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TAEYANG'S POV

I watched as a small girl with long, brown hair sat by the window absent-mindedly sip at her drink. She was sitting several tables away from me but since the restaurant wasn't that full, I could spot her easily. At first I thought she was a child and was about to ask someone if she belonged to them but she soon shifted and I could see her clothes, defenitely not a kid. I chuckled and continued to watch her. She was just so...small. 

A waiter came up to her table and asked for her order, she looked up for the first time and I could finally capture a glimpse of her face. She had a small face to go with her small body, but her eyes were big, slanted at the ends to give her a sort of bunny appearence. Her nose hooked curiously but it took nothing away from her dainty features, all it did was call attention to her lips. They were painted light pink, and they were smiling almost painfully at the waiter. 

I frowned as the waiter walked away, the pull at the corner of my lips deepening when a single tear rolled down her cheek as she traced her finger across the table. Her sudden melancholy was only broken when the waiter came back with salad and some bread on the side, replacing her coffee with plain water too.

The tear made me sad, it surprised me. I didn't know her, this was the first I ever saw her in my life, but I felt like I should know her. Before I knew it, before I gave myself time to think, I walked over to her table and took a seat. 

She look up at me, startled by my sudden action. I smiled, puzzled at myself as well and introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Younbae but everyone just calls Taeyang. I know its kind of weird for me sit here with you, Its not like you know me or anything but I felt compelled to do this sooooo here I am." I held my hand for her to shake. A tiny bubble of worry bounced around in my stomach as I waited for her to respond. She was looking at me with confusion clouding her bright eyes. 

I smiled wider and wiggled my fingers. "My hand can stay here forever you know." 

Her eyes blinked rapidly for a few moments, causing me to chuckle. Cutie. She blushed at my quiet laugh and hesitantly placed her hand in mine. Sudden electricity pulsed between us as we shook hands. It raced up my arm, wormed its way into my chest, and shocked my heart with its power. A gasp shot out of my throat and her eyes blinked some more, her hand tugged slightly at mine and I realized I was creeping her out. "Oh, s-sorry." I stuttered, letting her go quickly.

What was that?

Strangely, she froze after I stuttered. I found myself staring into her big, milky brown eyes as she looked at me, with an odd, almost anguished spilling out from them. My face heated up in emberresment, I had obviously done something worng. What it was exactly I had no idea - other than plopping myself down in front of her and introduce myself like I was on a farm of course - but the feeling of wrongness came upon me nonetheless. "I-I'm sorry." I found myself apologize, stuttering again. 

Clearly I was losing my wits around this girl. I have never stuttered around a girl before, ever. However today, I was tripping all over the freaking  dictionary and digging a hole of mortification so deep, I would need a ladder to crawl out of it. Great. Just great. 

She sighed and shook her head. "Its not you, when you stuttered you reminded me of someone....someone I would like to forget..." she said quietly, trailing off at the end. Someone she would like to forget? Boyfriend maybe? An ucomfortable feeling made me clench my fists. "Boyfriend?" The question came out a bit to sharp despite my attempt to state it casually. 

She didn't bother to look up though, so I guess she didn't notice. "Ex-boyfriend actually, but with a side order of best friend too." She chuckled bitterly and an acid smile spread across her lips as she turned to look out the window. "My boyfriend and best friend cheated behind my back." She said flatly.

Oh. 

I didn't say anything as her fist shook on the table. She had it clenched so tight that I was sure her nails were probably digging painfully into the skin of her palm. Not wanting her to hurt herself, I gently laid my hand on top of hers. Her eyes flashed to mine quickly and glanced out our connected hands, but she didn't withdraw it. Instead, she opened her hand and let mine rest in hers. The same electric current zapped through me at the contact. "Thanks." She said softly. 

She went back to staring out the window but this time, this time I didn't feel so disconnected with her. I studied her face, partly hidden in the curtain of her hair, and had a strong, almost unbearable urge to brush the sweeping tendrils away. I put my other hand securely at my side to keep myself from doing something more stupid than things I already done. Having her hand in mine though, eased some of the ache. 

"Dara." 

I broke out of my reverie and blinked at her. "I'm sorry, what?" 

"My name, its Dara. Short for Sandara Park, in case you were wondering." She mumbled. 

I replayed her voice stating her name for what felt like hundreds of times before testing it out publicly. "Sandara Park. Dara." I said carefully. The name felt right coming off my lips. It weighed perfectly and sat with a regelness that matched herself to a T. Her name, along with the person, was simply stunning. "Its beautiful." I sighed. 

A blush stained her cheeks as she rapidly blinked at me. "Its nothing special." She coughed. I smiled to myself at the knowledge  that I figured out one thing about her so quickly, she blinks a lot when she's caught of guard. I chuckled and shook my head. "No, its remarkable. I wonder though...." I tilted my head and inspected her carefully. "Is the person behind the name just as incredible?" I teased. 

The color in her face grew darker and she looked down, suddenly having an engrossing interest in the design of the table. I watched her with amusement, glad that I was able to wipe away that heartbreaking sadness that engulfed her features, and glad that I had the courage to walk over here in the first place. It might have been crossing a line but maybe it would turn into a good mistake. 

Silence fell around us as it seemed we had run out of things to say. After several minutes, Dara was the one to break it.

"So uhm I was wondering uh....why did you sit down here? Why are you even talking to me?" She asked. I raised my eyebrows and she quickly shook her head, eyes wide. "Not to be rude or anything, what you're doing is nice, I was just...just curious." She ended faintly. Her bottom lip was locked between her lip as she looked at me anxiously, afraid I was offended. I reached across the table and pulled her lips back into its original position. She blushed again. "I actually don't know why I did." I replied honestly. 

"Something told me that it was the right thing to do, I listen to my senses more often than the people around me -really helps me out of some mean scrapes now and then- so when I felt like I should approach you, I did." I squeezed her hand and looked into her eyes. "Was I wrong?" 

She looked at me then, I mean really looked at me. It was like she was searching for something, like I had an answer to a question she'd been asking for lifetimes. After several minutes she answered. "No." She said. "No, it wasn't." Her eyes flicked down to our still entwined hands. It seemed her grasp on mine grew firmer as she continued to speak. "And if you don't think its a mistake then.....then I won't stop anything else that follows." 

We looked at each other. The gentle 'tik tok' of a clock above ticking away, unaware of the feelings changing below as it continued to tick as it had for years. And all the while, we just looked at each other.

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Who's to say that a strangers hand won't contain more warmth than a person you've known?

Who's to say that a strangers lips won't hold more answers than a person who's been by you're side for years?

Who's to say that a strangers arms won't have more love than the mother you were born to? 

Who's to say? - By the author of this story

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