Yujin was particularly intelligent, having graduated the top of her university and even now, working as one of the researchers at a nationally recognized science facility. All her life, she focused on understanding theories, writing good reports and acing her papers.

 

 

Her life revolved heavily on her academic performances, barely leaving any time at all for anything else. It was worth it to her, because she actually loved what she did and she made her family proud. She managed to find a spot in their legacy which consisted of generations of professors, doctors, entrepreneurs and alike throughout the family tree. They expected big things from her and they weren’t disappointed. They were proud of her, but recently, it seemed like they were expecting even more from her but this time, in an area she was completely foreign to.

 

 

“Are you seeing someone yet?”

 

 

“Still single, Yujin?”

 

 

“Your cousins are getting engaged, when will it be your turn?”

 

 

Yujin was smart, but she hadn’t had any experience in love or anything related to it. She had always declined potential suitors throughout her life, knowing she wouldn't have time for it nor was it a good time to have one. She wasn’t and hadn’t been looking, because all she wanted was to do well in school and achieved it, fairly easily too. She barely even had friends, only one that stuck since the first year of university.

 

 

Now at the age where she should be thinking of settling down and finally looking for a progression in her personal life, she sat in the fairly small library next to the facility during lunch time every chance she gets for the past 2 weeks, flipping through several self-help books about dating and courting. Someone had finally caught her attention, making her feel the flutters of attraction for the very first time. She had finally felt the yearning for something — anything — and for once, she was clueless on what to do. She wasn’t that stupid, of course, thankfully, but out of pure habit, a little research didn’t seem completely worthless. She had even started on reading romance novels before bed, because maybe they had something useful in there, something that could help her inexperienced heart. Maybe, she thought, they could give her a little insight on what she was actually getting herself into.

 

 

She wouldn’t say it had all been redundant and a waste of time, but yet, now buried behind a stack of dating and love related books, she had to admit that it wasn’t completely useful either because unlike science, people were highly more variable. A theory might or might not work, depending on other variables like the place, the way it was carried out and even the parties involved. It had a lot more variables than it had constants, and it was scary. It was like carrying out an experiment, almost blindly, and Yujin wasn’t sure what was the safest, fool-proof way; she wasn't even sure of the standard procedures.

 

 

 

'Can I borrow your library card?

 

[Why?]

 

Cause I’m checking you out.'

 

 

 

She visibly grimaced, closing the book on popular pick-up lines after only the 4th one on the first page, and putting it aside. She doubted any of those would work on the person she was attracted to and sighed, looking over to counter right across from her table. Even from behind her makeshift fort of dating tips, cheesy pick up lines and sappy love poems, she had a clear view of the main reason for her helplessness.

 

 

Sitting upright behind the counter by the library entrance was a girl typing behind a desktop, hair tied up in a bun, her bangs neatly framing her gentle features, dressed in what Yujin had assumed to be the dressing code of a creaseless white button up shirt and a black pencil skirt. Yujin lets herself stare for a moment before drifting to the name plate on the wall behind her.

 

 

Librarian in-charge: Chaewon Kim

 

 

She had doubted it was her name at first, since there were a few others working there but she had by chance heard another girl call her that and remembered being secretly grateful she decided to drop by that day. Chaewon, she smiled unconsciously. Pick up lines surely wouldn't work on someone like her.

 

 

Yujin had retreated to the library for a change two weeks ago, stepping into it for the first time in a whole year of her working in the facility. Their facility had their own library, thus, she never really visited the one next to it and judging by how empty it was, she doubted many knew of its existence in the first place. She had been browsing the shelves and briefly met the eyes of the most beautiful girl she had ever seen as Chaewon was walking back to her counter. She looked so beautiful, all sophisticated and smart with a confident poise aura surrounding her that made it hard for Yujin to tear her eyes away. She remembered surprising herself as she was literally checking her out when the girl walked past gracefully, leaving a soft scent of vanilla behind her.

 

 

Yujin had been inexperienced with dating, and never really knew that she could even be interested in another girl but she definitely knew attraction when she felt it.

 

 

Granted, this wasn’t exactly what her family had meant when they told her to start looking for someone but she figured, she had been doing everything to make them proud; she had done it all with them as her priority, herself only coming in second, and this time, she was determined of choosing her own to love just like she did her course of study when her family had wanted her to take business instead.

