Astronomy was Kim Minseok’s passion. His grandfather was an astronomer who taught his dad astronomy and therefore his father taught him astronomy. Kim Minseok was sure that he would also teach his own son astronomy one day.

It wasn’t just his father’s influence that sparked Minseok’s love for the universe. No, it was the beauty of the spacious abyss of nothingness. That dark expanse of stars, planets, moons, and more that seemed tiny and insignificant compared to the enormity of their universe. Minseok thought of the planet Earth and how miniscule it was compared to the largest stars such as VY Canis Major or KW Sagittarii. These stars were massive, about the size that could fit over one thousand suns in them.

Minseok was in love with the large amount of nothing that space was. There was something beautiful about the emptiness that drew him in. In nothingness, there could be no pain. In nothingness, there could be no death. In nothingness, Minseok could imagine himself flying through space on a comet feeling completely blissful.

The hustle and bustle of life on Earth was never appealing to Minseok. Especially since he lived in a city like Seoul. City life was wonderful for those who could handle the rushing about and the backed up traffic. For Minseok, life in the city was a dizzying experience. Minseok was lucky enough to live in a condo and had access to his own private roof. However, when he left his home to go to his office, he’d have to fight through the throng of tourists and workers going from here to there. There was constant worry of being late and people only rushed about faster because of this. Tourists were worried they’d miss their flight home or the museum they wanted to visit would close soon. Those who lived in Seoul fretted about being late for work or that darned dentist appointment.

Minseok was like one dwarf planet hidden amongst the many others. There were those planets bigger than him, more important and prominent. Each planet lived until its time was up, eventually being desecrated by meteorite after meteorite or swallowed by a black hole. Except in the city, the “black hole” was merely personal affairs and just the tiresome work of living life itself. Too many deadlines but not enough time. Keeping up appearances just to get that job or to impress the boss so a raise could be in the near future. Or it was the struggle of love. Trying to get that one person to fall for you and working so hard just to cling to that relationship.

Love was the one thing that Minseok would certainly fight for. He’d go against the throes of people who got in his way of love. Yes, Kim Minseok was a scientist but that did not mean he disregarded emotions. Scientists were often portrayed as being so caught up in their work that they forgot the world around them. Minseok indeed forgot the busy life on Earth at times but he still connected with the greater world around them.

There was so much beauty to see in space that didn’t exist on Earth. Why did people revel at the flashy, gaudy outfits of idols when they could look in a telescope and observe true stars? What was a singer like Lady Gaga compared to the magnificent nebulae? Nebulae were where the genuine stars were born. Minseok had saved a photo of the “Pillars of Creation” from the Eagle Nebula onto his cell phone to keep as his screensaver. Whenever he felt lost or tired, he’d look at it and be amazed by the grandeur of space’s creation. You couldn’t find something like that on Earth.

It was a simple Wednesday morning for Minseok. He started his mornings early, sometimes getting up at 4:30 AM or 5 just to go up to the roof of his condo and peer into his telescope before the sun rose and made invisible the majesty that night brought. That Wednesday morning was no different than the rest. Minseok woke to the sound of the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, a fitting number for the young astronomer. Its haunting melody in the key of C flat always reminded Minseok of the universe. To many others, this piece could be taken as music fitting for a funeral as it is played in pianissimo, softly like a whisper from the dead. To Minseok, this piece portrayed the great mystery of the universe and the utterly eerie idea of emptiness that the young man adored.

He opened his eyes and was greeted by the constellation Aries. In Chinese astronomy, there was one of the many constellations that made up Aries called Lóu Xiù, meaning “the Train of the garment” or Bond. However, it did not mean bonds as in relationships, but bonds as in chains or lassos used to hang sacrificial animals. Minseok found this interesting in fact he found all of the different astronomies intriguing. Different views from different countries opened up Minseok’s mind to the endless possibilities that space held.

Minseok reached out and pressed a button on his iHome alarm clock, silencing Beethoven’s symphony. However, it still played in his mind the notes flitting through his head. The young astronomer sat up and stretched, reaching his arms up towards the ceiling, towards space. If only he could actually touch it.

Blowing out a puff of air, Minseok got out of bed and immediately headed towards the spiraling staircase that would lead him to his haven, the roof. Clad in a pair of fuzzy black slippers, long fleece pajama pants, and a white cotton t-shirt, the young astronomer emerged from his condo and out to where his real home was. There was a lounge chair placed next to a glass table that had a coaster, journals, and pencils scattered all over it. Perched in the perfect place was Minseok’s prized possession, his telescope. It took him months to get enough money to purchase it, working multiple part time or odd jobs as well as working at the planetarium. It definitely was not an easy task but Minseok fought through it to obtain his $10,000 USD Celestron EdgeHD 1400 telescope. But, it was certainly worth it in the end. Minseok was pleased at the clear view he could get of his beloved trove of stars, planets, and other celestial entities.

