#expanding report data

[vellengeful]

HELLO???

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #16

April 26-May 3 2024

President Biden announced $3 billion to help replace lead pipes in the drinking water system. Millions of Americans get their drinking water through lead pipes, which are toxic, no level of lead exposure is safe. This problem disproportionately affects people of color and low income communities. This first investment of a planned $15 billion will replace 1.7 million lead pipe lines. The Biden Administration plans to replace all lead pipes in the country by the end of the decade.

President Biden canceled the student debt of 317,000 former students of a fraudulent for-profit college system. The Art Institutes was a for-profit system of dozens of schools offering degrees in video-game design and other arts. After years of legal troubles around misleading students and falsifying data the last AI schools closed abruptly without warning in September last year. This adds to the $29 billion in debt for 1.7 borrowers who wee mislead and defrauded by their schools which the Biden Administration has done, and a total debt relief for 4.6 million borrowers so far under Biden.

President Biden expanded two California national monuments protecting thousands of acres of land. The two national monuments are the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which are being expanded by 120,000 acres. The new protections cover lands of cultural and religious importance to a number of California based native communities. This expansion was first proposed by then Senator Kamala Harris in 2018 as part of a wide ranging plan to expand and protect public land in California. This expansion is part of the Administration's goals to protect, conserve, and restore at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

The Department of Transportation announced new rules that will require car manufacturers to install automatic braking systems in new cars. Starting in 2029 all new cars will be required to have systems to detect pedestrians and automatically apply the breaks in an emergency. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projects this new rule will save 360 lives every year and prevent at least 24,000 injuries annually.

The IRS announced plans to ramp up audits on the wealthiest Americans. The IRS plans on increasing its audit rate on taxpayers who make over $10 million a year. After decades of Republicans in Congress cutting IRS funding to protect wealthy tax cheats the Biden Administration passed $80 billion for tougher enforcement on the wealthy. The IRS has been able to collect just in one year $500 Million in undisputed but unpaid back taxes from wealthy households, and shows a rise of $31 billion from audits in the 2023 tax year. The IRS also announced its free direct file pilot program was a smashing success. The program allowed tax payers across 12 states to file directly for free with the IRS over the internet. The IRS announced that 140,000 tax payers were able to use it over their target of 100,000, they estimated it saved $5.6 million in tax prep fees, over 90% of users were happy with the webpage and reported it quicker and easier than companies like H&R Block. the IRS plans to bring direct file nationwide next year.

The Department of Interior announced plans for new off shore wind power. The two new sites, off the coast of Oregon and in the Gulf of Maine, would together generate 18 gigawatts of totally clean energy, enough to power 6 million homes.

The Biden Administration announced new rules to finally allow DACA recipients to be covered by Obamacare. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an Obama era policy that allows people brought to the United States as children without legal status to remain and to legally work. However for years DACA recipients have not been able to get health coverage through the Obamacare Health Care Marketplace. This rule change will bring health coverage to at least 100,000 uninsured people.

The Department of Health and Human Services finalized rules that require LGBTQ+ and Intersex minors in the foster care system be placed in supportive and affirming homes.

The Senate confirmed Georgia Alexakis to a life time federal judgeship in Illinois. This brings the total number of federal judges appointed by President Biden to 194. For the first time in history the majority of a President's nominees to the federal bench have not been white men.

[ms-demeanor]

So I've been seeing some discourse around the No Fly List leak that looks a bit like "hey everybody, we can't make jokes about this, the list is racist and there are children on the list" or "if you're talking about identity categories instead of the list you're missing the point" and I think that we CAN make jokes about a trans bi lesbian catgirl owning the US government while also appreciating the gravity of the No Fly List but what I think is troubling to me is the way that these discourse posts are treating the blatant racism and inherently fascist nature of the No Fly List as news.

It is news that Maia Arson Crimew was able to download a copy of the No Fly List from an unsecured public server.

It is not news that there are 1.5 million people on that list, many of whom do not belong on it for any number of reasons, and it is not news that there are children on that list, and it is not news that the list is a tool used to deprive people of their civil liberties. That's why the list exists.

I'm aware that I'm getting older. I'm aware that there are entire adults of legal drinking age who were born after 9/11. I'm aware that it's not super common to follow up on foreign policy or national security debacles from when you were in kindergarten, but there are people who have been mad about this shit for twenty years and if you're just now hearing about how bad the list is for the first time, hell, maybe that's on us and we haven't been yelling enough (though when I'm yelling about how the TSA is security theater meant to make us accept encroachments on our rights, this is at least a part of what I'm yelling about).

The No Fly List is a list of individuals maintained by the TSA who are deemed a threat to security for some reason or another.

The TSA maintains the list, though they are given information for the list from the FBI, Terrorism Screening Center, and other entities. If you'd like to click this document, you can find 250 pages of FOIA'd documents about the No Fly List pre 2006. Much of this document is members of the FBI trying to justify why they need a copy of the list and lamenting that airlines have a copy of the list and they don't. This is very funny.

There have been issues with mis-identifications and false positives for the list for as long as the list has existed. You can click here to read through an infuriating 200 pages about a Pfizer employee who was stopped at least a dozen times at airports and who retained a law firm to hound the TSA/CBP/ICE clusterfuck of interagency buck-passing for nine months to try to get the problem resolved. One of the three documents at this link includes a complaint from the president of the Terrorist Screening Center lamenting the way that the TSA would refer obvious non-matches to be detained, including infants and the elderly.

At this point, the FBI/TSA/TSC/ICE/CBP claimed list was still relatively small, in the low thousands at most.

However a 2009 cost-benefit report by the Defense Technical Information Center found that in 2004-2005 30,000 people contacted the TSA to have their names removed from the list; 30k false positives suggests a list somewhat longer than a thousand names.

As long as the No Fly List has existed, criteria for being placed on the list has been subjective and selectively enforced.

As the Crimew leak shows, there isn't a tremendous amount of biographical data, but there are hundreds of thousands of names and it is enforced at the discretion of the TSA in each individual airport in the US, which is how you end up with duplicates and toddlers and 100-year-old men on what is functionally a filter to keep Muslim people out of the US.

The list has expanded every year that it has existed, and has been defended by republicans and democrats alike since it became one of the tools in our arsenal to fight "the war on terror"

And for just about that long, people have been talking about how it is unconstitutional, denies civil liberties, and also just doesn't really work.

It has never been transparent, it has always been a tool of surveillance, exclusion, and control:

And people have been documenting, protesting, and suing over the islamophobic nature of the list - and the security state's weaponization of the list as a threat - for two decades at this point because in the earliest days of the No Fly List it was OPENLY ACKNOWLEDGED that it was based on racial profiling and people made (shitty, cruel) legal arguments for why it should be:

THIS isn't funny. These are not the things that people are joking about when they choose to stay silly :3 in this conversation.

But these things also aren't news. Nearly everything I screencapped here was listed as a source on Wikipedia, and what wasn't was available as simple searches on Archive.Org or easily looked up on news websites.

All you have to do is just *look* at the sources on Wikipedia to see that people actually have been talking about it for quite a long time, very publicly, and that there has been a lot of public outcry about the list as it balloons and punishes innocent people with false positives:

And when you've been looking at stories like these for twenty fucking years it feels wonderful to say "holy fucking bingle" and celebrate that for once someone did something VERY COOL in order to shine a light on this massive (and apparently underappreciated problem).

[reasonsforhope]

Scientists have developed a new solar-powered system to convert saltwater into fresh drinking water which they say could help reduce dangerous the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera.

Via tests in rural communities, they showed that the process is more than 20% cheaper than traditional methods and can be deployed in rural locations around the globe.

Building on existing processes that convert saline groundwater to freshwater, the researchers from King’s College London, in collaboration with MIT and the Helmholtz Institute for Renewable Energy Systems, created a new system that produced consistent levels of water using solar power, and reported it in a paper published recently in Nature Water.

It works through a process called electrodialysis which separates the salt using a set of specialized membranes that channel salt ions into a stream of brine, leaving the water fresh and drinkable. By flexibly adjusting the voltage and the rate at which salt water flowed through the system, the researchers developed a system that adjusts to variable sunshine while not compromising on the amount of fresh drinking water produced.

Using data first gathered in the village of Chelleru near Hyderabad in India, and then recreating these conditions of the village in New Mexico, the team successfully converted up to 10 cubic meters, or several bathtubs worth of fresh drinking water. This was enough for 3,000 people a day with the process continuing to run regardless of variable solar power caused by cloud coverage and rain.

[Note: Not sure what metric they're using to calculate daily water needs here. Presumably this is drinking water only.]

Dr. Wei He from the Department of Engineering at King’s College London believes the new technology could bring massive benefits to rural communities, not only increasing the supply of drinking water but also bringing health benefits.

“By offering a cheap, eco-friendly alternative that can be operated off the grid, our technology enables communities to tap into alternative water sources (such as deep aquifers or saline water) to address water scarcity and contamination in traditional water supplies,” said He.

“This technology can expand water sources available to communities beyond traditional ones and by providing water from uncontaminated saline sources, may help combat water scarcity or unexpected emergencies when conventional water supplies are disrupted, for example like the recent cholera outbreaks in Zambia.”

In the global rural population, 1.6 billion people face water scarcity, many of whom are reliant on stressed reserves of groundwater lying beneath the Earth’s surface.

However, worldwide 56% of groundwater is saline and unsuitable for consumption. This issue is particularly prevalent in India, where 60% of the land harbors undrinkable saline water. Consequently, there is a pressing need for efficient desalination methods to create fresh drinking water cheaply, and at scale.

Traditional desalination technology has relied either on costly batteries in off-grid systems or a grid system to supply the energy necessary to remove salt from the water. In developing countries’ rural areas, however, grid infrastructure can be unreliable and is largely reliant on fossil fuels...

“By removing the need for a grid system entirely and cutting reliance on battery tech by 92%, our system can provide reliable access to safe drinking water, entirely emission-free, onsite, and at a discount of roughly 22% to the people who need it compared to traditional methods,” He said.

The system also has the potential to be used outside of developing areas, particularly in agriculture where climate change is leading to unstable reserves of fresh water for irrigation.

The team plans to scale up the availability of the technology across India through collaboration with local partners. Beyond this, a team from MIT also plans to create a start-up to commercialize and fund the technology.

“While the US and UK have more stable, diversified grids than most countries, they still rely on fossil fuels. By removing fossil fuels from the equation for energy-hungry sectors like agriculture, we can help accelerate the transition to Net Zero,” He said.

-via Good News Network, April 2, 2024

[trash-and-trash-accessories]

Constantly citing this article and the studies it uses.

Here's a quote:

"That study shows that transmasculine individuals were actually more likely to be victims of childhood sexual assault, adult sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking than were transfeminine individuals (as shown in the chart below).

The only category in which trans women were more likely to be victimized was by hate violence, and even there the difference was small: 30 percent of trans women reported having experienced hate violence, compared to 29 percent of trans men."

[cosmicdumpling]

a star is born » jeong yunho

SUMMARY: When “Space Ace” Jeong Yunho, renowned for his brilliance both on Earth and beyond, crosses paths with you, a resolute journalist whose heart is as fierce as her curiosity, sparks fly. Your journey together through life and love unfolds amid cosmic challenges and earthly dilemmas, crafting a love that echoes across the stars and transcends time and space itself.

Inspired by the songs Die With A Smile and Next To You.

PAIRING: yunho x fem!reader

GENRE: romance. fluff, angst, drama, suggestive; sci-fi-ish.

WORD COUNT: 19.1k

⚠ WARNING/S: suggestive themes (making out, allusions to sex; no smut as usual), very very fluffy at first only to have heavy angst midway through, character death, pregnancy, scenes showcasing anxiety, hyperventilation, and grief

THEME/S: astronaut!yunho, journalist/anchor!reader, also a parent au; dad!yunho and mom!reader. jake (en—) cameo! en-tinys riseee

It all began after a mission to Mars.

Operation Red Dawn was a turning point for humanity. As Earth's climate deteriorated, scientists and researchers turned their gaze to Mars, seeking a new frontier. Mars, with its stable environment and potential for terraforming, became the focus of this ambitious mission. The goal was to deploy the first automated weather station on its surface— a small but crucial step in unraveling the mysteries of its atmosphere. The data gathered would lay the groundwork for future colonization efforts, offering a glimmer of hope for a new beginning where Earth was faltering.

The mission was an undeniable triumph, largely due to the leadership of AstraTech's best set of mission specialists— the Aurora Taskforce for Elite Extra-terrestrial Zenith Unit.

And of course, at the helm of this mission was none other than Commander Jeong Yunho, AstraTech’s golden boy.

Even from a young age, Yunho's brilliance was undeniable— an exceptional child who became an even more exceptional man. His early spark only grew stronger as he navigated through high school, college, and beyond, consistently outshining expectations.

Sure, Yunho was stellar on Earth, but it wasn’t until he became an astronaut that he expanded his abilities to— quite literally— outer space. Thus, gaining the nickname, Space Ace.

Now, he led missions as a commander, his reputation solidifying with each successful venture. Operation Red Dawn was just another testament to his capabilities, another legacy to leave behind.

The excitement surrounding the mission has already been palpable; and coupled further with AstraTech announcing the crew's first public appearance since the mission drew massive attention, media outlets buzzed with anticipation.

You knew everyone was eager to cover the story, but it wasn’t until you arrived outside the venue that you realized the true scale of the frenzy.

The event has drawn a global audience, with news stations from every corner of the world converging on the event. What was once an orderly press area has turned into a chaotic sea of cameras, microphones, and people eager to get any form of statement. The sun beats down mercilessly, its heat reflecting off the concrete and making the air shimmer. You stand among a throng of reporters; a mix of seasoned journalists and fresh faces, each waiting in the oppressive heat for the chance to get a word with the infamous crew, or by any chance— with its Commander, Jeong Yunho himself.

“Can you believe the turnout?” one reporter asks from the crowd, his face flushed and sweaty. “It’s like every news outlet on the planet decided to cover this.”

“Yeah, it’s overwhelming,” another replies, fanning herself with a notebook. “And don’t even get me started on the international teams. They’re everywhere.”

You shift your weight, trying to find a sliver of shade, but the heat is relentless. Sweat trickles down your neck, but you hardly notice. This isn’t just about getting the story first—it’s about your passion. Ever since you were young, you’ve wanted to be a journalist, someone who uncovers the truth and reflects it back to the world. Being here, witnessing this moment, feels like a step closer to that dream. Covering a historic event like this, a mission to Mars under Commander Jeong’s leadership, is more than just reporting; it’s documenting a monumental leap for humanity, a crucial effort to address Earth’s deteriorating climate.

Just then, the doors suddenly swing open, and the crowd surges forward with renewed energy. A cacophony of voices rises in unison, punctuated by the flash of camera lights. Amid the chaos, you catch sight of the crew making their way through the throng. You spot him instantly— Commander Jeong— looking relaxed, calm amidst the chaos; a picture-perfect representation of a commander who’s just returned from a history-making mission. 

As he approaches near your side of the mob, you can feel the anticipation in the air. He stops for a moment, his eyes scanning the sea of reporters, and then he begins answering questions with his trademark poise.

“Commander, how do you feel about Operation Red Dawn's success?” a voice shouts above the clangor.

Yunho’s response is measured and thoughtful. “It’s a monumental step forward for all of us, but this is just the beginning. There are other and bigger things that we can accomplish given time and more resources.”

Clutching your notebook and recorder, you scan the scene, searching for an opening amidst the chaos. However, it’s hard to do so when reporters around you are hurling questions like bullets, trying to make an impactful statement and get some answers. The scene is a chaotic whirl of voices and camera flashes, making it nearly impossible to understand anything. Even Yunho begins to struggle— squinting against the blinding lights and trying to stay balanced as the crowd presses in on him, their desperation creating a disorienting push.

Annoyed from all the mobbing, you call out with a hint of sarcasm, “You’d think after a long journey to Mars, you would give him a little personal space!”

The comment creates a brief, surprised pause among the crowd. Even the other crew members stop talking, turning their attentions towards you— some holding back a laugh, while others too stunned to react. Yunho’s eyes, sharp yet amused, lock onto yours. Despite being under his naturally commanding gaze, you don’t waver; the look on your face as unrelenting— unapologetic. A small, almost imperceptible smirk tugs at Yunho’s lips as he nods toward you. 

“You got a question, journalist?”

You raise an eyebrow, standing firm in the face of his commanding presence. “Plenty. But let’s start with the big one: What’s next for the Space Ace now that Mars is behind him?”

The crowd hushes, surprised by the sudden interaction. Yunho, equally intrigued by your boldness, chuckles. 

“Well, I guess I’m looking for my next adventure… back here on Earth.”

A few weeks later, you find yourself at an exclusive gala, one you almost didn’t attend because frankly, these events were more pomp than substance. 

But this gala, celebrating AstraTech’s recent success, had a guest list that was impossible to ignore, and as always, your job came first.

The ballroom is glamorous, with chandeliers glittering above and soft music playing in the background. You weave through the crowd of high-profile guests, balancing a glass of champagne as you survey the scene. Journalists like you are scattered around, each trying to look casual while hoping for a chance to corner someone important.

You spot him instantly.

Jeong Yunho. 

