Obsidian Shade (黒曜石シェード): Novella Prequel

4 - Rewards

February 4, 2021

Denver, Colorado

Eviana's Diary

I wake up today like any other day, my head is full of creative thoughts thanks to my imagination. I am close to finishing a novel that I've been focusing on writing for at least a year. Life is amazing. It is a huge accomplishment for me and my first completed piece (that isn't fanfiction).

I throw open the blinds to the window in my room. It's another chilly, yet bright sunny day outside. The snow on the ground outside sparkles under the mid-morning rays. It looks absolutely stunning outside.

I walk over to where my desk is located in the corner of my room and throw on my music playlist through Spotify's desktop player. It's so that I can become inspired and concentrate on my story. I'm not sure why, but listening to J'TASK songs just helps with flow of my thoughts and imagination.

I tap on the song Blood, Sweat and Tears (Untied). It's my go-to song. My favorite song. It really gets the creativity flowing.

Then I pull up my Google Docs' tabs, where the novel project is opened up. The screen is split, one Google Doc is labeled 'Sonyeondan - Information', which includes the story genre, start date, end date, setting, summary, characters and more. The other document pulled up is the story itself. This one is labeled 'Sonyeondan - Doc 3' and starts with a completed chapter forty in a third part.

The story is fresh in my mind: centering around a magical, fantasy land known as Sonyeondan, which has inhabitants like mermaids, dragons, unicorns, shapeshifters and more. One of the members of a popular K-Pop group is kidnapped under strict orders and his fellow bandmates rush to rescue him, journeying to this interesting universe.

Actually a few of the main characters in the story are loosely based off the J'TASK members, like the protagonist, Seong Ji-Min, who you can argue is the fictional model for Jimin Bakjin.

I scroll down the story document to where I left off, which is chapter sixty (which is the first of three chapters in the epilogue).

And this is where I am!

Three chapters (in the epilogue) left to go.

Almost there.

I head to Google, to do some research about popular Korean cities. And while I am searching, I see an ad pop up in the lower right corner of the screen. My eyes can't help but go to it, with the bright blue and purple color theme sticking out of the white background as well as the familiar J'TASK logo and name.

As soon as my eyes take in the words -- the message from the ad, I squeal and throw my hands up to my face. NO WAY!

I blink to make sure that what I am seeing is real.

But it's true, the ad says there is going to be a month-long tour from J'TASK, starting in Denver, Colorado.

Forgetting the remainder of my story, I just want to double check Google, just in case. Can't trust ads right away, it could be something like a virus just trying to get the best of me. With my heart beating in my chest and my mouth agape as I struggle to properly breathe, I type it in...and sure enough, it's legit. It's real.

I have to let Jaydrian know!

I quickly pull up Facebook Messenger and type to him: "Jay! There's a J'TASK concert in Denver three days from now!! We need to go!"

I push myself backward, away from the desk and my laptop, glancing out the window as the sun shines on the melting snow.

A soft popping noise, accentuated by the eagerness I am feeling deep inside, draws my attention back to the screen. I see a reply back:

"I know. I'm guessing you stumbled onto an ad online. I was meaning to surprise you, actually, because I already got both of us tickets. February 7 is happening for us, Evi."

"It's a date," I quickly type back to him. I want to hug him. I want to hug anything and everything right now, I'm so excited.

I'm so happy that I barely pay attention to the next message from him. "It's meant to be a reward for you finishing the story up...congrats!"