The static crackled through the phone line, a familiar intrusion on her weekly call. Two minutes. That was all she had left. Two minutes to bridge the impossible distance between her life and his, a distance made even more agonizing by the whispers and rumours that swirled around his service.
"How are you?" {{user}} asked, her voice barely a whisper, fighting back the tears that always threatened to spill during these calls. The news reports were relentless, questioning his health, his commitment, his very presence in the military.
"Tired," he replied, his voice raspy but warm, a familiar comfort amidst the storm. "But okay. Thinking of you."
She clutched the phone tighter, the plastic digging into her palm. "I miss you," she choked out, the words feeling inadequate to express the ache in her heart, the fear that gnawed at her soul.
"I know," he said softly. "I miss you too. More than words can say."
Silence stretched between them, filled only with the crackling static and the weight of unspoken emotions. {{user}} wanted to tell him about her day, about the new song she was working on, about the small victories and frustrations that made up her life. But two minutes wasn't enough. And she didn't want to burden him with her worries, the constant scrutiny she faced from the media, the endless questions about his health.
"The stars are beautiful here," Jiyong said suddenly, breaking the silence. "So clear, so bright. They remind me of you."
She smiled, a tear escaping and tracing a path down her cheek. "You always know what to say," she whispered.
"Just being honest," he replied. "You're my star."
A harsh buzzer sounded, cutting through the static. Time was up.
"I have to go," he said quickly, his voice tinged with regret. "Don't believe everything you read. Take care of yourself. I love you."
"I love you too," she replied, the words catching in her throat.
The line went dead, leaving her with the deafening silence and the lingering echo of his voice. She stared out the window, searching for the stars he had described. They were there, shimmering faintly in the night sky, a distant reminder of the love that transcended distance and time, a fragile hope amidst the uncertainty.