"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are?" My little sister, Miho, is singing to herself before she heads to bed. I have always been fond of her and enjoyed telling her bedtime stories until she falls asleep. I was peeking by the door while she was signing. It feels ironic hearing her sing that song on a night where there were no stars at all. Miho stops singing and glances at the door, "Hoya oppa! Where's my good night story?" I give her a small grin and walk past her bed, sit near the window and signal her to come over. She sits on my lap and I hug her waist. "Do you want to hear a story about my childhood?" "No! That's boring." My sister hurrriedly answered back. "I want a story about a night where there were no stars at all just like tonight."

A sudden flashback comes into my mind.

It was almost sunset and the clouds looked sad as I was listening to BAP's "Rain Sound" on my iPod. I am waiting for my girlfriend, Tiffany, by the bay. I have always thought it was romantic to take a girl I love to wach the sunset with me. Our fingers intertwined together and eventually, she leans her head on my shoulder as we watch the sun go down. "Jagiya!" the sweet sound of her voice comes from the back, I wasn't sure if it was an excited-to-see-you-again-voice of Tiffany, it was something more than that, there was meaning to it. She hugs me from behind, the tightest she has ever given me. 

Is there something wrong? I could feel my heart skip a beat. 

I face her and peck her forehead, she looks up lovingly into my eyes. I could see it, I could feel it. "What was it that you are going to give me?" Tiffany takes out one of her favorite pink stationaries with "cutie patootie" pandas printed on them as she would call it.

My sister interrupts, "cutie patootie pandas!" I give her a pat on the head and continue on with my story.

As I was saying, Tiffany hands me a letter. The sun finally sets like it was telling me that the day has ended, for me and for everyone. "Read it. Tonight. Make sure you don't call me up after, promise?" She puts her pinky finger up. I doubted her. For the first time, I doubted her, but in the end I hook up my finger with hers and send her back home. 

I go to my room and look outside the window. It's about to rain, the sky feels empty, I could only see the moon form my window, just the moon, looking down on me, lighting up the dark side of my room. I unfolded the letter and the first words were, "I am leaving, Howonnie..." and my hand crumpled the paper.  Why? I ask myself. I wanted to find out why, but her words already hit me, I had to know why so I continue reading.

"I am leaving, Howonnie... I know it's sudden, but I didn't want you to know until the night of my departure. I am leaving for good with my parents. Don't call me up... I know you're about to reach for your phone now. Don't." She was right, I was close to dialing her up. "I'm sorry for not telling you this awhile ago. I wanted to leave you with a smile on my face. I didn't want you to see me cry, I don't want us both sad. So that's it, jagiya. By the time you finish this, you probably want to hit someone right now or punch the wall or something. Don't Howonnie. I want you to be happy, let go of me... but not too fast. Miss me, don't do anything stupid. JUST MISS ME..." and with that she ended her goodbye letter.

"What did your story have to do with stars?!" Miho nudged me on the stomach.

"You see, when there are no stars in the sky, it usually means that it's going to rain soon."

"And?" Miho cups my face with her tiny hands.

"And it seems like the sky is crying, right? It seems empty." Miho nodded, she yawns after that. 

"So, you feel empty? Sad? You cried, oppa?!" I don't know why she was suddenly excited about me crying.

"It was more of a night where there were no stars at all."

"I don't get you, oppa." She drifts to sleep.

I look back outside the window and remember the night, the same night where stars didn't show up outside my window.