Man in the Moon • Jisoo

25

"My love, no matter how far we are

We will always be under the same Moon."

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When all stars collapse and the sky comes breaking down, that was when we all knew the world was going to end. It wasn't happening now, but would the fact that the Man in the Moon who was crying counted as one of those signs?

Junhui doesn't blink. The sight of the Moon's tears barely fazes him.

Jisoo's tears were pearls; they shine in the dim light that emitted from the sun. There was never really an explanation to how and why his tears were shiny, but if anybody were to ever witness it, beautiful, was the only word that would describe them the best. Even so, beautiful was the last thing that Jisoo thought himself of, but the first thing he thought of Gaeul. The gap was too far, but nothing resembled the word beauty more than she did.

"There is no excuse." Junhui says, gesturing Seungcheol to prepare for his journey back to his kingdom, "We agreed that if she didn't cause any problems, then you would be able to turn human."

'But she didn't cause the problem.' Jisoo's heart yelled back, the streams of light pouring down his cheeks. He couldn't help but repeatedly wipe them, knowing that they wouldn't stop, until he got his selfish request. Jisoo knew he agreed. He remembered well of his promise, of his words. Jisoo knew well that he should've been prepared for this, knowing that it could be coming; yet why, why did he still want to be by her side?

"If anything, you should've known better that there was a possibility of this happening after all," Junhui walks towards Seungcheol's side, a sachet of pixie dust in hand, "it isn't worth risking your whole life for love."

"It is!" Jisoo finally cried out, "It really is.." he trailed off. His chest felt as if it weighed a thousand bricks and it was so painful, it felt so bad, it was his first time experiencing it. Could this be heartbreak? He thought. It was an intense feeling, indeed, but Jisoo was surprised he could still live. The things that the human heart could withstand; it was amazing.

"My decision is final, Man in the Moon. You will not be able to turn into human, and Gaeul shall return to the real world once I have a word with her." Junhui's feet leave the ground, the shimmering golden dust trailed behind him as he disappeared, slowly his figure became smaller until he disappeared from Jisoo's blurry sight.

The things that the human heart is able to withstand; pain, sadness, heartbreak, despair, Jisoo thought about how Gaeul was able to withstand all this, and the tears kept on pouring down his cheeks as he remembers how much he loves her one more time.

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Gaeul knew it was not Minghao's fault.

She stares at the back of the sleeping boy, knowing that he was not asleep at all. The silence creeps up to them both, lingering around the stone walls, refusing to exit the small window of the dungeon. Gaeul could see the Moon from here, and she wondered; what did Jisoo feel? He must've felt horrible, he must've regretted believing in Gaeul. He must've regretted falling in love with her.