"Who are we? Humans, what are we? As we look on a bigger spectrum, we live in a planet as small as a dot in the galaxy. And only by then do we realize there are more stars, planets and galaxies than the faces of people on this Earth." 

I ended my report for a subject as my classmates gave me a series of applause, not that I found it necessary. I glanced at my professor and saw an extra satisfactory look painted across his face. I smirked, this was an easy A on my grade. 

I sat at the very corner of the room, beside Josh, my bes- boyfriend. He playfully wiggled his eyebrows as I took the seat beside his. "I must say, sentimental words for a sugary grade. I admire the lengths you go in your reports especially when it comes to this galactic topic whatnots." 

"Shut up, or I'll say out loud you're sitting in at my class. It's a good thing Dr. Allan King cannot remember faces well." I opened my notebook and started writing the notes. 

"Unless it's yours." 

"Of course he remembers mine. I'm the best student here." Trying to tune my tone into arrogance, grimacing at him. 

He snickered. "Yeah, right."

"But you must admit, I'm good at what I do."

"I agree. You're good at being my girlfriend." He said seriously.  

I felt a surge of something inside me. Love, yes, that. Josh and I had known each other since we were still children. The little American boy was the only one interested enough to approach the little Asian girl who just moved to Boston from Korea. We became the best of buddies. Josh was my perfect football player, toned body, sun-kissed skin, blue eyes and dark curly hair. I loved him dearly as a best friend and a brother, but Jake admitted his way past his shyness that he was in love with me. I loved him, so I thought it right to be with him. 

"Maybe you'll be better at being my bride and wife." 

I dropped my pen to stop writing. I glared at him, but pretended to be ignorant of his implications of marriage. "I'm best at anything I do, Joshua."

He chuckled and looked away from me, shifting his attention to the blackboard.

"What?" I said, a little bit embarassed and irritated.

"Now I know you'll say yes when I propose." 

I stuck my tongue out to him and busied myself with my notebook. But deep inside I did question myself. Would I be willing to surrender myself to him as his wife? I would give him myself as his best friend, but his wife? I probably would, in the right time. I just needed time. A lot of it. 

When class ended, Josh and I went to the cafeteria to grab some lunch. A few girls and boys in the crowd were bantering and chattering about anything under the sun, movies, girlfriends, boyfriends, sports and clothes. Every table had its own classification, as Josh and I named each. One table was for the magnetism of the popular and rich kids, the one on the corner was for the "nerds" and those with glasses, the one in the middle was for the jocks and their cheerleaders, where we would usually be at, the other two would be the punk rock kids of America and the goths. 

I looked at the passing faces and took in every detail inside.

Just a normal day for me.

_____________________

The sun was fading away in the horizon outside the windows as I sat inside my last class for the day. The day refused to fade away, reluctant to let go of the light of the sun. But when the light fades do I find my love, the world of the nocturn, where I see the planets, moon and the stars. Dr. King was handing our assignments, I could do that the night before the deadline. 

After a couple more reminders and yada yada, Allan finally dismissed us. "Ms. Kwon, I'd like to speak to you." Ugh, not again. 

I stomped my way to the platform in front, crossing my hands, hoping he'll get the clear message I wanted to go home. "What is it, uncle?" 

Allan and father were best friends since high school, and when I got into Harvard, Allan made sure I became his student, by father's request, obviously. When my parents were too busy, Uncle would take me out to play or to the movies. He was like my second father, someone very dear to me, but someone that can be as annoying and nosy as ever. 

"Now, now, don't go I'm-annoyed-with-my-uncle-look with me, Yuri." Uncle fished out papers from his bag and handed them to me. 

"What's this?" I scanned through the papers.

"The exam papers. You're helping me check them." 

"You're impossibe! This would take us around an hour up to two! Mom will be fuming if I go home late! I have chores to do at home!"

Uncle placed a red pen on the table. "And you have chores to do here."

I clenched my teeth in frustration. I needed a compromise. I won't finish these papers and walk out empty-handed. "In one condition."

He smiled, expecting it. "Anything."

"You're treating me to dinner. Neptune Oyster." Come on, say yes! 

He was thinking. I could tell by how he was fumbling with his beard. He clicked his tongue and nodded his head. "Fine."

"I want everything upsized." 

