Work Text:
A lone man sits beneath a willow tree at the park, if we are to guess his age he might be around 50 years old. He sits there peacefully with a smile on his face. He looked at the playing children, looking on at their smiling faces. He remembers his children, now adults with families of their own.
A shadow suddenly blocks the rays of the sun, making him look at the intruder.
"Yes?" he politely asks.
"Good afternoon sir. My name is Jeongrim," the man bowed.
"Do you mind if I ask you some questions? My crew and I are filming a series that we would later upload in our channel. Of course, if at any time you decide that you don't want to have it aired we would delete it."
"Is that so? Well, I'm free. So ask away,"
"Mind if I sit?" Jeongrim gestures.
The old man made space for the interviewer to sit beside him.
"Cameras ready? Then let's start,"
"Sir, what is your name & age?"
"I am Yu Junghyeok and I'm 64 years old,"
"Wow! Really?! You look so much younger!" he said in shock.
"Haha is that so?"
He nodded.
"I lived a very healthy lifestyle,"
"I should probably start doing that too!" he said before looking at his notepad.
"For my 1st question, Do you still remember your first love?" Yu Junghyeok gave a big smile.
"Yes,"
'Like it was just yesterday.'
"What is their name?"
"Kim Dokja," he said softly.
"Where you the one who confessed first?"
"No," he said as he shakes his head, "it was him who confessed first," he said, side-eyeing Jeongrim.
"I was too much of a fool back then, you see. I didn't even realize that it was love...but he opened my eyes,"
"How long have you been together?"
"47 years. We met when we were 11 and got together when we were 18,"
"A first and last love huh?"
Yu Junghyeok laughs a little.
"I guess that is true."
"What happened next?"
"We got married at 34. Had kids and lived the life we wanted,"
"How long have you guys been married?"
"24 years," He stokes the wedding band on his ring finger, "We didn't get to celebrate our silver anniversary,"
"Oh...I'm sorry,"
"Don't be. It's been 6 years. He was sick and there was no cure,"
"He was- still the most beautiful man I've ever laid my eyes on," Yu Junghyeok parted his coat and took out a pocket watch. Flicking it open, it's gorgeous interior was revealed. In the inside of the lid, a picture of a smiling pair is seen.
Angling the picture to the camera, he showed off his husband.
"This was taken on our wedding day," Yu Junghyeok caressed the surface of the picture.
"I can still remember the day we met. It was on this very park, under this tree. He would always sit here and read his books. He is an avid reader you see, always has this shine in his eyes when he reads."
"You must be missing him so much,"
"Yes. Every second, every minute, everyday, I miss him. There was never a time where I don't miss him. I will as long as I'm alive."
"You mentioned you have kids? Where are they now?"
"They have their own families now. They visit of course but they have their own lives. Our eldest is a boy, we had him through surrogacy. Our second and third are twin girls, we adopted them after their father had an accident. Our youngest is another boy, very close and protective of my husband. He didn't like me much when he first went home with us. Our Gilyoungie is a handful but he is ours."
"You have a big wonderful family, it seems,"
"Thank you," Yu Junghyeok said with a smile, "The house was always noisy with our little rascals."
"OI!!! You bastard!!!" A shout interrupted them.
"We were looking everywhere for you!" A feisty shorthaired woman and a woman with a gentle smile marched to where Yu Junghyeok and Jeongrim are talking.
"Haaa Haaaa ugh, why the f*ck is this hill so hard to climb," the shorthaired one said.
"Language, Su-Yeong,"
"Ugh," the woman called Su-Yeong grunts.
"It's because you're a decrepit old woman," Yu Junghyeok quipped.
"I'm not old bastard!!!"
"Witch,"
"Ah, it seems that you are needed else where. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to hear your story,"
"Is that enough?"
"Yes, this is plenty helpful." Jeongrim says.
"Then thank you for keeping me company, Jeongrim."
"It was nice talking with you," Jeongrim took out a card and handed it to Yu Junghyeok.
"This is our Star stream channel and Startok channel. Thank you again, we will go now." Jeongrim bowed one last time and he and his crew left.
Han Su-Yeong sighed and sat beside him while Yoo Sangah sat on the other side.
"How are you holding up?" she asks.
"Manageable,"
"How's your writing coming along?" Sangah inquires.
"It was easier than I expected...maybe because I lived it, that it comes naturally."
"And here I thought that you needed my help,"
"Hmp, I'll call you when I need to," Han Su-Yeong stood up, brushing away dirt and grass from her pants.
"Come on, let's go back," he stands up and put a hand on the willow's trunk, looking up to its foliage.
'Kim Dokja, I can feel my time running out. I'll be with you soon'
Yu Junghyeok turned away and started to go downhill, Yoo Sangah and Han Su-Yeong beside him.
Yu Junghyeok's head hurts due to his eyes being exhausted. Closing his eyes, he stopped writing, resting and leaning his back on his gaming chair. The story is almost finished, one more chapter and it's done.
'I need to finish it today'
Through the pain and exhaustion, he wrote the last paragraph.
'My star whom I've lost, your brilliance never once faded. It continued to shine over me, us, and your love guided me. I wish to see you once more and I shall. To be a star beside yours, we would make our own constellation. Forever together even after death, for I am your companion in Life and beyond Death.'
With little to no fanfare of his pen, Yu Junghyeok finished the story. Taking a blank piece of paper, he wrote a note.
'To my oldest dream, my star, this story is for you. I love you. I miss you. I long for you. In this life and the next my heart is always yours.'
"It's done," with this, the heaviness he had been feeling dissipated. Reaching for his phone, he dialed Han Su-Yeong.
"What is it? It's the middle of the night-"
"It's finished,"
"Huh?"
"My book. It's complete. Tomorrow, let's meet."
"..."
"Okay, tomorrow it is." They hang up.
Yu Junghyeok slept fitfully for the first time in 6 years.
"Here it is," he said giving the bound papers to Han Su-Yeong. She took it with care and started to skim over it.
"I promised you before that no matter what, I will publish this book. Rest assured I will make it happen...where is the title?"
"Here,"
It was the page that he wrote his dedication into.
It says 'The Man Who Lost His Star' by The Great Plotter.