For Kyuhyun, he could only hope for the best, that Jongwoon is not hurting as much as him. He altered the time, twisted back the hands of the clock that weren't meant to be touched just so he could see those smile again even if it's not directed to him anymore. In Jongwoon's mind Kyuhyun is nothing but a stranger, another one of the many customers in his favorite coffee shop. 

He is nothing but a forgotten memory.....

-;-

'He opens it only to see three small porcelain balls inside. He frowns a little in confusion, a ball? He looks up at Jongwoon to ask but before he could open his mouth to speak Jongwoon beat him again to explain his gift. "That's a wishing ball." A wishing ball? Is it some kind of magical or spiritual ball? Without thinking he frowned even more.

"One ball corresponds to one wish. Though the seller said sometimes it has a flaw." Jongwoon explained shortly. "I bought that when I went back to my home town." '

-;-

“Why do I feel like I've lost something, something so important to me?”

I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts. Slowly, I opened my eyes to look around the coffee shop. He's here again.

And I knew it. I knew that he'd be here again. The guy with the brownish hair occupies once again the spot near the floor to ceiling window. As soon as I enter the coffee shop my eyes automatically landed on him, it's like a habit of mine that I didn't know I have until two months ago when our eyes met purely by accident. 

I still remember the event that took place that time. He just entered the shop and stood there looking for any vacant chair, after the waitress dropped all the wares that she was holding the guy suddenly looked around like he was lost or something. Eyes were rounded and his face paled. I don't know how to read his reaction that time; he's happy at the same time sad or somewhere near my description, I don't know. I think he's a very complicated guy.

Then all of a sudden his eyes met mine. They were full of questions and his facial expression became one of those who, for the first time, felt relieve. It seems like a heavy burden was lifted off from his shoulders. I thought he would approach me because he took a step towards my direction but after a heartbeat he turned around and exited the shop without looking back.

I don't know his reasons of coming here, certainly not the coffee or the sweets since not once I saw him drinking or eating any of the goods they offer here, but there's something in his aura that makes me think that this coffee shop is important to him. Maybe because every time I came here he's always sitting at the same spot not doing anything but observing people as they get on with their lives or the fact that he spends almost all his afternoon time in this shop just reading some books that I've also read before.

Generally, I think he's weird.

Because who would go to a coffee shop just to space out, no one. But sometimes as I look at him sitting on that very same spot I can't help but to feel sorry for him. And I don’t know why. I don't know his story; I don't know anything about him, I don't even know his name. He's a complete stranger to me! But his posture; the way he sits, the way he glance at the people who're having light conversation, the way he held himself; it makes me feel like he's protecting himself from something that might tear him into pieces, like every coming second he might just break down. He’s very fragile. And his eyes, there's something in those brown orbs that tells me how sad he is. 

And for some inexplicable reason, those eyes that I would sometimes caught looking at me, staring blankly at my direction, those sad eyes of his makes me sad too. 

Something suddenly clicked in me. There’s that feeling again. That feeling where in you know you forgot something, something that you should know, something that you should remember. Unfamiliar thoughts and feelings haunt me that sometimes I almost doubt that maybe I do forgot something. Almost.

There were also times when I would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night feeling all sad and lonely. I wanted to do something but I don’t know what. I wanted to see someone, to hear someone else’s voice but I don’t know who. That feeling wherein your heart is telling you something important, whispering to you a name that is very foreign in your mind but somehow you can’t completely let go of the idea that maybe you, indeed, know someone by the name of…

By the name of… what am I thinking again?

I shook my head to clear thoughts that would or might distract me for the whole day. He's been in my head since the day I saw him when I was about to meet Ryeowook, a colleague of mine, because of the look that he gave me and that was two months ago. Who would forget those looks in his eyes? It's like he's expecting me to be there on that spot and it kinda freaked me out.

I took my phone out before dialing Ryeowook's number; he answered after the fourth ring. "Hyung?" I could hear shuffling of papers from the other line. "What's up? It's rare for you to call whenever it's our off." He's right, I never call him during our day off except two months ago when we planned to discussed something that is, still, job-related.

