Yoseob’s POV

            Sukyi seemed really tense as she sat on her swing, not moving an inch. Her head was always shifted upwards and her eyes were locked on the stars above, and though she had a slight smile on her face I could tell that there was something bothering her. If nothing bothered her, she wouldn’t be there right now. Perhaps it was homesick, so I thought of something that might cheer her up or if anything, make her laugh.

            It was apparently a popular poem in North America and Donghae had taught it to me when we were young. I had met him a little while before he had lost his sister. I knew him long enough to see the devastating changes he went through. A guy who was once the most fascinated with astronomy now avoided star gazing and anything cosmic altogether. I tried not to ask him about it too much to prevent opening any wounds, but I remember him telling me that it was because it brought back too many memories of his sister.

            Now Sukyi was sitting beside me, showing interest in nothing else but the beautiful night sky. After coughing two times, I recited the poem from memory despite my bad English.

            “Star light star bright, the first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, please grant the wish I wish tonight…” Though my eyes were still staring upwards I could see her face turn to me curiously with my peripheral vision. At least my attempt at cheering her up had some effect.

Sukyi’s POV

            His English wasn’t perfect, but I could still make out the words he was saying. It was the incantation I knew—the one I used just before I got a call about foreign exchange. I always felt like there was some deep connection that came with it, that it was more than just a silly nursery poem for kids to dream. What I didn’t understand was how Yoseob would know it being all the way in Korea.

            “Do you like it?” He chuckled a little, face flushing a light pink as the moonlight continued to make his face glow. He was clearly embarrassed, but I couldn’t help but smile. I didn’t have a wish in mind right now, but it felt almost reassuring to hear it.

            “Donghae taught it to me when we were little.” He explained, now swinging carelessly again. He gazed at the trees instead of the sky as he forward and leaned back to maneuver the swing. How did Donghae know it? Even though I wasn’t sure where I had heard it from, I was almost certain that it was something that existed in Western culture only.

Again, I tried to match last names to Donghae’s. In my mind I muttered, Park Donghae, Jung Donghae, Im Donghae, and finally, Lee Donghae. The last one sounded oddly familiar.

            “Lee Donghae…” I whispered out loud without knowing. It sounded natural on my tongue, and it also caught Yoseob by surprise.

            “How did you know his surname?” He asked curiously, alarmed by my knowledge. Of course it didn’t match up. I never really spoke to Donghae, yet I suddenly knew so much about him. Yoseob probably thought I was a stalker of some sort, but his sudden question confirmed my suspicion.

            “Lucky guess?” I tried to push away the awkward mood I had just created. He shrugged, probably realizing that Lee was too common of a Korean last name to raise any caution.

            “You really like him, don’t you?” Yoseob finally choked out, still swinging at a quick speed. His question caught me off guard and I almost tipped off the edge of the seat. There was something familiar about Donghae that seemed to draw my interest towards him but it wasn’t love—at least not romantic love. It frustrated me a little that I didn’t know why I felt or acted this way.

            “That’s not it.” I replied, but he didn’t seem to believe me. For the sake of our conversation he let the topic drop, and I was thankful for that.

Yoseob’s POV

            Donghae and I sat at a small café, sipping coffee on a Saturday afternoon. I stared to wonder whether Donghae thought I was annoying for always following him around. I had to admit I was acting like a minion or “side kick”, but I truly did admire him. He was smart and seemed to always know exactly what to say, whereas I on the other hand, just act like a mindless fool whenever I had the chance. One thing I couldn’t shake off my mind however was the conversation last night with Sukyi. There were two things I knew she had utmost fascination about—stars, and Lee Donghae.

            “Hyung, you know that girl that was with Hyeyeong the other day?” I brought up to break the silence. I assumed that he would know which day I was talking about, and after he took a while to think he nodded meaning we were on the same page.

            “Have you ever met her before? Officially?” I wondered. Was Sukyi’s guess really a lucky guess, or one based on antecedent knowledge? Donghae shook his head and recalled,

            “I did sit beside her on the flight back from America though.” His memory seemed clear and he didn’t show any signs of doubt. Perhaps Sukyi had seen his full name written on some luggage.

            “I know you don’t like to talk about this but… She has this ineffable fascination for stars.” I stopped to see if his expression would change. I was always cautious when talking to him about potentially sensitive subjects, but instead he stared and waited for me to continue.

            “I think you should meet her.” 

A/N: If anything, this was a filler chapter haha ^^! And very short compared to my other ones. It was needed to help the story flow to the next event~