Inspired by the movie 蛍火の杜へ (Romaji: Hotarubi no Mori E). Throwing this out there because even though the plot is not entirely similar, the key premise remains the same.

Also writing it as an entry for the Just Smile AFF Writing Contest. Though the initial idea came from the above-listed movie, I'm structuring my actual story to fit picture prompt 2.

Warning: There won't be any idol stars in this story. I understand that this will substantially decrease the views/comments/subscribers/etc., given this site’s intended audience, but after giving it some thought, this is my final decision. Story-telling is about writing what's on your heart, right? I’d rather sacrifice popularity in order to write what I want to write, without having to conform to what other people would probably rather see. Though judging by the tag(s), if you’re still reading, you probably already knew this...

Note: For those familiar with anime and/or Japanese culture, I do use some commonly known Japanese terminology in this story. All the characters are Japanese, not Korean, so the tag isn’t completely random. All the same, if the words throw you off, feel free to let me know and I can write up a mini glossary or something.

Last point. Recently, I’ve been thinking about my story-telling style—though I tried to restrict myself to one POV in order to improve, sometimes I wonder if I’m doing it right. Among other goals, this story will also be an experiment for me, a chance to alter my narration so that it does not simply follow one character. I hope this is actually an improvement, and not a step backwards….I dunno, does this added mobility make my writing stronger or weaker?

With that said, if I haven’t already scared you off, I’d be honored if you still chose to give this story a chance. Comments and constructive criticism (especially if it addresses the aforementioned concern) will be extremely appreciated. Thanks for your interest.

[Update: many months later]: This is completely overdue, but I can't believe I actually won O_____O Thank you to everybody who's expressed an interest in this story, whether through commenting or subscribing. Ironically, the one story I thought wouldn't receive any attention is my most popular one. There is hope for me after all...