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You thought this would be a perfect time for the stars to appear again. Living in such an urban area, spotting any celestial body in the sky was nearly impossible on a regular night. But this wasn’t a regular night. It’d been a while since you had the privilege of having those anymore.

Presently, as you stood at an elevated hill overlooking the urban sprawl, you could see that not all the lights were shut off. Unfortunately, the factories at the edge of the town were still up and running. Flood lights illuminated the work areas as fumes billowed out of smokestacks into the already murky sky. All those who weren’t in bed or resting within their homes were hard at work in those factories. Every able-bodied adult and every resource were poured into powering the machinery needed to keep production alive. It was what the government ordered, after all. And when the nation was in need, one could hardly refuse.

Alas, that meant no more mind-rotting television, no more reading in the dark, no more lamps to light the way home. This didn’t bother you, though. You had lived here all your life, and you knew the way home from every corner of this city. A few years of this designated darkness was not enough to erase 17 years of learned routines and muscle memory.

Which is why you knew you had never seen him before.

There were a handful of other curfew-breakers out on the streets tonight, but none were interested in the sky. All of them kept their heads down as they passed on by, focused on getting home safe and avoiding scattered debris. But this stranger stood stalwart on the top of that hill, his attention solely on the expansive space above.

He looked unassuming for the most part, hands stuffed in the pockets of his black hoodie that made him almost blend into the night. The hill was big enough for the both of you, so you kept a comfortable distance as you approached. You would have left it at that, standing on opposite sides to watch the same sky in silence, but he glanced over his shoulder at you. He acknowledged you with a friendly smile, lips pressed together as his cheeks puffed up to say hi. It felt like an opening to start a conversation.

“Are you looking for the stars, too?” you asked, breaking the ice as you walked closer to where he stood. At a closer look, he appeared to be around your age but was a good deal taller than you. With black hair that swept down his forehead and curious eyes that followed your movement, he looked every bit unfamiliar to you.

“You’ll never see starlight here,” he responded matter-of-factly.

“Not with that attitude.” The snarky comment came out faster than you could consider if it was wise to challenge a random stranger. This could go one of two ways—he either laughed at your joke, or he judged you and moved on. Somehow, he picked the secret, third option.

“You’re right, let me just…” The boy started stretching his arms out dramatically as if getting ready for a fight. But instead of throwing fists, he held his hands to his eyes, mockingly peering through binoculars as he craned his head toward the sky. “I think I can, I think I can.”

This display caught you off-guard as you felt a scoff escape your lips. You somehow managed to politely hold it in, clearing your throat. “Okay, now you’re probably scaring them off.”

“The stars shouldn’t be scared of some kid.” He redirected his attention so his gestured binoculars were pointed toward you. His eyes barely peeked through his encircled fingers, and you had to fight back a chuckle.

“Mm, I don’t know,” you said in a sing-song manner. “You do look pretty menacing.”

The boy eventually lowered his hands to his side, cracking a smile. You finally got a good look at his face—it was youthful and kind. He resembled the type of boy you would find living next door, except there were no boys in your neighborhood like him.

“You seen stars here before?” he asked.

“Not yet, but I hope to one day.”

“Hmm…”

You looked at the boy, who seemed to be interrogating you with his narrowed eyes and crinkled eyebrows. “What?”

“So you’ve never seen them either,” he said with an accusing tone that all but called you a liar.

“Hey, there’s still a possibility,” you retorted. You furrowed your eyebrows and tilted your head back, searching the black canvas for any spark or shimmer. To your dismay, the cute stranger was right. The light pollution from the factories was enough to stave off any hopes of stargazing, even with the new moon. However, you were never taught to be a quitter. And you were certainly never taught to let boys convince yourself otherwise. “Okay, maybe not tonight, but you just have to wait for a clear forecast.”

“You’d be waiting forever. You’re better off chasing sunsets.”

“Mm, tried that too.” You shook your head in disapproval. If there was a view to be seen in this city, you could bet you had already tried to capture it to no avail. Natural wonders seemed to be allergic to this place, but you couldn’t blame them.

“Maybe you need a pair of fresh eyes.”

Even with the discouraging sentiment on stargazing, it didn’t seem like he meant it in that way. The boy held a modest grin, but you swore you saw a twinkle in his eye as he peeked through the darkness to meet your gaze. It caught your attention in an instant, like finding an oasis in the vast desert.

“Is that an invitation?” you asked.

“Maybe more of a bet.”

Your lip quirked at that. Now your interest was definitely piqued. In a world of diminishing daylight and dwindling resources, the last thing on people’s minds was frivolous adventure in the name of wagers and capturing phenomena. But maybe that was just what you needed.