"Ryeowook, he's here again." I simply said. I took a glance on my side to check the mysterious guy who always sits at the spot near the floor to ceiling window. Just like yesterday he's not doing anything; a cup of coffee is sitting at the table in front of him but he will always leave it untouched. I sighed. Am I really a stalker now?

"Who?" Ryeowook asked. Since last week I've been telling Ryeowook about this guy and how he often came here in my favorite coffee shop just to space out. I also told him that somehow, from deep, deep, really deep within me (I put emphasis on the word deep since the last thing that I needed is to have my co-worker suspects that I'm stalking someone) I could feel how sad he is. Of course I wouldn't tell him the truth that just seeing the guy made me feel a heart-wrenching pain.

I sighed; it's really like him to immediately forget information’s that are not music related. "You know the one that I've been telling you who keep on coming back in the coffee shop." I whispered out of habit.

"Oh!" Recognition colors Ryeowook's voice. "I remember. What about him then?"

I cleared my throat first to remove any sign of excitement in my voice. "I told you, he's here again." I put a spoonful of cake into my mouth before stealing a glance to the guy next to the window. This time I didn't see him staring outside but instead he's looking in my direction. His orbs colliding into mine.

I froze.

Did he hear me? Maybe my voice is too loud. My god I hope he didn't hear me or anything that would make him suspects that I was talking about him with someone else.

I held his gaze for another second before the feeling of embarrassment get a good hold of me that I immediately dropped my gaze on the floor. I could feel the sudden increase in my heartbeat and the hotness of my face.

I'm blushing, why? I don't understand any of my body reaction at all because normal people wouldn't blush when they caught someone staring at them especially if they were on a public place. We just stared at each other for two to three seconds and now I felt like I just run a marathon. What the hell's happening to me? Is this the result of being a stalker?

Damn it, I'm not a stalker!

"Whoa, slow down cowboy. I ain't saying that you are." I heard Ryeowook chuckled from the other side. Oops, that didn't go well. "Anyways, you don't have to explain that those words weren’t really meant for my ears to be heard. I know that they were just one of your 'slip of the tongue' excuses." Really, I think this guy knows me more than I know myself. "What I'm saying a while ago when you’re out flying into your own realm-"

"Shut up, that's not true. I'm listening." 

He sighed. "I doubt that. Now, what I'm saying a while ago is that, maybe he's there because the place is important for him..." 

Thanks for the obvious Ryeowook. I thought sarcastically.

A sound of a chair making contact with the wooden floor of the coffee shop distracted me from listening to Ryeowook. Out of habit I looked for the origin of the sound only to see that he is leaving already.

I felt a little bit disappointed and, again, I don’t know why. I felt sad that he didn't stay a little bit longer just like before. I wonder what came up that made him go earlier than usual. 

Argh, this curiosity would really, really kills me someday. 

I focuses back to Ryeowook, planning to cut him off before asking him to explain his hunch to me once again but before I could do so, his words already caught the best of me.

"...maybe he's waiting for someone, someone that he knew would never come back. Or-" he's about to continue when my mouth opens on its own to voice out my thought cutting him in the process.

"Why would he do that, then?" I asked. I really can't hide it anymore; I can't hide how interested I am to the topic that we are discussing. I only hope that Ryeowook wouldn't notice it.

And it seems that luck is on my side. "Pardon?" He asked in confusion.

I sighed, "You know, you said that maybe he is waiting for someone that would never come back. Why would he still wait for that person then?" I explained.

There's a long pause before he spoke again. "Hmm... I don't know. Maybe because he loves that person? They said that if one truly loves the other; waiting is never a hard task for them." I heard another shuffling of papers from the other side. "Don't think about it too much, humans are unpredictable creatures..."

As soon as the words were out from Ryeowook's mouth I could already feel the fast beating of my heart; like being suddenly nervous. Those words, they weren't new to my ears. I was suddenly so sure that I already heard them from somewhere; those lines weren't foreign to me anymore but...

Where? Where did I hear that from? 

