Seoul, May 2013

She was turning 19 tomorrow and her bestfriend Yoo Inna who was three years older than her tried to convince her to sneak out of the dorm at night and go to a party. Inna was everything Jieun wasn't and it was the exact reason they became close like sisters. Inna was a bright and cheerful soul, prioritizing what makes her happy above all. Jieun was more reasonable, quiet and responsible. Together they balanced each other well.

" Come on Jieunie, loosen up a little. We're working hard during the week, you deserve to have a night of fun and to be a normal teenager for once. Consider it as your birthday celebration !! Also, my crush will be at this party, this is the perfect opportunity to spend time with him. Please, I really wanna go and I want you to have fun with me. Come on please!"

She agreed after hours of pleading from Inna. The two girls giggled when they went past the building's gate without being noticed and took a taxi to the apartment of Inna's friend.

" Hi! Happy birthday Jo Kwon!!" Inna hugged the birthday boy and gave him a present

" Thanks ! I see you brought a friend!"

" I'm Lee Jieun! Nice to meet you. I'm a fan of 2AM."

" Great! Nice to meet you Jieun. You're a singer too, right? I think I saw you on a broadcast program once."

" Yes, I debuted last year." She answered timidly

" Girls, as your senior, I'm telling you this: keep having faith and keep working hard !! I'm sure both of you will succeed. Come in, everyone is already here ! Get yourself a drink and some snacks. "

They thanked Jo Kwon and he went back entertaining his guests.

Jieun looked around and recognized several celebrities. She was still a rookie artist who most of the time found this whole industry a bit intimidating. If she was brave enough, she could talk to those people, maybe promote herself a little bit and make connection or new friends but she was still too shy to do it. Right now, she felt like a fish out of the ocean, lost in the crowded room.

The first drink she took looked like an orange juice but she suspected it was spiked with alcohol due to the bitter taste. People talked and danced around her, Jieun felt a bit dazed by all the movements and noise in the room. Inna came back with another drink and they both tried to have a little bit of fun.

Her bestfriend was sadly right : Jieun didn't have many opportunities to relax and enjoy the regular life of a teenager.
She became a trainee three years ago, moved to the dorm, then was enrolled to an all girls catholic school. She didn't have time between school, training and then her debut to do anything else or have a social life. Graduating from high school earlier this year in February allowed her to have more time to focus on her career. Her agency will begin the preparation of her first comeback with a second full album, which meant months of hard work again and no time to live. Inna's concern about Jieun missing out her younger years was valid.

She got close three years ago with Inna at first because they shared a room in the dorm. Inna gave up her dream of being an idol after one year of training and focused on her acting career, landing a few supporting roles in dramas. Her bestfriend would take her first big role next month in a drama called My love from the stars. The drama starring the acting queen Jun Ji Hyun as the main lead was expected to be a hit.

Jieun's solo career was also taking a good turn. Her agency gave her the chance to work with renowned composers and musicians for her second full album.

Needless to say, the two girls were both very excited by the good perspectives ahead of them.

After 30 minutes of dancing, Inna spotted her crush Ji Hyun Woo and decided to make a move on him. Jieun watched with a small smile as they happily chatted. She looked around the room again, feeling awkward to stand in the corner alone. Aside from Inna, she knew no one else here personally. After 10 more minutes of awkward observation of the crowd around her and people accidentally pushing her, she decided to take a break and looked for the exit.

She took the stairs and ended up on the thankfully empty building's rooftop. A smile appeared on her face when she realized it was the night of a full moon.

She loved spring nights like this: not too warm, not too cold. She was only dressed in a white dress and a purple cardigan but it was enough for the weather.

Her eyes landed on a guitar left in the large table. She sat, took the guitar in her hands and started to tune it. When she was satisfied with the sound, she sang an acoustic version of her debut song Lost child.

She jumped in surprise when she heard someone clap behind her.

" Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I live in the rooftop room and came out when I heard someone sing. I really love the song and didn't want to interrupt you." A male voice said

" It's okay" she replied and turned to get a closer look at him. He was young, probably her age, and he was rather handsome, dressed in all black. Cute dimples appeared on his cheeks when he smiled at her.

" I'm Jeon Jungkook" he extended his hand and she timidly shook it.

