Reserved [Book V]

Specs

Zitao was wearing nothing but black and black, face blank with each minute passing by. One hand was in a tight jean pocket and another was holding onto a ring of keys, clinking every time he spun a finger and caught the bunch in his palm.

There was a subtle voice at the back of his head, something that told him he shouldn't be there and shouldn't be doing this. Besides the danger of Nam Gyu-ri seeing him, Zitao didn't want Yifan to get suspicious about something so harmless, a little silly even.

But Zitao was already there and he didn't want to turn back.

His eyes were quick to notice the very person he was looking for, walking relaxed, but it didn't fool him. Zitao knew that the boy was just as tensed as him, probably avoiding the same individuals in his list. So before there were even explanations, Zitao grabbed him by the arm and began striding to his car.

"Help me." Zitao said in a millisecond, not even giving a chance for one breath and a stable step.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Please, Kyungsoo. I need your help." He pulled until Kyungsoo hadn't had a moment for a choice, stepping inside the vehicle with a hesitant expression seemingly glued to his face from the moment Zitao approached him to the time the taller boy finally leaves him alone.

"What now?" Kyungsoo huffed when they were sailing off to somewhere. "I can't be near anyone involved with Areum. Gyuri will have your head."

"Look, I don't know the deal between you two." Zitao sighed. "But I just need help and you're possibly the only person I can go to for this."

"You need help with what?"

"It's a bit silly." Zitao huffed, slowing the car to a halt when they were a bit far from campus. "Where can I get the best pair of glasses?"

"Really, this is what you need help with?" Kyungsoo rolled his eyes and was about to unbuckle his seatbelt, but Zitao groaned and shoved him back to his seat. "I thought you're mad at me."

"I was." Zitao let out another sigh, a bit more exasperated than the first one. "I don't want you to think that I'm being nice to you now just because I need a favor."

"Isn't this exactly that?"

"It's much more complicated." The raven-haired boy stated firmly. "This is really important. It would be so nice to not have you asking so many questions and plainly giving me directions to where you got the specs you use."

Kyungsoo was like the big bad wolf going after three little pigs, huffing and puffing, except he wasn't blowing a house down to catch bacon. He was very much frustrated and honestly wasn't sure what was happening but Zitao waited even though his patience burned like thread touching fire, knowing that swallowing his pride and asking the shorter boy for this would pay off in the end.

He wanted the best quality for a gift after all.

"Fine." Kyungsoo said and Zitao wasted no time, stepping on the gas as he listened to where they were supposed to go.

***

As excited as she was with a new class assignment, Areum anticipated the time to go home. She didn't know why exactly and just assumed that it was because of the weather, maybe, the emotion doubling when her damaged sight recognized a tall figure that seemed all too familiar.

Zitao was looking at her, only looking, and with her shyness came a tinge of insecurity regarding what she looked like, if her hair was fine or she was wearing the right clothes. It was weird altogether, especially after catching a blurry smile on the guy's lips, not reaching his ears, not even lasting a second.