Author's note: Wasn't going to post it until tomorrow but it's B.I's birthday today!

Music : So into you (cover) by Childish Gambino

Chapter 3 - So into you

 ‘’ Is it okay if I just drop you off here? You just have to walk down the street, I have some business elsewhere.’’

‘’Huh, sure. I will go home don’t worry.’’, Hayi came out of the old blue pickup truck Hanbin inherited from his dad.

‘’You better go back soon because your dad is going to kill me if you don’t, remember that. I will just go check the engine for this little baby since I’m already out and about.’’, he said while patting with affection his steering wheel.

‘’ I will go home Hanbin, just go before they close the garage.’’

He nodded with a smile but quickly his expression became a little bit more serious.

‘’Don’t forget what I told you. A dead Hayi is no fun ‘Kay best friend? ‘’

‘’ Kay…best friend’’, was all she said with a smile on her face. He smirked. She heard the engine growl and she closed the door behind her. He waved before finally turning around. Hayi watched him disappear in the distance. Slowly, she walked down the obscure street. The wind was humid and cold. She inserted her small hands in her thin white coat. In the dark street she saw a small retired building with the lights still on.

‘’It’s like 3 in the morning.’’ She muttered while frowning.

Now she was curious and there was no coming back. There was a cute sign with the name of the place written in beautiful handwriting, The Féerique Library. She entered cautiously the small building. It was a cute small library, the walls inside were all painted in white and there were multiple green plants around the room. But there was a bunch of colorful items around the room that gave a certain personality to the place. There was a pastel pink staircase in the middle of the room. The place was decorated with a lot of small figurines and dainty items to make it more homely. There was a small desk with a little pink bell counter; a big sign was placed over it something was written on it, Ring if you need help. She did but nothing happened. Thus she continued to look around her; the various books just seemed endless even if the place was very minuscule. They obviously didn’t have many clients because the place was in a secluded area of the neighbourhood. Strangely, the library was still open but it seemed it was completely empty.

‘’ How is it that it’s only now that I am seeing this place…?’’, she asked herself while looking around fascinated. ‘’ Hi, anyone is here?’’

Nobody answered she then assumed that no one was here at the moment. An indie playlist was being played quietly in the back. She recognized the song it was Medicine by Daughter’s. She was automatically attired by the fantasy section of the place. All the books were either new or really worn out. They even had a mermaid’s subsection, luckily for her she thought to herself.

‘’Lovely’’, she picked up her favorite children tale, the little mermaid.

‘’ Hello Hanbin’s voice mail, I am so sorry for causing you trouble I just woke up in this library but I realized I passed the entire night out. I am on my way to go home, so I’m not sure what kind of reaction my dad will have but since you’re not picking up. I’m worried you may be mad, I just got too curious yesterday night sorry.’’, she then ended her call and placed her phone in her pocket.

Hayi knew Hanbin would be mad but he couldn't stay mad at her forever. Their friendship was just too precious for that.She looked back behind her while walking down the street to come back home. The sun was still rising and the sky was pink. She smiled to herself after remembering the small message she found next to her this morning.

Greetings, I am the owner of this library. I thought I would recommend one of my favorite books, the original version of the little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. Because it seemed like you would be interested and you will love it believe me. Also, be careful to not fall asleep anywhere, it can be dangerous at night but I didn’t mind your charming visit. I hope you will have sweet dreams.  I keep to myself a lot but your similar literature taste made me smile.

‘’The Féerique library’’ owner and a fellow Mermaid lover.

She looked happily at the note with a gigantic smile on her face. She hold it close to her heart. Hayi obviously wrote a note back making sure she used her best calligraphy to do so.

Hi! Thank you for looking over me after I intruded your lovely library so late at night. I will read this novel with a lot of attention and care. I hope you won’t mind me taking ‘’The Odyssey’’ by Homer. Your entire recommendation shelf seemed to include a ton of Greek mythology fictions and I just got enticed by it because I never read one of them before. I will trust your good judgment. Have a fantastic day and a Good morning!

A weird intruder and also Mermaid lover.

‘’A weird intruder and also a Mermaid lover.’’, laughed Kyungsoo while reading the cute note to himself.

He sipped coffee from his mug and he opened the library like he always did. He grimaced, why did his coffee seemed so bitter now? He always drank it dark and without anything in it. It was bright outside and still freezing. He realized it was still snowing outside. He hated winter most of all seasons but he felt calm this morning thanks to this adorable stranger. He walked upstairs knowing that the library would stay quiet and empty like it always was. Therefore, he didn’t need to stay downstairs and there was a bell that could be used on the counter if a customer was curious about something. He went upstairs with his neatly folded blanket, that he placed back in his room.Afterwards, he sat on a chair in his kitchen. Kyungsoo took for the first time ever the sugar bowl and he versed some in his coffee. He abruptly felt two strong hands on his narrow shoulders. He jumped on his seat shocked.

