjin- Seokjin is your brother- Am I correct?” Seungwan answered for her.

“Yes, exactly— are you in the army?” Joohyun asked, shifting comfortably in the lack of space the two shared.

“No, I just work there- I’m a reporter— I report the losses and casualties and heroic moments in the war,” Seungwan explained, a tad bit shy.

“Still- that’s pretty brave,” Joohyun assured, giving the reporter a soft smile.

“Yeah- kinda- sorta- ish— maybe?” Seungwan scratched her nape with her free hand, Joohyun chuckling slightly.

The conductor called from the front of the train, calling all the soldiers who wanted a ride to the base.

“Last train to the Busan base!” The conductor called out, and Seungwan looked to the train with a heavy heart.

“I guess that's your cue?” Joohyun looked to Seungwan, her face turning glum.

“Yeah- but- uhh— will I see you again?” Seungwan asked with hope, letting go of Joohyun as she grabbed her luggage, getting ready to jump onto the slightly mobile train.

“Maybe— just make sure you come back alive okay— soldier-reporter-person,” Joohyun said, the awkwardness in her tone making Seungwan chuckle.

“Okay Joohyun- I will,” Seungwan flashed her a smile, running off to the train with her singular luggage, hopping onto the solemn train.

“Promise?!” Joohyun yelled from the phone they previously stood at, waving.

“Do I have a choice?! Seungwan yelled back, turning away as she locked the memory of Joohyun’s smile in her head.

“I promise,”

You can go anywhere, babe, wherever you want

 

Because I know we're written in the stars

 

You can go any which way, don't matter how far

 

Because I know we're written in the stars

No question that we're written in the stars

Seungwan had to admit she was writing way faster than before.

Maybe it was the pressure and the inspiration— emphasis needed on the inspiration.

Stupid smile.

 

Stupid promise.

 

Stupid Joohyun.

Now they were miles apart, Seungwan fighting a war she didn’t request to be a part of. Seungwan turning to look to her- kinda uniform- and the double barrel gun that hung next to it. They were losing men- so anyone on base had the moral obligation to join the fight.

Being an on field reporter really did .

Seungwan couldn’t count the number of times her boss sent her on a life threatening- how am I not dead yet- mission. Persia, Egypt, Cambodia— that one time in the Amazon.

Anything for a good story.

Though right now, Seungwan’s mind seemed to constantly retrace back to Joohyun.

She couldn’t count the number of times she’d almost died, but she did know how many times she’d seen the very familiar Bae Joohyun before.

It was 5.

Five times.

The first time was during her trip to Seoul’s air field— to begin her journey to Egypt.

She got chased by a lion there- nobody had a single clue of where it came from- but the scorpion bite was another hell she will never want to go through ever again. Like ever.

Joohyun was at the station as well when she came back, and that was the second time their stars aligned.

The third time- she was scratched up and bed ridden from her trip to Amazon. The paramedics pushed her out of the private train compartment, right pass Joohyun.

Seungwan passed out immediately after.

The fourth time, was the first time Seungwan was ‘deployed’ to the Busan base.

She was nervous, shaky, and very sweaty during that moment, waiting for the train.

As cheesy as it was, all her troubles faded away as soon as her eyes wandered to meet Joohyun’s.

Let's be real- it was Seungwan who was stupid in this awful case of being love sick.

And the fifth, was just now- Seungwan’s awkward self waiting for her boss to pick up the call from the public phone.

Seungwan looked through the dirty window of her special quarters, eyes aimed on the stars.

The call, the crash, the tension—

It was all written wasn’t it?

The moment you looked at me

 

I started losing feeling in my cheeks

 

Felt myself moving towards ya'

 

I just wanted to get closer, oh!

When you say hello

 

I know there is no limit where we'll go

 

I want you to be ready—

 

I'll hold your heart if you'll let me, 

Don't tell me you don't feel what I feel right now

 

it's written all over you

 

Don't tell me you don't feel what I feel somehow

 

I keep findin' my way back to you

Stupid smile.

 

Stupid promise.

 

Stupid reporter girl.

Joohyun didn’t even get her name.

“Hyun unnie!!! Why are you messing up the newspapers?!” Yerim, Joohyun’s youngest sister asked, her face horrified by the abundance of a mess her eldest unnie was making.

