A Soeul one-shot. I would declare that this isn't entirely my story and that I drew the basic inspiration from another story.

Paper Stars and White Sky

So Yi Jeong looked at his surroundings and fought off the desire to roll his eyes. He was SO FREAKING YI JEONG! Whoever heard of a man of his stature do community service? The only 'community service' he'd ever done was writing obscenely huge checks to various charities that came to him asking for help. That earned him the name of 'the philanthropist'. It got him quite a few interviews and helped with the ladies and he wasn't complaining. If dishing out some money was all that it took to maintain that glittering image, he was more than happy to oblige. After all, there was a lot more where that came from. But all of that was turned on its head when backed his car into a fire-hydrant.

It had been an accident. He really hadn't seen that fire-hydrant but his excuses went unheard as the overzealous traffic police took a breathalyzer and declared him drunk. He'd just taken 3 pegs of whiskey for crying out loud! And a couple of shots of Tequila yes, but he wasn't drunk! He could handle his alcohol. He tried to tell that but the cop wouldn't have any of it and gave him a ticket. He had intended to pay the ticket off, but amidst the work and parties and interviews and everything, he genuinely forgot. A rude notice arrived at his residence which was unfortunately seen by his father and a grand shouting match later, Yi Jeong found himself sitting in a dingy, old, dilapidated court room where the old judge, who reminded him of a bull-frog for some odd reason, handed him the sentence. Forty hours of community service.

So now, here he was, sitting in a rickety, uncomfortable chair, surrounded by severely fashion challenged people, waiting for his turn. A soft, low male voice called his name out in a monotone. He took a deep breath and walked to the counter, careful not to touch the surface. The short, young man with a crop of hair that needed a cut last year handed him a form without looking.

"Fill that and bring it back."

"Can I get a clip-board?" Yi Jeong asked with as much politeness as he could muster.

The man looked up. The wall behind him had more expression than the pale man. "Does this look like a stationary-store to you?"

"How do you expect me to fill the form without anything to keep it on?" Yi Jeong managed to keep the more colorful words dancing on the tip of his tongue at bay.

"You're a grown man, you can figure it out," the pale man who had unbelievably green eyes, retorted.

Behind him a woman flicked his head with her forefinger and looked at Yi Jeong with a bright smile. She was beautiful with breasts so large, Yi Jeong's eyes desperately wanted to ogle but he was too well bred for that. He however couldn't stop them from glancing more than once. "Ignore him, he can be a little rude at times," she handed him a magazine. "Will this work?"

He flashed his best, brightest smile, "Absolutely! Thank you Miss…"

Before she could reply, the man at the counter butt in, "You got what you wanted, didn't you? Now go fill the form and bring it back."

The woman smiled softly at the man and Yi Jeong realized that they were a couple. What was someone so beautiful and bright doing with Mr. Grumpy Ass here? Deciding that it was none of his business he walked back to the chair and started to fill out the form. After fifteen minutes of writing answers or choosing 'yes' or 'no' to an endless list of questions that bizarrely included 'Describe your mustache', he finally reached to the end of it. He walked over to the counter where Grumpy Ass took the form and handed him his task. Reading the instructions, Yi Jeong's eyes widened. It had to be the pale skinned bastard's revenge on him for checking out his girl.

Yi Jeong was supposed to go to an orphanage and collect some souvenirs that the kids had made and deliver it to their sick teacher who was at the hospital. Yi Jeong hated kids and he hated hospitals. Nicely played Grumpy Ass, nicely played. Half an hour later, he pulled up to the Orphanage, dreading the impeding tornado of miniature human-beings. Why did the world need kids? Why couldn't they be born full grown? And if kids were really needed, why couldn't they be with their parents? An Orphanage was no place for a child.

He walked up the paved parkway and rang the bell. A short girl with a cute looking bob opened the door. "Yes?"

