A faint grin adorned his face as a wonderful memory glimmered in his thoughts. At that time, after school, they spent their time in her favorite place, sitting side by side on the riverbank, still dressed in their uniforms. It was such a beautiful and peaceful place after a busy day of studying. Vibrant colors were surrounding them—the green grass, the scarlet flowers that swayed in the wind, and the sky was so blue, sprinkled with clouds ever so often. It was a cool and breezy afternoon. The sound of running water was very soothing, creating an atmosphere of complete peace.

"Baekhyun, the blue and green colors make me feel relaxed and calm. I feel like I'm in paradise." The girl lay down on the grass, her arms folded behind her head, watching a white cloud float across God's blue heaven.

Seeing Jiyeon's cheerful smiling face put him at ease. Her smile was infectious like spreading sunshine over the field. He grinned from ear to ear. "Yeah, it's indeed a peaceful and romantic place. When we're together like this, I feel like the world is ours." He lay down next to her, keeping a smile on his face.

She looked surprised, her head tilted slightly, and she questioned loudly, "What do you mean by that?"

He swallowed hard nervously, and his face looked somewhat red as he realized what he had just said. Noticing his red face, quirked into a naughty smirk. "Do you like me?" she teased.

Scratching his forehead, Baekhyun stammered, "I...um, I–"

"You look so funny when you're nervous. I think I know the answer." Jiyeon let out a laugh, and then she put her hand over , trying to muffle the sound.

"Park Jiyeon, it's not funny." Baekhyun clucked his tongue irritably, which made her unable to restrain her laughter any longer. She exploded into a hearty guffaw, holding her stomach.

Her laughter filled the air, making him feel lighthearted in a way. She looked extremely beautiful when she laughed, her huge, doe-like eyes shining like gemstones with an inner glow that lit the darkness. He had to admit that it was one of the reasons he had fallen in love with her. "Laugh as much as you want, since it makes you more beautiful. Your laughter is better than birds in the morning; it's serene," he blurted out, causing her to stop laughing. 

He quickly rolled over on his side and bit the inside of his cheek, his jaw flexing as he wondered what she would think about what he had just said. He hoped she wouldn't call him a flatterer. He felt like his heart stopped beating for a split second as he felt a gentle tap on his back.

"Hey, don't act awkward around me. I don't like it," the girl told him, sounding a bit dejected. 

The boy glanced over his shoulder just to see a frown on her face. He felt guilty for making her feel uncomfortable. He let out a silent sigh before rolling over back. He flashed her a smile and said, "I'm sorry if I make you feel uncomfortable. I just–"

"It's okay, pretty boy. I have to thank God for giving me such a soothing voice that seems to be able to bring the angels out of the sky." A joking tone crept into her voice. "Thank you for your compliment, but I don't need you to tell me what I already know. I'm beautiful because I know my flaws."

He breathed a huge sigh of relief. "You're welcome, but I'm not a pretty boy; I'm a ruggedly handsome guy." He winked at her as if responding to her jokes. 

She stuck her tongue out at him, and she couldn't help but giggle before she closed her eyes. He actually had a great urge to express his feelings to her right now, but he was too afraid of rejection. Just seeing her was true bliss, so he decided to bury his feelings for her. He slowly closed his eyes, enjoying this blissful moment, losing in his own world. His nose twitched excitedly as the fragrance of meadow grass filled his world, and he felt the grass beneath him like silk upon his skin.

They were lying there in a comfortable silence, listening to the sound of rustling leaves and the wonderful sound of the river flowing—it was peaceful, very relaxing. There was no noise from the bustling traffic, no toxic fumes; there was only them and nature. They felt as if they could stay there forever. 

A few hours had passed; clouds were like sheep drifting in a bright blue meadow, and the girl finally opened her eyes. She sat up when the sky was just beginning to turn orange-red, with clouds giving off a pink hue as the sun moved down. As it went down, it looked like a huge disc of orange and yellow. The sky erupted with a bright orange, just as the sun dipped below the horizon. Its glorious rays shone down on the water, making it glitter and sparkle, and the green grass glowed like a field of emeralds. Birds flying overhead through the tree branches brought flashes of bright color to the growing dark. The boy opened his eyes and sat up next to her as he heard her humming, sounding like soft running water over smooth pebbles:

God's heavenly light pours from the sky,
The tinge of orange adorns the universe.
It's an absolutely fabulous twilight-
Its soft amber light lay over me like a glowing shroud;
Its sheen drowns out a million words.

I'd like to paint its beauty with words,
But I'm not quite able to write the painting of God.
Just let me stare at it in admiration,
And enjoy the masterpiece of the Creator.

Hopefully, the next twilight will still come to me
To utter thanks for the blessing
Have been given in this evening.

