trouble ¦ lee jeno (UNDER REWRITING)

ch ; 10

.・。.・゜⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽ 10 ☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅・゜・。.

Friday arrived, bringing with it the familiar hum of activity in the library. Seojin and Mark entered, the cool air laden with the scent of old paper and forgotten knowledge.

Their mission: to find a specific book for their Survey of English Literature class. Professor Kim had stressed the importance of using physical library resources for their research paper, making laptops a forbidden tool for the day.

Seojin scanned the towering shelves, her finger tracing the spines of books as she muttered titles under her breath. Frustration gnawed at her. The specific book seemed to be playing hide-and-seek, and she was starting to consider defying the professor's orders and using her laptop for a quick search.

Mark, in the meantime, wasn't as focused on the book hunt. His gaze kept straying towards Seojin, captivated by her determined expression as she navigated the labyrinthine shelves. Her brow furrowed in concentration, forming a cute little pout that sent a smile tugging at his lips.

One moment, she was frowning, the next, her eyes widened in a triumphant gasp. "Mark, c'mere!" she called, waving him over. He maneuvered through the maze of shelves, his heart skipping a beat at the sound of her voice.

Reaching her side, he saw a smile light up her face as she held up two thick books. "Here it is!" she exclaimed, a hint of relief in her voice. But something shifted in her expression as she caught him staring. His boyish grin seemed to momentarily erase the focused look on her face.

"Mark?" she questioned, her voice laced with a playful uncertainty.

He blinked, suddenly caught off guard. A cough escaped his lips as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, uhm, you found it?" His question came out a bit rushed, and he mentally kicked himself for sounding so flustered.

Seojin chuckled, a soft sound that made his insides do a little flip. "Yep," she said, holding up the books. "Two copies, just in case."

They found a table in a quiet corner and settled down to work. Seojin diligently snapped pictures of relevant pages on her phone, while Mark absorbed the text, a thoughtful smile dancing on his lips.

Suddenly, a mischievous idea popped into Seojin's head. She turned her phone camera towards Mark, capturing his focused expression as he read. 'Documentation purposes,' she justified to herself, a sly smile playing on her lips.

Just as she pressed the shutter, Mark looked up, his gaze meeting hers. Startled, she fumbled with her phone, stuffing it back into her pocket before he could notice. Clearing her throat, she stammered, "Uh, are you done?"

Mark blinked, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Done ogling the ancient texts, you mean?" he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

Seojin's cheeks flushed a rosy pink. "N-no, of course not!" she sputtered, feeling caught red-handed.

"Actually," Mark continued, a hint of seriousness returning to his voice, "I think I'm good for now. We can always come back if needed. What about you?"

Seojin nodded, relieved to have a legitimate excuse to put down the book. "Yeah, me too. Let's just borrow this one for reference."