peachjuho
hwiyoung is just trying to look for a book he needs for school. some guy who reminds him too much of a son of apollo makes it that much harder.
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The store smells exactly as it should - like books. Old books, new books. That is, if books smell like coffee and freshly baked biscuits.
It makes Hwiyoung's stomach growl. That, and he's slowly losing hope.
He can't find the book he needs to buy for his English class, and he's been in the shop for nearly half an hour, painstakingly combing through each shelf - from the children's section, to the classics, to nonfiction, to romance.
But still, no such luck.
He supposes he could, in theory, go and ask for help but this is where he faces two major problems.
One. Hwiyoung is painfully shy when talking to new people. Sure, when he's with his friends, he joins in their fun and he's just as loud as the rest of them. But once he's by himself, he draws back into his shell. It's just the way he's always been. There's also something about being in a group that makes you slightly crazier than you'd be by yourself. (This is all a semester of Psychology has taught him.)
Two. Hwiyoung has noticed that all the people working here are insanely attractive. Like, really hot. It's not normal. The guy manning the cashier has a shock of red hair sitting atop his head, but he pulls it off so well it's actually criminal. In contrast, Hwiyoung still feels slightly self-conscious about the seaweed strands on his head even though it's been awhile since he dyed it green.
Hwiyoung's eyes flick to the closest staff member, who's humming under his breath as he places books into their shelves. From the side, he looks pretty, and around Hwiyoung's age. Maybe a year or two older.
He sucks in a breath, and unfortunately, it's loud enough to catch the attention of the worker.
"Can I help you?" The stranger asks cheerfully. At his voice, Hwiyoung's heart stutters and he melts a little on the inside.
The other man has a megawatt smile on his face, one that compels him to return the smile. Hwiyoung's eyes flick down to the name badge pinned above his heart. It reads Taeyang .
Hwiyoung breathes in deeply, concentrating wholeheartedly on not making a fool out of himself. It would be a terrible time to do so, so he says, "I just noticed that your hair looks really good on you-" He blanches. "I mean- shit, I'm sorry. I'm looking for a Percy Jackson book."
Taeyang is very clearly holding in his laughter. "Thanks! It used to be a lighter blond but it's a bit darker now. Your hair actually reminds me of Percy Jackson, you know, like what Annabeth calls him. Seaweed Brain? I really like it, it's cool." Hwiyoung's cheeks are flushed pink and he nods, though he's not sure whether he should be flattered or offended. "So which book were you looking for specifically?"
Hwiyoung's eyes flick down to the list typed up on his phone. "The Last Olympian?" It crosses his mind that he really doesn't want Taeyang to think he's too young. Why does it even matter anyway? It's not like Taeyang is about to see him as a possible romantic partner. (Though his mind tells him otherwise, that this is straight-up a meet-cute scenario, worthy of being in any fanfiction set in a small, quaint bookshop a little out of the way.) So anyway, he blurts out, "I'm in my final year of high school, so our teacher thought it'd be more of a fun book for us to read."
"Have you tried the fantasy section?" Hwiyoung curses himself for not thinking about the most obvious genre but nods anyway. "Well then. Give me a moment and let me check." Taeyang continues to smile and puts down the few books he's holding, and walks towards the counter. Hwiyoung thinks it's awkward if he stays behind by himself, so he trails awkwardly after Taeyang.
