Under the Same Sky

Description

“If I can’t be here with you for some reason…” Yoohyeon smiles and shifts her gaze to the night sky. “Just look up, and know that we are under the same sky, looking at the same stars.”
And Jiu believed her.

(Story is set during pre-Minx era and earlier)

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27188873

Foreword

“Why don’t you go play with the other kids, dear?” your mother ushers, gently, sitting at a stone table with several other parents.

You shake your head defiantly. “No, mom, I just want to sit with you!” you whine, your tiny hands tugging on the silky fabric of mother’s long dress.

“You have to learn to be independent, Minji! You’re twelve years old already…”

Your mother doesn’t look like she’s about to change her mind any time soon, so you give up and just wander off on your own. You aren’t interested in what all the adults have to say, anyway.

You always disliked crowded places like festivals, and you’ve always hated going to this particular park. You’re just happy that this festival only happens annually, so your parents don’t get another chance to drag you out of the house to meet a bunch of old geezers again for another 365 days.

Stalls selling food and other small trinkets scatter the park compound. You don’t have any money on you, so there’s not really any point to stick around, you’d just be torturing yourself with the delicious smell of food you cannot have.

Avoiding the human crowd, you choose to take a stroll down the quieter side of the park, where the festival isn’t being held. The serenity of the nightfall surrounds you - leaves scurry along the stone path as a keen breeze blows; the pleasant chirping of crickets emanating from the dark, leafy bushes. You much prefer this over the constant sound of other festival-goers bickering, or the noise of the stall owners hollering.

There is an empty bench in a small clearing, away from any potential trees that might serve as an obstruction. A sea of stars illuminate the black night, like pale snow-flakes suspended in the sky. You walk up to the bench and sit down, taking in the amazing view in front of you.

Suddenly, you hear small footsteps behind you. You turn around, and spot a girl, who looks slightly younger than you, peeking out from behind a large tree shyly.

“...Why are you here?” you raise an eyebrow apprehensively, your hand resting on the backrest of the stone bench.

Upon realising the fact that she has been noticed, the girl steps out of her hiding spot, her right hand behind her head sheepishly.

“Uh… Actually, I followed you here.” she admits, looking slightly embarrassed.

You tilt your head sideways. “Why?”

“I noticed you walking here, so I was curious where you were going.” she says, smiling.

“...Well, now you know.” you say dismissively, before turning your head back around.

The girl skips up to you, and stands next to the bench.

“I’m Yoohyeon, what’s your name?” she chimes cheerfully.

You hesitate for a moment, before muttering an answer. “...Minji.”

“What are you doing?” Yoohyeon questions inquisitively, looking up.

“I’m looking at the stars.” you respond, your attention still fixated on the sky.

“Oh, like, stargasing?”

You snort. “I think you mean stargazing?”

The younger girl giggles. “Yeah, stargasing! You know, my grandma would let me use the telescope to see the stars in her backyard, it’s really cool!”

You turn to Yoohyeon, originally intending to correct her, but in the end you decide not to ruin her fun.

“Where are you from?” Yoohyeon asks, her voice eager.

“Daejeon.”

Yoohyeon raises her head in understanding. “Oh, so you’re from around here, then?”

You nod.

“I’m from Incheon. My parents bring me here every year to visit my aunt and uncle.”

You hum softly in acknowledgement, but say nothing.

“Did your parents bring you to the festival too?” Yoohyeon asks again, insistent.

“Yeah.” you answer briefly.

“But you don’t seem to enjoy it very much.” Yoohyeon says, a conflicted expression on her face.

“I don’t like playing with other kids.” you state plainly.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t have any friends.” you say indifferently, gazing at the ocean of stars above you.

Yoohyeon stays silent for a few seconds, before hopping on the bench, sitting on the empty space next to you. “Then, why not we be friends?”

You stare at Yoohyeon with a confused expression. “What?”

“Yeah, why not? Let’s start off by playing a game!” she says excitedly, pointing at the night sky above the two of you.

Not in any position to refuse, your gaze follows Yoohyeon’s finger, up into the broad sky.

“Ever heard of ‘Make a Contellation’?” she says.

