It was Saturday morning and Eunji had nothing planned. She wanted to just lazily hang out with her mother like the usual Saturdays, but apparently Tiffany had somewhere to go—to TaeYeon. After observing her mother, who had been stuttering about whom she was with for the past few days, she could only assume it was someone totally impressive. It was just too rare for her picky mother to suddenly have so much interest in a man that she wants to meet every single day, let alone keep the identity a secret from her. Who was this man that was stealing their precious mother-daughter time?

      “Who is he? When are you going to tell me?” Eunji asked as she mindlessly pressed the remote control in front of the TV while her mother was getting ready for her “date.”

      “I can’t tell you.”

      “Why not? Can’t you tell me some kind of description or occupation of him at least? Shouldn’t I know who’s making my honest mom all secretive?” Eunji pouted as she turned to her mother with puppy eyes.

      Tiffany’s eye-smile peeped on her face and she said, “He’s an old friend.”

      “Old friend?” Eunji tilted her head and asked, “From what time?”

      As Tiffany brushed her hair with her hands for final touches, the doorbell rang. She grabbed her bag and approached the door and replied to Eunji, “From high school.”

      “High school?” Eunji’s curiosity level instantly went to the roof. She had recently been reading her mother’s old high-school diary. Was he perhaps mentioned there somewhere?

      Tiffany swung the door open and their stood Key, happily holding a bunch of books on his arms. “Oh hi Key, you’re just in time to keep Eunji company,” Tiffany said.

      “Out for your date huh, Ms. Hwang?” Key smiled as he gladly entered the home.

      “Yeah,” Tiffany chuckled. “You kids have fun. I’ll be home before dinner.”

***

      TaeYeon scratched his head in his living room as his brain couldn’t come up with next lines for the new song that he was currently writing. His mind was as white as the paper he hadn’t written on yet, and he could do nothing but tap away subconsciously with his pencil. It seemed as though writing depressing love songs have become his expertise for the past week that he couldn’t seem to write with his new emotions.

Someday, even if we get old and tired
Let’s promise to love just like now
Till the day you are in my arms
And we close our eyes
Let’s be together

      These lines endlessly echoed in his cave of thoughts. So far, these were the only words written on his notebook’s page. He couldn’t come up with the structure, additional lines, and tones at all. Feeling frustrated, he laid his book down and closed his eyes for a few minutes. Maybe his head would be cleared if he took some rest. However, the alarming sound of his doorbell didn’t allow him to do so.

      Tiffany’s hands fidgeted as he waited for a response outside of TaeYeon’s apartment. She clearly didn’t know what to say to him even though she had been practicing her speech the night before. She didn’t even know if coming to his house the day after he gave her his address was a good idea.

      “Oh, Tiffany!” TaeYeon’s eyes sparked with excitement. “You’re extremely early today.”

      “Oh, was I too early?” Tiffany sheepishly smiled. “Ugh, I knew this was a bad idea,” Tiffany silently cursed herself.

      “Well, I don’t mind you being too early,” TaeYeon smiled as he let her in. “I have to warn you though; my living room is kind of a mess right now.”

      Tiffany was still too immersed in thinking about her insecurities that’s she didn’t mind the papers scattered on the coffee table at all. Besides, the apartment wasn’t that of a mess. If she had to compare the mess in TaeYeon’s apartment with the mess going on in her head, her brain would definitely be defined as chaos. She prepared so many topics for them to talk about, but her brain just lost all of those files.

      “Want something to drink?” TaeYeon asked, taking Tiffany out of her thoughts.

      “Oh?” Tiffany turned to him and smiled. “Oh sure, anything’s great.” Tiffany sat on his couch and his eyes started to wander at the random papers on the coffee table. “What are all these?” She asked.

      “Oh, I’m just writing songs,” TaeYeon said as he browsed his refrigerator.

      Tiffany nodded and picked up a random paper. “Want me to help you write some songs?”

***

“March 9, 1997, Sunday

     Today is the day that I finally come back to the town where my real friends live. I’m finally leaving the city! Oh how refreshing!

Once again, Uncle SooMan and Sunny brought me back here on their white, rusty, old, Mitsubishi. They were supposed to bring me back to Jessica’s home since that’s where I used to live, but I insisted they take me to Mr. Daydream’s home. It’s his birthday today so I just want to surprise him. I haven’t actually told anyone other than Jessica and her family that I’m coming back in town.

     This morning was pretty dark. There was actually an eclipse going on so that’s pretty cool. They say the total eclipse can be viewed only in Russia. I wish I could see it with Mr. Daydream though. I know he kind of likes interesting stuff about the world, especially space and all those kinds of things.

     I imagined so many things I want to do with Mr. Daydream today. Unfortunately, when I arrived in Mr. Daydream’s home, he was collapsed on his yard, lying on his sister’s arms. Without having second thoughts, I left my bags outside and helped HyoYeon carry his brother to his room. Poor Mr. Daydream. It’s his birthday today but he has such a high fever and his parents aren’t even home. I guess I’m taking care of him for now. This is not what I expected doing, but it feels great to be close to him again.

     All day, he tossed and turned like he was having a nightmare. It scared me and I was so worried. He was sweating like crazy and he was mumbling all sorts of stuff. Seeing him like that was so pitiful. I sat beside him all trying to calm his fever. It was tiring, but knowing that he is starting to feel much better now is a great feeling.”

      When Eunji closed her mother’s diary, she noticed that Key was writing something on a paper pad. As soon as she took a peek, Key turned the pad away from her.

