There once was a boy on Earth who fell in love with the night. Who he was, where he was, how old he was, none of that mattered. All that mattered was that his name was Jongdae, and he loved the stars. And every night, he would lay on top of a soft blanket to stare above at the velvet darkness of the sky, littered with stars.

 

Stars. Those little twinkles in the sky that tell stories from past times. They were astounding things, how something so simple and distant could entrance someone. Jongdae would step out of his little home every night as soon as the air became a little cooler, making sure to seal the entrance to keep his home warm. He’d then lay down his favorite jute blanket, keeping the clean side up. Finally, he’d lie down himself, his head resting on the most worn out patch of blanket. From here, he’d spend hours just staring up at the Stars, the melodies of the night lulling him into the closest form of conscious repose. The cool air stuck to his skin, a relief from the heat of the day. It was his favorite moment, when it was just him and his Stars.

 

One night, when it was a little bit cooler than usual, Jongdae encountered something very strange. Past the Stars, farther out in the sky, Jongdae saw something else shine. It was really bright. And big. At first, Jongdae was afraid that it was the Sun, the Star that took his other precious Stars away from him. Jongdae did not like the Sun. It was too arrogant, taking up all the space in the sky. It was only when the darkness pushed him down did he stop showing off until he was strong enough to push the darkness away again.

 

But this thing didn’t seem arrogant. He didn’t take up the entire sky. He was really nice, sharing most of the sky with Jongdae’s Stars. He was also really pretty, a delicate sort of pretty, very unlike the Sun. He seemed like another star, entrancing light holding his eyes affix, but that didn’t seem right either.

 

For once in a long time, Jongdae was intrigued.

 

And so now, every night, Jongdae would lay on top of a soft blanket to stare above at the velvet darkness of the sky, littered with stars, only to stare at the Night Sun.

 

Yixing sat on his designated position in the sky, waving his greetings at his neighbours, the stars. It was another clear day on Earth, where he can see humans rushing around. In some places, particularly where it was brighter, the people seemed more rushed, and often he can see the little children in the backseats of cars admiring him. He smiled back lovingly, appreciating the miracle of human curiosity and interest. Where it was darker, the humans would watch him more often, but in a calmer manner, before going to sleep. He would watch over them, protecting them with whatever he could.

 

But there was one boy Yixing would watch himself in curiosity. The Boy lived in what seemed to be the darkest spot on Earth. He was always watching the sky, every night, with the exception of the nights when he would absent, spending the next night with bruises and cuts painting his skin. It was only recently, though, where he found himself in greater interest, when the Boy started watching him.

 

His night on Earth, the one humans called a supermoon, was approaching soon. He had no specific plan for then, but after one final spin around Earth wondering where those lashes on the Boy’s hands and face came from, he decided to follow his curiosity.

 

Yixing was going to meet the Boy.

***

 

Jongdae felt the air starting to get cooler, and his blood rushed through his ears. He’d heard from them that tonight, there will be a spectacular show in the night sky. Jongdae was excited, his dreams recently plagued with only imaginations of what might happen. His favourite was the dream where the Stars came down to Earth, and he was able to hold hands with them, dance with them, sing through the night with them.

 

He rushed outside, forgetting to bring along his jute blanket. His feet were tickled by the grass, cheeks tickled by the soft breeze. But what brought him into alarm was the boy standing in front of him. They stood face-to-face, and he felt his soul flare a little, though he’d never seen this boy.

 

The Boy was very pretty. He looked somewhat familiar, like someone he saw often. He glowed some, a slightly transparent aura around him shining silver. His face was soft, wise, yet innocent. He looked delicate, and yet his entrancing glow held his eyes affix…

 

“You are the Night Sun, are you not?”

 

“Yes, but the proper term would be the Moon. I am the Boy on the Moon,” the Boy whispered, his voice seemingly twinkling in Jongdae’s ears.

 

The Moon. The name was tossed around in Jongdae’s mind. It had a slight ring to it, but it didn’t match the Boy.