“Did you mean ‘constellation’?” you point out, but again Yoohyeon seems unbothered.

“Yeah, contellation! Why do you keep repeating what I’m saying?” she turns to you, eyes wide and inquisitive.

You give up and wave your hand sideways. “Never mind.”

Yoohyeon blinks, before resuming as if nothing happened. “Anyways, you look at the stars and try to spot the shape of something you like! Here, I’ll start first.” she chippers, her finger shifting to another part of the sky. “There, that’s a dog!”

“...How so?” you stare blankly at the mess of bright dots.

“You see, that one, that’s its ears! The two stars next to it, that’s its eyes. And those under it, its mouth.”

Squinting closer, you start to make out the shape Yoohyeon is describing. You crack the tiniest hint of a smile.

“Do you like dogs?” you ask, albeit somewhat timidly.

“Yeah, I do! A lot, in fact.” she then motions a large circle with her arms. “My aunt has a huge dog at her house. It's really big, and fierce! But it's actually really nice. It's super fluffy too.”

“Maybe that’s why you spotted the shape of a dog.”

“Why?”

“Because you like it, so that’s the first thing you saw when you looked at the stars.” you say.

“That makes sense, I guess.” Yoohyeon places a finger on her chin. “Anyways, c’mon! It’s your turn! Make your contellation.” she nudges your shoulder encouragingly with hers.

You scan the night sky with the best of your ability.

“There. A rabbit.” You point a finger at a group of stars near the moon.

Yoohyeon shifts her head to face the direction you are looking at. “Oh, are those its ears?”

“Yep.”

“And that, its eyes and mouth?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I see it now!” Yoohyeon giggles. “So, I’m guessing you like rabbits, Minji?”

You shrug your shoulders. “I think they’re pretty cute…”

“But have you smelled rabbit poo before? It’s really smelly…”

“But they’re cute!” you whine.

“But… smelly poo…”

You roll your eyes as Yoohyeon laughs loudly, her face splitting into a delighted grin.

“I’m just kidding, Minji, hee-hee. I think they’re cute too.” she checks the watch on her wrist. “But it’s getting late and I need to go now, or my mom will deduct my pocket money for next week.”

You peer at your own watch. It’s almost 10pm. “Yeah, I should go too.”

“Will you be attending the festival next year, too?” Yoohyeon asks.

You think for a bit. “I think so.”

“Great! Why don’t we meet here again? Same time, same place?” suggests Yoohyeon enthusiastically.

“Sure… but what if I can’t find you?” you question Yoohyeon concernedly.

“If I can’t be here with you for some reason…” Yoohyeon smiles and shifts her gaze to the night sky. “Just look up, and know that we are under the same sky, looking at the same stars.”

She hops off the bench and waits for you, before the two of you walk back together to the main festival area in the center of the park.

*

You rub your eyes groggily as you climb out of bed. School is in an hour, so you take a brisk shower and put on your school uniform, before grabbing your school bag and heading downstairs for breakfast.

“Minji, there’s a letter for you.” your dad calls out to you from the front door.

“From who?” puzzled, you run up to him and take the mysterious envelope from his hands.

On the front of the envelope is your name and your address. It’s badly written, but at least it’s still coherent. You tear the stubborn piece of paper open with your teeth.

Inside, is a letter, written in the same messy handwriting as before.

 

Dear Minji,

Hello! Yoohyeon here. I’m sorry if this surprised you! My mom actually asked your mom for your address, so now I can send letters to you! We can be pen pals! 

I told my grandma about the constellation game yesterday. She said, there’s actually a real constellation for a rabbit and a dog, and they happen to be right next to each other! Isn’t that awesome? My grandma says they’re called ‘Lepus’ and ‘Canis’.

I left my address at the back of this letter. I hope you write to me soon!

From, Yoohyeon

 

You smile happily at the letter, and your younger brother notices from the dining table. He scurries up to you curiously.

“What are you looking at?” he tries to peek at the letter’s contents. “Did you get a love letter?”

You shove his shoulder playfully. “No, it’s from a friend!”

“No fair! I want my friends to write me letters too!” he pouts, and you pat him on the head gently.

“Maybe you could start by writing to them first, you dummy.” you giggle, as you keep the letter near your heart.

