Preface: On Love

As Momo hurt, Mina learned to love.

Growing up, Mina never cared for love. She didn’t understand love, and its value in life. Love was a luxury in her eyes—something superficial and unnecessary. She cared about success, which she felt was more tangible a concept to grasp than love. She’d live her days with the hope that she’d find success, and paying no mind to love. Love was a topic that remained hidden in the back of her mind. She lived life as it came, in no rush to find love or to get settled in a relationship. She wouldn’t chase love.

She’d let love find her.

If it was her fate to fall in love, then let it come; she won’t wait in the meantime.

Always, she garnered much attention from classmates, even strangers. Many fell in love with her for her elegant figure and noble personality. Yet none of them would be successful in their chase for her. Due to her ignorance to love, she paid no mind to her suitors. She would see nothing in them, so she believed her effort shouldn’t be wasted searching for something that isn’t there. One by one, their love for Mina was lost. For most, this love simply disappeared; for one, this love became pain.

The closest she got to love as she entered college was her relationship with Momo. It wasn’t love that she felt in their friendship, and she knew that. With the way Mina cared too much for Momo, she knew it had to be close. She’d run to the end of the world if Momo asked her to. She’d give her life for Momo’s happiness. She’d keep Momo close to her heart, until the day she turns to ash. She’d keep her close, but not in her heart. It wasn’t love. But if that was the closest that Mina would ever get to love, then she’d be okay with that.

Fate had other plans.

Soon, love would find its way to Mina, and it came to her in the form of beauty.

When love found Mina, it was like a wrecking ball had appeared out of thin air and went straight for the walls around her heart. She learned to love while Momo’s hope in love had long since disappeared.

Beauty taught Mina love. The world changed when love overcame her heart. The colors in the sky became more vibrant, especially at dusk and dawn when the sun would paint the sky the way an artist brushes streaks of color on a canvas. The sounds of the wild became soothing, a playlist of a variety of music that she could listen to at any time of the day. The scent of the trees became a healing remedy, more effective than any artificial medicine. The taste of ripened fruits became sweeter, not at all sour or bitter. The heat of a fire became comforting. The chill of falling snow became thrilling.

At the center of the world’s beauty was Sana, the most beautiful of them all.

Mina would chase Sana forever, simply for the reason that it was love.

FRIDAY, 6:05 PM

“There it is. Shakespeare.” The librarian gestures towards the shelf with her hand, indicating the small collection of Shakespeare works that the school has.

“Ah, okay.” Tzuyu nods her head to Chaeyoung before turning to the shelf. She bends over, eyes carefully scanning over each book.

“Are you, um, looking for something in particular?” Chaeyoung asks timidly.

“Hm.” Tzuyu ponders for a moment, her eyes still on the shelf. “Ah, I found it.”

She reaches towards the shelf and pulls out a book. Curiously, Chaeyoung glances over the title, reading it to be Romeo and Juliet. It’s a classic romantic tragedy, and a surprise to the librarian. She didn’t expect Tzuyu to be the type to enjoy reading romance.

“All good then?” Chaeyoung asks.

Tzuyu nods. “Yes, thank you.”

Chaeyoung watches Tzuyu’s back silently, unsure what she should do next. Usually, when the student says thank you, it’s her cue to leave. So she should leave now, right?

But Chaeyoung can’t look at or treat Tzuyu as just another student who needs her help. She wants to do more for her than her librarian duties. But it’s hard to help her as an acquaintance would when she only knows her as a librarian knows any student.

“You’re right, by the way,” Tzuyu suddenly says, her eyes on the book in her hands.

“Huh? About what?”

Tzuyu straightens herself, and turns her body from the shelf to face Chaeyoung.

“I don’t read poetry. Or plays.”

“So, then why the sudden interest in Shakespeare?”

“Reading is how I understand the world,” Tzuyu begins to explain, “I think it’s about time I broaden my perspective on tragedies and comedies.”

Chaeyoung nods slowly, unsure how to digest the news.  “Reading is how you understand the world?”

Tzuyu takes a moment to scrutinize the confused look on the librarian’s face.

“Do you read much, unnie?” Tzuyu asks.

“No. I’ve tried, but I don’t think I have the patience,” Chaeyoung admits to the booknerd, nervously scratching the back of her head.

Tzuyu giggles. “I suppose librarians don’t have to know books, just where they are?”

Chaeyoung forces a laugh to loosen her uptight composure. “Yeah, you’re exactly right.”

“Well, you should try it. There’s always some truth to be learned by reading books.”

“Even fictional stories?”

Tzuyu nods. “Especially fictional stories.”

Chaeyoung lets the thought sit for a moment. She doesn’t get it. Reality and fiction are two separate identities, opposites that lie on separate ends of the spectrum. Just as art and nature are separate, reality and fiction are too, in Chaeyoung’s mind. Or had that been the wrong way of thinking this whole time? Reality is entirely real, just as art is entirely beautiful. But maybe she should consider that fiction has some reality to it, just as nature has some beauty to it.

“Read Romeo and Juliet with me, unnie.”

“Huh…?”

Tzuyu takes another copy of the book from the shelf and holds it towards the librarian. “It’ll be like an informal literature class. We’ll read a scene one day, discuss it the next day, and then repeat.”

The non-reader in Chaeyoung wants to refuse. But the lovestruck fool in her doesn’t allow the non-reader to win. So Chaeyoung takes the book from Tzuyu’s hand, slightly jolting when her fingers accidentally graze Tzuyu’s.

“We’ll have discussions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You better come to every discussion having read the assigned scene, alright?” Tzuyu says with a pointing finger. “And don’t worry, weekends will have no assigned readings.”

