04.
Hidden Wings
04.
Her favorite season is spring. At first, she says she likes spring because of her birthday, but she learns to appreciate the atmosphere as she grows up. She feels like every time the weather turns warmer, the sun begins to appear, and nature awakens, it’s like a brand new start. A fresh start, a new year.
She finds it hard to believe she made her decision to leave her home in the early days of Spring, and now it was approaching Summer already.
She’s waiting for the bus, reading a pocket-sized book as she stands next to the wooden bench. She turns her head to examine the bus schedule, which clearly states that the bus should have arrived around twenty minutes ago. She knows that buses are frequently unreliable, but she still wishes that she was sitting on one right now. She adjusts her scarf to maintain what little warmth she had left.
The bus finally arrives. The bus driver doesn't glance at her as she releases her grip, watching the coins fall into a little slot before he nods in affirmation. She walks to the back, noticing that the bus was almost completely empty and sits down next to the window. She likes to space out in empty buses and watch the scenery. Depending on the time, the scenery is always different. Currently, it is the transition from the morning to the afternoon, around the time Jieun used to wake up when school was not in session. Her favorite mealtime, in fact, was brunch. Her stomach growls at the thought of brunch; again, she wishes that she ate something before running to the bus stop. She almost kicks herself for foolishly thinking that she was going to miss the bus.
Jieun takes her gaze away from the scenery when the bus suddenly stops, and a boy practically jumps onto the bus, widely smiling at the bus driver who actually smiles back. He holds his wallet up to a sensory devise that beeps and he scans the bus. His eyes spot Jieun and he walks quickly to the back, ignoring the numerous empty seats. Gripping a metal rod for balance, he smiles at Jieun and sits next to her.
She likes his cheeks. He has baby fat, something that she always liked. She feels a little uncomfortable knowing that this boy ignored the fact there were so many empty seats and chose to sit next to her, but he takes out his earphones like every other teenager out there and sticks them into his ears. He’s wearing a black jacket zipped to the top with a red hood, and his black hair is noticeably thick.
She is unable to space out with a stranger in such close proximity to her. Dark gray clouds are beginning to cover the previously brilliant blue sky, a sign that it was going to rain later on in the day. She doesn’t like cloudy weather. She knows it’s strange, but she likes it when it’s either sunny or rainy. She can’t stand cloudy weather. A small sigh threatening to escape from her lips, she begins to search for her book in her bag when he speaks.
“Would you mind waking me up later?” He politely requests, holding an earphone in his left hand. “I get a little sleepy when it’s cloudy, and I fall asleep when it starts raining.” He points at the window, his eyebrows slightly raised.
Baffled, Jieun turns her gaze to look up at the window, seeing that it was actually going to start raining in a few minutes. It’s much more cloudy than it was just a few seconds ago.
Jieun turns back to look at the boy, resisting the urge to pinch his cheeks. “I don’t mind at all. How would you like me to wake you up?”
“Just pinch my cheeks.” He puffs out his cheeks and with his right hand, he pinches his cheek, demonstrating just how much it can possibly stretch out. “It’s fun to pinch my cheeks, I hear. Want to try for yourself?”
“No, I’ll pass, but it does appear fun. What stop do you get off at?” Jieun softly laughs at his demonstration. His cheeks were just as stretchable as a rubber band, and his skin really does look as soft as a baby’s.
He rubs his chin, giving her the impression that he was actually contemplating what stop he gets off at. “I don’t know, but I get off when I see a lake. I jog around that lake, trying to lose my extra belly fat. I really like my cheeks, but I can’t stand my belly.”
“It might be because of your jacket, but I can’t see any belly fat,” Jieun points out, admiring the stark contrast between the red and the black. “I’m still settling down here, but when I have time to regularly exercise, I’ll find this lake and jog with you.”
He holds his hand out with a grin, patting his stomach with his other hand. “I’m Yoo Youngjae. I’m going to hold you to that deal. Whenever I’m jogging now, I’ll look for a pretty lady with chestnut brown hair.”
She can’t help but shake her head, laughing at his statement as she shakes his head. “It’s a deal, Youngjae. My name’s Song Jieun.”