Television? Radio? From a song? From a conversation? Or perhaps from a student of mine? No. I've heard those lines but they didn't come from one of them. They came from something more....

Important.

I shook my head a bit to get rid of those thoughts. Thinking things like that won't do me any good. Out of habit I looked down at my wrist intending to check the time only to see that I don't have any watch on. 

That's weird; I know I always wear a watch.

Maybe I've already got too much caffeine in my system causing my brain to not function well. Looking up from my wrist to the right side of the shop since they have a clock on display I saw that it is already 5:27 in the afternoon. Oh, the sun will set any moment now.

I quickly cut Ryeowook from his very long litany, since whenever he started to explain something he won't stop until someone told him to, and tell him that I still have to run for an errand and that it's good talking to him. After shutting my phone off I quickly made a dashed outside to still witness the sun as it sets.

Looking at the sun as it retires for the day makes me believed that no matter how long or tiring your day was it will always come to an end and that tomorrow will be another day. It will always reach its ending and all the things that had happened that day will forever remain unchangeable. It makes me happy that once again I get the chance to see the sun sets because it's not every day that people get to see something as beautiful as this scenery. 

But does it make him happy?

My mind flew once again to the guy with brownish orbs. If what Ryeowook said is correct about his reason of staying in this coffee shop, then does seeing the sun sets again to remind us humans that another day has ended makes him happy? What if this view only reminds him of his failure or of his unrequited love for someone who would never come back? I suddenly felt ashamed of myself. 

But, why?

What is he to me that I get ashamed of feeling happy over something that I think would make him sad?

Do I know him? No.

Did I somehow get myself involved on things that he is doing? No.

Did we talk before? No. And I'm sure of it. But why do I get a feeling from the pit of my stomach that I know him. 

That I should know him.

-;-

That week went by in blur.

I attended seminars for music instructors like me, did my job without breaking a sweat since music is one of my strengths. I also went back and forth into my home town to attend some family gathering, bought a new pet turtle for myself and composed songs whenever I feel like doing it. 

And now that I’m done with my lesson draft for the upcoming week; done packing it all out, done with feeding my turtles, and done cleaning my apartment there’s nothing left for me to do but to go out and breathe in fresh air from the Seaside and visit my favorite coffee shop.

Before exiting my apartment I took a glance at the wall clock to check the time, it is already 4:04 at the afternoon. I usually finish my chores every Saturday at about 3:20 to 3:35 PM, arriving at the Seaside after 20 to 23 minutes depending on the traffic presented by the day, but since there’ll be visitors in the school that I’ve been teaching and teachers, like me, will be observed I have to really prepare well and make sure that my lesson plans doesn’t have any mistakes on it.

The cab that I hitched didn’t have any music on, giving me more time to think about the possible things that I should do upon arriving at the Seaside. I only hope that there’ll be less people in the coffee shop right now since every Saturday people of different ages came down to the Seaside just to looked at the view making almost all the coffee shops around over flow with people.

Then my thoughts flew once again to that guy. I wonder if he’s already there. 

Since last week I’ve already been planning to approach him. That's also the reason why I have to cancel my meeting with Ryeowook, for business purpose. I know that it is a little bit absurd of me to suddenly approach a stranger and talk to him but what should I do? What should I do when almost every part of my body screams that something is wrong? I just wanted to confirm something and by confirming it means I have to approach him and ask him some questions. Questions like, do I know him or have we met before. Surely there’s no harm in trying. Because, really, I could feel that something is missing. 

As soon as I saw the entrance of the Seaside the cab started to slowly decelerate its speed. The traffic is starting to build up. I sighed, damn it, traffics like this tend to ruin my mood. With no choice left I exited the cab after paying the driver deciding to just walk the remaining distance.

It seems that I made the right choice because the traffic didn’t even move an inch even after I arrived at the Seaside. I went straight to the coffee shop to execute my plans to finally give myself some peace only to see that the shop is already crowded with visitors. I was about to leave and just look for another coffee shop when I saw him near the window again.

He’s alone. He doesn’t have any book with him again today and only a cup of coffee is sitting at the table in front of him.

