FATE

Title: Fate
Pairing: eli/kevin
Rating: PG
Genre: slight angst, slight fluff

“In the future, whether we can still together? Is reincarnation can still destined us
together?”

***

South Korea, 1999

“Mommy, what happens if we are dead? Will we immediately go to heaven?” Asked the
little Kevin as he lay on his mother’s thigh. His mother wiped her child's head, smiling fondly.

“I don’t know, honey. Some people say that we must live as long as three times before we
finally go to heaven.” The mother was still rubbing the head of the little Kevin then pulled
himself up into a sitting position.

His face was puzzled to hear his mother. “How can we live three times, mommy?”

The mother is still smiling. “Reincarnation, dear.” She said as she pinch Kevin’s cute nose tip.

Kevin frowned, “What is reincarnation, mommy?”

“Reincarnation is the rebirth of a soul into another life and in the other figure.”

Kevin is still frowned. “I do not understand, mommy.”

His mother rubbed the head of Kevin again. “Hmm, like this. For example, today you live as
Kevin Woo, but in the next life you might live as someone else. Or, you can also live as an
animal or plant.” She said, smiling.

“Wow, exciting. If I lived back then, I want to live as a fish. It sounds cool.”

“Fish? Why?”

“Because fish is really cool, mommy. They were able to swim away and browse the beautiful
sea. I like swimming. So I'll be a fish.” Kevin grinned.

“Ah, you don’t want to be born as mommy’s child again huh?” Asked his mother, pretending
to be looking sad.

“Oh mommy. Of course I still want to be your child. Then, please born as a mother of fish,
then I’ll be your son again.” Kevin smiled showing his white teeth.

“Aigo, you’re so cute, Kevin-ah.” Then she ruffled Kevin’s hair and they both laughed.

***

Korea, 1595
“Please don’t go. Do we have to split up like this, Kyoungjae?” Asked Sungyeon* while
holding Kyoungjae’s hands tightly.

Kyoungjae smiled grimly at her. “This is not goodbye, Sungyeon. I just go for a while, not to
leave you forever. I'm definitely going back to yourself. I definitely go back.” He wiped tears
that started down the cheeks of Sungyeon.

“But what if you did not come back?”

Kyoungjae staring at Seungyeon’s eyes with sad faces. In his heart he was very miserable. He
did not want to leave his girlfriend alone. However, he doesn’t have power to deny it, the
duty to serve the country is very important. His country needs his energy, and Sungyeon
should certainly understand.

Kyoungjae then hugged Sungyeon against his chest. “You don’t need to worry. I'll be back to
take care of you again. You know this country really needs a lot of energy, and I was one
them. After we defeated those Japanese’s soldiers, I'll be right back. We'll get married, have
our own home and raising our children together.” Kyoungjae’s tears flowed at the time, but
he was lucky because Sungyeon not see it.

Sungyeon sobbed on Kyoungjae’s chest. “I'm afraid to imagine if you had not come back.
What will happen to me if you don’t come back? I definitely will not last long if you ... if you
die.”

“Don’t talk like that. When I finally did not come back, will you live for me? Will you survive
and continue your life, please?” Kyoungjae asked quietly, almost whispering. His chest
tightness thinking about their breakup.

Sungyeon shook her head in Kyoungjae’s arms. “If you were me, what do you think, could I
survive without you? Could I continue my life without you? Could I?”

Kyoungjae silent, unable to answer the question of Sungyeon. Of course he will answer the
same thing as Seungyeon said to him. He definitely couldn’t survive without Sungyeon.

Then, between her sobs, Sungyeon asked, “In the future, whether we can still together? Is
reincarnation can still destined us together?”

“Of course. I swear, if I am born again, I will find you again. We will continue together, till
death do us part.” Kyoungjae wiped his tears that still silently down his face.

“Whether in the next life you're still going to be the same as Kyoungjae?”

Kyoungjae nodded. “Although my body has changed, but I definitely will be the same
Kyoungjae. I'll find you again.”

“Although if I will become a tree?”

“Yes. I'll find you again. If you were a tree, I would beg to be created as a tree, too.”

