Yoongi stepped into Starbucks to get a quick coffee fix. He’d been up late last night trying to compose a new song, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Shining Star. That was how he thought of her now. Since she’d given him no name to call her by, he would think of her as his shining star. He just didn’t know in what darkness to look to find her. He’d done the VLIVE to find her two nights ago. He hadn’t received another letter yet. That didn’t stop him from eagerly anticipating it. At any moment.
He ordered an americano and found a seat in the corner near the windows. Something caught his eye immediately. A blur of hot pink and yellow sped by the front window. Then it suddenly tumbled through the front door of the little cafe. Yoongi watched the blur elongate into a young woman as she stood fully up. Straight, white blond hair flowed in a waterfall to the bottom of her chin. She had no bangs, and her shocking hair framed her face. She was surrounded by a sea of mostly midnight heads; her nearly white one stood out amongst so much darkness. She was wearing a hot pink sweater dress with a matching belt and black ankle boots. His first thought when he caught sight of her face was that she was really cute.
She strode up to the counter and ordered. Then she waited at the end of the long counter for her breakfast. Yoongi couldn’t have explained what drew him to her, but he was fascinated by her platinum hair. For one thing, it looked real. He had a sudden urge to run his fingers through it. He shook his head. He usually dispelled such thoughts immediately. But this time, it lingered. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
She got her order a moment later and turned around. She began to walk towards him. Then her eyes met his, and she did a double take.
Oh, dear.
She had recognized him. Usually, he would have looked away or hunkered down in his chair to hide under his baseball cap. But today, with this girl, he continued their eye contact. Then, he smiled at her. So she kept coming. She stopped when she was standing a mere meter away from him.
“Would you like to sit with me?” he asked.
Something indiscernible shifted in her face, making him want to weep. What was that about? She nodded and smiled faintly. Then she slipped into the chair next to him. She set her coffee cup and muffin on the table. Then she met his gaze again.
Yoongi looked into her eyes. It was his turn to do a double take. Wait a minute! He peered closer at her.
Unexpectedly, she spoke, “I know what you’re thinking. And yes, my eyes really are two different colors. It’s not the lighting in here. The right one is blue, the left, green.”
Wow.
Fascinated, he stared at her. But her description didn’t do her eyes justice.
“One of your eyes is like a jade green fire surrounded by rings of gold. The other eye is a grayish blue, like the waves of the sea,” he breathed, completely captivated by both of her eyes.
They were stunning, even more so because they were completely different yet shared the same face.
“I know they’re weird,” she whispered as she stared down at her muffin.
Then he did something he never did. He reached out and touched a stranger. His hand covered hers on the tabletop. She instantly met his gaze.
“They’re not weird. They’re beautiful.”
He was gazing at her so intently that her stomach was flipping upside down. Repeatedly. It would flip. Then right itself. Then flip again. And a steady heat was communicating itself to her hand through his. She swallowed. She couldn’t believe that Yoongi was holding her hand and comforting her over the color of her eyes. She’d been made fun of her whole life for those eyes. And now she had come to a land full of people with twin dark brown eyes. She really stood out here.
Suddenly, she winced as she remembered the words of someone close to her. He’d been laughing just last night about her weird eyes. He’d joked about plucking one out and finding a replacement for the defective thing. Her appetite fled, and a tear formed in her eye. She looked away from Yoongi’s own beautiful eyes.
Why was she crying? He got the feeling that his words had passed right through her. And that she really needed to hear them. So he spoke them again. But first, “What’s your name?”
“Stasia,” she whispered.
“Stasia,” he stared intently into those amazing eyes, “your eyes are beautiful. Stunning. The green one is glowing, its golden rings setting your eye on fire. The blue one reminds me of my favorite sea, its waves lapping the shoreline. But your eye is the color of that sea where it kisses the sky. It’s full of mysteries. Are you full of mysteries, Stasia?”
She just stared at him. She had daydreamed such a meeting. So many times. But his words were beyond anything she had ever conjured up in her head. Her heart was doing a strange dance in her chest. She wanted to cling to that gentle hand forever. To listen to those sweet words for the rest of her life. To lose herself in that tender voice.
Why was he so drawn to her? Perhaps it was what he saw hidden in the depths of her amazing eyes. He hadn’t mentioned the other thing that he’d noticed about them. They held a poignant sorrow.
Without meaning to, he let the words slip through his lips, “What’s wrong?”
He was then alarmed by the panic that invaded her gaze. She drew back, though her fingers remained trapped under his. She studied the top of her chocolate muffin again. If it had been anyone but Yoongi, she would have been out the door by now. But it was Yoongi. YOONGI! She couldn’t believe she’d run into him. Could she just stay here in this safe, little coffeehouse with him forever? Just block out the whole world for the rest of their lives. She’d be happy here, but Yoongi would probably crave the stage.
She sighed.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” came his quiet voice.
She looked up at him. How ironic. “I’ve already told you,” she murmured.
But he hadn’t quite caught her muffled words. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I’m hungry,” she lied. Then, stomach still churning, she reached for her muffin and began to pull its paper off. Slowly.
“Yeah. You look ravenous,” he muttered sarcastically. Why did he feel a little stung that she didn’t trust him? He was, after all, a stranger to her. She owed him nothing.
She glanced up at him. His sarcasm hurt. Why had she believed that Yoongi could be her knight in shining armor? He was, at heart, just another guy.
“Excuse me,” she whispered and stood up. She picked up her coffee and muffin. “I have to go.” Then she spun on her heel and fled the building. Before Yoongi could even react.
Disappointed, he sat in his chair staring after her retreating figure. He wished he could bite his last words back. He had hurt her. He could tell. But he hadn’t meant to hurt her. He wanted to apologize. He had the strangest desire to wrap her in his arms and never let her go. He shook his head. What an absurd notion! He didn’t even know the girl. He must be lonelier than he had thought!
