Pairing: Rap Monster (Kim Namjoon) x Baby Soul (Lee Soojung)

P.O.V: Third person view.

Prompt / Scenario: Soojung is an emotionless girl. Not mean, just emotionless. She rarely feels anything but Namjoon is determined to change that.

“Oh shoot, I’m late!” The twenty five year old female heard a voice entered her border of consciousness as she took a number of steps down the pathway leading to the nearest bus stop. Gazing on what it seemed to be a high school student, she immediately tore her stare away from the girl as it was nothing she should be concern of. Her right foot began to instinctively pat the ground while waiting for her bus to arrive. With her usual routine for the day to head over to the local public library, it looked like Lee Soojung is just your typical person who preferred to shut the world around her out with the help of the earphone stuck in her ears.

Once the familiar white with green stripes bus revealed itself, she swung her legs forward before climbing the transportation in an orderly manner. It was common to see various sorts of humans riding the bus on such early morning yet the bus driver seemed to be uncannily enthusiastic of his job of bringing people from one destination to another. She could picture the man’s smile without even looking but she never bothered to be mused about it.

Soojung conveniently found herself a seat by the time the bus arrived at its third stop which was the school. The next would be hers to get off at. For the meanwhile, she decided to take the earpieces off and tucked them into her brown leather sling bag. When she did, it was only then she overheard the female voices seated behind, chatting about the latest news in the entertainment industry. It was regarding a member of an almost nine-year-old boy band departing after his contract ended. By the use of tone, she assumed that the girl who was comforted by her friend was rather sad about the news as the member happened to be her favourite.

The feeling of disappointment on a band member leaving was not something she ever felt in her life as from her stand, she only fond of one group with ‘I’ as the first letter on its name. Other than that, she did not seem to have the need to be disappointed. It was all packed in the past as she learned the harsher reality of life. She preferred not to mingle with such things since there is more important aspect to look forward.

“Can’t say that I am that happy to hear Kevin decided to leave U-KISS. But then again, if it makes him happy, who are we to stop him.” Soojung’s co-worker suddenly confessed once her head snapped up from the computer screen behind the library’s main counter. She thought she could unheard the statement after getting off the bus. Nonetheless, she forgotten the fact her friend was a fan of the fellow as well.

“Why are you telling me this again?” She questioned before her back met with the backrest of the chair she was on. Her friend or namely, Seo Jisoo placed a box of books on the counter, attempted to think of a decent answer for the other. “Just letting out what had been bothering me. You should try that, unnie.”

Fortunately for the young one, she understood how the older’s mind works. Working at the library full-time with the typical eight to six for almost two years, Jisoo learned to give in to the lack of response given by her. Others might misunderstood Soojung’s attitude as straight up rude and mean but it was just her nature not to be emotionally attached. She herself was not able to comprehend the need to even… feel – if that actually made any sense to begin with.

“Anyway, I heard there’ll be a new part-timer joining us later and you have to train him. Finally there will be a male in the workforce. Thought the boss makes it a thing to only have females working here.” Jisoo jokingly mentioned with a light chuckle at the end of her line before walking away from the table to start her work, at last, Soojung thought.

Letting out a long sigh by the time the digital clock in the corner of the computer showed 9:30 am, her eyes wandered from the bright screen to watch the area laid in front of her. Taking in the silent surrounding of the library, she began to question as why it was even open early when most library users would only walk in after the school bell rang and workers punched their card later in the evening. However, it remained unanswered and by the time it was ten, Jisoo came by the counter once again, telling her to switch.

The female made her way behind rows of shelves with a trolley, stacked with non-fictional books as schedule. Her hands visually reached for the reading materials without even a glance as if she knew everything in the back of her mind. It was set up and drilled in deep. Viewing it from one’s point of view, it would be seen like her life was repeating like an old cassette.

And frankly, Soojung liked it that way. She wakes up as early as six in the morning, brushes her teeth, gets ready and eats her breakfast every day. With the same actions carried out, it was no wonder Jisoo worried of the female’s social life. If she tried to break her out of the plan, the other would have her own way to get back on the track. She lives her life like a humanoid. That statement itself was verbally told right on her face but again, she did not respond as what she would have expected. It was unbelievable.

Whilst trapping herself in her own bubble of atmosphere, Soojung’s ears twitched in out of the blue once she caught an unrecognisable male voice by her side. She had no idea how the young lad found her tucked in the right end of the aisle but he seemed harmless until he said the generic word, hi.

“Do you need help?” She asked him instantly with her signature blank face that could raise a red flag of rudeness in anybody’s mind. Nevertheless, this guy adjacent to her was an exception as he merely put on a small smile before speaking, “Sorry for bothering you but the girl at the counter told me you will be here.”

“You’re the new kid?” Soojung continued the conversation, easing her way in as her mind still preoccupied with the book sorting. She could make out the male nodding his head upon hearing her question so without any delay, he began to shortly introduce himself.

“I’m Kim Namjoon and I’m here as a part-timer. I decided to work here because-”

“You decided that you need extra money to pay off your tuition fees. I know, I’ve skimmed your resume beforehand.” She said as she halted her work to awhile to pay full attention at Namjoon who had a slightly astonished expression on his face. Whatever he was thinking, she should clear it up. It was not like she did not know in advance about him walking in his smart casual attire. Her boss did conveniently left the resume out in the open. And by that she meant on the desktop where people would definitely access it easily.

“Anyway, there’s not much to teach you around here. It’s self-explanatory for a part-timer. You just have to rearrange pile of books like this one on its respective places. The codes are usually taped on the spine but if it is not there, you will have to swing by the counter to get the bar code scan and only then you’ll have the code.” She explained vaguely as her eyes unconsciously scanned the male after so long.

His black button-up shirt left opened, showing his red and black striped shirt underneath. Paired it a pair of light brown pants, he appeared simple but once her eyes found his silver locks, she turned her attention away as if it was the most common colour for a hair she ever found. Pushing the cart out of the aisle, she heard the soft steps made by Namjoon following her keenly from behind.

“Jisoo-yah, take care of Namjoon for the time being, would you? I need to go to the restroom for a while.” Soojung stated once she reached the counter where the male only eyed her back figure disappearing beyond the staff’s door located not far away from the place he managed to stay at. “Namjoon-ssi,” He turned his head to look at Jisoo who had a worried expression plastered on her face.

“Just so you know, Soojung unnie is not much of a talker herself. If you need anything, you have to ask her verbally because she rarely understands body gesture. And try not to get offended by her response too.” She told him the unofficial list she had in mind. By default, she would always tell new workers that came by the double glass entrance of the library. She thought it would logical to do so seeing that most would walk out offended by the older girl’s action and statement.

“Will she always have that face on her though? She doesn’t seem the kind to smile often too.” Namjoon stated as he leaned on the edge of the counter, determined to learn whatever he could from his new co-worker. “Sadly, yes. I can’t say why she does that but I assure you that’s nothing. It’s just her being herself.” She replied his questions easily and put on a small smile to let him know everything will be alright.

When the days turned into a week, one fine Saturday arrived which only meant one thing on Soojung’s life journal and that was an off-day. She always has the weekends off as it was the days where most part-timers would fill in her spot as the full-timer. The same could be applied in Jisoo’s schedule too but that one similarity aside, both had different agenda in mind.

“Oh come on, Soojung unnie! It will be lots of fun! It is not often they’re doing such thing.” She put the phone on her ear further a couple of centimetres when she heard Jisoo’s loudness through the call. “Forget it; you don