Minseok made his way towards the telescope and fiddled with it a bit before peering in through the lens. Just like always, his breath hitched in his throat at the amazing sights of the early morning sky. It was a clear night as well, making the perfect conditions which brought a smile to Minseok’s face. He could see all the stars that night, dotting the sky with their glow from millions of miles away. As a child, Minseok had loved to use the stars as a connect-the-dots game, making random shapes. When he learned of the constellations Minseok always looked for them, connecting the dots to create Cassiopeia or Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The young astronomer still held on to these childhood games, drawing lines in his mind to connect stars he thought would form a picture.

Occasionally switching between peering through the telescope and just gazing up with the eye, Minseok spent his morning soaking in the universe. Half an hour before the sun was supposed to rise; Minseok took a seat in his lounge chair and grabbed his latest journal. With a pencil, he sketched the sky and marked the date. Minseok noticed that something was different compared to other nights, as if there was something missing. He flipped through the previous pages, leafing through his older sketches that were all the same for the most part. And then, he looked back at the one he had just drawn.

His eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he chewed on the end of his pencil, a habit that occurred whenever he was puzzled. No matter how many times Minseok glanced between his most recent sketch and the older ones; he couldn’t seem to find what exactly was missing. He was certain, absolutely certain, that something was missing but what it was still eluded him.

Minseok had never felt this frustrated before in the entirety of his life. There were those little outbursts that he had that could be equivalent to an eruption from a volcano the size of an anthill, but he had yet to erupt like Mount Vesuvius. At that moment in time, the young astronomer was getting to that point. The top of his pencil looked as if a starving hamster had been set upon it.

It was about ten more minutes of irritated groans, chewed up pencils, and numerous paper cuts from flipping pages until Minseok saw what was missing. It was so obvious that he had skimmed over it again and again, thinking that it would always be there no matter what. Pulling up an old sketch, Minseok placed his finger on the end of the Ursa Minor, touching Polaris, and then put his other finger on the newest sketch in the exact same place. There was no star at the end of the Little Dipper. Slowly, Minseok lifted his chin and gazed up at the sky again. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon but he could still see the stars. His eyes found the area he was looking for and his jaw dropped.

Polaris was gone.

The North Star had suddenly just ceased to exist. Of course, there was an explanation for stars not appearing in the sky anymore since they burn out and die. Yet, Minseok was sure that the North Star wouldn’t burn out that quickly considering it was actually a small cluster of three stars. Was it the pollution that clouded the sky? No, Minseok was usually able to see Polaris no matter what.

Scratching the back of his neck, Minseok shook his head and stared up at the sky even though the sun was already rising. His beautiful night sky was being consumed by the light of day, the busy life of everyone below would now begin and the night’s majesty would be forgotten. With a soft sigh, Minseok got up and shut his journal. He’d have to consult with his father about Polaris’s little game of hide-and-seek.

His fingers had just curled around the brass doorknob when Minseok heard a noise that rocked the entire building. The impact of whatever had just crashed into or onto the building was so powerful that Minseok was worried it’d break the foundation. His head turned to his left and there was a cloud of fog, curling around and slithering like a snake in the air. There was a shadowed figure in this cloud, shaped like a human. Minseok’s eyes grew wide as he stared at the smokescreen before him.

As the smoke cleared slowly, wrapping around itself and then drifting upwards to dissipate into the atmosphere, Minseok saw the figure getting up. He watched as the figure struggled, placing its hands on the ground and carefully, almost painfully it seemed, pushing up. The figure’s knees shook and then gave beneath it. Soon, the smoke had fully gone and Minseok caught his first glimpse of the mysterious stranger who landed on his roof.

A head of fair, golden brown hair that looked as if the tips of the strands were simmering. Pale, silky skin that seemed to glow on its own. Thin, lean arms pushed harder against the ground with strong yet delicate hands. The figure finally rose to its feet and Minseok got a glimpse of eyes as dark as space itself and seemingly just as vast, like Minseok could see the stars in them. Its, or rather his, nose was perfectly shaped. Pink lips parted into a tiny “o” as he stared back at Minseok. The young astronomer scanned the stranger’s body, quickly realizing that he was . Cheeks burning bright, Minseok averted his gaze.

“W-who are you? And how did you get here?” Minseok stammered helplessly. He could feel the beautiful stranger staring at him with intensity stronger than the brightest star. The stranger didn’t reply. His eyes were searing into Minseok’s skull and he finally turned his head to meet his gaze. Those eyes held the universe in them. Minseok was astonished at how old this boy’s eyes looked. Like his eyes had seen so much more than Minseok had. Like those eyes had watched stars being born and then dying.