*

“You seem to like talking to this Yoohyeon a lot.” your mother comments as she helps you put the correct stamp on the corner of the pristine white envelope. “This is the tenth letter you sent this month.”

You give a sheepish grin. “Yeah, she’s really nice and funny. She’s the only one I can tell my secrets to!”

“What sorts of secrets are you keeping from your mom?”

You giggle playfully as you duck to dodge your mother’s hand. “Nothing, really, I swear! I just like Yoohyeon a lot, okay?”

Your mother smiles warmly. “I’m just happy you finally found someone you can talk to, dear.”

*

“... Happy birthday to you, happy birthday Kim Minji, happy birthday to you!”

Your friends and family members surrounding you clap happily as you blow out the candles on the pink strawberry flavoured cake in front of you.

After cutting the cake and taking photos with your guests, you are pulled to a corner by your mother.

“What’s wrong?” You tilt your head quizzically.

Your mother looks distressed, devastated, even - but she’s trying her best to act as if nothing bad had happened. But you can tell by the knitting of her brows and the tear streaks on her face.

She passes you a wrapped package. It’s a box. “Yoohyeon can’t make it today… But her aunt dropped by just now and told me that Yoohyeon wanted… I mean, wants, you to have this.”

You open the present with a small blade. Inside the cardboard box is a small, pink rabbit plush. Its eyes are two plastic buttons, its mouth in a cute ‘w’ shape.

A flimsy, self made birthday card can be found at the bottom of the box. It is adorned with all sorts of stickers, and a crayon drawing of a dog and a rabbit can be seen on the front cover.

 

Happy birthday my bestest friend, Kim Minji!
I went shopping with my mom the other day. I saw this rabbit and I immediately thought of you. I named it Princess, just like how you always said you want to be a princess in a castle.

I hope you like it! See you at the party! I can’t wait.

P.S
I’m guessing your birthday cake is going to be a strawberry cake (please tell me I got it right)

-Yoohyeon

 

You hug Princess tightly. “It’s so cute! I’ll go write a letter to thank her later.”

Your mother opens , intending to say something, before seemingly retracting her words. “That sounds great, dear. But for now, try to enjoy your birthday party, go chat with your classmates more, hm?”

“Okay!” you bring the fluffy bunny along as return to the human crowd, a spring in your footsteps.

Later at night, after you and your family cleaned up the remnants of your birthday party, you sit down on the living room couch, watching television with your mother as your brother and father play football outside.

Soon, the hourly news starts broadcasting. You lean back in your seat with a bored expression on your face as you hear the news reporter speak.

“Reports of a car accident involving a small child…”

Your mother turns the television off abruptly. You whine loudly.

“Mom! I wanted to watch the show after this!”

Your mother shakes her head. “It’s getting late, dear. It’s time to go to bed.”

“But I wanna watch! Yoohyeon told me today’s episode will be-”

“To bed, Kim Minji.” your mother says sternly, and you reluctantly get off the couch, Princess in hand as you walk up the stairs.

*

“Why isn’t Yoohyeon returning my letters, mom?” you question worriedly.

Your mother gives a solemn expression. “... Maybe she’s just busy, dear?”

You shake your head in denial. “Yoohyeon never failed to return my letters for a whole year, that’s impossible!”

“Just give her time, Minji… ” your mother advises, her facial expression hard to read.

“Don’t you have her mom’s phone number, mom?” you ask hopelessly.

“I don’t. Look, dear, I am sure you will see her again at the festival this year, it’s just in a few days time… Maybe she’s just waiting to meet you in person?” your mother says, placing her hand on yours reassuringly.

You purse your lips defeatedly. “Okay, I hope so… ”

*

You stroll on the familiar path you remember so clearly in your head. The old stone bench comes into sight as you arrive at the promised meeting spot. Everything seems the same, except for one.

The bench is empty.

Maybe she’s just late, you think to yourself. You sit on the bench alone, holding your precious pink rabbit toy in your arms, shielding it from the cool breeze.

You wait, and wait, and wait; staring at the sea of stars above you, their white silhouettes twinkling brightly in the black marbled sky…

*

You pick up your sports shoes and your knapsack and unlock the front door. You bid your housemates goodbye as you head for the company building.

