TWINKLE LOVE

CHAPTER ONE

As I walked nervously towards the open kitchen area where everyone was gathered, a whirlwind of questions spun through my mind. What if they don't like me? What if I joined too late? Will I be able to find someone I like, or will I be friend-zoned? I felt like the wild card, joining the variety show "Twinkle Love" late in the game, and I was worried about how everyone would react.

Peeking inside, I noticed a girl dressed in red, and a guy wearing a beanie caught sight of me too. "Oh?" he exclaimed, drawing the attention of the others who were busy cooking. I waved timidly at them before stepping inside, my nerves getting the better of me.

"Um, I have my luggage in front of the gate. I couldn't carry them," I stammered, hoping for some assistance. The girl in red patted the guy in the beanie and instructed him, "Go, help her."

Looking somewhat bewildered, the guy approached me, asking, "Why me?" as he walked towards me. As we headed towards the gate together, he glanced back and queried, "You haven't taken your luggage, have you?"

I nodded sheepishly, admitting, "Yeah, it's quite heavy."

"You came here all of a sudden. You caught us by surprise," he remarked, trying to make conversation.

I chuckled nervously, unsure of what to say, but grateful for his assistance.

As we reached my luggage, he effortlessly lifted the suitcase and remarked, "Normally our luggage is placed at a designated place."

I nodded in agreement, appreciating his helpfulness. "Thanks for grabbing it for me."

On our way back to the group, his eyes caught sight of the guitar slung behind my back. "You play guitar?" he inquired, curiosity dancing in his eyes.

"Yeah," I confirmed with a nod, a hint of pride in my voice. "You?"

"I play ukulele," he replied with a grin.

"That's nice," I remarked. "Maybe we can play together sometime."

His laughter echoed through the hallway as we left my luggage in its designated spot and returned to the others.

As we entered, he took the initiative, "Shouldn't we welcome her?"

The group gathered around me, their faces filled with intrigue. The girl in red, taking charge, instructed, "Introduce yourself first."

I nodded, a nervous excitement bubbling within me. "Okay," I agreed.

Before I could begin, a girl with Western makeup exclaimed, "Look, I told you it would be a cute girl."

Another girl pointed out, "They have the same hairstyle."

Though I didn't have bangs like her, I chose not to disrupt the moment. Instead, I continued, "I will now introduce myself. My name is Zhang Ziyi, but you can call me Zizi or Yiyi, anything is fine. I'm an acting student, and my birthday is coming up soon. Take a guess; it's a special day."

A guy chimed in, "Tomb-sweeping day."

I smiled at him and confirmed, "It's on Tomb-sweeping day."

Curiosity sparked, he asked, "Which date?"

"Fourth of April," I replied.

"Me too," he exclaimed, the surprise evident in his voice. "Were you born in 1999?"

I nodded in confirmation, and he grinned, "Then we're the same age. Literally."

The revelation left everyone stunned.

The guy who had helped me with my luggage suggested, "Then how about a welcoming session?"

Excitement bubbled within me at the prospect, and soon, the room was filled with music as everyone joined in singing. I couldn't help but clap along when they finished.