“I need to find something,” Joohyun answered simply.

“What is it? Is it that important?” Sooyoung, the second youngest who was in her adoselence popped in, also joining the fun of flipping through old newspapers.

“Can we help?”

“Yeah, find anything about the war- and also- an on field reporter,” Joohyun ordered in a serious tone, the sisters examining the papers.

“Sure- but you’re cleaning this up,” Sooyoung shrugged, the two younger sisters beginning the search.

 

------------

 

“It’s here,” Joohyun smiled to herself as she lifted the piece of news into the air, examining it closely, careful not to wake Sooyoung and Yerim who had fallen asleep on the couch as Hyun was left alone with the name of the mystery girl.

CAMBODIA, 1949 CRISIS.

Report By Son Seungwan.

The no-longer-mysterious girl was right there- holding an animal of some sort (it was alive, don’t worry). She looked younger, but the knack for adventure was still there in her tired eyes. The charm and light in her smile shone still shone the same as it did at the train station- brighter than any star the universe could conjure.

“Son Seungwan,” 

Joohyun liked the name, it sounded fitting for a person who would cause her to blush harder than ever. The name of someone who intrigued her to no end, the reason she was up at 2.00am ransacking their pile of newspapers. The name of a person who would pull her closer when she was clearly trying to help her pick up her stuff (not that she minded).

“I’m acting like a teenage girl,” Joohyun slammed her head onto the coffee table, blushing at her own statement.

Though she had to admit- Son would be a nice last name for her—

Oh crap.

—————

“Hello Bae Joohyun,” a mysterious figure said, hiding her face behind a newspaper- shocking the eldest unnie to the core.

But Joohyun would recognize that voice even if she was in another galaxy.

“Seungwan?” Joohyun turned, and the same damn smirk was right there in front of her.

“How do you know my name? I don’t remember ever telling you,” Seungwan folded the paper, sliding a little so Joohyun could sit.

“I- uh- well- I-,” Joohyun barely croaked out, transforming into a nervous wreck at an instant.

“Hey, I get it- you totally stalked me,” Seungwan said in a teasing tone, Joohyun rolling her eyes playfully, taking a seat as she lightly hit the younger girl. 

“Yah!” Joohyun laughed it off, looking to Seungwan as if daring her to say anymore.

“There’s no use in denying it,” Seungwan said teasingly, adjusting herself, causing their hands to brush against each other- subconsciously intertwining their fingers together and pulling Joohyun so that she would lean on her, the older girl was taken aback for a moment- her breath hitching.

“I- don’t you know a thing about personal space Son?” Hyun questioned, warming up to her embrace.

“Usually- I am actually quite courteous- but with you- I think space is just a word,” Seungwan said, charm and grease oozing from her tone, Joohyun laughing at how greasy her companion was.

“What are you doing here Miss Son? Don’t you have a job at Busan?” Joohyun asked, setting into Seungwan’s embrace.

“I came back for an important meeting- about certain censorships- quite strange what people want to read about nowadays,” Seungwan explained. A comfortable silence fell between them, Joohyun playing with Seungwan’s fingers as they watched the trains pass and the people rush in and out of them.

“I’m going back to Busan now,” Seungwan said solemnly, breaking the silence.

“Oh, well- that’s- not- good. H- how did the meeting go?” Joohyun said, changing the subject to hide her clear disappointment.

“Well- with you in my arms now? I think don’t even remember how bad it was,” Seungwan said with a smirk, the Bae rolling her eyes mockingly, letting out a sigh of contentment.

“Will you be coming back again soon?” Joohyun asked, tone full of hope.

“Maybe- if I have another important meeting,” Seungwan shrugged as the statement left .

“What if you do have another? One with me instead- maybe at a nice restaurant- a romantic dance- some candlelight- if you’re up for it,” Joohyun said, a playful smile on her face, though Seungwan could sense the nervousness with how close they were.

“Sounds like a very important meeting- we’ll see if I get to come back or not,” 

“But Seungwan! You have to come back- I’ll wait for you okay? Just come back- then the meeting will be all set,” Joohyun pleaded, the soft puppy dog eye look on her face saying it all.

