"Hello, I'm Dokgeo-norin, which means someone who has fun living alone.".
A Star's Story, "My Day" (Episodes 1-5) (Episode 4) The Visit of an Eccentric Comet.
"A rogue who broke from the designated orbit has appeared! What's the story behind the 'maverick' comet that turned the stuffy company upside down?"
Just as the commotion from the Sun and Moon's fight was settling down, a new guest arrived at the company. No, it was more like an uninvited visitor. It was a 'comet,' treated as a heretic in our world of stars for having no fixed orbit, appearing and disappearing as it pleased. Its name was 'Longtail.' As the name suggests, it boasted a very long and brilliant tail.
"Hello, friends! The stuffy air in this place is the same as ever!"
Longtail shouted as it cut through the middle of the office. All the stars stopped what they were doing and stared at it with wary eyes. To us, who consider revolving in a set orbit the highest virtue, a free spirit like Longtail was an incomprehensible being.
"Where did a bum like you roll in from? This is no place for you to come and go as you please!"
Manager Sirius yelled. But Longtail wasn't intimidated at all. Instead, it cheekily zipped around the manager.
"Well, if it isn't the old '꼰대' (condescending boss), Mr. Sirius! Still holding onto that heavy gravity of yours? You might throw out your back~"
The office atmosphere instantly froze. But for some reason, I found it exhilarating. It even looked cool to see it so confidently confront the manager everyone feared.
Longtail stayed at our company for a while, causing all sorts of trouble. It slept on piles of documents, made strange drinks with the black hole coffee machine, and submitted reports as drawings, ignoring the rigid official formats. The manager was on the verge of collapsing, clutching the back of his neck, but strangely, among us younger stars, Longtail began to emerge as a hero.
I secretly approached Longtail and asked.
"Um... aren't you scared? If you live so freely like that... you might get lost in space and disappear someday."
At my question, Longtail laughed, flicking its long, beautiful tail.
"What's so scary about disappearing? We all disappear someday anyway. Isn't the important thing 'how' you live before you vanish? I'd rather choose to travel wherever I want and then disappear in a blaze of glory than to circle a predetermined path my whole life. Because that's more 'me'."
Its words struck me like a hammer. I had never once thought about a life that was 'true to myself.' My only goal had been to not stray from the set orbit, to not fall behind. But seeing Longtail, I realized that a completely different way of life was possible. That it was okay not to shine in the exact same way as everyone else.
That night, for the first time, I slightly altered my fixed flickering cycle. To my own rhythm, to my own beat. It was a tiny deviation that no one would notice, but inside my heart, it felt like a light brighter than any star was bursting forth.
My thoughts!
Is diligently following the 'safe orbit' set by society the only right answer? Sometimes, the courage to get lost, the courage to choose a different path from others, can lead us to a wider world. Life may not have a correct answer, but perhaps it's not about finding the answer, but about creating it. Try following the path your heart leads you on. At the end of it, you might just meet the 'real you.' I think I'll try to be brave now, too.
