In highschool Minseok wore thick glasses and heavy sweaters and didn’t have many friends, but he liked to read a lot. Books helped Minseok escape. They showed him new worlds and beautiful characters and found that he was most happy with his nose in a book.
Zitao was a sophomore that transferred from Qindao, China. His Korean at that time was absolutely dreadful but he seemed to be popular anyways. He was all sorts of involved, having a passion for sports and music. Although Zitao was popular, he wasn't self-centered and liked to interact with all sorts of different people; thus how he met Minseok.
Zitao joined a book club, even though he didn’t particularly care for reading or books. He wanted to exercise his Korean and see if he would grow a likeness for novels and perhaps expand his knowledge this way. (He didn’t.)
Upon meeting with his club in the library, he wandered through many aisles of books. In one of these aisles, he tripped over a boy hunched up against a bookshelf. They both rushed to apologize, the shorter boy’s glasses a mess on his face. After awkward introductions, they exchanged small-talk.
“What is it that you are reading?”
“Oh, um. To Kill A Mockingbird.”
“Are the directions clear?”
“Excuse me?”
“To Kill A Mockingbird, are the directions well? Can you now kill a Mockingbird?”
Small-talk evolved to conversations, and meetings in the hallway at school. These meetings evolved into lunch in the library together, which evolved to sleepovers in which Minseok would help Zitao with his Korean. Zitao was Minseok’s first best friend, and for once he didn’t need to escape his place on earth with a book. He liked his existence, and sharing it with Zitao.
A new year, a new beginning, as people like to say. New opportunities, new memories, new affections. Kim Minseok has a resolution, around 3 years later: 2013.
Party poppers went off all throughout the night, fireworks sounded outside; Zitao was throwing a party at his apartment to celebrate the new year. This wasn’t the best idea, but he’d never been the type to think too far into things like that. The living room was packed, a dancing grounp gyrating and bumping into eachother constantly. Minseok was in the kitchen, sipping a beer as he sat alone. Being alone didn’t bother him though, since he was introverted, and he knew Zitao would find him soon.
A stumbling girl with light brown hair waddled into the room, her short black dress riding up so that some of her underwear could be seen as she walked. She had a red cup in her right hand, pushing her hair out of her face with the other.
“Hey,” she hiccuped. It was clear she was completely inebriated and wasn’t in the right mind at all. Minseok bit the tip of his top lip into his mouth, looking around the room.
“Helloo~” She started again, her heels clunking against the tile as she drew near. “It’s rude to ignore people that are talking to you.” She slurred.
“Oh, um. Me?” Minseok planted his pointer on his chest.
“Yes, you!” She sat next to him, slamming her hand down on his thigh. Minseok pulled at the collar of his brown-knit sweater, swallowing his adam’s apple.
“You’re cute.” Her eyes narrowed, her eyelashes long and possibly glue-on. She flipped her long hair over her shoulder, giggling.
“Um,” A long pause. “Thank you.” Minseok looked away from her, feeling his cheeks burn from embarrassment. He wasn’t sure how to get out of a situation like this, as he’d never been hit on by someone before. It probably didn’t help that this someone was intoxicated. She scooted her chair closer, her bare thigh against his under the table.
