BEFORE YOU READ IT - I MUST TELL YOU SOMETHING. This isn't my story. well. it is, because I wrote it, but it's based on a true story in a news article I read a while back. yes, yes, it has stuffies to do with poems, but you know, poems have had an impact on this oneshot collection for a while now. The story doesn't flow that well because you guise already know what sungyeol looks like (cue ugly writer sobs) but try your best to be open minded. I'm going to post the link to the true story at the end so it doesn't spoil anything ^^

If anything, Myungsoo could say that the bookstore was one of his favorite places in the world.

                It was weird, really, considering that his family was one of the richest in the country and that the bookstore was actually a second-hand bookstore. Meaning they’d probably be in awful condition, have marks all over them, smell a bit funny.

                But that was possibly one of Myungsoo’s favorite things about the store – those little etches on the books gave them character. Gave them feel. And since they were usually cheap, he could pay for them by hand-drawn cash without any of his parents knowing that he was buying torn-down books when he was liable to buy the finest copy with an author’s signature and a personal note printed on.

                “Hey, Myungsoo!” the woman working at the counter called out one February day when he came in to the store.

                “Hi,” the teenager greeted, bowing his head just the slightest bit. “How are you?”

                “Oh, I’m doing fine,” Jia (that was her name, and apparently she was Chinese) waved. “You? Having a fun Valentine’s day so far?”

                “Valentine’s day?” Myungsoo’s eyebrows furrowed before he finally nodded, tucking his cold, un-gloved (despite his mom’s constant protests) hands into his coat pockets. “Today’s Valentine’s day?”

                “…And this why I tell you that you should go out more,” Jia clucked, walking around the counter. She was wearing the simple bookstore uniform; a black collared shirt tucked into blue skinny jeans. “How about this, since you probably spent most of your Valentine’s day at home by yourself locked in a room” (oh, how well these people knew Myungsoo) “, we’ll get you some romantic poetry today. How does that sound?”

                “…I’m not really into that kind of stuff,” Myungsoo answered, scrunching up his nose.

                Sighing, Jia walked behind him and latched her hands onto his shoulders, shoving him into the back of the bookstore. “Or we could just get you normal poetry. To be honest, the stuff is literally stashing up here and I need to sell it.”

                “I’ll buy all of it for you, if you want,” Myungsoo offered, lazily dragging his feet along as Jia pushed him forward.

                “It’s okay, I only want you to buy books that you need.” Jia let go of the teenage boy when the arrived at a bookcase nailed to the back wall. “Look at them. Most of them are actually really good, but nobody bothers to buy poetry anymore.”

                She hummed a bit, then walked away, knowing full well that anything on the lines of books would intrigue the lone boy.

                Myungsoo just looked forward, skimming his fingers over the spines of the worn-out books, smiling as he read the titles.

                He kept walking back and forth until THUD, a loud fall came from behind him.

                Whisking around, Myungsoo stared at the pile of fallen books that were squashed into the shelf – Jia was right, this place was getting overloaded.

                He side-glanced to the woman to inform her on this, but she was already talking to a man that had come in, so he decided it probably wasn’t a good idea to bother her.

                Taking a few steps forward, he bent down and picked up all the books – big, heavy hard-covered ones that were used in school, some thick and a paperback, and a single one –

                Myungsoo stopped, laying the pile of books back onto the shelf. He glanced at the book again, a pretty torn one that was about the span of 1/3 his index finger nail. It was thin, light, and had a black cover entitled Poems.

                “That’s pretty simple, isn’t it?” the boy muttered to himself, standing up as he examined the book thoroughly. He flipped through it, noticing some scribbled in pencil marks, and decided it’d be a joy not only to read the poems, but the notes also. It gave a little window to the writer’s life, and Myungsoo liked windows.

                “Find anything you like yet?” Jia called out from the counter, and that’s when he realized the guy had left.

                “Yeah!” he shouted back. Turning around, Myungsoo pointed at the little book. “I’ll get this one.”

The first thing Myungsoo did (after greeting his mother) when he arrived home was run upstairs, throwing his bedroom door just to walk in and shut it close, tossing his coat to the side, and plopping down on his bed.

                He opened the poetry book that had been tucked neatly on the inside of his coat and leaned over to his left to turn on the light that shone onto his bed. Myungsoo, instead of starting on the first page, chose to randomly turn to a page in the middle (he was sure to be careful; he was always careful with the bookstore books. They looked like they were about to fall apart any second, anyways).

                “William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18,” Myungsoo mumbled, trailing his finger down the words. His eyes fled to the calendar tacked up towards his left, and he nodded slowly. “How fitting.”

                The poem, like the other ones he’d seen when he opened the book at the store, had carefully written notes alongside the margin, making sure never to touch the actual words of the poem.

