“Song Yoo...?”

Her mouth gaping wide open, Hee-yoon ogled at the famed actor, who was surrounded by a huge mob that was growing by the second. He seemed so different— like he was genuinely enjoying all the attention. From what Hee-yoon could remember, the actor had been known to be quite shy, finding large crowds to be burdensome… But then again, it had been decades since she had last seen him, so she couldn’t be sure if her memory of her favorite actor was accurate. 

Hee-yoon continued to stare, her attention solely focused on the actor instead of whatever God was yapping about. Although it had been years since she had last seen Song Yoo, the butterflies fluttering in her chest still felt the same— unchanging even with the passage of time. Ditching God’s hand, the four-year-old zipped through the crowds, fighting to get closer to the man. She had dreamed of meeting her favorite actor one more time when she was alive, so how could she ever miss this golden opportunity?

“Excuse me! S-Song Yoo–! Ouch…!” 

The young child managed to wiggle her way through the crowd and was just inches away from her idol when the surging wave of fans pushed her forward. Before she could steady herself, Hee-yoon toppled onto the pavement, landing hard on her knees. A sharp pain shot through her palms and knees as tears began to roll down her rosy cheeks. Ugh, it really hurts! Why do I still feel pain when I’m supposed to be dead?! Before she knew it, the child began wailing in the middle of the large crowd, cutting off the loud chants echoing through the busy plaza. Confused, Song Yoo’s fans glanced around, trying to figure out where the cries were coming from.

Sniffling, Hee-yoon struggled to stand up. She was too ashamed at her sudden outburst and wanted nothing more than to disappear under a rock. She glanced up to find a group of women staring down at her. Hee-yoon froze, suddenly feeling even smaller. Why was she the only one who was a child? Wiping away her tears, Hee-yoon ignored the fans’ flurried whispers and staggered to her feet, wincing at the throbbing pain. This wasn’t how she wanted to meet Song Yoo!

“Are you okay?!”

Flinching in surprise, Hee-yoon looked up to see her idol crouched down in front of her. Frozen in place, she stared at Song Yoo in awe. He was exactly as she remembered. His expressive face still exuded a sense of warmth and kindness, while his broad, muscular shoulders felt like a safety net, shielding her from harm. Or, at least, that was what she felt in this exact moment. 

“Is it okay if I hold you?” Song Yoo asked softly, not wanting to scare the already terrified child. 

Hee-yoon tried to respond, but as soon as she opened her mouth to speak, she felt her throat closing up. The small child clamped her mouth shut and shyly nodded her head instead. Song Yoo gently smiled before carefully picking her up and securing her in his arms. Feeling safe from the unwanted attention, Hee-yoon wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and avoided eye contact with the crowd. Although her heart incessantly thrummed at their close proximity, it felt oddly heavy. Was this how people normally felt when they finally met their beloved celebrity?

Peeling away from the crazed crowd, Song Yoo carefully sat her down on a nearby bench. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

“... Here.” Hee-yoon hesitantly showed her palms and knees as the actor assessed the wounds.

“Ouch! That must really hurt, huh?”

“Mhm.”

“Stay right here, okay? Let me go get some ointment and bandaids–.”

“I-I have some,” a fan shyly interrupted, waving a small first-aid kit in her hands.

“Oh, thank you! I’ll return it as soon as I treat her wounds!”

“Sure!”

Turning back to the little girl, the actor struggled to keep a straight face. Her bright, brown eyes were fixed on him like she was trying to memorize his face. The poor thing was in shock earlier, but it looks like she got over it fairly quickly. Pfft. Her puppy eyes remind me of Gu-reum* when he asks for a treat. Ha… It sucks that I have to part ways with him so soon. Hopefully he won’t hate me too much. Song Yoo let out a small sigh as he finished bandaging Hee-yoon’s wounds.

“There! All done~!”

“... T-Thank you.”

“No problem! Be careful next time, okay? Even if you’re in Heaven, you can still get hurt.”

“Okay.”

“Well, bye-bye. It was nice to meet you!”

Song Yoo flashed another boyish smile and was about to leave when he felt a slight tug on his sleeve. Pausing, he watched the child bite her lower lip, struggling to form her words. Not knowing what to do, the actor awkwardly stood there, his restlessness growing as the time for his departure drew near.

“Hmm, I’m sorry, but I need to get going–.”

“It was nice meeting you again. Bye-bye.” Hee-yoon murmured in a small voice. Jumping down from her seat she quickly ran away from the stunned actor. 

“Oh, um….”

Song Yoo hesitated, staring after the little girl. Why did her words sound so heartbreaking, like she was saying her last goodbyes? Scratching his head, he ignored the tug in his chest as he faced the new life ahead of him.

~~***~~

From a distance, Hee-yoon watched Song Yoo smiling and signing autographs for his fans. The memory that had been lost to her had slowly flooded back like crashing waves. Pursing her quivering lips, she stared at her hands. If only she had gotten there sooner that day, could she have saved him?

“There you are; I was wondering where you ran off to.” God sighed, scowling at the dejected child. But when the mouthy little girl stayed mum, the deity raised his eyebrows. What was up with her?

“Is everything alright? Did something happen?”