They chat for a bit, just about the little things. They chat about how the lake is a sight to behold itself, but the area surrounding the lake is littered with goose waste. She notices that his eyelids begin to flutter more and more often, and she sees that it’s raining. She tells him to sleep at this discovery, and he nods, muttering something that sounded like an apology before he falls asleep. His head rolls for a bit, adjusting angles whenever the bus make a stop, until it finally settled on Jieun’s shoulder.
Surprised, she blushes a little when an elderly man boards the bus and shakes his head with a smile at her. She almost waves her head in protest, but he sits down before she can. Her eyes look down at Youngjae, and she feels oddly at ease with the cheerful boy.
“Youngjae! I see a lake, and it stinks a little. My senses are tingling, and my deductive reasoning leads me the conclusion that we’re near your stop.”
She stands up in front of him, tentatively holding her index finger and her thumb. She stares at the two fingers for a few seconds before gently pinching his soft cheeks, smiling at how his cheeks were really just like rubber. He doesn’t stir, so she uses more force. “Youngjae, it’s time to wake up.”
His eyes finally snap open and his jaw drops. He stares at Jieun for a few seconds before she releases her grip with a satisfied grin, sitting back down next to him. “It really is fun pinching your cheeks,” she remarks and points outside. “We’re almost at your stop, but it’s raining, so I don’t think you should go jogging today,” she tells him with a worried expression, her eyebrows furrowed.
His jaw somehow finds its way back into place, and he shakes his head. “No,” he protests. “I need to work out to enable maximum studying time later. I can't study very well unless I exercise. I’m not in school right now, but I need to keep my brain cells intact and working.”
“If you insist,” Jieun replies, not wanting to take up his time while the bus was slowing down. She waits until he almost steps off the bus and tells him, “It was nice meeting you. We’ll see each other soon in the future.”
“I’ll be awaiting the day I see a goddess running up to me,” Youngjae says in a hurry before jumping off the bus, the doors shutting behind him.
Jieun doesn‘t manager to complete her question when the doors shut. “What nonsense are you sprouting-”
However, when she looks out, he’s standing right next to her window. He sticks his tongue out at her with a cheeky smile, pinching his own cheek as she just sighs and opens the window. “I really don’t know what you were talking about, but you must be delusional.”
“A goddess is a goddess!” He bursts out laughing and waves as the bus continues to drive towards Jieun’s destination.
She’s certain that the building in front of her now will be her favorite location in the whole city. Taking up a whole block, the library is well-known for its extensive variety of books. It offers activities every week that attracts any age groups, and it even has a cafe for those who desire to socialize while eating a well-priced treat.
Her fingers wraps around the metal bar of the door, memorizing the details of the entrance of such a grand building before she pulls it. She walks in with wide eyes, looking up to see how high the library was. Shelves upon shelves of books are meticulously organized in genre order, and comfortable, big couches are right next to the windows. People are standing around the shelves, pulling books to examine the summary, or clicking on their laptops on the many desks.
“May I help you, miss?”
Startled, she gives a little exclaim of surprise before clamping shut. Fortunately, the kind-looking woman in front of her simply smiles in reassurance. “You looked fascinated, which led me to the conclusion that it’s your first time here.”
Jieun clears and nods. “Yes, I was taken by surprise by the structure of the building. I find it amazing that there are so many books offered here! I’ve always wanted to live in a library like this.”
“It’s rare to meet gems like you,” the woman remarks, walking over the front desk. Jieun obediently follows her, scanning the brochures on the front desk. The woman is around her forties, wearing a black sweater and sleek, black pants, complete with shiny black shoes. “I seldom meet young ladies such as you who take an interest in books.” She taps her hand on her face, examining Jieun. “My, my. And you’re so pretty.”
Jieun shakes her head at the compliment. “No, I’m just average,” she brushes the compliment away easily and smiles. “But thank you. My primary intention is to devour these books and take in any new information, possibly finding new favorites, but my other purpose is to find any job or volunteer openings. Is it possible for me to work here?”
“Ah, but of course, of course!” She points at her nameplate. The name ‘Kim’ is etched onto the gold nameplate. “My first name is a secret, so I go by my last name. Everyone’s last name is Kim, after all,” she laughs, a pleasant sounding noise to Jieun. “I like to be called 'Kim’ here. I’m the founder. I have enough staff working here, but I only have one regular volunteer here. I’m sure you two will get along just fine.” She suddenly stops speaking and leans down, holding her hand out. “What’s your name, darling?”