                It wasn’t like he never read the poem before (honestly, who hadn’t?), but Myungsoo still made sure to sit up straight and live through every word written by William Shakespeare and translated into Korean before moving on to the jotted notes.

                It was silly to think of, but honestly, when Myungsoo first read the poem he thought the person was a e. Because as long as men live and breathe, she’d have money and live too, right?

                (Apparently not).

                As he slowly read the scribbled in margins (well apparently whoever wrote this didn’t have the same wonderful mind as Myungsoo did), a smile began to carefully form on the boy’s face.

                He’d read a ton of analysis’s – ones from the best in his Language Arts classes, ones from the worst, little kid ones, ones scribbled in crayon by a two year old, ones online that he’d copy down off of due to procrastination.            

                But none ever like this.

                The words flowed perfectly, even if they were only marginalia. Each line was defined in precise language, as if they were a poem on their own (a much easier one to decipher than the original one). And they weren’t just notes that told what the poem was about, there was added commentary, added ideas, and the only thing that ran through Myungsoo’s head was wow, this person had to be a genius.

                He slowly turned the page to the next one, wondering if that, too, was similar to the first – and what didn’t surprise him was that it was. Every single word mapped out perfectly, every little insightful thought scrabbled down into words. Art in letters.

As he gradually read through the second half of the book (remember, he started smack middle. He just continued on from there), Myungsoo found himself more often than not reading the notes before the poem itself. Usually because if he read the original writing, he’d figure out some inappropriate meaning behind it (wasn’t his fault he had a weird mind. Okay. Yeah. Maybe it was).

                It was when he reached the end of the book and then last little smiley face, marked with a date (exactly nine months ago, he noticed), and a little “FINISHED!” that he had decided to start where people usually started reading.

                It was a good book, Myungsoo thought. Or at least he hoped. All he really knew was that the notes were really good.

                So now it was time, like a normal person, to start in the beginning. As he turned the well-worn paper back cover that was slowly dying at the edges, Myungsoo saw a little note right below the title page on the inside.

This belongs to Lee Sungyeol ^^

38389 Paradise Road

Seoul, South Korea

Insertzipcodehere

                So that was what the name of the person was. Myungsoo couldn’t help but smile the littlest, his fingers softly gliding over that small piece of writing, too.

                Seoul. That was a few miles away from where he lived, and before he could let his mind think twice about this, Myungsoo reached over for his laptop and started blabbering words down.

Dear Lee Sungyeol,

                My name is Kim Myungsoo, and I’ve recently purchased the secondhand copy of your book Poems at a bookstore a few days back. I started reading it, and your little notes interested me very, very much. I love the way you express everything and I’m sorry if I sound scary, but it’s true. And I’m not scary, honest, I just found your address here and thought it’d be nice to send you a little letter of my appreciation. I don’t usually read poems, especially romance ones (although there were only a few in the collection), so thank you for making my first attempt at doing so ever the more better. Your writing and depictions are absolutely wonderful, and I have to admit that you must be a very wonderful person.

                                Sorry if I’m creeping you out right now,

                                Kim Myungsoo

                                38389 (we have the same address number, how funny!) Fixed Star

                                Incheon, South Korea

                                Insertzipcodehere

                On a whim, he just stuffed it into an envelope and mailed it right away, taking no less than twenty minutes for the entire ordeal.

There are many, many, many things you don’t expect to happen to you in life, but one thing on Myungsoo’s list was having a letter back from Sungyeol.

                That’s right. He got a letter back from Sungyeol.

                It only took about four seconds to get it neatly cut open (Myungsoo figured he’d like to preserve the envelope; after all, his name and address were delicately written on it).

HEY NEW FRIEND.

                I can’t believe this, like, I honestly can’t. I didn’t even realize I sold that book! I think my mom did a while back when I was moving for college. She told me she was going to sell some of my stuff, I didn’t think she meant my books. But oh well! First, I honestly want to thank you so much for even bothering to read the stuff. I would’ve figured you’d erase it all. I only wrote it in pencil in case my little brother wanted the book someday – he could just erase it. :) but thank you so so so so so so so so much! I LOVE YOU.

                                COINCIDENCES ARE A BEAUTIFUL THING,

Lee Sungyeol

Hi!

                I can’t believe you actually responded! You’re going to college? That’s impressive. I’m currently in my last year of high school right now and it’s hell. Really. But I love your thoughts, they’re beautiful.

                                Aren’t the just?,

                                Kim Myungsoo

HELLOOOO

                What made you think I wouldn’t? Uh, yeah, I am. I’m in my first year right now and it’s actually really hectic, but I’ve made a lot of new friends. High school was such a fun time for me! You don’t like it?

