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"Take me back to the past..."
Taesan knelt alone in the quiet darkness, the soft glow of stars above him the only witness to his desperate plea.
"Please..." Taesan's voice trembled as he joined his hands together, fingers intertwined in desperation. "Please!" Tears spilled over. He took a shaky breath, his heart pounding in the chest.
Tonight was the night-the one night of the year when wishes were said to come true. A secret among a select few, a night that was carefully guarded. Those who knew were bound by a solemn oath never to reveal the secret to others.
Taesan closed his eyes tightly. "Please," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "Take me to the past! Just one more time, please!"
It was the third year Taesan had come to this secluded spot to make his wish. The first two years, his plea had gone unanswered. Each time, his wish had been the same: "Bring them back to me" But this year was different.
This year, he knew better.
Taesan had changed his wish. Deep down, he knew the truth: the dead could never be brought back to life. But if he was the one to travel back to the past, it is not impossible.
As Taesan whispered plea faded into the night, a soft, warm breeze began to stir. For a moment, he felt a strange sense of peace, as if the universe itself was listening to his heart's deepest longing.
Then, as quickly as it had come, the breeze died down. With one last lingering look at the night sky, Taesan turned and began to walk away. Exhausted, he crawled into bed. Taesan closed his eyes and let himself succumb to sleep.
"Taesan."
"Taesan..?"
"Han Taesan!"
Taesan blinked in confusion, his eyes adjusting to the light of the living room. The faint voices grew clearer, and he realized they were calling his name.
"Taesan! Wake up, man!"
Rubbing his eyes, he was greeted by the familiar faces of Woonhak and Leehan, their smiles warm and inviting. "Hey, sleepyhead!" Woonhak asked with a grin.
Looking around, Taesan took in the scene: Riwoo was skillfully grilling meat on the barbecue. Sungho and Jaehyun were engrossed in making burgers, laughing and joking as they worked together.
"Bro, did you see ghosts?" Woonhak teased, tossing a badminton birdie to Leehan.
Taesan shook his head slowly, swallowing the lump in his throat, "N-No..."
"Hey, Taesan, you okay?" Jaehyun asked, noticing his friend's confusion.
"Yeah, you look pretty pale," Riwoo added, glancing over from the grill.
Taesan shook his head. "I'm...I'm fine," he managed, forcing a smile.
Leehan handed him a badminton racket, nudging him playfully. "Come on, join in! We need someone to beat Woonhak."
Taesan took the racket, still feeling disoriented but not wanting to spoil the mood. "Alright."
But no matter how hard he tried to make sense of what was happening, he couldn't. "Am I...back to the old days?"