“That does sound tempting.”

The boy turned at that, removing a hand from his pocket to extend it forward. It was the beginning of a bridge between you two, waiting to be built. “I’m Woonhak.”

The only sensible thing seemed to connect the bridge. As you reached forward to shake his hand, it was surprisingly soft—a rarity in these parts where boys wear hard-earned callouses from manual labor or rough play.

You introduced yourself, and he repeated your name as if testing it on his tongue. To your ears, it sounded as if it were not the first time he spoke it. You were hoping it wouldn’t be the last, either.

Woonhak broke out into a goofy smile, revealing a characteristic snaggletooth that was hard to miss. His grin earlier was welcoming, but this smile felt brighter than any star you’d seen. You had forgotten what it was like to be faced with such unsullied joy. Your own lips curved into a smile as a laugh bubbled up your chest, feeling a bit like unearthing a long-forgotten treasure that had been buried for far too long.

Your clasped hands bobbed up and down to a shared rhythm, the bridge made between two strangers, now acknowledged as acquaintances.

You got to know him at sunset.

The two of you got there early, and while the lead-up to dusk wasn’t promising, you seated yourselves at the edge of the placid waterfront nonetheless. You watched each breeze ripple across the water’s surface as you passed the time, sharing interests and anecdotes of the people you were. What were people anyway if not the culmination of their experiences?

As suspected, Woonhak was far from home. The military presence had only arrived a few years ago, and with it, so had he. The troops had set up a temporary base which included the families of some army officers. His father was a lieutenant commander, which allowed Woonhak to follow along on his journey across the country, despite having no part in the family business. Much like the rest of them, he was just a passenger on this ride to a destination unknown.

“There’s a whole street dedicated to PC and gaming rooms!” Woonhak recalled the last city he lived in, swiping a hand across the air to emphasize the length of this infamous street.

“We used to have something like that. It had a PC room, arcade, movie theater, manhwa room,” you listed, stopping yourself even though it could have gone on and on.

“Are they still open?” Woonhak looked expectant, but you shook your head. His shoulders dropped a bit at the news. “Oh, well that’s a shame.”

“Do you miss it? Your home?”

You expected a quick answer—it seemed so intuitive and obvious. But Woonhak paused for a moment, a pout appearing on his face as he mulled over the question. “You know, I moved around so much that I barely know what city I would call home.”

“You must have one that you want to go back to rather than staying here.”

“Oh, all of them.” Now that answer was quick.

“Ouch.” You reacted with a feigned wince, to which Woonhak raised his hands in front of him in a fury to explain himself.

“No offense! This place is great!”

“Don’t lie.”

“No, really. I like the, um, trees.”

“The trees?” you asked incredulously. You looked around, suspiciously seeing no trees near your current vicinity. “They don’t have trees where you’re from?”

“The trees here are especially… leafy.”

You nodded slowly, watching him squirm with an innocent smile that wasn’t fooling you one bit. “That bad, huh?”

He started with an awkward laugh that eventually turned more genuine as you laughed along with him.

The exchange of history and shared interests brought with it a nostalgia that should have been left for elders, not teenagers. You let the emotion settle as you both looked forward longingly across the water, one with the lens of a newcomer and another a veteran of this land.

You remembered this horizon as a kid. You had visited here with your father years ago when the city’s population was lower and the factories had not yet been constructed. Even back then, the view had been nothing to write home about. But now, you could hardly call it a view.

Unlike the stars that had been scared away into hiding, the sun fought—and lost—in an attempt to pierce through its concealment. All elements of the setting sun were masked by the dusty clouds and the smog of a hard day’s work. The gray and beige haze snuffed out what you could only assume was the beauty of the sun’s rays behind it.

“No luck today,” you said once enough time passed for hopes to be let down as quickly as the sun.

“Maybe another time,” Woonhak responded as sure as there will be another day. “There’s still a possibility, after all.” He flashed a cheeky grin as he repeated your previous sentiment. At first, you thought the failed sightseeing would lead to disappointment. Instead, his words brought a smile to your face and unbridled excitement at the prospect of seeing him again.

“There are actually a lot of things to see in the city—if you know where to find them.”

“Oh?” His eyes were filled with that same curiosity from when you first saw him, with just a bit of mischief shining through. If it had been the you of the past, you would not have been so forward. You would have played it safe, but that was an archaic sentiment lost on the you of the present. You had nothing to fear and nothing to lose.

“I could show you around. Maybe you’ll end up liking it here.”

Woonhak beamed at the suggestion, and from then on, you decided that it would not be a bad goal to see more of that smile. You extended an invitation, a promise of another day you two would meet, and he treated it as if it were the most valuable opportunity in the world.

