Silent Blue ✦ 2jae (discontinued)

. one .

It was that time of night again, when Jaebum slacked off at work during the slow hour nearing 3 AM, beer in his hand as he lied back and listened to the slow jazz that he took over the speakers with. His head swayed along with the beat; eyes closed, almost in another place entirely. Still, it was his shift— plus, he was closing the bar that night.

One last pint, just one more whiskey on the rocks, one final cocktail to make before the lingering nighttime customers left, and he had the bar to himself until he locked up and went home as the sky was turning again. He felt a relief when he left, as if he was more free away from the cigars and dingy lighting that almost put him to sleep on the spot.

It was less suffocating at his apartment.

There was his cat, waiting for him by the front of the door to return home, who rubbed up against his leg even though his jeans reeked of alcohol and cleaning agents. He picked her up and loved on her for a bit before leaving a trail of clothes from the bedroom to the bathroom. That night he felt particularly grimy. He couldn't skip a shower then.

Before he knew it, 5 AM was coming around, and the sunrise peered through his window, as if to say, "Good morning, Jaebum!" For him, however, it was bedtime, even though the rest of Seoul was waking up for work. So, he finished his shower and fell asleep right away, Nora curling up above his pillow so the both of them would have company.

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That afternoon, when Jaebum woke up around 12:45, he brushed his teeth and threw on a pair of Vans and a baseball cap, too lazy to bother with what he looked like. Before he grabbed his keys, he made sure Nora's food and water bowls were full, and that her litter box was clean. Of course, he wouldn't want her to be uncomfortable while he was gone.

Leaving the cat with a small farewell, he closed the door behind him and put his headphones on over his hat, circling a thumb around his old 6th generation iPod. He always wanted a new one, but could never remember to go to the store and buy one.

The weather was dreary when he walked outside, as it always seemed to be in July, but he didn't mind. It was humid, but the sky was dark and covered in greying clouds. He'd hoped to get to the bookstore before it started raining, and was confident in doing so as it was only a few minutes away from his apartment.

Jaebum walked inside just in time— the rain started right as he got to the café.

He took his time up the stairs, hands inside his pockets fidgeting around with whatever gum wrappers he'd left in his sweater before. Soon, he made way to the register, where his friend Mark stood, taking orders and preparing drinks. Jaebum paused his music only so he could hear what he heard most days: "Hey! Regular?" He simply nodded with a smile and payed before sitting at his favourite table.

He decided to put his iPod away and his headphones around his neck so he could listen to the café's music. R&B fit the theme of the store quite well, he thought. He wouldn't mind waiting for his food a bit, anyway.

A few minutes later, Mark came up to his table and sat down, serving Jaebum his berry oatmeal and an extra hot americano. The blonde sat, right hand under his chin, puffing out his cheeks.

"Anything interesting happen recently?" he asked, watching Jaebum sip on his coffee. The older simply shook his head and ate another spoonful of oatmeal. "I shouldn't have asked... That bar doesn't bore you at all?"

"I like it there," Jaebum explained. "Maybe it is kinda gross, but it's nice. Customers make it interesting, anyway."

"Aah." Mark looked around more, tapping his finger against his cheek to the beat of the song playing quietly. "Hey, I'm gonna get back to work, alright? I'll come by the bar later!"

Jaebum chuckled an, "Alright," and continued eating.

It didn't take much time until he was finished and could go browse the shelves for something to add to his collection. This time, like most others, he wasn't looking for anything in particular; he enjoyed roaming until something caught his eye.

Pacing slowly, shoes silent against the thin carpet, it didn't seem to be a book that drew his attention this time around. Just another stranger. A man who looked quite young, with dark and carefully styled hair, and round glasses on his nose. Jaebum continued on his own, browsing books and reading first and second chapters as a way to determine whether the writing style would entice him.

Somehow that stranger found his way to Jaebum's line of sight once again, the same innocently confused look on his face and nimble fingers pulling on his bottom lip, deep in thought. Jaebum didn't know why he was so bothered by this person. Only a college student in a large, beige sweater and ripped jeans. Good style— that's what it was.

He put the book he held back on the shelf and swiftly passed behind the stranger. A moment of close contact with the daily distraction, he felt, would allow him to be on his own again, but he was wrong. It never went like this before.

"Looking for something?" Jaebum asked, almost a cue for the boy to look at him with youthfully raised eyebrows.

"Oh..." The boy unfolded the small paper in his hand, biting his lip from the inside. "I need these for my class, but I can't find them..." Jaebum thought the quiet tone of the stranger's voice suit his look well.

"Let me see." Jaebum eyed the paper, and said, "Ah. These would be in the poetry section, not short story."

"Oh! Where is that?"

"This way." Quietly, the two walked through tall bookshelves and the scent of coffee in comfortable silence. "Here. Let's see..."

As he scanned the shelves carefully, the stranger watched in awe. Jaebum found all four books the other was looking for, placing them in careful hands covered by thick sleeves. "Thank you so much, uh..." His eyes bounced around Jaebum's chest, looking for a nametag of sorts. "Do you work here?"

"Oh- No, but I know this place like the back of my hand," he laughed. "It's Jaebum."

"Well, thank you, Jaebum. I'll go buy these."

With that, the stranger walked away to the registers on the floor below them, one shoe's laces untied. He was too far to hear Jaebum's warning, and too aloof to care anyway. Meanwhile, Jaebum went to look at some comics, with the stranger still in the back of his mind.

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©︎ illjae 2017