                                VERY~

                                Lee Sungyeol

Hi again!

                I don’t like high school at all right now. I asked my mom if I could be home-schooled, but she wouldn’t let me. I’m fine with all the educational things, it’s just the entire process of school that I don’t like. Waking up early. Seeing people. Having horrible teachers. Seeing people. The food. Yeah, and the people.

                                Kim Myungsoo

^^

                People aren’t so bad, c’mon think positive you negative person. PEOPLE CAN BE FUN~ LIKE MEEEEE.

                                Lee Sungyeol.

:)

                …naw. I don’t know you in real life though, that’s what’s sad.

                                Kim Myungsoo

:D

                BUT WHEN WE DO WE CAN BE BESTEST FRIENDS FOREVER.

                                Lee Sungyeol

:)

                Sure why not?

                                Kim Myungsoo

The letters kept coming and going for the next two years, some ranging from one phrase to three pages, usually Sungyeol talking about college or Myungsoo complaining about people (he didn’t like them; there were only a set amount of people that he liked – his parents, Moonsoo, Jia, and even possibly Sungyeol).

                By each one sent through, Myungsoo felt as if the string between them was pulling themselves closer. He began wishing that his parents’ business would somehow move to Seoul so he could have a chance to meet Sungyeol.

                They kept writing, they kept ranting, they kept complaining, and most importantly, they kept in touch. Myungsoo loved more than anything to run outside to retrieve the mail – sometimes, there would be nothing in there, and sometimes, there would be a letter. While he ran up the stairs to open the mail in his room, Myungsoo would usually weigh it in his hand and judge on how long it was.

                He didn’t know if it was possible, but he could literally feel himself falling in love with Sungyeol. With the boy’s writing, at least. With everything his hyung was writing, with the way he wrote about his life everyday, with every little precise detail. It was all so perfect and left Myungsoo wondering how on earth it was possible that he wasn’t in love with Sungyeol.

                The only thing that bothered him, though, was that he didn’t know what the older boy looked like. It wasn’t that it was important, it was just that…he wanted to know. It was just something that he felt like knowing. Wanted to know.

                So in the same letter where he attempted to express his feelings to Sungyeol (“I feel like we’re getting closer and closer, don’t you think? I really do enjoy your letters. They’re amazing, and I feel like you’re truly amazing. Maybe…if we met, we could really hit it off. Maybe.”), he asked the question for possibly a photograph (“I could send you a photo of me, too. You know. So we can both know what each other look like.”).

                He got a letter mailed back two days later with a response to both his paragraphs, the first sending weird jiggly feelings down his stomach (“I like you too!<3 you’re really sweet. And funny, I’ve told you that, right? You make me laugh with your stupid corny jokes. Like the one with the fruits, that was hilarious. I think it’d be great if we met c;) and the next giving him a rather content feeling (““If you really care about me, it won’t matter what I look like”.”)

When Myungsoo had graduated from college with a congratulatory six-page letter from Sungyeol in his hand, the two of them decided to meet up for the first time.

                It’d been, what, five years since he last saw the poem book? Five years since he wrote his first letter to Lee Sungyeol. Five years of heading down a staircase that he couldn’t even see the next steps of.

                They’d planned everything out – Myungsoo was to meet Sungyeol at 5:00 PM in front of Seoul National Airport, at the gateway next to the café where nobody ever was. Then they’d go to dinner at the restaurant across the street.

                (““You’ll recognize me”,” he wrote. “I’ll be wearing a black and white plaid coat my grandmother made me. It has big grey buttons all the way down.”)

When it was five, Myungsoo showed up at the café. Before he left for a road trip by himself to Seoul, he had dug through all his old bookshelves in his room for Sungyeol’s – and he found it, at long last, and it was currently tucked underneath his right armpit as he shuffled his hands together in hopes of making friction and creating enough warmth.

                He checked his watch to see that it was 5:02 PM but he continued waiting. As he stood there, Myungsoo watched as a beautiful, perfect man wearing a red blazer and a blue undershirt walking his way, also sporting a pair of black skinny jeans that defined his perfect legs and black Converse along his feet. The stranger had short black hair that wrapped around his head, and there were slight hints of caramel and blue somewhere in the mix. He was skinny, but not too thin, and his cheeks were somewhat chubby in a very adorable way.

                The man was stunning, absolutely gorgeous, and as he came closer to Myungsoo, the Incheon boy could see that this person was the slightest bit taller than he was.

                Myungsoo also noticed that the man’s left hand was raised up and he was speaking on the phone. He was chattering about something, and when he came within two inches of Myungsoo, the shorter boy realized that the guy could probably sense him boring lasers through his shirt.