Without thinking, I immediately enter the shop with only the thought of approaching him. Before I could reach the guy a loud crashing sound of porcelains echoed in the background. This made all the existing noise in the room disappeared. Everyone’s attention is at the waitress and a customer who probably bumped her making her dropped all the things she has at hand. 

My forehead creased. Whoa, déjà vu?

Since the waitress and the customer involved in the little accident is at the right side of the shop my eyes automatically flew at the clock hanging on the wall just above them: 4:32 PM it reads and below it states the date today. June 13 2013.

My eyes went back to my target only to see how his forehead creased as he stares at the watch he was holding on his hand. 

The watch is very much familiar to me. Without thinking I grabbed my wrist.

He looked around for a bit before glancing back at the accident which only makes his forehead creased a little bit more. He clutched the watch tightly before putting it back in his coat, took out his phone while trying to grab something from beneath the table.

He’s leaving. 

Why? What’s wrong with him?

I approached him immediately before he could make any more move to leave and even surprises him when I suddenly appeared directly in front of the table he is occupying. He stared at me and this time I held his eyes not only for a second. He is beyond surprised and I could see that but that’s not the only emotion that I could read from those brownish orbs of his. I could also see longing, sadness, patience and… restraint? 

Since two months ago this guy never leaves my head. Whenever I see him at this shop the feeling of familiarity would always haunt me; from the very pit of my stomach I could feel it, I could feel how much disappointed I am whenever he walked past me, whenever he pretends not to see me and I would just brushed it all away because I’m sure that I have never talked to this guy before, not once. 

But sometimes when I caught at him looking around the coffee shop except me I swear I could feel my heart beats faster or whenever I saw him with those distant look on his face, like he is remembering something that makes him happy, I could feel my heart clenched painfully.

Like, somehow, I am also experiencing his pain. Like somehow, he’s not the only one hurting.

But I don’t know why I should feel something likethat towards him. What is he to me? Damn it! He’s nothing, we’re nothing. But my mind won’t agree. My heart is trying to tell me something but my mind won’t agree with it. 

“Wha-“ I heard him say under his breath.

That’s why I would like to find it out myself. I’m sure that this guy knows something and that he could help me from all this confusion that I’m in. 

Because it hurts to know nothing at all. This is just the beginning. I smiled at him to show that I’m not leaving him any room for discussion before asking him what’s on my mind.

“Is this seat taken?"

"Jongwoon-" Suddenly every word that he planned on telling me died down on his throat and abruptly his face shows that what he just said was nothing but a slip of the tongue. He stared at me, only at my face and I felt like it was just us in the cafe and nobody else. His brownish orbs collided with mine. 

This guy knows me.

I know that I should be surprise from this revelation, that this guy in front of me knows my name and whatever other informations that he knows about me but I wasn't; and the only thing I did is to just pull the chair out from the table and sit on it.

I felt something stirred in me. Staring at his eyes awakened something in me and I have no idea what it is. But it is very much familiar, I don't know what it is but it is not new to me...

Just like those eyes..

Staring at him this close made me realize that his eyes were familiar too. And then the name that I keep hearing being whispered in my ears almost every night came back to me.

My head started to throbbed. 

After settling on the chair I swallowed the bile that is forming on my throat before voicing out the name that tasted sweet on my mouth. I don't know what made me so sure that it was him but I just do. 

"Can we talk," I whispered. "Kyuhyun?"

-;-

....But he never knew that whatever the mind forgets, the heart will always remember regardless of the circumstances, place, and time.

And that is the only flaw the ball has. 

A/N:

So the ball has a flaw and yes, that’s where this oneshot started. Jongwoon was able to feel a little bit off because just like what the last part stated: what the mind forgets the heart will remember. I’ve read that sentence somewhere I just can’t remember where. A song maybe? *laughs* Anyways, I hope you’ll like it and please do tell me what you think about this chapter. An open ending, it’s up to you guys to make your own conclusion for this one. 

[But I assure you that for me, this one has a better ending ahead of them.] (: