"Out of every heartbreak, there comes a beautiful rebirth"
Beomgyu stood in front of the door of the princess's office and fixed his hair. His hands moved to the badges on his jacket as he fixed them properly so that they could be on display for others to watch in envy. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door before entering inside.
He became a senior guardian after a year of being suspended from serving humans. That was his punishment for creating chaos and discipline in the universe. The princess took away his guardianship as his penalty which was very insulting. He had to stay in the universe unemployed while the rest of the guardians made fun of him. When his punishment was over, he devoted himself to humans entirely, thus he achieved two badges over the decades for saving two V.I.P souls. Well, now three.
He closed the door and walked to her desk where she was working. He cleared his throat and asked, "You wanted to see me, Princess Aereum?"
She lifted her head and instantly had a radiating smile on her face. Pausing her work, she told him, "Congratulations for saving another V.I.P soul, Guardian Beomgyu. I'm impressed."
Her compliment made him smile as he blushed slightly and lowered his gaze. Being a senior guardian and earning constant fame could never bore him.
Aereum rose from her chair, opened a drawer from the desk and picked a badge. She walked to him and proceeded to put it on his jacket. This was the third time she did it herself. He found it very wonderful.
When the third badge was finally on him, he smiled , "Thank you, Princess. I'll keep working hard."
Instead of responding to his thanks, she just gave a little smile. Her slight change in behaviour didn't go unnoticed. Usually she would tell him a few inspiring words and then bid goodbye. But her silence and mysterious smile were causing him to think something was different.
"Is everything okay?" He asked curiously.
He wasn't wrong, because she gave a nod and crossed her arms over her chest. Turning around, she picked a document in her hands, must be what she was working on and showed it to him. It didn't seem like a document, rather a letter.
"There is a new regulation we must follow." She showed the letter to him.
With no intention to read it, he stared at the letter curiously, "Who is it from?"
"It's a message from the one who created this universe."
Beomgyu widened his eyes and stared at her without blinking. It was his first time seeing a letter from Almighty. He heard it before that He sends letters to the ruler of Love Universe if anything is to change.
She conveyed the message of the letter, "It says...every 15th year, we must check on our reincarnated souls to see if they're doing alright. We have to keep tabs on them in case reincarnation is a bad idea."
The reason wasn't mentioned in the letter. But once someone commits suicide or attempts it, whether in their previous or present life, that horrible act doesn't fear him that much. He could follow the same path again. Maybe this new regulation was meant to find out if the reincarnated souls are following the path of suicide again.
He nodded in agreement. It sounded like a good thing. "Okay then. We have...twenty reincarnated souls so far. Where should we start?"
She wore a mysterious smile. As if she had been waiting for him to ask her that question. "How about we start with our first couple?"
Beomgyu didn't understand at first. When realization hit him, he forgot how to breathe.
The first couple to ever reincarnate from Love Universe was Yoon Min and Seok Jin, who left the universe 25 years ago but never left his mind. Everyone knew their names. One of the professors wrote a book on their love story and that was why even after two decades, they were still very popular among the residents. People respected them and admired their relationship so much, as if they never left in the first place.
The mention of his best friend made him smile brightly. He still remembered how she looked to this day, how her voice sounded, how she felt about him. As a result, he couldn't bring himself to forgiveness after what he had done to her. He nearly killed her.
"Are you alright?" She asked, seeing his puzzled reaction.
He took a few seconds to answer, "It's just...I'm kind of nervous to see them."
"Which is why, I'm sending you. I'm very curious to know if they ended up together." She chuckled in excitement.
Hearing that made him feel a little relaxed than before. He asked next, "Should I go right now?"
She stared at him blankly before nodding her head with a smile. It was obvious she wanted him to visit them right now. The earlier he meets them, the earlier he will come back and tell her everything. She seemed more excited than him, to be honest.
Suddenly, he found his watch beeping. It was one of them. It was designed that way, the moment a guardian is ready to visit a reincarnated soul, the watch will take him to them. His chest rumbled in rush as if his dead heart wanted to beat faster. It was time to visit his old friend and her so-beloved lover.
He glanced at the princess once. When she gave her approval, he inhaled a long breath and pressed his watch. Immediately, he vanished and disappeared from her sight.
When Beomgyu landed on Earth, he felt a weird sensation. He expected a lot of places to land, but an airport was definitely out of his mind. The afternoon sun was blazing, but the air was colder. The sky was washed with orange and yellow lights, shining through the glass windows as if to brighten the lives of those within the glass panes. River of bodies were flowing in a rapid current, like streams to their destinations.
All of the busy faces were strolling to their respective gates, thus creating a light breeze with every passing body. He looked around and found himself in the waiting launch. Most people were scrolling their phones or taking a nap. Some were watching the huge TV where latest news were being briefed. They were waiting hours for their announcements so boredom and impatience trapped them.
