Set up your music player, find the song and listen to it while you read the story part of this novel. Set up your music player, find the song and listen while you read the part of the story of this novel.
1. Standing Egg – Little Star
2. Jonghyun & Taeyeon - Lonely
3. ASTRO – Love Wheel
4. TXT – Magic Island
5. GOT7 – Magnetic
6. GOTCHA – Make Sure Today
7. GOT7 – Miracle
8. BTS – Miss Right
9. Mc Kay – Month of June
10. VERIVERY – My Beauty
MIN DONGSUN'S POV
I checked the date on my cellphone. Only four more days. The first time I underwent compulsory military training, I thought those two years would feel long. But time seemed to fly and pass by, even I would be released after working in just about 21 months. I smiled as I closed the calendar, and looked at the photo of the woman I really love on my cellphone screen: Hwan Eunyul. Noona was very patient waiting for me, even as long as I was in the military, I never heard her complain even once, although I'm sure she missed me, as much as I miss her. No, maybe I miss her a little more than she misses me.
"Why are you smiling like that?"
Before I could react, Chungdae, who suddenly walked into the room and sat beside me, snatched the cellphone from my hand. Ah, just let this kid do anything that he wants.
"Eunyul noona... you must have missed her, huh?"
"Yes, of course. Do you want me to miss Choeun noona instead?"
"Are you tired of living, Dongsun?"
I shrugged and laughed loudly when Chungdae threw himself at me and aimed his thousand-shadow punch across my body. We have been used to doing this since we were little, in fact, I think we are very destined to be, because after three months I was finally accepted as a soldier in the Navy, Chungdae caught up with me. As if our destiny didn't stop there, God also let us sleep in the same room, with him occupying the mattress on the top tier of my bunk bed which had been empty since I first became a member of the Navy. Speaking of bunk bed, I miss my dongsaeng Donghyun. I heard from him three months ago, appa finally decided to sell the bunk bed and decided to replace it with a king size bed for us, if we still wanted to sleep together. It seems strange, usually two siblings who are already in high school age, certainly don't want to sleep together anymore. But it's not like me and Donghyun. I even felt weird sleeping alone, without him often kicking me unexpectedly on certain nights. I caught Chungdae's fists.
"Hey, you will be fine, right? By just being alone?" I asked, pretending to be worried.
"You think I'm still a kid? I'll be following you in less than a month!"
We laughed together. I remember Choeun noona asked me to take care of Chungdae, but I was forced to leave her for a month. Heo Chungdae is my best friend since childhood, we are the same age and we grew up together. I always expected that he would grow up to be a handsome man, and this is what he is like, even with his very short hair, he still looks handsome. It's natural that Choeun noona is a bit worried about her boyfriend, because Chungdae is acting a little childish even though he is almost 20 years old now. But he has great physical strength because he loves sports so much. I also love sports and we often spend our free time exercising with other soldiers, or just sparring taekwondo together, with my winning percentage only 30%. Chungdae stretched his long arms up on his bed to grab his cellphone. He fiddled with his cell phone and immediately wore a sullen expression.
"Why?" I asked in surprise.
"Choeun noona has rarely sent me messages in these past weeks. What's her busy with?"
"I thought she was busy with her cafe. I heard the cafe is very crowded, sometimes Eunyul noona helps out there."
"Yeah but, she should make time for me too."
"Don't be so childish. Have you forgotten how busy you were during the first half of your military service? You even fell asleep a few times when you were chatting or video calling."
Chungdae seemed to be thinking hard, "Yes, I know. But..."
"It makes no difference, don't make weird excuses."
"I guess I just miss her," he complained.
I pat him on the back to comfort him.
"By the way, have you been released from that punishment yet?"
I cocked my chin at his cell phone. The incident actually happened two months ago. Chungdae woke up late for the morning meeting for the sixth time in a row. As far as I know, he chatted with Choeun noona or sometimes he waited for Choeun noona by playing games at night until very late, and he woke up late. If there are people who are so hard to wake up in this world, I don't think anyone can beat Chungdae. I got to really beat him up (with the pillow) but he slept like a dead man. As a result I was forced to leave him. Since then our commander has confiscated his cell phone throughout the day and his cell phone is only given to him every 7-9 at night.
"Not yet. Help me, Dongsun," he asked with pitiful eyes, "you know the commander really loves you, can you ask him to set me free from that punishment before you released?"
"Okay, I'll try, but I can't promise you, you know."
"But you will try hard right?"
"Yes, yes, I will try as hard as I can."
I feel bad for him, but what else can I do? This is his own fault too.
***
HEO CHUNGDAE'S POV
It was strange to see the bed below me empty. I must have clung to Dongsun too much so now I feel lonely. I lost my taekwondo sparring partner and I lost my close friend. Especially when I don't have a cellphone like this, it feels so out of style. I really miss Choeun noona, I think my longing pain is already in an acute stage. I heard a knock on my door and it happened that my room, which was occupied by four people, was empty, only I was alone now. Dongsun and two of my roommates all graduated on the same day, yesterday. I jumped out of my bed and opened the door. Oh apparently Soldier Im from the next room.