“I’m gonna hold you to that offer.”

Even as the glow of the sun’s rays disappeared to leave behind a gray and navy residue, you sat with one another, exchanging stories of the lives you once knew. Two acquaintances quickly bonding over inquiry and wonder, finding yourselves sitting side-by-side as blossoming friends.

You fell for him through the late nights.

When you couldn’t find the light in the skies, you took to the streets. Scouring the city for hidden gems and treasures was just as much of a challenge, but that didn’t stop you two from trying. You stayed out in neighborhoods exploring both the abandoned and those still hanging onto life. You found your way, even as the lamps went out one by one.

You took him to places you knew, and Woonhak explored with you the places that were new. In the early days of your adventures, you would lead him down roads well-worn from your childhood as he tried to keep up. Other days, you would follow more cautiously as he scouted ahead to unfamiliar areas that should—and often did—have caution signs hung around the perimeters. Of course, sometimes the roles were reversed.

“Whoa, that’s kinda creepy.” You glanced over at the structure Woonhak was pointing his flashlight at.

It was an unassuming shop at the corner of an abandoned strip mall that had been boarded up and tagged with graffiti. There was nothing outstanding about it. Although, maybe the words TURN BACK dripping in red paint across the peeling exterior did give it a spooky vibe.

“I dare you to go in,” he said.

“Alright.”

Woonhak looked at you like you were crazy. “You serious?”

You shrugged. “Why not?”

“What if it’s haunted?”

That was not the worry you expected him to have. In your mind, it was much more realistic to run into squatters or wild animals than any sort of demon or ghoul. Still, you weren’t going to ruin the excitement of possibilities.

“There’s only one way to find out.” You started walking toward the building in full confidence, scanning the walls for some sort of entryway. You turned back when you heard no movement behind. “You coming?”

The expression on Woonhak’s face seemed very much like he wanted nothing to do with this, but you didn’t wait for his response. You continued forward, spotting a loose plank that was haphazardly left leaning against a doorway. At first glance, it seemed boarded up like everywhere else. But now that you tugged at the corner of the weathered wood, it tilted back with ease.

“Jackpot.” You outstretched a hand behind you, facing your palm toward Woonhak. “Flashlight?”

He complied without hesitation, probably because relinquishing it meant you would be taking the lead. He placed the light source into your hand, and you immediately flashed it toward the interior.

It was pitch black in there, with no moonlight allowed to trickle in through the covered windows. The beam of the flashlight was the only illumination, casting long shadows across the dusty furniture and wares still left within what looked to have been a clothing store.

You maneuvered over some debris on the floor as you entered into the darkened confines of the building. You could hear footsteps behind you as Woonhak followed suit, albeit straggling just a little slower. You moved past some deconstructed shelves and stacked boxes until you drew the spotlight to another piece of red writing on the wall.

LAST CHANCE

You swore you heard Woonhak gulp behind you.

“Okay, this place is definitely haunted.”

“I don’t think it was a ghost who wrote that.” The more probable explanation was that some of the other neighborhood kids claimed this as a hideout and didn’t want trespassers. Either that or it was some employee’s funny way of advertising a last chance sale on some discounted clothes.

“Maybe we should leave—”

“Shh.” You held up a hand, stopping him mid-sentence. You glanced around for good measure, acting as if you just heard a sound. Woonhak immediately had his hackles raised, scanning the surroundings along with you with a sudden urgency. It was quiet, almost too quiet, as you waited for any sign that you were not alone. Then, as Woonhak turned his attention away for a moment, you made your move.

“AHH!”

“AAUGHHHH!!!”

Woonhak’s scream echoed through the abandoned store as he nearly leapt out of his skin. You couldn’t help but cackle even as you held a finger to your ear. You were sure he took out some of your hearing with that holler. Hell, you were scared of what was left of the windows because that sonic boom could be enough to make them shatter.

“Gotcha,” you said slyly, moving the flashlight closer between the two of you.

“Come on!! Are you serious—” What followed was a string of complaints you could barely make out through his giant pout. He hopped in place, flinging his arms around him as he essentially threw a tantrum. “Ahh!! You’re going to regret this!” He tried to act serious with his threat, but you could see the slight tint of his cheeks from the embarrassment. As for yourself, you couldn’t stop laughing.

That was, until you heard a sound.

Both of your heads snapped in the direction, a sudden stillness falling over you two again. You flashed your light in the general vicinity, searching for what could have made the noise. You saw movement in the corner, and when you followed it with your light, you realized it was a mouse that had knocked over some debris. You scoffed, the tension releasing from the atmosphere.

