Moonglow Bay | ATEEZ

02. golden days

"Did you meet the new kid today?"

You looked up from the main window display of Moonglow Bay's only bookstore, a fresh stack of the latest critically acclaimed novel in your arms. "What are you talking about?"

Jongho was eyeing you from one of the lounge chairs tucked away to the side. Your parents had blown out part of the store's left wall a couple of years prior to create a greenhouse-style reading nook for customers. Complete with an irrational combination of your mother's favorite plants, the nook radiated mixed aromas of mint and lavender. It wasn't your favorite space, consequently but soon after its completion, the greenhouse was Jongho's favorite location in Moonglow Bay. If he wasn't at school or working next door, he would surely be in the black leather lounge chair located in the nook's back corner. Today, though, he'd moved the chair closer to the main shop area to keep conversing with you while you worked. "There's a new twelvth year," he said. "Did you not hear? My class wouldn't shut up about it."

You shook your head, laying the stack of books down on the table in the front window, propping one up on a metal easel so passersby could see the front cover with clarity. "No, but I'm not surprised. It's not like people made a big fuss when I moved to town." Your ease into middle school two years prior had been relatively silent and painless, so you wondered what kind of student would draw so much attention.

"Just because you didn't hear it doesn't mean there wasn't talk."

"What?"

"Nothing," Jongho chuckled. "So you seriously didn't hear anything?"

You shook your head once more, then leaving the window to walk to the checkout counter at the back of the store. Jongho hopped up from his seat to follow you, the pads of his fingers grazing the ends of every bookshelf the two of you passed.

"That's crazy. Your class must be super boring."

You shrugged, plopping down on the cushioned stool behind the counter. Jongho remained on the other side, leaning onto the wooden counter, all his weight shifting into his hands. "I don't know," you said, opening your laptop. "My class is mostly boys, so there isn't much gossip going around."

"That explains it," Jongho nodded, looking down at his hands for a moment. "Most boys aren't going to ogle over other boys, no matter how boring their town is."

Your ears twitched at your friend's comment and shifted your attention away from your computer. "The new senior's a boy?" You asked, selecting your words carefully.

Jongho grinned. "Have I finally piqued your interest?"

The front door opened, and you called out a "welcome in!" Rolling your eyes, you turned your gaze to the screen in front of you. "You haven't 'piqued' anything," you grumbled. "It was just a question."

Your friend was giddy with power. "You wanna know if he's cute," he teased.

"No, I don't," you countered.

"You definitely do."

"I don't because I don't care. It's just a new student, so what's the big deal?"

From among the stacks, you heard the rustling of paper, the noise a book makes as someone thumbs through its pages. It distracted you for only a moment.

"Come on, you and I both know that you've been desperate for some fresh meat," Jongho said.

You groaned. "Fresh meat?"

He laughed. "Well, maybe this will be who finally scares Jisung away."

The two of you shared a snicker at the thought. "I can't believe our plan didn't work," you said.