Jae Hyuk (재혁)

They moved to Korea. A huge city. Noisy. Full of lights and hurried people. Everything was new. Scary… but also full of possibilities. Luckily, she was of Korean descent. And, over time, he managed to learn the language well. Life began to fall into place. Slowly. Until… She lost again. 🌧️ The second goodbye Grandma got sick. And this time... there was no going back. Her world, which had already been broken once... shattered again. Alone. In a country that is too big. With no one to hold your hand. But she didn't fall. 🛵 Survive She started working. Very. He took what he could. And she became a food delivery driver. Every day was the same: Going up and down buildings. Riding a motorcycle through crowded streets. Smiling out of politeness. Earning little. To get tired. And repeat it all again. Walking down the streets, it was impossible not to see it. Big screens. Posters. Advertisements. A famous singer was everywhere. His face was visible all the time. People commented, admired him, and shouted his name. But she… He barely looked. Not because I didn't like it. But because… that wasn't part of her world. 🌙 The ordinary day that changed everything. Delivery to this address here. One more order. Another day. She grabbed her backpack, put everything on the motorcycle, and continued on her way. When he arrived… It stopped for a second. The building was enormous. Luxurious. Very different from the places I used to go. It went up. He took a deep breath. And he knocked on the door.

When he left… Her world became too quiet. The same streets. The same house. The same trees. But without him… Everything seemed different. 💔 Learning to stay At first, she waited. Every day. She sat on the sidewalk, gazing down the street as if, at any moment, he might appear with that same smile of his. I'll be back. She believed it. For a long time. But the days turned into months. And the months… years. And, little by little... she stopped waiting in the street. But he never stopped remembering. 🌿 The only family Her grandmother stayed by her side. A sweet woman, with warm hands and a calm voice, who always said: Life takes things away… but it also brings them back. The girl grew up with her. He studied. He learned to fend for himself. He learned to be strong. And it was the grandmother who made the decision that would change everything again. Let's get out of here.

Even without wearing the necklace… He never forgot. Sometimes, in the middle of a show… when the lights were bright and the screams loud… He looked at the crowd and thought: "Would you be here?" Sometimes, I would pick up the little box. Opening slowly. It's like opening up a memory. I promised I would return… But the years passed by too quickly. And he never found his way back. Until the day… where a simple food order… Everything changed.

At first, he still used it. Hidden under the clothes. Like a secret. Like a piece of the past that he refused to lose. But his world changed. The designers started choosing their clothes. His advisors controlled his image. Everything had to be "perfect". That doesn't fit the concept. It's better to take it off. He hesitated. For the first time… he hesitated. That night, he was alone in the room. The necklace in her hand. Fingers slowly running over the pendant. He opened it. And there they were. Small. Smiling. Happy. As if no time had passed. "I haven't forgotten..." he whispered. But even so… He took it off. Be careful. As if afraid of breaking something invisible. He picked up a small box. Simple. But it's safe. She placed the necklace inside… and closed it. It wasn't abandonment. It was... protection. As if he were afraid that the world would take that away from him too.

🌙 The years away weren't easy. At first, he hated everything. The new country. A different language. Unknown people. And, above all… loneliness. The nights were the worst. It was when silence arrived, and with it, the memories. From her laughter. From the races. From the promise. And in those moments... he was holding the necklace. Always. 🎤 The beginning of everything It was by chance. A teacher heard him sing at a school event. His voice was different—full of emotion, as if each note held something he had never been able to say. That caught my attention. Training. Classes. Pressure. And then… opportunity. He entered the world of music. At first, he thought it was just a way to occupy his mind. But with time... everything changed.

She found out the same day. She ran towards him, unable to believe it. Are you leaving? His eyes were red, and he was clutching the small suitcase tightly. I have to go… But... where to? "Another country," he replied quietly. "He said I'm going to study there." The silence that followed... hurt more than any answer. "And me?" she asked, almost in a whisper. He froze. Because there was no answer. She gripped the necklace tightly. — You promised… He immediately grabbed his. And I will comply. He approached. I'll be back.

• Same? Even if it takes a while... I'll come back to you. Her tears began to fall. So don't forget about me. Never. And then… He left. Taking half a photo. And leaving the other half behind.

His father was always a serious man. He worked too much, was hardly ever home, and when he was… he seemed distant. But even so, he admired his father. Until the day everything fell apart. The news came suddenly. An accident. Silence in the house. Adults speaking quietly. And he… without quite understanding what was happening, only feeling that something important had been taken from him. She stayed by his side the whole time. She didn't say much. She just held his hand. And that... was all. A few days later, another man showed up. Well dressed. Cold. Unknown. It was his other father. A rich, powerful man… who had never been a part of his life until then. "You're coming with me," he said bluntly. He was speechless. I don't want to go. That's not a choice.

It was on a summer afternoon. They were sitting on the floor of her room, surrounded by papers, scissors, and small trinkets that she kept as treasures. "Look at this!" she said excitedly, showing two golden pendants that opened in the middle. What is this for? You can put a photo inside! Her eyes were shining. She pulled out an old photo—the two of them together, covered in paint, laughing after a huge mess. Let's split it. He frowned. — How to divide it? She picked up the scissors… and, with all the care in the world, cut the photo in half. He kept half of it. The other one, with her. "So, when we grow up…" she began, fitting the photo into the pendant, "we'll never forget." He was silent for a moment. Then she slowly closed the necklace. I wouldn't have forgotten even without it. She made a face. But this is better. Then came the promise. — We never take it off, okay? Never ever. "Never," he replied firmly. And at that moment… They believed that "never" meant forever.

before the distance… It was just the two of them. The neighborhood where they grew up was simple, full of dirt roads, old trees, and afternoons that seemed endless. That's where it all began. She was pure energy. She ran barefoot, climbed trees, laughed loudly without a care in the world. He, on the other hand, was more laid-back—but always ended up being drawn into her adventures. "Hurry up!" she shouted, grabbing his hand. "You're going to knock me down!" he complained, but he wouldn't let go. They did everything together. They shared snacks, argued over silly things, made promises that only children take seriously… and, deep down, they already acted like something more than friends. As if, somehow, they already belonged to each other.