“I think you woke the ghost up,” you joked, turning to poke fun at Woonhak. Except he was nowhere to be found.

You turned around fast enough to see him hightailing it out of the building, not bothering to look back. This left you laughing again, even as he left you hanging in the abandoned building alone. You knew that he would never live this incident down.

“All that time cooped up in the base has made you soft,” you said to him once you two rendezvoused outside of the building. You expected him to argue all the merits and tough points of being a military brat. Instead, he just frowned like a regular brat, arms crossed in front of his puffed chest.

“I’ve always been soft.”

Whether real or imagined, the dangers of exploring these areas were ever present. That was the fun of it, though. The two of you broke curfew and snuck around in the dark, finding stray resources and collectibles that were left over and undetected by the troops and volunteers that swept by. The items might not have been worth their weight in scrap, but to you and Woonhak, they were invaluable.

Your first shared treasure was a VHS player buried deep within one of the living rooms of a decrepit apartment complex. Woonhak’s cheer could probably be heard from a block away when you brought it back to your place to see that it was functional.

“This bad boy’s gonna play so many tapes,” he said, patting the top of it with a satisfied grin.

“Great! Do you have any?”

His smile wiped off his face. “No. Do you?”

“Nope.”

After that embarrassing revelation, you got to work, because there was no way you were going to let this machine go to waste. Over the next few weeks, your mission became to gather as many VHS tapes as possible—everything from The Goonies to The Breakfast Club. You huddled together in front of a vintage television under a makeshift blanket fort propped up by pillows and musty furniture. You even siphoned some energy during lights-off hours, keeping the curtains drawn and the volume low. It was your diminutive form of protest, stealing power when you were ordered to live in darkness. But what was a little bit of electricity compared to all that was robbed from you?

“What do you think happened after that?” you asked as the credits rolled after a movie one night. There was still one whole year of high school to follow the characters through, but the story was left open-ended for the audience to mull over.

“I don’t know. Happily ever after?” Woonhak said with an exaggerated stretch.

“That seems unrealistic.”

“What do you think then?”

“Honestly?” You thought for a second before shrugging. “They probably graduated and grew up into boring adults.”

“Ugh,” Woonhak responded with a groan. “I sure hope not. That’d be a bummer of a sequel.”

You just chuckled, nodding in agreement as you pressed eject on the video player.

“Probably better the movie ended where it did, then.”

The two of you went through the VCR tapes faster than what was probably recommended or sustainable. It wasn’t a worry though, because once you ran out of new content to watch, you popped the same tapes back in to enjoy a second or even third time. These movies taught you two of high school delinquents and friends with a taste for adventure, of getting in trouble but still getting home on time for dinner. Some of these themes dissolved to tint your own world in technicolor hues.

“Look at these!”

Woonhak appeared to your doorstep one day with an extra skip in his step. He spun around, extending his legs to show off what you could clearly see were pants two sizes too big. He looked a bit ridiculous, whether it was unintentional or by design. Maybe he would grow into them.

“Real vintage jeans. From the late 1900s!”

“Those are from the ‘90s.”

“I said what I said.”

Woonhak always knew how to make you laugh, even in the darkest of times. The two of you searched deserted closets and discarded garments to find more bounties. You ran around singing tunes and recycling old fabric as bandanas, cosplaying as rebels from a time far from your own. You explored in tandem, marching forward like the leaders of a rebellious gang of two with your scuffed sneakers and loose jeans. Then, you hid away again, watching retro movies of a world that once was.

Your most prized possession actually came from your father’s bedroom. Tucked away in a box underneath his bed were two walkie-talkies. They were kept with his military keepsakes that weren’t important enough to pack with him—or maybe he left them behind to keep them safe. Regardless of the reason, Woonhak easily convinced you that you would just be borrowing them for the time being.

You scavenged some batteries and repurposed the technology into your own personal toys. Yet another rule broken for your own benefit. With these walkie-talkies, you were kids again, exchanging messages and whispering secrets that no one else could hear. You were an astronaut and a space cadet, a spy and a mastermind, a ghostbuster and a medium. With these walkie-talkies, you were anything but the product of this war-torn country.

“Hawkeye to Honey Badger. Do you read me?”

Your walkie-talkie buzzed with white noise at the end of the transmission. You lifted the device up to your lips before pressing the button to speak.

“Loud and clear.”

Suspiciously, you could hear a faint static behind one of the trees lining the courtyard nearby—the very leafy tree, you might add.

“I’ve spotted my target. How should I proceed?”

It took no effort to match Woonhak’s energy, dropping your tone to be serious in your answer. “Approach with caution. The target may be armed and dangerous.”

