The familiar musty fragrance of paper and ink drifted into Sulli's nostrils as she gingerly flipped open the covers of her new book. Jane Eyre, one of her all-time favourite classics. 

Leaning back into the comfortable seat at the cafe, Sulli began to read. To her, reading was by far her most preferred pasttime. Reading was her escapade from the harsh realms of reality -- She could seek solace in the gentle murmurings of the male lead against his loved one's ear, seek enlightenment in the wise words of elderly figures and have her heart broken by the demise of the characters in the story. 

“All my heart is yours, sir: it belongs to you; and with you it would remain, were fate to exile the rest of me from your presence forever.” Sighing in relish, Sulli took a sip of her caramel frappucino. The water droplets condensed on the glass surface wettened her palm and she rubbed it against the hem of her skirt carelessly, before flipping to a new page. The love story in Jane eyre had always been a dream for her. In this world, in this dog-eat-dog world, which woman will willing go back to her old lover and care for him when he had lost his hand and his sight, and even agree to give him her hand in marriage? Sulli's smile widened as she thought of the prospect of finding someone who will love her with his heart, and not just with his eyes. She knew that she wasn't a striking beauty. Her features were not outstanding, but the usual serene expression on her face was enough to make boys' hearts flutter(provided that they weren't the superficial ones). 

Little did Sulli know, that the brown-haired barista named Lee Taemin had already been observing her for weeks. It amazed him how a person, a living kicking human being could possibly sit so still for such a long period of time, her eyes showing all sorts of emotions as she read on. It also seemed impressive to him that a person was capable of finishing a book so quickly. But what stuck him the most was the expression on Sulli's face. The placidity displayed on her doll-like face was alluring -- he could stare at her for hours and hours without shifting his gaze away. 

"Oh no," Sulli suddenly whispered, hastily wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. On a particular page of the book were 2 little wet puddles -- she had cried again, despite having read the story for umpteen times. Gently wiping the wet blotches with tissue, Sulli allowed her mind to wander. Given Jane Eyre's knowledge, wisdom and character, would she still be as happy if she married to another man? Would she...?

"Here, miss. More tissues for you." A warm, husky voice jolted Sulli back to her senses and she looked up to see a clean-cut boy gazing down at her. The smile hooked on the corners of his lips were like hot cholocate on a cold winter day and she felt her toes curl at the intensity of his gaze. Her heart started speeding up as she accepted the tissues with quivering fingers, barely able to mouthe words of gratitude. A line from one of the books she read a long time a go flashed acrossed her mind. 

Love is thus simple -- You know it has bestowed, when everything about him feels right. 

"I'm always seeing you around here. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?" Taemin asked, his hazel brown eyes staring straight into her soul. 

"S...Sulli," she managed to choke out, cheeks gradually turning crimson. 

"Taemin. Nice to meet you." 

"Nice to meet you too." 

And right then, both of them knew, that it was the spirited beginning of their brand new relationship. Perhaps a fairytale ending was too far ahead, but in the very least, the characters were set and their very own story was definitely something worth expecting.