Library | Soogyu

Chapter 14

A month had passed, and Beomgyu reflected on how much his life had changed since returning to Daegu, his hometown. Leaving Seoul had been a deliberate choice, driven solely by his need to distance himself from his parents. His decision echoed that of his grandfather, who had moved to Seoul when Beomgyu's father was just ten years old, selling off everything they owned in Daegu. Beomgyu, having never visited Daegu before this return, now found himself rediscovering his roots and navigating a different phase of life.

But it wasn't the place that changed everything for Beomgyu; it was the anonymous person with whom he shared almost everything, yet divulged nothing about himself. He held back his name, his occupation, and all personal details. Despite this secrecy, he felt a strong desire to meet this person face-to-face. Fear held him back, wary of opening himself up and potentially getting hurt again by trusting someone new. However, against his usual instincts, he found himself leaning towards taking the risk, eager to explore the possibility of a new friendship.

Unable to contain his excitement any longer, Beomgyu finally confided in Taehyun and Hueningkai about the anonymous stranger he had been exchanging notes with. This revelation completely surprised them, as they never expected Beomgyu to entertain the idea of making new friends, knowing his reluctance. Despite their initial shock, they were genuinely pleased to witness this positive change in him. They took every opportunity to tease him whenever he eagerly rushed to what he jokingly referred to as the "haunted place" to read the notes. Hueningkai, in particular, kept encouraging Beomgyu to take the next step and meet the person in real life soon.

Today, Beomgyu made a decision to get to know the anonymous stranger in person. With the note he had painstakingly written the previous night, he placed it carefully in the book and headed to the music club. The five of them had been busy rehearsing for the upcoming freshman party, where their newly formed band was set to perform. They had quickly impressed their music coach Jihoon with their musical talents and were entrusted with both the opening and closing performances for the event.

Soobin was running late for college after studying late into the night. Yeonjun had left a note saying he could arrive later and that Yeonjun would handle any issues. As he neared the college building, he heard shouting and saw a scuffle among some boys. Walking closer, he spotted a familiar backpack.

"Oh no, this backpack?" Soobin murmured, turning toward the commotion.

When he approached, the boys dispersed, leaving behind a figure on the ground, bloodied and bruised.

"Jayhoon!" Soobin rushed to his side. Jayhoon whimpered in pain, his face and shirt marked with blood and dirt. Soobin cradled his head, applying pressure to a bleeding wound on Jayhoon's forehead. Jayhoon struggled to breathe.

"Jayhoon-ah, are you alright? You're bleeding. We need to get you to a hospital. Should I call Dad? Or Yeonjun hyung?" Soobin's words came out fast but gentle.

"No, don't tell Dad. I'm... I'm fine. You can go," Jayhoon managed to say weakly.

"You're not fine! Look at you," Soobin protested, but was interrupted by two boys rushing over.

"Oh my god, Jayhoon! Sorry we're late. Let's get you back to the dorm and take care of that," one of them said, helping Jayhoon up while the other supported him.

"I'm okay, really. But please, don't involve Dad," Jayhoon insisted, sounding distant, as they walked away.

Concerned, Soobin watched them leave and made a mental note to figure out what had happened, then headed towards the college.

After finishing his office tasks, Soobin headed towards the library. His steps seemed almost automatic, leading him straight to his destination. Without conscious thought, he would find himself standing before the familiar rack, the myriad of other books blurring into obscurity. He retrieved the note and headed to the secluded corner table where he always sat.

"Hi!! I hope you're doing well. Okay, I had to tell you about this incident. Remember I told you about me and my friends trying to make a special cake with a recipe my friend found on some random cooking website? Well, we were attempting it yesterday. At first, they both messed up the batter, pouring in every other ingredient from the cabinet until it became rock solid. So, I added water, and naturally, my hand slipped, turning it all into liquid. Despite this, we tried baking it. After putting the batter in the oven, we got so engrossed in playing video games that we forgot about the cake! When we smelled something burning, we checked the oven-it was literally on fire. The cake was long gone. Still, we decided to at least taste the masterpiece we were working on. Our Mr. Brain decided to take the first bite only to spit it out. Luckily, the burnt cake revealed a mistake discovered by Mr. Plushie we used salt instead of sugar T_T

But I enjoyed the time I spent with them, the chaos we created, and our impromptu meal of bread and jam. It's always fun to be around them. I hope I can spend time with you too.

Hey! Can we meet?

You know, I never thought I would be asking this because I've had rough experiences making new friends in the past. But when I think about you, I don't know why, but I want to see you, hear you tell me all those things in person, in your voice.

Can we meet, please?

Or at least exchange numbers? I want to hear your voice.

But only if you are comfortable with it.

I'll wait for your note. Bye!"

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