‘’ Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.’’, murmured his best friend, Jongin. ‘’ I didn’t know you even knew the notion of sugar what is wrong?’’

‘’Nothing, I can’t add sugar to my coffee now?’’, replied the black haired man.

‘’It’s not that, it’s just that it’s snowing outside…’’

‘’And your point is?’’

Kyungsoo sneezed quietly, surprising himself. Looks like sleeping without a blanket made him a bit sick. Jongin looked at him a bit more worried considering the fact that Kyungsoo was never sick.

‘’My point is that right now you should be drinking the darkest coffee ever and go back to your hibernation in your room. It’s always like that when the first signs of winter arrive. You stayed in your room the whole day yesterday even if it was my birthday. That’s normal for you Kyungsoo.’’, explained Jongin while sitting down next to him with a croissant in his mouth.

Kyungsoo knew he was right but he didn’t feel like hiding himself in his room like he always did. Today felt peaceful. But he wasn’t going to say that to Jongin for sure.

‘’Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.’’, was all he said, ‘’I should worry about you instead. You look terrible.’’

‘’Hangover, Hangover, Hangover.’’, Sang Jongin miserably while massaging his temples. ‘’Minji is probably worse, yesterday she went cray-cray.’’

They both stayed silent minding their own business like they always did. Because they were so close silence just didn’t seem uncomfortable anymore it was actually serene. Jongin slighty placed the envelope with his name written on it in front of Kyungsoo. The concerned one looked at it while raising his left thick brow.

‘’ Also, take this back. It’s too much Soo even for me.’’

‘’It’s nothing.’’, he got up without touching the envelope and he put his mug in the washing machine.

‘’I’m serious take it back, I’m not a cause for charity.’’, said Jongin roughly.

‘’I never said you were and I don’t give to charity anyways.’’

Jongin got up and placed it in Kyungsoo’s hands vigorously.

‘’Okay, so if it’s not for you… At least, think about the imbecile you’re dating. Isn’t she suffering with economic issues lately? I may not like her but I’m not totally insensible and I know it also drives you crazy to not be able to help her properly.’’

He placed it again in Jongin’s palms. He knew he convinced him by the look of his dark expression. He was about to exit the kitchen but promptly enough Jongin turned around to catch his attention.

‘’Thanks but it’s the last time. I will pay you back. When I will finally make it, I will pay back everything I owe you. Don’t worry. ’’

 ‘’I’m not, .’’, smiled softly Kyungsoo. ‘’ By the way we had our first client at the library yesterday night after almost 2 years since the opening.’’

‘’ You’re not visiting me as often as you used to. What is happening Kyungsoo?’’, said his worried sister-in-law, Sandara.

‘’ Nothing. ’’, he felt really uncomfortable on this overly mellow brown couch.

She frowned at his short answer.

‘’ I thought we were over the short and unexplained answer’s phase.’’

‘’ Hum…’’, he sneezed violently.

‘’ Are you sick, it’s so unlike you.’’

‘’I slept without a blanket yesterday.’’, he explained quickly without much interest.

Sandara was his sister-in-law and also his psychiatric for some odd reason. She loved to be invasive and know everything about his life but wasn’t what all psychiatrics were like? Probably. She crossed her thin legs and stayed silent with a calm expression.

‘’ What about those dreams? Do you still have them?’’, she asked suddenly.

He thought about the night before and the horrible dream he had but his face stayed impassive.

‘’ No.’’, he lied coldly.

The face of Dara was a mix of confusion and irritation but then she smiled. Another one of those fake forced smiles she always did. She really thought he couldn’t see her annoyance. Funny.

‘’ I know you’re lying Kyungsoo. What about finally going to this valuable program I talked to you about?’’

‘’ Right, because it makes a lot of sense for you to send me to a place for delirious people just because of some bad dreams.’’, his voice was clearly dripping with sarcasm.

‘’ It’s not only the dreams and you know it.’’

‘’The point is I am not crazy.’’, exclaimed harshly the small man. ‘’ Stop treating me like it.’’

She sighed and noted something on her small light green notebook.

‘’ You’re not crazy… I am here to help you, I thought you liked the visit we did the other day.’’

He only accepted to accompany her because he knew Jiyong would be mad at him if he didn’t. Especially, that she’s been pushing him to agree to it for months already. It was a big institute really far from the city in an immense forest.

