Tinkering Hearts

Prologue

Sicre

Did I do it? Did I find her?
The back of her head at least?

Mother gave me a year. Only a year. I made every effort to locate this girl. She was my past, and now my present.

This is my last chance. My stomach is in knots. What if I get the wrong person again? What if she doesn't forgive me? I could just turn around, leave and move ahead in life. Forget that I ever did wrong to this girl. Forget that I had probably somehow hurt her.
It has been months. What if she wouldn't want to see me?

There was this one time in Cali when I caught the wrong girl and returned with a red hand smeared across my face. I had gotten too excited then. Too happy to talk to her again. The thought of rekindling had my head spinning with joy. But when she wasn't who I was looking for, I realized that it was over. It was not possible. The world was too big.

I gave up.

I moved to Seattle downtown just this week. I was expected to travel back to Seoul since I couldn't find her, but this was also my chance to live an everyday life. Away from all the fame and expectations. I was dead set on making the most use of this one year I was given, even though I had gotten thousands of calls from my father already, asking me to come back and that eomma needs me there for her business work. If it wasn't for my promise to grandma that I would carry on the family business, I'd live here forever and just disappear into the world.

I can't make the same mistake again. I can't act rashly. I'm sure it's Zaelia. I'm very sure this time. My heart tells me so.

She is crouching and peeking inside through Starbucks' glass doors, cupping her hands around her eyes. I walk up to the girl, reluctantly. Her caramel highlights shimmer through her hair.

Deep breathe.

"Uhm..." I start at the same time she startles. "Could you please let me enter? You're blocking the way."

Was that rude? That was harsh, wasn't it? Yeah, she definitely has a bad impression of me now.

The girl turns around and my eyes widen.
She looks like her but doesn't at the same time.
Damn puberty.

She might not even be her though. I don't remember Zaelia not having glasses. I don't remember Zaelia with sunken eyes. I don't remember Zaelia with a pale face at all.

She was bubbly, cheeky, nerdy, tan, and all fun-looking. Did I get the wrong Zaelia? I mean, the name is not that common but wasn't the last girl I thought was her, Zaelia too?

But I can see a faint bit of her face in this girl. Or it could be my mind playing tricks on me.

She doesn't say anything and looks at the ground embarrassed. I have to pretend until necessary. That's the only way to keep her from thinking I'm a crazy stalker.

I make my moves. I help her with a mask when security stops her from entering the cafe without a mask, during which I notice something that made me believe more that it could be Zaelia. I give the girl a reason to invite me to her table and get down to talking. She sleeps mid-way through her drink and I find myself smiling at this strange girl.

What struck me as odd was that she didn't recognize me. She should have if she was the right person.

They had the same brown eyes, the same last name, the same twin sister named Lesley, the same best friend named Naureen, and somehow the same voice. Sweet and silvery.

All I can conclude from our conversation is that she is either pretending not to know me or I've gotten a completely different person, once again.

Even then, I will find out tomorrow, for sure. For now, I run out of there without an excuse, confused.

. * ● ¸ .

A/N: A short prologue which I wasn't planning on adding but did anyway so the story could make more sense .^.