                “I’ll be in the café,” he whispered quite seductively, lowering the phone from his ear. “If you’d like to come and…chat.”

                Myungsoo felt shivers crawl down his spine as the latter returned to his phone conversation, sending Myungsoo a little cute smile from his perfect lips.

                Just as the boy felt the instinct to follow the stranger, his eyes averted to look in the other direction…and there another man was, wearing a black and white plaid coat with big grey buttons – all the way down.

                Lee Sungyeol, Myungsoo thought, and he felt his heart stop for a moment.

                Let’s just say this, it wasn’t that Myungsoo was a picky person – he wasn’t, he never was, he never would be – it was just that…maybe, just maybe, he had a little more preference over the kind.

                Lee Sungyeol had a few zits and a number of pimples aligning his face, his nose twice the size of a normal person’s, and his hair reaching down to the edges of his shoulders. And he was…just the tad bit more than extremely chubby. His eyes, though, his eyes were probably the sweetest thing Myungsoo could ever think of.

                Myungsoo bit his bottom lip, his eyes quickly glancing to where the gorgeous man was disappearing to. There a person was, who showed obvious interest in him, that was probably perfect for him (Myungsoo was going through their wedding tape in his head at the moment; it’d be beautiful. He’d just have to learn the guy’s name first), but…here Lee Sungyeol was. The man who took ahold of Myungsoo’s heart and squeezed it until there were no thoughts left in his mind but thoughts of him, and he managed to do this all by mail.

                He could sense Sungyeol halting a bit, the older man’s eyes on him. Myungsoo breathed in another deep breath, the poetry book all of a sudden feeling so much more heavier in his armpit.

                So what if this wasn’t love. So what if there really wasn’t a physical attraction between them. So what. So what. So what.

                Good friends are hard to find. Sure, true love is harder, but hey…having the most precious friends is probably something to be more grateful for.

                Myungsoo took a few steps to his left, taking the poetry book out from its original spot and clenching it tightly with his hands. He straightened his back before walking the rest of the way, a little smile appearing on his lips despite the fact that he could see the man’s face grease from where he was standing.

                “Hello, I’m Kim Myungsoo, and you must be Lee Sungyeol. I really appreciate the fact that you could take time to meet me, with your busy schedules and friends and such. May I…may I take you to dinner now?”

                The man with the black and white plaid coat, Lee Sungyeol, that man, cracked a grin and chuckled. “I really don’t know what this is about, so I’m very sorry. But some college kid wearing a red blazer just stopped me and asked me to wear this coat. He said if you asked me to dinner, I was supposed to tell you that he’s waiting in the restaurant across the street.

                “He said it was some kind of test.”

/sobs isn't that just the cutest thing in the world?! LIKE C'MON HOW COULD YOU ASDFGHJKL GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. well yeah. just say that the lived happily ever after because, hey, it's a literary love that's lasted, right? ;) but yes. I was considering writing their letters out but at the end I was all ASDFGHJKL TOO LAZY. TOO MUCH WORK. and it's utterly freezing where I'm living right now (okay fine like 20 degrees fahrenheit) so I'm literally shivering as I write this. 

OH YES THE LINK. since I couldn't find one online (it was a news article from a longgggggg time ago), I just made a  blog post for it. here it is! http://www.asianfanfics.com/blog/view/420393

sungyeol is so beautiful /sobs and thirty eight thousand three hundred eighty nine forever.

BUT ONTO BIGGER NEWS HOLY GUISE INFINITE H DEBUTED LIKE HOLY HOLY TTT MOTHERING . YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW ING HAPPY I AM. THE THING IS I LOST MY VOICE ALREADY (no really, I lost my voice. I was sick a few weeks before, I'm still sick, and I still have a horrible cough. so coughing while I lost my voice isn't very fun) AND I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S FROM FREAKING FLIPPING OUT FROM INFINITE H. LIKE DID YOU SEE IT? the special girl music video. and hoya shooting guns and . and dongwoo being a beautiful person and kicking guys out of line. ermg guise I lost like four lives just watching the video. the choreo is cute, I guess xD and I alwaysss have 'Without You' stuck in my head okay. URGH WHY ARE THEY SO BEAUTIFULS.

oh right and on another happy note friday marked my last after-school couseling sessions so yay! I'm allowed to update on weekdays now that I have free time~ (aka the moon's just a dae away [I'm a clever person] is going to be started. IF YOU GUISE KNOW WHAT I MEAN. 38389 foh lyfe bishes.)

OH OKAY NOW I'M GONNA STOP RANTING AND JUST LIKE GO CRAWL UNDERNEATH MY BLANKETS AS I REPLY TO COMMENTS AND STUFFIES OKAY YEAH OKAY<3

[[c:7]]