Stellar Hearts: Lost in Seoul

Chapter 8: "The Tension of Time"

Asa's POV

I keep replaying her words in my head. I'm worried about you.

Why does it hit me like this? It shouldn't. It can't.

The countdown is ticking down. The closer I get to fixing my ship, the more I feel like a ticking time bomb myself. I have 365 days on Earth, and that clock is slipping away faster than I can handle.

But Chiquita? Her presence here, her willingness to dive headfirst into something dangerous just because I asked her to—it's everything. It's more than I expected, more than I ever could have imagined.

And it makes everything harder.

Because the truth is: I never expected to care about anyone. Especially not someone like Chiquita, with her bright eyes, contagious laugh, and... that stupid grin that makes me forget myself every time she flashes it at me.

But I can't think about that right now. I can't think about her.

I shove the thoughts aside as I crouch down in the dimly lit corner of the university library. The part we stole is now in my hands—small, delicate, and covered in a material I've only seen in my own world. It's the key to getting my ship back up and running. I know it. But I also know it won't be enough if I don't fix the core system next.

I glance at Chiquita, who's sitting across from me, scrolling through her phone, clearly pretending like everything is normal. Like this isn't a life-or-death situation.

"Chiquita," I say, trying to break the tension that's been building between us.

She glances up, looking at me through her lashes. "What?"

I don't know how to say it without sounding ridiculous, but I can't hold it in any longer. "Thank you. For... coming with me tonight."

She raises an eyebrow, the corner of her lips curling into that mischievous grin I can't seem to resist. "Of course I came with you. You think I'd let you go on some crazy mission alone? I'm not that heartless."

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "You don't have to be here, Chiquita. This is dangerous. You don't have to risk your life for me."

She tilts her head, her eyes softening. "Who says I'm risking my life?" She stands up and crosses the space between us, sitting down next to me. "You're not the only one who's tough, Asa. I can handle myself. Besides..." She pauses, looking at me in a way that makes my heart flutter for reasons I can't quite explain. "I like being with you. I don't care how dangerous it gets. I just don't want you to do this alone."

Her words wrap around me like a warm blanket, but there's something else there too—a quiet sadness that flickers in her eyes. She's saying one thing, but I can feel that she's scared.

And it terrifies me.

"I didn't ask for this," I say softly, the words spilling out before I can stop them. "I didn't ask to be stuck on a strange planet, trying to fix a broken ship. And I didn't ask for you to be here with me. But you are. And I—" I stop myself. What am I saying? This isn't the time for this.

She leans in a little closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "But you're glad I'm here, right?"

I don't know how to answer that. I'm glad. I am. But I can't let myself be. Not when the clock is ticking, and I know what will happen if I fail. Not when I might disappear forever.

"Yeah," I say after a long pause. "I am glad."

She smiles, a little too sweetly, before standing up and grabbing my hand. "Then let's get this thing fixed so you can get back to wherever you're from and stop overthinking it. Deal?"

I nod, a small smile tugging at my lips despite myself. "Deal."

Chiquita's POV

I'm not sure why I keep doing this.

Maybe it's the rush. Maybe it's the thrill of being part of something bigger than myself. But the real reason? The real reason is that Asa needs me. She may not admit it, but I know it.

And I'm not going to back off now.

I glance at her, watching her hands work on the ship part again. She's focused—laser-focused—but there's a heaviness to her that I can't shake. It's like she's carrying the weight of the universe on her shoulders. And I get it. She's got something big to fix. A whole other world to get back to. But every time she looks at me, I swear she's holding something back. Like she's scared to let me in.

She's got this whole mysterious vibe going on—telling me she's from another planet one minute and then acting like she's just like everyone else the next. I want to break through that wall. I want to understand her.

But every time I get too close, she pulls away.

"Tell me something," I say, trying to keep the conversation light. "Do you miss it?"

She doesn't look up from the part in her hands. "Miss what?"

"Your planet. Your world," I clarify. "Do you miss it?"

I watch her face carefully. She pauses, her fingers tightening around the part before she lets out a quiet sigh.

"Every day," she says, her voice low, almost too soft for me to hear.

I can't help it. I move closer to her, sitting next to her on the edge of the table. "Then why don't you just tell me what you need to do to fix it? I'll help. I don't care if I have to sneak into every building on campus or steal another part."

She lets out a small, humorless laugh. "You'd probably get caught, you know."

"Me?" I grin, nudging her with my shoulder. "You don't know me very well. I'm a pro at sneaking around."

But Asa doesn't smile back. Instead, she seems lost in thought for a moment, her eyes focused on the piece of equipment in her hands.

"I can't tell you everything, Chiquita," she says quietly, her voice distant. "I have my reasons."

I reach out, placing my hand on hers. It's a small gesture, but it's enough to get her attention. She looks at me, eyes wide, as if she didn't expect me to touch her at all.

"I don't need to know everything. I just need to know that you'll come back."

She hesitates, and for a moment, I wonder if she's going to pull away. But instead, she shifts closer to me, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know if I can promise that."

My heart skips a beat, and I feel the air between us change, thickening with a mix of tension and something else I can't quite name.

But before I can say anything else, I hear a loud bang from down the hallway.

We both freeze.

I stand up quickly, my hand still gripping hers as I pull her behind a shelf, pressing our bodies against the cold wall. My heart is racing, and I can feel her breath against my ear, quick and shallow.

"Shhh," I whisper. "Someone's coming."

Asa's POV

I don't know what it is about her. Chiquita's proximity, the way she's always there for me, offering her help and her heart like it's the easiest thing in the world.

And here I am, terrified that the clock is ticking down, that I'll have to leave her behind, no matter how much I don't want to.

I can't promise her anything. I can't tell her I'll come back, because I don't know if I can. But it doesn't stop the hope that flutters in my chest every time she looks at me with those wide, trusting eyes.

I can't promise her. But God, how I want to.