Silent Blue ✦ 2jae (discontinued)

. four .

Jaebum was sitting just where Jinyoung had predicted: Behind the old, old computer, with a scanner to check out books. The stool was uncomfortable but bearable, and he was too modest to request a different one anyway. On the weekends, especially Saturday, the library was not particularly crowded with students, since they were either out with friends or recovering from a regrettable night. Though, Jaebum didn't get a good look at student life. He didn't know.

With the free time he was given, he often sat and read a book or checked for emails from Min Chaeyoung— his boss. If he was told to organize books, he would, and that's what he ended up doing for a while. He would put back returned books, check if any were out of place, occasionally running into another part-time employee who he never spoke to. Not for any particular reason other than his fear of it becoming awkward too early on.

He finished the isles he was assigned to check, and he was done putting back books, so he roamed around the comic and graphic novel section for a long and entertaining read. Finding one he liked, a thick book all in black and white, he sat back on the uncomfortable stool and hunched over with the book in his lap, pushing the hair out of his face. Uzumaki, read the title.

Soon, a group of boys walked in. Not a large group; only four of them walked in together, one of which he felt was familiar, and he knew right away who it was. The boys walked into the study area in the back, and Jaebum said under his breath, "Oh, it's that kid from the store..."

Is he a student here? he wondered. He guessed he was there with his friends to study; why else would they be in the library? Unless they just like it here...

Jaebum found his mind wandering from the book he'd hardly read yet to the boys who he found getting increasingly louder as the minutes passed. He noticed some others studying on the floor were clearly disturbed, rolling their eyes and cursing under their breaths. He heard whispers coming from the back saying things like, "Yah, shush!" and, "Have you ever been in a library, Soonyoung?" He almost wondered if that was the one boy's name, but somehow he doubted it.

A girl, studying with another, looked towards Jaebum with a pleading look in her eye, asking him to tell the loud boys off. He nodded with a gentle grin and walked towards the back. Jaebum found them sitting around a table by the window, books out but hardly studying. He hadn't even noticed that Jinyoung was there with him until the younger one caught him peeking.

"Oh! Jaebum, I didn't see you." Jaebum smiled sheepishly and greeted his new acquaintance.

"Ah- Hi." Just then, that kid from the store turned behind him with raised eyebrows.

"Are we being too loud?" he whispered with concern in his voice. He quickly followed up with, "It's Seungkwan," which earned him a slap on the arm, and he started laughing once again.

"Sorry," Jaebum started, "but some people are trying to study in the front here. Maybe quiet down a little bit, that's all."

"Yes! Sorry!" was the response from one of the two that he didn't recognize— the other one simply nodded with water-filled cheeks. Jaebum walked back without another word, thinking of how small a world he must have been living in. Part of him thought it was odd seeing the stranger in a black t-shirt and sweatpants, but he went along with his business anyway.

"Excuse me?" He looked up to see one of the girls studying from before. "Do you have The Metamorphosis here?" she asked, pulling her hair back.

"Ah, we do. Let me show you." So, he lead the girl to the book, knowing right where it was since he'd put it back earlier that day. "Here. Uh... there's different versions, but you can choose which one you like," he chuckled.

"Thank you, I'll just take this one," she said, pulling out the one on the left.

"Do you want to check it out?"

"Yes!" Jaebum walked back to the counter with him to check the book out for her, but was soon distracted by the same person who had distracted him two weeks before. He quietly checked out the girl's book, and she stuffed it into her purse and walked away.

The boy didn't seem to want anything in particular, but was standing by the desk anyway, looking at something behind Jaebum. "So, we meet again, hm?" the older asked, catching the boy's attention. His eyes were wide, cheeks pink, with a grin ear to ear.

"Aah, you're the guy who doesn't work at the bookstore, but here instead?" He pushed his bottom lip in between his teeth with his thumb, unable to look Jaebum in the eye.

"Oh, I'm only here on the weekends," he explained. "This is my first day."

"Are you here every weekend?"

"Yeah, I suppose." The younger boy nodded, his head tilting to the side. The two stood there in library silence, and Jaebum couldn't look away from the boy's ear. His sideburn was growing out; he guessed he hadn't gotten a haircut since the last time they met. He saw him eyeing the book that was on the counter. "You can read it if you want," he said, pushing the graphic novel towards him.

"Ah-"

Jaebum shrugged, "I like it." He sat down and observed the boy's face when he opened the first few pages of the book. His nose crinkled and he licked his lips, fanning through the pages before looking back up at Jaebum.

"I'll take it!"

"Cool. Do you have a card?" The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out his school ID.

"Here you go, Choi Youngjae," he said with a smile, handing the boom and ID card back to Youngjae— he now knew was his name.

"Thank you," he said, pulling out his phone. As he walked out, he said, "My mom texted me, gotta get home."

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© illjae 2017