“I’m going in, over.”

It wasn’t long before you heard a rush of footsteps behind you and a rally cry sounding too happy to be threatening. Woonhak rushed in for the tackle, swooping in low to take hold of your torso. You let out a surprised squeal as your footing slipped and you both went tumbling into the grass.

The impact of the fall was softer than you expected, and you took this opportunity to use your most effective weapon—you warned him, after all. You reached around to wiggle your fingers into Woonhak’s sides, successfully hitting him with a tickle attack. His movements became erratic as he cackled uncontrollably, and you found yourself giggling along, lungs strained with laughter as your world spun around you. The two of you rolled across the grass until a truce was called and you both lay on your backs next to each other, dizzy but with great smiles on your faces. If this was him enacting revenge, you didn’t mind it at all.

Your heart was racing when your hands first touched. It was just the faintest brush of your knuckles, almost as if by accident. Except your fingers nudged against his again, daring to push the boundaries. With that, he quickly enveloped your hand, holding it in such a way that couldn’t send any mixed signals.

Through these nights, you fell into a rhythm and for each other. First following one another, and now side by side. Your footsteps aligned, your breaths intermingled, your hands intertwined. And once you were fully in each other’s grasp, you never wanted to let go.

You dreamed of a brighter future on the horizon.

Not every evening was a success. In fact, the majority of them could be considered failings, your prizes obscured by pollution of both light and air. But once in a blue moon, you would be blessed with a glimpse of something special.

The sixth time was the charm. There was a break in the clouds for merely a short moment, the smog letting up just enough to allow the light in. A sliver of orange filtered through the monotone sky that had been painted above your heads, reflecting off of the river below, as you and Woonhak watched on. The rare phenomenon had your undivided attention. You stood on the bridge, leaning forward as far as the railing would safely allow, hoping to catch this elusive sunset. It was like catching sight of a mythical being. The splash of color painted warmth across the landscape, like a flash of what could be. A sight of maybe what awaited you at the end of all this.

As quickly as it arrived, it vanished.

You let out a sigh, a breath mixed with amazement and parting sorrow. The skyline left behind was still thrumming with a warm tone, but it faded far too swiftly. While it had been a remarkable view, it left you wanting more. Like those films of youth and summer vacations by the beach, you wanted to experience that bold, almost oppressive warmth.

“The sunsets in Busan must be amazing this time of year,” you wondered out loud, remembering the visages from magazines and movies.

“I lived there for a while!” Woonhak exclaimed, flaunting with his chest puffed.

Your eyes lit up. “Really? How was it?”

“I was too young to remember.”

You visibly deflated, throwing a playful punch at his arm. It was like pushing a button that extracted a complaint and a laugh from him. “Don’t get my hopes up like that.”

“My mom liked it, so I’m sure it was great.” He paused before correcting himself. “Probably still is.”

You heaved another dreamy sigh. “I’ve always wanted to go.”

The entire world was all facing toward the same burning star in the sky, but somehow each perspective was vastly different. The sun was like a tired mistress here, rising and falling just because it was expected of her, kept under a veil to shield her from prying eyes. But the Busan sun seemed like a newlywed bride, flourishing and flaunting her beauty for the whole coast to see.

“Will you take me with you?” Woonhak asked.

It was a rather innocent question, but you felt the anticipation behind it. You craned your neck to look at him as you leaned on the railing together, shoulder to shoulder. His imploring gaze made you realize you hadn’t even considered a future where he wasn’t there with you, basking in the true dusk of a clear sky.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

You leaned in for a chaste kiss, capturing his lips with a newfound resolution. You could feel him smile against your lips as he deepened the kiss. In this moment, it felt like you sealed a promise. When you parted, you shared a meaningful look, your smiles never falling from your faces.

Woonhak shifted to stand behind you like a pillar of safety. He wrapped his arms around you and held you tight, nuzzling his cheek closer to yours. You placed your hands over his arms, letting yourself lean back snugly against him in full trust.

“You know, the sun is just a star in our solar system,” you recited as the remnants of day soon descended into night.

“Well, no wonder our luck’s terrible,” Woonhak said with a huff. “We’ve been trying to chase starlight all this time.”

A smile curled on your lips as you both watched the same darkening sky. “Maybe we’ll have better luck somewhere else.”

“I heard there’s real sunsets in L.A.,” he said into your ear.

It felt like a promise. Another one you exchanged with no need for further words.

There might not be sunlight filtering through the dark storm of dust and carbon, but you felt a different type of warmth in Woonhak’s secure embrace. A warmth that brought up the image of the trickling sunlight you just bore witness to. While it had been painfully brief, it now lived in your memories where you would keep it safe. You might even nurture it and let it grow into a dream, looking forward to the days when you could save dazzling horizons and brilliant skies into your precious bank of memories.