Her voice enlightened his spirit, and her attitude of gratitude made him fall in love with her even more deeply. The girl seemed not to realize that the boy kept staring at her with a sweet smile plastered across his face. It looked like she was in her own small world, watching the evening twilight, amazement written all over her face. Then she clasped her hands together near her as if in prayer. Her skin was bathed in the orange glow, and her long, straight, dark-brown hair danced in the wind, gleaming like a satiny cape across her shoulders. She was glittering like the sun, flawless and glorious.

Beakhyun couldn't take his eyes off her; he just couldn't stop admiring her. "Jiyeon, why do you like watching the evening twilight?" Baekhyun nudged her arm.

She turned her head to look at him. "The surrounding looks super cool when the sky turns intense orange and then starts to darken. Twilight is a precious part of each day; the light is stunning and inspiring to watch, and it gives off a truly serene feeling. Twilight is one of the most spectacular paintings of God," she replied softly with a bright smile. "As I gaze into the evening star, it makes me feel very small, so little in the world; it makes me remember the bad times in my life. I try to learn from the past to do better in the present so that I can succeed in the future. It's really amazing to watch a different sight every evening." Her eyes sparkled, and her rosy lips couldn't keep from smiling. 

He was speechless, his mouth hanging open. He never thought watching the sky could make someone feeling that way. "What's wrong? Why are you silent?" Jiyeon snapped her fingers in front of his face, startling him back to the present.

The boy just shook his head and averted his gaze to the sky. A big smile crept across his face, accentuating his high cheekbones, seeing the blaze of orange sky rapidly fade into a dark blue, and the brightest star could be seen. It was the first time he paid attention to the sky as it changed colors. He was absolutely mesmerized by it—it was magical and romantic to him. The girl sighed before she looked back up at the sky and smiled up at the evening star as if she was wishing she could capture the magic of it.

As the evening twilight faded away, they remained silent, watching the stars peep down upon them, one by one. In a short time, the inky blackness of the heavens was dotted with millions of twinkling stars, and the night air buzzed with crickets.

"It's stupendous," he muttered under his breath before he looked around at his surroundings and sighed in awe as he saw soft glows of yellow light appear, lifting up from the grass and the leaves of the big tree, as if rising upward to join the sea of stars. 

"Jiyeon, fireflies..." he trailed off as he noticed a completely serene expression decorate her small face. 

You're as stunningly beautiful as the evening star. I wish you could read my mind and see what I'm feeling deep inside and discover my dreams I hide. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

They stayed under the stars in silence, soaking in the pale glow of the moon. For the first time in his life, as he gazed into the sky, Baekhyun felt like staring into the past—the further away he looked, the further into the past he could see, and that was amazing. Park Jiyeon, I might not be able to say in words how I admired learned things from you, but in prayers, I do surely know and wish the best things in life for you. He breathed the clarity of the night sky and smelled the purity of the moon and the stars. He beamed, but then he rubbed his chin, trying to find the words to break the silence between them. A faint smile cracked Baekhyun's face as a stupid question popped into his head.

He took a deep breath before he patted Jiyeon on the back. "Where does the sun go at night?" Baekhyun asked in a serious tone.

She shifted her gaze to him. "The sun goes to sleep just like all good kids," Jiyeon replied flatly, causing him to roll his eyes.

"That's ridiculous." The boy poked her cheek.

She pushed his hand away. "Then why are you asking me such a childish question?" Jiyeon snorted.

Silence makes me feel bored. He gave her an innocent grin. "Because I'm an amateur astronomer. So please give me an answer, I'm dying of curiosity."

She shook her head. "Keep that sort of curiosity to yourself. You're not funny, so stop cracking jokes."

"Park Jiyeon!"

"What?" she exclaimed, her annoyance coming clearly through her voice.

"I'm not kidding you!"

They looked at each other and burst into laughter before they stood up. She stretched her arms in the air as she hummed: "When night greets the earth, and the moon comes out, the sun has walked away, heading towards other parts of the world to give people the daytime. When you wake up, the sun is back to light the brand-new day. It's because the Earth is constantly rotating. So it's natural to think the sun sleeps just like good kids. I'm so smart, aren't I?" Jiyeon's face was lit by a smile.

He put his hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, you're smart. Jiyeon, it's already night, but you're still wide awake, so it means–" He leaned his face close to her ear. "You're not a good kid." A faint mocking smile tugged the corners of his lips upwards.

She rolled her eyes and shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "You too. Oh, I want–"

"I think we'd better go home now or our parents will definitely scold–"

"Byun Baekhyun, listen to me!"

She moved around to the front of him and held his hands. She looked deeply into his eyes, making him feel nervous. He tilted his head slightly to the side, avoiding her gaze. 

