cherish | lee heeseung

°˖➴ #𝟬𝟲

°˖➴ #𝟬𝟲 - unknown number

———

AS HANEUL entered the library, she paused to exchange warm greetings with the library assistant, Mrs. Choi, whose kind smile welcomed her to the familiar setting.

"Good morning, Haneul," Mrs. Choi said with a twinkle in her eye. "It's lovely to see you bright and early as always."

"Good morning, Mrs. Choi," Haneul replied with a smile. "How are you today?"

"Oh, just keeping busy as usual," Mrs. Choi replied, her voice tinged with warmth. "But seeing you here always brightens my day."

Haneul's heart swelled with appreciation for the older woman's kindness. "Well, I'm glad to be here," she said sincerely, a warm smile on her face. "I hope you have a wonderful day. Is there anything specific you need help with today?"

Mrs. Choi returned Haneul's smile, grateful for her offer of assistance. "Actually, yes. We have a few new arrivals that need to be catalogued and shelved. Would you mind taking care of that for me?"

"Not at all," Haneul replied eagerly. "I'll get started right away."

With a nod of appreciation, Mrs. Choi handed Haneul a stack of books, and she set off to complete the task. As she diligently organised the new arrivals, her phone buzzed with a text notification. She glanced at the screen to see a message from an unfamiliar number.

'Good morning, Hana! Its Heeseung. I got your number from Sunghoon, I hope you don't mind.'

As she read through the message, her heart skipped a beat. With a mix of surprise and delight, she quickly typed out a response to Heeseung's message.

'No no I don't mind at all, good morning!'

With a subtle smile playing on her lips, she sent the message and set her phone aside, returning her attention to the task of organising the library books. Haneul's phone lit up almost immediately after she set it down, taking her by surprise. As she reached for her phone once again, she felt a sudden presence behind her. Before she could react, a familiar voice breaks the silence, startling her.

"Boo!"

Haneul jumped in her seat, her heart racing as she whirled around to see her friend, Kim Chaewon, standing behind her with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Chaewon! You scared me," Haneul exclaimed, trying to catch her breath as she playfully swats at her friend.

Chaewon laughed, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, Hana! I couldn't resist. Who's got you smiling at your phone like that?"

Blushing slightly, Haneul hesitated before replying, "Oh, it's just a friend checking in. Nothing important."

Chaewon raised her eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Just a friend, huh? Well, don't keep me in suspense! What did they say?"

Haneul rolled her eyes, realising she won't be able to keep the secret for long. With a reluctant sigh, she held out her phone for Chaewon to see the message from Heeseung.

Chaewon's eyes widened in surprise as she read the message. "Heeseung? As in, your childhood friend, Heeseung?"

Haneul nodded, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. "Yeah, it's just him. He just wanted to say hi, I guess."

Chaewon grinned knowingly. "Well, well, well. Looks like someone's in for an interesting conversation. You gonna reply?"

Haneul hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I think so. It's not the first time we've talked anyway, I bumped into him a few days ago."

"No way! You saw Heeseung? How did it go?" Chaewon exclaimed.

"It was really unexpected. I was just running errands at the grocery store when I heard him call out my name." Haneul replied, feeling a rush of warmth at the memory of their encounter. "I also ran into him at a cafe yesterday."

Chaewon's eyes widened in disbelief, "You saw him twice? What are the odds?"

Haneul chuckled, shaking her head at the serendipity of it all. "I know, right? It was completely unexpected, but it was nice to catch up with him again."

Grinning mischievously, Chaewon nudged Haneul playfully. "Well if I didn't know better, it looks like someone has a little crush on her childhood friend."

Haneul looked up, a tinge of blush appearing on her cheeks, swatting Chaewon's arm lightly, "Stop it! It's not like that. We're just friends catching up, that's all."

Chaewon raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Uh huh, sure. Whatever you say, Hana. But if I were you, I'd reply to that text before he thinks you're ignoring him."

Haneul rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Fine, fine, I'll reply."

With a laugh, Chaewon gave Haneul an encouraging pat on the back. "That's the spirit! Who knows? Maybe this will be the start of something amazing."

———

As Haneul finished organising the new arrivals, the soft late afternoon light filtered through the tall windows, casting a warm glow on the row of books. She meticulously straightened each book on the shelves, ensuring they were perfectly aligned. The scent of old pages mingled with the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee from the nearby cafe, creating a comforting atmosphere that enveloped her.

With a sense of satisfaction, Haneul stepped back to admire her hardworking. The shelves were now organised by genre, with fiction neatly separated from non-fiction, and each section alphabetised for easy browsing. It had taken hours of dedication, but seeing the library in such pristine order filled her with a sense of accomplishment.

She began to gather her belongings, ready to call it a day. Just then, Chaewon, her ever-enthusiastic friend, emerged from behind a towering stack of books.

"Hey, Hana! All done for the day?" Chaewon chirped, her voice echoing softly in the quiet library.

Haneul nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yep, finally! It feels good to have everything sorted."

Chaewon grinned, her excitement palpable. "You've been working so hard lately. How about we treat ourselves to some snacks at that new cafe down the street? I heard they have the best pastries in town."

Haneul's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "You know I can never say no to snacks."

Chaewon linked arms with Haneul as they made their way out of the library, exchanging pleasantries with their colleagues on the way. With that, they were on their way to the cafe, their laughter mingling with the sounds of the city as they looked forward to a delightful afternoon together.

———