“Let’s go see it together.”

You lost him at sunrise.

It was your initial fear when you awoke at dawn to the city’s commotion of rumbling engines and stomping feet. You could hear it even from your home, despite being further in the suburbia, and it left an uneasy feeling that drove you to start the day early. You turned on the news to get a sense of what was going on but obtained no helpful information whatsoever. It was to be expected—these broadcasts didn’t give the people true updates, only the usual placations for its citizens or diversions for potential eavesdroppers. It was only when you stepped out of your home that a neighbor returning from his graveyard shift at the factory broke the news.

“The troops are all leaving. Heard it was a ‘tactical retreat.’ They’re heading back inland to the new base.”

The jaded neighbor went into more detail, reeling off a long list of grievances with how the base was built with their blood, sweat, and tears. The efforts and materials put forth by the factory laborers of this city were all being hauled out of its origin to go fortify this new rendezvous point. But you weren’t listening. You were panicking.

You took off down the street without another thought, ignoring the last grumble of protest toward the military presence from the unhappy worker behind you.

“Good riddance.”

The streets were crowded and rife with action by the time you made it downtown. All down the main road, military personnel were loaded into trucks and vans heading out eastward. Vehicles roved and soldiers marched on toward the rising sun, its young rays peeking over the inhabitants who have all been rudely awakened at this early hour. It seemed that the neighbor’s intel was right. The troops were all departing. But even as you watched them with your own eyes, you couldn’t believe it to be true.

He had promised.

Breathless from your urgent sprint, you rushed forward to follow alongside the fleeting formation. Your gaze swept across the faces for any sense of familiarity, for anyone’s gaze to meet yours, but everyone kept their eyes locked forward. They didn’t bother to pay a random teenager any mind, even as you raced to the front of the exit route and waited as each soul passed you by.

You watched carefully, scanning the faces that came and went in the windows of each truck. You even peered at each officer’s uniform, trying to spot the telltale stripes and star that would signify a lieutenant commander. You stood resolute at the edge of that road, braving the dirt and debris that got kicked up to burn your eyes and sting your lungs. You tried to hold onto hope, but each beat of a soldier’s step or exhaust’s backfire drove the stake deeper in your heart until fractures spread across its surface. You weren’t sure how much longer you could last, but you withstood it until the very last soldiers passed the threshold, leaving behind only tire tracks and scattered footprints.

At the end of it all, you were left with an empty road and the sun’s diffused light high in the dusty sky.

The walk home was unbearable in more ways than one. Your dry eyes and hoarse throat were made worse as you choked down the sobs that threatened to rise up. It was a struggle to breathe, even as you wandered back into your neighborhood and away from the urban sprawl. You held it together, hands clutching at your own arms as you drew them in tight toward your torso. You felt as if you would fall apart if you didn’t.

But then you saw him.

A lonely figure paced back and forth on your front porch. His rigid posture exhibited almost as much distress as you felt, the frenetic energy emanating from his harried steps on the faded wood. Your breath finally caught in your throat when he looked up with widened eyes. The moment your gazes met, Woonhak rushed forward.

You found yourself running, your hands letting go of yourself as you reached out to him. The impact was almost painful as Woonhak drew you into a bone-crushing embrace. The air knocked out of your lungs, and you flung your arms over his shoulders to cling onto his taller form. In that instant, you let yourself fall apart in his arms, and he held you impossibly tighter. Behind him, you saw his walkie-talkie laying strewn by the front doormat. You had stupidly left yours behind in your bedroom.

“I thought they took you away,” you managed to say in between your tears that had begun flowing.

“Don’t worry, I’m here. I’m not leaving.”

His words were assured, but his voice trembled with a great effort to keep himself steady. To keep from breaking, too. It was a frivolous attempt, because soon enough, you could hear his stifled sobs by your ear as he pressed his face into your neck.

You couldn’t imagine what he was feeling, what he was going through. Woonhak’s family had gone without him, whether willingly or not. Instead of sitting on one of those caravans with them, he was standing on this empty street with you—and that was willingly. You continued to hold onto one another with desperation and a settling realization that you now understood what it meant to be two lovers who had each other completely.

He had promised, and he had remained.

You placed your faith in the constellations.

It was amazing what a little imagination could do for humankind. It was sometimes the driving force behind people’s lives when the days became too dreary and the nights droned on in an identical manner. People often saw it as a privilege to be creative, but at times it could be necessary.

