February 6, 2021

Sonyeondan

Eviana's Diary

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go save Jimin-ssi!" Astro exclaims.

"Fighting!" JT cries out, punching a fist into the air. "Fighting" (or occasionally "hwaiting") is usually used to cheer on someone-your favorite group, your bias or even just your friends and loved ones. It is translated to "You can do it!"

I hold the wand in my hands, looking at Jaydrian with worry. "I had no idea."

Jaydrian gives me a sympathetic look and puts a comforting arm around me. "It's okay. It's not your fault. I'm sure it's all a big misunderstanding. The sooner we get to these Shadowlands and find Jimin, the better."

"How far away is this 'shadowland' from here?" Suga grumbles as the group begins to trudge through the meadow, being mindful of the skies overhead that are full of winged creature traffic.

"Not far on four legs," I answer him.

"This is not the time to crack jokes, and I know jokes," JT scolds.

"Okay, give me a good joke then, JT," I giggle.

JT falls for the bait and lifts his head up, much to the disgust of Astro, who unleashes a groan. "What should you do if a watermelon sues you?"

We reach the far end of the meadow unscathed and oddly unnoticed. I skid to a halt and put my hands on my hips. "What?"

The others all stop as well. Astro slaps his hand to his forehead.

"수박!" JT chuckles, covering his mouth and nose with his hand.

Astro groans louder. "Booooooo!"

"Ha! I get it," Jaydrian remarks, throwing his pointer finger out at JT. "The word for watermelon in Korean is 'subak' and if you listen to it carefully, subak sounds like 'sue back' in English. So if a watermelon sues, make sure you lawyer up and...subak."

"That's it!" JT exclaims. "I learned that one on a South Korea concert tour. J'TASK went to Seoul for a concert series."

Jaydrian nods.

"Okay, here's one for the English folks here. What's a panda's favorite food?"

"I don't know what?" Kookie plays along with a big, cheesy smile on his face.

"Bread...pan...duhhhhh," JT says.

Astro pinches his nose. "And that's enough dad's jokes, JT. Can we focus on journeying to find and save Jimin, please?"

JT holds his head up high. "Of course. But you can't say you didn't laugh at either of those jokes."

"He's right," Jaydrian says. "He's a joke king."

"Oh, don't butter his ego any," Suga growls with a toss of his eyes. "That's the last thing he needs."

"Suga is just jealous," JT whispers loudly.

Astro and Suga resume walking, heading into the woods. Kookie follows them, skipping along and humming along to one of their songs entitled August Days. It's one of the songs, along with Blood, Sweat and Tears (Untied) that the group likes to perform at concerts. They are supposed to perform it on their American Tour, including the Denver concert that they're scheduled to do.

Of course, given that they get out of this fantasy world alive and with Jimin. They won't continue being a group without him. His falsetto is like no other and he brings an unbelievable, irreplaceable talent.

Jaydrian hurries to catch up to Kookie and engage him in some kind of 'man conversation,' while I hang back with JT.

"So..." I begin to kickstart a conversation with the oldest member of J'TASK. I pause and nervously brush a strand of hair behind my ear. I can't believe this is happening still. Never, in a million years would this happen to a diehard Tasker.

"Yes?" JT turns to me.

"You're really the 'International Pretty Boy, Jung Taehyung of J'TASK?" I ask, eyeing him up and down and then poking him in the arm. Just in case, to see if I really am dreaming. I'm not, turns out.

JT chuckles. "Flattered, but I take it you're one of the Taskers not used to one in a lifetime events happening to her?"

We continue through the forest in the fantasy continent kingdom of Euphoria, following a makeshift pathway. The tree trunks thin out, but the brush is still thick, concealing the sky. I can also feel it getting colder as we head north.

Eventually, we all reach a clearing. In the center is a bush full of various kinds of flowers. We walk around it and can pick out familiar wild flowers. As we do, some of them change colors. A hydrangea morphs into a rose and a daffodil becomes an orchid.

"It's amazing!" Astro gasps out, reaching a hand out to touch the pedals of a dandelion.

Suga slaps his hand. "Are you stupid? Don't touch it! You have no idea if these are poisonous or not!"

Kookie screams and everyone turns to see him standing on the opposite side of the clearing and looking through a giant gap in the trees. His arm is extended out in front of him, pointing at an unknown sight.

"What is it, Seogukie?" Astro exclaims, leaving the flowers and darting over to the group's maknae.

Kookie smiles and exclaims, "Cherry blossoms!!"

They all walk through the gap in the trees and to where a patch of cherry blossom trees are clustered. Beyond it, is another vast meadow and to the left side is a barren landscape. They can see animal bones, charred tree trunks, toxic fumes coming out of various spots of earth and even sharp thorn thickets.

"Baepsae," I mutter, blinking in shock and horror.

"I'd rather stay right here!" Kookie says, hugging the trunk of one of the cherry blossom trees.

"Kookie, we have to go in there and save Jimin," Suga grumbles. "He'd do the same from any of us."

"Wait, just one international minute, now." JT puts a hand on another cherry blossom tree trunk and leans against it. "Shouldn't we get a plan, in case, you know...it's a trap or something."

