Cantillate (ft. Sehun)

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I settled myself down at the local public library after school just like any other day. As much as I loved the quietness, I didn't want to be alone. The library was the best solution. 

“You can do it!” I said those words of encouragement before I drown in the stack of homework in front of me. I had to make sure I didn’t waste any time since I only had three hours to do my homework before I have to go to work.  
 

As always, education is stressful. Call me weird but I find the stress interesting. It’s the stress that make us grow and gain more experience in life. Now, how do I solve this question...

Soon enough, it was 7:30 PM. I quickly packed my stuff and left the library. The bubble tea shop I worked at was just down the block. I headed to work but of course not without dropping by the convenient store to grab a sandwich which will last me until midnight.

My co-worker greeted me with a smile as soon as I entered the shop. "You always manage come exactly at 7:55." She laughed. "The manager is sick and I have to go somewhere. Can you help close the shop before you leave tonight?" 

"Yea," I said from the back of the shop while slipping into my apron. She is probably going on a date with her boyfriend since she had more wore more makeup than normal. Not to mention she was wearing a really cute dress.

"Here are the keys." She handed me the keys when I reached the counter.

"Have fun on your date." I smiled. The words caused her to blush.

"T-Thanks." She stammered. "It's our two year anniversary today. How do I look?"

"You look great today, I'm sure he'll love it." 

She thank me again and left the shop. The next time I checked the time it was already 10 PM. "Two more hours to go," I muttered, "you can do it!" 

The shop was pretty empty since it was quite late at night. I sat down on the chair behind the counter and proped head on my hand. I wonder when he was going to come. The person who always gets chocolate flavoured bubble tea with pearls. The person who always has a stoic expression.

"Can I have a chocolate flavoured bubble tea with pearls." A familiar voice broke my train of thoughts. It's him.

A few moments later, he sat down at his table near the door. Like always, I thought.

The mysterious guy might not come at the same time everyday but he always sits at the same table everyday.

Time flew by because it was already time to lock up the shop. With the keys safely put inside my pockets, I headed home.

Although the light pollution in the city was quite bad, I could still see a few stars and the moon. Those sparkling stars accompanied me as I stroll down the streets. With the stars, I knew I wasn't alone.

- - - - -

"Oh Sehun?" I read the name of the notebook's owner. "Where is my notebook?"

When I reached into my bag for my notebook in class that day, my notebook wasn't my notebook. Instead, it belonged to someone named "Oh Sehun".

The notebook didn't catch my attention until I was at work since there were no costumers. I took the notebook out of my bag and placed it on the counter. "If I read it, it won't count as invading his privacy right?" I asked myself. "I mean, this way I could find out more about him and return this to him. For all I know, he might have my notebook too."

"Why are you talking to yourself?" My manager asked taking me by surprise. 
"I think I accidentally switched notebooks with someone... Wondering if I should read it or not..." I replied.
"Give it a read. If you find the person, maybe you will become friends. It's about time you meet more people." The manager mocked my lack of social interaction before going to the back to her work.

I decided that I will give it a read. I took a deep breath, "you can do it!"

The hand writing in the book wasn't the generalized guy hand writing where everything was scribbles. The Oh Sehun guy wrote very neatly. All the information was very organized too.

Wait, isn't this what I am learning too?, I thought. He is in my class??

The first page of notes dates back to the first day of classes. On the side, away from the jammed packed educational information, it read:
I meet her at the library.

what did that mean? I wondered.

The next page also had words which didn't related to material. So did the next and the one following the next.

She talks to herself.

Will she notice me?

It's raining today, she didn't bring an umbrella. 

She got a job.

You can do it!
 

"You can do it..."I repeated the words on the page. Oh Sehun...

"Can I have a chocolate flavoured bubble t-" He stopped mid-sentence when his eyes landed on Oh Sehun's notebook. "Why do you have my notebook?"
"You're Oh Sehun?" I asked and he nodded.
"Oh, I'm so glad I found you then. Here's your notebook." I passed the notebook to him and he took it protectively.
"Did you look through it???" I saw him with a different expression for the first time. He looked troubled. I nodded dumbly but quickly added, "I only saw the first few pages though. I think we are in the same class."
"We are in the same class." He clarified. His reply seemed more relaxed after knowing I did not see the entire content of the notebook. "I sit behind you."
"Oh."
"Anyway, can I have a chocolate flavoured bubble tea with pearls."
"Y-Yeah, of course."

Before Sehun left the shop, he gave me a quick glance and said, "I wll see you in class tomorrow."

- - - - -

"Here's your notebook." I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned back, I found Sehun with my notebook in his hands.
"Oh, thanks." I took the notebook.
"You really don't have to say my first name in almost every sentence when I talk to you." He laughed. Those laughs sounded very precious. The way his eyes turned into crescent moons caused blood to rush to my face.
"I didn't mean 'oh' as in the surname 'Oh'. I was surprised. Like when people are surprised, they go like 'oh' or when they realize something they go like 'oh'." I tried to explain only to make him laugh even harder.
"I know." He smiled. "Class is starting. You should pay attention. I gave today's material a read and it's quite a difficult concept to understand."
"Oh. I should really pay attention this class then." I said followed by more of his quiet chuckles.

"You can do it!" I told myself before I focused only on the teacher.