"I'm… uh… Yi Jeong… community service…"

The girl brightened, "Ah yes, come in!" she dragged him by his hand. "My colleague is sick you see. She's very well loved by the kids here. And now, with her gone, we're severely short-staffed. Not that we were overflowing with people to begin with. Kids can be a handful you know! And originally, our teacher to student ratio was one to thirty and that was tough as it is. But now, with Ga Eul gone, we're really low on manpower. Handling fifty kids is a very tough task. I wanted to go and visit her and give her this myself, but I can't catch a break. She's my best friend you know. She's one of us, has been in the orphanage since she was three years old."

Miss Motor Mouth continued to rant about how she wished she had more hands to get things done and Yi Jeong was sorely tempted to tell her that maybe if she spoke less she could get more done but he couldn't get a word in edgewise. Shortly afterward, the girl hefted a large box on to the table, panting.

"There!" she sounded triumphant. "These are the paper stars that the kids made for her. Make sure you deliver them properly. It was so nice of you to come here and do this for her. I can't thank you enough. It was such a big deal…"

"Are those all the stars?" he asked, cutting her tirade off.

"Yes they are."

"Well then I'll get going. I have a tight schedule you see," he added, just so that he didn't sound brusque or dismissive.

"Sure. Thanks again!"

He hefted the box and made his way to the car, thankfully unhindered by any tiny human. He dumped the box in the trunk of his beloved Lotus Exige and drove off. The sooner he was done with this, the better it was. He didn't want to linger in the hospital for a moment longer than necessary. T

The Seong Hun Hospital looked like every other hospital - large, white and imposing. The smell that he always associated with hospitals also hung heavy in the air. Carrying the ungainly box under his arm, he walked up to the receptionist.

"Which room is…" he fumbled his jacket pocket awkwardly while balancing the box and got out the slip of paper with her name. "Chu Ga Eul?"

"Chu Ga Eul is in the East Wing, fifth floor, room 508," the receptionist answered mechanically. "Do you have a pass?"

Yi Jeong shook his head, "I'm just here to deliver these stars to her from her orphanage."

"I see," she handed him a badge. "You'll need this."

With those cryptic words, the receptionist seemed to have lost all interest in him and so, juggling the box, the badge that didn't have a clip and the elevator buttons, Yi Jeong somehow managed to reach fifth floor of the East Wing. A fading sign declared that this was the floor for long-term patients. He walked up to the plump looking woman behind the counter and asked for the directions to room 508.

"Do you have a pass?" she asked nicely.

"I do," he handed her the badge with some difficulty. She examined it and seemed satisfied.

"Down the hallway, behind those large doors. Once you open the door with your pass, turn right and follow the signs. Oh and wear this."

He was handed a mask. He looked at it skeptically. "Don't worry, it's not for you. It's for her."

He nodded, put the box on the counter, slipped the mask and walked on. The door needed him to slide his card into a slot, which was quite a feat for him, given how sore his arms were becoming thanks to the box. Mercifully the doors opened and Yi Jeong walked in, following the signs and reaching room 508. The door was simple white. Scribbled in red permanent marker, was the occupant's name with some medical terms that he had no understanding of, following it. Balancing the box precariously on his almost numb hands, Yi Jeong knocked.

"Come in," a voice sounded.

He opened the door cautiously and stepped in. For the first time in his life, Yi Jeong forgot to breathe. His eyes beheld the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Dressed in a large white hospital gown with blue piping and blue flowers, the girl looked fragile. Her long hair was tied in a neat braid. An IV was stuck to her arm and she was sitting on her bed, reading a book. Soft, beautiful features held a certain serenity that made Yi Jeong forget about the world outside.

The entire room was a study in white: white walls, white curtains, white linen, and white furniture. The monochrome was broken by the human sitting on the bed and some paper stars made out of a plethora of colors, stuck to the ceiling.

"Hi," Ga Eul said with an easy smile. "I don't believe we've met."

Gingerly placing the box on a table, Yi Jeong walked to her with his hand held out, "No, I'm Yi Jeong. I'm here to deliver the paper stars from the orphanage."

She looked at his outstretched hands and her smile faltered, "I can't shake your hand."

Well that was rude. Yi Jeong blinked and dropped his hand.