“Promise?” Joohyun said, lifting her pinky, the cheesiness causing Seungwan to chuckle and her heart to warm.

This time, it was Seungwan’s turn to be taken aback.

“I- I promise,” 

“Yay!” Joohyun turned into a five year old- yelping excitedly as she planted a quick peck on the unsuspecting Seungwan’s cheeks.

Son Seungwan knew she was brave, she had gone through many strange and challenging adventures throughout her life. She was strong and did not fall weak to just anything. She had brawled with tigers, prisoners, and other strange creatures that Seungwan never wanted to see ever again. Her strength was somewhat unmatched for.

But Bae Joohyun’s cuteness was damn well challenging her right now.

And bloody hell was she losing bad right now.

“Train to Busan!” The conductor yelled out, which caused Joohyun to jump out of her previous position in Seungwan’s warm embrace, looking up to the reporter with a pout on her face.

That moment made the eldest of the Bae family look like a five year old child.

A five year old child who was about to be left alone at the station- yet again.

“Hyun,” Seungwan made eye contact with the older girl, who looked at her like she was a star in the sky.

So close- yet so far away.

“See you later Wan,” Joohyun sat properly on the seat, her hand interlocked with Seungwan’s.

“I’ll see you around Miss Bae,” Seungwan stood up, grabbing her bag as she bowed down to kiss Joohyun’s hand, which caused the said girl to let out a chuckle.

Seungwan ran off, but the kiss still lingered on Joohyun’s hand, just like how Joohyun lingered on the seat for hours, looking at the stars.

She didn’t feel so lonely, though a few strangers walking around told her she looked lonely, because Jin was looking at the same stars, under the same sky- Yerim was probably sleeping under the protection of the dark blue atmosphere. Sooyoung- well- Sooyoung was Sooyoung. Doing whatever the hell she wanted. But she was there, under that same sky.

It was all written there, the safety, the fate.

Right now, all Joohyun prayed for was one thing, and that was the one thing she wanted, the one her entire being craved for.

“Come back okay?”

You can go anywhere, babe, wherever you want 

 

Because I know we're written in the stars

 

You can go any which way don't matter how far

 

Because I know we're written in the stars 

No question that we’re written in the stars

A month had passed since the second promise.

There had been a bombing in Busan a week prior to that day.

No word from Jin, or Seungwan- who both wrote so many letters Sooyoung said they were just wasting paper. Seungwan got herself acquainted with Yerim and Sooyoung through their letters- often sending silly jokes and pictures of her and Jin making silly faces with their other friends.

Joohyun was dreading the knock on the door, a uniform at the steps. She couldn’t grasp on to the fact that she’d lose Jin.

And in that process- she could lose Seungwan too.

No. It wasn’t true. Joohyun slammed her balled fist onto her study table, trying to bite back the thoughts in her head.

“Unnie,” Sooyoung pushed the door to Joohyun’s room open, not looking at her sister.

“S- someone’s at the door,” Sooyoung said with a nervous tone, knowing herself the consequences of opening it.

“Okay, I’ll get it,” Joohyun slowly stood up, walking down the creaky stairwell and towards the front door.

With a solemn heart, Joohyun opened the door, the creak adding dread into Joohyun’s already dreaded soul- Sooyoung and Yerim sat at the base of the stairs, peeking out of the corner of their eyes.

Joohyun's eyes met with the person on the opposite side of the door, and her heart fell straight into the ground.

“You came back,” Joohyun said with teary eyes, all her worries being let out at that moment.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” Joohyun tried to wipe away the tears streaming down her face, but they kept falling, staining her sleeves.

She was the eldest for godsakes, she wasn’t supposed to be crying.

But Seungwan standing there- after all those sleepless nights and worries- made it hard for Joohyun to hold it in.

And the tattered uniform and military necklace in her hands made it harder.

“I came back- b- but- I couldn’t bring him back,” Seungwan bit her lip at the sight, expecting Joohyun to slap her.

Jin died protecting Seungwan. Joohyun had all the right to.

So here she was, wanting to hand the last remnant of Jin to his family.

His sister.

His beautiful sister.

“Wan,” Joohyun looked at Seungwan, tears unstoppable as they streamed down her cheeks.