When Sehun said today's material was going to be hard to understand, he really meant it was hard to understand. Here I was, at the library trying to grasp the concept. I propped my head on my hand and stared at my notes.

"UGH, I can't do this." I let my head fall towards the table. When I rested my chin on the table, I noticed Sehun not far away from me. Sitting directly in front of my to be exact.
"Sehun? What are you doing here?" I called.
Upon hearing his name, Sehun looked up from his notes looking a little startled. "Studying. What else?"
"Oh."
Sehun's soft chuckles filled the quiet library.
"Did you sit here the entire time?" I asked and he respond with a nod.
"I always sit here." He said. "You just never noticed since you are too engrossed in your work."
"Oh."
"You can really stop saying my surname." He snickered. Again, I felt my face steaming hot.

Feeling as if I needed some kind of comeback, words spilled out without a second thought. "Who is she that you wrote in your notebook?"

Took both of us a second to realize what I said. Sehun looked surprised.

"Oh. Uh. I didn't really mean it. You don't have to answer. I was just curious." I waved my hands in the air.
"No it's fine." Sehun smiled but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

I wonder who she is.

- - - - -

"You can do it!" I said my mantra again before work a week after seeing Sehun at the library. He still sat behind me in class, in front of me at the library and order bubble tea from this shop. We both exchanged a few words but they were limited. Something bothered him and I could feel something is bothering me too ever since that day.

Work ended without me realizing. Too engaged in my own thoughts, I didn't notice I was being followed. Strong arms suddenly wrapped around my body and a hand covered my mouth to keep me from screaming. He dragged me into a shady alleyway.

"You better not scream unless you want to be hurt." The voice sent chills down my spine. I felt a long sharp piece of mental near my throat. It was a knife without doubt. I nodded not knowing what else to do. His lifted his hand away from my mouth to my shirt. Natural instincts kicked in and I bit his arm before I ran for my life. The man cried in pain and chased after me.

As I turned around the corner to the main street, I crashed into someone which caused me to fall back.

A familiar voice said my name in a whisper.
"Sehun?" I was on the verge of tears.
"Sehun, someone was going to me." I ran into his arms right after I stood up. I clinged onto him.

I heard footsteps from not far around the corner so I swiftly hid behind Sehun's board shoulders. The man appeared from the alley subsequently.

"Who are you?" Sehun asked.
"I'm her father. She was running away from home so I was chasing her." The man said and I shook my head like crazy.
"You can give her to me." He reassured Sehun. The man called me by a random name and asked for me to go back home.
"Oh, hi uncle. I am your daughter's classmate. I sit behind her at school. See, even our uniforms match." Sehun bowed.

The man gasped in alarm. It didn't take long before he made a run for it. Sehun quickly took out his phone and called the police.

The events later that night was hectic. The police came. They caught the man who tried to me and they thank Sehun and I for calling the police because this man had been wanted for a long time for schoolgirls. Other things happened but I can't quite recall.

This was complete chaos compared to my well scheduled and planned life.

"I will walk you home." Sehun said.
"No, it's fine. It's really okay. I'm okay. Just a little shocked from what happened." I attempted to smile.
"I'm really okay." I lied to myself.
"I really am okay." Tears left my eyes.
"I-I..." I didn't bother to finish those words when Sehun pulled me into his embrace.
"I wished I could've protected you from this. If only I had enough courage to tell you how I felt. If-" Sehun's sentence was interrupted when I clenched hands on his shirt.
"It's okay. I'm here now. I will walk you home. Okay?" Sehun pulled us apart with his hands on my shoulders. Worry filled his eyes. I gave a silent nod.

On the way to my apartment. An unremovable heavyweight lay on my chest only to get heavier and heavier knowing that Sehun will leave as soon as we arrive. Not to mention that he already had someone he liked. I was now aware of my feelings for him. I noticed him ever since the first time I saw him at the bubble tea shop.


"We're here." I meekly said when we were in front of a tall building.
"I will walk you up to your apartment." He offered and I didn't refuse.

As Sehun headed for the glass doors, I tucked on his sleeve.

"Hm?"
"You can do it!" I chanted with my eyes on the ground.
Slowly, I lifted my head to greet Sehun's questioning eyes.
"Sehun...." As if he read my mind, he pulled me into his arms again. My face buried in his chest.
"That girl is you." He said calmly. "I noticed you since the day you walked into the classroom and took your seat in front of me. At the library, I had always sat across from you wondering if one day you'll notice me or not. You also happened to get a job at the bubble tea shop I always go to..."

He paused and held me tighter.

"I hope you're not feeling these things because I saved you. I really hope not because I am very sincere about this. You know, after the first ten pages into the notes of that notebook, drawings you will fill the pages. I can't promise I will like you forever but I will promise that these feelings will be here for a long time. It might even become something I am not ready for..."
 

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How did you like the slightly longer short? Everything happened very fast it seems. This was inspired by the picture above. I imagined Sehun sitting in front of me at the library. Also not to mention, on dictionary.com, today's word was cantillate which means to chant or intone. That was where I got "you can do it!" from. I want to thank  antonilla and asian_bunny113 for upvoting the story! Sorry for the late shout out but thank you! Also a thanks to the ones who subscribed. I'm glad you guys can put up with my slow updates and horrible grammar.

Now to end the author's note, "You can do it!"

P.S. Not edited. Please forgive me.
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