As if reading his mind she said, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I can't touch people. My immune system is extraordinarily weak and so I have to stay away from all kinds of contaminants. Which is why no one can send me flowers and it's the reason you had to wear that mask."

"Oh! So this is why you get paper stars?"

She nodded, "The kids wear gloves and make them. It was Jan Di's, my best friend, idea. She knew that all this white would make me depressed and since I can't get flowers, she found a way to brighten up the room. I pretend that the ceiling is white sky and the paper stars are real ones."

Behind the mask, Yi Jeong smiled. Something about the girl made him forget about his dislike of hospitals. All he could do was look at her, so fresh, so innocent, so beautiful and fragile. Uncharacteristically he found himself saying, "Do you want me to put them up for you?"

Ga Eul's eyes lit up, "Will you?"

"Of course!"

Yi Jeong looked at the clock for the nth time and finally when it was four, he spoke up. "Guys, I have to go now. See you all later."

"Hang on," Woo Bin called out. "Where do you rush off to everyday at four?"

"I've told you, I have to meet someone."

"Who?" his friends chorused.

"Who is so important that you have to go to meet her every day?" Ji Hoo asked.

Yi Jeong raised an eyebrow, "When did I say it's a she?"

"It has to be a she," Woo Bin expounded. "You wouldn't be so eager to meet a he, unless of course there's something you haven't told us, in which case you're banned from group swimming sessions."

Yi Jeong grimaced at the crude joke, "Shut up. It's not a he and I'm not gay."

"So it is a she," Jun Pyo's eyes were gleaming.

"Who is she? How did you guys meet?" this was from Ji Hoo.

"Are you getting some action?" was Woo Bin's query.

Yi Jeong shook his head, "It's not like you guys think. She's not like any other girl I know. And Woo Bin, I haven't even touched her."

"Pshh," Woo Bin scoffed. "And you want us to believe that?"

"Yes, because I'm not being dramatic when I say that my touch can kill her," Yi Jeong said in a low voice.

Ji Hoo frowned, "What?"

"She had a form of cancer last year that destroyed her immune system," he elaborated. "She fought off the cancer but now, even the slightest infection can spread rapidly and kill her. She's awaiting a bone marrow transplant, but the problem is, her blood type is incredibly rare. They haven't found a matching donor yet. She lives in quarantine."

Woo Bin's face scrunched and Jun Pyo frowned, "That sucks man! How can anyone live like that?"

"That's why I go there," Yi Jeong said in a somber voice. "She needs company and I'm about the only one who gives her that. So, now can I go?"

"Don't give her any false hopes Yi Jeong," Ji Hoo suggested, earning a confused look from the subject.

"I don't understand. What do you mean by that?"

"She's alone, in a tough situation and vulnerable. She might get the wrong idea."

Yi Jeong took a deep breath, trying to control his knee jerk reaction. "I'll keep that in mind."

With that, he walked out. There was so much that his friends didn't know. He had spoken the truth when he said that he was the only one who gave Ga Eul company. What he didn't say though was that whenever he walked in the door, her face would break into the prettiest smile and that was like his elixir. It was that smile that had drawn him to that room every day for the past year. And as far as her getting any wrong ideas, he didn't think any ideas she got would be wrong.

December saw an energetic and enthusiastic Ga Eul. She was well enough that her doctor allowed her to step out of her cabin and take a walk around the ward.

"Take me for a walk Sunbae."

"What? Where?"

She grinned, dangling her legs from the bed like a child, "Around the ward. Doctor said I could do it!"

Yi Jeong frowned, his worry evident in his voice, "But the other people won't be wearing masks, would they?"

She picked up a plastic pouch with a mask inside it, "But I will be wearing one, so that's ok. Please Sunbae?"

Her adorable pout, along with the use of the word 'Sunbae' disarmed him completely. He knew that he could never say no to her. She wore the mask, a set of gloves and a pair of socks and using her IV pole as a walking stick, she trudged on with Yi Jeong walking next to her. He refused to take the mask off telling her that extra protection never harmed anyone.