"Soldier Heo, this is your cell phone. The commander said, you have to return it yourself tonight," he said, handing over my cellphone.
"Oh, thank you very much, Soldier Im."
I took my cell phone with joy and almost jumped into Dongsun's empty bed. I quickly turned on the cellphone and a smile automatically formed on my lips when I saw the photo on my phone screen: Choeun noona gave me a backhug when I sat down. Our faces look so happy in that photo. I really want to hug her again, feeling her tiny body in my arms is my happiness. Wait a minute. No message has come in? Is my phone has an error? I opened my Kakao Talk application. Empty. My message hasn't even been read Choeun noona.
"How could it be? I sent the message last night."
I entered the Instagram application and saw, again, my messages were not read there either. The last seen of her account was 8 hours ago, that means 11 o'clock in the afternoon. But why didn't he read my message? What is this? I opened her account, but there is no activity on Choeun noona's account, she doesn't post feeds or stories. Very weird. I opened an Instagram account for a cafe that I know is also managed by her, and I realized there were 4 new feed posts today: the first is a random photo of visitors who came (the cafe is very busy and looks almost crowded, even though it's Wednesday); the second is a photo of the latest coffee menu; the third is a photo of the third of the waitstaff at the cafe (I know two of them and the other is probably new); and the fourth photo made me sit up straight. Rather than tracing the photo, my eyes are quicker to trace the captions under the photo.
"Introducing Song Bojin, Million Stars' visual barista. He just joined the Million Stars family three days ago, but is quickly becoming the brightest star in Million Stars! He is very friendly and does not mind serving the people who ask to take photos together in his leisure time. His motto is: Let me put the taste of happiness in your coffee, and we call him Happiness Prince."
My eyes turned back to the photo of the man in the bright yellow apron (I know this is the color of the apron the barista wore at Million Stars), his bangs are neatly styled on his forehead with pomade, his slanted eyes shine brightly, he also smiles very brightly, in his right hand there is a cup of coffee painted with leaves as art while pointing it at the camera when taking a photo. The new kid. Handsome new kid. Wait, I can't think straight right now. I immediately called 내 인생 의 사랑 love of my life, the name I saved for Choeun noona on my cell phone. The waiting tone rings... once... twice... thrice...
별들도 잠에 든 이 밤
This night where even the stars have fallen asleep
익숙하고 낯선 이 강
This river that is familiar and unfamiliar
잿빛의 도시를 넘어가
Passing over the ashen city
홀로 날 기다린 걸까
Did you wait alone for me?
우리의 서툴던 약속과
The small island where our fumbling promises
비밀이 시작된 작은 섬
And secrets began
기억해? 너와 내 별의 노래
I remember the song of your star and mine
그 안의 우린 별이었지
In that, we were stars
꿈으로 빛나던 그 멜로디
That melody that shone as a dream
잊지 말아줘 영원히
Please don't forget it always
이 곳은 우리의 start line
This place is our start line
우리의 start line
Our start line
함께 본 그 날의 starlight
That day's starlight that we saw together
그 밤을 잊으면 안돼
Can't forget that night
이 곳을 잊으면 안돼
Can't forget this place
(TXT – Magic Island)
"Choeun noona, where are you?" I asked in frustration.
I feel my breath roaring fast, I don't like this feeling. Just now I wanted to call Dongsun, who knows he's in the cafe... but I think he might be with Eunyul noona right now. When I opened my Instagram account again, my guess was right. Dongsun, who rarely posts anything on his account, posted his hand clasping tightly with another hand on a table. I would bet one hundred percent that it was Eunyul noona's and his hand. The caption written under the photo is very short, only in one word: 영원히 forever. Damn, really, damn it! Choeun noona... why are you making me like this? Please let me sleep peacefully tonight noona, I don't know what to do now. I open my cellphone gallery and go to the folder where I keep only photos of the two of us. Her smile, her warmth... I miss her. I miss her to the point that I think I'm going insane. I know right now I'm jealous, and maybe I'm just blindly jealous, but I really can't control myself right now. My brain is playing a scene like in K-drama. What if she doesn't love me anymore because of a new man in her life? Just two years ago I was relieved that Donghyun stepped back and let Choeun noona with me... now I have a new rival? But wait a minute. I automatically opened Donghyun's account and there was a post four days ago: a picture of a coffee cup and an empty chair in front of it. There is no caption whatsoever. But I know it's a photo taken at Million Stars. So Donghyun still goes to the cafe... I know I can't stop Donghyun from going there, but who doesn't know that Donghyun, most likely, still can't move on from Choeun noona? Hyeil hyong said, last year Donghyun was very close to Chinye, but their relationship did not improve and now Chinye is even close with another man. What if he goes there every day and chats with Choeun noona? Ah crap, I can't stop them from chatting either. But I... what is it with my brain?
"CHOEUN NOONA DON'T LEAVE ME!" I shouted in a rage and made the bed messy.
"SOLDIER HEO, WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING BY YOURSELF?"
The door bursts open and Commander Jung stands in the doorway. Do I haven't got enough bad luck now?