“I can help the next person in line over here!”

Another day at the bookstore, working to pay for my car, seemed like it would never end. Customer after customer buying useless books that they would probably never read.

To me, the only use that books had was to be bought by customers at the store, so that I could get paid. The only reason I was stuck here in this town, selling books at “Half Price Books!” was because me myself hadn’t given a damn about school, and I had dropped out.

He came in alone, quietly and swiftly, and kept to a corner, where he took out 2 new books, sat down, and began reading.

This happened every day.

Doesn’t he get bored sitting there for hours, reading? But he seemed content, and he wasn’t bothering anyone, nor speaking at all for that matter, so I left him be. He always read novels, which is, in my opinion the worst kind of book. They’re only filled with happy endings that cause you to expect all things to end happily. Which they don’t. Hoping for a story-book ending is like hoping to marry an idol. It just doesn’t happen.

His eyes always seemed interested in what he was reading, and although I assumed the books he was reading were boring and pointless, he seemed intrigued. Nonetheless, he wasn’t buying any books, and this irked me. But I still left him be, in his own isolated corner of the store, reading his inane books. I didn’t want to have to deal with a crazy customer. Or in this case, a non-customer.

I cleared my throat. God, no one listens in this store. You’d think they would, since it was quiet enough. “I CAN HELP THE NEXT PER-”

“Hello.”

Suddenly he was at the front desk. I could see his face.

His eyes were sparkly. That’s the first thing I noticed. Nothing special about him.

“You’re actually going to buy them today?” I gave him a smirk.

Caught off guard, he shook his head, confused. I rolled my eyes and said “May I help you?” putting on a very noticeably fake smile.

“I was actually going to ask you a question.” His voice was deep.  The second thing I noticed.

“If it’s about a book, I can’t help you.”

“It’s not.”

His skin was clear. Not a sign of acne, which would be hard to say about me. The third thing.

“I was wondering, do you know how to get to this place?” He opened a wallet and pulled a sheet of paper out, which he handed to me. There was an address written on it, and the words “Xander’s gag shop”

I looked up at him. He must be kidding.

“I’m not going for gags.” He read my mind as he said this.

“Yeah, it’s just down that street, over there.” I pointed. He nodded, bowed, said thank you, and promptly left the store. As he left, I noticed the name engraved on his wallet, “Choi Minho”.

He was tall.

~*~

“There. All better, see?”

The Band-Aid covered up any trace of blood. Content, I smiled at my mother and sipped the juice in my hand.

“Thanks mommy!”

She smiled at me.

This was us, a happy family of 2. Things scarcely went wrong with us. And when it did, she was always there to get us through it.

Even if what was wrong could simply be fixed by a Hello Kitty Band-Aid.

If only there was a Band-Aid to repair someone’s memories.