Standing by a window with his hands tucked casually in his pockets, he’s deep in conversation with another member of his crew. He looks different from the last time you saw him— gone is the space suit, replaced by a sharp tuxedo that fits him almost too perfectly. Yet, even in this sea of formality, his calm and composed energy stands out, and it annoys you how effortlessly charming he seems. 

You debate whether to approach him, but before you can decide, he catches you staring. His gaze meets yours across the room, and to your surprise, he grins.

Suddenly, you feel heat rising to your cheeks, but you shake it off, raising your glass slightly in acknowledgment. He gives a slight nod in return, but doesn’t move to approach you. 

Fine. 

If he isn’t going to make the first move, you will.

With purposeful steps, you close the distance. 

“I see you’ve decided not to hide from the press tonight,” you tease, sipping your champagne as you come to stand beside him.

He chuckles, his eyes glimmering with amusement. “I’m not sure that’s possible with you around.”

You roll your eyes, but can’t suppress a grin.

“Fair enough. Seems like I’m the only one with enough guts to get you talking.”

He tilts his head, clearly entertained by your confidence. “It’s not that. You’re just... interesting.”

You blink, not expecting that. “Interesting?”

He leans slightly closer, his voice lowering just enough to send a shiver down your spine. “You don't take the obvious route. Most people would've asked me a dozen questions about Mars by now. You haven't even mentioned it.”

You shrug, trying to keep your composure. “Maybe because Mars isn’t the most interesting thing here tonight.”

His smile widens, and you feel the tension in the air shift. There’s a playful glint in his eyes now, a clear sign that you’ve piqued his interest. 

“And what is?”

You give him a cheeky smile, “Well, you’ll have to stick around and find out.”

For a moment, neither of you speaks, the weight of your words hanging in the air like a challenge. Then, Yunho extends his hand, his expression softer but still carrying that hint of amusement. 

“I suppose we should officially introduce ourselves then. Jeong Yunho.”

You shake his hand, your grip firm. “Y/N.”

His grip lingers just a second longer than necessary, and when you both pull away, there’s an unspoken agreement that this is just the beginning. He smiles, warm and disarming. 

“It’s a pleasure, Y/N. I’m looking forward to whatever happens next.” 

Months have passed since your interactions with Yunho became a regular occurrence. There’s no strict label on whatever this thing between you is, but there’s an undeniable shift. The playful teasing and shared glances are starting to feel more charged, more meaningful, no matter under which circumstance you find yourselves bumping into each other.

You’re at the AstraTech headquarters today, this time exclusively invited to cover the impending launch of a new rocket— a huge milestone for the space program. As you make your way through the hallway, checking your notes for the coverage, you’re not paying much attention to your surroundings. That is, until you round a corner a little too quickly— and collide with someone solid.

You stumble slightly, but a steady hand grabs your arm before you can lose your balance. “Easy there.”

You look up.

Of course, it has to be Yunho. 

He’s dressed casually, wearing an AstraTech ID around his neck, his usual calm smile on his face. His hand lingers on your arm just long enough to make your heart skip a beat before he lets go.

“You really do have a habit of sneaking up on me,” Yunho quips, raising an eyebrow as you straighten up.

“You’re the one who almost ran me over this time,” You say, brushing off the embarrassment, “You shouldn’t stand in the way of a woman on a mission.”

Yunho gives you that look— half amused, half intrigued. “And what mission would that be today, journalist?”

“Getting an exclusive on the new rocket you guys have,” you reply, eyes narrowing playfully. “Or, you know, not getting trampled by an astronaut.”

He laughs, the sound rich and warm. "Are you sure your mission isn’t to fly the rocket yourself?"

You roll your eyes playfully. “I’m not exactly part of the space crew, am I?”

“Maybe you should be. You’ve already got the guts for it.”

“Yeah, sure,” you smirk, meeting his eyes, “Because covering your every move wasn’t enough of an adventure already.”

Yunho laughs softly, his gaze lingering on you for a beat longer than usual.

“You really make things a lot more interesting,” His tone is low, and there’s something in his voice that makes your heart skip. You tilt your head, your voice playful but edged with curiosity. 

“Oh? And what exactly makes me so interesting?”

He leans in closer, the teasing smile still on his lips, but there’s a serious undertone to the way he’s watching you now. “Maybe it’s how you don’t back down, even when I expect you to. Or maybe it’s how you talk to me like… I’m just Yunho. Not ‘Space Ace’ or anything else.”

Your breath hitches, and you feel the room around you dim as everything focuses in on him. You were always good at playing it cool, but this— this was different. There’s something raw about the way he’s speaking, something that stirs your heart.

You meet his gaze, your voice quieter but firm. “Maybe it’s because I see the real you.”

Yunho blinks, clearly taken aback, but he doesn’t pull away. Instead, a warm, genuine smile spreads across his face, and there’s no teasing in his expression anymore— just pure affection. 

“I like that.”

For a moment, the noise of the room fades. You’re both so close now that you can see the faint reflection of the light in his eyes. You can feel the warmth radiating off him, and suddenly, the playful back-and-forth that always defined your interactions feels like it’s building up to something bigger.

He steps closer, just enough that the space between you feels deliberate. 

“Why do you always seem to find me in the busiest places?” he comments lightly, his gaze flickering between your eyes and your lips, “It’s a shame, really. I’d hoped we could do a lot more talking.”

You tilt your head, matching his playful energy, “Maybe you’re just easy to find. You do stand out, Commander.”

“Or maybe you just can’t resist checking up on me,” Yunho grins, his posture relaxing as he leans against the wall beside you. 

You chuckle, “I’m a journalist. It’s literally my job.”

“Hm, is that all this is? Just work?” He says, his eyes twinkling with amusement. 

His words catch you off guard, and you feel a mix of emotions swell inside. The banter, the teasing— it had always been your way of dancing around the unspoken. Now, though, it feels like he's asking for more.

“Maybe it’s more than that,” you admit, your voice steady despite the flutter in your chest.

Yunho leans in a fraction closer, his voice lower now, “More, how?”

Your breath hitches, and you feel the tension building between you both. It’s like the entire bustling headquarters fades away, leaving just the two of you standing here in this quiet corner.

“I don’t know,” you say softly, your confidence wavering for just a second under the weight of his gaze, “you tell me.”

Yunho’s smile softens, and for a moment, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he gently reaches out, his fingers brushing against a few stray strands of your hair. The touch is light, but it’s enough to make your heart thud in your chest.

“I think we both know what this is,” he says quietly, his tone more serious now. “And I don’t think it’s just work.”

He moves the stray strands of hair from your face, tucking them behind your ear in a way that feels both natural and electrifying at the same time.

“I guess we’ve been dancing around this for a while,” Yunho adds, his thumb lightly brushing over your cheek as he retracts his hand.

“So what are you suggesting, Commander?”

He smiles, that same teasing glint in his eyes, “Maybe we stop pretending it’s just friendly banter.”

You hold his gaze, waiting for him to continue. Yunho steps closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “How about something a little more... official?”

You can’t help the small smile tugging at your lips, “Are you asking me to cover your next mission or something else?”  

His laughter is soft, but his gaze never wavers.

“Definitely something else.”

There’s a moment of silence, the two of you standing close; a little too close to just be another public figure and journalist working together. You can feel the shift between you, the playful banter giving way to something deeper.

“How does a date after duty sound?” His grin widens, and he leans in just enough that you can feel the warmth radiating from him. 

“Are you ready for that?” Yunho asks, his voice barely above a whisper now.

You meet his gaze with a quiet smile.

“I think I’ve been ready for a while.”

And just like that, the unspoken understanding between you solidifies, a silent agreement that this is something real. Something you’re both ready to explore, beyond the teasing remarks and shared glances. The look you share says it all— you’re in this together.

Whatever “this” may be.

The night sky stretches above, stars flickering like tiny, distant lanterns. You and Yunho lie side by side on an old blanket, tucked away from the rest of the world. It’s become one of your unspoken rituals: escaping under the stars, where everything feels lighter, where the weight of everyday life melts into the quiet hum of the night.

"Well, here we are again," Yunho says, breaking the silence with a grin as he laces his fingers with yours. "Aren't you tired of stargazing yet?"

You chuckle, nudging him lightly with your shoulder. "Not when it’s with you, Space Ace."

He laughs at the nickname, rolling onto his side to face you. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

You stretch your arms over your head, gazing up at the stars with a contented sigh.

"It’s not flattery if it’s true. Besides, don’t you feel like you belong up there?"

Yunho props himself up on one elbow, looking at you curiously. “Up where?”

"Among the stars," you say, turning to meet his eyes. "You’ve always been a little too stellar for Earth."

He raises an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth quirking up.

“Stellar, huh? I’ll take that.” He taps your nose lightly. “You know, some of the crew believe in this old myth that when you die, you become a star.”

You let out a soft laugh. “Oh yeah? What would you be? A twinkling little dot or something more dramatic?”

He leans in a little closer, his voice low and serious but with that mischievous spark.

“If I go, I’ll be the brightest one up there, so you can always find me.”

You roll your eyes playfully.

“So humble, Jeong Yunho.”

“I’m serious!” He chuckles, though there’s a softness to his tone. “When I’m gone—hopefully not anytime soon—I’ll be up there, keeping an eye on you.”

You snort, trying to keep the mood light despite the tenderness of the moment.

“Okay, well, what if I don’t want to be watched 24/7? Stars don’t have to do that, you know.”

He gives you a mock scandalized look, “Wow, rejecting my eternal star-watching service already? Harsh.”

“Well, I like having you down here better anyway,” you say, leaning closer to rest your head against his shoulder. “If the world ends, I’d rather you were next to me, not twinkling up in the sky.”

Yunho smiles at that, pulling you into a warm embrace.

“If the world ends? It’s just you and me, starlight. Who cares about the stars?”

You laugh, though there’s a tenderness in your voice. "And what if the Earth rumbles and I’m stuck here, and you're in space doing your astronaut thing? Then what?”

Yunho gives you a dramatic sigh, wrapping his arms tighter around you. “If I have to, I’ll commandeer a rocket, burst through the atmosphere, and fly straight back here. Even if it’s the middle of a mission.”

You burst out laughing, imagining Yunho casually hijacking a rocket mid-spacewalk. 

“Please don’t get fired for me.”

He chuckles, brushing a stray hair from your face.

“Hey, they don’t call me Space Ace for nothing. I’ll manage.”

You look up at him, grinning. “Of course you will. You’re the Commander Jeong “Space Ace” Yunho, the guy who makes impossible things happen.”

He raises an eyebrow, pretending to consider your words. 

“Like getting you to go out with me? That was pretty impossible.”

You roll your eyes, nudging him again. “Hey, I was totally charmed.”

“I know you were,” he teases, but his voice softens. “But in all seriousness, no matter where I am—here, up there—there’s no place I’d rather be than with you.”

You reach out, pinching his cheek with a playful grin. “And what if I end up becoming the star first? Will you still find me?”

Yunho leans in, pressing his forehead against yours, placing a quick peck on your lips before his voice lowers into a whisper. 

“Always, starlight.”

“So, how many children do you want?”

Yunho cocks an eyebrow at your query, glancing at you with amusement. 

“That quick?” He grins, his eyes sparkling mischievously as he leans in a little closer. 

“We’ve literally been together for three years,” you point out, moving around to sit more comfortably. “And we just got married.”

Yunho can’t help but chuckle at your cheekiness. 

The soft glow of the bedside lamp bathes the room in a warm light as you and Yunho sit side by side on the bed, still dressed in the remnants of your wedding day. His tie hangs loosely around his neck, his sleeves rolled up as he stretches out, leaning against the headboard with a contented sigh. You can’t help but smile as you watch him, your heart swelling with joy at the realization that he is, finally and officially, your husband.

“True, but the correct question is how many children you want, starlight,” Yunho counters, “I’m not the one who’s going to carry a child in my belly, after all. It’s your body, so you decide.”

You quirk an eyebrow, pretending to be deep in thought. 

“Hmm… Then… What if I tell you I don’t want any children?” you tease, testing the waters.

“Absolutely fine by me,” he replies without missing a beat, his tone soft but sure. “I can get a vasectomy too, so we can steer clear of any accidents.”

You burst out laughing at his serious yet laid-back response. The thought of spending the rest of your life with him already fills you with an overwhelming sense of warmth and love.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” You chuckle, slipping your hand into his, “I want… hmm… A boy first, and then a girl. And then we’ll name them—”

Your words hang in the air, and you both look at each other as the abrupt silence comes. You can’t help but laugh after a few moments, the warmth between you growing even stronger. The room feels small and intimate, just for the two of you, as if the world outside has faded away. In this shared moment, all that matters is the bond you share and the dreams you’re building together.

“—Any names in mind?” You ask, raising an eyebrow.

Yunho shakes his head, “None. You?”

“Nu-uh.”

“Well then,” Yunho says with a mischievous glint in his eye, “should we just concentrate on trying to make one first?”

“Jeong Yunho—!” you exclaim, your cheeks flushing at your own boldness.

“You started it, Jeong Y/N,” he responds as he crawls over to hover over you slightly with a fond smile on his face. For a moment, you’re stunned, and the sound of your new name rolling off his lips sends butterflies erupting in your stomach.

“Can you believe it?” Yunho says after a beat, his voice softening as he reaches out to take your hand in his, his thumb gently caressing the back of it.

You shake your head, a smile tugging at your lips. “It hasn’t sunk in completely yet,” you admit, your voice barely a whisper as you look at him, overwhelmed by the tenderness in his gaze.

Yunho shifts closer, his hand cupping your cheek as he presses a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“I love you, my starlight,” he murmurs, his breath warm against your skin. “And I am so happy to be married to you.”

“I love you too, honey,” you whisper back, your heart swelling with love as you gaze into his eyes. “To outer space and beyond.”

He smiles, a soft chuckle escaping him as he pulls you into his arms. “To outer space and beyond,” he echoes, his voice full of promise and love.

As you lie there in his embrace, the world quiets around you. You feel his heartbeat against your chest, steady and reassuring, and the weight of the day finally begins to sink in. 

You’re married. You’re his, and he’s yours. 

And as you close your eyes, the stars outside twinkle faintly, as if aligning just for the two of you. In that moment, everything feels perfect. The universe, vast and infinite, has never felt smaller— because now, in Yunho’s arms, you have everything you’ve ever dreamed of.

Jeong Junho is like a Supernova, Yunho says; birthed by two binaries orbiting so close when they merged into a single star, that he likes to refer to as the two of you.

He is the spitting image of Yunho, though his eyes hold a certain spark that feels entirely his own. He’s only four, but in those brief years, he’s managed to fill your life with more joy, chaos, and love than you ever thought possible.

The afternoon sun casts a warm, golden hue over the grassy hill where you, Yunho, and little Junho have spread out a picnic blanket. You and Yunho are sprawled out on it, the basket between you filled with all the snacks your son had insisted on bringing. Junho’s laughter echoes through the open air as he runs around, his small legs moving as fast as they can in his excitement.

Yunho watches with a soft smile, his eyes twinkling as he looks from your son to you.

“He’s got your energy, you know,” he says, nudging you playfully. “I thought I was prepared for it, but…” He trails off, shaking his head with a chuckle.

You smirk back, leaning on your elbow. “Oh, please. He’s all you, Commander. I’m just the one who manages to keep up.”

Junho, hearing his name in conversation, runs back to the blanket with a dandelion clutched tightly in his hand.

“Look! A wish flower!” His eyes are wide, full of wonder. He blows on it, the seeds floating into the breeze, scattering around you like tiny stars.

“What did you wish for, buddy?” Yunho asks, pulling Junho into his lap as he settles down next to you.

Junho’s face scrunches up in thought, as if deciding whether or not to share his wish. Then he grins.

“I wished that we could do this every day!” He looks between you and Yunho, his little face glowing with happiness. “And maybe… get a puppy?”

You and Yunho exchange a look, both trying to stifle your laughter. “A puppy, huh?” you say, ruffling Junho’s hair. “That’s a big wish.”

Yunho tilts his head, pretending to consider it seriously. “Well, if you’re good, maybe we can talk about it.”

Junho beams, satisfied with the response, before bouncing off to chase more dandelions. You watch him, heart swelling at how carefree and joyful he is.

“I’m starting to think we’re going to have to actually get a puppy,” you murmur, leaning into Yunho’s shoulder. His arm wraps around you instinctively, pulling you closer.

“Hmm, I don’t mind.” Yunho smiles, his voice warm. “As long as he’s this happy, I’ll consider it.”

The two of you sit there, wrapped up in each other, watching Junho dart around with endless energy. There’s a deep sense of contentment in your chest—a feeling that everything, in this moment, is exactly as it should be.

Yunho presses a kiss to your temple, his hand resting on yours.

“You know,” he starts, his voice soft, “I didn’t think I could love moments like these so much. But with you… and Junho…” He glances at you, his eyes filled with warmth. “You make life more beautiful than I ever imagined.”

You feel your heart flutter at his words, a rush of warmth spreading through you.

“I feel the same way,” you whisper, looking up at him. “Every moment with you two is a gift.”

Just then, Junho comes barreling back toward the blanket, plopping himself down between you and Yunho, tugging on both your arms to pull you into a group hug. 

“Family sandwich!” he declares, giggling as he squeezes himself between you.

You and Yunho laugh, letting yourselves be squished together, your arms wrapping around each other and Junho. It’s messy and fun, filled with the kind of lightheartedness that only comes when you’re surrounded by the people you love most.

