Last Life

Minnesota 2347

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 “Energy is neither consumed nor created; it simply changes form.”

~

Changmi and Yunho met the old fashioned way. In a day and age of internet dating and microchip-driven devices, they met the same way married couples have always met and will always continue to meet, despite the technological progress made by society. They saw each other across a crowded room, their eyes met, and they knew that they had just seen someone special, someone worth knowing.

Changmi was an Airman in the United States Air Force during World War IV and Yunho was a Korean American who had moved to South Korea before the war began. Since South Korean and America were still strong allies, Changmi had been stationed in South Korea and that’s how she saw Yunho for the first time.

Some other airmen had convinced her to go dancing in the Hongdae area and she had reluctantly changed into clubbing gear but spent the night camped out in a booth. From her perch, Changmi had a perfect view of the dance floor where one man, and one man alone, held reign. She found herself watching him the entire time, the fluidity of his body and the gracefulness of his moves enchanted her. Changmi felt her breath suspend when this man’s eyes connected with her own. There was familiarity in his gaze, and a promise of something more. It was absolutely captivating. All too soon, the man broke their connection with a spin.

“He’s good, isn’t he?” One of her friends, Hara, asked as she slide into the seat next to Changmi.

“Good is somewhat of an understatement,” Changmi replied, sipping her soju and never taking her eyes off the man.

“What is this? Did we find someone that interests you?” Hara teased. Changmi was no prude but she definitely had high standards, higher than Hara’s at least.

“Maybe,” Changmi answered, smirking around the glass.

“So go get him,” Hara exclaimed, pushing Changmi out of the other side of the booth.

“I think I just might,” Changmi said. She downed another shot; it wasn’t often that she approached a guy first and this man was definitely a better dancer than she. But she summoned up her wall of courage and confidently strode over to him. No one had been dancing with the man, just around him. They all knew that he was more skilled in dancing than anyone else in the club so they left him alone to rule. Changmi slipped right in between the space that had been left around him, surprising the man.

“My name’s Changmi. What’s yours?” She introduced herself immediately in Korean; she would have been surprised as well if some stranger snuck up and her and started dancing with her.

The man looked her up and down, judging her outfit and her appearance. When his eyes finally settled on hers, that same feeling washed over both of them. The man seemed to nod to himself, perhaps finding what he was looking for, and replied “Yunho.” He began to dance again, casting a glamour around him with each move.

“Yunho,” Changmi repeated, running over the name in her head. It was a Korean name but that didn’t rule out the possibility of him having an English name too. Many Koreans had English names left over from their studies abroad and Changmi thought perhaps she knew him from somewhere, through a co-worker or an acquaintance or something. That would explain the casual familiarity that he exuded. But as hard as Changmi tried, she couldn’t think of a single Yunho that she had even heard mentioned at all. Yunho’s eyes were familiar, but his name was not. “This might sound crazy, but have we met before?”

“You do look familiar,” Yunho replied in English. Changmi’s first thought was ‘Yay, I’m not insane after all’ and then she realized that Yunho’s English was perfect, not accented at all. Maybe he was from the States? “But I don’t think I know a Changmi. Where are you from?”

“New Jersey,” Changmi responded instantly. “You?”

“I’m from Minnesota originally but my parents were both Korean,” Yunho answered. Hence the flawless English and the Korean name, Changmi added to herself. “I don’t think I’ve even been to the East Coast.”

“Oh,” Changmi said. She wasn’t sure what to say now. “But I know you somehow. I know I know you.” Changmi hoped Yunho didn’t think she was mental or anything. To her relief, Yunho nodded like he understood.

 “I know, I feel like I’ve met you somewhere,” he said.

“Maybe we just have one of those faces?” Changmi offered, shrugging. The situation would quickly get awkward if she harped on the strong sense of déjà vu so Changmi let it go.

“Both of us?” Yunho replied, chuckling.

“Hey, you never know!” Changmi defended. This entire conversation had transpired in shouts over the music and Changmi’s throat was quickly tiring. “Do you want to get out of here?” Yunho raised an eyebrow at her, grinning slightly. “Not like that you ert!” She cried, laughing, and hit him on the arm. “I meant so we can actually hear ourselves think!”

Yunho threw his arms up in defense. “You’re the one who brought it up, so technically you’re the ert.”

“Whatever,” Changmi replied, turning to leave. “So you coming?” Yunho didn’t respond, just following her off the dance floor. Cat whistles and wolf calls surrounded them as they passed Hara and the rest of both of their friends. Yunho just winked and Changmi smirked, the pair thoroughly ignoring their friends. Changmi grabbed Yunho’s hand behind her and led him out of the club and into the street. It was January so it was absolutely freezing outside, giving Changmi the perfect excuse to cling to Yunho’s arm. Within minutes though, Changmi was shivering, Yunho’s warmth not enough to ward off the cold.