Seungwan was dressed in military uniform as if she was a soldier- and she was a soldier now- due to the lack of people in the military and the constant rising number of deaths caused the military to simply get anyone on the scene to help fight off the enemy. The war was cruel- and it was most cruel to Seungwan, whose right arm was wrapped with bandaged, the right of her shoulder stained red.

Joohyun jumped up, wrapping her arms around Seungwan, who flinched at first, but nestled in as soon as she felt the moisture of the tears soak through her bandages. 

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect him- I’m so sorry I couldn’t come back sooner- I just-”

“Shut up Seungwan— just shut up,” Joohyun cried harder, kicking Seungwan in the shin.

“AH!” Seungwan yelped, almost falling down with an evident streak of pain on her face from all the wounds on her body.

“Oh my god Wan- I-,” 

“It’s- fine,” Seungwan held onto Joohyun for support, leaning into her arms as the latter caught Jin’s uniform, clutching on to it tightly.

“I- I’m just glad you’re back okay?” Joohyun pulled Seungwan inside, allowing the girl to lay on the sofa.

As Seungwan sunk into the sofa, Yerim and Sooyoung peered with worried looks from behind the sofa, her shirt lifted a bit, revealing the bandages wrapped around her stomach.

“Seungwan- w- what happened? I- I thought you were reporting the war- not fighting it?” Joohyun said, her worries growing stronger along with the clutch on Jin’s clothes.

“I- just some gun wounds- it’s normal to get shot- the army needs more soldiers- so I had to get shot- once, twice- 18 times,” Seungwan blurted, Joohyun gasping in surprise, her heart clenching in distress.

“Unnie- whose this?” Yerim and Sooyoung questioned, a look of confusion on their faces.

“Hello- I’m the one who you write to- Seungwan- Jin’s friend,” Seungwan said with a hint of awkwardness in her tone.

“Where’s Jin oppa then?” Yerim asked, Seungwan looking to Hyun, whose eyes were still red.

“He- he’s gone isn’t he?” Sooyoung said her voice faltering, backing away from Seungwan. She was the closest to Jin, and she was ready to sprint off in denial, already turning away.

Seungwan leaped out of the sofa, stopping the young lady, trying not to let the pain get to her as she pulled Sooyoung to face her, grabbing her wrist and looking her in the eyes that were already teary from knowing the truth.

“Open your palm,” Seungwan said, and Sooyoung did as told, trying to avert her eyes from Seungwan’s soft eyes, also glossy from the sheer emotion she felt.

“Look at me,” Seungwan asked of Sooyoung again, Sooyoung finally daring to look into the older girl’s eyes. Their train of vision not leaving each other once.

A necklace was placed into Sooyoung’s palm, the metal cold as Sooyoung glaced at the necklace, Seokjin written on it in its fancy lettering, and Sooyoung clutched it, knowing it was the last thing that felt Seokjin’s warmth. 

“He’s dead isn’t he?”

“H- he is. I’m sorry Sooyoung. B- but he did talk about you a lot- he said- you were the most headstrong and stubborn girl he’d ever known. He also said- you were bright- the brightest girl in the universe- all the stars were jealous of you- and that made up for all the trouble you caused. He said that- well- he would never admit it- but he’s fighting not just for the country- he’s fighting for you,”

“Sooyoung,” Seungwan’s breath hitched for a moment, remembering her friend.

“He loves you,” 

Sooyoung broke down, embracing the sort of stranger that was in front of her with her arm opened wide, bawling her heart out. Joohyun went closer and hugged both of them, coaxing a dazed and confused Yerim to join the hug, crying with her sister, Seungwan amidst everything.

There was a window that allowed Seungwan to see the sky that was a shade of purple. A single star came to view, and Seungwan took it as a sign.

It’s my turn to protect them.

Isn’t it Seokjin?

And I promise every day 

 

I promise every day

 

To make you feel this way 

 

To Make you feel this way

 

So that you know it's written in the stars

 

Know we're written in the stars

 

Oh, we're written in the stars

Out of the many- many ‘adventures’ (read ; dates) she had with Joohyun, Seungwan realised what an interesting place Daegu was.

Usually, Seungwan spent her days cooped up inside her office, typing away, or on a death mission— so maybe 18 shots was worth it.