“There’s the Big Dipper,” you recited, pointing your index finger to the northern sky. The formation of stars was easy to spot if you knew where to look, coming together to connect the mental picture of a tilted ladle. It was always found in the night sky year-round, never disappearing below the horizon. Or, it wasn’t supposed to. It wasn’t lost on you that your finger traced over nothing, but Woonhak’s eyes still followed. “They also call it the Seven Stars of Fate.”

“Sounds pretty important,” Woonhak responded, turning his head to regard you. You both lay on your favorite secluded hill, one you two claimed with a small flag made from a wooden skewer and crumpled snack wrapper. Here, you could rest with your backs on the grass and eyes on the blanket of night. “Why’s it called that?”

“People prayed to it in the past. They believed that the constellation oversaw fate, lifespans, and…”

“And?”

You ducked your eyes to meet Woonhak’s. “The protection of children.”

Everything from birth to death, each star in the Big Dipper was believed to write and erase names from the Book of Life. It was a story passed down through the generations, once viewed as a belief as true as water flowed downstream, now more of a folktale of forces beyond your time.

“That’s a lot of pressure to put on a few stars.”

“Yeah, it is,” you agreed solemnly. “But you gotta place your faith in something.”

You wondered how those people were like in the past, praying to a deity in the stars they could not see. Attributing good fortune to being heard by the heavens while the ignored suffered with bad omens. In a way, it was admirable, holding onto a blind faith in spite of any challenges they faced. To be honest, you were starting to understand how that must have felt.

“Look there. Do you think that’s a star?” You pointed up in the sky again as both of your attentions shifted toward the space. You knew the answer already. It was just a satellite in orbit, a single light in the otherwise bleak span of the night. But you had imagination on your side.

“Absolutely.” Woonhak just smiled at you brightly, and you wanted to believe it more than anything. “We should give it a name.”

“What do you have in mind?”

He hummed, taking a long pause to ponder. “The Little Helper.”

You had to stop yourself from snorting, an amused smile tugging at your mouth. With how long he took to come up with the answer, you expected it to be some sort of profound name.

“The Little Helper?” you repeated as a question.

Woonhak just nodded cheerfully. “Or also called the Eighth Star of Fate. It can share some of the responsibility and help out the Big Dipper.”

Your laughter subsided, but a soft smile was left on your face as you appreciated the sweet boy next to you. Time and time again, he never ceased to amaze you.

The two of you continued to spend the night drawing constellations with your fingers outstretched into the air. To the two of you, the empty sky was just a blank canvas waiting to be drawn on. You lay on your backs in this grassy knoll, his warm hand held constant over yours as he guided your finger to connect the imaginary dots. Each of these dots held meaning, held potential. It held the trust that these stars were right where they would be. You might not see them at this very moment, but you knew they were there.

Stars weren’t snuffed out that easily.

Maybe they wouldn’t be there for eternity—you wouldn’t go as far as to hope for that—but maybe they would bless the earth for at least the next 50, 100, or even 400 years. Strangely, it felt like a nice, concrete number, carrying more promise than the abstraction of forever. It was a mere blip in the greater timeline of the universe, so maybe the universe would be more willing to grant that small wish. Maybe the stars would be more willing to listen.

You wished the night didn’t end.

The earth shook as the lights went out this time. The source was distant but strong enough to cause a jolt in the home’s foundation and a drop in your stomach. There was a small crash in the living room as everything went pitch black. You stood frozen for a moment, letting your eyes adjust to the sudden change. Thankfully, a bit of moonlight trickled in from the window to light your path as you carefully stepped forward out of your room.

When you made it into the living room to investigate the noise, you noticed an object laying on the middle of your wooden floor. Nearing closer, you recognized it to be a picture frame that must have been knocked off of the mantle above. You stooped down to gingerly pick it up from its faced-down position. While no glass or broken pieces littered the surroundings, a large crack ran straight across the expanse of the clear pane.

It was a picture of your father.

You had never been a religious person, but you felt a instinctive pull to pray in that moment. You weren’t sure who you were praying to, whether it was a starry entity from the past or an all-knowing figure from the present. All you knew was that you felt like a child again, holding your father close to your chest as the darkness cradled you like a doting guardian. It felt neither chilling nor comforting. It just was.

You didn’t know how long you knelt there in the middle of your home when you heard the familiar crack of static. Muffled words resonated from your bedroom as your walkie-talkie sprung to life. You couldn’t catch the content, but you knew it only meant one thing.

Woonhak was nearby.

Picking yourself up off the ground, you made a beeline toward your room. You pushed aside your pillow to reveal the walkie-talkie just as another message transmitted through.

“Hey, can you hear me?”

You picked up the device, pressing the button to respond. “Loud and clear.” A burst of white noise signaled he was speaking again.