 

“Do you have another name?”

 

The Moon chuckled. “My friends the Stars like to call me Yixing, sometimes.”

 

Jongdae was amazed. He was talking to the Night Sun, no, Yixing, who was friends with the Stars, his Stars. “Do you talk to the Stars often?”

 

“Up there, it’s only me and the Stars. We often keep each other company. I tell them stories of the humans, and they tell me stories of Luhan.”

 

“Who is Luhan?”

 

“You humans know him as the Sun.” And Jongdae makes the connection, Luhan, who was the arrogant and self-centred star of the day. And here was Yixing, the intriguing Night Sun, the Moon.

 

“Why are you here?”

 

Yixing watched Jongdae, ready to weigh his reactions. “I wanted to meet you.”

 

And Jongdae was even more amazed, his expectations shattered at every other word adding to the exchange. “Me? Why me? I am only Jongdae.”

 

“Only… Jongdae?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Yixing let out a breath of laughter, and the Stars twinkled a little brighter in the sky. “Okay then, Only Jongdae. I came to meet you because I find you interesting. Do you want to come with me to the night sky?”

 

Jongdae thinks to when they told him not to go with strangers, but he didn’t see Yixing as a stranger. They met every night, watched each other, unheard words chaining them together. That was more than a stranger to him.

 

“I do.”

 

And so Yixing took him that night with him to the night sky, where he would stay an Earth month. If Jongdae had known that they would be slightly concerned, rather angered more at his extended absence, he might not have gone, but the time spent together only felt like a moment to him.

 

Up in the night sky, Jongdae met the Stars, the ones he spent so long watching lovingly. He looked out in the distance as he might have watched the horizon on Earth, watching the other planets float past. He spent most of his time talking to Yixing. He would ask a question, and Yixing would answer.

 

“How old are you?”

“Very old.”

 

“Do you have family?”

“The Stars are like family to me.”

 

“Do you hate Luhan?”

“No, he is like my brother.”

 

“Why is your nickname Yixing?”

“One of the Stars had a friend named Yixing before on Earth.”

 

“Do you ever talk to the other planets?”

“Sometimes I talk to Mars.”

 

“Were you ever a human?”

“Maybe, I’m not sure.”

 

“Did I meet you before? You seem familiar.”

“I don’t know, but you seem familiar, too.”

 

“How do I meet you again?”

“I don’t know, I only know of meeting humans on the night of the supermoon.”

 

“Are you my friend now?”

“If you say so.”

 

“I want to be your friend.”

“Then you are.”

 

And so their moment went on, Jongdae constantly asking questions, and Yixing answering in amusement.

 

By the end of the month, Yixing noticed Luhan was in the same position as he’d last seen him. He realized almost an entire Earth month had passed, and that Jongdae should return soon. With a final goodbye and a promise to meet each other again, he let the Stars bring him back home.

 

The next time he watched Jongdae, who has now taken to talking to him, he realized something else, too.

 

He never did get to ask where the lashes on Jongdae’s face and hands came from.

 

It didn’t matter anymore, because Yixing had already fallen in love with Jongdae, who had fallen in trouble with them.

***

 

It had been five days. They had Jongdae locked up for the past five days, a punishment for his absence. He tried to explain, but his cries were drowned out by the silence. No food, no water, and utter silence, complete darkness. Jongdae longed to see the night sky again. He wanted to see his Stars again. He wanted to see Yixing again.

 

That night, on the clear, beautiful night of October 15^th, Jongdae became a Star.

 

Yixing was surprised to see Jongdae again. After his longest absence, he was standing once again face-to-face with Jongdae, but this time, it was up here in the night sky, where only he stays.

 

“Jongdae?”

 

“I’m back, Yixing.”

 

They smiled at each other, in their moment. For now and forever, they were together, in their night sky. Yixing and Jongdae. The Boy on the Moon and the Boy from the Earth.

 

 

It was their miracle.