Timeless

Description

 

Three words carried on a single breath and weighed with countless promises...

 

Also on LJ here.

 

 

Hopeless dreamer Kim Minseok spends his days fantasizing of other times and faraway places while earning next-to-nothing at a downtown used book store. That is, until a strangely familiar face turns his life into something unforgettable...just like out of the books he holds so dear.

 

 

 

Foreword

 

 

 

“Russian history.”

Kim Minseok blinked and looked up from his September issue of National Geographic.

“Excuse me, sir?” 

The old man cleared his throat, wriggling his thick, wiry moustache in irritation. “I’m looking for a book on Russian history.”

“Oh! Of course,” Minseok exclaimed. He quickly shoved the magazine under the till and swung himself around to the other side of the counter. “What period are you looking for? Ancient? Imperial? Soviet? Do you have a particular author in mind?”

A scoff echoed off the stacks as they sashayed between the dusty rows towards the history section. “As if anyone could pronounce those ridiculous Slavic names,” the man retorted.

At the far back of the store, sandwiched between the politics and philosophy sections, the copious tomes of historical works loomed above them. It was an intimidating sight for literary neophytes but the overflowing shelves of discoloured book spines and delicate, crinkled pages stained by age and use were enough to make Minseok’s passions flutter. The old man, however, appeared bored and indifferent. Before long, Minseok had found a general overview of pre-soviet to modern day eastern Europe and slipped it inside an embellished paper bag. The man barely uttered a thank you before leaving. Light rain escaped onto the welcome mat as the bell above the door jingled and was silenced once more.

“It was no problem, sir. Have a good day,” Minseok mumbled to the retreating figure.    

With a deep sigh, he wandered back over to the history section. There was a Lao Zi biography he’d spotted out of place with volumes on the American civil war and a Thai phrasebook which certainly didn’t belong next to an encyclopaedia of Greek mythology. He chuckled at the image of Odysseus riding a tuk-tuk that popped into his head and slipped it back into the language section on the opposite side. Billowing Grecian robes would hardly survive the frantic, bustling roads of Bangkok.

The rain fell harder and splattered loudly against the windows. Miserable days were Minseok’s favourite; it meant customers were few and moments to flick through a new shipment of books were plentiful. He’d lost count of the hours he’d spent perched on a stool in a dark corner with his nose deep in stories of Red Sea pirates or the discovery of Vedic temples in India or explorer James Cook’s journey across the Pacific. Something in his soul ached to see such great and beautiful things for himself yet a part of him felt as though he already had, like the memory of a past life or a vivid dream he couldn’t quite remember. Déjà vu they called it but he only shook his head in disbelief. Seoul was all he’d ever known. He’d never even set foot on a plane.

Until the bell rang again.

He’d never seen the boy’s face and yet knew it better than his own. It was a strange feeling that tied his insides in knots. Pale pink lips curved at the corners and parted to speak what Minseok would never in his life forget.

Three words carried on a single breath and weighed with countless promises.

“Fancy an adventure?” 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

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whenwillthemadness
#1
I love your writing style so much oh my goodness
yeonxxiv #2
Chapter 2: please please please update this ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC FIC!!!!!
luhanniesflute #3
Chapter 2: damn.....i dug my own grave again. IM DED. The only thing worse than a major character death are uNFINISHED FICTIONS!!!! Seeing this was last updated 2 yrs ago, obv u wont continue this and ive never been more devastated now how am i gonna continue living life knowing ill die without knowing the ending of this. life is cruel and im being overly dramatic rn but shsjdhdhsnd
alamela040401 #4
Chapter 2: It would be nice knowing how this story will end though....so,.... Please do update and continue to write.... Thanks :)
xiurink
#5
Chapter 2: Part III coming soon... ^^

I wish you won't stop writing, you're a really good author. Maybe you didn't stop writing, you just don't have enough time to update. Honestly, I feel sad that you stop posting here. But I'll wait, even 5 years, haha.
jaepooh
#6
Chapter 2: Subscribing! I noticed your update date too late and I was already too deep into reading this to pull out. I just wonder if you have plans of continuing this...? I really love your stories and plots and the way you write. :)
jolliev #7
Chapter 2: this is one of my favourite fics and i hope you will update soon. :)
SongSubin
#8
I should have noticed the last time you updated this before beginning to read it... Now I'm hooked, but you've probably discontinued it xD I really do hope you'll update sometime :)
believeinyourself7
#9
Chapter 2: Hm, I wonder what's up with Tao... But love these chapters so far! Hope you can update soon!
PalmerPie
#10
Why is it so easy to love you and your stories Jesus Christ I CANNOT-
<3