As the taxi merged into the traffic on the Second Ring Road, I casually glanced at the co-pilot's seat. The man wearing a black baseball cap was humming along with the song, his fingers gently tapping the armrest. The profile under the brim of the cap seemed familiar. When he turned his head to look at the street view outside the window, I froze—the slightly curly hair, the high nose bridge, and the focused eyes were exactly Liu Bokuan, the lead singer of Island Mood!
My heart suddenly accelerated, and I almost blurted out. But I held back, not wanting to disturb his quiet time. The radio host was introducing the band's new album, and he suddenly laughed softly, "This version is better than the live one last week." His voice was low and mellow, just like in the record. I mustered up the courage to say, "I... I went to your concert at the City Stadium last month."
He turned around in surprise, his eyes crinkling with a smile, "Really? How was it?" The relaxed chat began like this. He talked about the inspiration behind "Little Child", saying that the song was written for his nephew who lives in his hometown. When the taxi passed the old alley, he pointed to a roasted sweet potato stall and said, "I used to buy one every day when I was recording the album here."
The 20-minute ride felt like a quick music journey. When I was about to get off, he took out a worn notebook from his bag and wrote, "May life always have a melody" on it. "It's a gift for fans," he said with a smile. I held the notebook and watched the taxi disappear into the night. The streetlights cast warm光晕, and the chorus of "New Boy" was still echoing in my ears.That night, I lay in bed and played Island Mood's songs on a loop. The familiar music suddenly had new layers—every note seemed to tell the story of the person in the taxi. Maybe this is the magic of music: it connects strangers in unexpected encounters, turning ordinary moments into shining stars in memory.