If someone asked Yuri what’s her favorite thing to do, she’d answer reading. She spent most of her time reading, anywhere, anywhen. Wonyoung, her roommate and her friend, always said that she’s weird. Weird for spending most of her time looking down at books, or kindle apps, barely having any social interaction. 

 

Yuri never cared about what Wonyoung said anyway. For her, reading is escapism. When she's in public places, she always felt like everyone had their eyes on her, like they're judging them, and it always made her stomach twist like crazy. But when she had books in her hands, reading through lines and paragraphs, suddenly she stopped feeling sick. Suddenly it's like she's not even there anymore, like she'd been transported to another place.

 

And it's the best feeling in the world.

 

~~~~

 

It was just another Tuesday where she had an hour of free time between her Genetics and Biochemistry class, so Yuri decided to go to the library because it’s the most quiet place in the campus and everyone’s always focused on their things.

 

She chose a seat in the far back of the library where there was nobody and she could hear nothing but the air ventilator. She took out a book from her bag and started reading, it was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe this time. 

 

As soon as the wood was silent again Susan and Lucy crept out onto the open hill-top. The moon was getting low and thin clouds were passing across her, but still they could see the shape of the Lion lying dead in his bonds. And down they both knelt in the wet grass and kissed his cold face and his beautiful fur - what was left of it - and cried till they could cry no more. And then they looked at each other and held each other’s hands for mere loneliness and cried again; and then again were silent. At last Lucy said, “I can’t bear to look at that horrible muzzle. I wonder could we take if off?”

 

Yuri closed her eyes for a couple seconds, trying to really feel the scene inside her. It was her favorite yet least favorite scene. She loved how Lewis expressed the emotion in the scene, but she hated how Aslan died in that scene. 

She was about to continue reading the second paragraph when she heard a loud bump from her left.

 

And there was a purple haired girl on the ground with some books around her.

 

“Damn it,” the girl muttered before collecting her books and putting it on the table in front of Yuri.

 

Oh . Yuri never liked it when someone sat in front of her. Sitting beside her is fine because Yuri couldn’t really feel their existence. But when someone was sitting in front of her, she could see the person over her book and she always felt like the person was looking at her, judging her.

 

Yuri looked down at her book once again, trying to continue. 

 

It’s okay, she’ll be busy working on her assignment or whatever she’s gonna do in the library. She’s not looking at you, she’s not judging you. It’s okay.

 

“What are you reading?”

 

The small girl jumped from her seat, she was definitely expecting that question, any question, anything. She showed the back of the book, not saying anything.

 

“Oh I like that book,” the stranger commented. “Which part?”

 

“When Aslan died.”

 

“Aslan didn’t di--” the purple haired stopped what she was about to say, realizing that she was giving out spoilers (though it didn’t matter to Yuri, she had read the book many times before). “Oh well, enjoy the reading. Tell me your favorite part.”

 

I’m so not gonna tell you.

 

~~~~

 

Yuri met the girl again two days after, at the same time, same place. And she could see her grinning as she walked towards Yuri.

 

“What is it this time?” She put her bag on the table and sat on the empty seat.

 

Just like last time, Yuri just showed her the back of the book. It was Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

 

The girl tilted her head, probably thinking. “Never read that one. I read Eleanor & Park though, a good one. Tell me if it’s any good once you’re finished.” 

 

“It’s good,” Yuri shortly said.

 

“Huh?” The girl looked at Yuri in confusion, she could see that Yuri was now reading the first half of the book. “You’re finished?”

 

“Read it before.”

 

The girl nodded a couple times. “I’m Choi Yena by the way, junior,” she said, then pulling out her hand.

 

Yuri glanced at the hand for a second before focusing on her book once more. “Okay.”

 

“Okay? Tell me your name.”

 

“No,” Yuri said, trying to sound as annoyed as possible. She just wanted to be left alone.

 

“I’ll call you ms. No then.” Yena shrugged and put her hand away, now focusing on her own assignment. “Looking forward to the book you’re gonna read next.”

 

~~~~

 

“Hey ms. No.”

 

Yuri screamed internally when she heard the voice.

 

Why is she here again?

 

Maybe she needed to find a new place to wait for her Biochemistry class. The cafeteria was definitely too crowded. The garden? That might be a good option, she’d check it out.

 

Yena sat in the usual place and took out some papers and pens. “What are you reading today, ms. No?”

 

“Yuri.”

 

The purple haired frowned. “That’s the name of the book?”

 

“No, my name. It’s Jo Yuri,” the younger said. She knew she just lost to Yena’s game but she was seriously annoyed by the name. “Stop calling me ms. No”

 

Yena smiled broadly. “Okay, Jjoyul.”

 

Yuri looked up from her book and stared at the other in confusion. “What even is that?”

 

“Jo Yuri,” Yena said, stressing every syllable. “Jjoyul. Get it?”

 

“Don’t call me that.”

 

“Why?” Was that a pout Yuri saw? “It’s cute.”

 

“I don’t like it. Just call me Yuri.”

 

“Okay Yuri. What book are you reading now?”

 

Yuri showed her the book. It was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

 

“You got taste!” Yena gave the younger an approving look. “It’s my favorite Harry Potter book, probably. I really like how Rowling describes all the scenes. I think…”

 

Yena continued to babble about the book. She talked about the book like she knew everything about it, mentioning every single detail here and there. Yuri really tried to not listen, to just focus on reading the book, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t stop her ears from picking up every single word Choi Yena said, then internally agreeing or disagreeing with her opinions.

 

Yuri decided to keep coming to the library.

 

~~~~

 

Yena always came to the library every Tuesday and Thursday ever since and Yuri felt her presence less and less annoying, she enjoyed it even. She liked having someone to talk about books with and she liked how Yena always had opinions on books she had read. Not just ‘this book is good’ or ‘that book is bad’, but a really detailed opinion about them. Like ‘I think the author doesn’t really care about this character. She made him so half-heartedly.’ or ‘The plot doesn’t even make sense, I think it should be like this.’

 

Yuri enjoyed listening to Yena talking about books, rambling about them. She enjoyed listening to that honey voice of Yena’s, but she wouldn’t admit that, she would never admit that.

 

“Why do I never see you reading a book?” Yena had just arrived at the library when Yuri asked her the question. 

 

“Why should you see me reading a book?” Yena asked back while tying her hair.
 

“Just wondering.” Yuri shrugged. “You seem to know a lot of books but I never see you reading any.”

 

Yena formed an ‘o’ with , “I don't like reading in public.”

 

“Are you reading any book right now?” Yuri asked.

 

“Yeah, Game of Thrones.”

 

“Any good?”

 

Yena shook her head. “Not really my taste. Maybe I should stick with magic and romance.” She took out a notebook and some pens. “What book is it today?”

 

“Campbell,” Yuri said, and then showed Yena the thick thick Biology book, the latter laughed quietly.

 

“You majored in Biology?” Yuri nodded. Yena looked down at the watch on her wrist. “Oh crap I need to finish this in an hour.”

 

~~~~

 

Yuri was truly devastated that afternoon. She didn’t think she could read a book today. Or talk to Yena. Or do anything really. She was sitting in the usual spot in the library, hiding her head in her arms. She just wanted to go back to her room and maybe cry, but she still had another class and she couldn’t afford failing another class.

 

“Jjoyul~” Yuri could hear a husky voice calling her, followed by footsteps that are getting louder. “Hey Jjjoyul, why are you not reading any book today?”

 

“Go away.” The younger didn’t look up. Instead, she buried her face even deeper into her arms. 

 

“Hey.” Yena put one of her hands on Yuri's shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Just go away!” Yuri forcefully removed Yena’s hand and stared at the older. “Why do you have to be so annoying?”

 

And there was a look of hurt in Yena’s eyes. And Yuri could feel the guilt rising up inside her, she didn’t mean it. She didn’t mean to hurt Yena, she wouldn’t ever want to do that. But she did anyway.

 

“I’m sorry,” Yena said with a really really quiet voice before walking away to the unseen.

 

~~~~

 

It had been two weeks since the incident and Yuri wanted to apologize to Yena, but she didn’t know how. They hadn’t met each other since then and Yuri didn’t have the other’s contact, she didn’t know where to find her.

 

Maybe Wonyoung knew, she knew everyone. Well not everyone, probably, but definitely more than Yuri.

 

“Wonyoung,” Yuri called her roommate who was lying in her bed. “Do you know Choi Yena?”

 

“Yeah, I know her,” Wonyoung paused, “Everyone knows her.”

 

And that made Yuri wonder, was she just another acquaintance Yena made here and there throughout her college years? She quickly pushed the thoughts away, it’s not time to think about that.

 

“Do you have her contact?”

 

“No, but I have literature class with her tomorrow. I can ask her for you if you want.” Wonyoung turned her body to look at Yuri. “Why do you even need her number though?”

 

“There’s something I need to talk about with her,” Yuri answered. “When and where is your class?”

 

“East building, room 201. We’ll be finished at 3PM.”

 

Yuri noted the information. Her last class would finish at 2PM, she could wait for Yena.

 

~~~~

 

Yuri arrived at the said room at 2:45 and she couldn’t stop fidgeting her fingers and biting her inner lips. 

 

The door beside her opened a couple minutes later, there was an ocean of people coming out. Yuri tried her best to look for Yena in the midst of people. She found Wonyoung and waved her hands at the taller girl. Wonyoung mouthed to her, ‘she’s talking with the professor.’

 

Yuri nodded and stood just across the door, leaning to the wall. She saw Yena talking to the professor. Yena probably did that a lot, Yuri thought. She really liked observing books, this kind of class should be one of her favorites.

 

Yuri looked down to her hands, fidgeting her fingers, again. She was really nervous. What if Yena was mad at her? What if Yena wouldn’t talk to her again?

 

The brunette was too lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice the footsteps coming close. “Yuri?”

 

Yuri looked up and she found Yena, looking back at her. “I’m sorry about what I did a while back.”

 

Yena furrowed her eyebrows, acting like the incident never happened. “What did you do?”

 

Yuri sighed, she didn’t want to exactly mention what she did, she was guilty enough. “I snapped at you.”

 

“Oh right,” Yena said, finally realizing what Yuri was talking about. “It’s fine, you had your reason. What happened though?” She started to walk to the nearest stairs, Yuri followed.

 

“The professor returned my quiz that day and it was another F. I’m gonna fail if I continue being like this,” Yuri explained.

 

“What class?”

 

“Psychology.”

 

Yena looked at the younger. “I can help you with that! I major in psychology.” 

 

She was?

 

That’s when Yuri realized, she didn’t know anything about Yena. She didn’t know what her major was, what her favorite book was, or what her favorite food was. 

 

“Do you bring your books with you?” Yena asked.

 

“No, I don’t have that class today.”

 

“Do you have class after this?” Yuri shook her head and seconds later, the older already held her hand and dragged her away from the building. “Let’s go to my room then, I have plenty of books that’ll make you love psychology.” 

 

They soon arrived at Yena’s room and the older took out the keys and opened the door, revealing a room with a bunch of yellow stuff here and there. It was the same size as Yuri’s but she noticed that there’s only one bed in the room.

 

“You don’t have a roommate,” Yuri commented.

 

Yena took off her shoes and put her bag near the desk. “Yeah, my roommate last year was a total so I decided I don’t want another one this year.” She then walked to the shelf and started searching for a book. 

 

Yuri scanned through the shelf and found a lot of fiction books, most of which she had also read before. There were the Narnia series, Harry Potter series, John Green’s novels, and many more. There were at least 50 of them, Yuri guessed.

 

Then her eyes moved to the desk. There were Harry Potter’s Funko Pops sitting there. Ron, Harry, Hermione, from left to right. She wondered if Harry Potter was Yena’s favorite series.

 

“Is Harry Potter your favorite series?”

 

“Yeah,” Yena answered, her hands were already holding a book. She then took a seat on the floor and signed Yuri to sit beside her. “Now, let’s start from the beginning, shall we?”

 

~~~~

 

They finished studying 3 hours later and they only managed to cover the first 2 chapters. But Yena explained it so well that Yuri finally understood the basics. She also promised to teach her more.

 

"Do you like reading that much?" Yuri asked. She was resting her head on her knees, blankly staring at the wall in front of her.

 

"Yeah." Yena straightened her legs and put her hands on her laps. "I think I can read up to 100 books in a year."

 

"You're such a nerd," Yuri joked and the older just laughed. "What were you talking about with your professor?"

 

Yena hesitated for a second. "I'm writing a book," she said, "I asked her opinions about it."