He had a few piercings on both ears but his most striking feature were his big doe eyes. She felt like she could get lost in his eyes because they looked so innocent and expressive.

" I'm Lee Jieun" she introduced herself, hoping he wouldn't notice her blushing cheeks.

" I know who you are. I was watching TV last year when you sang Lost Child on Show Music Core. I've been listening to your music since then. As a matter of fact, IU's Lost and found was the first album I bought with my own money."

" Really?" She was surprised by his words but also touched that someone was genuinely appreciating her music.

He sat next to her and they started to chat. Jungkook was a full introvert just like her and it made him even more charming in her eyes because she could relate to the nervousness he was feeling. Despite his shy demeanor, he showed genuine interest in getting to know her better and she appreciated his efforts to make her smile and be more comfortable.

None of them were aware how long they stayed there, watching the lights of Seoul, talking endlessly and laughing.

She learned he was a trainee for Big Hit Entertainment, the same company as Jo Kwon and sometimes performed as a back up dancer for him. He was a year younger than her and was set to debut next year with a boy group named Bangtan Sonyeondan. He didn't mind when she made fun of their name and she understood it better when he explained the concept. His eyes lit up everytime he talked about his group members and how special their bond was. They all lived here and he shared the small rooftop room with two other members.

She shared a bit of her story: her dream to sing on stage, her life with her grandmother and her little brother. Just like her, Jungkook also missed his family in Busan and had a hard time adjusting to this new life. Her parents were in Seoul but they couldn't visit her often. Her manager Kang Ho Dong told them Jieun needed to focus entirely on her work, therefore she came home for the weekend only every three months.

Despite having people around them, Jungkook and Jieun sometimes felt lonely and lost.

" Do you want to play a song?" She handed him back the guitar.

" Oh ! I don't know how to play. It's Jin's guitar." He rubbed his neck nervously

" Well, I'll play then and we can both sing!"

So they did and she was quite surprised by his voice as they sang Lost child and Ugly duckling. It felt really nice to share her music like this with someone's her age and who understood her perfectly. Jieun has always felt uncomfortable around the people of her generation and prefered the company of more mature persons or older people. Her grandma often said Jieun had a hard time connecting with people of her age because she was an old soul trapped in a teenager body.

With Jungkook, things felt natural, she didn't have to act like a serious singer or pretend to be a cool teenage girl (something she did when she was afraid people would find her boring). He seemed happy to just get to know her and didn't mind her shy side.

Jungkook laid his head on the table and looked up at the night sky.

" The full moon tonight shines so bright and I can see some stars "

Her eyes followed his fingers as he pointed out the sky and named the brightest stars.

" Did you know that full moon have different names depending of the month? For example, this one is a flower moon because we're in spring and flower booms. The next one in June is called strawberry moon for its rosy color and because it's the right period to gather strawberries. A legend says strawberry moon makes true love come true.  On that day, people share a wish to the moon to start a romantic relationship. " she quietly explained.

Maybe this full moon was a sign for her that something good will blossom from this encounter and that maybe she have found love.  

" This might sound crazy but I talk to the moon sometimes. I mostly do it after a hard day of training when I need to take my frustration out and calm down." Jungkook confessed

" Does the moon reply to you? Because when I talk to it, it never answers back." Jieun smiled at him

" Imagine if it replies, I think I would freak out for real! " They both laughed

" Well, you know what? Everytime I will look at the moon from now on, I will think of this moment....I...I will think of you because you glow...like the silver moon." He spoke in a low voice, as if he was unsure if he should say it out loud

Her heart skipped a beat and she slowly turned her head towards him. His doe eyes shined brighter under the moonlight.

" Do you believe in love at first sight?" She asked him after a few minutes of silence.

" Yes, why?" His gaze looked so hopeful, waiting for her answer.

" I think I'm falling in love with you." Her heart beat faster once the words left her mouth.

He seemed genuinely surprised by her confession. And she waited for him to fully process what she said. 60 seconds seemed long when you just confessed your feelings to someone and her fear of rejection grew with each passing seconds of his silence.

The next thing he said changed their life forever.

" Jieun-ah, I really wanna kiss you" he whispered as if he was afraid she would say no.