"Look at me, please I need you to look at me." 

Her voice sounded extremely serious, and he had no idea why she acted strangely like this. He'd never seen her so serious before. She drove him nuts. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he dared to stare right back into her eyes.

"Is there something I should know?" he inquired, trying to sound calm, but his voice was shaking a bit. 

She nodded and cleared before she began to speak: "You know, whenever I'm with you, I feel like I—it provides me with basically the same feelings I got from watching evening twilight. Baekhyun, I like you a lot."

Baekhyun was completely taken aback, frozen in place. He seemed unable to believe what he had just heard. He had to blink twice to get back to his senses. He cupped her face tenderly and looked deeply into her eyes. "Jiyeon, uh, a-are you sure that you like me as more than a friend?" Baekhyun sputtered.

Jiyeon gave him a nod and answered, "I'm sure. I'm in love with you."

"Really?"

Without batting an eyelash, Jiyeon replied, "I truly like you. When I talk to you, I get these butterflies in my tummy. I feel so different; this feeling is so new to me, but I like this feeling. Sometimes it doesn't feel real, but then I talk to you, and I know it is. It isn't a joke."

Jumping around like a kid, Baekhyun screamed, "Stars and moon, I can't believe it, Park Jiyeon likes me too. I feel like I got a miracle. Thank you so much!"

The girl shook her head with a beautiful smile on her face, seeing his reaction. He pulled her into a hug, lifted her up in the air and spun her around, smiling widely. "Baekhyun!" she gasped between laughs, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

With fireflies flying around near the ground, glowing like little flying lanterns, the chirping of crickets and her joyful laughter filling the air, the world seemed so much brighter, happier, and magical to the boy. He felt like he was in dreamland. He put her down and started pinching his cheeks as if trying so hard to convince himself that it wasn't just a dream or fantasy, but it was real.

Seeing his action, she blew a breath of air through toward her forehead, and it briefly lifted her bangs. "Stop it." Jiyeon took one of his hands. "It isn't a dream. Baekhyun, it's real."

"Yeah, you're right. It's real since I feel hurt."

"You're like a little kid." She punched his arm lightly, making him chuckle slightly, and they were silent for a moment.

Caressing her hair, he gulped and spoke, but his voice was shattered: "I've fallen in love with you. My feelings for you are growing stronger with each passing day. Sometimes I just want to tell you everything inside of me, but–"

"You're afraid of getting rejected by me, am I right?" Jiyeon reached her hand to the boy's face and caressed his cheek.

He gave her his adorable sheepish smile. "It seems like you can read my mind."

"Yeah, I can read your mind, so don't ever lie to me." Jiyeon pinched his cheek with a big, cheesy grin across her face. "You're so cute."

Baekhyun rubbed the part where she pinched it and said, "It hurts."

They exchanged sweet smiles before staring into each other's eyes, silently communicating with each other. The sounds of a flowing river and the starry night sky created an ambiance and romantic backdrop, making them feel like the world was theirs. A smile of content and happiness crept across their mouths as they could feel the entire night sky pulsing, whispering its wisdom and sharing its secrets.

The cool night breeze whistled softly, blowing lightly through their hair. He reached out and tenderly tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, whispering, "Jiyeon, thank you for showing me the miracle of love."

He slightly leaned in, pulling her closer, and she closed her eyes as if waiting for his lips to touch hers. The boy raised his eyebrows. "Why do you close your eyes?" Baekhyun questioned innocently, flicking the tip of her nose with his index finger.

"Are you really that silly?" Jiyeon grunted, rubbing her nose in vexation, keeping her eyes shut. "Of course, I'm waiting for you to kiss me."

Baekhyun her head lightly. "Jiyeon, I'm sorry. I have no intention of kissing you, but it doesn't mean I'm not interested in you. I love you and respect you very much, so I'll only kiss you after we get married," the night air seemed to raise his whisper up to the stars, despite how softly he had uttered it. One bright star grinned down on him, shining much brighter than the rest as if admiring his attitude of respect for a woman.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. A single tear trickled from her eye, noticing an apologetic smile on his face. "Byun Baekhyun, you make me feel so special. You've made me into the happiest girl in the world. You know Venus agrees with me that you're a really nice boy who will treasure my heart and love me forever." Jiyeon pointed to the brightest star in the sky before she enfolded her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.

Her words made him blush, his cheeks rosy, blooming like a flower. He turned his head upwards, his smile growing wider as he took in the wondrous view of stars. "Park Jiyeon, I think this is the first time I see you shed a tear. I'm damn lucky to have you. We are a perfect match; the stars even bless us," he whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and held her back against his body.

Baekhyun's reverie was broken by the sound of a voice outside—Chanyeol's: "Byun Baekhyun, open the door!"