@unwillingsuccess
It would be hard to call this a vacation, as Jaehee is only in Louisiana because of Mr. Han’s meeting. And it would be hard to call what she’s doing work, but she’d spent all day either taking notes on her boss’s conversations with other businessmen or in her hotel room poring over a seemingly infinite stack of paperwork. I’ve earned this.
With a warm cup of cafe americano in hand, she pushes open the door to the shop, and is immediately met with the familiar and comforting smell of old books. They’re almost all in English, of course, but she’s approaching fluency and enjoys the challenge that comes with reading a novel in a language other than her own.
The place seems empty at first, but the tinkling of the bell above the door announces her presence anyway. Stepping inside, she takes in her environment: soft lighting on nearly endless titles, each of which takes an extra few seconds for her to read. Some words come easily, but others--the ones used less often in business settings--are recalled only when she examines the cover art.
A sip of her coffee as she moves through the store, the fingertips of her free hand occasionally reaching out to touch a spine or pull a book halfway off a shelf. It feels peaceful in here. It’s not something she’s used to.
