unedited.

            He first sees her on an early September day, the weather being particularly chilly that evening. He doesn't notice her at first but she does. There’s something about the way he carries himself as he scans the area, looking for a table to settle down on and study. She takes a glance at his face, he’s handsome but in a different way from usual. His slanted eyes, dyed copper hair and the small stubble forming on his philtrum makes her strangely attracted to him. She secretly wishes he sits at her table but stays content when he chooses the one across from herself. She watches him for the next few minutes, opening his textbooks, flipping to the right pages and beginning to read. She shakes her head and goes back to focus on her studies, although he stays in the back of her mind.

            He comes again the next day, sitting at the same spot as before. Eunji didn’t have to come today but she cancels her plans with Bomi and Chorong, insisting she had to catch up on her calculus. She does indeed rely on a heavy scholarship and extra studying wouldn’t hurt her - the attractive small eyed male was just a bonus. Just a bonus.

            She begins to visit the library more often, even when she’s ahead of her class and has more pressuring things to do; she still finds time to come.

            Her friends begin to notice her unlikely place of destination lately and questions her about it. She just laughs and tells the truth. “It’s just a small infatuation on some hot guy, that’s all.” They, Namjoo in particular, go on about a library romance and Eunji can’t stop the hope from budding inside of her.

∞

            It was one of those days when she was running late, tired from working her part time job and babysitting her brother, when their first interaction happened. It was a bad day and Eunji thinks that maybe seeing him might bring her spirits up a bit.

            She runs into the library and after remembering where she is, and getting a warning look from the librarians, she slows her pace to a quick walk. She heads for her table and stops in confusion when she sees someone already occupying it. She twists her neck to see if he’s there and calms down a little when she sees his brown tuft of hair but narrows her eyes at the couple displaying gross PDA at her table. Please just get a room. And as if they heard her, they get up, messily grabbing their things, kissing and giving each other bedroom eyes and leave the library. Eunji almost jumps in celebration.

            She quickly walks to the table, her heartbeat picking up. Just a little. She flips her hair as she pulls out the chair but in her haste, doesn’t notice that the leg of the chair is caught with the one beside it and her foot gets stuck in the jumble and she falls. Almost. She stops herself just in time with the help of the table. She mutters a few curse words under her breath, ‘he better not have seen that, what a horrible day’ before helping herself back up and kicking the chair in childish anger. “Aish, you stupid chair.”

            She hears a low chuckle coming from the all too familiar table her eyes have wandered to, much too many times. Her heart almost stops. It’s him, isn’t it? He’s noticed her? She’s quick to remember what just happened and almost groans, the first time he’s even shown he knows of her existence and it’s because of her clumsiness.

            She sits back down in her chair slowly and more carefully, hiding behind her long hair. She can’t stop the pink from colouring her cheeks and quickly glances up, sneaking a peek at him.

            He’s looking down at his books but he’s smiling, still remembering her act. She tries not to stare, his smile makes his eyes non existent and she can’t help but snigger a little at it. He looks up at her suddenly, catching her off guard. She is about to look away but then decides that this might be her one and only chance. She shouts a ‘fighting!’ in her head and attempts a small wave and smile.

            He looks surprised for a second before flashing a smile and wave of his own. She can almost hear the heaven’s opening.

            He mouths an ‘Are you okay?’ and she embarrassedly gives him a thumbs up, nodding her head.

            What a great day this turned out to be.

∞

             It goes on from there. It started out shy but they continue to send each other small waves, smiles and gestures. They mouth sentences like “Have you eaten?” and laugh when one can’t read the others lips and they have to repeat it a hundred times. They wish each other good luck when they know the other has an exam coming up and send goodbye greetings when one leaves before the other. It’s like an unspoken relationship. Of course they could always just go up to the other person and actually TALK but either they’re too shy to or are just content with their current status.

             It leaves Eunji feeling like a whole new world has been revealed in her eyes. The air smells so much sweeter, her family  is so much nicer, even the strangers she meets are much happier.

∞

           Sunggyu doesn’t remember when he first started this whole thing with the girl sitting a table in front of him. He does remember though, when he first noticed her. No, it wasn’t when she almost fell. It was when he decided to take a small break, stretching out his numbed limbs and looking out the window, noting the pitch darkness outside.