"He's got a point," Jaydrian remarks, folding his arms across his chest. "It might be smarter to think of a plan."

"I think we should also take a break to get our strength back. It might not be beneficial or smart to march into Baepsae having just walked all that way through the woods, you know," JT suggests.

"True," I say in agreement. "We'll rest here by the cherry blossoms, get a plan and regain our energy then?"

Astro and Suga share a look and then nod in agreement. "We need to be one-hundred percent ready to rescue Jimin."

Astro, Suga, Jaydrian and Kookie get together to discuss a plan, while JT drops down to sit in the grass and lean against the trunk of the cherry blossom tree. He heaves a sigh and rubs his feet.

I sit down beside him. "Have you guys been planning any other songs recently?"

JT snaps his head up to look at me. "Are you trying to get insider information out of me? I don't even think you ever introduced yourself."

"Eviana Huntington," I giggle, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear out of nervousness.

"Well, Eviana, I understand you're the creator of this world, maybe you should go and present some ideas for the group?"

"JT, I'm not-I swear, I won't tell anyone. I'm just curious about any new material. I play your songs on repeat."

JT bites his lip and then leans toward me. "There's one I'm in the process of writing. It's just a concept right now. I guess you can say I got stuck coming up with lyrics for a song about overcoming obstacles."

I smile at him. "Can I help you out?"

JT looks taken aback by my comment. He eventually sighs and nods his head. "I don't see why not. Might be kind of cool having a Tasker help out with the lyrics. Fresh and new and different, something that no one else has done."

I rub my hands together. "Awesome!"

JT looks at me and says, "So basically, I wanna have a song that's got a message about overcoming obstacles, facing your fears and being powerful-being confident in all that you can do as a person."

I slowly nod. I lift up the wand that I've been carrying around. Just out of curiosity, I flick it into the air and think about a guitar.

Almost immediately sparkles shoot out of the tip and cluster together to form the shape of the instrument on my mind. Then it materializes in thin air and drops into my hands. JT is shocked, but he grins.

I pass him the instrument, remembering that on one of the websites, it mentioned how he had a talent for playing the instrument apart from singing and dancing in the K-Pop group. He also knew how to play piano and violin.

JT takes the guitar and strums it, finding that it is real and perfectly in tune. Ready for him to play and create.

"How do you normally write your songs?" I ask him.

JT looks at me. "I normally start with the idea, think of a title and then I try to create a chorus. Once I have the chorus, the verses usually come to me with little to no difficulty. But I'm not sure of a title."

"How about Powerful?" I suggest.

JT nods, amused by the suggestion. "We'll try it out." He clears his throat and, thinking about the word 'powerful,' begins to form a song chorus as he strums the guitar in a quick thought-up melody:

"Overcoming the obstacles,

Facing my fears

Headstrong, I will fight (I will fight!)"

I cut in, attempting to sing with words that come into my mind:

"With every breath that I intake,

I'll never quit, getting stronger (Stronger!)"

JT continues on with:

"I'll embrace the unknown,

Anticipate the unexpected

And be more powerful than you could've known. (Powerful!)"

He stops and looks me in the eyes. "How's that sound?"

I smile at him and clap my hands. "I love it! I think you should have a part where you sing with Kookie and Jimin too!"

JT nods and resumes strumming the guitar in the melody:

"The universe is a funny thing,

The moment you find balance,

It suddenly shifts."

I add in, singing with him: "But that's life, unexpected and unknown."

JT sings:

"Where's my future?

Let the light shine in!"

JT stops once more, feeling Jaydrian, Astro, Kookie and Suga's eyes on him. They are looking at us in shock and wonder. Also a hint of interest.

"I think Eviana and I are slowly creating something that will get us a Daesang or two," JT announces, pointing a thumb at me and speaking about the popular 'grand prize' that K-Pop groups earn. It's a catch-all term for the highest and most significant achievements that they can receive based on sales, which usually are under categories like Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Artist of the Year.

Kookie comes over and sits down with us.

He begins to sing along with JT as they go back through the previous lines:

"The universe is a funny thing,

The moment you find balance,

It suddenly shifts.

But that's life, unexpected and unknown.

Where's my future?

Let the light shine in!"

I jump up to my feet and mock a rap:

"I won't ever give up. No!

I won't ever give in. No!"

I look at Astro and Suga and try to gesture to them to join in with me. They share a look, shrug and take on the part:

"I won't ever give up. No!

I won't ever give in. No!

I won't ever quit. No!

I'll win, win, win! Yeah!"

Before we can continue on creating the new song, a shrill caw shrieks out from the direction of the Baepsae border. Then there is a chorus of battle cries and a net sails through the air.

I gasp as I see it come down, entrapping Jeon Seok-guk in it's clutches.

Jaydrian's hand grabs my wrist and yanks me along with him, away from JT. I grip tightly to the wand as we dash back into the cover of the woods, leaving Astro, Kookie, JT and Suga behind.

The last thing that I see is a group of creatures rushing them and JT's look of terror. The guitar smashed to pieces in the grass.