FATE

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

“In the future, will we still be together? Can reincarnation still bring us together?”

***

South Korea, 1999

“Mommy, what happens if we die? Will we immediately go to heaven?” Asked little Kevin as
he lay on his mother’s lap. His mother stroked 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
can finally go to heaven.” She was still rubbing the head of little Kevin, before he pulled
himself up into a sitting position.

His face was puzzled at the hearing of his mother’s words. “How can we live three times,
mommy?”

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

Kevin frowned, “What is reincarnation, mommy?”

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

Kevin was still frowning. “I do not understand, mommy.”

His mother caressed his head 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 a plant.” She said, smiling.

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

“A fish? Why?”

“Because fish are really cool, mommy. They are able to swim away and explore the beautiful
sea. I like swimming. So I'd like to be a fish.” Kevin grinned.

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

“Oh, mommy. Of course I still want to be your child. Then, please be born as the mother of a
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?” Sungyeon* asked, while
holding Kyoungjae’s hands tightly.

Kyoungjae smiled grimly at her. “This is not goodbye, Sungyeon. I’ll just be gone for a while,
I won’t leave you forever. I'll be definitely coming back to you.” He wiped tears that started
falling down the cheeks of Sungyeon.

“But what if you don’t come back?”

Kyoungjae stared at Sungyeon’s eyes with a sad expression. In his heart he was very
miserable. He did not want to leave his girlfriend alone. However, he didn’t have the power
to deny it, the duty to serve the country was very important. His country needed his energy,
and Sungyeon could 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 protection, and I was
chosen as one of them. After we defeat those Japanese soldiers, I'll be right back. We'll get
married, have our own home and raise our children together.” Kyoungjae’s tears flowed at
the time, but he was lucky because Sungyeon didn’t see it.

Sungyeon sobbed on Kyoungjae’s chest. “I'm afraid to even imagine what would happen if
you didn’t come back. What would happen to me if you don’t return? I definitely won’t last
long if you ... if you die.”

“Don’t talk like that. If I don’t come back, will you live for me? Will you survive and
continuewith your life, please?” Kyoungjae asked quietly, almost whispering. His chest
tightened 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 remained silent, unable to answer her question. Of course he would 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, will we still be together? Can
reincarnation still bring us together?”

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

“In the next life, will you continue being the same Kyoungjae?”

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

“Even if I will become a tree?”

“Yes. I'll find you again. And 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 participated in the
troops during the war against the Japanese invasion over Korea. Meanwhile Sungyeon was
forced to marry an old, rich man, not long after that.

Of course Sungyeon balked and then ran away. Unfortunately, during her escape, she
accidentally slipped and fell from a very high cliff. Sungyeon was found dead, and several
days after that, Kyoungjae also got killed on the battlefield.

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

***

South Korea, 1999

“Kevin-ah, do you know that twin-trees like this one are trees of soulmates?” Asked the
mother, holding Kevin's small hand, while Kevin looked amazed to see the two cherry trees,
intertwined to form the heart in front of him.

“Wow. Really mommy? Why is that?” Kevin asked enthusiastically.

His mother smiled as she pulled Kevin to walk closer to the trees she was referring to.

“Both of the trees are hundreds of years old, and have a legend – it is said that these trees
come from the reincarnation of two people who loved each other, but eventually they
couldn’t be together because death separated them. Before they died, they vowed to be a
twin tree in the next life.” The mother was still looking with amazement at the cherry tree in
front of her. Pink flowers adorned their tops.

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

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

Kevin face looked very excited.

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

His mother laughed at the behavior of Kevin. “You're so enthusiastic, my dear. We’ll do it
later. Anyway you are a child now, later when you're older you can do it with your
girlfriend.”

Kevin frowned as he looked at his mother. “Oh mommy. I 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 running 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, followed by his feet, as he stepped
onto the hump of the hundred-years-old roots.
He laughed and turned towards his mother, but then gasped in surprise. He felt his hand
being touched from the opposite direction.

“Waaa ...” He shouted as he jumped down from the roots that he had stepped on before.
He looked puzzled at his mother and started running around the tree.

He found a kid around his age, standing on tree roots, in the opposite direction from where
he was.

“Hey ...” Kevin said.

The boy turned around, his attention awaken by Kevin’s greeting. He looked slightly
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 existent gap 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?”

“Do you know what kind of trees these are?”

The boy shook his head, making Kevin roll his eyes.

“Those are soulmate trees. And if two people touch their hands inside the hole, they will be
paired. And you touched my hand earlier. Then you will be my pair. My soulmate. Oh no.”
Kevin cried.

The boy finally understood and smiled. “Just relax. Where could you possibly believe a story
like that? We live in the modern era.”

“You don’t believe it?”

The boy shook his head.

“No. I was just putting my hand in there leisurely. Hey, what is your name?”

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

“I just want to know. You’re funny and I like you. Who knew we are going to get married
someday.” He said with a laugh. “I have to go, my mother called me.” He walked away from
Kevin, who looked baffled and waved his hand.

“Hey, what's your name?” Kevin shouted after him.

Kevin nodded and turned to go back to his mother. Strange experience, he thought. He can’t
possibly 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
described Kevin in the past as a young girl.