 

“Do you think-” Yuri turned her face to look at Yena directly. But what she found was the purple haired looking straight at her, looking at Yuri like the younger was something so precious. 

 

And her face was too close, there was barely any gap between them. And Yuri almost couldn’t breathe, her heart was beating too fast. 

 

“Do you think-” Yuri tried to ask the question again, but she couldn’t. She wanted to ask if Yena could show her the writing, but her words were stuck on the tip of her tongue. 

 

Yena was too close and she was too pretty.

 

“What?”

 

Yuri didn’t answer. Instead, she closed her eyes and moved her face closer, erasing the gap between them. 

 

And then their noses touched. Yena’s skin was cold and her breath was warm and Yuri moved her face even closer. 

 

And their lips met. Yuri could feel her anxiety level rising. This wasn’t right, she isn’t supposed to kiss someone without their consent. What if she didn’t like Yuri back? What if she didn’t want to be kissed? What if--

 

But the other’s lips responded and it felt like the rightest thing Yuri had ever done. Yena’s lips were soft and tasted like the mix of mints and strawberries, there were fireworks blooming in hundreds and thousands of colors inside her and it was beautiful, more than anything else.

 

Yuri moved her hands and touched the older’s face, making sure there was an actual person in front of her, that she wasn’t just dreaming. Then another hand held hers and caressed it so so gently. Yuri thought she could faint from the touch.

 

She didn’t know how long it lasted because it’s like the time had stopped for them as they continued to exchange breaths.

 

And they eventually broke the kiss, gasping for air. Yuri pulled her hand and opened her eyes so slowly. She saw Yena sitting a couple of inches apart from her. Then there was a whisper, so quiet that Yuri barely heard it, “Oh my god.”

 

Yuri wasn’t sure what kind of expression Yena was making at the time. Maybe disbelief was the closest word to describe it. But why? Was it because she liked it so much just like Yuri did? Was it because she didn’t want to be kissed? It must be the second one, it should be the second one. She felt like her stomach twisted again, she just did a really wrong thing.

 

“Yena, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to kiss you without your consent. I’m so sorry. Was it your first kiss? If so then I’m so sorry for stealing it and I’m sor--”

 

“No Yuri, it was...” Yena moved her hands in the air, trying to describe her feelings. “It was so... right.”

 

Yuri nodded, she could feel herself calming down once more. The kiss was so right, like it was supposed to happen right here, right now.

 

It was just silent after that, not the awkward one, just the right one, like how everything about today was right. And then Yuri realized it was late and she needed to go back to her own room, so she bid Yena goodbye and went out after the older gave Yuri her number.

 

Yuri couldn’t sleep that night. Her mind kept on replaying the kiss, the sensation. She had kissed someone before, once, and it was nothing like this. The one she had way back then was just like putting her lips on someone else’s. There were no fireworks and the time didn’t stop. 

 

And then her alarm rang, showing that it’s already 7 in the morning, reminding her that she needed to get ready for class. She got up from her bed and prepared herself, hoping that she wouldn’t fall asleep in any of her classes.

 

~~~~

 

Yuri met Yena a few times in the next week, but nothing had really changed since that kiss. It’s like the kiss had never happened. Did that kiss mean nothing to Yena? Was it just another kiss for Yena?

 

Yuri glanced at the purple haired who was rambling about the book she just finished reading. “Yena,” Yuri called, Yena stopped talking. “What are we?”

 

Yena furrowed her eyes, not quite getting the question.

 

“After that kiss,” the brunette said, “what are we?”

 

“I don’t know.” Yena put down the pen she was holding. “I don’t like labeling my relationship with people.”

 

“So I’m just another non-labeled relationship for you?”

 

Yena sighed, that’s not what she meant. “I like you, Yuri, more than I like anyone else. I can’t say the other L word yet because I think… I think I can still like you even more before I reach that point.” Yena reached out one of Yuri’s hands, holding it tightly inside hers. “But I can’t label it, yet at least. I hope you understand that.”

 

“But if I really have to describe what I feel about you…” Yena looked at Yuri with a soft look in her eyes. “You’re like a book I don’t ever want to finish.”

 

“Because you don’t enjoy being with me?”

 

Yena gave out a light smile and shook her head. “Because the thought of not spending time with you again tomorrow makes me feel sick.”