Inlusio Fit Vera

Orbisia

Splashing cold water on his face, Wonpil gets ready for another day—although it's already noon time. Even though he's been waking up late for the past days, ironically, he's not feeling lethargic but energized instead.

"Why have you been coming late for the past few days?", Jinyoung asks when the older approached him on the counter asking for an iced Americano. He answers it with a shrug before lifting his right arm, elbow on the countertop, and rests his chin on his hand. "You've been reading?" With eyebrows raised, Wonpil looks at his best friend as his lips part. "Between the Lines." The younger raises his brows waiting for answer.

The brown-haired releases a soft breath of relief and gulps before answering. I thought I was caught. "Well, yeah... I read every night" he presses his lips together in guilt.

"You need the second book?"

"No. It's fine. Not yet... maybe"

A customer excuses and asks for help. Jinyoung scans the shop and sees his worker attending to a lady and the other seems to be doing the same to another patron between one of the aisles. Wonpil offers to look after the counter for his friend to tend to the guest.

Standing behind the work surface with nothing to do, the brown-haired surveys the spot, thinking what it feels to be working behind the counter for the whole day. He sighs and pouts as he opens a drawer, hoping to see something amusing or somehow entertaining. I'd probably just see a book that Nyoungie's reading these days.

His hunch does not disappoint him. Behind Closed Doors, the title says. He reaches for the book but just as he is about to take it out, a vintage box shows itself. It's wooden box, which seem like a ring box, with an ornate engraving. Without a second thought, he gets and opens it. A familiar earing lies inside it.

Did he lose this? His forehead furrows as he thinks about the guy whom he's excited to see when everyone and everything else are asleep except the moon and the two of them.

"Who—what are you doing here?", he asked the blond guy he saw at his best friend's café two days ago. Wonpil's chest started to beat faster. What's with this familiar sensation? He came closer to Wonpil and the latter had to tilt his head to look at the guy who's towering over him. Man, he's so tall.

"Shouldn't I ask you the same question?", he smirked before he chortled and shrugged "It's such a nice place here, don't you think? The ambiance, the vibe, and oh... interesting books!"

"How did you get here? If you won't leave the place, I'll tell Jinyoung you—"

"Can you?", the tall guy lifted his eyebrow and pierced Wonpil's gaze with a challenging stare. The latter averted his eyes as a lump started to form in his throat. He knew what the blond guy meant. If he'd tell Jinyoung about the guy, he would also know about him going to this place that he's not supposed to enter. "Let's keep it as our little secret, okay?" he winked.

Wonpil swallowed the lump and released a breath to calm down. As he settled himself on the couch, the taller one leaned on the aquarium-like thing which served as the wall. He opened the book he's been holding and seemed to continue reading. Off The Page? His eyes widened in amusement.

"You're reading Off the Page?" he asked as if it wasn't still obvious. The stranger lifted his head and stared at him. An earring dangling from his right ear shined "That's the second book. Have you read the first one?"

"N—no. I was wondering why something's off." He chuckled and shook his head before walking toward the shorter guy. "So, this is the second book, huh?"