Chaeyoung nods slowly. “Uh, where and what time will the discussions be?”

Tzuyu ponders for a moment, and then a small smile comes across her face once she’s made up her mind. “I’ll come to you, librarian.”

The librarian stays frozen in her spot as Tzuyu turns on her heel and leaves. She’s left to savor Tzuyu’s final words, that rest on her ears like a sweet hummingbird floating beside a tree branch.

Wow, being called a librarian never sounded so good.

FRIDAY, 6:10 PM

“Excuse me, are you okay?”

The woman leans closer, holding her hand out in front of Dahyun’s face.

Meanwhile, Dahyun only continues to stare. Her eyes dart back and forth across the woman’s face. She observes every feature on the woman’s face as if scrutinizing a marble model sculpted by the hands of God. Her sharp eyes have a soft gaze. Her arched nose slightly scrunches when she worries. Her thin lips are pursed, revealing her white teeth behind them. Her face is small, and converges down to a narrow chin. She’s glowing. It’s unreal how someone’s appearance could not only look so bright, but feel bright too. Dahyun wonders if anyone else’s face shines as brightly as hers does, or at all.

Dahyun glances down at her outstretched hand before looking back up to her face.

“You’re beautiful,” she admits shamelessly.

The woman only raises an eyebrow at the sudden compliment, her lips forming a small smirk. “Right now is hardly the time for a compliment.”

Then Dahyun remembers where she is and what is happening. Here’s a brief recap in case you need it—because Dahyun needs it. She was running when she got body-checked by a woman, who happened to be very beautiful, and now she’s at the feet of the beautiful woman, who’s leaning over her with a hand outstretched to Dahyun. And that’s what you missed on “This is Actually Reality and Not Some Fictional Story So Get Yourself Together Dahyun”.

A blush consumes Dahyun’s face. She doesn’t know what compelled her to suddenly compliment the woman’s beauty.

“I’m sorry!” she exclaims, ignoring the woman’s outstretched hand and hopping—strangely very quickly—to her feet. She bends her body at a ninety degree angle and bows in apology to the woman. She keeps her head down, hiding the blush that overcame her face.

The woman laughs, a short melodic rhythm to Dahyun’s ears. “Don’t apologize. I get that all the time, only this one has been the most entertaining.”

“Entertaining?” Dahyun looks up curiously, her body still bent. She wants to make sure she heard the woman correctly.

“I’ve never had someone compliment my appearance after I just threw their body to the floor.”

“Ah.” Dahyun scratches her temple anxiously as she straightens herself. It’s more embarrassing than it is entertaining to her.

“I’m sorry I ran into you,” the woman apologizes.

“I’m sorry too! I should’ve been more careful.”

“You and me both,” the woman says with a slight chuckle. She scrutinizes Dahyun for a bit. “Were you in a hurry to get somewhere?”

“Oh, yeah. I was…” Dahyun glances down, taking a moment to think about what had gotten her in such a rush.

Ah, right. Mina and Momo.

Dahyun glances up, eyes searching past the woman’s figure. When she fails to find Mina or Momo anywhere, she lets out a sigh.

“It’s fine. Another time, maybe.”

The woman nods slowly. “I hope I didn’t keep you from anything important,” she says, her voice apologetic and shameful.

Dahyun suddenly feels bad, even though she shouldn’t. It must be the woman’s tone of voice and that upset look on her face that’s gotten Dahyun’s stomach twisted like a wrung piece of cloth.

“Oh, no. It’s not important at all!” she exclaims, although maybe it was kind of important to the author. But when the frown on the woman’s face is replaced by the sweetest smile, Dahyun finds herself questioning whether Mina and Momo are truly a priority when the smile of this woman exists. All that mattered for a moment was this woman’s smile and happiness.

Dahyun shakes the thought. What a weird thought to have so suddenly?

“Ah, good then,” the woman says with a sigh of relief.

Dahyun only manages a small smile.

“Well, I shouldn’t keep you,” the woman comments. She nods slightly towards Dahyun before turning around to leave.

“Uh, let’s run into each other again sometime,” Dahyun blurts out. She doesn’t know what compelled her to say that. Perhaps it was the sight of the beautiful woman’s back on her as she was about to leave. Seeing her back turned to Dahyun set off an alarm in her heart. Like she shouldn’t let her go so easily. She would admit that maybe a little part of her didn’t want the woman to leave and never come back.

The woman looks over her shoulder with a small smirk on her lips. “Maybe not so violently next time?”

“I’m… honestly good with whatever,” Dahyun admits. The conscience in Dahyun’s body panics, as her heart speaks before her brain does. Dahyun feels like a helpless soul looking through the lens of her eyes and unable to control herself.

The woman laughs at the comment.

“You’re cute. See you,” the woman says with a wave of her hand.

“Yeah, you too.”

Which comment was Dahyun referring to when she said “you too”? Probably both.

Dahyun watches quietly as the woman walks away from her, the shape of her back shrinking until it disappears from view.

Ah.

She forgot to ask for the woman’s name.

FRIDAY, 6:20 PM

“Chaeyoung! We need to talk!” Dahyun exclaims loudly as she enters the library.

Chaeyoung glances up towards Dahyun with a menacing glare in her eyes. “We’re in a ing library, Dahyun,” she whispers, although it’s not that quiet since she’s trying to carry her voice over a considerable distance.

Students nearby chuckle quietly at the humorous exchange between the librarian and her friend. Those who frequent the library have heard those words from Chaeyoung’s mouth much too often.

Dahyun marches towards Chaeyoung and slams her hands loudly against the surface of the front desk. Of course she paid no mind to the librarian’s reprimander. “We really need to talk,” D