Late at night, when the clock struck midnight, the world fell into its usual hush. Only the light of the moon illuminated the gaps between buildings. Yet the young man—known only as “the Observer”—felt an unsettling presence beneath that silence. In the past, he had communicated through the moon with higher beings and faced countless choices. But lately, he had stopped pursuing those connections so intensely.
“Push if you want, but if it won’t budge, try pulling.”
He had learned that phrase by chance. Instead of desperately chasing after some grand truth, he decided to hold back. The moment he did, he felt the tension in his heart release.
Ever since that realization, his midnight dialogues with the moon had sharply decreased. Even when midnight came, the moon remained still—unless he deliberately reached out first. The countless “eyes” once visible on its surface seemed mostly closed now, as though those higher beings were respecting his wish, or perhaps had simply lost interest. The truth was unclear, but either way, he found it rather comforting.
1. A New Wind
By choosing a more natural approach, small changes began to appear in his daily life. Instead of scrolling endlessly through social media, he woke up early to brew coffee. He would read a book he’d left half-finished, and when he ventured out, he let his feet guide him. Stepping away from the city’s noise, he would sit on a bench in a quiet park and listen to the wind rustle—such small acts let him notice things he hadn’t seen before.
One afternoon, in his usual park, he spotted an older man with a sketchbook. The man was absorbed in sketching the clouds, but he looked up and smiled warmly.
“Lovely clouds today, aren’t they? Care to try drawing them yourself?”
He was taken aback by the sudden offer. He hadn’t drawn anything since school days, but he saw no reason to refuse and sat down next to the man. Receiving the sketchbook, he tentatively took the pencil in his hand.
“You don’t have to be skilled,” the man said. “Just draw however you feel. It’s not about reproducing what you see, but capturing whatever’s there for you.”
Without forcing himself to get the shapes right, he let his hand move naturally. Gradually, he found himself sketching the faint shape of the moon as well, still visible in the pale daytime sky. As he drew it, a subtle stirring rose in his chest.
“…The moon…”
The older man didn’t seem to notice his whisper and continued sketching contentedly. Once, the young man had pursued the moon’s secrets as though obsessed. Now, he deliberately held himself back, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the moon was calling to him.
—Push if you want, but if that doesn’t work, step back a bit. Maybe what he needed would come to him instead.
2. A Quiet Call
That night, he went to bed early. If he fell asleep before midnight, he could avoid that strange hour. Perhaps that was in the back of his mind. But not long after midnight passed, he suddenly awoke. Moonlight was streaming through the curtains, unusually bright.
“…Is it a full moon tonight?”
He mumbled, looking out the window to see the moon shining as if beckoning him. The night was still, yet he thought he heard a distant voice.
He’d chosen to avoid reaching out to the moon, so why now did he feel so strongly called? He rose, opened the window, and felt the cool night air. In it, he sensed a faint presence.
“…Can you hear me?”
He wasn’t sure whom he was speaking to, but his words vanished into the quiet of the night. Suddenly, a whisper echoed in his mind:
“You have noticed, haven’t you? If pushing a door doesn’t work, perhaps pulling it might. Or perhaps waiting for the other side to open it. And now, what you need is coming your way.”
It sounded similar to the “moon’s voice” he used to know, but calmer. It was no longer a forceful revelation or a compulsion, just a gentle beckoning.
3. A Sudden Reunion
The next day, he returned to the park, hoping to see the older man. He found no sign of him at first, though families and people out for a walk passed by. Just as he was about to give up, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
“Back again, are you? There aren’t many clouds today, but maybe the moon will show up later.”
He turned around—it was the very same man. A ripple of joy and surprise ran through him. “I was hoping I’d see you,” he said, smiling.
“You didn’t bring your sketchbook?” the man asked.
“No, I just came for a walk today.”
“I see. Well, I was just thinking I’d try drawing the moon,” the man said.
It was too early in the afternoon for the moon to be visible. The young man looked curiously at the sky, and the man chuckled.
“Even if you can’t see it, it’s there. If you sense it, you’ll know. And come nightfall, you’ll see it plainly. So, is there something special about the moon for you?”
He hesitated before replying. “Yes, well… I’ve had some experiences. I used to… speak with it, sort of. Lately, though, I’ve been deliberately avoiding that.”
The man gazed into the distance with gentle eyes. “When you stop chasing things so hard, it’s surprising how they sometimes come to you. I once searched desperately for something too, but never found it. Then the moment I gave up, it practically dropped into my lap, as if it had been waiting all along.”
A warmth spread through his chest. This man seemed to have lived what the young man was now feeling—this sense of “living naturally” and letting things come as they may.
4. A Nighttime Stroll and a Whisper
He went home that evening but decided to return to the park at night. The sky was mostly clear, and he hoped to catch a good view of the moon. Walking in the chilly darkness, he recalled the older man’s words.