‘’ Welcome to the YG psychiatric institute! Doesn’t it look charming?’’, said Dara cheerfully.

She inhaled the fresh mountain air loudly.

‘’Very.’’, murmured Kyungsoo stiffly while coming out of her argent Porsche.

They had to do the 5 hour long road trip together alone and it was the worst 5 hours of his life. He was already shaking just to think about what the ride back home would be like. The whole time she played an awful playlist of overly happy KPOP songs and overused pop American singles from the 80’s while singing to it. It was just painful in every aspect. He followed her inside the huge building. Everything was white, absolutely everything.

‘’ Great use of colors’’, he said to himself but Sandara heard him and gave him a disapproving stare.

He really could care less about her opinion.

‘’ Hello Dara, nice to see you after all this time!’’ ,said a small petite blonde girl happily, she hugged her tightly.

‘’ Meet Lydia Paek , she’s the one that’s going to show us around today. She’s a great friend of mine ‘’

The petite lady was going to shake his hand but he refused. Kyungsoo didn’t greet her.  He acted like he didn’t hear Sandara. She knew about his anxiety why did she have to make him go through this?

‘’ Don’t mind him, he’s just a bit cold at first.’’

‘’Ah…it’s fine. Let’s just start the visit!’’

After almost an hour of white corridors and random green plants everywhere. Kyungsoo was just tired and couldn’t wait to come out of this place.

‘’ Finally, we have here our conversational room. Here the patients all talk together in groups to speak about their problems. If you were to transfer you would be part of this Kyungsoo.’’

He looked in the room and all he saw were people that seemed like the life had been out of them. Certain ones were crying, others were laughing hysterically and he even saw a few talking alone. They all seemed so insane while he felt so …sane. He didn’t belong here. He wasn’t crazy; he was not one of them. A little girl came out of the room with a used teddy bear in her hands. Her hair was a bright pink color. She looked him in the eyes for a very long time.

‘’ I know what you’re thinking. You’re also one of us now’’, she said gloomily.

‘’Kari, go back with Mr.Park now! Don’t listen to her Kyungsoo she talks a lot.’’, laughed nervously Lydia.

Hayi entered her home very discreetly. She tiptoed all the way to the staircase to hide in her room but she heard a voice; a beautiful voice, booming loudly in their house. It was heavenly, without even realizing it she was standing in front of the living room. On their plasma screen figured her mom in a sparkling white dress. She looked so alluring and her heart stopped when she heard this voice again. That was her mom singing in a packed and gigantic opera room.

It was incredible, she never knew her mom to be such an amazing singer. Someone suddenly closed the television and her mom started to sob violently. Hayi turned around to see her dad not even looking at her but through her like she was invisible.

‘’Go to your room Hayi, we’ll talk later on.’’, he said without much interest.

He seemed mad, no even more than that, furious. He walked next to her and went directly next to Bom. He hold her close to his chest while she kept crying and he turned his head to stare at Hayi intensely. It wasn’t hard to understand that he wanted her to leave. She did but then after she went downstairs again very quietly and she hid so her parents wouldn’t see her but she could still hear them talk.

‘’Why did you watch those DVD’s? I told you to throw them away years ago.’’, he said accusingly

‘’Well I didn’t Seunghyung!’’, exclaimed Bom almost choking on her words.’’ I didn’t, now what do you want me to do.’’

‘’Obviously you didn’t…’’ He nodded absently and swiftly he stood up to Hayi’s and her mom’s surprise.

He took a bunch of the CD’s that were on the table abruptly in his arms and he looked with temptation in the direction of the fireplace that was still on.

‘’Seunghyung, DON’T!’’

He quickly threw them in the still burning fire. Bom tried to save them desperately but Seunghyung took her in his arms forcefully.

‘’ Now watch them burn and let it sink in Bom. This is your past. I am your present, Hayi is your present, WAKE UP FOR SAKES!’’

She shakes her head while crying. Her face only reflected a deep misery.

‘’ How long are you going to cry Bom? I AM SUFFERING, YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT WANT’S TO ING CRY OKAY…How long as it been since you even looked at Hayi.’’, he sighed’’ your own daughter Bom, why are you doing this to her and to me?’’

Now he was crying. Hayi never saw her dad cry before. He was always so cold, he had nerves of steel but today everything went into pieces.

‘’I love you too much to see you like that every day. I love you so much I even thought about killing my own daughter, I was so out of my mind that I thought about killing my own blood because of you Bom. Stop this misery.’’, he cried insanely like a pleading child.

Bom was now impassive.