Jieun takes her hand and Kim holds onto it tightly, beaming at her with such happiness that Jieun begins to wonder why this woman already took a strong liking to her. “It’s Song Jieun,” she introduces herself for the second time in one day, her mind wandering off to the time she introduced herself to Youngjae. Hoping that he won’t catch a cold, she decides to visit the lake later to check up on him. She can’t help but worry about him due to her motherly instincts. “I would love to work as a volunteer.”
“Great! Can you start today?” She takes out a navy blue folder and hands Jieun an application. “Just fill this out while I find the other volunteer. He’ll give you a tour.”
“That’s fine with me,” Jieun takes a black pen out of a jar and fills out the form, which consisted of the basic information. Name, address, age, school. She quickly finishes filling out the application and patiently waits for Kim.
A few minutes later, Kim returns with a teenager trailing her steps. He’s noticeably taller than both Kim and herself, dressed in a red varsity jacket with white sleeves. Wearing a thick white hoodie underneath, he matches it with a pair of dark blue jeans and red shoes with white stripes on the side. His dark brown hair is swept to the left, and he looks at Jieun once before looking away shyly.
“Go on, introduce yourself,” Kim urges him.
He looks at Kim before bowing down slightly to Jieun. “I’m Moon Jongup.”
He’s careful to avoid eye contact with Jieun while introducing himself, instead choosing to stare at the walls as Jieun introduces herself.
“Well, that’s nice and well, I’m going to go upstairs now! Jongup, please give Jieun a tour,” Kim pats Jongup on the shoulder as she walks away to wait for the elevator. It might have been Jieun's imagination, but she sees it as a pat of encouragement.
Staying silent, Jongup begins to walk away and pushes open the door clearly labeled ‘Staff Only’, looking back only to see if Jieun was following him. Holding the door open for Jieun, he pulls on a red hat on his head as he taps the clipboard on the wall. “You sign in and out here,” is all he says before she nods, confirming that she’s listening to him.
Jieun tries to take down the clipboard to examine the papers for herself, but she doesn’t want to admit that she’s too short to take it down completely. Jongup, stifling his laughter, takes it down with ease and gives it to her.
As she examines the content, she sees Jongup take down the thumbtack and attaches it to the part where Jieun would be able to reach. 'Silently considerate' is the first term that pops up into her head. “Thank you,” she softly murmurs as she flips through the pages, noticing that Jongup volunteers almost everyday since the beginning of the month.
“Don’t mention it,” Jongup replies even more softly and attaches the clipboard back to the wall after Jieun signs in for her shift.
He rubs his cheeks and opens the door for her yet again, pointing up at the large signs that hovered above certain shelves. “It’s a big building, but it’s a self-explanatory place...signs mark the genre.” Scratching the back of his neck, he awkwardly looks up at the ceiling. “We’re on the first floor right now. We’ll mostly be here since we’ll be helping out the children and organizing their mess. Second floor’s for young adults, and the third floor is for adults. Elevators are for adults and we don’t allow children to use them unless they’re accompanied by adults. That’s really about it.”
She almost wants to raise her hand since Jongup was explaining things just like a teacher would. “Can I ask a question that isn’t related to the tour?”
“I-I guess,” Jongup stutters, taken off guard.
“Why did you decide to volunteer here?” She’s curious to hear his answer. Actually, she’s extremely interested to learn about Moon Jongup himself. There’s something about him that she can’t put her finger on.
He looks down, interlocking his fingers together as the wheels in his mind begin to spin. She feels a little awkward watching him, looking away to examine the books on the shelves. She looks up at the sign that proclaims that she’s leafing through the fantasy section. Her fingers touch a large, hardcover copy of a green book when she spins around at the sound of his voice.
“I’ve always liked books since I was a child,” he says, deliberately choosing his words with a great deal of care. He seems like the type of person who takes his time finding his words when posed a serious question, always taking care to answer the question with utmost honesty. That’s a trait that Jieun has always admired. “I’m passionate about both dancing and reading.”
