✓LOVER BOY | hwang hyunjin

42. Count The Stars

Yeseul was in the library, buried between worlds that couldn't turn tangible. Her fingers grazed the crisp of the paper, lips moving along the words, eyes shifting in smiles, and mouth rounding in curiosity. She was unaware of the boy who stood far away, eyes glued to her figure, heart a mess of teenage love.

"Earth to Hyunjin." The librarian snapped a finger in front of his eyes. The sparks hanging in the air blurred into a visible embarrassment that decorated his cheeks now.

"Sorry." Hyunjin pushed his fist against his mouth, clearing his throat. "How are you?"

Jae sniggered. "You can't fool me, lover boy."

Hyunjin hung his head low, fighting a smile. "Listen. It's nothing weird."

Jae nodded his head with great exaggeration. "Sure." He scribbled something in his register. "Why won't you greet her then?"

"Can't you see how deeply engrossed she is? It's adorable to look at." The last sentence died into a whisper.

"She likes reading romance. And marine biology. You don't look like the type who reads." Jae teased the boy. Hyunjin defensively rose an eyebrow at this statement.

"In support of my word, the only time you hang around is when you need to bother me."

Hyunjin took a long noisy sip of his watered down coffee. "I read." His eyes turned towards Yeseul, then back towards Jae. His eyes held something in them. "I read her." He curled in a fit of chuckles.

"Get lost." Jae tossed a crumpled paper towards him. "Go help me set up the new books if you are so jobless."

"I shall pass. I'm on my way to read some books now." Hyunjin doffed his cap to Jae before disappearing in one of the aisles.

Yeseul put another book in her arms, moving further to continue her book hunt. Her eyes scanned through titles, fingers feeling the spines. Something about this weekend activity was so therapeutic. The Kiss. One of the titles read. Something about it looked so graceful. The golden cover called out to her. Yeseul moved with a determined stride, about to pull it out of its home. But her chance was snatched. Another hand was racing hers, the book slipping out of her fingers.

"Hey, I saw it first!" Yeseul exclaimed, turning around, eyes meeting the dewy ones of someone very familiar. "Oh." A knot formed in her stomach.

Hyunjin's eyes creased up. "Looks like I'm the owner now." He shook the book mid air. His eyes turned down, studying the cover. "Hey, that's Klimt's painting."

"Hyunjin, give it back." Yeseul tried taking it out of his hold. Hyunjin stepped back just in time, a playful smile on his lips.

Fuck.

"Hey, you already own a bundle to study."

"Yes, but that was supposed to be my evening read." Yeseul was flustered. This didn't make sense. Why did she feel so bare in front of him?

Hyunjin contemplated his words. "How about," he paused, "we read it together?"

Yeseul spiralled in thoughts of them together, sitting under filtering sunlight, arms touching, as they share a book that could either mend their hearts or completely devastate them. She visioned them sharing snarky remarks, or fighting over each other's pace. And Hyunjin probably looking at her long enough for her to feel the tug at her heart. She couldn't possibly handle Hyunjin sitting so close to her. Hell, they had kissed twice already, why did he still own this looming effect of her? Yeseul was annoyed at his pretty little face. She blinked her way out of her daydream.