Every December 24^th, an event is held at the tallest building of Seoul, Korea: the Northeast Asia Trade Tower. On Christmas Eve, busy citizens rush to find a spot in the long line by the building with soaring hopes and wishful dreams. Among the bustling crowd is a boy named Byun Baekhyun, huddling in his red goose feather parka, chilled ears cushioned behind white earmuffs and hands sitting cozily in matching cotton mittens. This year, like last year, Baekhyun has come to make a phone call to Heaven.

               Strangely enough, no one knows exactly how the system works. It has something to do with matching area codes from a specific spot in the building and one up in the sky: 445. On the week before Christmas of 2003, two years after Chanyeol’s death, it’s officially announced: “Heaven Hotline”. And, well, it’s been a tradition since. The 65^th floor of the building, which usually serves as an observatory, opens annually on the day before Christmas to the public who wish to talk to the ones who have passed on to the next life. Some come to talk to their deceased parents. Others come to say hello and goodbye to their siblings, their loved ones, the ones they want to remember. Baekhyun comes year after year to talk to Chanyeol.

               The wait is long: four hours. Baekhyun is lucky this year. When he is finally allowed into the elevator and the small room on the 65^th floor shortly after, he fishes inside of his pocket to find a golden coin. His heart thuds loud and slow in his chest when he pushes the ticket into the slot. Thud, thud, thud as the phone booth eats it up. Thud, thud, thud as he picks up the receiver and dials the number engraved in his head: 7 for the P in Park, 2 for the C in Chan, 9 for the Y in Yeol – 1127 for his birthday.

               Three rings is all it takes for Chanyeol to pick up.

               “…Chanyeol?”

               “Baekhyun!”

               “Chanyeol, hi!”

               “Hi! It’s been so long, Baek! How have you been?”

               “I’ve been… I’ve been good. How about you, Chanyeol?”

               “Good! Really good! I was waiting for your call all day, Baekhyun. You don’t know how anxious I’ve been. A year is such a long time, isn’t it? Has the first snow come already? The clouds up here make it hard to see anything.”

               “No, not yet. Do you think you can hit up a conversation with Snow Sprite up there and ask him if he can make it a White Christmas tomorrow?”

               “I’ll definitely try. He got a bit angry with Rain Sprite the other day because they overheard people asking for the rain to stop, but Rain Sprite just laughed and sent them a thunderstorm. Rain Sprite is kind of a jerk sometimes.”

               “Really? Wow, a lot must happen up there. Say, Chanyeol – can you see me? Can you see the building? They say every year that reception here is best because it’s the closest to Heaven.”

               “I’m squinting, but I can’t see much. Pollution gets worse every year, I’m telling you. I miss being able to see your face, Baekhyun. Do you still break out often during finals?”

               “Chanyeol, we only have twelve minutes on the line and you use the precious time to indirectly insult me. What a jerk!”

               “I’m only kidding, Baek. You know I love you.”

               “Yeah, I know.”

               “… Baekhyun, are you crying?”

               “…What? Crying?”

               Baekhyun feels a trail of something hot leaving his eye ducts and down his pale face.

               “No, I’m not crying…”

               “Baekhyun, you’re sniffling, you idiot.”

               “I’m… I just…”

               “Hey, I’m sorry…”

               “Why do you have to say that every year?”

               “I… I just feel like it’s my fault whenever you cry. Rain Sprite feeds off of everyone’s tears and I swear he makes a trip to your house every night.”

               “I’m not a crybaby, Chanyeol.”

               “I didn’t say you were…”

               “Two minutes!” comes a loud bark. Baekhyun’s heartbeat rises.

               “Hey Chanyeol, I haven’t got much time. Visit me sometime, yeah?”

               “How? How do I visit you?”

               “… I don’t know. Can you send me a cloud?”

               “No, patrol here doesn’t allow that. Wait a second – oh! Baekhyun! Try looking out the window. Up – look up!”

               When Baekhyun turns his gaze, hot trails increase in speed and size.

               “Do you see me, Baek? I’m swirling the clouds with my finger!”

               “I… I see you. I see you, Chanyeol.”

               “Let me try writing something. Tell me if you can read it!”

               “It’s… It’s hard. I see… wait…”

               When Baekhyun squints hard enough, he can see the outlines of words appearing in the white cottons of the sky.

               “Chanyeol, your letters look backwards from here, you idiot,” Baekhyun laughs, tears running down his face.

               “Oh yeah, stupid me!”

               The line goes dead a few seconds later, but Baekhyun doesn’t notice because his face is plastered by the window, eyes squinting as he tries to make out the words Chanyeol has written into the clouds.

               .htlaeh ruoy rof doog ton s'tI !hcum oot em ssim t'noD

               .dam teg t'now I ,raey txen kcab emoc t'nod uoy fI

               .tol a uoy ssim ll'I tuB

               .uoy rof tiaw ll'I ?nuyhkeaB ,yako ,raey txen niaga klat s'teL

               !uoy evol I

               The next day, winter's first snow falls the minute Baekhyun opens his eyes. When he slides open the window of his balcony and steps outside, frost biting at his toes, a gush of wind greets him and tells him “hello!”.

               He leans on the white rails that are slowly coating with snowflakes, and when he reaches out an arm to the dotted sky, he thinks he can feel a hand wrapping gently around his own. “Thank you for loving me,” the wind whispers. “Thank you for not forgetting.”

               Every December 25^th, Baekhyun sends a little piece of his heart to the heavens, marks it with an angel stamp, and mails it to Park Chanyeol up above.

               “I love you” comes to Baekhyun in the form of dreams on Christmas night. "Until next year."