I impatiently pace back and forth outside the market and stop when I see Yuri jogging towards my direction.

''Yah!'' she exclaims. ''What happened? Why are you so pale? And why did I have to drag myself all the way here?''

I ignore each one of her questions and grab her hand, pulling her to a secluded place by the store.

''I saw her.'' I whisper.

''What? Who?''

''Her! I swear. In person. She's a person! She's real! She talked to me! I saw her right in the store!'' I babbled on, raising my hands upwards in confusion.

Yuri squints her eyes. ''Okay. Either you're high or-''

''No Yuri!'' I then place my hands on her shoulders and look dead in her eye. ''I swear I saw her. Yuri, she's in there! She was RIGHT. THERE. And I'm going to show you.''

The woman hadn't left the store yet when I paid for my groceries. I had paid attention to that door very carefully in case she came out. But it had been quite a while already. My shaky hands force me to clasp them together as I try to stabilize my irregular breathing.

''What? Have you been creeping on some poor woman all this-'' Yuri started to scold me but stops midway when the glass doors opened and the person I've been waiting for stepped out.

''No freaking way...'' Yuri gawks at her.

''I told you!''

Yuri turns her head at me and I see her shocked expression. ''Okay Taeng. This is getting creepy. And scary! She really looks just like that mannequin!''

''You think?!'' I watch how she walked over to what seemed to be her car and began loading her groceries in the trunk. While me and Yuri peek behind the corner with our shocked expressions.

Yuri's phone rings and she answers it hastily without even looking at the screen.

''Y-yeah?''

''I'm with Taeng. No...Something happened. Yeah. Nothing's wrong. She's fine.''

She stepped in her car and began to drive away. When she drove past us, we turned around in an instant.

''I gotta go, Sica. I'll call you later.'' Yuri hung up and put her phone back in her pocket. She turns to look at me and I swallow hard. It felt so unreal.

''Hey, Taeng,'' Yuri snaps her fingers in front of my face. ''What happened in there? Tell me everything.''

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and began telling her the whole incident back in the store.

''That's...'' Yuri shakes her head. ''That's really weird.''

I groan out loud and began to walk away from her.

''Yah,'' I saw Yuri walking beside me. ''I know what you're thinking, and I can tell you it's not real.''

I look at her. ''What?''

''The doll did not come alive or something. I hope you know that.'' Yuri grins at me.

''I'm not that crazy, okay?'' I click my tongue.

''Yah! I didn't say you were. This is crazy. You like a mannequin in some store and then BAM! You meet a person that looks exactly like it...wow.'' Yuri shakes her head in disbelief. ''W-what if she's a model?!''

I bite my tongue. I knew that was probably true, no, it WAS true. It was the only thing that made sense. My stupid thoughts about a miracle happening was all a result of my imagination.

''Atleast I know that she's a real person.'' I then let out a deep sigh.

''I know you're shocked.''

I huff, shocked was an understatement. I was more like blown away.

''So what are you going to do now? You obviously did not get her name or a number or something to find her again.''

I stopped walking. And again I groan.

''NOOOO!'' I shout and smash my hands against my face. I hear Yuri laughing at me and feel her hand on my shoulder.

''Hey, come on. People are looking.''

I dragged my hands down my face, well aware that I was making a real fool out of myself at that point.

''I've got an idea,'' Yuri smiled when I finally looked up at her. ''Atleast now you know she goes to that store.''

''How is that an idea?''

''I would tell you if you had the patience to listen to me.'' she glares at me.

''Fine.''

''It means that you have a higher chance to see her again.''

''Should I start going there everyday? Or put up a camp by the store and wait until she comes back again?'' sarcasm literally poured out my mouth.

''Well, if that's what it takes- Yah!'' Yuri flinches when I smack her arm.

''Not helping!'' I whine. ''Besides, I have never seen her there before. And I've gone there many times during time I've lived in the neighborhood.''

''Maybe you got lucky this time. Don't get your hopes up though, but you should go there more often to see if she comes back. Maybe she just moved to the neighbourhood?'' Yuri says calmly. The more I began to think about it, the more frustrated I grew.

''Look, I know this whole thing has made you confused Taeng, but it's gonna be alright. I'm here for you.''

''Except that you thought I was going crazy.''

''What do you expect? You've been staring at that damn doll for a long time now. I got worried.'' Yuri frowns.

''I know Yul. And I know I've been kind of out of my mind lately but...I can't explain it. I really can't. And now things are even more confused.''

Yuri pulls me into a hug and I respond immediately by wrapping my own around her torso.

''Looks like you've got a crush on an older woman.'' she whispers and I roll my eyes.

''Yah! You little-!''

''Love you too~'' Yuri cooed teasingly and let go of me, keeping her arm around my shoulder as we continue to walk.

My hands were shaky. Sweaty and shaky. I gripped the strap of my bag tighter as I stepped through the glass doors and into the store. I eyed the people inside and let out a silent sigh. I had been going to the store for three days in a row now and I hadn't seen her.

I knew this was a stupid idea. I grumble to myself and began to scroll past the aisles mindlessly until I stopped at the freshly baked desserts section.

Time to drown myself in misery with some desserts!

I eye the delicious treats in front of me, my mouth watering but I just couldn't make up my mind.

''Two pieces of strawberry cheese cake and one of those cute puppy looking cupcakes, please.'' a husky voice startled me and I raise a brow in a curious manner.

I slowly turned my head and faced the woman next to me, all while widening my eyes. She smiled at the ahjumma but she didn't seem to even notice me there, gawking at her. When I finally realized to breathe, every hair on my body stood up from her scent.

''Thanks.'' she grabbed the white box and I eyed her fimble fingers to the nails that were painted hot pink. I felt like I was just soaking in her beauty.

Oh...god...this woman.

It happened almost in slow motion when she flipped her bangs away from her eyes and those eyes fixated on me. Me, the small girl in front of this confident woman. Me, who felt small and so nervous under her gaze. I think she recognized me because also I got that incredible smile, sweeping me off my feet once again.

I watched her walk away, her perfume still lingering in the air that was around me.

''Excuse me, miss?'' I turned my head slowly and looked at the concerned ahjumma behind the counter.

''Y-yes?''

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