“That’s a unique combination,” Jieun replies and flips through the green book, randomly reading through a few pages as she looks up at Jongup. “I’ve always liked books as well, but I can’t dance at all," she confesses. She places the book back on the shelf, making sure that she placed it back correctly.
“You’ll get the gist of it if you practice enough,” he answers her, and at last, she sees his smile. Just a glimpse of that smile could make other smiles. It’s a contagious smile that could melt hearts. “The library can get slow at times, so I can teach you. If you want.”
It was Jieun’s turn to look back down. Her own heart was melting, and she didn’t want to smile back at him like an idiot. She doesn’t know why, but it took her a long time to notice how much she liked his eyes. They were a bit on the small side, but that’s exactly why she likes them so much - she always has liked small eyes that disappeared with the act of smiling. Always.
“That would be lovely. Thank you for the future free dance lessons,” she walks back to Jongup and leans against the wall, right next to him. “Is your favorite color red?”
He shakes his head with a small chuckle, pinching his nose as he turned to look at her. “No, it’s black.”
“Yet you’re adorned from head to toe with red and white,” she nods her head in mock understanding, stopping her gaze at his shoes. “I usually see most guys wearing red and black. It seems to be their favorite combination.”
“I don’t like to be included in the majority.”
“Are you in the minority then?”
Jongup leans against the wall with Jieun, the two lost in their own “witty banter”, as Jieun dubbed it inside her head. She’s well aware that their conversation wasn’t witty at all, but that’s how she preferred to call it.
“Like you described me before, I’m...’unique’, right?”
“Minority, then. It's the same as being one in a million - you're around the same as seven thousand other people or so. I'm not very good at math, but you understand.”
“That’s not it,” He stops and sighs, nodding his head again in mock exasperation. She can tell he’s entertained by her. “You can win this time. Just this time, Jieun.”
“Why, thank you, kind sir." Her neck tilted, she looks away and walks away from the wall in a hurried fashion, holding her arm out. Raising an eyebrow, Jongup follows her and looks down and up, at her raised arm and her face, searching for a clue.
“I think our meeting was too awkward, so let’s start over, shall we? I’m Song Jieun, and I’m your fellow library volunteer-in-crime and future dance student.” She steps forward with a graceful smile plastered onto her face, the dim lighting hitting her face at the right angles, giving her a glow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He shakes his head, his mouth making a ‘tsk’ sound as he takes her hand, shaking it firmly. He tries not to smile and fails miserably. This girl was interesting, too interesting to him. “I’m Moon Jongup, and apparently, I’m in the minority. The pleasure is mine.”
Jongup almost retracts his hand with an embarrassed cough, but Jieun lets go first. “Ah, I need to find someone who insisted on running in the rain,” she frowns, looking out the doors to see the pouring rain. “He’s going to catch a cold. It was really nice meeting you, but I’ll be going now.”
“Wait here,” Jongup firmly tells her before disappearing into the staff room before returning with an umbrella. “I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t need to accompany me,” Jieun begins to protest, but he looks at her with a stern expression.
His determined gaze causes Jieun‘s words to evaporate. “You see, a 'kind sir' wouldn't allow a lady to set off on a search unaccompanied, especially in this weather.” His quote makes Jieun laugh, and before she knew what was going on, the two were outside in the rain under an umbrella.
“I feel like a princess being whisked away,” she murmurs under her breath. Upon realizing that he’s extremely close to her, she bites the insides of her cheeks, hoping that her words were washed out with the pouring rain. She slowly looks up, crossing her fingers.
No such luck. He‘s looking down with her with an amused expression. “Is this the part where I declare you my princess?” He teases her, his laughter growing louder when he sees the rosy blush on her pale complexion.
“Kids are growing more cheesy these days,” she counters, shrugging her shoulders as she resisted the urge to shiver in front of him.
“Not especially. I’m eighteen, legally an adult in most countries, after all.”
The two continue their “witty banter” under the umbrella, walking side by side, their steps perfectly synchronized with the other’s steps. Her hands are small in comparison with his, and although she knows that it’s unnecessary, she holds the umbrella underneath his hands.
He’s someone that she wants by her side for a very long time, someone that stirs up her heart.
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