And that night was their last night together. The next day, Kyoungjae have participated in
the troops in the war against the Japanese invasion of Korea. Meanwhile Sungyeon, a few
days later she was forced to marry a rich old man.
Of course Sungyeon balked and then run away. Unfortunately, in her escape, she
accidentally slipped and fell from the cliff is very steep. Sungyeon dead and several days
after that, Kyoungjae also killed in the battlefield.

Before death, they vowed to be a tree and grows in the same place.

***

South Korea, 1999

“Kevin-ah, do you know that both of the trees is a tree of a soulmate?” Asked the mother,
holding Kevin's small hand, while Kevin looked amazed to see the two cherry trees that are
intertwined to form the heart in front of him.

“Wow. Really mommy? Why is that?” Asked Kevin enthusiastic.

His mother smiled as she pulled Kevin to walk closer to the trees that she meant.

“Both of the trees have hundreds of years old, and have a legend that these trees come
from the reincarnation of two people who loved each other but eventually they can not be
together because death separates them. Before they died, they vowed to be a twin tree in
the next life.” The mother is still looking amazed at the cherry tree in front of her. Pink
flowers adorn the trees.

“Then why mommy said it’s a soulmate’s tree?,” asked Kevin curious.

“Hmm ... some people here believe that if two people put his hand into the slit in the middle
of the trees from different directions, and if they touch hands, then it was a sign the tree is
blessed them and will ask for the blessing of the gods to bless them too.” His mother
explained carefully.

Kevin face looks very excited.

“I think it sounds cool, mommy. Let's try it.” This time Kevin pulled his mother’s hand with
excited to moved closer to the trees.

His mother laughed at the behavior of Kevin. “You're so excited, my dear. We do it, later.
Anyway you were a child, later when you're big then you can do it with your girlfriend.”

Kevin frowned as he looked at his mother. “Oh mommy. I'm just want to try it. Now” And he
began to run towards the cherry trees.

His mother just shook her head when she saw her little boy ran away.

Kevin then reached his hand into the crack in the middle of the trees. He climbed and
propped his left arm into the body of the rough tree, and his feet as he stepped the hump of
the hundreds of years old roots.

He laughed and turned toward his mother, but then he gasped in surprise. He felt his hand
touch from the opposite direction.

“Waaa ...” He shouted as he jumped down from the roots that he stepped before. He looked
puzzled at his mother and started running around the tree.
He found a kid that age with him was standing on tree roots, in the opposite direction from
where he was.

“Hey ...” shouted Kevin.

Then the boy turn around because he heard Kevin’s shouts. His face looked plain confused.
“You called me?” He asked innocently.

Kevin nodded and walked over to the boy.

“Did you just insert your hand into it?” Kevin asked, pointing to the gap that exists between
the two cherry trees.

The boy nodded. His face still looked puzzled.

“Oh my God.” Kevin said, almost hysterically.

“So what?”

“You touched my hand. You touched my hand. Gosh. There's no way you will be my
soulmate.” Kevin grabbed both of his cheeks and shook his head in disbelief.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know what kind of those trees?”

The boy shook his head so that makes Kevin rolled his eyes.

“Those are soulmate’s trees. And if two people touching hands in the pass, they will be
paired. And you touched my hand earlier. Then you will be my paired. My soulmate. Oh no.”
Kevin cried.

The boy finally understood and smiled. “Just relax. Where could you possibly believe a story
like that? It's modern era.”

“You don’t believe it?”

The boy shook his head.

“No. I'm just idly put my hand in there. Hey, who is your name?”

“Kevin Woo. So why you want to know?” Kevin asked suspiciously.

“I just want to know. You’re funny and I like you. Who knew we were going to be married
someday.” He said with a laugh. “Hey I go first. My mother called me.” He walked away
from Kevin, who looked confused and waved his hand.

“Hey, what's your name?” Shouted Kevin.

The boy turned and smiled at Kevin. “Eli Kim.” He yelled back.

Kevin nodded and turned to go back to his mother. A strange experience, he thought. He
can not be paired with a guy right?
That will not be possible.

– THE END –

*Sungyeon = Sunghyun = Kevin Woo. I use Sungyeon because it is a girl's name, and I
describe Kevin in the past as a young girl.