The twenty-eighth story
Use meat.
Yooseong sat on the meteorite, waiting for Jeongguk to arrive. He must have been concerned about Jeongguk, who was trying to move away from him and avoid his touch. Yooseong continued to look around, waiting for Jeongguk. But no matter how long he waited, he couldn't see any sign of him. He always came around this time... Worried, Yooseong got up from the meteorite and paced around. He even chewed his fingernails, which he hadn't bitten before.
Byulnim noticed Yoo-seong, who looked so unstable, and approached him. Yoo-seong, what's wrong? Are you okay? Yoo-seong asked Byulnim, hugging her. Jeong-guk isn't coming. Byulnim, who had no hands to pat Yoo-seong, simply looked at him with pity and answered. Let's wait a little longer. And don't bite your pretty nails. Okay? Yoo-seong. At those words, Yoo-seong released his arm from Byulnim and nodded.
Yooseong, who had decided to wait a little longer as Byeolnim had suggested, was about to sit on the meteorite when Jeongguk's body began to appear. Bandages were wrapped around his head and body, and he was wearing a hospital gown. Yooseong didn't know what it meant, so he was simply delighted. With a joyful heart, Yooseong approached Jeongguk and waited for him to open his eyes. He put on a playful smile, hoping to surprise him when he did, and brought his face close to Jeongguk's. He waited like that for Jeongguk to wake up... but no matter how much time passed, Jeongguk showed no signs of waking up. Yooseong looked at Byeolnim with a strange feeling.
“Jungkook won’t open his eyes.”
The moment Byul saw Jungkook, she knew what kind of state he was in, so she couldn't readily tell Yoosung. Perhaps that's why Byul hesitated and smiled awkwardly, wondering if he would wake up soon. Yoosung had no way of knowing Byul's behavior. Puzzled by Byul's incomprehensible behavior, Yoosung kept tilting his head and asking why Jungkook wasn't opening his eyes. Perhaps judging by Yoosung's doe-like eyes, Byul took a deep breath and spoke.
“Jungkook is dying right now, Yooseong.”
He couldn't possibly understand Jeongguk's death, or death itself, when he didn't even know that he was getting close to death.
“Dying…? What is that…?”
“You know the soul, right? Sometimes, the souls get lost and wander in space.”
“Yeah. I know that when a body is slightly transparent and very cold, it’s called a soul.”
"All those souls are dead. Dying means the end of life. When life ends, you can no longer hear anything, feel anything, or see anything. It's all over."
“But the souls…”
"Those souls can be seen as a means to reach the afterlife after death. There, they are judged to decide whether to go straight to hell, be reincarnated, or face extinction."
“I know about hell because God told me about it. What about extinction and reincarnation…?”
"Extinction is similar to death. The only difference is that with extinction, you don't even get a chance to reincarnate. Reincarnation is about starting another life after this one ends and you lose all your memories."
“I see… Jeongguk… died… but he can be reincarnated, right…?”
"...Reincarnation is impossible. Once your fate has changed, you will never be able to reincarnate and will simply disappear. If your fate changes, the laws of the Earth will collapse, and you will be punished."
Yooseong grabbed Jeongguk's hand, which was becoming increasingly transparent. His hand, always so warm, felt as if he was about to suffer frostbite, and the feeling of his once soft skin faded. Is this what it means to die? Yooseong looked at Jeongguk with tears welling up in his eyes. Then he looked at his own body. Like Jeongguk, his own body was becoming faintly transparent. Only then did Yooseong realize. The life and breath God had spoken of... That meant he, too, would die.
Yooseong was terrified. It wasn't that he was getting closer to death, but that Jeongguk was getting closer and closer to it. He didn't care what happened to him. Yooseong's mind was focused solely on Jeongguk. He only saw Jeongguk. Jeon Jeongguk, who was growing colder and colder.
“I’m so scared, Jungkook…”
Hot tears streamed down Yoosung's cheeks. He held Jungkook close, unable to breathe, his tears streaming down his face. He cried, repeatedly calling Jungkook's name. Then, Yoosung remembered a way to save Jungkook. Wiping his tears, as if determined, he laid Jungkook down on the meteorite.
Yoo Sung stared intently at Jeong-guk, then gave him a light kiss. It was as if he was saying, "This is our last."
Yoosung clasped his hands together tightly. Then he closed his eyes. Byulnim immediately recognized what Yoosung was doing. Perhaps that's why Byulnim shouted to stop him. What Yoosung was about to do was make a wish for himself. Yoosung, as a being, was never supposed to make a wish for himself. That was an unspoken rule, and breaking it would result in his annihilation.
Even though Yoo-seong knew the truth, he ignored the star and made a wish.
Yoo-seong wanted to save Jeong-guk even if it meant sacrificing himself.
Yooseong loved Jeongguk so much.
Thanks to Jeongguk, Yoo Seong was able to feel emotions and gain wishes.
Yooseong was so happy thanks to Jeongguk.
He was afraid of the person who made him happy getting closer and closer to death, of his breathing stopping, of his body growing cold.
Yoo Seong thought.
Even if I perish, even if there is no more life, I will sacrifice this body and pray for the happiness of my loved one.
Yoo Seong whispered softly.
“Please let Jeongguk forget me and live happily.”
For breaking the unspoken rule, Yooseong must be punished. As Yooseong's wish was granted, his body gradually disappeared. Transparency, then transparency... She, infinitely more transparent, held Jeongguk's gaze one more time before her body completely vanished.
And so, the existence of Yoo-seong vanished, carrying with it the longing and sorrow that had plagued Jeong-guk's heart. It vanished, leaving behind a flurry of tears, fragments of her body, or something else entirely. Without ever remaining in the memories of her loved one. Forever.
-
At that moment, Jungkook's heart rate returned to normal, and he regained his senses. Jungkook's mother and father, who had been sobbing beside him, stroked him once before sobbing again and calling the doctor. "Our son is alive." Taehyung and Jimin, who were beside him, also wiped their tears and walked closer to Jungkook. Jungkook was so confused and his vision was blurry that he couldn't recognize Taehyung and Jimin. He was so dizzy that he struggled to turn his head to the side. Then, in the pitch-black night sky, a shooting star shone brightly and fell clearly. Jungkook's eyes could only see the shooting star, the meteor. But Jungkook felt nothing. The existence of the meteor had completely vanished from his memory.
Though he had no thoughts or feelings, Jeongguk couldn't take his eyes off the night sky. And for some reason, tears began to flow.
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Meteor, make a wish_final
+I'll come back with a review!!