It was about 5 months since Seokjin’s funeral service, and things were about to fall back into place- though sometimes someone would break down- and Seungwan was finding a place within Joohyun’s family- and she promised Seokjin she would always take care of them.

So here she was.

“Wan- what’s this?” Joohyun held up a strange device, well- it wasn’t that strange, it was just coloured in a weird way because Seungwan often got bored and would start doing silly things like colouring her equipment blue.

“Hey, hey, hey!! Be careful! That is my child! My baby! My precious recorder!” Seungwan said, trying to snatch the recorder out of Joohyun’s hand.

“I thought I was your baby?” Hyun pouted, like well— a baby.

“Well— you have to share that title- all my important work stuff is in here- and also my mom’s old reminder about taking a proper shower- but that’s besides the point,” Seungwan finally grabbed the recorder from her beloved, flipping it around in her own hand.

“Reminder to shower huh? No wonder you stink all the time- how do you record?” Joohyun asked, trying to snatch the recorder back.

“Huh? It’s here,” Seungwan showed her a contrasting red button, bringing the device closer to Hyun who had stopped trying to grab the thing out of her hand.

Joohyun, being Joohyun, used the moment of vulnerability to snatch the device out of Seungwan’s hands.

“Hey!” Seungwan tried to reach for the device, which should have been easy since Seungwan was stronger than Joohyun, but the smaller girl’s agility and speed (and beauty) managed to outshine any skill Seungwan had.

“Go outside please?” Joohyun pushed Seungwan a bit, a loopy smile on her face as Seungwan crashed into the door due to the lack of space in the room.

“Oh! I- I’m sorry! Does it hurt anywhere?” Joohyun backed away abruptly, pulling her hands away from Wan.

“I’m fine- it’s been 5 months since the accident,” Seungwan stood up straight with a bit of Joohyun’s assistance.

“I know but still, I don’t want it worse,” Joohyun said, a bitter feeling in her tongue as soon as she said it.

They both knew that it was a lie. Joohyun knew it was a selfish wish, but she didn’t want Seungwan to get better- because as soon as she did, she would have to go back to Busan.

Neither wanted that.

“Well, I’ll go now- since you wanted me to leave so bad,” Seungwan said playfully, slowly going out of the room, leaving a flustered Joohyun alone.

“Hello Seungwan- you’re still here- as usual,” Joohyun’s mother passed by, carrying a basket filled with underwear, followed by a Yerim that was holding a rather oversized basket for her small stature.

“Do you need help Mrs. Bae?” Seungwan rushed to help the lady, but she brushed Seungwan off.

“Honestly Seungwan- it’s you who needs help,” 

“What?” Seungwan questioned, confusion written all over her face.

“You’re too whipped!” Yerim yelped out, Mrs. Bae nodding in agreement.

“What even is a ‘whipped’?” Seungwan asked in even more confusion.

“I’ll tell you later unnie- very later,”

—————

“I assume you’ll be off to Busan to continue duties by tomorrow?” Seungwan’s boss said over the line.

“I- okay— I'll be at the station tomorrow,” Seungwan said with clear reluctance in her tone, which her boss took no note of, the line going dead instead.

“Not even a thank you,” Seungwan cussed her boss, turning to find herself face to face with Sooyoung, who was eavesdropping from the couch.

"Are you- are you leaving?" Seungwan turned to see Sooyoung, who'd grown a ton through the five months, her arms crossed as she waited for an answer from the reporter.

“”Y- yeah Sooyoung- I’m sorry,” Seungwan said, ruffling the young girl’s hair.

“But you promised you wouldn’t!” Sooyoung cried out, not wanting the same fate to fall upon Seungwan like it did with Seokjin.

“I did, didn't I?” Seungwan said with guilt in her tone.

“Unnie……. please don’t leave,” Sooyoung felt her eyes water as she clutched onto the older girl.

“I’ll always be here with you,” 

“How are you so sure?!” Sooyoung raised her voice, agitated.

“It’s written right there swimmer,” 

Seungwan pointed to the window, where there were stars dancing in the night sky, amongst them, a shooting star appeared. Falling alongside Sooyoung’s tears, the younger girl rested her head against Seungwan’s chest as they both watched the stars.

