And he laughed, throwing his head back like the way he always did.

And I grinned uncontrollably at his enthusiastic response, like the fool I always am.

"This is why I like being around you." He said. "You are always full of joy, always smiling. I can't help but smile along when you are around."

I made a joke about that statement, turning my head away from his sparkling eyes, brushing off those words as if they didn't get engraved into the deep corners of my heart.

He wasn't aware of it. He didn't know. He couldn't know. Those smiles were for him, those smiles were because of him.

But what if he knew?

What if he felt it too? What if his heart burns every time he stood close to me, just the way mine does? What would that mean then?

That just perhaps, both of us knew what was happening. And that summer, both of us forget, that we must not play with fire.

I was on the tips of my toes, but I still couldn't see the top shelves. The library was not designed for short people in mind and I let out a sign in frustration at my natural disadvantage.

That was what caught his attention. Sitting on the floor down the aisle, the boy raised his head up from the book he was reading and glanced towards my attention.

"Need any help?"

Yes, I did. But I didn't dare approach him, even though it was clear that he did not share my disadvantage. In fact, it was a personal life goal to actively avoid talking to strangers. It was just how I was.

"Yes, please," I answered quietly, the boy nodded, straightening up and confirming that he was indeed of impressive height and built. I stepped away from the bookshelves while voicing out loud the title of the book I was looking for.

His eyes turned to mine, widening in recognition, before letting out an easy smile. "Can't help you then.  They don't carry that book here."

I threw him a confused look before he thought to continue, "I tried. I love the school library and everything, but they are poorly stocked in fiction. I even filed a proper suggestion letter for them to bring in the full works of this author but nope! They aren't interested in romance novels. Said it isn't educating enough or something."

The boy shrugged before glancing back down at the book he was reading. Just from the cover, it was obviously a romance novel. I blinked back my surprise.

"You are in luck though. I caved and bought it in the end. I can lend you my copy."

"What?" I towards him again.

He chuckled. "I get that look a lot. I am a er for romance alright? You are in the Faculty of Science too, aren't you? I have seen you around."

"Erm… yea."

"Well," he grinned as he waved me over to where the common desktop was. Using the paper and pen beside, he scribbled down a phone number. "Here's my number. You can let me know when you need me to bring the book to school. Don't be a stranger, ok?"

"Right," I said as he handed the small piece of paper. As I reached over, the boy let out a small exclaim.

"That was rude of me! I haven't introduced myself. My name is Park -"

"Chanyeol."

He raised an eyebrow as I continued feebly. "I have seen you around too."

Throwing his head backward, he let out a bark of laughter. "This is silly then. If we have crossed paths many times before, how come we had to wait until this moment to become friends, Kang Yuri?"

"Friends?"

He nodded eagerly. "Well yes. Why do you think I am lending you my book? From today onwards, we are friends."

There were a few things that no one warned me about being friends with Park Chanyeol.

He was an excitable friend who went to the extremes with regards to everything. Chanyeol would run across campus, to show me the latest read he found. Chanyeol would share with me his favorite spots to eat. Chanyeol would appear before me moments after he sensed that I was having a bad day. Chanyeol would be around. Chanyeol, despite his active social life, would always be around with his bright goofy smile.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I had asked him repeatedly.

He would shrug it off and grin. "Because you are my friend."

Maybe that just the way he worked. Simple, and straight to the point. He did not pretend that he did not enjoy my company. He did not hide his affection behind any form of shyness or politeness.

He was like a sun, bright and warm, wherever he went.

For now, he was shining on me.

It didn't take long before my close friends noticed. After all, I was someone without a huge social circle.  There was a tall boy with a brilliant smile who sought my company every day. It was hard to miss. It was impossible.

"Do you know him well? This Chanyeol?" A friend asked.

I only nodded my head.

I knew him well.

He was kind. He was friendly. He was always up for new adventures.

He preferred buttered over salted popcorn.

He preferred staying home with a good romance novel to catching the latest superhero movie.

He had the tendency to wear the same hoodie for the entire month because he did not want to waste any time deciding outfits.

He adored animals, but he had allergies and could not go near them, so instead, he threw puppy looks at them from a safe distance whenever we came across strays.

And when Chanyeol laughed, you just simply laughed along, because his laughter was that infectious.

And when Chanyeol smiled, you just simply smiled along, because who wouldn't smile when this boy with the big heart stood before you?

I knew Chanyeol well.

He was someone that I had never had in my life.

He had a girlfriend.

Nobody warned me, but I knew.

He was someone that I could never have in my life.

The first hint was perhaps, Chanyeol was a lover of love stories.

It was understandable then, that a boy like him, would seek out to write one of his own.

It was heartwarming, I supposed, it was him who found himself with a beautiful love story.

She was a girl, who grew up with him in the same town.

They were neighbors. And then they were best friends.

And as everyone had predicted, they became lovers, each other’s firsts.

A love story like that was one envy by many. They were each other’s past, they were each other’s future. And while Chanyeol spoke little of her, every time he did, the lights in those expressive eyes softened.

She was a part of him, and he never knew life without her.

He never did quite say that out loud, but I was sure. I knew well.

Chanyeol was a lover of love stories. And to him, once you fall in love with someone, you would love her to the end of time. Weren’t that what love stories always end with, happily ever after?

He was simple like that. Chanyeol was not one to complicate things. He was clear about what he likes, and what he didn’t.

But I wasn’t like him.

I was never clear. I would watch him, every time he appeared before me, with a big infectious smile on his face.

What do you like?

Who do you love?

“Here.”

Chanyeol took out a book from his bag, sliding it across the table as I looked up in his direction. It was mine. I had loaned it to him earlier in the week.

“That’s fast,” I said, as I took my book back.

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