“This was a stupid idea,” Changmi admitted, giggled.

“You came up with it,” Yunho replied, snickering. He looked around for a store that was still open this late and spotted a coffee shop he had been to multiple times before. “You want to go in there?”

“Is it heated?” Changmi asked.

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go.” Yunho laughed while Changmi barreled towards the shop, dragging him along behind her.  They sat themselves at a wooden table as far from a cold window as possible. “So what are you doing here?”

“Here?” Changmi repeated, not quite understanding.

“Here. In Seoul. If you’re from New Jersey.” Yunho clarified.

“Oh. I’m fighting in the war. United States Air Force,” Changmi explained. “Tonight is one of my few nights off.” Before Yunho could feel guilty, she turned the question on him. “What about you? What are you doing here?”

“Since both my parents are from here,” Yunho said, “I decided to move to Seoul a couple years ago to meet my father’s side of the family. I thought that I would find something here.”

“Did you find it?” Changmi asked, curious.

“Not yet,” Yunho smiled. He still had hope in his eyes, like he hadn’t accepted defeat just yet and it made Changmi happy. She didn’t want to see this man give up; she couldn’t even picture Yunho with a cynical expression on his face, it wouldn’t suit him.

“You dance really well,” Changmi complimented.

“I know,” Yunho admitted. He chuckled at his own arrogance and Changmi was helpless to do anything but laugh back. “I didn’t mean it like that, I just have always loved dancing. It’s my escape from everything.”

“Have you ever tried doing it professionally?” Changmi asked. He was that good.

“And be what? One of those idols from “the good old days?” I don’t think so. Now’s not the time for dancing and merriment.” Yunho laughed sadly, like he was reminiscent, before the mood changed, and he reminded Changmi of the war.

“Perhaps now is the perfect time for dancing,” Changmi offered. “You could make a lot of people happy, make them forget.”

“Maybe,” Yunho agreed, smiling slightly. It was a thought that he had mulled over multiple times but never had the courage to actually do.

“So what do you do?” Changmi asked, now that the matter had been brought up.

“I’m a firefighter,” Yunho said. Changmi’s mind took a polluted turn as she imagined Yunho all shirtless and dirty, with ash smudged all over him. Holy crap, that picture was y as hell. She was interrupted from her fantasy world by Yunho asking another question. “What exactly do you do in the Air Force?”

They ended up spending the entire night talking; the owner leaving around 3 A.M. and trusting them to lock up the shop when they left. The sun rose before Changmi even checked the clock once, and Yunho looked at her guiltily.

“I didn’t mean to keep you up all night,” he admitted.

“No, it’s totally fine,” Changmi reassured and she really meant it. Meeting Yunho had been the best thing that had happened to her since she joined the Air Force. They walked outside the café, about to go their separate ways. It had started snowing overnight but neither recognized the cold, too caught up in each other.

“Can I see you again?” Yunho asked the age-old question, hoping that she felt the same strong connection that he did.

“I have another night off in two weeks,” Changmi offered. Being in the Air Force during war-time meant that she was lucky she even got those.

“How would you feel about spending another one of your nights off with me?” Yunho asked, grabbing her hands to hold between his own. He definitely wanted to see her again but Changmi had other people in her life to attend to, probably.

“I think that would be great,” Changmi admitted, looking down at his shoes.

“Good!” Yunho exclaimed, extremely excited. “Have you been to the Han River yet?”

“No, I haven’t had much time to explore Seoul at all,” Changmi said.

“Then the Han River it is,” Yunho agreed. He was already thinking of all the cheesy, romantic things they could do together.

“Two weeks from today,” Changmi said. She wished time could pass faster so it was their second date. Date? ‘This was a date right?’ she thought.

“From yesterday,” Yunho pointed out, gesturing to the rising sun. Changmi laughed but was reluctant to leave him.

“I guess I should go now,” she said. She stepped away but didn’t release Yunho’s hands.

“I guess so,” Yunho agreed, also not letting her go.

“I should really go,” Changmi repeated. She began to walk backwards but only succeeded in pulling Yunho along with her.

Yunho hummed in concurrence but kept walking with her. Eventually they both broke into giggles and when Changmi was just returning her breathing to normal, Yunho decided to mess it up again. He leaned in for their first kiss, cupping the back of Changmi’s head gently. Changmi was caught off guard but recovered quickly, responding passionately. It was a soft kiss, nothing too heated, but it was perfect. The snow fell around them and their cold noses brushed together in a sharp contrast to their warm lips. When Yunho pulled away, he pressed their foreheads together lightly, Changmi’s hair.

“Two weeks,” Yunho promised softly. He pressed a kiss to the tip of Changmi’s nose and pulled away, turning to walk away briskly. He felt that if he stayed any longer, he would be unable to leave her side.

