#ongsung

It was a Friday afternoon when Min Hyun stepped into the book store. It was like any other ordinary day, and he felt a sense of calm when he walked through the aisles, in a search for something new to read. When he came upon a book that caught his attention, he pulled it from the shelf and opened it to begin reading. He was so absorbed that he nearly didn’t notice the girl who had stopped by next to him, a bit further down the aisle, and was standing on her toes in an attempt to reach a book she wanted.

When he first saw her face, it felt like a bolt of lightening had struck him. Was this how his friends felt when they saw a girl they liked? He had never seen her before, and yet she drew him in like a moth to a flame; something about her glowed, shined even.

She was a good head shorter than him, even in her heeled booties. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders in waves, and he found the way she ran her hands through her hair, sweeping her side bangs back in frustration, endearing. Min Hyun finally realized that he was staring, but at that point, he found he couldn’t tear his eyes away. 

When she finally realized that she had drawn someone’s attention, she slowly looked over with a slight blush across her cheeks.

“Sorry, did I disturb you?”

It took him a moment to realize she was talking to him. 

“N..No, not at all! But I couldn’t help but notice you.”

She pursed her lips and then frowned.

“Are you trying to use a pick-up line on me right now?”

It was Min Hyun’s turn to blush, and he shook his head back and forth quickly. 

“No..! I meant...I couldn’t help but notice you needed some help. I would never use a pick-up line...I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable!”

A grin made it’s way upon her face, and Min Hyun felt a sense of relief that the misunderstanding was over. Strange how he craved her approval so much already. He didn’t even know her name yet.

“Naw, you’re good. Sorry I assumed; I’ve had some bad experiences with pick-up lines, and well, let’s just say they don’t work on me.”

He smiled back tentatively and stepped closer to her end of the aisle. He looked at the top shelf and scanned it before looking back at her.

“Which book do you need? I can get it for you.”

“Thank you so much! You have no idea how hard it is to be vertically challenged. It makes life so much harder,” she said before wrinkling her nose in distaste.

He chucked at her expression, finding it adorable.

“I suppose I don’t, and probably never will.”

“Are you showing off right now?”

“Just speaking the truth. So which one will it be?”

“After You, by Jojo Moyes.”

He found the book and slipped it out before handing the novel to her, pleasantly surprised.

“Nice choice. A bit intense at times, but definitely a great read.”

“You’ve read it before?”

Min Hyun nodded as she accepted the tome from him.

“You should let me know how you like it when you’re done.”

She arched an eyebrow at him, and he realized again that his words could have been misinterpreted. The blush was back on his face, and he scrambled to save himself.

“I mean, not like that! I’m not trying to ask you on a date or anything...I just wanted to know if you like it or not...yes, I’d have to see you again, but..!”

In the midst of his crisis, she started giggling and he grew silent, watching her battle her mirth despite his flustered state. Even if he hadn’t meant it originally, he somehow hoped that she would at least consider seeing him again. Once she had composed herself, she spoke up.

“How about this: we’ll meet back here next week and tell each other how we enjoyed our books. Same day, same time.”

She handed him a book she had in her arms, and he accepted it before reading the title and looking back up at her.  

“Tongue Fu?”

“It’s a favorite of mine; I read it before from the library and loved it so much I wanted my own copy...but I can get that the next time I come back. So, are you up for it?”

He nodded and she smiled in response. 

“All right then, see you next week!”

She turned to walk away, but before she could, Min Hyun’s voice stopped her.

“Wait, I don’t know your name yet!”

She smiled mischievously over her shoulder.

“If you keep our appointment next week, I’ll tell you.”

And then she disappeared around the corner before he could say anything else. He looked down again at the book she had handed him, and smiled, anticipation already building for next week.

Maybe there was some truth in “love at first sight”. Perhaps he ought to give it a chance.

A/N: The books I mentioned here have actually been recommended by Min Hyun! I personally enjoyed “After You” by Moyes very much, though it is definitely adult fiction. I do not suggest anyone under 18 reading it, unless you can be mature enough about it. I’m currently working through “Tongue Fu” by Horn and it’s a great self-help book. You can find the source of the recommendations here.

A/N: Lyric translation credited to colorcodedlyrics

nothingwithoutwannaone: Min Hyun I Ji Hoon I Jae Hwan I Guan Lin I Dae Hwi I Jin Young I Ji Sung I Woo Jin I Seong Wu I Sung Woon I Daniel

ongsung:  Min Hyun I Ji Hoon I Jae Hwan I Guan Lin I Dae Hwi I Jin Young I Ji Sung I Woo Jin I Seong Wu I Sung Woon I Daniel