long story short || Mark Lee x reader (nct)

Chapter 6

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 2016

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Ding, dong. Ding, dong.

The bell rings at 1 PM. I take my walk alone to the bus stop. Taehyung is out for practice, but I can still hear his voice nag me as I walk.

'A job would do you good, Y/n." I roll my eyes, recalling his words.

A breath huffs out of my cheeks as the reminder of due dates comes into thought. I can't undo the knot in my mind of how I'm gonna be balancing it all on my small plate. But despite all of that, I will do whatever to get some time away from my cave-like room.

I pick up my pace as the bus stop comes into view. I climb the entrance stairs, taking my place in the third row.

I lean my head against the glass window, feeling as the bus moves again. The empty seat beside me catches my gaze, and I drown myself in the possibilities.

Perhaps a future lover, maybe an old friend. Someone, anyone, to help me when I won't admit I need it.

The lady from the seat in front shakes me as the bus comes to a halt. I wake up with a gasp, my skin, cold as if I've been swimming in the seas.

I thank the woman with a nod before getting off the bus and speeding my pace to the mall entrance.

My feet stop at the sight of a small book store located in a busy area at the mall.

I close my eyes for a second, straightening the skirt of my dark blue overalls. I look at my reflection in the shop windows one last time before walking inside.

"Excuse me," I call out from the empty check-out area.

A white-haired, old gentleman pops out from under the counter. "Oh, hello! How can I help you?" He asks me sweetly.

I display my best smile, "Hi, would it be okay if I see the manager? I'm here for my interview." I inform the man.

He gives me a laugh, "You must be Y/n. Let me introduce myself. I'm Roger," He introduces himself. "The store manager."

My eyes widen at his words, and I give him a low bow. "Forgive me for my assumption. My name is Y/n Kim. I-it's a pleasure to meet you, sir." I stutter.

"Come on, now. Follow me." He invites me with a wide grin.

I follow his footsteps quickly, fidgeting with my fingers as I walk, nervous if I were to make another mistake.

He leads me to a dimmed room. Soft, white lighting filled the air. 2 seats were facing each other in the left of the room, with a small brown table in between. I take the chair across from him, looking around the backroom.

'Books, dusters, some snacks I always see people bring around town, books.' I see the items spread out around the space.

The smell of Mr. Rogers coffee is strong in my nose. He hands me a glass. "Let's get started, shall we?"

Ding, dong. Ding, dong.

3 PM, the clock reveals. The interview ends with his hand shaking mine. 'You're hired. But with the circumstance, you start immediately. What do you say?'

So I clip on my name tag onto the front of my overalls and roll the book-filled cart to where I am to sort them.

Many titles I recognize I sort into place, from fiction to classic literature. There is a huge perk in working at a bookshop when you're the biggest book fanatic.

Before I moved to Korea, I would always sleep with the current novel I was reading and my journal next to my pillow. For company. To write down my dreams, to distract myself from nightmares.

Ding, dong.

I ignore the ringing store bell indicating a customer as I stare down at the book I'm holding. 'Historical fashion; behind the minds' The cover read. I look around my surroundings before taking a peek at the pages myself.

I murmur the words to myself, "It's no secret that the fashion we know now isn't even close to where it stood decades ag-"

"Hey, is that allowed?" I jump at the voice that catches me in my act.

I look up at the source, where he stands just a bit taller than me. The soft lighting of the shop illuminates his eyes to the point where it reminds me of melted honey. His hair, dark brown and a little messy.

"Oh! Uhm, I work here." I tell him the first excuse I can think of that'll get me out of trouble, giving him an awkward smile.

He raises an eyebrow, "Really? Could you help me find this one book, then?" he pleads.

I let out a sigh. 'Thank god.' "Of course. Could you tell me the title?" I request, putting the book I held on a nearby shelf.

"Anything on music theory. For beginners, if you have one." He tells me with a smile.

"Ah, follow me," I guide him as I recall which shelf I sorted those books in a while ago. We stop at a nearby section marked 'Arts and Music'.

I pull out a few books mirroring the title he requested for, "These books might be-"

"Are you new here? You look awfully familiar." The man ponders.

I raise my eyebrows in surprise, "I... just moved here recently." I answer him. "I go to a nearby college here. You might've seen me around."

He lifts his hand to his chin, trying to recall where he's seen me. "SISU University!" He exclaims, snapping his fingers.

I debate whether I should tell him the truth or not. I stare at his face for a second, more handsome than I'd like to admit. 'He doesn't look like a threat.' I decide. "Bingo."

He laughs, "I go there too, actually."

I would be lying if I said I'm not at least a little taken aback by that. I smile, and silence fills the air as I inspect the man's face once again. 'He does look my age.'

All of a sudden, he widens his eyes as they latch onto my name tag. "..Y/n Kim..?"

"Y-yeah?" I stammer, nervous of his gaze.

He offers me his hand, "I'm Na Jaemin. Nice to meet you."

-end of chapter 6