Third person POV:

Sunggyu was lifelessly walking around his now empty apartment. Reminiscing those times he spent with his girlfriend. Then, he suddenly saw a blue box hiding under his bed.

This wasn’t here before. Sunggyu thought while walking over to the box.

He carried the box to the living room and opened it. There, inside the box, lay thousands of pictures of him and his girlfriend.

Without him realizing it, hot droplets of tears slowly started making their way down Sunggyu’s face. He looked at each of those pictures individually and remembered those times where he would always get annoyed because she would just randomly take a picture of them, not giving him time to pose. Now he knew why she did that. He understood everything she did now. He now knew why she took those pictures. At the back of each picture, there was iloveyou’s written neatly in cursive. Sunggyu felt so touched because she had taken the time to do write "iloveyou" at the back of each picture.

Looking through the box, Sunggyu found a video tape lying there with a yellow sticky note attached to it.

“Hi, Gyu! J It seems like you found the box. Haha. Did you enjoy looking at those pictures?  I hope you did. I really enjoyed taking them. You would always manage to look like a derp in every one of those pictures.  Anyways, watch the tape! It’s my present to you. Think of it as an early birthday present Watch it okay?

 I love you.” The note said.

Finishing the note, Sunggyu slowly made his way over to the VCR and hesitantly popped the tape in.

“Hello~ Oh wow. This is so awkward. I’m talking to myself. But I’m doing this for you. So uh, Hi, Gyu…?”

Sunggyu froze.

It was a video letter from his late girlfriend.

 “ Okay, I know you won’t say Hi back but let me just say Hi. Hahah. I miss you. How are you doing? Are you doing fine without me? You better not! I’m just kidding. I hope you’re doing well. Stay healthy. Never skip your meals, okay? You used to always skip your meals if I didn’t remind you to eat. I don’t want you to faint so don’t skip your meals. First of all, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about me having cancer. We promised each other that we would tell each other every problem we had, no matter how big or small the problem is but I couldn’t tell you this. I’m sorry. I know you’re disappointed in me. You have every right to be. But I want you to know that it pained me everyday knowing that one day, I wouldn’t be able to see your face every again. I know you’re hurt because I didn’t tell you but I wanted you to treat me the same way you always did. You would’ve treated me like a patient and I didn’t want that to happen. I wanted to spend the last few months making good memories with you and you probably wouldn’t let me go out knowing how protective you get. You would just let me stay at home all day. You probably realized that something was wrong with me during the past few weeks. You would always ask me “Are you okay?” “Is something wrong?” “Do you want to rest?” but I would always reply with “I’m fine. Don’t worry”. I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m sorry that you had to hear the news from my doctor, not from me. Those last days I spent with you were the happiest moments of my life. Remember the time we went to the Han River? We just sat there for hours talking about everything we could think about. I could never forget that day. Remember the promise I made you? I promised you that I would never leave you and that I would never stop loving you. I kept my promise. Even though I’m not by your side, holding your hand, I’m still with you. In your heart. You told me you saved a spot for me there right? You said I would always have a place in your heart. So I’m staying there. Whenever you feel sad, just remember that I will always be in your heart, cheering you on. Even if you can’t feel my presence, just keep in mind that I will always be there for you. I love you. Please live happily. I want you to be happy. I’m sorry that I had to leave early but my time was up. I had to leave. It’s not like I wanted to go. I didn’t want to leave you. But after a while, I realized that it was my fate and nothing could change it so I just accepted it. I cherished those moments I had with you. That’s why I made that box. I knew you’d find it. I could never hide anything from you. This video will serve as my last words so I hoped you listened carefully to what I was saying. I want you to be happy, so do whatever makes you happy. Don’t do what other people want you to do okay? Our time on earth is limited so I hope you will enjoy it like I did. Live your life happily and don’t dwell on the past. I never left you, okay? I’m still with you. Remember that. So keep moving on with your life and don’t forget me okay? Those are the last things I ask from you. I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I never got to properly thank you for what you’ve done for me. You were the best thing that came into my life and I’m so thankful to have you by my side. You gave me love and happiness. You taught me how to love and helped me understand what love truly was. So, thank you. Thank you for always supporting me and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. When you’re done watching this video, look for my other note in the box.

Take care, Gyu.”

Then the video ended.