“If you wait, sometimes the other side opens up to you.”
That idea resonated with him. No need to force or chase after anything—just be open to the flow. If the moon chose to show itself, he’d watch it. If it didn’t, that was fine too.
The park was dimly lit and quiet. Above him, the moon shone white. Unlike before, he felt no anxiety or dread—only calm. Suddenly, he heard that gentle voice again:
“Because you’ve let yourself relax, our voice can reach you more easily.”
In his mind, he asked, “You’re the ones observing us, the ones connected to the moon, right? Ultimately, what do you want?”
He sensed a light, almost playful tone in the answer:
“We want nothing so grand. We’ve been watching how humanity uses its will and potential. Now, perhaps we’re curious to see if you realize the world moves even without forcing it. Or maybe we’re simply enjoying the sight. It’s not a formal ‘test.’ It’s more like we’re just watching with interest.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. Indeed, they seemed carefree—yet not overbearing. Once, they had pressed him to choose, but now they merely observed, as if waiting to see what he would do.
5. Toward the Flow
After wandering the park, he headed home. The moon’s voice spoke once more:
“You’re free to walk your path. You don’t need to force open doors; the right ones will open on their own. What you need will arrive in time. We’ll be watching.”
It was not the kind of command he’d once received—“Choose!” or “Decide!”—but rather a serene message: move at your own pace. He felt peaceful about it.
6. A Quiet Dawn
Next morning, he bought himself a sketchbook, inspired perhaps by the older man. He had once been so desperate to learn the moon’s secrets that he had no time for creative pursuits. But now, he felt a growing desire to draw or write, thanks to the extra space in his heart.
He headed to the park early. Few people were around. Sitting on a bench, he tried sketching the scene in front of him. He found it difficult but strangely enjoyable. Lifting his gaze, he spotted the older man watching him from a short distance.
“Already started, I see,” the man said. “How does it feel?”
Continuing to move his pen, he answered, “It’s not easy, but I like it. The world looks different than before. I’m not sure if it’s any good, but at least… I feel lighter.”
The man smiled happily. “That’s the best part. In my youth, I spent a long time chasing the moon. I never heard its voice like you did, but I was captivated by it all the same. Eventually, I realized it wasn’t about what the moon might say—rather, how I see the world and choose to live in it.”
It was as if the man had put the young man’s own thoughts into words. The moon might speak, but ultimately, he alone decides what he does with his life. And by not forcing things, he can see more clearly.
7. The Future Beyond Gentle Choices
He never again experienced any grand revelations or found himself cornered into a grave choice. Instead, his daily life went on quietly, punctuated by small habits like sketching, reading, and strolling. He still occasionally sensed the moon’s voice, but it lacked the urgency of old; it was more like a casual invitation—“We’re here if you ever want to talk.”
One night, he woke again around midnight, noticing the moon through the window. He said softly, “…Thank you. We went through a lot, but for now, this is how I want to live.”
He almost felt the moon smile. Like a faint whisper, “You’re welcome,” floating across the night sky. In that moment, he knew the world turns just fine on its own, and if something truly necessary must change, it will come naturally. In fact, by not chasing big changes, he had found a surprising number of small miracles instead.
8. A World That Moves Even Without Pushing
The next morning, he decided not to go straight to the park. On a whim, he rode the train a few stops and got off in a neighborhood he usually only passed through. Wandering down an old shopping street, he stumbled on a tiny café. In the corner stood a vintage record player, and gentle music echoed in the shop.
He ordered coffee and noticed a painting of the moon hanging on the wall. It showed an enigmatic moon with countless closed eyes, gazing back quietly. He stared at it, and the shop owner spoke up.
“That painting catch your eye? A regular painted it for me. He said, ‘If you don’t force it, what you need will eventually come,’ then left for overseas.”
He smiled. It perfectly mirrored how he felt. Savoring the coffee, he reflected on how the world keeps turning without his pushing. He hadn’t achieved some grand ‘enlightenment,’ but he no longer felt weighed down, and he found himself enjoying life more.
Later that evening, as the moon rose again, it shone high in the sky. Once a symbol of mystery and awe, or of cosmic surveillance, now it simply was. Whether a playful ‘god’ was behind it all or a natural cycle continuing, the question remained—but forcing an answer didn’t feel important.
“Push if you want, but if it won’t budge, try pulling.”
He held onto those words, feeling the gentle night wind on his skin. Breathing deeply, he allowed himself a quiet smile. The moon looked on from afar, its eyes seeming to soften—or so he believed. The world would keep on turning, no brute force required. If something needed to appear, it would in time. When it did, he’d hold out his hand without hesitation, unafraid of what might come. He no longer needed to strain himself. The flow would show him the way.