 

 

They had to give it to her at least that, they had to at least let her choose who to love, regardless of background, career or in this case, gender. Thankfully, she did have a cousin who was gay. He came out to the family at a gathering, his hand holding his partner's, and although it wasn’t exactly what the elders of the family had wanted, they hadn’t treated him any differently nor were they unfriendly to his boyfriend. She was proud of them for that, and hoped that this time, they would accept it too.

 

 

 

Her phone vibrated and she looked away, checking the text she received from her best friend since university, who was also currently her colleague.

 

 

"I tried asking around and scored. She’s just a year older, single, available and supposedly rather open-minded, says Eunbi from clinical testing department. They’re friends, apparently. You’re welcome.”

 

 

She read the text, feeling her heart increase its pace and her thoughts going into a frenzied state. Another text came in.

 

 

“Go for it.”

 

 

Her fingers nimbly typed a reply and  she only managed to realise how dumb she sounded after she had sent it.

 

 

“What do I do?”

 

 

She frowned at her own question. She could see her best friend was still online and anxiously waited for a reply. It might be a dumb question, but she couldn’t help hoping the other girl actually had an answer. It didn’t take long for a response.

 

 

“Don’t be stupid, Yujin. Just be you.”

 

 

Well, that wasn’t helpful at all. She sighed, opting to put all the books away when she noticed her lunch time would be ending soon and she should probably grab a sandwich before going back to work. She tidied the table and placed the books on the return trolley, all the while still thinking what she should do. Chaewon was surrounded by books. How do you ask out someone who probably had read a lot of romantic novels and probably had a certain standard or idea of romance? How can she meet them when she was completely new to attraction in the first place? Funny, she never had worries quite of this extend when she had her thesis due or even when she had to write up a full report to her supervisors.

 

 

She was about to leave, but her feet stopped right in front of the counter, facing the doors. She couldn’t possibly leave without saying something right? Maybe say hi? Introduce herself? It’s been two weeks after all and she should prob—

 

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

 

She jumped at the question and turned to see Chaewon eyeing her curiously. It wasn’t loud. She wasn’t loud at all, but Yujin hadn’t expected Chaewon to notice her when the girl had been typing away into the computer.

 

 

“Can I borrow a library card?” she all but blurted out and instantly felt her face grow warm. Oh god.

 

 

“Oh, why? Did you forget yours?” Chaewon asked politely.

 

 

“Uh, cause I’m checking—,” she hesitated, “— you out?” It came out as a question and she mentally buried herself in the ground. Thankfully the library was close to empty, the only other occupants were sitting quite a distance away from them.

 

 

It was all quiet again with Chaewon staring at her in surprise before she started laughing softly, muttering, “Well, that’s new.”

 

 

“Um, do— can I have a paper and a pen, please?” Yujin asked suddenly, feeling embarrassed but glad that Chaewon didn’t seem put off by it.

 

 

Chaewon chuckled again, looking very amused, before nodding. She smiled, placing the items on the counter. “Here,” she said before turning back to the desktop, the smile never really leaving her face. “Cute,” Yujin heard her mumble and blushed again.

 

 

As the typing resumed, she slowly reached out for the pen. Her mind completely blank, she had asked it on impulse, wanting to delay her leave and get herself out of the awkward situation, only to put herself in a different one. She pursed her lips and her best friend’s words repeated in her mind.

 

 

“Just be you.”

 

 

 

She sighed, sparing Chaewon a small smile, shaking her head when the latter looked questioningly at her. She looked down again at the blank paper barely bigger than the size of her hand.

 

 

She had read of love poems, read of love stories and corny lines, but instead, she picked up the pen and wrote her own words. Shutting down her mind, she let her heart speak instead. She didn’t write much, deciding to get to the point and hope for the best. Please let this work.

 

 

 

'Hi Chaewon,

 

I'm Yujin. I was wondering if I can bring you out for dinner some time?'

 

 

 

She took a deep breath before putting the pen down, rereading the words over and over before timidly sliding it towards the girl, gesturing her to take it when Chaewon looked at her again. She could ask that out loud, of course, but she wasn’t sure she could do it without stuttering, nor did she want anyone to overhear it should they walk in or out. She studied the girl’s expression as she read the words. Time seemed to have stood still because Chaewon hadn’t moved, eyes still staring at the paper and Yujin felt her heart pounding hard against her chest, fingers nervously fiddling with each other as she rested her hands on