“…I’m not actually an old granny, am I?”

“You remembered.”

“Not everything. I have bits and pieces missing in my memory. I can’t even remember how I died.”

“Some things are better left forgotten. Also, you’re still alive back on Earth.”

“I am?!” Hee-yoon asked, her eyebrows scrunched together. Then why was she here?

“It seems you and your friend boarded the wrong bus.”

“What do you mean?”

“The people on that tour bus were scheduled to die that day. But since you and your friend were not on the List, you are both in a comatose state. Though, I’m quite surprised that you managed to make it up here.” God mused, a proud look in his eyes.

“So, that means Ye-ji is safe, right?” 

“Yes. You both will be sent back to Earth soon.”

“I see, that’s a relief. Um… Is he happier now?” Hee-yoon asked softly, her eyes fixed on Song Yoo again.

“For the most part, I would say yes.”

“That’s good— wait. What’s that elevator?”

“Oh. That’s the elevator for reincarnation.”

“...What?”

“Hmm?”

“D-Did you just say reincarnation?!” 

Horrified, she watched Song Yoo wave goodbye to his fans from inside the elevator before the doors clanged shut. 

“What’s wrong? Ow! Hey!”

Grabbing God by his white tunic, she dragged him to the raised platform that was adorned with bright flowers and golden arches. Desperate to bring Song Yoo back, Hee-yoon pressed the button on the side of the elevator, her heart painfully pounding against her chest.

“Why isn’t it coming back? Do something! Bring him back!” Hee-yoon pleaded, her wild, terrified eyes gazing up at the divine being.

“I can’t. He’s already been reincarnated.”

“No… How could you just let him leave without giving me the chance to have a proper conversation with him?!”

“Be grateful that you at least saw him before he left. Now, let’s continue your tour of Heaven before you head back–.”

“I want to be reincarnated, too.”

God stared at her, unamused. This was her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Heaven before her death, and she wanted to do what? He shook his head in disbelief. Humans really were the most curious beings he had ever made.

Exasperated, he squatted before her, “How do you expect to be reincarnated when you haven’t even died yet?”

“... That’s….”

“Come, you don’t have much time to linger around like this.”

“But that means I’ll never see him again, right?” Hee-yoon whispered, her voice thick with despair as she tearfully gazed at God.

God looked away, not wanting to grow weak, though he already felt his resolve breaking. He hadn’t quite believed what he was reading when he reviewed the Book of Life. How could anyone have such strong attachments to an unrequited love that she managed to ascend to Heaven? It was absurd! Yet, God couldn’t help but admire her strong, unbending will. 

Peeking over at Hee-yoon, God cracked a smile at her determined gaze and clenched fists that trembled ever so slightly. She wasn’t going to give up, was she? His amethyst eyes darted back to the elevator, his chest thumping in excitement. Well… it wasn’t impossible to allow the child to reincarnate if he used that particular method. Besides, when else would he have the opportunity to play Cupid? 

“Are you sure you want to be reincarnated? You’ll have to give up the life you had on Earth.” God asked, guiding the child towards the elevator. 

“I’m sure. I don’t think I’ll regret the life I’ve lived up ‘til now.”

“Oh? You’re quite confident. Alright, you’ve piqued my interest. Shall we make a deal?” 

“A deal…?” Hee-yoon asked, confused by God’s sudden proposal as the divine creator pushed the button for the elevator.

“Yes. It wouldn’t be a fair trade if I allowed you to reincarnate but gain nothing in return.”

“… What’s in it for you?”

“In exchange for your reincarnation, I want you to win Song Yoo’s heart.”

“Huh? That’s it?” Hee-yoon asked, stunned by the simplicity of God’s terms.

“Pfft, of course it won’t be that simple.” God chuckled at Hee-yoon’s naivety. “The world you will be reborn in is modeled after the novels and webcomics you read in this life. It would do you well to reflect on those stories.”

“…? But all I read was BL content. Wait, you don’t mean—.”

“Exciting, isn’t it? I figured you’d want to lead a different life from this one. Ah, the elevator is here.” God gently prodded the young girl inside as she looked up at him in confusion.

“I mean, I guess it’d be interesting to live as the opposite sex? Sorta? But what do you mean by ‘it won’t be that simple?’”

God pressed the button for reincarnation as the crystal doors clanged shut, trapping Heeyoon inside. 

“Oh, right. When you meet Song Yoo again, you’ll have a time limit of six months. If you fail to make him fall for you within that time, you will return to Earth with your memories of Song Yoo erased.”

“WHAT?! Wait a minute! Let me out; shouldn’t we discuss this more at length? I demand a chance to negotiate the terms!”

“Nope, I don’t think that’s necessary. We covered everything that needs to be discussed!” God innocently smiled at the panicked child, waving goodbye without a care in the world, “Good luck! I’ll be rooting for you!”

The elevator suddenly plunged into the clouds, sending the little girl off to her new life. God giddily laughed at Hee-yoon’s slew of swear words ringing throughout Heaven. He sure chose a feisty human! 

“Ha… This is going to be so much fun!”

SIDE NOTE:

*Gu-reum: Means “cloud” in Korean :) 

**NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**