“C-come with me,” Minseok said as his words slurred together. His tongue was tied, his cheeks flushed, and he couldn’t think straight for his life. Yet, he managed to open the door leading to the spiral staircase. Minseok waited for the stranger to walk over but he did not. Chewing on his bottom lip, Minseok worked up the nerve to go over to the stranger.

“F-follow m-me,” he said once again. Gripping the stranger’s wrist loosely, Minseok in a breath at the immense heat radiating from the stranger. If Minseok didn’t know any better, he would have said that this stranger was a star that had fallen out of the sky. But, that was impossible. Stars were spheres of gas, not living, breathing creatures. Shaking the ominous feeling he got, Minseok proceeded to lead the stranger into his apartment.

At first, the stranger stumbled like he didn’t know how to walk. His feet tangled and the stranger fell forward, taking Minseok down with him. The two landed on the ground in a web of limbs. Minseok ceased to breathe for a moment, gazing at the stranger on top of him. He could feel the stranger’s breath on his face. Before Minseok could push the stranger off of him, he felt lips ghosting over his. It was one fleeting moment, just barely any contact between their lips, but it was enough to send Minseok soaring towards the moon. Minseok almost sighed in disappointment when the stranger got off of him, standing up straight.

Was it possible for someone to smile brighter than the sun? Minseok thought so. He was staring at a being that seemed, in his entirety, to be as bright as if not more than the sun. Those delicate, supple lips curled at the corners into the most gorgeous of smiles, effectively causing Minseok’s heart to do flips and turns.

“L-let’s get inside and find you some clothes,” Minseok spluttered as got to his feet and began tugging the stranger who now seemed able to walk even more lithely than he could. The tiny pitter patter of the stranger’s footsteps was barely audible like he was floating rather than walking. Minseok never dared to glance back, avoiding those pair of vast eyes and smiling lips. He focused on the task at hand. Find clothes for the stranger that landed on his roof. Walking into his bedroom, the stranger gasped at his large king size bed draped in a black duvet dotted with little stars. Minseok watched as he glided over to the bed and ran his hand over the smooth blanket. His long, slender fingers fisted the duvet and he pulled it around him. Minseok felt a little butterfly fluttering in his stomach when he saw the stranger’s face instantly light up with joy.

Abruptly spinning on his heels, Minseok moved to his closet and slid it open. He grabbed a random shirt, glancing at the stranger and comparing the size to his torso. With a tiny nod, he threw it on the bed. Then, he went through the many pairs of dress pants, jeans, and cargo shorts searching for something that would fit the stranger who was slightly taller than him. He found a particular pair of jeans that his friend Jongdae had given him for his birthday. They were a little too big for him so Minseok estimated that it’d be about the right size for the stranger wrapped up in his duvet.

“Oh, . I forgot about the underwear…” Minseok cursed under his breath. He opened up the new pack of boxers that his mother had gotten him much to his embarrassment. What twenty-two year old had his mother buy boxers for him? It wasn’t Minseok’s choice though. His mother merely insisted on it for some odd reason. He grabbed a pair and threw it on the bed along with the jeans.

“Okay, if something doesn’t – “Minseok stopped short when he saw the stranger trying to stick both his legs through the head of the shirt. He couldn’t help noticing the way the stranger’s lips formed into a teeny pout and his eyebrows knitted together in the cutest way. Mentally slapping himself, Minseok went over to help.

“This is supposed to go over your head and your arms go through here,” he explained, gesturing to the different parts of the shirt. The stranger stared at Minseok and flung both his arms in the air, reaching toward the ceiling. “What are you doing? What? You want me to put this on for you?” said Minseok incredulously. The tiny nod he got in response caused Minseok to sigh.

“Alright, but I’m only doing this once. Got it?”

Again, the stranger nodded with a light smile on his face.

“Can you, umm, talk? I mean, it’s okay if you can’t but you know it’s just easier if you said something. I don’t really know you so I’m only being kind by giving you some clothes. I need to know who you are and where you came from if I’m gonna trust you,” said Minseok while he slipped the shirt over the stranger’s head. The task of dressing this stranger was awkward to say the least. Minseok could not look at the stranger and his face was beet red, burning hotter than the sun.

“Can you at least write your name?” he asked once he finished. Minseok stared at the ground, too embarrassed to even look up.

“Luhan.”

Minseok froze before he slowly lifted his head. The stranger had been staring intently at him, his doe eyes blinking making him look like a doll.

Was there a voice as heavenly as his on earth? Minseok figured he could scour through all of Earth’s greatest singers and still not find someone whose voice could compare to the stranger’s before him. It was a soft pianissimo with the delicacy and graces of adagio, added to that the smoothness of legato. Minseok could hear Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata in Luhan’s voice.

“My name is Luhan,” he said again.

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Also, this is a picture of the "Pillars of Creation".