The waves crashed gently against the shore.
Two high school students sat side by side on the sand, their shoes abandoned behind them.
The night sky stretched endlessly above.
Nari suddenly sat upright.
"Seong-woo!"
She grabbed his arm excitedly.
"Look!"
A streak of light crossed the sky.
"A shooting star!"
Seong-woo followed her gaze and laughed.
"People still believe in those things?"
"Of course they do."
She nudged him.
"Make a wish."
He shook his head but eventually gave in.
"Fine."
Both of them closed their eyes.
For a moment, the world felt small.
Simple.
Safe.
Nari pressed her hands together.
I hope Seong-woo becomes a successful idol.
I hope all his dreams come true.
And I hope we stay like this forever.
Beside her, Seong-woo made his own wish.
I hope Nari achieves everything she wants.
I hope she stays healthy.
I hope she stays happy.
And I hope she never loses that smile.
A few seconds later, Nari opened one eye.
"What did you wish for?"
"It's a secret."
"That's unfair."
"It won't come true if I tell you."
Nari rolled her eyes.
Seong-woo laughed.
At seventeen, forever felt possible.
Their relationship continued.
Seong-woo chased his dream of becoming an idol.
Nari chased hers.
At first, they made it work.
Late-night phone calls.
Text messages.
Small dates squeezed between schedules.
But as graduation approached, everything became harder.
Two months before their final exams, Seong-woo asked to meet.
The moment they sat down, he spoke.
"You don't answer my calls anymore."
Nari looked away.
"You barely talk to me."
Silence.
"And when you do, it feels like you're somewhere else."
His voice softened.
"What's going on?"
Nari's patience snapped.
"Can you stop complaining?"
Seong-woo froze.
"You complain too much."
The words came out harsher than she intended.
The argument that followed lasted hours.
Neither listened.
Both were hurt.
By the time they parted ways, neither knew how to fix it.
That night, Nari returned home exhausted.
The moment she stepped inside, she heard shouting.
Her parents.
Again.
A glass shattered.
Another argument.
Another war.
Another night of pretending everything was normal.
Her mother cried.
Her father shouted.
And somewhere in the middle of it all stood Nari.
"Choose."
Her mother pointed.
"If you stay with your father, don't come looking for me."
Her father laughed bitterly.
"If you choose her, don't bother calling me either."
Nari felt something inside her crack.
Neither of them asked what she wanted.
Neither asked how she felt.
They only wanted her to choose.
As if she were not their daughter.
As if she were evidence being presented in court.
When the argument finally ended, Nari walked upstairs.
Closed her bedroom door.
And sat in silence.
She felt tired.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Tired of fighting.
Tired of choosing.
Tired of holding everything together.
The next evening she asked Seong-woo to meet her by the sea.
The same place where they once watched shooting stars.
The same place where they once believed forever was possible.
The wind was cold.
Nari stared at the waves.
Then she spoke.
"Let's break up."
The words sounded distant.
As if someone else had spoken them.
Seong-woo looked at her.
For a moment, he couldn't process what he had heard.
Then he laughed.
A small, disbelieving laugh.
"Am I really that easy to throw away?"
Nari lowered her eyes.
"Seong-woo..."
"No."
His voice cracked.
"We all have battles to fight."
He stepped closer.
"If something is wrong, tell me."
His eyes were desperate.
"I'll stand beside you."
"We can get through it together."
For one brief moment, Nari almost told him everything.
The divorce.
The fear.
The exhaustion.
The loneliness.
But she couldn't.
Because she didn't want to become another burden.
Because she didn't know how to ask for help.
Because she had spent her entire life pretending she was okay.
So instead she whispered:
"I'm just tired."
The silence that followed hurt more than any argument.
Seong-woo closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, something had changed.
Not love.
Never love.
Just hope.
"Then I guess…"
He swallowed.
"We really have to let each other go."
Nari said nothing.
The ocean answered for her.
After a long moment, Seong-woo smiled sadly.
"Let's not see each other again."
And for the first time in their relationship...….
Neither fought for the other to stay.
********************
Two days after the concert.
Two days after reopening a wound she thought had healed.
Nari sat alone in her room.
Her phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
She frowned.
Then opened the message.
Her breath caught.
It's me. Seong-woo.
A second message appeared.
How have you been doing?
Nari stared at the screen.
And for the first time in years.....
She didn't know whether to smile or cry.