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“Hobi, don’t forget your sunglasses,” he reminded himself as he packed his bags.  He and the boys had three days to look forward to in Japan.  They were going to be playing two concerts as they released their new album.  It was going to be a blast!  And they would be there over his birthday.

He just needed to remember his sunglasses.

—

He’d forgotten his sunglasses.  It was the first thing he thought as he leaned back in the airplane seat.  Drats!  Now he would have to find time to pick some up before he headed to his hotel.  

A few hours later, as he and the guys made their way through the airport to their van, he turned to Namjoon.

“I need to stop at a convenience store and pick up a pair of sunglasses.  I forgot mine.  I googled shops, and there’s one a block from the hotel.  Just drop me off, and I’ll walk to the hotel. Can you see that my luggage ends up in my room?”

Namjoon had readily agreed.

That’s how Hobi had found himself in a little shop at half-past five on Friday evening.  He was looking through the racks of sunglasses.  It might have seemed outrageous to care so much about wearing a pair of sunglasses in February in Japan – it sounded rather absurd, in fact – but of late, his eyes hurt in direct sunlight, even during the winter.  But if he wore a pair of sunglasses, his eyes were fine.  Hence, sunglasses shopping while his friends were getting settled into their hotel.

That’s how he met her.  They both reached for the same pair of sunglasses.  At the same time.  His hand grabbed a hold of hers as hers closed around the bow of the glasses.  

“Oh, sorry!” Hobi apologized.  “I didn’t mean to grab your hand, but those are my glasses.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re mistaken.  These are my sunglasses.”  She put them on her face.

Hobi had to agree that they looked good on her, but that was the only pair he had felt drawn to.  “Can you find another pair?  I really wanted those.”

She sent him an annoyed look. He could read it even through her sunglasses.  “No.  I’m buying these.”  She spun on her heel and walked up to the checkout counter.

Hobi watched her in some irritation. She was strikingly beautiful.  Was she a fascinating blend of Japanese and Arab?  He couldn’t have explained why he thought so.  Perhaps it had been her accent?

She had a pair of gorgeous, very full lips.  She had a strong nose, but it was beautifully shaped.  And her eyes were simply stunning!  A very dark brown, they were overseen by two sets of raven eyelashes and two bold eyebrows.  Her eyes tilted upward in the corners reminding him of the pretty Japanese girls surrounding him.  And her skin was a pale shade. But her bold nose, her full lips, and her thick eyebrows reminded him of a couple of Arab girls he’d met once.  What if she truly was a stunning mix of both cultures?  He was fascinated.  He’d seen many beautiful Arab girls in Saudi Arabia, and he’d met many lovely Japanese girls here.  This girl seemed to be a perfect blend of both worlds.  

If only she hadn’t been so rude.  He was rather flabbergasted.  Girls were generally more polite to him than this.  Did she recognize him and didn’t like him?  Was she an anti?  He walked up behind her.  He didn’t usually question people like this, but he was truly irked.

“Do you recognize me?” he whispered into her ear.

She spun around, looking ready to do battle.  Had she been preparing to shove him away?  “Yes.  You’re the guy who tried to steal my sunglasses.”

“No.  I’m the guy you stole those sunglasses from,” he corrected her.  “But I didn’t mean that.  I meant, do you recognize me?  Do you know who I am?  Outside of this shop,” he clarified.

“No. Should I?  You’re some important person I should have forked my sunglasses over to, I suppose?”

Hobi decided to back down and go find a different pair of sunglasses.  He walked away and began to peruse the selection once more.

Miss Sunglasses checked out and walked out the door of the shop.  A couple minutes later, Hobi, wearing his new shades, wandered out the same door and, unbeknownst to him, followed the same path she had traversed a few moments before.

Hobi saw her standing at the edge of the sidewalk waiting to cross the street at a stoplight.  Suddenly, she screamed as a guy darted around her and grabbed her purse.  She struggled with him for a moment, but he reached out and punched her in the face.  She stumbled backwards into the street.  Hobi had already begun to run towards her.  He reached her in time to pull her back up on the curb, but he had missed the thief.  

As Hobi yanked her up against him, he questioned her, “Are you all right?”

“Of course, I’m not all right!  That guy just stole my purse!  And my new sunglasses too!”

Hobi looked down the street, but the thief was nowhere to be found.  He glanced down at her and uttered dryly, “See?  You should have let me have the sunglasses.”

Suddenly, she was studying him suspiciously as she shoved against his chest, convincing him to release her.  “Did you pay some guy to steal my sunglasses?”