By the time the video ended, Sunggyu was crying his heart out. His heart was aching for her. He missed her so dearly that he couldn’t take it anymore. He cried and cried until no more tears would come out of his eyes. He’s never cried before. Not even when his father passed away. He hated crying. He hated the feeling. The feeling of sadness and loneliness.  But then again, here he is, sitting on his couch, crying his heart out like there was no tomorrow.

When it seemed like no more tears would fall, Sunggyu wiped the remaining tears from his face and suddenly remembered the last words his girlfriend said in the video.

When you’re done watching the video, look for my other note in the box.

Sunggyu quickly walked over to the box, knocking a glass onto the floor but he could care less. He wanted to see the note she left him.

He grabbed the box and searched for the note but all he found was a cryptex.

Is the note inside here? Sunggyu thought.

His girlfriend was always fascinated with the way the cryptex worked and Sunggyu loved solving puzzles. So maybe that’s why she left the note inside.

It took Sunggyu a while to figure out the code but after 2 whole hours or thinking and twisting, he finally cracked the code. The five letter word was:

Stars.

Sunggyu and his girlfriend would always go stargazing whenever they had the chance to because stars always made her feel at peace and she said stars were special. She would always point out the constellations to him and from then on, Sunggyu loved stars. Stars were also special to them because the first time they said I love you to each other were under the stars. It was the time when Sunggyu first confessed. Sunggyu cracked a smile at the thought of them stargazing.

Back to the story.

 Sunggyu finally solved the cryptex and the note was there, lying inside, waiting for him to read it. With shaky fingers, he slowly took it and opened the note.

Hello again! I guess you solved the cryptex. Was it hard? I hope it was. Heheh.  Anyways. There really isn’t anything special in this note. I’ve already said everything I wanted in the video tape.  I just wanted my last note for you to say I love you.

So, I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I always will. Even if the world comes crumbling down, I will still love you. Even if you stop loving me, I will still love you. Do you still remember the time we first said I love you to each other? I do. I remember it was clear as day. We were so young back then. I was so nervous and it was so hard for me to say I love you back but I said it and I never regretted it. Not even once.  I love you, Gyu. I really do. I know I said it a lot of times but I never get tired of saying it. I love you to the moon and back. Forgive me for being so cheesy, you made me this way.

I’ll see you soon. I LOVE YOU, KIM SUNGGYU. <3

-Love, _____”

Sunggyu had finished reading the note. Just when he thought he was done crying, tears had already formed at the brim of his eyes and it was too late for him to stop them from rolling down his face. He couldn’t take it anymore. He needed her and his life would have no meaning if he couldn’t have her. He couldn’t be happy without her. She was his happiness.

After crying his heart out, Sunggyu just sat there, thinking. Thinking about what he should do with his life.

Then, an idea suddenly popped into Sunggyu’s head.  (Not literally.)

 This would end the throbbing pain in his chest. Sungyyu was contemplating whether he should do it or not.

She wants me to be happy right? She told to me not to do what others want me to do. She makes me happy. I need to see her. Sunggyu thought.

After what seemed like eternity, Sunggyu finally made up his mind. Putting the note in his pocket, he grabbed the box and returned its contents to its original place and carefully placed the box on the table.

Sunggyu grabbed his car keys and jacket while making his way out the door. He went to his car and drove to the Han River.

Sunggyu made his way to the edge and looked at the beautiful view of Seoul before his eyes. The beautiful view he would never see again. He remembered the last time he was here. It was with her. Tears started to slowly form again in Sunggyu’s eyes. They were threatening to fall.

Yes, it was that painful to think about her. His heart ached every time he thought about her. Every time Sunggyu would think about her, tears would unknowingly start to form in his eyes.

Memories of them together would flash in his eyes. He couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t handle the pain of not being with her. He would curse himself everyday for not knowing that she had cancer.

One more step and he would be able to be with her again. Just one more step and he would be able to end his suffering. He could finally reunite with his loved one.

Sunggyu closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Sunggyu then slowly counted to three.

1…… 2…… 3…..

Clutching the note in his hand, Sunggyu stepped forward and jumped off the bridge.

*I’m sorry, ____ - ah. I hope you forgive me for doing this. I’m doing this so we can be together again. You’ll be seeing me sooner than you think. I love you.*

-FINISHED-