At the company building, you spot your friends Sua and Siyeon sitting at a table, eating their breakfast. You sit down next to them and put your belongings on the floor next to you.

“Good morning, Jiu!” greets Sua, sliding a granola bar from her end of the table to you. You catch it with both of your hands before it can fall off the table surface. Despite it being months since you have been an idol trainee here, you still can’t get used to people calling you by your stage name.

“Good morning, Sua.” you smile as you open its plastic wrapping, taking a bite into your newly acquired snack.

“You know, today, we have another new trainee.” Siyeon whispers, while Sua nods in agreement.

“Really? Who is it?” you ask, words barely understandable amidst the crunching noises in your mouth. Siyeon motions her head in your direction.

You turn around and are utterly shocked at the sight in front of you.

A tall girl with dyed brown hair is sitting alone at another table nearby. Upon closer inspection, you realise that you know this person.

That face… you would recognise it anywhere. She is unmistakably Kim Yoohyeon.

*

You sit at the side of the dance room, exhausted. You open your bag in search of your towel. Instead, you find your pink rabbit. You smile. You bring your furry friend everywhere, things won’t feel right without it around. Thanks to your keen care, its fur is still a clean pink, but its old age is still evident by some tears at the seams, as well as the different coloured threads used in the stitches.

“Hey there, Princess. How are you doing today?” you mutter to yourself happily as you prop it up against the wall, making it look like it is watching the other trainees practice.

“That’s a cute rabbit you’ve got there.” a voice says from behind you.

You shift your attention to the girl standing behind you. It’s Yoohyeon. She still has that silly, innocent smile on her face from so many years ago.

“...Thanks.” you say distractedly.

Yoohyeon bends down and the rabbit’s head gently, sitting next to you. “What’s its name?”

Your eyes widen in disbelief. “...You don’t know?”

Yoohyeon stares at you cluelessly. “Um, no?”

You feel your heart sting, like you took a bullet to the chest.

“It’s Princess.” you give yourself a mental shake and turn away, hiding the expression on your face.

“That’s a cute name! It fits perfectly.” she grins innocently.

Of course it fits perfectly… You were the one who named it.

*

“I keep getting the same part wrong, every time!” Yoohyeon groans frustratedly, tossing her piece of paper backwards in a fit of anger.

“You could ask Siyeon for some pointers.” you say, writing notes on your own piece of paper.

“She’s busy teaching the others, and I’ve bothered her enough already.” she says deflatedly, shoulders down.

You stand up and pick up Yoohyeon’s paper for her. “Here, I’ll teach you then. I’m not as good as Siyeon though, so don’t expect too much.”

Yoohyeon’s eyes light up, like a puppy. “Really? Thanks, Jiu! I appreciate it a lot.”

“Call me Minji.” you smile, and sit next to her.

*

Yoohyeon’s hands are in her hair, as she darts around the empty practice room frantically.

“Are you sure you didn’t just leave it in your room?” you ask concernedly.

“Yes! I remember putting it in my bag, but now, I can’t find it! I searched the entire building! Someone must have stolen it,” she laments. “I spent days finishing that assignment! There’s no way I can meet the deadline if I start from scratch again!”

You frown and put a hand to your chin thoughtfully as you try to think of a solution.

“Why don't I help you?” you offer. “If we both work together, maybe we can make it in time for the deadline.”

Yoohyeon shakes her head. “No, it’s so much work! I almost broke my arm copying everything. I can’t make you go through all that just for me.”

“If we split the work between the both of us, none of us will be breaking our arms. Besides, it’ll make me feel even worse if you fail the semester because of this.” you insist, grabbing your knapsack. “Come on, let’s go. The staff are about to close the building for the day already.”

“...Fine.” Yoohyeon pouts, but follows you anyway.

After returning to the dorm building, you return to your room to take a shower and clean up, before heading to Yoohyeon’s room, which is on a different floor, to help her with her assignment.

One of Yoohyeon’s housemates, which happens to be another trainee you know, opens the front door for you.

“Jiu? What are you doing here?” she asks surprisedly.

