Three months, one week, twenty-one days, one hour and counting.

 

Moonlight Cafe was called Moonlight Cafe for a reason.

During the day it was often light and hospitable, but at night it was ambient and very relaxed. Many people came to the cafe at night to hang out and chat, all the while grabbing a cup of coffee and some snacks and pastries to eat as well. What really made the cafe so popular at night, however, was a weekly event usually held every Wednesday called Gig Night. On Wednesday Gig Night, usually there were a few performers that came up to the stage to perform. Anybody was welcome to join, so as long as their acts didn't offend anybody. Sayuri and her best friend Minah had been invited by their friend Luhan to come watch their set that night. They took a table in the middle where they could watch the stage, but not before Luhan spotted them both from the side of the stage. "Hey, over here!" he waved over and walked over to their table. A tall man, who appeared to be Luhan's bandmate, followed right behind him.

Sayuri and Minah noticed him right away. "Glad you guys could come. Oh, by the way, this is the guy I've been playing with for years. Chanyeol, these are my friends, Sayuri and Minah," he told him.

Minah recognized him first. "Aren't you the guy from earlier this morning? I didn't know you and Luhan were in a band together," she asked.

"Oh, it's just the two of us. We got a couple of other guys playing too," Chanyeol replied. "Glad you could make it," he added with a slight grin.

Sayuri observes him again. She notices his smile and finds that she likes the friendly vibe he's giving off. "So what do you play?" she asked him.

"Me?" Chanyeol looked at Sayuri, who he realized was speaking to him. "Ah, I play guitar mostly, but I know a bit of other instruments too. I'm kind of a music enthusiast, as you would call it," he told her as he scratched his head.

Chanyeol took a good look at her and noticed how seemingly timid she looked. She wasn't that much shorter than him, and her brown, wavy hair fell off her shoulders neatly. Her face was anything but average; in fact, Chanyeol could definitely see that there was something in her face that showed him she was anything but hostile. He picked up her reserved personality from the way she acted when she was next to Minah. Clearly, they knew each other well, but for some reason, he found himself drawn towards Sayuri. He wanted to get to know her more, and he hoped tonight would give him that chance.

"We'll be up soon, so, uh," Stay cool, Yeol. Stay cool. "We'll talk to you guys after our set?"

Sayuri took it as an invitation. "Sure thing. Um, Chanyeol, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied. "Come on, Lu, we're up."

 

After their set was over, Luhan, Chanyeol, Sayuri, and Minah were hanging out by the counter by the front. While Minah and Luhan were busy talking, Sayuri and Chanyeol sat next to each other. Chanyeol didn't know whether to bring up how she stared at him first or to let her start the conversation. The last thing he needed was another person thinking he was some sort of creep. Luckily for him, Sayuri took the initiative. "You play really well," she spoke in a soft voice.

"Uh, thanks," Chanyeol returned the compliment. So she's a little shy. 

The four of them decided to part ways after that. Minah and Luhan walked out of the cafe together, leaving Sayuri and Chanyeol to their own devices.

The walk was comfortably silent. Even though they had officially just met, there didn't seem to be any awkward atmosphere at all. While Chanyeol looked ahead towards the street, Sayuri snuggled herself in her scarf to keep warm. Chanyeol could see that she was shivering slightly. "Here," he offered. "Take my coat. I'm not that cold anyway."

Giving in to the warmth, Sayuri willingly wrapped Chanyeol's coat around herself. Subconciously, she found herself blushing at his act of chivalry. She couldn't be sure if it was the heat she felt from underneath her layers or if it was because of how Chanyeol treated her. Unbeknownst to her, Chanyeol noticed the slight blush on her cheeks. She's quite cute, he thought. 

"I, uh, had a lot of fun watching you guys today, and thanks for walking me home."

"Yeah, no problem. I had fun tonight, too," Chanyeol agreed. "So I guess I'll be off now."

"Good night, Chanyeol," Sayuri smiled at him.

"You too, Sayuri," he returned. As he turned around to leave, however, he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he wanted to see her again. Up until now he had never talked to anyone about himself like he talked to Sayuri. "Uh, actually," Chanyeol turned back to the bookstore.

Sayuri chuckled. "Yes?" she asked.

"I was just wondering, if, uh," Chanyeol scratched his head and looked down in nervousness. Why am I so nervous right now? Stay cool, Yeol, stay cool. "Actually, I was wondering if maybe we could see each other again sometime?" he asked.

Sayuri let out a smile. "I work at the bookstore during the weekends. Maybe you'll catch me there," she replied with a slight eagerness. 

"Oh, uh, great!" Chanyeol replied. "So I guess I'll really see you soon then."

"Yeah. I'm looking forward to it," Sayuri replied.

---

One week, three hours, and forty-two minutes.

 

For the next few months, Sayuri and Chanyeol kept in contact with each other. Usually they sent text messages back and forth, whether it be about how each of their days were going, how Sayuri was faring in her classes, and even how crabby some of Chanyeol's customers got. Throughout those weeks they grew to love each others' company and they usually spent time together at his apartment.