"This is so exciting!" Ga Eul chimed happily. "I had a dream about this last night."

Yi Jeong raised an eyebrow, "You dreamed of walking around the ward?"

The shake of her shoulders told him that she was chuckling, "No silly. Not the ward. I dreamed of getting out of that room and walking with you. Only you weren't wearing the mask."

"Oh really? You dreamt of my face?"

The tone of her voice made it evident that Ga Eul was pouting, "Not really. I couldn't see your face. Although I think you're quite good looking. Are you handsome Sunbae?"

Despite himself Yi Jeong laughed, "Oh yes, I look like a K-Pop idol!"

"Sunbae, you're pulling my leg, aren't you?"

He turned to look at her, "What do you think?"

"Show me a photo of yours Sunbae."

He shook his head, "Nope. You'll see me when you get well."

"What?" she whined. "Not fair. I'm really curious here."

"So you'll just have to get better faster, right?"

Ga Eul turned her head away, "Meanie!"

Ga Eul stood by the window, the panes closed. She pointed at a large structure across the street, "Sunbae, have you been to that mall?"

"No. Why?"

"What do you think it is like?" she wondered wistfully.

He shrugged, "Just like every other mall."

"I would want to go there once. I've been seeing it glittering across the street for more than a year, I want to see it up close."

He smiled softly, "You will, someday soon. Have faith."

"So, is Cob still in a dream or did this actually happen?"

Yi Jeong shook his head, "That is the thing about the movie it's open for your interpretation."

"Hmm, I don't even know what to say. The story is so convoluted!" Ga Eul complained.

"I can't believe you haven't seen Inception before."

Ga Eul grimaced, "I wasn't exactly busy with my social life this past couple of years."

"Yeah well, Inception was released before you fell sick," Yi Jeong retorted.

Not having a valid comeback for that, Ga Eul stuck out her tongue. "Oh did I tell you, they've found a donor for me?"

"Really? Do tell."

She'd said it before, at least ten times, but he still wanted to hear it, simply because it illuminated her face with a hopeful and fierce joy. His heart thumped in his chest as he watched her smile spread wider as she spoke. To see this smile, he was willing to listen to the same thing hundreds maybe thousands of time.

She told him how the lady who was willing to donate and was a match was now going through some tests. Ga Eul herself was not in a state for surgery and the doctors were working to make her fit enough to endure the stress of the surgery and resultant complications, if any. If everything worked out, then Ga Eul could look at getting a bone-marrow transplant end of next month.

"Won't it be awesome Sunbae?" she said clapping her hands. "A couple of more months and I could actually be out of this godforsaken room!"

Behind the mask, Yi Jeong's grin widened. He looked forward to the day Ga Eul could breathe freely. "The day the doctors say I can, I'm taking you out for dinner."

She giggled, "Really? I must warn you, I eat a lot. I'll probably blow holes in your wallet."

"I'll take the chance," Yi Jeong replied. "So it's a date then?"

Ga Eul placed her IV hooked hand under her chin, "I do have a few things to consider before I agree though."

He raised an eyebrow, "Like?"

"For example, I have no idea how you look. I've only seen your eyes. I mean I'd like to know more about my date than just his eyes."

He pretended to consider it, "Valid point. So I'll wear this mask on the date, that way you can recognize me?"

That brought another laugh, making Yi Jeong feel extremely proud of himself. "How is Sunbae going to eat with that mask on?"

"You said you're going to blow holes in my wallet, so maybe I will salvage some of those holes by going hungry myself?"

The sound of Ga Eul laughter washed over him and it took every ounce of self-control that Yi Jeong possessed to not hug her. She was decidedly the best thing that had happened to him.

Ga Eul was one of the best human beings that he'd ever known. Despite her own miserable existence, she stayed happy and effervescent. She radiated with life, which was ironic given her own rather fragile hold on it. She was the wind and he was but a leaf, floating around wherever the wind decided to take him. Just like her name sake Autumn, she was perennially on the brink of a long, cold, harsh winter.