Changmi put a hand to her lips, trying to qualm the twinkling feeling. She had never been kissed like that before, so affectionately, so real. Shaking herself from her daze, Changmi skipped off to the base. Yes, she skipped and she hummed to herself the whole way. Changmi didn’t give a flying who saw or judged her for it. Two weeks felt like an eternity but she was willing to wait if it meant she got to see him again. 

Well, Yunho made good on his promise; he took her to every possible dating location in Seoul, showing her off everywhere. Changmi loved every single minute of it and when they ran out of things to do in Seoul, they began to explore the countryside. Whenever Changmi had free time, she spent it on Yunho and after three years dating, it became clear to all of their friends and family that they were meant to be together. Yunho proposed to Changmi a week before she was discharged. She said yes. No one was surprised. At the engagement party, both Yunho and Changmi would claim that they just knew that they were meant to be together. Changmi’s mother protested, asking how one can truly ever know. The couple just looked at her with slight pity and shared a knowing glance.

When Changmi was awarded honorable discharge from the Air Force, they moved to Minnesota together for their wedding and their first house. Changmi had hated New Jersey since she was old enough to know what hate was; it felt repressive and dark to her. Her mother always scolded her, saying that New Jersey was a fine place and there was no reason for Changmi to feel that way. But Changmi couldn’t help the way she shivered every time she passed the abandoned asylum in New Jersey any more than she could help how much she loved Yunho.

“Are you sure this is okay?” Yunho asked the day they moved into their suburban house. “I feel like I’m taking you away from your home and your family.”

“You’re my home,” Changmi replied. She laughed out loud at the slight blush that peppered Yunho’s cheeks and wrapped her arms around him in a hug that said more than words ever could. “And we can fly out and go visit my family on holidays.”

“I think I like you to myself, anyway,” Yunho replied. If Changmi didn’t mind being far away from her family, then Yunho wasn’t going to complain. He had what he wanted. Their wedding was a huge affair; both parents spending ridiculous amounts of money on celebrating their love. Changmi was slightly embarrassed by the show of wealth but Yunho made it better. He always made everything better.

After four years of marriage, Changmi was woken up by a kiss and after the déjà vu faded, she saw Yunho’s face above her own, smiling. She knew she had made the right decision then and couldn’t help the words spilling out of . “I want a family.” Yunho’s smiling instantly grew three times brighter and he embraced her like she had just given him the world.

Their first child, Donghae, was a horror. Changmi was always cranky and demanding and guilty because Yunho was nothing but the doting husband, always understanding and willing to help. But after nine months of grape juice and The Big Valley re-runs, Changmi finally told him it was time. Yunho completely panicked, being the fool Changmi always called him, but managed to hand Changmi off to the doctor before he could do something terribly wrong. Changmi’s family had a medical condition that complicated births so Yunho was not allowed in the birthing room. Changmi’s father – Yunho’s father had died two years prior – patted Yunho on the shoulder and told him it was alright to be scared. Yunho didn’t reply but he laid his head on Changmi’s father’s shoulder and waited for news.

After hours of waiting, Yunho was told that he was the proud father of a baby boy and he burst into Changmi’s room to find her holding a tiny bundle of love.

“Is that him?” Yunho asked dumbly.

“”No,” Changmi replied, sarcastically. “I actually stole him from the nursery.”

“But he’s so tiny,” Yunho said in disbelief. He walked over to his wife and son so he could play with Donghae’s hand. “How is he this tiny?”

“Babies are always tiny, honey,” Changmi replied. She was thoroughly exhausted and quickly fell into sleepy-land but when she woke up, she found Yunho sitting in the chair in the corner, cooing to Donghae. It was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen, ranking very close to number one. And Yunho was in every single one of the top ten.

Their three other kids after that were a breeze. Yenny, Jay, and Victoria came into the world with much more ease and much less panic than Donghae. Yunho and Changmi raised their children with love and care but no parent can fully protect their child from the world, nor should they want to. Despite the rest of their busy lives and their children, Yunho and Changmi made sure to make time for each other. After all, it was their love that started all of this.

Their relationship felt like a final rest after a long and tedious journey. Sure they had their fights, as did any couple, but they also worked those fights out so both parties were satisfied. Yunho never stopped calling her “baby” and Changmi always reminded him where he put everything with a gentle smile. Yunho’s mother said that as long as you never forget to be thankful for the small things, you won’t take your relationship for granted. But Changmi and Yunho never worried about that; they already knew how lucky they were to be together and that something as important as their love should never be taken for granted. Changmi’s friends were jealous of their relationship, saying that Changmi was lying, there was just no way Yunho was that perfect for her. Yunho’s friends all thought Changmi was the perfect wife and tried to steal her away multiple times. There were insecurities and sadness but the times of comfort and love outweighed those times tenfold. Changmi knew, as did Yunho, that as long as they were together, they would be happy. And that’s all that mattered, to them at least.

