A bitterly cold winter breeze swept swells of snow crystals from the banks along the sides of the walkway Heechul travelled. The sidewalk led to an old brick and mortar library that had seen centuries turn, several annexes and integrity enhancing remodels, before coming to Heechul through inheritance. Rather than donate the building to the public, the Kim family kept it stubbornly private. Heechul’s father and uncles never felt the desire to study or care for books, the way Heechul did, and nowhere near the expectations of his grandfather. So the library skipped a generation to land on Heechul’s lap through the last will and testament of a stubborn old man with a clear favorite.

The library in Heechul’s care, flourished. Through cleaners, restorers and even new staff, Heechul elevated the building from the bent and tired old man it had taken the shape of. His six million dollar man of a library, broken down and reformed was something he could be proud of and something he knew his grandfather would be proud of too.

Waving to his small staff on the way to his office, Heechul passed through the gate at the front counter. Saving the new orders and donations for Monday, Heechul looked forward to searching through them and breathing in the old and new ink. The smell of the library with its worn and even gently used inventory, instantly calmed and made him feel at home. The smile the scent produced remained as Heechul opened his dark-wooden door and saw boxes upon boxes of material.

Removing his winter coat, Heechul hung it on the back of his door. He left his office open, rubbing his hands together in excitement as much as to warm them from his walk in. Heechul wore a three piece business suit to work every day, atypical for a librarian but that was his personality in a nutshell. While Heechul maintained high expectations toward how the library and catalogue were treated, he could be something of an oddball in that he didn’t care how his coworkers dressed or how loud the building got after hours.

The smile from the smell of books had been replaced by a smile from the thought of work. Heechul reserved the right of inventory as owner and operator of the library. Sometimes the work became too much for him and he would delegate, but most of the time large shipment collections simply meant longer hours. His only obligation to home being his small gray cat, Heechul never minded staying late to get acquainted with fresh books.

Heechul sat behind a desk that looked more like something a judge would own than a librarian would work on. The chair he sat in was tall backed and leather bound, swiveling with his movements. He logged into his computer and accessed the library database. Opening a new entry he then set to work gently cutting open the boxes of shipments and donations littering his floor.

The library staff made sure not to bother their boss on inventory days. While Heechul maintained an open door policy, he generally didn't want to be interrupted when he was with the loves of his life, books. Heechul kept one of the last revenants from his grandfather's time. An elderly woman with surprisingly spry reflexes toward shushing loud patrons. Hwa-ssi, though bent and wrinkled through her battle with time, excelled as their head librarian. Heechul had known her most of his life, retaining memories of running through the halls of this very library as a child, trying to get away from the evil hag monster who would steal all his books. Hwa-ssi played with him when his own parents were too busy bickering over who should rightfully own the library after his grandfather's passing.

Two of the college students Heechul employed ran past his open office door, stealing his attention from his cataloguing. Lina, her long black hair almost reaching her sacrum, stood in view of Heechul's office as he looked up with a smile. She talked animatedly with Eita, a Japanese international student, while trying to keep her voice down so as not to disturb Hwa-ssi. Listening to their lively talk and seeing the way Lina tilted her oval face toward Eita, who still fumbled with Korean etiquette, Heechul suspected they would become a couple. For now Eita still pissed Lina off when he didn't understand her subtle hints. Heechul knew they'd eventually figure it out and his smile widened when they noticed him watching them. Lina initiated the deep bow of apology, followed by Eita. Heechul simply closed his eyes in his cat speak gesture of acceptance and the two of them went back to their work.

Pausing his inventory, Heechul daydreamed about finding love only to remember that he already had all the love he could need. The characters in his favorite books became his treasured friends. And he could never shrug off the comfort of being curled in a blanket at the end of a cold night, swept away to an exotic fantasy land trapped in eternal summer. Letting these thoughts take his worries, Heechul returned to his own work.

“We’re leaving Heechul,” Eita yelled from the front counter, his voice a perfectly tailored loudness that could reach Heechul's back office.

“Okay,” Heechul called after them, realizing the time. “Good night.”

The day closed and Heechul stood up to stretch his back and legs with a deep yawn. Their last visitor left long ago and Heechul sighed, hearing the locking of the main doors. Another late night with one full box left to enter. Heechul luckily had the foresight to leave Heebum, his gray kitty, with enough food for the night.

Pulling over the last box, Heechul smiled at the writing on the side, indicating these were donations. Opening the well-used cardboard, Heechul sat back in surprise, love filling his heart as he looked at one of his most treasured stories. The first fantasy novel he ever read as a boy, practically beamed at him from on top of the other books in the box. Heechul reached down to pick it up, being as careful as a new parent.

Even missing its dust jacket, the love shown to the book was obvious. The well-loved fabric of the hardcover showed threadbare pattern baldness from years of handling. Its pages darkened in a vertical stripe down the middle where fingers once held them down. Heechul could imagine all the children with sparked imagination after reading the story contained in the ink and fiber. He remembered the countless hours of play inspired by his own lightning bolt imagination. This book, more than any other, Heechul could return to over and over and never feel bored with. Lost, temporarily in memories, Heechul rested the book on his lap.

This one novel convinced Heechul's child self that his life forever belonged to books.

Opening the cover, Heechul thumbed through the still crisp pages. Finding one of his favorite scenes, Heechul began to read. His consciousness slipped from the room around him to a dark cliff top where a dragon rider named Leeteuk currently climbed toward a mystical portal. The portal would produce a maiden and she would irrevocably change the course of the dragon rider's life.

Heechul smiled to see his imagination still as vivid as ever. He saw Leeteuk climbing ever closer to the portal that housed the maiden. Heechul could see Leeteuk's masculine, yet soft features, the lean muscle in his body as he worked to get closer to the portal. Heechul's vision of this scene felt so real, he bet with himself he could reach out and touch Leeteuk.

Almost jokingly, Heechul lifted a hand toward the visage of Leeteuk. Heechul found his grasp on reality suddenly tenuous as he felt a strong hand encircle his wrist and tug him through into equally strong, if skinny, arms.