But just like the season, she was beautiful in every way. She made him feel things he hadn't been prepared for but decidedly enjoyed feeling. She was his air, the one thing that kept him going. She was what he'd been searching for all his life. She was his mecca.

Yi Jeong was late and the hospital crowded. He ignored the overcrowded elevator and bounded up the stairs. He was panting by the time he reached the 5th floor. He had been issued a permanent pass and had become a familiar face at the hospital. He waved at some of the nurses he knew and was handed a mask without him asking. He muttered a thanks, slipped the mask on and ran over to the room. Inserting his pass in the magnetic slot, he walked in. He walked to her room and knocked softly but for some reason, he wasn't called in with the usual cheery voice. In fact he was met with complete silence.

He knocked again and the result was the same, no response. A foreboding settled in his chest as he turned the knob slowly and peeked in. Ga Eul sat on the bed, completely upright, staring at nothing.

"Ga Eul?"

No reaction.

"Ga Eul?"

Nothing. He waved a hand in front of her face, making her blink. She looked up and smiled brightly – a little too bright to be real. "Sunbae! I didn't hear you."

"What's wrong Ga Eul?"

She looked at him with a mildly puzzled expression, "What do you mean? Nothing is wrong."

"Your face is an open book Chu Ga Eul, so don't try to lie. You suck at it."

The silence that followed was suffocating. After a long while she said, "I don't want you to come here anymore."

A pain like he'd never experienced before coursed through him, "What?"

"Go away Sunbae. Don't come back- ever."

He opened his mouth to argue but she pressed the button for the nurse. A muscle in hisjaw began working, "Don't bother Ga Eul. I can show myself out. It was nice knowing you."

Yi Jeong lay on his bed, staring into the darkness. It was almost three in the morning and yet sleep continued to elude him. He kept wondering what prompted Ga Eul to throw him out like that. She hadn't been the first woman who'd asked him to get out but never had it hurt so much. But then, in all of those instances, he had deserved them. But with Ga Eul, he had no idea what he had done to be thrown out. The shrill ring of his cell phone disrupted his sullen musings and he answered without looking at the display.

"Hello."

"Yi Jeong Shhi," the woman's voice sounded panicked. "Yi Jeong shhi, I'm her nurse. She… Ga Eul shhi…"

He shot up on his bed, "What happened to Ga Eul?"

"She's missing!"

Missing? It felt as though he was doused in ice water. He jumped off the bed and rushed out, completely unmindful that he was dressed only in his pajamas and a T shirt. He ran at full tilt to his car, his mind going over where Ga Eul could be. He reached the hospital in less than fifteen minutes and ran to her floor.

"What's going on? Where is she?" he demanded.

"She went missing," the nurse answered. "She was there in her room and now she isn't. The window was open, the IV hanging…"

Yi Jeong didn't wait for her to finish. He rushed down stairs and out. Where could she be? Where could she have gone?

"Ga Eul, where are you?"

He had been driving around desperately when the snatches of an old conversation came back to him. Struck by a sudden and wild inspiration, he drove into the mall across the street from the hospital. He parked the car in the deserted parking lot and ran into the mall. It took him a while but then he spotted her, standing by the fountain, dressed in her white and blue hospital gown. Her wraith like silhouette looked frail by the humongous fixture. A mixture of relief and anger thrummed through his veins. He walked up to her and demanded, "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Visibly startled, she spun on her heels to face him. She opened her mouth to say something but faltered, her brows knit in confusion. "Sunbae?"

"Who else?" he snapped but then realized that it was the first time she was seeing him without the mask.

She smiled softly, "You weren't kidding when you said that you looked like a K-Pop idol."

Momentarily taken aback, Yi Jeong blinked. Hoever he quickly regained his footing and grasped her arm, "It's not the time for this. Come on, let's go back."

She yanked her arm back in a surprising show of strength, "I'm not going back."

He frowned, confused at her cryptic words. "Why not? You'll fall sick if you're here."

A hollow smile graced her lips, "It's all over Sunbae."

"What do you mean? What's over?"

