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chapter one is where we met and split
choi seungcheol clearly remembered every detail of the day he meet lee jungchan, his childhood friend whom he associate to the stars twinkling in the dead of the night.
he was alone at the playground that time due to his parents quarrelling again. it seems like no day would pass without them bickering. it was cold that time and him mindlessly playing with the swing accompanied with the sounds of cicadas and a few mosquito bites on his knees but he didn't mind those but what caught his attention was the light coming from the moon.
"Yah kid, why are you looking up?" asked by a very small boy wearing a semicircle cap, a jumper. "nothing it's just even though the moon has light it's still not enough to calm someone walking alone in a dark street." he replied. "oh want some ice cream?" and cheol for the first time of that day bursted out laughing.
"why are you laughing like that im just offering you some ice cream and i was about to tell you a story but i decided you were hungry since it looks like you're alone." chan sulked. "ah that's it, mwoya what story would you tell me?" his eyes glimmers as he watch the boy sat on the slide happily munching his ice cream not minding the sticky stains it left on his mouth.
"well my mom told me a legend that before the moon really sits alone every night not until the fairy of light gifted him stars in the sky so our night sky is decorated with a big gray ball and bright yellow lights." seungcheol didn't know that at the night the fairy light also gave him his star. for he was a lonely moon in need of company.
"come here i will show you something" chan held out his hand and pull seungcheol out of the playground and ran through the bridge over the river, the lanes of houses still lit up eating dinners with complete members until they reached a vast field. "what are we doing here, won't your mom scold you for bringing me here, maybe she's looking for you." he protests.
"sshh quiet and no my mom won't scold me, she saw you outside the window and told me to accompany you here plus im a big boy already you scaredy cat." chan teases him.
cheol pouted "who are you to ca--" he didn't finish talking when the younger covered his mouth. a sweet humming sound came out of chan's lips and it's like he serenades the tall bushes and he walk at the center and continued humming until small yellow lights flew out and for that little kid who was alone a few minutes ago. this scene is magical.
cheol found a star that night and ever since his parents make him sad or he cries a certain yellow boy lee chan will accompany him. suddenly break times in kindergarten became a time for him to share snacks and play toys with chan. his laughter is what he need for his day to be complete.
ten years in their friendship it was the first time their doorbell rang and when he opened the door he was welcomed with that familiar smile and not even a single breath he was pulled again by chan towards the same fields.
"what are we doing here?" at first he was surprised because he was presented with a small box decored with yellow stars and red cherry stickers. "we will be leaving home tomorrow because dad was accepted at a new job and mom is pregnant with my baby brother and no one here can help her take care of him. so we have to leave town and start new again. that's why i'm giving you this gift before i'll leave promise me you'll never forget me and when the time is right come visit me in our new home. " cheol kept his tears hearing chan explaining why he had to leave. his star will leave him and suddenly it is storm again.
lee chan is crying shamed that he will leave his bestfriend when he felt cold bracelet being weared on his left wrist." chan-ah look up, remember this bracelet the one my grandmother gave to me. i will gift this to you so you will never forget that you became a star to me that night. don't be sad, i'll still see you right?" he assured chan.
"mhm we will see each other. open your gift now, i want to see your reaction." while sneezing on his handkerchief due to lots of tears he cried tonight. cheol unwrapped the gift and was surprised with a music box and it's full of moon and constellation just like how their sky look like in their street. he twist and turn and laid it on the ground. "chan-ah danced with me?" two young souls crying and laughing filled the dead night filled with lit up fireflies and the sounds of cicadas.
chapter 2 is where we realized we fell for each other
cheol was awestruck when it was the first day at his university. the campus is big and has lots of unfamiliar faces. this is a whole new world for cheol and he's not sure if this is something he's ready for.
the school bell rings and resonated throughout the university signalling the start of a new semester. he sitted at the far corner of the room. little did he know steps of a very familiar figure slowly walks inside his classroom. not much has changed in the span of five years. fortunately (or is it?) an empty chair is situated beside him and this was occupied by the same bright kid who showed him the lights of fireflies that night
"choi seungcheol, glad to see you here." lee jungchan still has the same goofy smile wearing his autumn colored sweater. the words he wants to say can't come out of his mouth. once again the exact boy made him speechless.
classes ended and cheol wasn't able to focus since the entire time he was planning on how he will invite chan for a cup of coffee, for a walk, for a dinner ahhh he doesn't know "yes choi seungcheol you can take me out on a coffee date." chan smirks. "how do you know what i'm thinking, five years and you're a mind reader now?" chan laughs "why don't we leave and talk so we can save more time right?" and cheol found himself being pulled outside. still the same jungchan.
they preferred to drink their coffee outside since it's hot and perfect for the cold temperature brought by winter. he noticed the accessory chan is wearing it was the same bracelet he gifted him, he smiled at that thought for his music box is located on his bedside table and it became a routine of him to turn it as the melody calms him down to sleep. truly chan is his warm summer in this cold winter.
those coffee night outs became dinner dates until cheol found the courage to ask him while they watched the sunset at cloud cafe. the memory is still vivid to him because lee chan only said yes when cheol accept his offer to dance. the tune hummed by chan and at that moment he was brought back to the past the sound of cicadas and the yellow lights of fireflies plus the vast field. at that night he found home above the clouds. the moon and star danced under the dark sky canvas.
chapter 3 is where we promised forever
one night when they were cuddled up in pyjamas laid on the sofa bed and watching their favorite ghibli films along with their ordered cup of coffee and a half-eaten pizza, lightnings and thunders were heard from the window of cheol's apartment and chan immediately hugged him tightly as he has astraphobia.
"babe look at me it's fine i'm here." all he can do is assure and kissed his forehead to calm him down. the fearful sounds stop and droplets of water started to fall. "you know what my mom also told me something before i go to bed." chan suddenly curious, "uhm and what is that?". cheol brushed his hair as if he was nursing a child before bedtime. "you know why droplets of water come out of the sky? queen luna lives on the biggest crater on the moon and every night he hears the children's wishes like new toys or even siblings and once all the wishes are pooled on the crater's lake the queen sends back their wish via stars so when the skies are dark everytime it rain's it was because the star soldiers cries their heart out to fulfill the children's wishes. " chan was fascinated at how his boyfriend was able to tell the story this guys will be a perfect father he thoughts.
" look outside, it seems the sky tells us to momentarily stop for a while and watch the rain falls, perfect for some hot coffee and cuddle weather" as he hugged chan tightly. leaving him a kiss on the forehead. little did he know cheol kept a velvet box on his drawer and tomorrow at coordinates 3.2028° N, 73.2207° E he'll be able to ask chan the burning question in his heart.