“Hello, Dami. I’m here to help Yoohyeon with her homework.” you say, pointing at the stack of school books in your arm.

“Oh, yeah. I think she told me just now,” she says as she points to a door at the end of the corridor. “Yoohyeon’s room is the last one, over there.”

“Got it, thanks.” you say with a warm smile.

Dami holds the door open for you as you take off your shoes and walk in. You knock on Yoohyeon’s room door. She opens it, greeting you with a relieved smile, and lets you in.

Her room is your standard trainee dorm room, with a clunky bunk bed and a few other basic furnitures, like cabinets and tables. Luggages are seen tucked away in a corner of the room, and all sorts of clothing and books litter the table and floor.

“Erm… Don’t mind the mess.” Yoohyeon utters embarrassedly.

“Where’s your roommate?” you ask.

“She’s living with her new boyfriend or something. Whatever it is, she won’t be coming back for tonight. In fact, I can count the days she actually stays here with my two hands, rather than the opposite.” she says as she kicks a stray jacket on the wooden tile floor to the side of the room.

“So you sleep alone at night?” you say as you put your knapsack down on the floor.

Yoohyeon shrugs, as she rummages through her drawers and brings out a stack of paper. “Yeah, but I guess it’s better having no roommates than a problematic one.”

You place your books on the small, low table in the center of the room. “Doesn’t it get lonely?”

Yoohyeon pauses for a moment, before putting the papers down on the plastic table. “Yeah, but I’m used to it. Even back in school, I didn’t have many friends, so I spent most of my time alone, so it’s fine.”

“...I see.” you walk around your friend’s room, looking around. You spot a few papers on a dresser. You take a closer look.

It is some sort of medical report. All trainees are required to do a medical check-up, as well as submit their medical history prior to being accepted.

On the top right corner is a photo of Yoohyeon. Even in a formal photo, where you usually aren’t allowed to smile, you can still see the hints of a mischievous grin on the corners of her lips, and you can imagine that she must have burst into laughter right after the photo was taken.

On the report is Yoohyeon’s basic information - her name, age, height, weight… But something else catches your eye in the ‘Medical History’ category.

Year 2006: Head Trauma (Concussion) due to car accident - memory loss of up to a year recorded.

“What are you looking at?” Yoohyeon’s voice snaps you back to reality.

You quickly refocus and turn to face your friend. “Oh, nothing.”

“Then we should get started, it’s getting late.” she says, ushering you to come over.

You sit down on the floor, opposite her.

“Again, thanks for helping me, Minji. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, ” she passes you a pen and some lined paper. “If only I met someone like you earlier in my life, huh?”

You stare into Yoohyeon’s deep brown eyes, suddenly at a loss for words.

“Me too, I guess…” you utter, as it takes all the willpower you have to keep the tears b in your eyes from rolling down your face.

*

You lean on the steel railing, enjoying the empty street of Seoul at night from the safety of the tall building. City lights dazzle like a billion stars, while the actual stars in the sky are less bright in the city, more like faintly glowing orbs, but they’re still barely visible. You bask in the ashen moonlight, the cool night breeze caressing the sides of your face.

“Can’t sleep?” a voice calls out to you.

You turn around. It’s Yoohyeon, who is wearing a thick black jacket over her pajamas, and a pair of funny looking slippers.

“Mmhm.” you hum, as you turn towards the vista outside once again. Yoohyeon walks next to you.

Yoohyeon spots the pink rabbit in your left arm.

“Hey, Princess. Nice night out, huh?” she says, waving at the plush toy.

You wave the toy’s arm back at Yoohyeon, and put on a childish voice. “Hello Yoohyeon. Yes, it is a lovely night tonight.”

The both of you laugh.

“You know... I still can’t believe we actually made it.” says Yoohyeon, a tinge of disbelief in her voice. “Our first debut stage is tomorrow.”

“If you told me 10 years ago I would actually be singing on an actual stage as an actual singer tomorrow, I would have called you bluff.” you say, shaking your head as you crack a tiny smile.

The two of you stand shoulder to shoulder, enjoying the peaceful silence and the view comfortably.

“You look deep in thought.” Yoohyeon points out.

“I’m looking at the stars.” you respond, your attention still fixated on the sky.