“I’m in front of your house. If you’re not asleep, let’s go on a walk.”

It was an invitation that normally would send a giddy flutter through your heart. But rather than a spike upward, you felt your chest sink into the words. You were no strangers to the late nights, fully prepared to face the dangers of getting caught or stumbling in the shadow. You had written your story in the dark, illuminated only by the TV screen or the infrequent flashlight. Tonight was no different, you told yourself. You breathed out, allowing for just a brief moment to let your heart rise once more before replying.

“I’ll be right out.”

Leaving your walkie-talkie behind, you stepped back into your living room. You carefully placed the photo frame upright back onto the mantle, regarding the face of your father one more time before heading out the front. You didn’t bother to lock the door behind you.

All thoughts left your head when you saw Woonhak standing a few paces away from your porch with his gaze held high. He was shaded under the lightless street, but as soon as he set his eyes on you, his entire expression lit up. An immense smile greeted you, and you swore it was enough to brighten the entire area from one end of the road to the next.

“What are you doing here?” you asked as you stepped forward to meet him.

“There were so many stars in the sky, so I wanted to walk with you for a bit.”

That was when you finally looked up. For the first time in your life, you saw the stars. Thousands of twinkling lights that could never be mistaken for anything other than what they were. The skies were strikingly clear, opening up the faint outline of an entire galaxy watching over you. Your smile matched Woonhak’s, stretching across your face so wide it almost hurt. There were far too many dots to count, but you wanted to connect them all.

“Let’s get a better view!” You took Woonhak’s hand and led him through the paths you were most familiar with.

Not one streetlamp was on as you traversed the terrain, but it was okay. The light from the stars above guided you on your journey. Your necks craned back to keep their eyes on the miracle, running as fast as you could through the sidewalks and alleyways. Your shoes hit the pavement, echoing through the otherwise silent atmosphere until a fit of laughter rose to join in the harmony.

“Look at us,” Woonhak called out into the cool night air, breath hitching with each stride. “We’re like a scene from one of our movies!”

He was right. As you laughed wholeheartedly, louder than you had in a very long time, it felt like the two of you were the stars of your own youth film. You felt like a firework ready to explode, oxygen and glee caught in your throat from the exertion of the prolonged run. Still, you persisted, running and running until your entire beings burned almost as bright as the stars. Your legs protested as you two trekked up the steep hill you had once met on until finally, you stood overlooking the city before you.

It was uncanny, standing at this vantage point to witness a completely novel scene. The entire city was blacked out, from the residential neighborhoods to even the factories at the outer border. It felt like a world flipped upside down, as if the stars swiped the lights straight from the city and painted their once-blank canvas with wondrous glowing colors.

The more you blinked, the more stars seemed to become visible with nothing to hide them anymore. You wanted to check for all the constellations, point out each and every one now that they were in full view. You wanted to capture them in your memory: Cassiopeia, Draco, the Big Dipper. But your eyes didn’t stay upward for long, because you realized in all this breathless wonder and dire excitement, you had something more important you wanted to capture.

And when you looked down at Woonhak, you saw that he was already staring back at you.

Your hands wouldn’t stop shaking. You didn’t realize it until they weren’t anymore. Woonhak drew closer, slipping his fingers with yours and clasping you steady, grounding you and keeping you from floating away. He gazed at you like you were the only person in the world—the only thing that mattered. And you believed it. You believed it to be truer than any fact of the universe, and you didn’t need the power of the constellations to confirm that.

So, you kissed him. You threw your arms around his neck and he pulled you close by the waist. You felt like a puzzle piece, resting into a place created just for you, the only place you fit. The only place you wanted to be.

Late nights, shining stars, and sunsets didn’t mean a thing without him. Even as the stars refused to shine and the sun hid from sight, these were not missed opportunities but precious memories. Time and shared space were few and far between in this realm, but you chased them like an eclipse—together. And you longed for the days to relive them. Not for their beautiful views but for him.

“I love you,” you whispered when you pulled away.

Your desperate confession was met with a tearful smile. It broke your heart and mended it again, because only he could hurt and heal you in this moment. Woonhak leaned forward, pressing his forehead against yours as a sorrowful laugh wracked through his body.

“I love you, too.”

All the stars in the sky, and yet you were staring at each other. Despite the darkness, the two of you burned the brightest—more than any star above your heads or sun across the horizons. You were the main characters of your own story, and the universe finally came out of hiding to become your witness.

Above you, the stars began to shine impossibly brighter. Then, they began to fall. Even as the lights streaked down across the night sky, blooming to reach the level of daylight, you remained in each other’s arms.