She nodded and his lips pecked hers in a timid kiss.

Jungkook looked at her and she closed her eyes when he kissed her again, this time with more pressure. She kissed him back when she felt comfortable enough, then gasped when his tongue slipped in her mouth.

She didn't realize how long their mouths continued to explore each other. It was as if their surroundings disappeared and she could only focus on the boy in front of her and on the way this newfound love consumed her.

Everything was above time, she couldn't tell when and how they both ended up in his room, clothes discarded on the floor. She knew she could never feel a connection like this anytime soon. It was past midnight and she was now officially 19 years old. For one night she wanted to forget her career as IU as well as her responsibilities. She just wanted Lee Jieun to be loved even for a short moment by a boy who looked at her as if she was his moon and stars.

She felt a little bit lightheaded because of the adrenaline and the exciting feelings. She regreted a bit to not have drank more spiked orange juice because she needed something to calm her nervousness.

It wasn't perfect like they described in the movies and books. It was her first time and apparently his too. It freaking hurt at the beginning, it took a while to adjust and found the good rythm but in the end she had no regrets because she did it with the person she was in love with. He was gentle, just as nervous as her but she had never felt so loved and alive before.

🌜🐰💜💙🐰🌛

She heard the click of a camera and blinked. The sunlights blinded her eyes and she shrieked in surprise when she saw a brown haired boy standing at the door, smiling at them. She looked to her left to see Jungkook slowly waking up. She clenched the comforter around her body and took notice of her surrounding. Thank God she put her dress back on when they finished last night.

" What the hell are you doing Tae?"

Someone new yelled in the doorstep.

" Yoongi, I swear I only had good intention. I wanted to get some sleep after that wild birthday party and found those two together. They both looked so cute so I took a picture. "

" Get out of here! Leave us alone, please..." Jungkook mumbled beside her, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

" Come on Tae, let's go" the blonde one Yoongi grabbed the other

" Yeah, yeah, sorry JK! It was nice meeting you rooftop girl!"  Jungkook's friends bowed and closed the door behind them.

She looked at Jungkook, embarrassed they got caught by his friends.

" Sorry about that" he apologized

" What time is it?"

" 7 am" he replied after looking at his phone

" Fuck! I gotta go, I have to go back before my manager or anyone else realize I sneaked out of my dorm last night."
She hurried out of the bed, went looking for her purple cardigan and shoes.

" Hey silver moon, can I at least get your number?" Jungkook asked shyly.

It must have been the cheesiest and cringiest pick up line a boy have ever said to her. But she just smiled at him.

" This won't be the last time I'll see you, right?" He panicked

She hesitated for a moment: truth is she didn't have time to date nor was she allowed to do that. This whole one night stand was already a crazy thing, too far from her normal behavior. But she was in love for the first time in her life, wanted to see him again and get to know him better. She looked into his eyes, round and full of hope, she realized she couldn't say no to him, didn't want to.

Jieun wrote her number in the back of his copy of her first album and gave it to him. She leaned toward him for a last kiss that made them both blush and scurried away, too afraid to look back.

She found Inna sound asleep on Jo Kwon's sofa.

" Inna! Wake up! We have to go home right now. Kang Ho Dong will be at the dorm in one hour, he'll kill us if we're not there."

Her bestfriend nearly fell on the ground.

" Jieunie, where were you? I was looking for you last night but couldn't find you anywhere. I thought you went home without me. I eventually fell asleep here when the party died down. My head hurts. Are you okay? "

" I'm more than okay ! You won't believe what happened to me. It was the most magical night of my life! Come on, get your things and let's go." Jieun told her with a huge smile on her face.

" Who are you and what have you done to my grumpy and introverted bestfriend?" Inna laughed at her

" We're really in trouble right now but Inna, I've never felt so alive! "

" Whatever happened must be a good thing. I've never seen your eyes and smile shine with such intensity!"

The last time she felt those bubble of excitement was when Ho Dong handed her the first copy of her debut album. It was symbolically the beginning of her singing career.

This might be the beginning of something beautiful for her, something that might change her life forever. At that time she didn't know how true that statement would be.

" Whatever it is, I'm happy for you. Happy birthday Jieunie !"