Our Summer || NCT DREAM

Appendix 0. Fact, Fiction, & Inspirations

First of all, I would like to thank those who have read this short story. Thank you so much for embarking on another writing journey with me! 🌞

Honestly, I was a bit scared to come back in a sense that people might not read what I've written. But I think, it's really more about the process of writing for me, rather than it being read.

Of course it's an important factor too, having readers. But I guess for me, I'm more than happy and contented with being able to do my favorite hobby, which is writing and creating stories.

The joy, happiness, sadness, tears, the burst of anger and disappointment, fear, terror—you name it—that's what I enjoy the most in writing. The feeling it gives me when I'm imagining how things are happening in one scene or another.

The journey of brainstorming, creating, finalizing, and bringing stories to life is really just something.

So to those who were able to ride with me on this rollercoaster of time-and-multidimensional adventure, thank you so much. 🥹

Anyway, this section will just be short since this was just a short story that I pulled out of the back of my mind.

1. The Beginning

The plot of this story has been in my mind since I finished writing In Another Summer in 2021, because I ended that one with Haneul and Minhyung being the rebirths of Elizabeth and Mark.

Throughout the years, while making other stories and short fanfics, it's been developed in my notes, and I already had visions of how the chapters would be like. The problem was, I had writer's block for months on end. I didn't know how to start writing anything at all, so I stopped.

But then, this February of 2024, I just suddenly started writing and didn't stop until I completed the story. And it's all thanks to NCT DREAM's 3rd full album ISTJ!

(I swear there's just something with February because I remember when I wrote How It Started, How It Ended, it was also in February of 2021 when I had that burst of ideas and energies.)

Anyway, that February burst resulted in this story finally coming to life after being in the drafts for years!

2. Inspirations, Plot, and Themes

I'm pretty sure most of you are familiar with this song, but this story's title is definitely inspired from Our Summer (Acoustic Mix) by TXT. Something about that song just feels so right with the summer motif of this story.

Like the first two stories, this one also has its own set of songs from which I got the inspiration to write. Mostly I wrote it while listening to calming Minecraft music, but of course newer songs from NCT DREAM have made the list.

However, I wanted this story to feel and be different from the first two predecessors. This story—despite being a spin-off from the music-themed At the End of Summer and In Another Summer—is not about music.

In fact, this isn't about friendship, first love, nor Mark Lee.

The whole story centers around themes of reincarnation, soulmates, and destiny.

After finding each other in 2118, Haneul and Minhyung discovered that they were soulmates from being the reincarnations of Elizabeth and Mark a hundred years later.

I had so much fun incorporating the time travel and multidimensional aspects to the plot, since they were the most crucial piece, apart from the fact that it was Mark Lee who caused all of it to happen.