"Now you're impossible! I'll go broke!" 

I raised the papers in the air. "I'll check them all to save you time or you'll grow more gray hairs being stuck here doing professor work." 

"Whatever. Just finish the job." He said dryly.

I yelped in victory. Happy tummy, happy baby!

_____________________

It was past eight in the evening and I couldn't get to sleep. The muffled bangs and noises issued from a floor below kept me awake. I took my pillow and turned to my side, covering my ears. I stared at the wall lifelessy, feeling the cold air hit my feet as the blanket trudged upward due to my movements. I just came home from the restaurant and my hands and eyes were out of battery and needed the recharging. 

"Yuri! Yuri, I thought you were going to help us!" Came a womanly voice from downstairs. Oh shoot, I forgot. 

I promised mother that I would help her put up Christmas decorations when it's just the 14th of OCTOBER. No big deal, really. The year before, our house was a Christmas ornament of the world in June. Our house was the talk of the town by then. I smiled remembering the image of our humble abode. 

A loud knock rattled my door, slightly shaking it. It was my brother. 

"Hey, I know you're awake! Come downstairs, monkey." I saw his shadow that seeped through the door by the light of the hallway. He wasn't leaving until I got up. 

I gave up trying to sleep and put on my sweater over my tank top. I drove my body out of the bed, mindlessly slipping on my slippers. I opened the door and saw him leaning on the wall in front. 

"The tree's all yours, little sis." I rolled my eyes at him, not trying to hide a smirk. As we stopped by the end of the staircase, we were welcomed by my parents with boxes in their arms. Mother pushed into my hands the one she carried. 

"Finally! Here, take these. Better start, I won't accept a half-baked, or should I say, half-decorated tree." I shook my head, fighting the urge to let out a laugh. I mean, Halloween has not even arrived to town, yet she was already prepping for Christmas! 

"Great." I mumbled as I fumbled through the decorations inside the box. Taking out a star that was hidden underneath. The star was white, having a blue hue on its side. I didn't remember having one. "Hey, mom? Since when did we have a white star? We only had gold ones." 

"Oh, I saw that one a couple of days ago. I don't know, I had the urge to buy one. A new star in our home."

I glanced at her and shrugged. I looked at the star in my hands and felt my lips curve upwards. Stars have always irked my interest and time. The whole world beyond the confinements of the Earth seemed, still, a mystery to me. When I connected the stars in the heavens into my first constellation, Auriga, I fell in love with the system of stars. I asked my father to buy me my telescope when I was nine. I would look at the moon, star clusters, planets and bright nebulas before going to sleep. It was my bedtime story, and my good night kiss. When kids would play around town, I would sit inside my room to watch videos of NASA and their space projects. When little girls would buy dolls, I would beg to have my own toy spacecraft. When girls would talk about buying make-up, I would talk about buying science books. It was my first love. 

Now, at 21 and a college student, I took up Aeronautical Engineering, focusing on rocketry. My mind was hungry for the art in the study and design of the flight capable machines within and beyond the Earth's atmosphere. 

When I got accepted into Harvard, my parents were elated, and expected me to either follow their foosteps or my brother's, but my heart and mind would always call me back into my love for space. I couldn't see myself anywhere else but where I was now. 

I stood on the highest step on the ladder by the tree and placed the white star above it. It stood out among the green and the gold. I continued placing the other ornaments and lights on the tree, occassionally sipping on my hot chocolate mother made. It wasn't until eleven that I finally had the finished product. I was grinning at the tree, proud of my skills and effort. 

Only then when I turned around did I notice I was alone in the living room. How dare they, leaving me alone decorating. I exhale loudly, unbelieving. 

After I bid my farewell to the tree, I went for the stairs, but the temperature inside the house suddenly shot up a couple of degrees. No, more than that. The mist formed in the windows cleared and our dog was barking outside. The scent of wisteria flowers filled my nostrils. The whole interior gave off the smell. I furrowed by brows together in confusion as I walk along the hallway back to the living room, not daring to breathe. Somehow, I felt weird, and afraid. What was happening?  