“You and I both,” 

“We’ll always be right here,” 

Written in the damn stars.

——————

“Hyun,” Seungwan was wearing the field uniform, the heat getting to her.

Seungwan didn’t really understand at first why the uniform was handed to her- but she was a soldier now- so it was necessary for camouflage, and of course- survival.

It was all about survival out here. Everybody had a family back home, even if they didn’t they just wanted to see the sun for one more day. Though it was difficult to see the blue of the sky through all the smoke from the bombs and landmines. There were stars though, one or two- quite rare for them to actually twinkle, but night meant the skies would clear a little bit and it was all sparks within that dark blue canvas- and that was all Seungwan needed to know her family was safe.

Stars.

“Hyun!” Seungwan said louder, but there was still no response.

Maybe it was because Seungwan was alone, in her special quarters at the Busan military base.

Seungwan wanted to wrap herself in the older girl’s warmth, her loving embrace, but alas, Seungwan had a job to do.

“Wan! 5 minutes to deployment! Be there or be square!” Seulgi, one of Seungwan’s closest friends in the army called out, opening the door without knocking- just because she was Seulgi Kang.

“Seriously? Try knocking Seul,” 

“4 minutes now,” Seulgi said with a smirk.

“Bet you I can get there in 3,” Seungwan replied, daring Seulgi to go any further.

“Try 2,” Seulgi said, knowing cardio was her strong suit.

“Fine- be there in one,” Seungwan dashed around the room, gearing up for her multi jobs on the battlefield.

Camera, gun, hat- or was it a helmet? And of course- her baby- the recorder.

Seungwan snatched the recorder off the table, Seulgi already getting a headstart as she looked back at Seungwan to chuckle at her friend. Seungwan caught up with Seulgi, the two running off towards the deployment gate.

50 Seconds.

Seungwan remembered Joohyun, how she’d fling her arms around her and try to reach out for the device, pouting and thrashing when she couldn’t get it- only to giggle in embarrassment five seconds later.

Yeah Seungwan loved her.

40 Seconds

Seungwan never told her, but she loved all of Joohyun, from her habit of sniffing everything, her mother, her siblings— everything was just perfect when it circulated in Bae Joohyun’s orbit.

For that— Seungwan would circulate around Joohyun until the sun burned out.

To Seungwan, Joohyun was the sun, and maybe she would be the perfect moon for her someday.

30 Seconds.

Seungwan didn’t know how the world worked, she simply assumed that all in the world was written, printed and combined to create one hell of a tale.

Some tales sounding like folklore and some a lame talk show. The same stories of dissimilar people were then told over and over again until what was written faded out into pure white— where another story was soon to be written once again.

Much like stars and their cycles.

Much like Seungwan’s love for Joohyun.

Over and over again.

But honestly- Seungwan would write ‘us’ til the end of dawn and all of the dawns beyond.

From this sun to the next and forevermore.

Joohyun and her were just to permanent to erase.

20 Seconds.

It’s very much like the stars when you begin to dwell on it, they start from a slight tug of gravity- a birth. The first moments when the ink falls onto the pure white of the paper. The curves and twists of the world alike to the nuclear reactions and morphings happening in my stomach whenever I look at you.

It lives, it burns brighter than ever, until the gas runs out- until you run out of ink- you run out of life. That moment in which everything stops, whether it was intentional or if it was abrupt- it will stop- mayhaps slowly— how my heart freezes into ice when your brown meets mine.

There it goes— the ultimate explosion, like something you’ve never seen before, the storm after the calm- the death, the glory— a glory Seungwan has felt a tinge of close to a million times. The beauty and sanctity of death and how it allows the essence of life to return and flourish once more.

A cycle that’s written over and over again.

The cycle of life that was always to be traced, written and kept in the stars.

10 Seconds.

That’s us isn’t it Hyun?

Written in the stars.

“You ready Son?!” The Lieutenant questioned.

“Yes sir!” She saluted, and the Lieutenant nodded.

And off they went.

Marching into the grounds of the battle field—

Who knows what was written for them?

—————

“Seungwan—” the walkie talkie only left static, not allowing Lisa to complete her sentence.

“No- Lisa- you can’t ing-”

CRASH.