"The woman who was to be my donor… she can't donate anymore," she answered in an expressionless voice.

"Why?"

"She's pregnant and pregnant women cannot donate organs or tissues," from her calm face and steady voice one would think that she was talking about some character in a movie and not her own life.

"Shit."

Her lips twitched a little in a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Is that why you asked me to leave this afternoon?" he asked in a soft voice.

She gave a half-hearted nod.

"So, what are the doctors saying? What happens now?"

She walked away from the fountain and sat on a bench, "Now what? Nothing. It's over. Finished."

"No," Yi Jeong said firmly. "No. This is not over. I will not let this be the end. We'll find another donor."

"WHERE?" Ga Eul's scream was drowned by the noice of the cascading water. "I waited, cooped up in this little room for a year Yi Jeong! One whole year! Do you know what that is like? I can't open my windows, I can't touch another human being, I can't smell flowers, I can't talk to anyone who isn't wearing a mask! I can't do this anymore Yi Jeong! I can't, I really can't. The doctors want me to wait till another donor shows up. Do you know how long that will take? I'm a low priority patient Yi Jeong, living on state welfare. The doctors get nothing out of me. No one cares if I live or die, no one. If I'm going to die, then so be it. I'd rather die breathing fresh air than being held in that chicken coop again. If I have to be there even one moment longer, I swear I'm going to go mad! I can't do it Yi Jeong, I can't!"

She crumpled on the marble floor in a heap, tears streaming down her face. Yi Jeong knelt beside her and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't give up. Please don't. Not now."

Ga Eul clutched on to his T shirt, weeping uncontrollably, "I can't hold on any more Yi Jeong. I just can't."

"Ga Eul," he whispered. "Please, for me. Hold on for a little longer, just a little longer. Give me one chance please. Just one chance, please."

"Please Yi Jeong, let me die," she begged. "I can't carry on like this."

"NO!" the word came out firmer and more vehemently than he'd intended. "You will not give up. Do you understand that? I will not let you give up like this."

"Why? Why should I?" she sobbed. "I have no one. No one cares."

"I care!" he cupped her face to make her look at him. "I'm not letting you give up. Trust me for once. I'll get the best doctors of the world; get the best facilities to you. You'll be back on your feet, this is my promise to you."

"Don't Sunbae, don't make me hope again. You don't have to do this for me."

"I'm not doing this for you Ga Eul, I'm doing this for me," he answered levelly. "I love you Ga Eul and I can't let you die."

"Sunbae."

"Now come on, let's get you inside," he ordered gently. This time she obliged without complaints.

Yi Jeong fiddled with his tie nervously. The date he'd promised her so long ago was coming to fruition at long last. After that day in the mall, he'd taken over Ga Eul's responsibility. He and his friends quickly arranged for a new, better equipped and lot less drab hospital for her and had her shifted to it. A matching donor was found in China and the tissue samples were shipped overnight. A steam of best surgeons performed the surgery and very soon, Ga Eul immune system was strong enough for her to leave the hospital. Although she was still under medication and had to take quite a few precautions but it was still a significant improvement over her days spent in quarantine.

A car stopped in front of him and she stepped out, wearing a simple yellow dress. Yi Jeong felt his heart skip a beat, as it was wont to do in her presence. She walked up to him with a smile. "You aren't wearing the mask."

He grinned broadly, "But you recognize my face now."

"Would be a shame if I didn't recognize my own boyfriend, wouldn't it?"

He laughed and draped a hand across her waist. "You look lovely."

A faint pink tinged her cheeks at the complement. She turned to face him and said, "I have a gift for you."

With that she pressed something small into his palm. He opened to find a blue paper star resting against his palm.

"This is what brought you into my life," she said slowly. "You know, before you, the paper stars were the only thing that gave color to my dull room. You brought all the colors in my life. You turned my white sky blue and decorated it with a rainbow. So Yi Jeong, I should have said this to you at the fountain but I was too shy to say it, so I'll say it now – I love you."

Yi Jeong pocketed the tiny star, wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "I love you too."