Sayuri found her way to the bathroom to wash her hands after having a little meal. As she pulled off her sleeves she noticed that her Countdown was already set for two weeks. Have I known him for that long? she wondered. Time had flown by quickly already, though it wasn't like she complained. She exited the bathroom and found Chanyeol sitting in front his computer with a guitar in hand. Sayuri recalled the night at the cafe when he played. Chanyeol was in the same concentrated mood then as he was while Sayuri watched him. There was something in every note he played and every chord he strummed that made Sayuri feel at ease. It felt good to listen to Chanyeol play, and Sayuri wished she could listen to him play for days on end.

Chanyeol turned around after he was done playing. "You like what you hear?"

"You're really good," Sayuri walked over to him and pulled a nearby chair to sit next to him. "So this is what you do daily?"

"I guess," Chanyeol replied. "I just record whatever I feel like playing, cut some parts, and lay over other instrumentals. It's all mixing and mashing, really," he explained. "Wanna try it?" he handed down the guitar to her.

Sayuri immediately handed it back to him. "Oh, no, I don't think I could..."

"I'll teach you," Chanyeol offered. "Please? You offered me that book, after all."

Sayuri hesitated for a moment. "Alright," she decided. "Teach me then."

"Alright, it's really easy." Chanyeol got up from his seat and began to guide Sayuri. "So your hand goes here, and your fingers go over these strings...," he continued to explain. While Sayuri had some difficulty holding the guitar and holding the strings down, she felt reassured that Chanyeol was right behind her. She then realized that Chanyeol was right behind her, arms touching and her back to his chest. A swarm of butterflies began to flutter in her stomach. Sayuri looked up at Chanyeol and realized that she had never really been that close to him before. Chanyeol's face was undoubtedly clear, his hair looked soft and silky, and his ears, Sayuri decided, were quite cute despite the fact that they reminded her of a fairy. It didn't take long for Chanyeol to notice that she was staring at him. She quickly turned her head away to hide her face. "What's wrong?" Chanyeol asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing," Sayuri quickly answered. Chanyeol didn't need to look at her face to figure out that she was blushing and trying to hide it. "Does my face really make you nervous?" he teased.

"N-no, not at all," she replied. "But your ears are quite cute," she added. She then reached out and began to pull on them playfully. "Awh, look at you, you big fairy!" she laughed.

Chanyeol put away the guitar and tried to pull her hands away. "Stop it, that hurts," he complained. Chanyeol then decided to fight back and began to tickle Sayuri. "Let go!"

Sayuri collapsed onto the ground and tried helplessly to fight off Chanyeol's tickle attacks. "Ah, stop it!" she laughed and kicked at the same time. Before she even knew it, Chanyeol had her arms pinned above her head. "Gotcha!" he leaned in close to her face. Both of them were looking at each other intensely, and Chanyeol also realized that he had never been this close to Sayuri before. He took a few seconds to take in her facial features. Her soft brown bangs fell nicely on her face, and her eyes were as clear to him as they have ever been. Time passed by on their wrists as they gazed into each others' eyes, hours ticking away and drawing them closer to zero. Realizing the awkward position they were both in, Chanyeol got up first and helped Sayuri up to stand. "I'll go walk you home, how's that sound?" he offered.

"Yeah, that's fine," Sayuri told him. "I'll go get my things," she hurried out. Even as she gathered her things Sayuri still felt red from the earlier encounter. She could still feel Chanyeol's gaze on her, as if he found something valuable while searching for something. Her heart couldn't stop beating from the nervousness that still engulfed her senses. In the other room, Chanyeol stood awed by himself, wondering what he had done. He felt his heart beat faster and faster every time he thought about gazing at her. "I better not have screwed this up," he muttered.

 

---

 

 

Sayuri was enthralled at the sights she saw and it excited her to be around such a bustling atmosphere. Both of them walked around the fair for most of the day, and Chanyeol was usually the one to show her around and bring her to different booths. By the first half of the day, Sayuri was sure she had a feast already from all the food Chanyeol made her try. She felt comfortable in the fact that he always showed her something new whenever they went out together. 

After a few hours Chanyeol and Sayuri sat down to rest from all the walking. While Sayuri was still full from all the fair food, Chanyeol still kept eating. "Aren't you going to be full soon?" she asked him.

"I'm a tall guy," he replied as he kept eating. "You know, the fair's only just begun. The main attraction's going to start in an hour," he told her as he looked at his watch. 

Sayuri was tired. Even with all the walking he still wanted to keep going around the fair. She thought she couldn't walk anymore until she saw a nearby booth out of the corner of her eye. Immediately, she yanked Chanyeol's hand and dragged him to the booth. "Come on, Chanyeol, I can't miss this!"

