I found myself in a all-black space, with lights shining brightly in the sky.
'Starry Night'
I remembered a character description in my novel..
Only.. If this scene had been before the destruction, I would have thought those stars were nice.. But not anymore.
In fact, I knew someone who loved stargazing.
「But he became a star.」
This is the punishment for loving a story.
Then I looked at the scene around me.
「The description really does look like him.」
The place was isolated, far from the eyes of the stars.
The air was filled with warm and cold air.
No matter how I looked at it, I was alone.
「I wasn't alone.」
The person I likened to a star on a black night.
「"Are you awake?"」
Maybe I had imagined his voice before.
His voice sounded so old, carrying the secrets of the entire world.
「"Did I succeed in scaring the author?"」
As if reading my expression, he laughed lightly.
"It's been a long time since I last laughed like that."
He spoke with a faint sadness.. Well, it would be strange if he didn't feel sad.
The person who lived his life alone, to the end.
「"It's not your fault."」
He read my expression again.
And something inside me broke, how is it 'not my fault'?..
I'm the one who wrote bad ■■ for you.
I'm the writer who ruined your story.
「"That's fate's will, not yours."」
I wanted to believe what he said.
'He's right, it's not my fault.'
But I couldn't forgive myself.
「"You're sad..?"」
Suddenly, I heard some liquid dripping down my cheeks.
「"Ah..Ah"」
I wasn't the one talking, I swear.
「"You were feeling lonely...I wrote your tragedy..again.."」
Okay, I wanted to apologize, but I already told you.
「"It's okay, Hajun"」
The warmth of a star that protected the story surrounded me.
「"You never made a mistake, rest assured."」
「"I'm fine"」
I realized something, that child had really grown up.
Which made me wonder how much time had passed.
I heard the sound of a thin wall breaking in an unknown place.
「"What if I ruined the story you loved? I..I...!"」
As I said before, I wasn't the one talking.
I'm not that emotional, but his words are kind of true.
'Am I qualified to write your story?'
That's what he meant—or I meant—by his words.
「"Hajoon I'm really fine—"」
「"How can someone who died so many times be fine?"」
Haneul smiled bitterly at my words.
「"I'm not alone anymore"」
「"Huh?"」
「"I found a little friend"」
I didn't understand what he said, but the person who spoke instead of me understood.
「"You have to go back"」
「"Of course, that's why I met you"」
Haneul said after a long silence.
「"Please..finish my story" 」
But the writer's worries didn't end.
「"I might ruin your ending.."」
「"I trust the author"」
Can I do that?..
「"..I have a request I want from the author"」
?
「"Tell me a story after that.."」
「"What kind of story does the reader want?"」
He looked at the sky for a moment and said.
「"A happy story..without sacrifices"」
Those eyes that sparkled gently hid the sadness of the entire world behind them.
「"I want everyone to be able to live safely there"」
Because I'm the one who stayed with him the most, I'm sure that 'everyone' doesn't include him.
After looking again, Haneul is beside me.
But why does he seem so distant?..
'He's the hero' unlike me.
'Haneul' was loved by everyone, maybe that's why I ruined his story.
「"By the way, how is Seoul?"」
Haneul took the initiative as usual, and I gave a simple answer.
「"It's still the same as before"」
「"Sounds good"」
As a 'writer' who has no social skills, seriously how can he talk so much?!
「"And then! — f■..they found me.."」
I saw some sparks flying around me.
「"'Echo of the Stars' knew that..Tsk"」
Coming to think about it, Haneul is also someone who despised stars.
「"We'll meet soon then, author"」
Will we meet? I don't know.
I had one last question.
「"Haneul, what ■■ did you want?"」
Why did I rush in and ask that? I don't know either.
「".....author.."」
He gave off a slight sense of loneliness in his words.
「"■■..■■Immortal"」
I didn't hear what he said well, was it coded or because of the sparks?
However, one word stuck in my mind.
'Immortal'
Immortal? Why would he want that?
He smiled as he announced his last letters.
「"Chungmuro.."」
'Chungmuro'?... The place where the story began.
My vision darkened with sparks.
Well… I guess I'm more confident to write the ending.
「"A Happy Story."」
So that I can fulfill the reader's wish.
***
Author note:
Don't do that.
*
As you see, it's Quoted from 'omniscient reader's viewpoint' novel so,
I'm a big fan...
Goodbye! ✩