“Do you enjoy looking at the stars?” Yoohyeon asks.

“Yeah, always have,” you say sentimentally. “Ever since I was a child.”

“Any specific reason?” she places a hand on her cheek and faces you.

You chew on your lower lip thoughtfully. “It’s because… every night I look up into the night sky, I know that someone I love is also under the same sky, looking at the same stars. And that brings me comfort.”

“That someone must be awfully important to you, then.”

“...She is.”

You try your best to hide a shiver as the wind starts blowing a little colder. You unroll the sleeves of your pajamas. Yoohyeon quietly takes off one side of the jacket, and wraps you in the vacant half of her jacket.

“...Yoohyeon, do you want to play a game?” you say, eyes still fixated on the sky.

Yoohyeon eyes you curiously. “Sure, what do you want to play?”

“It’s called ‘Make a Constellation’. You look at the stars and try to make a shape with them.” you explain.

“Oh, so like cloud-watching, but with stars?” she guesses.

“Yeah.”

She thinks carefully, her eyes squinting at the sky. “Hm… But there aren’t many visible stars in the city. I can’t really spot any.”

“You just have to use your imagination.” you point a finger at a faint cluster of stars. “Ha ha, see, I think that looks like you.”

Yoohyeon laughs. “What, how?”

“When you laugh, your eyes become lines, and that row of stars underneath it, it’s the stupid grin you always have on your face.”

“Ahhhh! You’re just making fun of my appearance now, aren’t you?” she complains, and you laugh along with her.

Silence seeps back again as the both of you enjoy the quiet night. You don’t know why, but you have the strong urge to cry. You don’t know if it was because you are sad, or happy, or relieved. Maybe it’s because of all three.

All of a sudden, you hear the girl next to you utter a tiny noise. She is weeping, tears trickling down her face.

“...Why are you crying…” you eye Yoohyeon concernedly, putting an arm over her shoulders.

“I don't know... I just… I’m so grateful I met you, Minji.” she mumbles softly, looking at the sky. “I know we’ve been friends for over two years now, but sometimes, I feel like I’ve known you for much longer than that. Isn’t that weird?”

“It’s not weird at all… In fact, I feel the same way.” You take a tissue from your pocket and wipe a tear from the corner of Yoohyeon’s eye, as you feel yourself tear up as well.

“Sometimes I dream that something happened to you, and I lost you.” she sniffles.

“You won’t. I’m right next to you now, am I not?” you grip her shoulder reassuringly.

Yoohyeon shakes her head, tears still falling. “But what if, you’re here, but you’re not the Minji I knew anymore?”

Her words shake you to the very core. You think for a bit, before bringing up the courage to continue.

“...Then we start over. Even if something were to happen to me... or you,” you take a deep breath, your vision cloudy with tears. “Deep down, I will still be the same Kim Minji, and you will still be the same Kim Yoohyeon. Just like the stars, they can be totally invisible in some places, and shine brightly in others; but ultimately, the stars are actually always up there, in the sky, unmovable and eternal.”

Yoohyeon looks at you with teary eyes. 

“So no matter what the circumstance...” you lean your head on her shoulder gently. “In the end, we will still be together. Even if something were to happen. Because I believe we’re meant to be, and nothing will change that.”

Yoohyeon lets out a small giggle. “Even when I grow old and start to forget everyone around me?” jokes Yoohyeon, holding your hand.

“Yes... even then, I will stay by your side, Yoohyeon. Always.” you squeeze her hand.

“Then, I will too… Minji.” says Yoohyeon, smiling.

A tear slowly drips from your eyes as the two of you gaze at the beautiful night sky together, under the same sky, looking at the same stars...

Lupuswolf00
4/11/2020 update
Fixed some grammar mistakes

Comments

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chocochipc00kie
#1
T.T I'm torn. I'd like her to know what happened but they already started over again 😫
I'm trying so hard not to be spoilery 😂
Jiyoolover #2
O.M.G! This is so beautiful
Bluiewolf
#3
Ahh it's sad yoohyeon doesn't remember what happened. This was really bittersweet I love it. :)
jiyoo_jibo #4
I literally cried while reading this, is so good!