Chanyeol followed along unwillingly, dropping his tornado potato in the process. Where Sayuri took him hadn't been where he expected her to go. At the booth there were dozens of little firecrackers hanging by the vendor window. The whole booth was full of sparklers, flying spinners, smoke bombs, any possible type of firework that existed. Chanyeol had planned to take her here before the event, but it was apparent that Sayuri really beat him to it. It was quite the coincidence that she had decided to go. "I, uh, really enjoy sparklers," she shyly admitted. "I've never been to a street fair without lighting a few up. It's kind of my own little thing that I do," she added sheepishly. 

And there she goes again, Chanyeol thought. He began to grow fond of the way her eyes lit up whenever she talked about something she cared about, even if it was something as little as sparklers. "Well then, what are you waiting for?" he asked her. "Let's go buy a couple. It'll be perfect for later tonight," he suggested.

 

"Uh, Chanyeol, what are we waiting for?" Sayuri asked. They had been sitting on a picnic blanket watching the empty night sky. She was anxious to light up the sparklers as well. 

"Trust me, you're going to love this. It's my favorite part of the fair," Chanyeol looked over to her direction and noticed that despite the numerous layers she was wearing, she was still shivering to the bone. She always seems cold no matter what she wears, he observed. Chanyeol took off his jacket and wrapped Sayuri with it to give her warmth. "Feeling better?" he asked.

Sayuri was flustered over Chanyeol's kind gesture. It reminded her of the night when they first met. It had probably been around three months since then, yet in that short timespan Sayuri learned a lot about him and she felt completely comfortable in Chanyeol's presence. She felt her stomach churn in excitement again as she gazed at Chanyeol from her spot. Lately in the time she's spent with him she's realized that it's become a habit for her. She remembered how focused he always was when it came to his music, and the way he found joy in everything. She also remembered how he would always be the one to initiate everything whenever they did anything together. Sayuri felt cared for, and it amazed her how she found herself falling more and more for Chanyeol everyday. 

"You tend to do that a lot, you know that?" Chanyeol observed when he turned around and saw her.

"I-I'm sorry, what?" Sayuri snapped out of her thoughts. It didn't take her long to realize that she had been caught again. "I space out a lot," she tried to cover up her act.

Chanyeol also noticed her habits as well. He never thought in the past three months that he would ever meet someone so quiet and get her to open up. He realized that he had learned a lot about Sayuri during the three months he spent with her. Despite her outwardly cute and timid appearance, she could be outgoing if she wanted to be. Sayuri was comfortable in her own skin and she enjoyed the little moments in her life. Her brown hair fell nicely on her head and her eyes always lit up when she found something she did and enjoyed it. The stories Sayuri had told him from the books she read made him believe in something greater. It was as if Sayuri discovered a world of her own in a book that she read, and she was always so eager to share it with him. Chanyeol then remembered the personal copy of The Notebook that she gave him when they met at the bookstore. Although he wasn't one for novels, it had been the one he couldn't put down. Despite that it was such a sad story, Chanyeol saw the awe in that the characters' love for each other was something beyond imaginable. 

Up until he met Sayuri, he thought time would pass by when he found his Soulmate, but he didn't think that he would ever feel so heavily invested towards somebody. She made him believe in love, and he wanted to experience that someday. 

 

Two minutes and fifteen seconds.

"We should probably light up the sparklers," Chanyeol suggested.

Sayuri nodded in agreement. "Have you ever made a wish with a sparkler?" she asked him.

"Uh, no, I haven't," he replied.

"Well, it only works when you have more than one person around," Sayuri explained. "The person with the last sparkler to stay alit means their wish comes true."

"I see," So that's why she likes them, Chanyeol thought. Just as they lit up, the main attraction of the fair began with a boom. A series of lights shooting up at the sky followed, and the firework show had started. Various colors sparkled through the air and took on different shapes. Sayuri watched in awe as the fireworks continued. She held the sparkler in her hand in hopes of it being alit for as long as possible. Chanyeol, on the other hand, was observing her as she watched. 

Although Chanyeol had always seen these fireworks as a kid, on this particular night everything seemed to sparkle. Maybe it was because of her that he suddenly felt that way, but he didn't care. As long as he could see that smile on her face every day, Chanyeol was happy. 

 

One minute and eight seconds. 

Sayuri turned around and saw that Chanyeol was gazing at her too. She would have said something to him, but for some reason, she felt that she could see everything he wanted to say in his eyes. Right at that moment, time seemed to stop for them.

 

Forty-five seconds.

Both of their sparklers went out at the same time.

 

Thirty seconds.

They lean in closer together, unaware that their fingers are touching.

 

Twenty seconds.

Their eyes meet, both sending the same message. Their hearts start beating faster and faster the closer they are.

 

Ten seconds.

Chanyeol surveys her beauty upclose before his eyes wander to her pink lips. Sayuri holds her breath in jittery nervousness. She then remembers that it had been the second time they were this close to each other. Both of them are absolutely terrified, but the little gut feeling of excitement draws them in.

 

Five seconds.

Four.

Three.

Two.

Chanyeol puts his hand to Sayuri's face gently, and slowly, their lips touch.

One.

 

The fireworks stop at zero. But for them, the sparks continue flying.