Ya amar (يا قمر)

Chapter 1: The First Encounter

THE air inside the National Book Store was always the same—cool, quiet, and filled with the comforting scent of paper and ink. For Hong-Chae, it was a sanctuary. Among the shelves of books, she could lose herself in stories, letting the chaos of the outside world fade into the background. 

That day was no different, or so she thought. She wandered through the aisles, her fingers grazing the spines of books as she scanned the titles. The poetry section, her favorite, drew her in as usual. But even with its familiar solace, she felt a restless unease she couldn’t quite explain. 

She sighed softly, plucking a book from the shelf, flipping through its pages in search of something—anything—that would quiet her thoughts. The sound of the glass door opening barely registered at first. It wasn’t until a gust of cold air swirled into the store, followed by a sudden, solid impact, that her focus shattered. 

A thud echoed through the quiet store as the book she’d been holding slipped from her hands and fell to the floor. 

“Oh—sorry!” a deep voice said hurriedly. 

Startled, Hong-Chae looked up to find herself face-to-face with a man. He was tall, wearing a dark jacket, and his sneakers were scuffed, as if he didn’t care much about appearances. His messy hair gave the impression he’d run his hands through it too many times, and his eyes—soft yet lively—seemed to hold an unspoken promise of mischief. 

For a moment, time seemed to pause. 

The stranger bent down quickly, picking up the book she had dropped. His hand brushed against hers as he offered it to her, sending a faint warmth up her arm. Embarrassed, she pulled her hand back instinctively. 

“Here,” he said, his voice warm and apologetic. “Sorry about that. I wasn’t paying attention.” 

“It’s okay,” she murmured, still caught off guard. “I wasn’t paying attention either.” 

He chuckled lightly, the sound breaking the tension. “Well, I guess that makes us even then.” 

Hong-Chae smiled awkwardly, unsure of what to say. The interaction felt surreal, as though it didn’t belong in the quiet world she’d carved out for herself in the bookstore. 

“I’m Jae-hyun, by the way,” he said suddenly, offering his hand with a small, confident smile. 

The gesture took her by surprise, but she managed to respond, taking his hand hesitantly. “Hong-Chae,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“Nice to meet you, Hong-Chae,” Jae-hyun replied, his smile deepening. 

They stood there for a moment, caught in a bubble of stillness amidst the shelves. The world outside seemed to blur as they exchanged small pleasantries. For the first time in a long while, Hong-Chae felt the comfort of human connection in a place she’d always sought solitude. 

“I’ll have to check out this poetry section you love so much,” Jae-hyun said, glancing toward the shelf beside her. “Maybe you’ll see me here again sometime.” 

Before she could respond, he gave her a final smile, turned, and walked toward the store’s exit. 

As the door swung shut behind him, Hong-Chae remained rooted in place, the encounter replaying in her mind. The lingering warmth from their brief touch and the way his voice seemed to echo in her thoughts left her both confused and intrigued. 

Her moment of reflection was interrupted by a familiar, lively voice. 

“Hong-Chae! There you are!” 

She turned to see Min-ji, her roommate and closest friend, striding toward her with the same boundless energy she always carried. Min-ji’s bright smile lit up the aisle as she waved a book in the air. 

“Hey, Min-ji,” Hong-Chae greeted her, trying to mask her lingering thoughts about Jae-hyun. “What’s up?” 

Min-ji grinned, holding up the book she’d been carrying. “I was just thinking you’d like this! It’s the latest collection by Jae-hyun. He’s one of the rising poets right now. You should totally check it out!” 

The mention of his name made Hong-Chae’s heart skip a beat, but she quickly composed herself. “Maybe next time,” she said softly, not ready to explain the strange coincidence. 

Min-ji tilted her head, curious, but didn’t press further. Instead, she looped her arm through Hong-Chae’s, dragging her toward another shelf, completely unaware of the small shift that had just occurred in her friend’s world. 

As Min-ji chattered about books and plans for the weekend, Hong-Chae’s mind wandered back to Jae-hyun—his smile, his voice, and the way he’d said her name as though it was something important. 

Little did she know, this encounter was only the beginning of a story that would change her life forever. 

-End-

::open for dedication
::typos and grammatical error ahead
::open for criticism, feel free to criticise me
::Plagiarism is a crime

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