The windows were dark, but in a flash, a bright light filled the kitchen, illuminating the house, almost making everything seem white inside. The heat it gave off made my forehead glisten with sweat. Without thinking, I immediately ran to the backdoor to where the light came from. The light hit my eyes, and I had to shield them with my palm. From a small gap in my hand, I could see the whole sky outside glow, with rays that fell on the ground on our backyard. What on Earth...! 

The light disappeared as fast as it came, returning the cold air in the night and the dark sky. I rubbed my eyes, everything seemed normal. I took a deep breath and went to open the door outside. 

The moon glowed in the background, the night clear and the stars bright. I looked up, nothing. I looked around, nothing. Okay, something is wrong with me. But on the middle of our yard was a beautifully sketched woman lying on her back. I couldn't find myself to speak a few words when I saw her. Was she homeless? A burglar? Did she saw what I saw awhile ago?

I checked around once again to see no one was around. She seemed to be unconscious. I walked closer and saw her portrait, clear with my vision. Blonde hair, porcelain skin, slim body, pink lips, rosy cheeks, round brea---Wait. Wait. WAIT.

THIS WOMAN WAS !

For a moment I was dumbfounded, rooted on the ground. I couldn't feel my legs when it dawned on me she had no clothing on. Awkwardly, I walked closer and bent down to look at her face, avoiding to let my eyes wander to the wonders below her neck. What?

"Um... Hello? Miss, wake up." As I was about to gently pat her shoulder, her eyes shot open to gaze at mine. 

"Holy sh*t!" I jumped backwards in shock, falling on my bum. I was completely shocked, my heart beating rapidly inside my chest. My mind was racing into a million thoughts per second. She might be a serial killer! Then, putting the possible pieces together, this woman might have come here in the form of that light. 

"Greetings, entity from this Earth!" The woman rose to her feet and came closer to me. This is a dream. Right, just a dream. No woman fell off from the night sky in a form of light and spoke to me. Yes, let us turn around and sleep. Yes, that is definitely a splendid idea. Yes, it would be perfect to start walking right about now. 

I slowly stood up, fearing she might attack at the slightest movement. 

But joy and elation were prominent on her face, happiness drew out from her eyes that not long ago showed nothingness. 

"Don't hurt me! Please!" I put my arms forward, hoping to stop her from moving towards me. The sweat started to form again on my forehead. My hands were shaking, my legs felt numb. I was too young to die! "Whatever you are, stay away from me and my family!" I was going mad. I formed a cross with my fingers and pointed it towards her. 

"Whatever I am? Why, I am a star!" She cheerfully gestured her body in all its glory. 

I froze. Star? How was I suppose to answer to that?! A star in a form of a human?! But of course, I reminded myself, this was a dream. Okay Yuri, this is all a dream. Relax, nothing's bad gonna happen to you, girl. 

Calmy, I turned around and started walking towards the door to my house. But I heard the rustling of grass from behind and felt the touch of a hand on my wrist. It felt human, except no human falls off the sky unharmed and again, . With a strength I did not expect to emit from such a small and fragile-looking body, she twirled me around hard enough that I stumble. 

"Oh, forgive me, Earthling." The woman steadied me in the midst of it. Okay, Yuri, you are in dreamland. Let us continue to walk away, but the woman would not allow me to shrug away without an explanation. "Earthling, why do you keep yourself away from me? I look human, do I not?" 

The woman took a hold of her hair with her free hand and looked at it to stare back at me. It was the first time I saw her face up close. But it wasn't the whole of her face that kept me from trudging away, rather, her eyes. I hadn't notice them from afar, but her eyes had the color of the dark sky. Her eyes had little twinkling dots inside them. Surrounding the middle were the colors of violet and white in shades. Somehow, I wasn't looking at any human being's eyes. It was what I see looking at the telescope, only miniature. It was what I stayed up at night for. It was beautiful. 

I swore I saw the galaxy in her eyes. 

But then again I had to remind myself this woman could probably be not of my species. This was totally getting creepier by the second. I quickly pushed her away and ran to my house. Each step I took felt like a thousand pounds, I couldn't be faster, because once my hand gripped on the doorknob, her hand landed atop mine. 

"Would you mind being of help to me, Earthling?" She smiled and I felt my mind become light, and my vision turning black. I was slowly succumbing to unconsciousness and insensibilty. 

Before I totally collapsed, I saw her face one last time and heard her whisper, "You'll be alright, Yuri Kwon."