Giselle

2.

"hide me in soft, dark feathers and let me breath—"

Migyung didn't like the day. She preferred nights, dark nights with the moon shining down on her.

Once upon a time, she loved the day, the sun warming her skin. But it's hard to hide in broad day light. Night let her hide from prying eyes, words, fake sympathy. It let her be herself and sometimes, it let her dance. Like a dandelion, she flowed freely with the cold wind in the dark, away from all obligations and responsibilities.

She let her fingers dance infront of her. Soft music flowed through the book store she worked in. Sunlight filtered through the window beside her, over the front desk. She watched the light stream through her fingers. It reminded her of the way the lights hit a dancer's body, copying their each move to bring out the beauty of their movements.

She slammed her hand on the desk, her chest feeling tight as she thought of the stage. The only place that made her feel freer than anywhere. The only place she wasn't allowed to, she had promised not to step on.

Wanting to distract herself, Migyung opened a computer file and started filling in the data about how many books had been sold and had been given on rent to read. It was a good way to keep her thoughts away and not go for a cherry flavoured cigarette instead. She rarely smoked at work. A demand of her boss.

The business was slow these days. With the increase in technological advancements, no one cared for paperbacks anymore. You could buy a book online or read it free on different sites. Some might think why she even wasted her time all day sitting at the front desk, seeing not more than ten customers each day. It wasn't like the shop was big enough to provide all kinds of books for people of all age groups. Not that they really needed to.

The shop was a cover for what really went on further inside the shop.

Nothing illegal, that she could assure. It was just what her boss really paid her for and it was definitely not for gatekeeping.

Quickly completing the work, she stretched back in her chair. It squeaked beneath her, reminding her it was quite old. Migyung found it funny how the chair squeaked a different way whenever she moved. And, so she had her fun, like a little child, eliciting different kinds of sounds from it.

"You really are a child in an adult's body," a voice sounded from inside. Migyung turned to the familiar woman with a grin. "You know me, boss." Migyung's eyes narrowed down on the woman's face, however, as she came closer.

"You look like you had a good nap. Ms. Cho, you can't be napping right now. You told the publishing house you'd be ready with the sequel in a month," Migyung scolded her irritated, as if the woman wasn't her boss but an irresponsible teenager instead.

Cho Hwayoung's face turned sour as she squinted her eyes at the glaring light coming through the big windows. "Take it easy, Migyung. I'll complete the book, don't worry. I just need to put my brain to use and your screaming isn't going to cure the writer's block."

The writer's manager sighed, moving towards the coffee machine to get them two cups. "I told you to not make that commitment. That's why I tell you to let me handle your email. You just focus on writing, yeah?"

"No can do," the writer replied, taking the steaming cup of coffee and sat down on the floor, leaning against one of the book shelves. Migyung did the same and waited for her to elaborate. Hwayoung always had a lot to say, if people were willing to listen. Listening is a skill that many didn't possess, forcing great minded people like Hwayoung to shut down from the world. But it helped that she could put her thoughts on a paper and still grace the world with her wonderful creations.

Migyung admired Hwayoung a lot, despite the way she too, preferred hiding away and instead using her as a shield. But she didn't mind. She would always protect the people she liked. Hwayoung was one of them.

"You are my spokesperson, Migyung," the woman began, pushing her big glasses over the ridge of her straight nose. "You do a lot for me than you give yourself credit for. I'd be a stinking, malnourished mess if it weren't for you. Though I don't mind the malnourished part if it makes me look better—"

"Hey!" Migyung was quick to interrupt, made the other woman laugh just as the conversation started taking a turn.

"I digress. My apologies. Lemme get back to appreciating my lovely manager," Hwayoung said with a soft smile. "The point is, you already do a lot of things. Things I don't pay you enough for, that's why I just feel like I should handle atleast one thing related to my work, you know?"

"I get what you mean, Ms. Cho but it's okay. I'm your manager and that means I have to handle everything related to your work. You are already doing the major part of the job which is writing, so it's nothing. You should chill."

"I'm really glad to have you as my manager, Migyung," Hwayoung expressed, squeezing her hand in her own. "Why don't you stay for dinner tonight? Mom and dad are begging me to have you come over."

Migyung smiled saying, "How can I refuse your mom's food? I'll stay for dinner."

"Good." Hwayoung left shortly after finishing the coffee. Migyung watched the writer disappear through the back door and the big house they had behind the store.

The store was one of the older ones in the city, in a more residential area, hence the Cho family's house was attached to their little store. As far as Migyung had been told, Mr. Cho, Hwayoung's father had made a fortune with this very store. His foreigner wife had also brought a big fortune with her when they got married and opened a bigger store and library with that money. The couple had decided to let their only daughter have the old store, letting her do whatever she wished with it. Hwayoung being the thoughtful person she was, had kept the store up and running despite the lack of different books.

And Migyung was grateful that the shy woman had picked her up from her gloomy personal hell and given her a purpose when she had none left. She was grateful that she hadn't left her alone in her hardest time and stayed by her side, protecting her when she couldn't even walk straight.