Why was he at an airport?
As he was about to erupt in confusion, he tilted his head to the side and found a group of girls walking to the little black seats by the boarding area. Two of them were short, one was very tall and the other was in the middle. They seemed in mental panic as if they were searching for someone. He watched them stepping inside the area and scanned the whole place.
One of the girls shouted, "There she is!"
The four girls rushed by his side to a certain seat, creating a rapid breeze. His eyes followed those girls until they landed on someone familiar. There was someone familiar that caught his attention. He couldn't move away his gaze or blink his eyes as he stood still, staring frozen at her, a silent gratitude clear in his eyes. He knew if he was alive right now, his heart would've jumped out of his body and run to her.
Yoon Min.
She looked young, almost 18, long dark brown hair and slimmer than he remembered. Her hands gripped the boarding pass tightly as if it meant a lot to her. Though she appeared different in many aspects, but her eyes were still the same, beautiful ocean-like.
He didn't know when he walked to her and kept admiring her shamelessly. She really reincarnated? Last time he saw her, she was choking out blood and trembling in pain until death seized her, death that was caused by him.
His concentration was interrupted by one of the girls.
"How can you think of leaving without telling us?" The tall girl was emotional.
Yoon Min didn't answer. She only formed a smile. He recognized that smile; sadness in her eyes yet she smiled, as if it's her last.
One of the short girls almost cried, "W-We almost thought we won't be able to see you one last time..."
Where was she going?
Receiving her silence, the middle girl tried her best not to break down. "Why didn't you tell us you were planning to run away?"
Beomgyu couldn't find himself to move much less react after hearing that. He shuddered in surprise. She was running away?
"Say something! You never told us about this. You didn't even say you're leaving. You just left a long text." The other short girl demanded.
His eyes shifted to the large backpack on her back. That was the only luggage she had. He wanted to worry about that but the fact she was running away without telling anyone was scaring him more. What was going on with her?
Yoon Min finally opened her mouth. "I can't do this anymore..." She instantly lowered her head to fight her tears. "I didn't tell you because I couldn't risk it. I couldn't risk anyone knowing. You know my parents will search for me in every corner of the country and they will suspect all four of you, because they'll think you know where I am. I can't do that to you..." She looked at them, not wanting to cry. "And I didn't know how to say goodbye."
He tried to connect the lines into a plot. She was afraid of her parents. She was running away from them. She was even leaving the country. But why was she escaping from them?
The short girl spoke up, "But you didn't think how we will feel? We're your friends for God's sake! We know every single thing about you. We could even help you if you told us about your plan!"
The tall girl gritted her teeth, "Running away is not as easy as you think."
Yoon Min looked at her before replying with a faint smile. "But it's easier than going through abuse every day. Easier than crying in the bathroom, scared, alone, waiting for the clock to announce it's over. It's easier than losing almost all parts of myself, isn't it?"
Beomgyu's soul dropped to the pit of his stomach, dread coursing through his body. She was being abused?
It wasn't a lie, because all of her friends were quiet after her confession. They no longer could think of any logic to stop her from leaving, no longer had any weapon to defend themselves. They seem to know what was she going through and they also realized, running away was the only option she got. They understood her completely and supported her decision.
After a long silence, the middle girl asked, concern and tension clear in her voice, "Do you have everything with you?"
She nodded, tried to form a smile.
"Where will you stay? What'll you do all alone?"
She tried to assure them by smiling. "I'll be alright."
The tall girl held her arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. The rest of the girls gradually wrapped their arms around and created a group hug. As soon as three seconds had passed than they started sobbing bitterly, tears soaking their clothes. Goodbyes are all hard and emotional, especially in friendship.
The loud speaker announced the procession of her flight through all corners at the waiting launch. It was time for her to go. Her friends cried even more this time, begging her not to leave. They cared for her so much as if they loved her more than her abusive family ever did. They accepted her completely.
But Beomgyu wasn't ready to accept it. Why was she given a life similar to her previous one? She deserved supportive parents and she deserved to be happy after the hell she went through. At least in this life, she deserved to live a grandeur life, full of love and success. She was supposed to meet Seokjin as well.
His fingers went through his hair and hands tightened into fists, eyes darkening in fury and malice with every syllable and passing phase. How could Almighty be so cruel? Too much upset by the outcome of her new life, he even panicked by the thought of sharing the news with Princess Aereum. What was he gonna say, that Yoon Min once again was blessed with an abusive family who treated her like shit that made her run away at a young age?
He couldn't watch their emotional goodbye anymore. He had to do something to calm down. Turning around, his eyes fell on the TV and at first thought would be a good distraction. Because normally, hundreds of things were happening around the world and maybe some news could appeal him for a second.
But he was dead wrong.
On the TV, the news channel was showing a photo of a very familiar person. The man seemed in his late 20s, wore makeup and appeared to be a celebrity. He looked unrecognizable but still possessed good looks.
"Kpop boyband BTS's eldest member is to enlist in military after being accused of several drug usage and harsh bullyism during pre-debut."
He went frigid in shock, when he recognized him, one name repeating itself in his mind after the sight.
Kim Seok Jin.
The channel showed a few videos clips and photos beside the newscaster. It was portrayed how he looked guilty and ashamed, but it was also revealed he was not accepting the charges despite the evidences. Fans have become raged with the truth as they demand apology and protection of the other members. HYBE Labels had announced his milliary enlistment and he will be on hiatus until further notice.
The panic in Beomgyu's eyes made a trail of dread to the pit of his stomach, slowly making its way to his soul, as though it had become a part of his body. He couldn't understand anything clearly.
Seokjin became an idol? An idol who was charged with severe accusations? How did he end up hitting rock bottom when in his previous life, he was a hot-shot businessman?
But that could mean a tragic twist. Both of them didn't know each other.
Yoon Min was born into an abusive family. All her life, she had been fighting to survive somehow and today, at the age of 18, she was almost winning. Though messy obstacles were waiting for her in the future, she was prepared to run over them as long as it meant she could get away from her parents. On the other hand, Seokjin was blessed to have millions of fans and turned into a famous singer. Until one scandal took everything away from him.
Both were at world's end. There was no sign of their presence in each other's life, let alone any possibility in the future.
Beomgyu once again felt his head dizzying in shock. A burning heat in his chest that made him feel sick. Coming here to visit them was a bad idea. He never guessed they would be given such hard lives where they had to suffer helplessly. They didn't even meet! They didn't even know each other!
How could a love story so tragic yet beautiful die after rebirth? How could everything be forgotten after decades?
Yoon Min picked up her bag after bidding goodbye to her friends. He turned around and stared at her as she carried the bag on her back and fixed her hair. He wanted to hug her right now, ask her if she remembered him, but she couldn't even see him.
She pressed a hand over her chest to feel the loud beatings of her heart. And though he was deeply heartbroken by the result of their reincarnation, a tiny miracle saved his tears at the last moment.
She shifted her gaze on the TV. Which baffled Beomgyu so much that he also followed her gaze and ended up looking at the TV again. The screen was still showing Seokjin's photos. When he returned his gaze, his dead heart fluttered for the first time in forever.
There was something about her eyes when she stared at the screen numbingly, longer than usual interest. Her way of looking at his face was the same look from 25 years ago, the look of love and pain and hope. Her face wore a silent, pale expression, strawberry lips quivering and heart was sinking in pity. She watched him as if he mattered to her more than herself.
And suddenly, Beomgyu remembered her glowing eyes when she used to be with Seokjin. She didn't look at him with butterflies and happiness. She looked at him with reality, at the same time, there was a fairytale awaiting them.
She had the same eyes right now.
In an instant, he started to smile, even chuckled lightly. Fate wasn't that maleficent as it appeared. Because in this life, it wasn't like both of them didn't know each other.
It was only one of them didn't know the other.
Yoon Min had known Seok Jin. She knew him somehow, maybe she was a fan or simply seen him. But Seokjin wasn't aware of her existence.
However, one thing was sure. They were made for each other.
As Yoon Min sighed and stepped on her shoes to her destined gate, Beomgyu stood with a warm smile and watched her leave. He started to wonder the odds between them. There was no chance of their encounter and find a happy ending together. No promise of a shared future where both of them will recognize and love one another no less than they had years ago.
But with that little hope she enlightened, he was certain they will meet one day. Together they managed to change the plot of a story that was destined to end without love. In this new story, he believed just like shooting stardust, they will crash and melt into each other until the end of time.
Seok Jin might not know her yet, and Yoon Min might never meet him. But there was no doubt once upon a time, he loved her and she loved him, and they were ready to die for each other. They fell inside their own fire and emerged from the ashes like a cosmic pull of the universe.
So how hard it will be to find their way back to each other?
When we leave this world, we give up all our possessions and memories. Love is the only thing we take with us. It is all we carry from one life to another in hope of reuniting with someone we once shared our love.
We do not carry the grudges of our past or remember those who hurt us. Someday we forget the hurt, the reason we cried and who caused us pain. We finally realise the secret of being free is not revenge, but letting things unfold in their own way and own time.
After all, what matters is not the first, but the last chapter of our life which shows how well we ran the race.
So smile, laugh, forgive, believe, and love all over again.
Because how else we would know the worth of what we were given?