      “What’s that?” Eunji asked.

      “I’m writing a song,” Key replied.

      “Can I see it?” Eunji asked, reaching her hand to the pad.

      “No,” Key chuckled as he softly slapped Eunji’s arm. “I’ll just sing it when it’s finished.”

      “Yah~ I didn’t know you write songs too.”

      It was a Sunday morning, March 9, 1997. TaeYeon took a moment outside to breathe since he had been locked up all week in his room, shivering, sleeping, sneezing, and coughing. Even though it was a Sunday, his parents didn’t make time to at least get a day off for his birthday since he was sick anyway. Even his sister was quite busy doing her homework. Besides, he himself didn’t want to be a burden to his family. So he took Ginger out with him since he was the only company he could have. He sat on a bench in his home’s yard and just looked up at the sky. Maybe the peaceful blue skies and the fresh spring air would ease the throbbing pain on his face. But what occurred was totally the opposite, and the sky was turning darker. It was 9 am in the morning; why was the sky gloomy all of a sudden? It didn’t look like it was about to rain since there were no clouds in sight. It just looked like the sun had already set.

      “Aigoo, what the heck is with the weather today,” TaeYeon grumbled, assuming the weather caused the sky to turn dark. “Does God not want to at least give me sunshine on my birthday? My life is already a misery; no need to make it feel any worse.”

      He looked down on his lap to find Ginger staring back at him with its big, round, black eyes. “I guess, my life isn’t such a misery,” TaeYeon chuckled as Ginger his chin.

      After a few minutes of staring at the dark sky, his sister HyoYeon accompanied him on the yard. Watching her big brother sitting all alone sometimes makes her wonder how lonely he might be. Although he was quite popular in their school and had five close friends, insecurities and loneliness engulf him when he is left alone to think for himself. Those thoughts could be worse today since it was his birthday and no one came to visit him, especially since he was sick. He’ll surely feel uncared for at some point and she didn’t want him to feel that way. She also didn’t want to hear him being half-sarcastically pessimistic about his life again.

      “Hey, birthday bro, what are you doing out here?” HyoYeon asked as she sat beside him. “It’s still kind of cold.”

      “Well it’s obviously better than staying inside the house,” TaeYeon replied and HyoYeon just nodded.

      “What’s with the weather anyway? Why is it so dark today?” TaeYeon said as he looked at the dark gray sky.

      “Oh, didn’t you hear? There’s an eclipse going on right now,” HyoYeon said.

      “Eclipse? On my birthday?” TaeYeon said while trying to look for the sun. Unfortunately, the sun and the moon were not in sight. TaeYeon, who had great interest in the heaven’s wonders, was nevertheless amazed. “Wow, that’s pretty cool.”

      “Yeah, it’s even a total eclipse,” HyoYeon added.

      “Total eclipse?” TaeYeon’s eyes filled with excitement. “Woah, I want to see that!”

      “You can’t,” HyoYeon suddenly added. “They say the total eclipse is only going to happen somewhere around Russia.”

      “Oh…” TaeYeon slumped in his seat and continued to keep his head down as he caressed Ginger’s black fur.

      After a two minute silence that fell on the two siblings, TaeYeon said, “Make me feel better.”

      “How?” HyoYeon asked.

      “I don’t know,” TaeYeon shrugged. “Just make me laugh or something. Entertain me. It’s my birthday anyway.”

      “Okay…” HyoYeon snickered. She sighed and her eyes wandered as she tried to think of something. As Ginger crawled on her lap, she looked at the sky and an idea clicked in her mind.

      “I’ve heard of some kind of myth about total eclipses before,” HyoYeon started and TaeYeon just listened. “There’s this myth called the black sun,” she enthusiastically said with her hands forming an “o”. “I don’t fully remember what it is, but there’s this bunch of tribes or whatever–or was it gods? Anyway, I don’t know if I’m getting this right but they were traveling to this underworld that contained nine levels during the ‘black sun’ through an image of a butterfly that represented a new soul. They were given new life, but at the same time, the ‘black sun’ eats the dead people and then lets them enter in a deeper level of the underworld.”

      “You’re making no sense,” TaeYeon noted in a bored manner.

      “Right…” HyoYeon sneered at him and continued, “Well, all I know is that the ‘black sun’, which is usually just total eclipses, is a sign of life or death. People freaked out about it back then.”

      “Oh, and that’s supposed to make me feel better on my birthday?” TaeYeon sneered. “Come up with something better next time. I mean, come on, would you want me to believe that I’m going to die soon?”

      “Hey, for all you know, it could mean a new life,” HyoYeon said. “Besides, it’s just a myth. No need to believe in that stuff. It’s just something for fun.”

      “For fun my ,” TaeYeon snarled, and HyoYeon just snickered.

      As the morning got darker and darker, TaeYeon’s head ached even more. His vision constantly blurred, as if his eye sight wasn’t bad enough. His head heated up like a burning furnace and his nose became stuffed. Coughing roughly after every second, HyoYeon couldn’t stand it.

      “Are you okay?” HyoYeon asked as TaeYeon closed his eyes, trying to ease the sinking feeling engulfing his eyes. “It doesn’t even sound like a cold anymore.”

      “I’m fine,” TaeYeon said as he released a rough sigh. “Don’t worry about me too much. I’ve been like this for a week now.”

      “But colds shouldn’t even last that long… do they?” HyoYeon wondered.

      TaeYeon stood up and like a zombie, he walked slowly back to the house. Every step he took though, his head became heavier and his energy quickly drained.

      Concerned, HyoYeon watche