           He moves his head in circles, wincing when he hears the cracks. He stops half circle when he spots a girl with her arms folded under her head on the desk. She looks asleep and serene, although Sunggyu can see her dark circles clearly. He tilts his head in thought before taking his things and slowly walking up to her. It’s late and it’d be bad if he left her here alone, he looks around, not seeing anyone else present. He shakes her shoulder softly and she mumbles something incoherent before bringing her head up to squint at him. But he’s gone already, taking off running, not being able to handle it if he had to talk to her. He admits, he’s not much of a talker. All of his current close friends were ones he grew up with and approached him first, he’s just like that.

           From there, he muses, as he watches her comb her fingers through her hair in frustration one day, it must have been when he started falling for her.

∞

           When one of them is gone, it’s usually for a day or two or three or even four but it’s never been for this long. Sunggyu hasn’t seen her for a week and a half. And he’s getting worried. That’s an understatement. He checks the university library at least twice a day to see if she’s there but she never is and he’s left with a horrible feeling settling back in the pit of his stomach. His hopes always go up when he sees someone sitting at her table but it always turns out to let him down. He considers that maybe she’s been coming at a different time but he dismisses the thought, they always come at the same time, it was a silent agreement and besides, she would’ve told him, right?

            He sighs and ruffles his hair, attempting to focus on his studies again but failing.

            Then he suddenly hears clamor and looks up, not really expecting it to be her. But it is. And he’s so overjoyed when she grins at him as she settles into her seat and ruffles in her bag for her needed utensils.  

            Sunggyu doesn't know what's overtaken him but the next thing he knows, he's walking up to her table, palms a sweaty mess, legs feeling like jelly, feet taking steps on their own. He knows she can sense him coming but she continues to look down at her books, unmoving. He wonders if she's feeling like her heart's going to explode too.

            He reaches the table and finds himself unable to look directly into her eyes. He settles to look at her forehead, the part between her eyes. He clears his voice. She looks up at him, partially startled. He wants to apologize and run away but he stays rooted. He's in university for crying out loud and here he is, acting like a little boy.

            "I was worried," he blurts out, thankful his voice didn't crack. But then he realizes what he just said and mentally groans, wanting to melt into a puddle. Not even a hello or an introduction, he must be scaring the poor girl right now. She must surely think he's a stalker.

            She laughs. He freezes. Sunggyu's seen her smile plenty of times before. Seen her smile at the librarian, smile when she finds the book she's been looking for, smile at him even but seeing it up close like this, he doesn't know what to do. Her eyes disappear and her lips open into a wide smile, showing her white straight teeth. He can't help but smile along with her.

            "That's quite nice of you," she says. He almost can't believe his ears. Her voice is deep and soothing, a nice change from the squealing pitches he noticed girls liked to use. But it was how she said it that caught him. Her accent. He's never met someone that had one as heavy as hers. Sure, he knows people outside of Seoul but they practiced for hours to hide their accents, not wanting to be seen as a countryman. She has it loud and clear, sounding even proud of her speech.

            "Where did you go?" he attempts to look into her eyes this time. A deep chocolate brown, matching her long hair. He realizes again a second too late what she might have interpreted from his rushed words. "I mean you don't have to tell me if - "

            "Busan. My little brother got really sick and I had to take care of him for my parents," she interrupts him, her smile never leaving her lips. She finds it amusing how they're only talking now, considering how they've 'known' each other for quite a while now. 

            "Oh."

            "Mhmm," is her reply.

            "Is he okay now?"

            "Yeah, that's why I'm here again."

            "That's good."

            "Yeah, it is."

            Sunggyu is at a loss of words. What does he say now? She notices he's not saying anymore and is simply standing there, looking awkward with his hands in his pockets and looks back down at her books. He's actually racking his brain for a conversation starter. Weather, animals, family. When he finally settles on the safest thing they could both relate to, university, she beats him to it.

            "Would you like to join me?" she looks up at him, eyes bright and shining.

            He cannot believe his luck and ends up nodding his head furiously, not bothering to hide his eagerness. He grabs his work from his previous spot before sitting down in the seat across from her.

            "I've been watching you, you know," he tries to start another conversation but ends up once again sounding like a stalker. "Not in a creepy way," he adds quickly after.

            She does something that's in between a giggle and guffaw. "I know, so have I."

            He beams, she smiles. 

            "Kim Sunggyu," he reaches over to shake her hand. She takes it, he feels the soft warmth emitting from her skin.

            "Jung Eunji."