Their children on the other hand, were always trying to find the magical element that made their parent’s relationship so perfect. Jay went through girlfriends and boyfriends like toys and Yenny was always broken up with so they wanted to know why Changmi and Yunho’s relationship worked when theirs never did.

There was a mathematical formula developed in the 2250’s that calculated how compatible you were with someone and how successful your relationship was bound to be. The results came with an entire packet of how compatible you were in certain areas and had advice on how to make the relationship work. The thing people were most interested in, however, was the Sweetheart Number. It basically graded the relationship on multiple criteria and the numbers rated from 0 to 91. The ninety-one represented the longest marriage on record.

Changmi refused to take it, saying that she didn’t need some piece of paper to tell her that Yunho was her soul mate. Yunho completely agreed but he let his wife rant about “kids these days” and “society running out of faith in good old-fashioned relationships” without saying a word. Nonetheless, their eldest son, Donghae, went into the agency and filled out the forms for them, even providing a DNA sample, just to see the result. The day the results came in the mail, all four children piled around their youngest daughter, Victoria’s, kitchen table. They were expecting a high score but imagine their surprise when they opened the folder to see a giant “91” in huge pink numbers. Their parents were one of the few couples on Earth that were one-hundred percent perfect for each other; at least, that the formula could prove. The agency, Love Connection, had requested that Changmi and Yunho come in and talk about their relationship for research purposes but Yunho waved it off and said that young people should just find their soul mates the normal way; try, try, and try again.

But that was all a very long time ago and now they were very old and very round. Changmi blamed her amazing home cooking for their chubbiness but Yunho enjoyed it far too much for her to ever stop. The pride that shown though his eyes whenever he watched her cook or presented one of her dishes to someone new warmed Changmi’s heart. She knew that she would spend an eternity in the kitchen just for Yunho alone, not for anyone else.

Today was their family reunion and their great-grandchildren ran around them in excited circles, constantly fighting and making up thirty seconds later to play again. Changmi looked around, content to just watch the life flowing around her and from her. Yunho squeezed her hand, knowing what she was thinking from the look on her face. They had created this, this tree of love and life, and their hearts constantly filled with pride as they appraised their family.

The day went by without a hitch, Yunho and Changmi giving extra tight hugs when everyone said goodbye. They knew, just as they knew with everything else in their relationship, they could feel that this might be the last time they ever saw their loved ones. If their children noticed their parents’ mood, none of them said anything, too preoccupied with their own spouses and children. When everyone had gone and left, Yunho and Changmi quietly picked up the mess and went to bed, tired from all the action of the day.

This is it, Changmi thought, as she brushed her teeth and herded her old bones over to their bed. Yunho smiled at her and they pulled back the blanket together before crawling in. Yunho kissed her cracked, tight lips, and it still felt like that first time so many years ago in Seoul.

“I love you,” Changmi said.

“I love you too, baby.” Changmi already knew but she never grew tired of hearing it from Yunho’s lips. “Goodnight.” Changmi smiled and closed her eyes, trusting everything to be okay since she was with Yunho.

They fell asleep holding hands, bodies curled around each other. Changmi and Yunho died that night both physically and spiritually, as their souls were finally at peace after long lives of pain, sorrow, and sadness. But those lives also held great moments of happiness, contentment, and love. They had discovered how to appreciate each other and how to make the best of every moment, every situation as long as they had one another.

 Their souls melded together that night, finally together, finally complete. Their energy re-entered the universe to make way for other Destined Ones to stumble through their lives, blindly attempting to find those that would make them whole. Maybe they would break apart again in an entirely different way in a millennium or two and start the cycle all over again but for now, they were at peace. The Earth will continuously change as new souls are created from old and as the Destined Ones try to make a better life for the ones that came after them. The only constant is the human search for love; love of all kinds and of any kind, for all love is pure and equal. And that constant will remain forever. 

Author's Note

So... this is it y'all! Wha'd you think? What did you love? What did you hate? I have my favorite three chapters (even though I probs shouldn't as the author) so what are your favorite chapters and why?

I was a little hesitant about putting this chapter up because I didn't want anyone to misunderstand and think I was saying that you had to be in a heteroual relationship to be perfect. That is NOT what I am saying at all. I just didn't want to have them both be guys two lives in a row. However, as afraid of that backlash as I was, I think that Yunho and Changmin would need than one life to fix everything that was wrong in their relationship. Not to say that TVXQ aren't perfect just the way they are but not in this story. Don't hate me.

My next story will be an experimental story on how our actions (no matter how small) affect others and the main focus with be on HoMin, ToBae, and TaecJay with other characters and pairings showing up too. So check that out soon if you're interested. :)