As the sun begins to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, you all lay back on the blanket, staring up at the fading light. Junho’s tiny hand slips into yours, and Yunho’s fingers entwine with yours on the other side. You’re all connected, and it feels perfect.

“This is what I always wished for,” you say softly, glancing at Yunho, who looks back at you with the same soft, loving gaze.

“Me too,” he replies, leaning in to kiss you gently on the forehead. “Me too.”

And with that, the three of you stay there, watching the sky darken, the stars slowly emerging, twinkling down at the little family that feels more magical and complete every passing day.

The mood inside AstraTech’s central operations room is tense, the air charged with a mix of anticipation and dread.

Every movement, every breath, feels exaggerated in the thick silence that blankets the space. The lights are dimmed, except for the glow of screens that display a chaotic blur of numbers, charts, and trajectories.

Yunho sits alongside his crew: Jongho, San, Mingi, and Wooyoung. Each man wears an expression of grim determination. Across the room, the scientists—Hongjoong, Yeosang, and Seonghwa—stand at the front, their usual calm replaced with an edge of urgency. 

“This is it,” Yeosang begins, the tension in his voice betraying the magnitude of what they’re facing. A holographic image flickers to life in the center of the room. It's the asteroid. Cold, jagged, and terrifyingly massive, it spins slowly, a silent harbinger of doom.

“This is the anomaly at 1648,” he says, his tone heavy. “It’s the size of Texas, coming toward us at 22,000 miles per hour.”

San, who’s rarely shaken by anything, leans forward in his seat, eyes narrowing as he studies the hologram. “So, what are we talking? An extinction-level event?”

Yeosang hesitates for a split second before nodding. “Yes. If we don’t stop it, the impact will wipe out life on Earth as we know it.”

Mingi’s jaw tightens, his usual carefree demeanor long gone. “What kind of damage are we looking at?”

The room goes even quieter. Hongjoong takes over, his voice cool and analytical despite the weight of his words. “Complete destruction. This asteroid isn’t just going to cause a localized impact. This is a global killer. It hits the ocean, the resulting wave will be three miles high, traveling at 1,000 miles per hour. California? Gone. Japan? Gone.”

He lets the silence hang before continuing. “Half the planet will be obliterated by the heat blast alone. The rest will freeze to death during the nuclear winter that follows.”

Yunho’s fingers tighten around the edge of the table. He steals a glance at his pilot, Jongho, who meets his gaze with an unspoken question: Can we really do this?

“How long?” Yunho asks, his voice steady despite the tremor of unease creeping up his spine.

Yeosang glances down at his tablet before answering. “We have 18 days before impact.”

“Eighteen days,” Wooyoung echoes, his usual playful tone replaced with disbelief. “That’s not a lot of time.”

“No,” Seonghwa steps in, clearing his throat, “which is why we’re calling in every favor, every resource we have. We need a plan, and we need it now.”

San leans back, crossing his arms. “So, what’s the plan? We shoot a bunch of nukes at it, hope for the best?”

Hongjoong shakes his head. “Nukes won’t work. The asteroid is too big and moving too fast. Any attempt to break it apart would just result in multiple catastrophic impacts instead of one.”

Yeosang pulls up another hologram, this time of a conceptual drilling rig attached to a rocket.

“We’ve been working on something else. This is the Helios Drill. This is a feat of engineering designed by AstraTech to handle the asteroid's unique conditions, puncturing beyond its rocky surface. We need to use this to drill into the asteroid, plant a nuclear device deep within its core, and detonate it. The explosion will alter its trajectory just enough to miss Earth.”

Mingi raises an eyebrow. “Drill into it? While it’s moving at 22,000 miles per hour?”

“Exactly,” Hongjoong confirms. “It’s risky, but it’s our best shot.”

A heavy silence settles over the room as the enormity of the task begins to sink in. It sounds like something out of a nightmare.

Jongho breaks the silence with a pragmatic tone. “So, who’s going to handle the drilling?”

Yeosang exchanges a glance with Seonghwa before speaking.

“We don’t have a crew in place yet, but we do have a new small group of young pioneers who’ve been training for deep space drilling missions. We started having them around two months ago. They have the expertise to operate the drilling systems we have specially made for missions like this and manage the warhead deployment as well. They’re not astronauts, but they are the best we can get for this task. Talk about timing."

Seonghwa nods, "We'll handpick the best one we have yet, and train him further. We’ll integrate him with your team and ensure he's fully briefed and trained for this mission.”

Wooyoung, usually quick with humor, remains somber. “So, we’re sending some young pioneers and astronauts into space to save the world?”

Yunho leans back, running a hand through his hair. “We’re sending the best team we have because the alternative is unthinkable.”

Mingi smirks, trying to lighten the mood. “Well, I’ve always wanted to intimidate some juniors. Add that to the bucket list.”

But no one laughs. The weight of the mission crushes any attempt at humor.

“We’ll train them,” Hongjoong adds, his tone all business. “And we’re counting on you all to make this work. You’re the best team we’ve got.”

Yunho straightens, nodding. The room buzzes with quiet resolve. There’s no option but success.

“Alright,” Jongho speaks up, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. “We’ve done the impossible before. Let’s do it again.”

Yunho, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho exchange determined glances, while the lead scientists continue to strategize. They know the stakes. This mission isn’t just about saving themselves— it’s about saving everyone.

And just like that, the mission is no longer just an idea on a hologram. It’s real. It’s happening. And there’s no turning back.

“We’re going to need more than just luck on this one,” Yunho murmurs, standing and facing his crew. 

“But we’ve done this before. It’ll all be alright.”

He says, but the promise is as loud and clear as any battle cry.

Yunho stands quietly in the doorway of Junho's room, the soft glow of a star-shaped nightlight casting gentle shadows across the room. His son is fast asleep, his small body curled beneath a blanket patterned with stars, clutching his favorite stuffed animal tightly to his chest. For a moment, the world outside seems to fall away—no asteroid, no looming mission. Just the steady rise and fall of Junho’s breathing, calm and undisturbed.

Yunho moves closer, kneeling beside the bed as his heart swells with both love and heartache. He leans down, pressing a soft kiss to Junho’s forehead, careful not to wake him.

“Sleep well, buddy,” he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. His fingertips linger on the edge of Junho’s blanket, as if trying to memorize this moment—something to hold onto when he’s out in the cold, vast emptiness of space.

As he stands, Yunho’s gaze drifts toward a framed drawing sitting on the nightstand—a picture Junho had drawn not long ago. It’s simple, childlike: a family of three holding hands beneath a big yellow sun. Mom, Dad, and Junho, written in wobbly letters across the top. Yunho smiles softly, his chest tightening as he takes in the small details— how Junho drew him with a cape, like a superhero, and how he gave you a crown, as if you were royalty.

With a deep sigh, he turns and walks down the hallway toward your shared bedroom. The house feels quieter than usual, and yet Yunho’s mind is louder than ever. He steps inside the room, where you lie peacefully under the covers, your hair slightly tousled against the pillow. His eyes linger on you for a moment— so calm, so beautiful, so utterly unaware of the weight the world's about to bestow onto the both of you. A part of him wishes he could crawl into bed, hold you close, and pretend like tomorrow wasn’t coming.

Yunho carefully sits on the edge of the bed, trying not to disturb your sleep. He glances toward the bathroom, but hesitates. Instead, his eyes sweep across the room—your shared space, filled with memories.

The picture frame on the dresser from your honeymoon, the small vase of dried flowers he bought you years ago, and the little notes you sometimes leave for him tucked in odd places, like his jacket pocket or inside his lunch bag. Each one a reminder of the life you’ve built together, a life he never imagined he would have.

He remembers the early days, back when you were just a journalist who had caught his eye. He used to admire you from afar, watching as you passionately pursued the truth, fearlessly asking questions that others wouldn’t. Back then, he hadn’t thought much about marriage, let alone having a family. But here he is now, years later, with a home, a son, and you— his world. The thought of leaving it all behind, even for a mission as critical as this one, weighs heavily on him.

The mission is about survival. It’s about making sure that Earth is still there for you to continue smiling, for Junho to continue growing. But it feels impossible not to think about what he’s risking— what he’s leaving behind.

He stands up slowly and heads to the bathroom, the rush of water breaking the silence as he steps into the shower. The warm droplets cascade over his skin, but they do little to wash away the tension building in his chest. Yunho leans his head against the cool tiles, eyes closing as he lets the water run over him, thoughts of you and Junho swirling in his mind.

A future without Earth... without the laughter that fills your home, the warmth of your touch, the joy of watching Junho grow— he can’t let that happen. He won’t let that happen. He has to ensure that Earth survives. Not for himself, but for you, for Junho, for everyone.

When he finally steps out of the shower, toweling off, he feels a strange sense of clarity. Yunho knows the mission is dangerous— potentially fatal— but his resolve is firmer than ever. He’ll do whatever it takes to make sure there’s a tomorrow, a world for his family to live in.

Unbeknownst to him, you’ve stirred from your slumber from the few moments he has his back turned. The first sign of your presence is the gentle embrace of your arms wrapping around his waist, a comforting reminder of your closeness in the quiet of the night.

“Hi, honey. Welcome home,” you murmur softly, your voice barely audible as you cling to his back, your arms wrapped around his waist. There’s a gentle warmth between you, a quiet exchange of comfort that only comes from years of intimacy.

Yunho turns slowly, careful not to startle you in your half-asleep state. The sight of you, drowsy and soft in the low glow of the bedside lamp, tugs at something deep inside him. His expression softens immediately, and he leans down slightly to meet your tired gaze. 

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Your voice is a sleepy murmur, barely above a whisper, but laced with concern. You rest your chin on his chest, rubbing your eyes as the haze of sleep slowly fades from your features.

His hand instinctively comes to rest at the back of your head, his fingers threading gently through your hair.

“You were sleeping so soundly,” he says, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“You should wake me up whenever you come home,” you insist, a small frown tugging at your lips. The worry in your eyes is unmistakable, a reflection of the long nights you’ve spent waiting for him, knowing the dangers that linger with his every mission. “I want to see you, talk to you about your day.”

Yunho’s lips curl into a tender smile, though there’s an underlying heaviness to it. He takes in your features—every curve, every soft line etched into his memory—before he speaks. “I want to talk to you too,” he admits, his voice quiet. “I just didn’t want to intrude on your rest.”

Your expression softens, but you’re not ready to let the moment go. “Well,” you start, nestling your head against his chest, even as he reaches for his shirt. “Now that we’re both awake... talk to me, hm?”

Yunho chuckles softly, the sound a balm to the lingering tension in the room. You poke your head through the fabric of his shirt, making him laugh as you interrupt the task. He cups your cheeks, his large hands gentle as he leans down to kiss your lips—lightly at first, then a little firmer when you don’t pull away.

“Of course, starlight,” he murmurs against your lips, a familiar term of endearment that never loses its magic. “Come now.”

With a soft shuffle, Yunho guides you both back to bed, pulling the covers up over your bodies until the weight of the world feels just a little less crushing. He wraps his arms around you, drawing you close until your back rests securely against his chest. His face buries itself into the crook of your neck, where the soft, lingering scent of vanilla greets him.

For a few moments, there’s only the sound of his breathing and the gentle rise and fall of your chest. The peace you’ve created together— a quiet cocoon from the chaos outside— should feel comforting. But you sense the tension in his embrace, the subtle hitch in his breathing. It’s enough to know that his mind is far from at ease.

“You smell like vanilla,” Yunho finally says, his voice soft and muffled against your skin. “Is that your new perfume, or did Junho convince you to bake cookies again?”

You smile, the heaviness in the room easing slightly. “Both,” you reply, a playful lilt in your voice.

Yunho chuckles quietly, his breath warm against your neck. “I like it,” he murmurs, placing a soft kiss on the curve of your shoulder. But behind that tenderness is something deeper, a weight he hasn’t yet shared. His hold on you tightens ever so slightly, as if he’s trying to memorize the feel of you, to hold onto this moment a little longer before everything changes.

And you, knowing him so well, hold him back just as tightly.

A few moments pass, and just as you begin to think that he’s fallen fast asleep, you feel him pepper kisses against your neck, his hands caressing the skin of your stomach where your shirt had ridden up.

“You’re still awake?” You say, voice hushed as you chuckle at his antics, which he continues to do even as you’ve turned to fully face him. You watch him— your hand in his, raised to his lips as he places soft kisses on your knuckles, lashes fluttering prettily against his cheek before he looks up at you from under them.

The thing about being intimate with Yunho is that it’s all very much natural. From the way he kisses the tip of your ring finger— adorned in your matching gold bands, to the way he lets go just enough for the tip of your finger to glide against his lips, to the way he catches it between his teeth just enough for you to feel a little sting.

It’s natural; the way you gravitate to him, a hand on his jaw, pulling him close to kiss him with fervor— the way he grabs you tight, pulls you onto his lap as he backs further into the headboard, and tugs you flush against his chest to feel you impossibly closer to him.

“Mmh… Yun—” You’re cut off with a gasp, the feeling of his large hands caressing you gently but desperately, as if he’s looking for something to hold on to. One hand steadies the back of your head, the other gripping the skin of your waist.

The kiss is electric, charged with a fiery blend of love, longing, and an unspoken desperation. His lips move against yours with an urgency that leaves you breathless, your hands tangled in his hair as his skin presses against yours, heartbeat in sync with your own. For a moment, it feels like nothing else exists— just the two of you, suspended in time, hearts beating as one.

But beneath that intensity, there’s something else. Something you can’t ignore. It gnaws at you, a quiet unease building in the pit of your stomach, whispering that something is wrong. You try to shake it off, but the feeling lingers, insistent.

Then, as his lips move down your jaw, trailing across your skin, you feel it— the wetness on his cheek, mingling with your own heated skin. It’s subtle at first, just a hint of moisture, but when his lips return to yours, you taste the unmistakable saltiness.

Tears.

He’s crying.

“Yunho,” you whisper softly against his lips, your voice a mix of concern and disbelief. Your hand moves to cradle the back of his head, fingers threading through his hair in a gentle attempt to ground him. But he doesn’t pull away. If anything, he clings to you even more tightly, his kisses growing more fervent, more desperate, as if he’s trying to lose himself in the feel of you.

You can feel his heart pounding against yours, faster than usual. His breath hitches, a ragged sound, as he continues to press kisses along your collarbone, his hands gripping you like he’s afraid you might slip away.

“Yunho,” you murmur again, more firmly this time, gently guiding his face away from your skin. Your eyes meet his, and the sight nearly breaks you. The touch snaps him out of his daze, eyes wide as his hands come up to wipe the wetness on his cheeks— surprise evident on his face as he realizes that he’d been tearing up unintentionally.

His face is streaked with tears, his usually bright eyes clouded with something deeper— something heavier. Your heart clenches at the sight of him, the image of his tear-streaked face a painful reminder of how much he’s carrying. It’s clear that something is weighing on him heavily, something beyond his usual strength.

“What’s wrong?” you ask softly, your voice trembling slightly with concern. The depth of his distress is evident, and it cuts through you like a knife.

The silence that follows is thick and heavy, wrapping around you both like a suffocating blanket. You can feel the shift in the atmosphere, the unspoken fears and worries hanging palpably between you. Your heart races, a tightening knot of anxiety as you wait for him to speak.

He looks at you like you’re the only thing keeping him tethered to this world, but also like he’s already mourning something he hasn’t said out loud. His lips tremble as he opens his mouth, but no words come out. Instead, he lowers his forehead to yours, his breath shaky against your skin as his tears fall silently between you.

“Yunho, please, talk to me,” you implore, your voice barely above a whisper. The urgency in your tone reflects the desperation you feel, wanting to bridge the gap of silence that seems to grow wider with every passing second.

He slowly sits up, his movements slow and deliberate, as if every action is weighed down by the burden he carries. You mirror his actions, pushing yourself off of his lap to sit next to him, your gaze fixed on his face as he struggles to find the right words. The seconds stretch into an eternity, each moment heavy with the anticipation of what he might reveal.

The look in his eyes is one of intense inner conflict, as if he’s grappling with how to convey the depth of his anguish. His hesitation is palpable, the silence growing thicker as he searches for a way to articulate what’s troubling him. You hold your breath, feeling the weight of the moment, as every passing second seems to stretch into infinity.

Finally, Yunho takes a deep breath, the decision to share his burden evident in the way he grips your hand. The moment is tender yet heavy with unspoken fears, a reminder of how deeply connected you both are, even in the face of uncertainty.

“I and the rest of the crew are to be deployed in a week. It’s an important mission. Confidential, actually. I was going to talk to you about it in the morning.”

The words hit you like a sudden jolt, your heart skipping a beat at the gravity of his announcement. Despite his attempt at nonchalance, the undercurrent of dread in his voice is palpable. 

“Is it dangerous?” your words come out as a whisper, your voice trembling slightly as you grapple with the fear rising in your chest.

“It is,” he admits, his tone heavy with the weight of reality. “But it’s something we have to do.”

The fear in your heart intensifies, a cold, clenching sensation that threatens to overwhelm you. It’s the first time Yunho has ever admitted to the danger of a mission in such a manner, and it does nothing to the heaviness that begins to build up in your chest.