Another mixture of screams and bombings were heard, along with the airplanes flying across the field, leaving all explosives every way it went. Seungwan had already been shot in the knee- and now she was desperately seeking cover behind the ruins of a fallen building.

“Fire in the hole!” A man shouted, and Seungwan felt something roll next to her, and Seungwan didn’t dare to look.

“Hyun, I’m so sorry,” 

Seungwan tossed the grenade to the side, but her strength wasn’t enough, the space around her—

It just wasn’t enough.

————

The grenade was inert.

Seungwan let out a huff of relief, rummaging through her pocket for a bottle of water that she desperately needed, shooting a few enemies with her free hand.

She was getting the hang of this.

Shooting people with a gun and shooting with a camera wasn’t that different if you closed your eyes, ears and rational thought.

They were no different.

“Nice shot,” Seungwan said to herself, accidentally pulling out her recorder while trying to keep the bottle.

She stared at it for a while.

“Stay with me boy,” Seungwan lifted herself up, readying her gun and her lense.

And so she ran, accidentally stepping onto the grenade she had attempted to dispose of- and she realised, the fool who threw it forgot to pull the bloody pin.

And now the pin was pulled.

Seungwan ran into the next set of ruins, into the next life, in hopes the stars were bright for her.

And hell were they bright.

A supernova—

The brightest flash- the absolute death.

————

“Wannie!! If you ever get lonely, just remember that I lovie you!!” Joohyun said over and over again through the recorder, that was left alone, next to the fallen soldier- who never wanted to be a soldier in the first place.

Seungwan, now a neutron star, slowly whilst acres of pain washed over her, reached for the recorder.

REC.

“Love……...you………..al— ways,”

And the star went dark.

————

The night after the funeral service, Joohyun, Sooyoung, Yerim, Seulgi, Mrs. Bae and hell— even the Lieutenant saw something.

The new spark of light in the air.

Call it pure coincidence- but those little sparks were the sparks of life Seungwan believed so much in, how she held onto them, even in her last moments.

To Son Seungwan, everyone was a star in the sky— coming down to earth to tell another story— and every one day would return to their position in the sky. And to Seungwan— Joohyun was the brightest of them all.

While Joohyun thought vice versa.

Maybe due to the countless of times Seungwan had told them about the stars and constellations and the meaning of them that they all held together and believed in what the fallen reporter once believed in.

That in all the shiny lights in the sky, one of them was their entire story, etched for the world to see.

“Well,” Sooyoung looked to the sky, the purple and blue blending perfectly together.

“Hello Seungwan unnie,” while Sooyoung looked to the new star in the sky, and in that moment, the sorrow that filled Sooyoung began to shift into joy.

Because Seungwan wasn’t gone—

She was right there.

—————

2012

Seungwan turned through the hallways, filled with posters of admirable artists and familiar faces alike, but as she made a sharp turn into a hallway, she crashed straight into a flash of white.

Papers were flung all over the place as Seungwan caught the mystery figure, the papers blocking her rather loopy vision.

“Oh- pardon me,” the figure- now clearly a girl apologised hastily as she pulled away from Seungwan’s embrace.

It was her.

The damn girl her dormmates told her about all the time.

That visual girl.

“Do I know you?” Seungwan asked, because of those eyes.

Brown, warm, soft, familiar.

Seungwan understood what Seulgi meant about this girl now.

“No, I don’t think so- I- I’m Joohyun,” the woman staggered, attempting to pick up the papers that were now lying flat on the ground.

“Leave it be,” Seungwan said, pulling Joohyun’s hand from the papers while she never broke eye contact.

God this girl looks familiar. 

“B- but those are yours,” 

“Yes, yes they are,”

There was silence, but it felt natural, like the rekindling of old moments.

“Are you sure I don’t know you?” Seungwan asked once more, because she swore she knew they had met before.

“Another life possibly?” Joohyun suggested, a smile appearing on her lips.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Joohyun,” Seungwan squeezed the hand that was in hers.

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Joohyun said with a tone of contentment.

“Seungwan,” Seungwan told her her real name- despite introducing herself as Wendy to everyone else.

It just felt right.

“Well Seungwan— I hope we can burn brighter than ever before,” Joohyun said with determination in her tone.

And the cycle begins again.