Yo Seob placed the gift on the staff’s table again and ran out immediately. He tried to remember the exact clothing and hair she had so he could spot her right away. He walked briskly while attempting to spot her but got back many stares from people who recognised him instead.

He was not bothered by them as he only had one goal – to find N.J.

This could be his only chance to actually see her in real life and no more the secret fan of his. At the back of his mind, he was worried but mostly, he was excited. Was N.J a young pretty lady he was expecting?

As he recalled from earlier, N.J did not look like she aged more than twenty five. However, he did not care anymore. All he wanted was to thank her personally and know her true self.

After for long, he was already getting impatient. The possibility of meeting her again was getting slimmer as the time passed by. Out of desperation, he had his hands cupped at his mouth and yelled out, “N.J!”

He felt stupid for doing so in the middle of the streets but he had no other choice, “N.J, where are you? N.J!” He panted heavily under the hot sun and cursed silently, “Aish, where is she?”

Almost giving up on the slightest hope, Yo Seob turned around and decided to go back home to prepare himself for the birthday celebration with Ji Hyun.

All of a sudden, what seemed like a miracle, he spotted the backview of a girl with wavy hair and blue dress walking across the road. The green man of the traffic light was already flashing when she finished crossing the road to the other side.

“N.J!” Yo Seob screamed but cars were honking loudly to let her hear him.

He ran but stopped abruptly when a car screeched and honked at him, warning him not to cross the road when the red man on the traffic light was signalled. Yo Seob tried his best to cross but cars were swarming the roads more than usual.

It was impossible.

He waited for the traffic light and at the same time, he tiptoed to try not to lose N.J in sight. N.J was about to turn to a corner and Yo Seob panicked. He shouted yet again, “N.J!”

Ji Hyun paused her movements and remained frozen on the spot. She gulped and pondered, “Did someone say… something?”

Yo Seob waited anxiously as he noticed N.J seemed to hear him clearly. He tried again and yelled, “N-“

However, Ji Hyun bit her lips and walked away, to where Yo Seob was unable to see her.

The traffic light changed colour and Yo Seob rushed to the corner to find N.J. As expected, she was nowhere to be found. A girl in blue dress, who was just less than mile away from Yo Seob, disappeared right in front of his eyes.

Disappointed, Yo Seob punched the wall and gritted his teeth. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, “Is Heaven telling me that we’re not fated to meet at all?”

-

“Maybe… Just maybe… he’s just got delayed at the company,” Ji Hyun paced around the room, mumbling to herself, as the food on the table was slowly turning cold.

She sat down and tapped on the table. She checked the time for the umpteenth time. It was already 7pm and she was dressed beautifully in her favourite white dress. Despite being beautiful as usual, she frowned at herself, "I still prefer the blue dress earlier. Too bad I spilled the sauce on it."

She said and stared at her phone, “Well, perhaps I could at least give him a call. Maybe he will answer it this time.”

Regaining her senses, she slammed her phone down and groaned, “Ugh! Am I crazy? Why am I talking to myself like an idiot?” She picked up the phone again and spoke to herself yet again, “Alright, I shall make a call.”

The number you’d just dialled is currently not available…

Ji Hyun started to worry. Yo Seob’s phone was not even . She called his phone repeatedly, hoping that someone would pick up but to no avail. “Did he run into an accident?” She started to panic.

With some thought, she grabbed her jacket and decided to go out and look for him. And then, she heaved a sigh of relief, “Yang Yo Seob! Where have you been? You’ll be the death of me!”

Yo Seob was looking more dejected than before. His eyes seemed dull and he was holding onto the gift N.J gave to him. Ji Hyun noticed the box he was holding and her heart pounded faster.

“N.J. I saw her.” He whispered.

“Eh?!” Ji Hyun choked.

“She came. She came to give me this.” Yo Seob said and placed the bottle of stars on the table, “And she left before I could see her face.”

Ji Hyun breathed out in relief. Yo Seob raised an eyebrow, “Why do you look relieved?”

“It’s nothing.”

Yo Seob entered her house and sat down on the sofa without even looking at the food she prepared. He said to Ji Hyun, “Why? Why didn’t she wait for me and give it to me herself? Why did she have to hide from me? I don’t understand. I want to see her so badly. All I wished for on my birthday was to see her!”

Ji Hyun could not believe her ears, “You mean you were late because… you spent this whole time looking for N.J?”

Yo Seob looked at Ji Hyun.

Ji Hyun was dumbfounded by the ignorance of Yo Seob. “Yang Yo Seob, listen to me carefully. You will never ever get to see N.J. She’s just a fan and you’re an idol. There’s no way you’re going to see her! Won’t you understand that N.J is never going to meet you?”

“Nam Ji Hyun,” Yo Seob mimicked her and frowned, “Why are you always putting N.J down? She sincerely cares for me. She’s unlike you. You’re loud, childish and insensitive and nothing like her!”

Feeling hurt by his harsh comments, Ji Hyun pursed her lips in anger and clenched her fist. Yo Seob took her arm and asked, “Why? Are you going to hit me?”

“Let go of my hand!”

Ji Hyun flicked his hand away and his hand accidentally landed near the table, hitting the bottle of stars off the table. The bottle smashed into broken pieces in front of their eyes.

Silence took over the whole room as Ji Hyun and Yo Seob stared blankly into the folded colourful stars which were scattered all over the floor and the bottle which was no longer mendable. Ji Hyun bent down and started picking up the pieces of glass on the floor, “I’m… I’m terribly… I’m sorry.”

“Put the glasses down,” Yo Seob bent down as well and took her hand, “I said put the glasses down!” He scrapped the glasses off her hand in frustration as Ji Hyun retracted her hand timidly.

“You,” Yo Seob emphasised, “You have just destroyed N.J’s effort. And you have ruined my birthday.”

Ji Hyun’s stomach felt as though it was tied in knots and pangs. She gasped as her breath was ripped from her lungs and her heart felt like bursting with emotion. With sadness burning in , she whispered to Yo Seob, “I’m sorry.”

“Forget it. Forget everything.”

Yo Seob stood up after treating her coldly. He left the house and slammed the door without a word.

Her eyes stung with anguish as tears streamed her cheeks heartlessly. She opened her hand and took a look at her palm which was oozing with blood thanks to the broken pieces of glasses that were ripped off by Yo Seob off her hand.

She could not feel the pain in her palm.

She could only acknowledge the pain in her heart.