“Can’t you say no?” you plead, your voice strained as you struggle to keep the tremor out of it. Your mind races with the terrifying thought of him facing danger, and the possibility of losing him seems almost too much to bear.

Yunho shakes his head, his gaze unwavering. “We have some trained pioneers to help us with it, but they need the best crew for this. It’s the world at stake.”

The gravity of his words hangs in the air, a stark reminder of the enormity of the situation. You try to voice your concerns, your words catching in your throat as you fight against the suffocating grip of fear. The thought of him being in harm’s way is a crushing weight that makes it hard to breathe.

“It’s going to be difficult but I’ll be back,” Yunho says gently, his voice laced with a soothing promise as he squeezes your hand. “I promise.”

The promise is both a balm and a burden, a small beacon of hope amidst the sea of uncertainty. Yunho pulls you into his arms, his warmth enveloping you in a cocoon of comfort. You bury your face against his chest, drawing solace from his presence as you let the tears fall. His embrace is a fragile sanctuary in the midst of the storm of emotions that threatens to consume you.

“Are you mad?” Yunho asks softly, his tone tender as he brushes a strand of hair from your face. The gentle query is tinged with concern, an effort to ease the emotional tumult between you.

“No,” you reply, though the unease in your voice betrays your true feelings. The words feel inadequate, mere whispers against the roar of your fear.

“I think you are, starlight,” Yunho says with a sad, knowing smile. “We promised to be honest about our feelings, remember?”

“I don’t want you to go,” you admit, your voice wavering as you cling to him, your hands gripping his shirt as if trying to hold onto him as tightly as you can. “What if I lose you, Yun?”

The question lingers in the air, a heavy, haunting echo of the fear you can barely contain. The uncertainty of his departure looms over you like a dark cloud, and the thought of losing him feels almost too unbearable to confront.

“You’ll always have me,” Yunho says, his voice filled with unwavering conviction. He holds you tighter, his embrace a firm promise against the fears that plague your mind. “No matter what happens, I’ll always be with you.”

“I know,” you whisper, your voice breaking through the tension that fills the cramped room. The dim lighting casts long shadows, making the space feel even smaller, as if closing in around the weight of the conversation. 

“But that’s not a real answer to the situation right now. You said it yourself. You have experts for this. They’re trained for it,” you continue, your heart aching with the desperation of trying to grasp a solution. “Why do you need to go?”

Yunho’s face is etched with a mix of anguish and resolve, his normally calm demeanor slipping away under the pressure of your words. He looks down, his eyes clouded with uncertainty, as he struggles to articulate the depth of his reasoning. 

“Because… because it’s not just about the mission,” he finally says, his voice low and strained, “It’s about ensuring there’s a chance. Making sure everything is done right.”

His words hang in the air, heavy with meaning and unspoken fears. The reality of the situation crashes over you like a tidal wave. You see the determination in his eyes, a fierce commitment to his duty that you have always admired, but the thought of him facing such imminent danger fills you with a dread that is almost paralyzing. You can’t summon anger— only a deep, hollow ache that makes it hard to breathe.

“Don’t cry, please…” Yunho’s voice is tender, his hands reaching out to gently brush away the tears that streak down your cheeks. His touch is both soothing and heart-wrenching, a stark contrast to the storm of emotions raging inside you. His own eyes glisten with unshed tears, reflecting the profound sadness that fills the room.

“Just… promise me you’ll come back to me,” you plead, your voice trembling as you clutch at the fabric of his shirt. Your fingers dig into the material, seeking any semblance of comfort as you make your desperate request. The weight of the promise hangs between you, a fragile thread connecting your hearts.

Yunho’s expression softens, a blend of sorrow and resolve in his eyes. He leans in, his breath warm against your skin as he presses a gentle kiss to your cheek.

“I will, starlight,” he whispers against your ear, cheek pressed against your as he hugs you close to him, his voice barely above a murmur. “I always do.”

You nod, your throat tight with emotion as you try to steady your breathing. “Okay,” you manage to say, your voice breaking as you snuffle and gulp to regain control. “Okay.”

Yunho pulls away slightly to cup your cheek, his touch both comforting and bittersweet. His eyes search yours, trying to convey the depth of his feelings in this fleeting moment. As you begin to wipe away your tears, he moves in closer, his lips meeting yours in a tender, lingering kiss. The kiss is a mix of passion and sadness, a final, intimate connection before the uncertainty of his departure.

You close your eyes, allowing yourself to lose yourself in it, letting the last few drops of your tears fall as you savor the warmth of his embrace. The kiss deepens, fueled by the intensity of your emotions and the urgency of the moment. You cling to him, pouring all your love and fear into the kiss, trying to imprint this moment into your memory.

Yunho’s hands are steady on your waist, holding you close as if he never wants to let go. His touch is firm yet gentle, a silent promise that he will carry your love with him wherever he goes.

As you pull away slightly, your breaths come in shallow, ragged gasps. Yunho’s eyes meet yours, filled with a mixture of tenderness and apology. He gazes at you with a deep, almost aching love, as if trying to memorize every detail of your face before the inevitable parting. You hold onto him, your fists clenched against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath your fingers.

Without a warning, you swoop back in, kissing him with more fervor. Yunho’s taken aback for a quick moment, his hands coming up to hold you steady by the waist as you fidget on his lap. He’s quick to return the passion, pouring his heart and emotions into the kiss you share. Your hands begin to find the buttons of his dress shirt, undoing them as quick as you can— as if time’s ticking half as fast as usual.

Because you feel like it is.

Yunho slips out of his shirt, parting from the kiss just to remove yours from your body as well. He flips you over, laying you on your back, wanting to be as close to you as he could. You welcome his warmth wholeheartedly, clutching onto him as if your life depends on it. As if you’re about to lose it if you don’t. 

For a moment, the rest of the world seems to disappear. The looming storm of his departure is pushed aside by the intensity of your connection. Yunho’s fingers gently brush against your skin amidst the rush of the moment, his touch a soothing balm against the ache in your heart. 

As he cages you in his arms and one thing leads to the other, you feel the profound weight of his impending departure, the crushing finality of his decision. 

But in this fleeting, bittersweet interlude, you find a small measure of peace, clinging to the hope that somehow, against all odds, he will return to you.

The morning air feels thick with unspoken tension as you and Junho accompany Yunho to the launch facility. The enormity of the moment presses on your chest, but you try to remain strong for both of them. Junho clutches his star-shaped plushie tightly, a small token of comfort, as he walks beside Yunho, trying to match his father’s long strides with his tiny legs. When you arrive at the departure point, Yunho squats down, ruffling Junho’s hair gently.

“Hey, buddy,” he says softly, his voice catching in his throat. “You’re gonna be a good boy while I’m gone, right?”

Junho nods, his little face serious as he hugs his father tightly, burying his face into Yunho’s neck.

“I’ll be good, Papa. Come back soon, okay?”

Yunho squeezes him harder, eyes glistening with emotions he keeps locked away for times like this.

“I will. I promise.”

When Yunho finally stands, his gaze shifts to you. Your heart aches as he reaches up to gently caress your cheek, the warmth of his touch grounding you in a moment that feels like it’s slipping away too quickly. The worry you’ve tried so hard to hide is all too evident, and he sees right through it.

“You’ll be fine without me,” he says with a small, reassuring smile, but you can hear the crack in his usually calm voice.

You don’t speak, because you know if you do, the dam will break. Instead, you throw your arms around him, hugging him tightly, breathing in the familiar scent of him, hoping it lingers long after he’s gone. When you finally let go, he turns to leave, but your hand instinctively tugs at his arm. 

Without hesitation, you pull him into a deep kiss, one that speaks of fear, longing, and all the words you couldn’t say. His lips press back against yours, equally passionate and filled with the same bittersweet mixture of love and inevitable departure. It’s a goodbye neither of you wants to acknowledge, but both know is necessary.

When you finally release him, Yunho smiles softly, his thumb brushing gentle, reassuring circles against the skin of your cheek. It’s a touch meant to soothe, but all it does is make you cling to the moment, unwilling to let him go.

“Come back to me, okay?” Your voice cracks, the tears you’ve been holding in finally spilling over. “You have to.”

His lips hover near yours, the warmth of his breath mingling with your own as he whispers, “I’ll always come back to you, starlight.”

You had always been the one who brought him warmth and hope, even in the darkest of times.

Without you, he would have been lost in the void. His fame and success might make him a "star" in the eyes of the world, but it's your love that makes him feel truly seen, grounded, and understood.

Yunho believes that no matter how far away he is, even in the deepest reaches of space, it's you that will always lead him home. So while the universe may see him as the star, he knows that his light is just a reflection of the love you've always given him. To him, you will always be the true starlight— the light that gives his existence meaning, even as he shines.

He presses a final, fleeting kiss on your lips— short, yet filled with the depth of everything he can’t put into words.

With a heavy heart, Yunho pulls away, and you can feel the shift, the inevitability of time drawing him farther from you with every second. He gives you and Junho one last, lingering look, his smile soft but full of emotion.

“I love you both,” he says, his voice thick with sincerity. “So, so much.”

And then he’s gone, disappearing into the flurry of technicians and AstraTech officials, his towering figure blending into the sea of mission personnel. The distance feels immediate, as though the space between you has already widened to the vastness of galaxies.

The launch facility hums with tense energy as the final preparations unfold. Inside, Yunho walks into the mission briefing room, the shift in atmosphere stark. The team is assembled, each member’s face a mixture of steely resolve and hidden apprehension. This is no ordinary mission— this is a critical leap for humanity’s future, and everyone feels the weight of it.

Yunho, now fully suited up in his space gear, stands at the head of the table, his eyes scanning the room. The weight of what he’s leaving behind presses against his chest, but he steels himself. There’s no room for distraction now.

As Yunho surveys the scene, his eyes settle on Sim Jaeyun, the young deep space drilling pioneer brought in for this mission. Despite his youth, Jaeyun was chosen for a reason. Aside from his notable performance among the trainees, his years of experience in his family’s oil drilling business had honed his skills and familiarity prior with critical devices and processes. His expertise was crucial for the success of their plan.

Yunho observes Jaeyun meticulously conducting his equipment checks. The young man’s hands move with precision, but Yunho catches the subtle tremor in his grip, a sign of his nerves. Yunho approaches and gently taps Jaeyun’s shoulder to get his attention.

“Oh— Commander Jeong!” Jaeyun startles, bowing deeply and accidentally dropping some of his equipment. Among the scattered items, Yunho notices a family photo that has fallen to the floor.

“At ease, Sim,” Yunho says with a reassuring smile, recognizing a bit of his younger self in the young man before him. He helps Jaeyun gather the equipment, and Jaeyun returns a grateful, sheepish smile. 

Yunho smiles, reminded of the bashful look on Junho’s face everytime he would catch him talking to his toys.

“You’ve got a family?” Yunho inquires, his tone gentle but firm. The family photo had caught his eye, reminding him of the sendoff where he’d seen Jaeyun standing with a woman and a small child. The image of Jaeyun kissing them goodbye had stayed with him amidst the crowd of families bidding farewell at the launch facility.

Jaeyun looks up from his work, his expression steady but revealing the weight of the mission ahead.

“Yes, sir,” he replies, “My wife and I had our son not long ago. We haven’t been married long either. We were young and, well, didn’t always make the best choices. But they’re my biggest blessings.”

“A newborn?” Yunho asks, his curiosity tinged with empathy.

Jaeyun nods, a faint smile touching his lips. “Yes, sir. A boy.”

Yunho's expression softens. He knows exactly how Jaeyun feels— the tight knot of fear and hope that comes with leaving behind a family for something bigger than yourself. He had felt the same before his first mission after marrying you. After Junho was born, that feeling had only intensified. 

“I know what it’s like, having someone waiting for you,” Yunho says, his voice low but filled with understanding. “It’s hard, but you’ve got to keep your head clear. Stay sharp. We’re counting on you.”

Jaeyun holds his gaze, the flicker of anxiety in his eyes slowly replaced by determination.

“Yes, sir,” he replies, his resolve settling in. He grips his tools a little tighter, focusing on the task at hand. 

Yunho pats his shoulder, offering one last reassuring look before stepping back. They both knew the stakes, and they both had people counting on them.

The mission briefing concludes in a brisk, no-nonsense manner, and the team scatters to their stations with practiced precision. As they prepare, the spacecraft rests in eerie stillness on the launch pad. The last slivers of sunlight cast a golden glow across its metallic surface, while the asteroid looms in the distance like a shadow, massive and indifferent, a reminder of the stakes they face.

The air in the command center is thick with tension, though not a word is spoken. It’s a calm that comes with familiarity, the team having rehearsed these steps a thousand times. This time, however, everything feels heavier—the weight of Earth's fate resting squarely on their shoulders.

Yunho stands at the forefront of it all, his face set in an expression of quiet determination. His gaze sweeps over the control panel, watching as systems blink to life.

“All crew, roll call,” Yunho's voice comes through the comms, steady and composed, despite the gravity of the situation.

"Orion, standing by," replies Jongho, his voice clipped and focused. From his station, he methodically runs through the spacecraft’s navigation systems.

"Vega, systems green across the board. Engines at optimal levels," reports San, his hands already working across the ship’s internal systems, fingers tapping at the console as he monitors for any sign of malfunction.

"Luna, comms clear," Wooyoung’s voice filters in, light but precise. He sits at his console, ensuring a steady flow of communication between the spacecraft and ground control. His fingers twitch occasionally, a sure sign that beneath his calm tone, there’s a swirl of nervous energy.

"Nebula, all tech systems functional," Mingi adds, voice tinged with that signature calm as he works on ensuring the advanced equipment is prepped for whatever the asteroid throws at them.

"Atlas, ready on drilling equipment," Jaeyun says, his voice steady, completing the final check-in.

Yunho takes a breath, letting the quiet hum of the engines ground him. Every part of the ship, every person on board is in sync. It’s all come down to this moment. They're ready.

“Copy that,” Yunho responds, eyes locking on the asteroid growing larger in the viewport. His heart pounds, but his voice remains steady as the countdown begins.

“T-minus 10... 9... 8...”

The engines start to roar, vibrating through the ship, a force that everyone feels down to their bones.

“7… 6… 5…”

They know what’s at stake. Each of them has a role to play, and they’ve trained endlessly for this. Still, the uncertainty hangs like a storm cloud on the horizon.

“4… 3… 2…”

For just a moment, Yunho’s mind flashes to the stars, to the nights spent gazing at them with you by his side. He can almost hear your voice, the warmth of your presence grounding him in the chaos. He grips the armrests of his chair, letting the thought of you push him forward.

“1.”

The spacecraft launches, a deafening roar echoing through the command center as it breaks free from the Earth, surging into the dark void where nothing is certain except the mission. The rocket’s engines blaze against the darkening sky, leaving a trail of fire and smoke. As the vehicle ascends, the team inside adjusts to the weightlessness of space, their focus sharpening as they approach their target.

The spacecraft continues its journey, navigating the cold, uncharted reaches of space with precision and care. The asteroid, now a prominent feature on their instruments, draws closer, its massive presence commanding the attention of the crew. The atmosphere inside the spacecraft shifts from the initial exhilaration of launch to the tense anticipation of the task ahead. Every maneuver, every adjustment, is executed with meticulous accuracy.

The spacecraft hovers in position above the asteroid, the vast expanse of space stretching out in every direction. Inside, the crew is methodically checking their systems. Yunho stands at the control panel, his gaze sweeping over the array of monitors.

“Orion, status report,” Yunho calls out.

“Navigation systems are calibrated and ready,” Jongho replies from his station, his focus sharp.

“Vega, how’s the engine?” Yunho asks.

“All systems green,” San responds, his fingers flying over the console.

With systems confirmed, the team prepares for the next phase: drilling into the asteroid to secure the nuclear warhead. 

“Helios Drill, ready for deployment,” Jaeyun reports, his voice steadier than before.

Yunho moves to his side, scanning the monitors. “Proceed.”

The Helios Drill extends from the belly of the spacecraft, its metallic arms reaching out like the claws of a massive beast, designed to pierce the asteroid’s unyielding surface. As it makes contact, the drill's pointed bit begins its rotation, slowly burrowing into the asteroid’s rock-hard shell.

Inside the ship, the rhythmic thrum of the drill vibrates through the walls, a constant reminder of the tension outside. The asteroid's composition is dense— tougher than expected. Yunho can feel it, the slight resistance shaking through the control panels as he monitors the progress.

“Depth check,” Yunho orders.

“We’re making steady progress, Commander. About thirty percent into the required depth,” Jaeyun responds, his eyes glued to the data streaming across his screen.

The asteroid’s surface begins to push back— an indication of unstable rock layers. The ship shudders slightly as the drill struggles against the resistance. Jaeyun’s fingers fly over the controls, adjusting the drill’s settings, compensating for the erratic pressure.

“Hold steady,” Yunho says, his voice calm despite the rising tension. The asteroid is a ticking time bomb, and the drill has to reach the target depth to plant the nuclear warhead securely. Failure isn’t an option.

Jaeyun grits his teeth, sweat forming on his brow. “Adjusting rotation speed. This layer’s denser than we expected.”

The vibrations intensify, and suddenly, a red light flashes on Jaeyun’s console. His breath hitches. “Commander, we’ve hit a critical pressure point. The drill’s power feed is fluctuating. If we push too hard, we risk overloading the system.”

Yunho’s eyes narrow, weighing the options. They’re running out of time, but overloading the drill could cause catastrophic damage to the ship or the mission itself.

“Can we reroute power from auxiliary systems?” Yunho asks, already scanning the control panel.

Jaeyun’s hands are shaking, but his mind is sharp. “I can try, but we’ll lose some engine capacity. It’s risky.”

Yunho makes the call. “Do it. We need that depth.”

Jaeyun nods, his fingers moving in rapid succession across the console. The ship hums as power reroutes, and the drill stabilizes, resuming its steady descent into the asteroid.

Minutes stretch into an agonizing eternity. Every meter the drill descends feels like a victory, but the clock is ticking. Finally, after what seems like hours, the drill reaches the required depth. The monitor blinks green.

“We’re in,” Jaeyun announces, letting out a breath of relief. “Ready for warhead deployment.”

Yunho gives the signal, and Jaeyun activates the release mechanism. The warhead, nestled securely within its casing, lowers into the freshly drilled cavity. But just as the warhead begins to descend, alarms blare— a sharp, shrill sound that freezes the crew.

“Warning: deployment mechanism malfunction,” the system’s voice drones, emotionless but dire.

Yunho’s stomach drops. “Status report!”

Jaeyun’s face pales. “The release system’s jammed. It won’t deploy remotely.”

Yunho curses under his breath. “Can we fix it?”

San’s voice crackles over the comms. “Backup systems are failing too. We’re experiencing irregular pressure fluctuations, Commander. We’ll need to deploy it manually.”

The words hang heavy in the air. Manual deployment means suiting up and stepping onto the asteroid’s surface— a dangerous and potentially lethal task, but there’s no other option.

Yunho’s jaw tightens. “Prep for Extravehicular Activity. I’m going.”

Jaeyun looks up, eyes wide. “Commander, let me come with you. This is my system. I know how to fix it.”

Yunho meets his gaze, a mix of admiration and concern. He knows Jaeyun is capable, but the risks are astronomical. Still, they don’t have time to argue. He nods. 

“Suit up. You’ve got five minutes.”

The office buzzes with its usual frenetic energy—phones ringing incessantly, papers shuffling, and the low hum of conversations creating a familiar rhythm. You’ve grown accustomed to the chaos, the deadlines, and the high-stakes pressure of being an anchor. But today, amidst it all, something feels different. There’s a weight on your chest that you can’t quite shake, though you try to push through, focusing on the endless stream of news updates flashing on your screen.

Just as you start to type up a report, your phone vibrates on the desk. A call from a number you don’t recognize. Despite the uncertainty, a surge of anticipation compels you to answer, driven by a lingering hope that, against all odds, it might be Yunho reaching out.

“Hello? Y/N speaking,” you answer, keeping your voice steady, professional, despite the noise around you. But before you can settle back into work, the intercom crackles to life.

“Hello, Mrs. Jeong. This is AstraTech HQ. Commander Jeong has asked to be connected to you through a call. This call will only last for five minutes. I’ll be putting him on the line now.”

Before you can react, A brief click resonates through the receiver, and then Yunho’s voice, warm and familiar, fills your ear. 

“Hi, starlight,” he says, his tone a comforting balm amidst the clamor. “Can you step out of the office for a moment?”

The shift in your mood is immediate and profound. Your heart races, a flutter of hope and anxiety intertwining as you clutch the phone tighter. 

“Are you home?” you ask, your voice betraying the excitement and worry surging through you, your hands instinctively grasping the phone tighter. “Honey, are you home?”

Yunho laughs. You can almost see that cheeky smile of his.

“Just do as I say, will you?”

Confused but eager, you rush out of the office, weaving through cubicles and past colleagues who look up in curiosity. Your mind races with thoughts of Yunho finally being back, and you burst into the fresh air of the street, scanning ahead. 

“Okay, okay! I’m out of the office. Where are you?”

“Wave at the sky.”

You laugh nervously, glancing around as if expecting to see him somehow materialize in the sky. “What?”

“Wave at the sky.”

“Yunho, what kind of prank is this?”

“Are you waving?”

You raise your hand, waving in the general direction of the sky. “I am.”

You can feel him smiling even if you don’t see him, “I’m currently waving back at you from space.”

“Honey—”

“I just missed you, starlight,” Yunho says softly, the warmth in his voice cutting through the static. “Will you promise to come and greet me every day and every night?”

Your heart aches at the tenderness in his voice, and you nod, even though he can’t see you. “Of course.”

“Alright, you better,” Yunho chuckles, and you can almost picture the smile on his face. But then his tone shifts, becoming more somber. 

“Now, listen carefully. On my computer… you know the password, right? Just so we’re clear, it’s still hotteok23, capital letter H, and your face recognition works too. The same goes with my cards and bank accounts; mine, yours, and Junho’s day of birth. The insurance and all of the other important files are stored in the folder named space poop, and I know, it sounds ridiculous, but it’s all there. You’ll know what to do with everything in the folder once you open it.”

“Why are you telling me this now?” you say, the unease in your voice unmistakable. Your heart sinks as the unsettling weight of his words begins to settle in. “Yunho, what’s going on?”

His silence speaks volumes, and the weight of his words begins to settle in, thick and suffocating.

“I just wanted to make sure... that you hear it from me.”

The air feels heavier, each second ticking louder in the silence between you.

“What’s going on, please…” Your voice cracks, a tremor of fear lacing through it, but before Yunho can respond, you feel a tug on your sleeve.

“Is that Papa?” Junho’s small voice cuts through the tension, his wide eyes filled with hope. You swallow hard, trying to keep the tears at bay as you nod.

“Yes, sweetheart, it’s Papa,” you whisper, and Junho beams up at you. “Do you want to talk to him?”

Junho eagerly takes the phone, and you watch, heart aching, as his innocent joy fills the moment with bittersweet warmth. 

“Hi, Papa! Guess what? I got five stars at school today!”

Yunho’s laughter is warm, but tinged with something deeper. “That’s amazing, buddy. Can you wave at me?”

Junho giggles, glancing up at the sky. “I can’t see you, Papa!”

“But I can see you,” Yunho replies softly. “I’m waving from up here. Are you waving back?”

Junho waves enthusiastically, his small hand outstretched to the sky. “I am!”

You can’t hold it in anymore. Silent tears spill down your cheeks as you watch your son, his innocence a sharp contrast to the heaviness weighing you down. Your heart feels as though it’s breaking, and when Junho notices, his brow furrows in confusion.

“Mama’s crying,” he whispers into the phone, glancing up at you with concern.

There’s a pause, then Yunho’s voice returns, gentle but steady. “Junho, listen to me. Can I trust you with something?”

“Of course, Papa,” He says in a small voice, nodding as if Yunho can see him at the moment.

“Whenever mama cries, I need you to kiss her tears away, okay? Be a good boy and take care of her for me. Promise?”

Junho nods earnestly, pressing a kiss to your cheek before whispering, “I promise.”

The moment stretches, thick with emotion, as Junho hands the phone back to you. His little fingers cling to your skirt, eyes filled with innocent worry. You take the phone, your hand trembling.

“Yunho,” you whisper, your voice breaking. “You promised.”

“I know,” he murmurs, his voice raw with emotion. “I’m trying. I’m doing everything I can.”

You know he is.

Yunho always pours his heart into everything he does. He’s always said he wants to do his best rather than be the best, and it's that very mindset that has made him excel in every challenge he’s faced.

You just never imagined you’d find yourself hoping, just this once, that he wasn’t the most capable person for this mission.

“I miss you both. So much.” His voice falters slightly, as if he’s trying to find the right words. “I know the mission’s... difficult. But it’s something I have to do. For you. For Junho.”

You close your eyes, clutching the phone as if it could tether you to him, as if it could make everything alright. 

“I love you,” you whisper, the words fragile and aching.

“I love you too, starlight,” Yunho says, his voice soft but resolute. “To outer space, and beyond.”

“Yunho.” Mingi’s voice is strained, his concern palpable as he pulls the commander aside. In a quiet corner, away from the chaos, he leans in, his tone low but urgent. “You don’t have to do this. It’s the kid’s responsibility to handle the task. If you go with him, we risk losing both of you.”

Yunho, though visibly listening, continues to prepare his equipment with a focused determination.

“He has a newborn waiting for him at home. I can’t stand by and let him face this alone.”

Mingi shakes his head, frustration mixing with his worry. “And what about you? You have a family too. He’s here to support us; he knew what he was signing up for.”

“Jaeyun was trained for this, but this mission is beyond anything he’s faced. The asteroid’s interference is severe, and he’s already under immense stress. If anything goes wrong, he won’t have the expertise to fix it alone. I need to be there to ensure it’s done right. Knowledge of outer space or not, it’s safer if I’m there with him.” Yunho replies firmly, his resolve unyielding. The flicker of fear in his eyes is evident, but his decision is resolute.

At his next words, his voice turns softer, and there’s a more somber look in his eyes, “If there’s a chance I can keep him safe and ensure the mission’s success, I have to take it.” 

Mingi sighs, letting the silence linger for a while as he forces himself to relent, “Come back in one piece, commander. We need you back here.”

Yunho meets Mingi’s gaze, the weight of his commitment clear. He nods, though the uncertainty of the mission hangs heavy in the air.

“Do you think we might die, Commander?” Jaeyun's voice trembles, barely above a whisper. He clutches the manual deployment device to his chest, his eyes wide with raw fear just as he stands next to Yunho, preparing for descent. 

“I keep thinking about my family. I don’t know if I said goodbye right. I should have taken more pictures with my son. He’s so little... and my wife... I told her I—” His voice cracks, a sob escaping despite the pained smile on his face, “I told her I’d be back. I promised I’d come home. I— I should have done more. I didn’t—” 

His words dissolve into a heart-wrenching silence, his face contorted with anguish as he struggles to control his trembling hands.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, kid. Calm down,” Yunho says, his voice steady as he grabs Jaeyun by the shoulders. “You’re not going to die, okay? You're going to see your son grow, and you're going to come home to your wife.”

“Sir—”

“For now, focus on the task at hand. If we fail to see this through, you risk losing your family,” Yunho interrupts, his tone firm just as Jaeyun’s breathing stabilizes. “You're going to be okay. I’ll be right with you, I promise.”

Jaeyun nods despite the tears threatening to fall from his eyes, feeling a sense of security from Yunho's words alone, not because he's the world's greatest commander, but because something in the way Yunho looked at him told him he meant everything he said.

With that, the airlock hisses open, and they step into the void, tethered to the spacecraft by a thin lifeline. Below them, the asteroid’s jagged surface looms, indifferent to the lives it threatens. Yunho and Jaeyun descend together onto the asteroid’s unstable surface, both tethered securely to the spacecraft. The gravity here feels strange, a tug that’s neither Earth nor space, and the asteroid’s jagged terrain shifts uneasily beneath their boots.

As they approach the asteroid’s surface, Yunho and Jaeyun struggle against high gravity and increasing debris. Their suit’s shielding system is designed to deflect such impacts, but the constant barrage takes a toll. The heat from the asteroid’s surface is another challenge, with temperature fluctuations causing additional strain on the suit’s thermal control systems. Their suits’ alarms blare intermittently, warning of rising temperatures and pressure imbalances, visor fogging up as sweat beads form, making it harder to see. Despite these challenges, they remain focused on the task at hand.

The warhead casing looms ahead, half-buried in the asteroid's crumbling exterior. Jaeyun moves with practiced precision, his gaze flicking between his tools and the volatile surface, while Yunho scans the surroundings, ever-watchful for signs of instability.

"Stay close," Yunho instructs, his voice calm despite the ticking clock in his mind. He knows they’re working against time—against fate, even.

“Commander, do you have a status update?” Wooyoung’s voice comes through the comms, strained but hopeful.

“Atlas is securing the warhead now,” Yunho replies, his voice steady. “The surface is unstable.”

Jaeyun nods, focused on his task. “I’ve almost got it. Just need to bypass this last circuit.”

As he works, the asteroid groans ominously. Beneath their feet, the ground shifts—subtle, but enough to make Yunho’s heart jump in his chest. He kneels next to Jaeyun, his eyes narrowing as he watches the younger engineer deftly reroute the damaged deployment mechanism.

A minute passes. Then two. Everything seems to be under control—until it isn’t.

Without warning, the ground trembles violently. Cracks spiderweb across the asteroid’s surface, and Yunho feels a sickening lurch in his gut.

"Commander—!" Jaeyun shouts, scrambling to keep his balance as the asteroid shakes.

Yunho’s hand shoots out, grabbing Jaeyun’s suit to steady him. His eyes sweep across the scene—the warhead is almost ready, but the asteroid is crumbling faster than anticipated. Dust and debris kick up around them, and the tremors grow worse by the second.

But as the ground beneath them trembles, Yunho’s instincts scream. Something's wrong. The asteroid’s unstable surface shifts again, a violent quake that rattles their footing. Dust and debris swirl in the weightless vacuum, and Yunho grabs Jaeyun by the arm, steadying him.

The surface cracks and groans, the tremors growing worse. Yunho’s eyes dart to the warhead, still not fully deployed. It’s too slow. They’re running out of time.

Yunho’s mind races, analyzing the situation. The mechanism is malfunctioning—there’s no way they can finish the automated sequence before the asteroid crumbles. The warhead has to be detonated manually.

He grips Jaeyun’s arm tighter, eyes locking with his. “Atlas, pull back.”

Jaeyun’s eyes widen in shock. “No! Commander, if I leave, it won’t deploy! We can still fix this!”

“Jaeyun.” Yunho’s voice hardens. “It’s not going to hold. I’ll stay and deploy it manually. You need to get back to the ship.”

Jaeyun’s breathing hitches, his mind whirling. He looks at the warhead, at the rapidly deteriorating asteroid, and then back at Yunho. And he knows—Yunho is right. But that doesn’t make it any easier.

“But—”

“This is the only way,” Yunho says quietly, but with finality. “You know it is.”

The devastation in Jaeyun’s eyes mirrors the dread in Yunho’s heart, but there’s no other choice. He’s made his decision. The mission has to succeed, and Jaeyun has to survive.

Jaeyun swallows hard, his voice trembling. “I’m not leaving you here.”

Yunho's voice softens, but his grip is firm as he guides Jaeyun toward the tether leading back to the ship.

“You have to. That’s an order.”

Jaeyun’s hand trembles as he grips the tether, his heart hammering in his chest. He hesitates for one last second, looking back at Yunho, desperation etched into every line of his face.

“Copy that, sir.”

With that, Jaeyun pulls himself away, the tether drawing him back toward the spacecraft. Every inch feels like a betrayal, leaving Yunho behind. But he knows he has to. Yunho gave him no choice.

Yunho watches Jaeyun retreat, his heart burdened by the gravity of his choice, despite it being conscious. The emptiness of space seems to mirror the void inside him. 

Yunho has lived fully, loved deeply, and built a life worth coming back to. Yet, as a tear trickles down his cheek, he realizes that he is leaving behind so much more— a future brimming with moments and memories waiting to be shared. But, deep down he knows that if he doesn’t see this mission through, there will be nothing left to return to. His grip on the deployment device tightens, a silent promise to safeguard the lives that depend on him.

“ATEEZ Unit,” Yunho’s voice crackles through the comms, his heart heavy. “Move to a safe distance and prepare for detonation. I’m staying behind to ensure the warhead deploys.”

Silence follows—thick and suffocating, as if the crew hasn’t yet processed the weight of his words. But when they do, the comms erupt in disbelief, the static barely masking their shock.

“Commander, is there truly no other way?” Mingi’s voice breaks through, strained, clinging to a desperate hope.

Jongho cuts in, his usual composure faltering.

“There has to be something else. We can’t leave you here without exhausting all the options we have.”

Yunho closes his eyes, taking a breath to steady himself. His voice remains calm, but the inevitability in his tone is undeniable.

“I’ve gone through every alternative. This is the only way to guarantee the mission’s success and keep everyone safe back home. We’re out of time.”

A long, heavy silence follows. Yunho can feel their resistance slipping away as the reality sinks in.

Wooyoung’s voice comes through, controlled but filled with grief.

“Understood, Commander. If this is your call, we’ll follow it. We trust you.”

San’s response comes next, quieter but no less heartfelt. “We’re moving to a safe distance now. You’ve led us with everything you have, and we know you made this decision with that same integrity.”

The spacecraft’s engines rumbles to life, their hum reverberating faintly through Yunho’s suit. He feels the vibrations as the ship began to pull away, the distance between them growing with every passing second. The soft glow of the ship’s lights grows smaller, swallowed by the infinite black of space..

The silence is deafening as Yunho turns back to the warhead, now alone. The ground trembles beneath him, cracks growing wider, the asteroid collapsing faster. He moves quickly, fingers flying over the manual controls. The countdown sequence begins.

He thinks of Junho, his bright smile, his innocent questions about space... Yunho had promised he would come home, that he would stand by his side as the boy grew, guiding him through life’s hurdles. But now, here he is, on the edge of everything, poised to break that promise.

Could he have been selfish? He wonders, thinking about Jaeyun, knowing the young man would have followed orders to execute this himself if Yunho had commanded, despite his own fears. Yunho had the chance to step back, to delegate. Jaeyun could have taken the risk alone.

Would Junho hate him for this? The thought stung. He knows that there’s a sliver of a chance that Junho might never understand why Papa chose the stars over a safe return home.

And then, there’s you. The thought of your face— strong, fierce, and full of love— pierces him in the chest. You had always been the anchor, the one who grounded him when he lost his way in the cosmos. Yunho thinks of your voice, the way it cracked when you laughed, how it could soothe him even when words were unnecessary. He thinks of the way your eyes sparkled when you talked about dreams for the future, a future Yunho was threatening to leave behind.

Would you forgive him for this choice?

The question weighs on him, pressing into his chest like the asteroid’s gravity. You deserve more than this fleeting goodbye. The two of you had built a life together, created a family— a family he’s now at risk of abandoning. The image of you sitting at the kitchen table with Junho, waiting for him to come home, flashes in his mind. The weight of it all presses harder, but there's no turning back.

Yunho stares up into the endless black expanse of space. He imagines the stars above, far away from the chaos and destruction. The cold of space seeps into his bones, but it’s nothing compared to the warmth of his memories.

For a fleeting moment, doubt creeps in. He could have gone back. He could have handed this over to someone else, saved himself for a future with you and Junho. But deep down, he knows. 

He couldn’t have left this to anyone else. He had to be the one to make sure they all stayed safe. His family. His crew. 

Yunho presses the button, the countdown echoing in his ears. 

Five.

He exhales slowly, his breath shaky.

Four.

Your face flashes before his eyes. That smile. That love.

Three.

Junho, laughing, waving at the stars.

Two.

His chest tightens. His heart is ready.

And then, with a quiet, tear-streaked smile, Yunho whispers into the comms for the final time.

“Hey. Look up for me, yeah?” 

“Is the report in?” you ask, trying to mask the anxiety in your voice.

The studio buzzes with last-minute preparations, the air thick with tension. You sit at the news desk, your hands clasped tightly as you await the signal. The flickering lights cast a soft glow on the desk, where the prompter's script waits for you. 

“Yes, we’re about to go live,” comes the reply.

The director gives a nod, and the red recording light on the camera blinks on. You adjust your posture and take a deep breath, glancing at the prompter as it begins to scroll.

The screen behind you fades from the Global News Network logo to your somber face. You clear your throat and begin to read, each word a new revelation.

“Good evening,” you start, your voice steady but strained. “This is Jeong Y/N from Global News Network, reporting a critical update on Operation Starfall. On September 1, 2024, the world watched with anticipation as the renowned Aurora Taskforce for Elite Extra-terrestrial Zenith Unit undertook a high-stakes mission to intercept an asteroid on a collision course with Earth.”

You pause, your eyes skimming over the next line, feeling a knot tighten in your stomach.

“We have just received confirmation that the mission was a resounding success. The warhead planted on the asteroid to alter its trajectory was successfully detonated, averting what could have been a global catastrophe.” You take a shallow breath.

“However, amidst the triumph, one of the 6 crew members deployed for the mission has been reported dead.”

Your heart sinks as you read the next line, the weight of the news hitting you hard.

“Commander Jeong Yunho, displaying exceptional bravery and selflessness, reportedly made the ultimate sacrifice during the mission. He remained behind to manually deploy the nuclear warhead, tragically losing his life in the process.”

The words feel heavy on your tongue, each syllable a painful reminder of the reality you’re grappling with. You try to maintain your composure, but the emotional weight is nearly unbearable.

“This is a moment of deep reflection for us all,” you continue, struggling to keep your voice steady. 

“The world mourns the loss of a hero who embodied courage and dedication.” you continue, your voice trembling despite your efforts to stay professional.

“Stay tuned to Global News Network for comprehensive coverage and updates on Operation Starfall,” you say, your voice breaking, the world seemingly spinning even slower as you say your last line. 

“This has been… Anchor Jeong Y/N… reporting live.”

The camera's red light blinks off, and the studio falls into a heavy silence. The studio lights burn bright, searing through the haze of your emotional turmoil. As you conclude the broadcast, the final words escaping your lips feel like a leaden weight, dragging you down. The prompter’s words fade into a blur, and your vision swims with tears. You take a step back from the desk, feeling the ground tilt beneath you.

The studio, once a controlled environment, now seems disorientingly distant. The room spins as the reality of Yunho’s sacrifice crashes over you like a tidal wave. You sway unsteadily, your legs buckling beneath you.

Before you can collapse, a concerned murmur erupts from the crew. The studio’s bustling energy shifts into urgent activity as crew members rush towards you. Hands steady your arms, guiding you gently to the floor. The world around you becomes a whirlwind of voices and faces, their worry palpable.

“Y/N, are you okay?” one voice asks, but it seems muffled through a veil of dizziness.

“Someone get her some water!” another calls out, the words blending into a distant echo.

You struggle to focus, but all you can see is Yunho’s face— his smile, his eyes filled with warmth and love. In this moment of intense emotion, all thoughts of the studio, the broadcast, and the world around you dissolve into a singular memory of him. His laughter, his touch, his unwavering commitment— everything you loved and lost intertwines with the darkness encroaching on your vision.

As you sink into the floor, your breathing comes in shallow, uneven gasps. The hands around you offer comfort, but they are faint compared to the vivid memories of Yunho. You see his smile, hear his voice, and feel his presence as if he’s reaching out from beyond the stars.

In this final, poignant moment, as consciousness begins to slip away, the only thing that remains clear in your mind is a haunting sense of his eternal presence. 

The last thing you remember before the world fades to black is the feeling of being wrapped in the warmth of his love, transcending the distance of space and time.

You don’t have anything left of Yunho.

Not his body, not his ash, not a single strand of his hair.

All you have is Junho and the memory of him in your head.

There were plenty of comments online, some sending condolences and others expressing admiration for your strength. Everybody knew the story— the dreamy romance between the legendary astronaut and the fastidious journalist. It felt like a fairy tale until it wasn’t. Some even criticized your station for having you report on what had happened to your own husband, but at the time, there wasn’t a choice. It had to be done, and you were the only one capable of telling his story.

Still, time had been nothing but cruel to you and Yunho, and the world had witnessed every agonizing second.

At that, you just can’t help but wonder. Did he know? 

Did Yunho realize he would have to sacrifice himself before he even left? What was he thinking in his last moments? Was he alone? Was he scared?

The questions cut deep, each one like a fresh wound, but the last one hurts the most.

Yunho was never afraid of anything.

But now, the thought of him being scared in his final moments shatters you in ways you weren’t sure you could survive. Your broken heart breaks all over again.

San approaches you quietly, his expression heavy with grief as he gently pulls you into a hug. “He was a very, very brave man, Y/N. We have him to thank for everything.”

You nod into his chest, unable to find words. “Thank you, San,” you manage to whisper, pulling back. “But it doesn’t change the fact that he’s gone.”

“If not for him, the world would be gone too,” He reminds you softly. 

His words hang in the air, repeating in your head. 

The world is alive because of him. 

Yunho had always been sure of that— always sure of his capabilities, sure of his team, sure that whatever happened, he could handle it.

Still, he had to make sure Earth would go on, that you and Junho would have a place to live, and time to live the rest of your lives.

But how are you supposed to live from here on, knowing he’s no longer right next you?

The weight of it all presses down on you, so heavy it feels like you might break under it. The air feels too thick to breathe, and your chest tightens as if your very soul is being squeezed, piece by piece. It’s an ache that starts deep inside— one that no amount of comforting words or empty sympathies can heal.

You stumble outside, away from the stifling formality of the ceremony and the well-meaning people who don’t understand how hollow their condolences sound. The night air is cold against your skin, but it does nothing to calm the storm raging inside you. With every step, your legs feel weaker, as if the ground beneath you might give way at any moment. Finally, you collapse onto a bench, your hands gripping the edge so tightly your knuckles turn white.

And then, the sobs come.

They burst out of you, uncontrollable and raw, like a flood breaking through a dam. The tears blur your vision, and for a moment, it feels like the world around you is as shattered as you are. The sound of your own crying is the only thing you can hear— a harsh, aching noise that fills the emptiness around you. You want to scream, to let the whole universe know how unfair it all is. How Yunho didn’t deserve this. How you didn’t deserve this.

You should’ve been planning a future together, growing old together, watching Junho grow up with his father by his side. But instead, you’re here, alone, trying to pick up the pieces of a life that no longer makes sense.

The sobs wrack your body, echoing into the quiet night, filling the emptiness with the sound of your grief.

And then, a voice— soft, hesitant— breaks through the sorrow.

“Mrs. Jeong?”

You look up, your vision blurred by tears, hastily wiping your face with trembling hands. As your eyes clear, you see a young man standing nearby. His face is pale, his chest heaving as though he’s been running— not just physically, but running from something deeper, something he can’t quite face.

He walks toward you with awkward, hesitant steps, his posture stiff as he tries to hold himself together. You can see it in his eyes— the guilt, the grief, the way it weighs down on him like it’s too much for one person to bear. His breath is uneven, shaky, and the rise and fall of his chest betrays the calm he’s struggling to maintain.

As he reaches you, he pauses, standing just a step away. His hands fidget nervously, fingers twisting together as though they’re searching for something to hold onto, something solid to keep him from breaking apart. For a long moment, he just stands there, his lips trembling as if he wants to say something but can’t find the words.

Then, finally, with a voice heavy with remorse, he speaks.

“I… I’m Sim Jaeyun. Code name Atlas. I was the driller who worked with Commander Jeong,” His words hang in the air, raw and tentative. He doesn’t look at you, his gaze fixed on the ground as if he can’t bear to meet your eyes.

He takes a shaky breath, his voice faltering as he continues, “I just… I want to say…” He chokes on the words, his shoulders shaking as he forces himself to speak. 

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Jeong. He died because of me. I— I was a coward, I didn’t have the guts to see my job through to the end, and he… h-he was too full of heart to force me to do it. It should’ve been me.”

His voice breaks completely, tears falling freely down his face as he falls to his knees right in front of you. “It should’ve been me, not him. If I didn't cower before him, he wouldn't have taken the fall for me. I could have convinced him better.”

For a moment, all you feel is the familiar pang of anger— not at Jaeyun, but at Yunho’s unwavering sense of duty, at his martyrdom. He could have taken a lesser mission, something with lower stakes. But Yunho chose Starfall because he knew, that if anything went wrong, he’d be the one to sacrifice himself even if it was not his place to.

One life for the sake of humanity.

For the sake of you and Junho.

As much as it infuriates you, you know that’s who Yunho was. That’s what made him the world’s Space Ace, the hero who saved Earth.

That’s what made him yours.

The silence between you stretches, thick with grief and unspoken words. Jaeyun stays sobbing on his knees, his chest still heaving, but slower now, like he’s trying to get control of himself. You can feel the weight of his guilt pressing down, just as heavy as your own sorrow. He fiddles with his fingers, twisting them together as if he’s bracing for the worst.

Finally, you break the silence, your voice quiet but steady, the words coming out softer than you expected. 

“Yunho would’ve done it either way,” you say, knowing it to be true with every part of you. Jaeyun flinches at the sound of Yunho’s name, but you keep going, your tone gentle as if trying to soothe him. 

“Come sit down. You’re getting soot on your slacks, and Yunho hates that.”

For a moment, Jaeyun hesitates, as if he’s not sure he deserves the seat beside you. His eyes are still wet with tears, and his lip quivers, but he nods, sniffling quietly as he wipes his face with the back of his hand. Slowly, he moves toward the bench and sits down next to you, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He keeps his gaze low, still fiddling nervously with the soot on his pants, brushing it off as though it’s something he can fix.

You watch him for a moment, the way he looks so lost and vulnerable, his fingers trembling slightly as he wipes at the smudges. A weak chuckle escapes your lips, though it feels foreign in your throat. 

“He’d probably send a rock down from the sky just to make sure you showed up to his wake with clean clothes.”

The faint humor is like a balm in the thick air, and you see the corners of Jaeyun’s mouth twitch slightly. It’s a small, tearful smile, barely there, but it softens the hard edges of his sorrow. His red-rimmed eyes flicker to yours, gratitude mingled with his grief, and for a moment, the two of you share a brief sense of understanding— different burdens, but the same pain.

Jaeyun’s fingers still for the first time since he sat down, and you both fall into a gentle, almost peaceful silence. The night air is cool, a contrast to the raw ache in your chest, and for just a moment, the world outside feels a little farther away.

“Before he…” He pauses, sniffling, “Before the warhead detonated, he told us, look up for me, yeah?”

Jaeyun says, his gaze distant, staring up at the night sky. 

“Back then,” he starts, voice barely above a whisper, “I thought it simply meant he was asking us to remember him. But now… I’ve realized it could’ve meant so much more.” 

His lip trembles, and he grips his knees, grounding himself as the emotions wash over him.

“I thought about it when you said he wanted to be reincarnated as a star during your eulogy.”

The mention of the eulogy stirs a fresh wave of pain in your chest. You remember standing there, the words falling from your lips like fragile glass, trying to make sense of the immense loss. You had said Yunho was the brightest star in the universe, and if there was any justice in the world, he’d return as one— forever watching over you and Junho. But the void he left was suffocating.

Jaeyun shifts again, looking down at his fingers, as if the soot he’s brushing away will somehow make sense of everything. His voice cracks as he continues, “I thought maybe he wanted to be remembered as the man who saved the Earth. Or the man brave enough to give his life up for the world.” He laughs bitterly, his fingers trembling more violently now. “That’s what everyone says, right? He’s a hero, the one who saved us all.”

You look at him, feeling the heaviness in his words. He’s struggling, drowning in guilt and grief, the weight of Yunho’s sacrifice pressing down on him. And in his eyes, you see a reflection of your own heartache. But it’s his next words that nearly shatter you.

“But in the end,” Jaeyun whispers, his voice barely audible now, “all he wants is to remind us that he’ll always be here, after all. We just have to look up.”

It’s too much. 

The rawness of his words cuts deep, and you feel the tears threatening to fall again, the ache in your chest tightening until it’s unbearable.

“He’s always here. That’s what he wanted us to know,” Jaeyun repeats softly, his gaze following yours to the sky. “That’s what he wanted you to know.”

The tears you’ve been holding back spill over, hot and relentless, burning down your cheeks as you struggle to keep your sobs quiet. You press a hand to your chest, as if that could somehow stop the pieces of your broken heart from scattering any further.

Jaeyun glances at you, his eyes brimming with his own tears again, and there’s a moment of shared grief between you— two people who admired Yunho, in different ways, but both devastated by his loss.

But in some small, heartbreaking way, Jaeyun is right. Yunho is still here. Not in the way you want, not in the way you need, but in the quiet moments, in the stars above, in the memory of his love.

And that’s all you have left to hold onto.

You and Jaeyun share a few brief moments of silence before he asks permission, saying he’s to go back inside and take care of his post at the guest seating for Yunho’s wake. You thank him for his efforts, and ask that he deliver your thanks to the rest of the crew as well.

The silence Jaeyun leaves behind is fragile, almost suffocating. You sit there, lost in the echo of his words, staring up at the dark sky as if searching for a glimpse of the star Yunho might have become. The photo of Yunho feels heavy in your hands, the edges worn from being held too much.

Before the loneliness can fully settle, you feel a gentle tug on your sleeve. Junho quietly climbs onto the bench beside you, wrapping his small arms around your waist. He says nothing at first, just leans into you, staring at the picture in your hands. The quiet companionship in his presence makes your heart ache in a different way— bittersweet and tender.

“Is Papa really a star now, Mom?” Junho’s voice is soft, barely above a whisper. His eyes are wide and curious, still too young to fully understand, but old enough to know something’s missing.

You smile weakly, brushing a hand through his soft hair. “Yeah, sweetheart. He’s up there, watching over us.”

Junho’s gaze shifts from the photo to the night sky, his little face scrunching up in thought. “Do you think he’s smiling at us? Like in this picture?”

Your throat tightens, but you nod. “I think so. He’s probably smiling that big, bright smile of his, just like he always did.”

Junho pulls away slightly, sitting back to look at the sky, his small hand resting on your belly— on the life that grows there. “Do you think he can see Yunhee, too? Even though she’s still in your tummy?”

The mention of Yunhee tugs at your heartstrings, and your hand instinctively moves to cover Junho’s. 

“I think he can,” you murmur, your voice barely steady. “I think he’s looking out for all of us. He’ll be there when she’s born. He’ll make sure she knows how much he loves her.”

Junho is quiet for a moment, still gazing up at the sky. Then, almost as if on cue, you feel a gentle flutter in your belly— Yunhee’s little kick, as if she’s responding to her brother’s words. It’s subtle, but enough to catch your breath. You place your other hand on your stomach, feeling the soft, almost reassuring movement.

Junho gasps, eyes wide with wonder. “Did she kick? Is she listening?”

“She is,” you whisper, a smile breaking through the sadness. “She knows her big brother is talking to her.”

Junho grins, leaning down to press his cheek against your belly. “Are you looking, Yunhee?” he whispers, his voice full of innocent hope. “That’s our papa. He loves us very much. He saved the world for us, so you could be here.”

The words, so simple and pure, nearly undo you. Tears well up in your eyes, but this time they’re softer, more gentle. Junho’s small, earnest voice cuts through the overwhelming grief, reminding you that even in loss, there’s still love— still life.

You look back up at the sky, and for a moment, you can almost believe Yunho is there, watching over his family, smiling that big, bright smile.

“Yunhee’s lucky to have you as her brother,” you say, your voice thick with emotion, but warm. “And we’re both so lucky to have him.”

Junho lifts his head, looking up at you with wide eyes full of innocence. “Do you think Papa misses us too?”

You nod, unable to speak for a moment as you swallow the lump in your throat. “I think he misses us every day,” you whisper. “But he’s always with us, Junho. He’ll always be with us.”

Junho nestles closer into your side, resting his head against your shoulder, and the weight of his small body grounds you, keeping you tethered to this moment. The sadness lingers, but beneath it, there’s a quiet warmth; an unshakable bond that holds you together, even when the person who was the heart of it is no longer here. Junho’s soft breaths mingle with the cool night air, and despite the tears that blur your vision, you find yourself gazing up at the sky. 

Amid the vast expanse of darkness, a single star twinkles— faint, but unmistakably bright. You don’t know if it’s Yunho, if such things even exist beyond the stories we tell ourselves to cope. But right now, you need to believe. 

Your hand trembles as you lift it, the gesture instinctive, as if reaching out to someone you can no longer touch. Your fingers hover in the air, stretching toward that single star.

“Hi, honey,” you whisper, voice cracking under the weight of all the things you wish you could say.

The tears fall freely now, unstoppable, but for the first time in a long while, they don’t feel quite so heavy. There’s something else mixed in with the grief— an acceptance, a love so deep it transcends the loss. You can feel it in the way Junho clings to you, in the soft flutter of Yunhee beneath your hand. And you can feel it in the silent connection between you and that faraway star.

So you wave.

It’s a small, simple gesture, but it carries everything— every goodbye, every memory, every moment of love that will never fade, even in the absence of the man who was its center.

The star flickers, as if in response.

And in that fleeting moment, with the night sky above you and your children beside you, you let yourself believe that somehow, Yunho is waving back.

KIA’S NOTE: Phew. This was a heavy one. This fic was inspired by the songs Next to You by Chris Brown & JB + Die With a Smile by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga, as well as the movie Armageddon and an episode from 911 Lone Call.

DISCLAIMER! Despite this being fictional, I tried to make it realistic and also did some research on the details but obviously, the events in this fic are more fictional than real, so please don't take them too seriously. Most of the events, devices, and ops were made up to tailor to the plot. I am also, in no way, an expert in Astronomy, hence what I wrote does not entirely reflect real-life operations.

Still, I hope you enjoyed reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it; it was definitely new and challenging for me, so I'd love it if you guys lmk what you think!

P.S. I am in Yunho brainrot, so forgive me for posting so much Yuyu fics 😭 I’m going to try my best to put out new works for the other members soon too!

[grenade-maid]

there's a lot of reasons more people aren't into yuri that are troubling to consider, but equally, I genuinely think it cannot be understated how much of it comes down to most yuri being boring as hell. Like truly. I've been reading the front page of Dynasty Scans like it was the newspaper for 15 years I am not exaggerating I can show you the download file data 15 years.

You know what the complaint about yuri by yuri readers was back in 2009?

"wow that really was just 5 volumes of them blushing at each other and then they don't even kiss"

You know what the complaint about yuri by yuri readers is today in 2023?

"wow that really was just 5 volumes of them blushing at each other and then they don't even kiss"

Don't get me wrong, Yuri has grown a LOT in that time, to the point that most people today wouldn't even understand a Maria-sama reference if it were dropped in front of them (thank God). It's expanded and evolved to encompass more stories about adult women, wider varieties of scenarios, a greater acknowledgement of real life lesbianism, and is more comfortable showing girls kissing with tongue and having sex.

Yuri Manga is maybe the best is it's ever been, and it's also getting the widest readership it's ever had in the English speaking world. The titles we carry at work are always on back order with long queues, and, when I've asked them, most weebs of all gender or sexualities report keeping up with at least a few Yuri series.

At large though? Most of it is still really boring. That's not a bad thing necessarily. I like it because it goes down easy. For the most part any series you pick is gonna be pretty chill. Even shit from Sal Jiang which is PRETTY EDGY for yuri is a pretty breezy read. More serious ones like How Do We Relationship? cover some pretty real subjects about how intimacy is actually quite difficult even when both of you love each other, but it's not like... Exciting. Yuri isn't where you go to pump your fist or get perched on the edge of your seat.

So when the comparison is made to yaoi, well, I mean, have you READ any yaoi? Even in some of the more restrained titles those boys are likely to be sucking and fucking balls and all within the first volume or two. There's gonna be drama, intrigue, shit is gonna get messy, passions are gonna get heated, clothes are gonna be ripped off, people are gonna get sold to One Direction, it's stuff you can sit down with a bowl of popcorn with you know? Stuff you can message your friend and gush Hey Can You BELIEVE? A lot of it is pretty trashy, but that's the appeal. The generic state of yaoi is torrid and exciting and sexy. Ultimately, as a species many of us like to see pretty people fuck. In yaoi you'll get that. In yuri you won't. Nothing wrong with that, but it is gonna be a major contributing factor to their relative popularity.

It's also worth making the comparison to hetero romance manga, which has undergone a renaissance of it's own in recent years. There's now a whole meta around crafting a handful of mean shitty grouchy dysfunctional bully women and flinging them at the protagonist of the day who, unlike in years past, may actually have a face and personality. Most of these are also very trashy and truly scrape the bottom of the bucket in terms of writing.

AND YET?

I would bet money on the fact that you'll have heard of these women and probably even have a good idea what they're like without ever having touched a page of their manga.

I'm sorry but the straights are whipping donuts around the yuri girls in terms of delivering a wide variety of weird compelling fucked up women. How many yuri leading ladies by comparison can you point to as standout recognizable characters even divorced from their story? There's definitely a few, but not many. I'm not talking quality or depth of writing, I'm talking straight up pure recognizability. There are many beautifully written women in yuri, now more than ever. I can't think of many who'd like, get a figure made or have their face splashed on merch, though.

I don't really have a conclusion here. I love Yuri a lot, but at the end of the day this is just kinda the state of things right now.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jessica Valenti at Abortion, Every Day:

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita says that abortion reports aren’t medical records, and that they should be available to the public in the same way that death certificates are. While Rokita pushes for public reports, New Hampshire lawmakers are fighting over a Republican bill to collect and publish abortion data, and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville has introduced a bill that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to collect and provide data on the abortions performed at its facilities. Just last week, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed legislation that would have required abortion providers to ask patients invasive and detailed questions about why they were getting abortions, and provide those answers in a report to the state.   All of these moves are part of a broader strategy that weaponizes abortion data to stigmatize patients and to prosecute providers. And while most states have some kind of abortion reporting law, legislators are increasingly trying to expand the scope of the data, and use it to dismantle women’s privacy.

Rokita’s ‘advisory opinion’, for example, argues that abortion data collected by the state isn’t private medical information and that in order to prosecute abortion providers, he needs detailed reports to be public. In the past, the state has issued reports on each individual abortion. But as a result of Indiana’s ban, there are only a handful of abortions being performed in the state. As such, the Department of Health decided to release aggregate reports to protect patient confidentiality, noting that individual reports could be “reverse engineered to identify patients—especially in smaller communities.” Rokita—best known for his harassment campaign against Dr. Caitlin Bernard, the abortion provider who treated a 10-year-old rape victim—is furious over the change. He says the only way he can arrest and prosecute people is if he gets tips from third parties, presumably anti-abortion groups that scour the abortion reports for alleged wrongdoing. He wants the state to either restore public individual reports, or to allow his office to go after abortion providers without a complaint by a third party. (Meaning, he could pursue investigations against doctors and hospitals without cause.)

Most troubling, though, is his insistence that women’s private abortion information isn’t private at all. Even though individual reports could be used to identify patients, Rokita claims that the terminated pregnancy reports [TPRs] aren’t medical records, and that they “do not belong to the patient.” [...] As I flagged last month, abortion reporting is becoming more and more important to anti-choice lawmakers and groups. Project 2025 includes an entire section on abortion reporting, for example, and major anti-abortion organizations like the Charlotte Lozier Institute and Americans United for Life want to mandate more detailed reports.

[...]  As is the case with funding for crisis pregnancy centers and legislation about ‘prenatal counseling’ or ‘perinatal hospice care’, Republicans are advancing abortion reporting mandates under the guise of protecting women. And in a moment when voters are furious over abortion bans, anti-choice lawmakers and organizations very much need Americans to believe that lie. We have to make clear that state GOPs aren’t just banning abortion, but enacting any and every punitive policy that they can—especially those that strip us of our medical privacy. After all, it was less than a year ago that 19 Republican Attorneys General wanted the ability to investigate the out-of-state medical records of abortion patients. Did we really think they were going to stop there?

@jessicavalenti writes a solid column in her Abortion, Every Day blog that the GOP's agenda to erode patient privacy of those seeking abortions is a dangerous one.

[gumjrop]

The Weather

In the US, 41 out of 54 states and territories are at high or very high COVID wastewater levels as of 1/18/2024. Ten states and territories have no data available. It’s important to note that levels of “moderate,” “low,” or “minimal” do not necessarily indicate a low risk of COVID exposure in our daily lives. Viral spread is still ongoing even if at lower levels, and precautions are warranted to protect ourselves and others.

Looking at the CDC’s national and regional wastewater data over time, we continue to see “Very High” levels nationally. It’s important to note that the last two weeks are provisional data, indicated by a gray shaded area on the graph, meaning that those values can change as additional wastewater sites report data. 

Although wastewater data does not provide the same level of detail as previous PCR-based testing data, wastewater monitoring is an important ongoing resource to inform us about the current COVID situation. While the provisional data tentatively shows a downward trend this week, time will tell whether this is a true decrease in the final data. A downward trend does not mean continued decreases are guaranteed or that protections should be relaxed. Multilayered protections help drive COVID spread lower, and relaxing protections can lead to a resurgence of viral spread.

Visit the CDC’s State and Territory Trends page to see available wastewater testing near you, including the number of wastewater sites reporting. Write your elected officials to let them know you want to keep and expand wastewater testing in your area and nationally.

Wins

In November 2023, the CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) passed a series of draft proposals that will further weaken already insufficient protocols employed within healthcare settings. HICPAC refuses to reckon with the airborne nature of infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2, and does not propose crucial measures such as universal masking with well-fitted respirators, isolation periods, and ventilation. The People’s CDC has penned a letter to the ACLU alerting them of HICPAC’s irresponsible decisions, and the ramifications associated with them. We hope that by working together with the ACLU, we can implement public advocacy and legal actions in order to tackle this critical issue.

You can read the full letter here.

Johns Hopkins reinstated healthcare masking on 1/12/2024, in response to high respiratory virus levels. As with many other healthcare systems and public health departments that have restored healthcare masking when facing public pressure, we hope that universal masking can become a standard of care rather than a short term response to a surge. See “Take Action” below for more information.

Variants

JN.1, now the most prominent variant in the United States, is estimated to account for 85.7% of circulating variants by 1/20/2024. HV.1 is expected to drop to 5.3%, and all other variants are estimated to make up less than 2% each. Although ongoing viral spread allows opportunities for new variants to emerge, the latest 2023-2024 COVID vaccine boosters, COVID tests, and COVID treatments are still expected to be effective for JN.1.

Current updated booster uptake is low (as of January 19, 2024, the CDC reports that only 21.5% of adults and 11% of children have received it). It is not too late to get the updated booster, and to protect yourself against the latest variant! 

Hospitalizations

In the most recent week (ending January 13, 2024), we see a slight downward trend in new hospital admissions, currently at 32,861. We see a similar slight downtick in currently hospitalized patients with COVID , at 27,879. This most recent week shows a slight decrease in hospitalizations, although it is too soon to say whether hospitalizations for the current surge have passed their peak. Hospitals continue to be overwhelmed. The data also lacks information on hospital-acquired infections. We urge you to continue taking stringent precautions, such as donning a well-fitting respirator (e.g., N95, KN95) in all indoor spaces–and especially in healthcare settings.

Long COVID

Amid ongoing advocacy by Long COVID groups, the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a committee hearing on “Addressing Long COVID: Advancing Research and Improving Patient Care.” The hearing included testimony from three Long COVID patients and four Long COVID physicians and researchers, bringing much-needed attention to the urgent need for funding for Long COVID research and treatments, and to the need for improved access to care for Long COVID patients. We recognize the community care modeled by some of the panelists and attendees who wore masks for the hearing, and we wish the senators on the committee would mask up as well. 

Take Action

Write your elected officials to let them know that Long COVID impacts all of us, and that we need ongoing support for Long COVID research and clinical care. Ask Senators to support bill S.2560, the Long COVID Support Act. Ask Representatives to support bills HR.1114 (Long COVID RECOVERY NOW Act) and HR.3258 (TREAT Long COVID Act).

Although some healthcare settings have reinstated masking in response to high COVID levels along with high respiratory virus activity, ongoing pressure is needed to restore, keep, and expand masking broadly. Use our letter template and toolkit to call or write your elected officials in support of healthcare masking.

Want to do more to support healthcare masking? Consider starting, sharing, or joining a local campaign. Check out work in Illinois, Maryland, and Wisconsin, just to name a few. Also, sign and share our letter to the ACLU asking them to join us in supporting safe and equitable access to healthcare. Sign on is open until 2/1/2024. 

[vellengeful]

[probablyasocialecologist]

The cryptocurrency hype of the past few years already started to introduce people to these problems. Despite producing little to no tangible benefits — unless you count letting rich people make money off speculation and scams — Bitcoin consumed more energy and computer parts than medium-sized countries and crypto miners were so voracious in their energy needs that they turned shuttered coal plants back on to process crypto transactions. Even after the crypto crash, Bitcoin still used more energy in 2023 than the previous year, but some miners found a new opportunity: powering the generative AI boom. The AI tools being pushed by OpenAI, Google, and their peers are far more energy intensive than the products they aim to displace. In the days after ChatGPT’s release in late 2022, Sam Altman called its computing costs “eye-watering” and several months later Alphabet chairman John Hennessy told Reuters that getting a response from Google’s chatbot would “likely cost 10 times more” than using its traditional search tools. Instead of reassessing their plans, major tech companies are doubling down and planning a massive expansion of the computing infrastructure available to them.

[...]

As the cloud took over, more computation fell into the hands of a few dominant tech companies and they made the move to what are called “hyperscale” data centers. Those facilities are usually over 10,000 square feet and hold more than 5,000 servers, but those being built today are often many times larger than that. For example, Amazon says its data centers can have up to 50,000 servers each, while Microsoft has a campus of 20 data centers in Quincy, Washington with almost half a million servers between them. By the end of 2020, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google controlled half of the 597 hyperscale data centres in the world, but what’s even more concerning is how rapidly that number is increasing. By mid-2023, the number of hyperscale data centres stood at 926 and Synergy Research estimates another 427 will be built in the coming years to keep up with the expansion of resource-intensive AI tools and other demands for increased computation. All those data centers come with an increasingly significant resource footprint. A recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that the global energy demand of data centers, AI, and crypto could more than double by 2026, increasing from 460 TWh in 2022 to up to 1,050 TWh — similar to the energy consumption of Japan. Meanwhile, in the United States, data center energy use could triple from 130 TWh in 2022 — about 2.5% of the country’s total — to 390 TWh by the end of the decade, accounting for a 7.5% share of total energy, according to Boston Consulting Group. That’s nothing compared to Ireland, where the IEA estimates data centers, AI, and crypto could consume a third of all power in 2026, up from 17% in 2022. Water use is going up too: Google reported it used 5.2 billion gallons of water in its data centers in 2022, a jump of 20% from the previous year, while Microsoft used 1.7 billion gallons in its data centers, an increase of 34% on 2021. University of California, Riverside researcher Shaolei Ren told Fortune, “It’s fair to say the majority of the growth is due to AI.” But these are not just large abstract numbers; they have real material consequences that a lot of communities are getting fed up with just as the companies seek to massively expand their data center footprints.

9 February 2024

[reasonsforhope]

For all the concern in recent years that U.S. democracy is on the brink, in danger or under threat, a report out Tuesday offers a glimmer of good news for American voters worried that casting a ballot will be difficult in 2024.

Put simply, the new data shows that voting in America has gotten easier over the past two decades. More voters have the ability to cast a ballot before Election Day, with the majority of U.S. states now offering some form of early in-person voting and mail voting to all voters.

"Although we often talk in a partisan context about voter fraud and voter suppression and whether voters have access to the ballot, the reality is, over the past 25 years, we've greatly increased the convenience of voting for almost all Americans," said David Becker, the founder and executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR), which authored the new report...

The data shows that, despite real efforts by some Republican-led legislatures to restrict access at the margins, the trend in the U.S. since 2000 has been toward making it easier to vote: Nearly 97% of voting-age American citizens now live in states that offer the option to vote before Election Day.

"The lies about early voting, the lies about voting machines and efforts in some state legislatures to roll back some of the election integrity and convenience measures that have evolved over the last several decades, those efforts almost all failed," Becker said. "In almost every single state, voters can choose to vote when they want to."

Forty-six states and Washington, D.C., offer some form of early in-person voting, the report tallied, and 37 of those jurisdictions also offer mail voting to all voters without requiring an excuse...

In 2000

In 2024

Infographic via NPR. If you go to the article, you can watch an animation of this map that shows voting availability in every election since 2000.

There are some political trends that show up in the data. Of the 14 states that don't offer mail voting to all voters, for instance, 12 have Republican-led legislatures.

-via NPR, March 19, 2024. Article continues below.

But maybe the more striking trends are geographic. Every single state in the western U.S. has offered some form of early and mail voting to all voters since 2004, according to the data. And those states span the political spectrum, from conservative Idaho to liberal California.

"It's really hard to talk about partisanship around this issue because historically there just hasn't been much," Mann said. "We've seen voting by mail and early in-person voting supported by Republican legislatures, Democratic legislatures, Republican governors, Democratic governors. We see voters in both parties use both methods." ...

In 2020, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts all made changes to make voting more easily accessible, which have since partially or fully become permanent. Delaware is currently embroiled in a legal fight over whether it can implement early and mail voting changes this election cycle as well.

The South, with its history of slavery and Jim Crow laws, has long lagged behind when it comes to voting access. The CEIR data shows that, although some states have slowly started expanding options for voters, generally it is still the most difficult region for voters to cast a ballot.

As options nationwide have become more widely available, voters have also responded by taking advantage.

In the 2000 election, 86% of voters voted at a polling place on Election Day, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

In 2020, during the pandemic, that number dropped to less than 31% of voters. It went back up in 2022, to roughly half of the electorate, but was still in line with the two-decade trend toward more ballots being cast early.

...in reality, Becker says, more voting options actually make elections more secure and less susceptible to malicious activity or even human error.

"If there were a problem, if there were a cyber event, if there were a malfunction, if there were bad weather, if there were traffic, if there were was a power outage, you could think of all kinds of circumstances. ... The more you spread voting out over a series of days and over multiple modes, the less likely it's going to impact voters," he said...

-via NPR, March 19, 2024

[mariacallous]

An air raid alert has just started when Victoria Itskovych joins a Zoom call from Kyiv. “It’s, like, a usual situation,” she says. “But really, it’s not usual.” February 24 will mark the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For nearly two years now, Kyiv has been under bombardment. Some weeks, people have to trudge to their shelters night after night, checking text alerts and Telegram channels to figure out where the missiles are falling and when it’s safe to come out—although, it’s never really safe.

That relentless stress, and the trauma of losing family, friends, and colleagues on the front, has taken its toll. A poll by the city government last year found that 80 percent of residents reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has exposed the whole of Ukrainian society to battle shock. “We’ve all suffered from this,” says Itskovych, who is director of the Kyiv City Council’s IT department. “Almost every person has somebody who was injured or died during the war, or lost their home or lost their health.”

In the face of such widespread injury, the Kyiv government has turned to Ukraine’s now-famous civic tech infrastructure for help. As the war enters its third year, the municipal government is starting to build a citywide system for providing mental health support to citizens. It’s a vast challenge, but also a unique opportunity—the first time that such a mass-trauma event has happened to a society that has already built the tools of digital government. Dealing with the mental health impacts of the invasion will be absolutely vital to keep society resilient, functioning, and committed enough to repel the invaders. It’s also the key to Ukraine’s postwar recovery, laying the groundwork now for a society that can rebuild itself physically and psychologically from the horrors of war. “This is the future of our society,” Itskovych says. “We are building the basis for the resilience of the community itself.”

At the heart of the plan is the Kyiv government’s digital platform, Kyiv Digital, which it launched in 2017. Before the invasion, it was largely used to manage parking and public transport, and to notify residents of disruptions to services such as road closures or power outages. When the war began, those notifications became more urgent: incoming attacks, the locations of bomb shelters, and the safest routes to reach them. Like other parts of Ukraine’s civilian technology, the city pivoted its tools to keep people safe and support the war effort, bootstrapping and rewiring the systems at pace.

“The first changes to the notifications we did in hours,” says Oleg Polovynko, adviser on digitalization to Kyiv’s mayor. Since then, the digital teams have been engaged in a constant cycle of innovation, trying to figure out what services they can bring online. The war has pushed them to act more quickly, to adapt tools they have and invent things that don’t exist.

They’ve expanded tools for civic participation, letting citizens vote on petitions, send feedback to the city government, and ask for help, such as financial support to repair bomb-damaged homes. And they’ve collected a lot of data, which is how the Kyiv government has been able to measure the scale of the city’s distress—and people’s reluctance to seek help. Of the 80 percent of residents who show signs of trauma, “40 to 45 percent are afraid to have contact with doctors who can help,” Polovynko says.

But this is only half of the problem that needs solving. For those who do want to seek treatment, there simply aren’t enough resources to help them. Clinical psychologists are supposed to limit the number of patient consultations they do in a day, so they don’t burn out. Before the full-scale invasion, Inna Davydenko saw a maximum of four patients daily. Today, Davydenko, a mental health specialist at the City Center of Neurorehabilitation in Kyiv, sees twice that number. When we speak, she’s just finished a video call with a soldier stationed near the front, whom she’s helping cope with stress and anxiety.

Even before the war massively increased the number of people dealing with trauma, depression, and anxiety, Ukraine’s medical system suffered from an underinvestment in mental health provision. “In most hospitals, you have maybe one psychologist. In good hospitals, it’s maybe two,” Davydenko says. “A lot of people need psychological help, but we can’t cover everything.” There is simply no way that the current system can grow to match the enormous jump in demand. But, Davydenko says, “almost every Ukrainian person has a smartphone.”

This is exactly what Polovynko and Itskovych want to exploit, using Kyiv Digital’s platforms and data to digitize mental health support for the city, and so close the gap between need and resources. Their project will focus first on those they’ve identified as being most vulnerable—war veterans and children—and those most able to help others: teachers and parents. The next six months of the project will be a “discovery stage,” Polovynko says. “We need to understand the real life of our veterans now, of the children, of the parents, what’s their context, how they survive, what services they use.”

The project will track people through the process of recovering from trauma, monitoring the treatments they ask for and the ones they receive, their concerns as they move through the mental health system, and their outcomes. Once the team has a detailed map of services and bottlenecks, and data on what’s working and what’s not, they can match individual needs with treatments. A full roll-out is scheduled for early 2025.

“It doesn't mean that the whole chain of the service will be absolutely digital,” Itskovych says. Some patients may be directed to group therapy or one-on-one meetings with psychologists, others will be given access to online tools. The aim, she says, is to create efficiency, to close the service gap, but also to provide comfort, meeting people where they are. “For a big part of our clients, there is more comfort with getting the service online, in different ways. Some people are not comfortable meeting a specialist one-on-one; they prefer a digital way to get the service.”

The project is being supported financially and operationally by Bloomberg Philanthropies, a charitable organization created by former New York mayor and Bloomberg founder Michael Bloomberg. James Anderson, head of government innovation at the organization, says that the project comes at a critical time for Kyiv, where people continue to suffer even though global attention has shifted away to other crises.

“There's always a tremendous amount of attention when the immediate crisis hits,” Anderson says. “But mayors continue to have to deal with the human costs of crises, long after the newspapers have turned to new subjects. That’s certainly what we sense and see in Kyiv.”

The size of the challenge in Kyiv is clearly daunting. But, Anderson says, there are reasons for optimism. Cities have got better over the past two decades at responding to common crises, such as Covid-19, which also required rapid, mass digitization of services. “Every crisis is distinct and different, and awful, in its own way,” Anderson says, “but there are lessons learned.” The Kyiv government, and Ukrainian society more widely, have demonstrated a capacity for rapid innovation to meet urgent needs, and Anderson hopes that success in this project could see it replicated internationally. “This is not the last war. This is not the last crisis,” he says. “I think Kyiv has lessons that they can share with cities around the globe.”

For Kyiv, and Ukraine, the crisis won’t end when the war does. “Psychological health is the number one problem for Ukraine,” Davydenko says, before correcting herself. “Number one is Russia, number two is our psychological health,” she says. “PTSD is our future.”

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Beyond East & West Differences of Personality

The work by Markus and Kitayama (1991) has had a major effect on social, personality and developmental psychology and raised awareness for cultural considerations in psychology.

Despite the positive impact, there has been limited empirical support for independent and interdependent self-construals (Matsumoto, 1999) with some studies reporting contradictory findings.

Vignoles' & Colleagues Study

Recent research conducted by 71 researchers, across 33 countries and encompassing 55 cultural groups challenged the dichotomous view first proposed by Markus and Kitayama.

The researchers conducted a series of studies (Vignoles et al., 2016) that examined a single dimension of Independent/Interdependent, Western cultures as wholly independent, the relationship between individualist and collectivist cultures and Independent/Interdependent self-construals, as well as the role of religious heritage and socioeconomic development of cultures. 

Using data from over 7,000 adults, the authors identified:

7 dimensions that encompass both independent and interdependent self-construals

Difference

Connection

Self-Direction

Self-Reliance

Consistency

Self-Expression

Self-Interest

At the level of the individual, these 7 dimensions represent the different ways that we see ourselves (perception) and our relationships with other people.

The dimensions can also represent cultural norms about self that are reinforced and maintained by cultural practices and social structures.

Result & Implications

When the researchers tested the 7-dimension model, their results contradicted many long-held beliefs about independent, individualistic, interdependent and collectivist cultures.

First, Western cultures scored above average on five of the dimensions but were below average on the dimensions self-reliance and consistency.

Thus, the common view that Western cultures are wholly independent was not supported.

Latin American cultures had scores very similar to Western cultures on the difference and self-expression dimensions but scored higher on consistency and self-interest which also challenged the common view of Latin America as wholly interdependent.

The economically poorest samples in the study scored highest on self-interest and were negatively associated with individualism, whereas Western cultures scored high on commitment to others which challenges the view that rich Western cultures are selfish.

Religious heritage was also an important variable in the study. Muslim and Catholic samples had very distinct dimension profiles that showed high scores for consistency. This may be related to the tenets of both faiths that salvation is related to behaviors so behaving consistently – across different situations and settings would be important.

The results of Vignoles and colleagues demonstrated that self, whether measured at the individual level or cultural level, is NOT binary.

Note

Independence and interdependence is a complex interaction of heritage, socioeconomic development, settlement patterns, and ecological contexts.

By moving away from a dichotomous view of self, psychologists have an opportunity to expand our understanding of self and its relationship to culture.

Sources: 1 2

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 32 (A Handsome Detective Investigates the Hack)

Detective Conrad Gordon stood in Heather's front yard with his canine partner, Bernese mountain dog Gord.

She'd never seen him before, but Heather knew why he was here. She raced to put her son in his crib and get dressed.

Holding out his badge, he offered a respectful nod and a charming smile that made her nervous. "Detective Conrad Gordon, ma'am. Are you Heather Nesbitt?" She nodded, holding her breath. Just her luck; the hottest man she'd ever seen had come to arrest her. "I'm here to look into a recent hack of Landgraab Systems. Did you know anything about that?"

"I mean, I read about it in the news like everybody else," she said. Her voice wavered. She was a very bad liar.

He clipped his badge back to his belt. "Do you mind if I take a look around your computer? A tip to San Myshuno PD said you might know something more."

"That's silly."

She laughed with an anxious breath, letting him in to search her PC. She hoped she’d covered her tracks, but the detective had been a geek since he learned how to type. Just like Heather.

He knew where to look and exactly what he was looking for. She could tell, and she tried to look busy. Flustered, she put a pot of soup on the grill in the backyard (why Heather why?!), but this was exactly the sort of strange behaviour that made a guilty person look it.

He joined her outside with a sympathetic frown. "You're really savvy with computers," he observed. "A vet who's also an app developer who got her start as the best online Incredible Sports player the game's ever seen."

She blushed. "You know about that?"

"I did a bit of research before the drive out here, but I didn't need to be reminded of all the times ButtercupNesbeets and your Henford Hens All-Stars kicked my butt online in high school."

"You played?"

"Not as well as you. But why the jump from gaming to hacking?"

The truth flooded out of her. "Malcolm Landgraab stole my app code, but I use those royalties to raise our son. And if Landgraab Corp's nothing but shady deals and bad business, I'm worried for my clinic. Besides, the news report said it barely cost the Landgraabs a thing!"

"It's still illegal, Miss Nesbitt."

"Mama mama!" Ash called for her from beyond the patio door, interrupting her rambling explanation. She pulled the pot of soup from the stove and shut off the grill, heading inside to lift her son from his crib.

"Cute kid," said the detective. Ash wriggled from his mother's anxious grasp and Conrad reached out to steady him. "Is the second one Malcolm Landgraab's, too?"

"No, thank the Watcher. I'm a surrogate for my best friends, and I guess I've been a bit hormonal. I was frustrated, but I didn't do it to steal a bunch of data and I don't plan to do it again. I just wanted to get back at my ex. It was stupid."

Heavily pregnant with a child for friends who couldn’t expand their family without her help, Conrad could sympathize with Heather's motives. Everyone in Simlandia knew the Landgraabs only cared about enriching themselves, but Heather was a single mom who saved the lives of helpless animals.

His dog took a liking to her instantly. Gord always knew a bad egg when he saw one, and Conrad could usually trust his canine's instincts better than his own.

"Is this the part where I'm supposed to get arrested? Should I call my parents to come get my son?"

The handsome young detective didn’t have the heart to bring her in. "I didn't record your confession because you said you've felt emotional lately. I don't like to take a confession under duress, so I guess the investigation has to continue. If the Landgraabs insist on pressing charges, you'll probably hear from me again. For now, I should head back, file a report, and let you get back to your son."

He didn't have a plan, but rather than stop by the station when he returned to the city, Conrad turned onto the overpass over the bridge and parked his cruiser Uptown... ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

WCIF Conrad Gordon? I used this sim by lemariiia from the Sims 4 Gallery, and changed his hair and beard to be a little less old fashioned. I changed his last name because I felt like it (it was Sampson IIRC), but otherwise everything else is the same. The dog I gave him myself because I love this breed.

Also we totally don't have to play coy and act like that's not the sim in my userpic! 😂 After I called time on the Everett/Heather flirtation because I fell too hard for Spencer and didn't want to do that to her anymore, I needed to pivot because there's still no gen 3 heir! I also need to make Heather do programming things to keep the Techie lifestyle (even though she decided years ago she doesn't even like the skill), so I planned the hack and the investigation, searched the gallery for five 'detective' sims, and then my friend Kenzie picked Conrad based on looks and traits.

Spoiler alert but I hope you guys love him because Kenzie picked so well!

[mysticstronomy]

HOW MANY DIMENSIONS EXIST??

Blog#347

Wednesday, November 8th, 2023

Welcome back,

The world as we know it has three dimensions of space—length, width and depth—and one dimension of time. But there’s the mind-bending possibility that many more dimensions exist out there. According to string theory, one of the leading physics model of the last half century, the universe operates with 10 dimensions.

But that raises a big question: If there are 10 dimensions, then why don’t we experience all of them or haven’t detected them? Lisa Grossman at ScienceNews reports that a new paper suggests an answer, showing that those dimensions are so tiny and so fleeting that we currently can’t detect them.

It’s difficult to completely explain the mathematics behind string theory without putting on a graduate seminar or two, but in essence dimensions five through ten have to do with possibility and include all possible futures and all possible pasts including realities with a totally different physics than those in our universe.

If two protons smash together at high enough speeds, they have the ability to create a tiny black hole that would exist for just a fraction of a second before disappearing, according to a new study, which hasn't been peer-reviewed, on the preprint server arXiv.org. The collision would open up a little bubble of interdimensional space where the laws of physics are different than ours, leading to an event known as vacuum decay. In quantum physics, vacuum decay implies that if the interdimensional space was large enough, we’d be toast.

With enough gravity to interact with our world, the newly formed “Cosmic Death Bubble” would grow at the speed of light, rapidly change the physics of our universe, render it uninhabitable and effectively zap us out of existence.

“If you’re standing nearby when the bubble starts to expand, you don’t see it coming,” the study’s co-author, physicist Katie Mack of North Carolina State University, tells Grossman. “If it’s coming at you from below, your feet stop existing before your mind realizes that.”

Ultrahigh energy cosmic rays are bashing into each other all the time with enough energy to start this process. If extra dimensions were large enough to allow the death bubble to form, the researchers found, it would have happened thousands of times already. The fact that we still exist is one circumstantial piece of evidence that other dimensions are ultra-tiny. The team calculated that they must be smaller than 16 nanometers, too small for their gravity to influence much in our world and hundreds of times smaller than previous calculations, Grossman reports.

The new study comes on the tail of another study about extra dimensions published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics published in July. Mara Johnson-Groh at LiveScience reports that one of the big questions in physics is why the expansion of the universe is accelerating. One theory is that gravity is leaking out of our universe into other dimensions. To test this idea, researchers looked at data from recently discovered gravitational waves.

our universe was leaking gravity through these other dimensions, the researchers reasoned, then the gravitational waves would be weaker than expected after traveling across the universe.

But the researchers found they didn’t lose any energy on their long journey, meaning other dimensions either don’t exist or are so tiny they don’t affect gravity very much, if at all.

“General relativity says gravity should be working in three dimensions, and [the results] show that that’s what we see,” physicist Kris Pardo of Princeton, lead author of the July study, tells Johnson-Groh. The latest study also concludes that the size of extra dimensions is so small that it precludes many theories about gravity leaking out of our universe.

Originally published on www.smithsonianmag.com

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, November 11th, 2023)

"WHAT IS THE FURTHEST THING WE CAN SEE IN SPACE??"