I will not play at tug  o' war.

I'd rather play at hug o' war,

Where everyone hugs

Instead of tugs,

Where everyone giggles

And rolls on the rug,

Where everyone kisses,

And everyone grins,

And everyone cuddles,

And everyone wins.

– Shel Silverstein

It was the hurried flutter of pages, the dull sound of the book spine being shoved back into its proper slack between vintage and contemporary novels, of possible romance or the supernatural, that caught her attention. This bookstore was small and rent-only (purchases available at the owner's discretion) - a comfortable, intimate setting for anyone who enjoyed sitting among enclosed stacks in tucked corners - with genres in incredible disarray. Nothing was in order, which was the magical selling point of this particular establishment.

"If you love books for being what they are - the smell, the sounds of crinkled paper, the frustration and finally the satisfied moment with which you find yourself after discovering something you might not have been looking for - then this is a good work environment," the owner had once told her after she applied for a small part-time job. "If not, go to the library."

The owner was a bit of an eccentric. He introduced himself as Ae Sook, which he quickly told her was a byproduct of a blind mother and an idiot father, both whom hadn't realized he'd been born a boy. He had relayed the story in a comical way, and the way he smiled at the 'insulting' junctures gave her more reason to think he thought of them fondly - that his name was just that. "Ae Sook is a boy's name, y'hear?"

He shook his cane at her, then, and told her to come in to work three times a week - any day of the week. "You can come in every day if you like, but I'm not paying you for any day I don't ask you to come in."

She smiled at the memory, dusting off a book in the process, before sliding it onto the shelf. This was her corner, someplace Ae Sook had given to her as a birthday present one year. She was allowed to do anything she wanted with it - to personalize it with her favorite titles or new finds.

"I don't do this for everyone, but I don't like you trying to organize any of the other books. Don't think I don't see what you're up to even if I'm not here, young lady," he admonished her with a smile. Then he walked away, muttering, "Always neat, compulsively trying to tidy up. I don't know why you didn't try applying for the library ..."

He'd paused, then, and turned to look at her over his shoulder, pointing the cane at her. "Don't work at the library!"

She'd come to treasure her corner and worked on it diligently. She had even been successful in selling some, as some books were constantly rented out to Ae Sook's dismay. "You're trying to take over my bookstore!" Ae Sook was kind, despite his off-beat demeanor. It was in that manner that he was able to convey to you that he respected you, which she considered to be the best compliment. 

Lost in thought, a shadow crept up behind her, and suddenly there was the sound of a clearing throat. She looked up. A boy towered over her, ruffling the back of his head. She recognized him, but only barely. He had come in a few times before, looking as lost as a fish on dry land or somebody dropped in the middle of nowhere without a map. He had a guitar slung over his shoulder, a look of discomfort settling in his features. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he looked scared and intimidated. She scoffed at the very idea; books were hardly the most intimidating things in the world.

"Are you looking for something?" she prompted.

"Ah, no. I'm not looking for anything in particular. Uh, I'm actually - I don't know what I'm looking for. Inspiration, I guess. God, I don't even know." He rubbed his face with his hands before taking a deep sigh. "Sorry."

The more she thought about it, the more he reminded her of a baby.

"It's okay." She stood up and motioned to his guitar. "Does this inspiration have anything to do with that?"

"Sort of. It's for somebody. I'm trying to write something. For somebody, I mean."

"Do you have any preferences?"

"Not really. I mean, if you like someone, you like someone, right?"

She nodded in understanding. It was perfect, really. Love was a powerful emotion. She didn't quite understand it as most people her age did, nor was she as willing to seek it out and experience it, but she had familiarized herself well enough with the idea of it. Love was love, wasn't it? She couldn't understand how something simple was so needlessly complexing to others. She scanned her shelf, resting her chin on her fist as she sought out something appropriate for him.

Not taking her eyes off the shelf, she asked, "How about a self-help book? To help you understand whatever it is you're looking for?"

"Er ..."

"Just thought I'd ask. You know, people don't give enough credit to self-help books. They tend to be lumped with the autobiographies or non-fiction books. It's a shame because they're really good if you find a good one. Oh, here we go." She stood on her tip-toes and slid a book out of its setting. "It's better if you know someone who can speak fluent English to translate for you. Sometimes it's a bit difficult to understand because the English isn't written in the structure we're often taught, but I really do recommend him. We even have numbers for available translators if you'd like. They only come to the store on weekends, though, but -

"Uh ..." he paused. "How about we start small?"

She had mentally picked another one out, just in case, and she applauded herself for her quick thinking. It wasn't that she thought less of him, but a part of her had already known that perhaps she was jumping far ahead of herself. Books did that to her.

"How about this one? He's a famous American poet, and his poems are simple and fun. Quite funny, too."

He received the book with gratitude, rented it out for the next three weeks, and promised to return it on time. She smiled.

Just another day's work.

▲

NOTES:

I'm sure you can tell who's who by now, but I intend for this to move slowly. More characters to come!

And I love Ae Sook. I don't actually know if Ae Sook is strictly a girl's name, but we're going to pretend it is. If you play Harvest Moon, I modeled his appearance/disposition after Taro because he's an adorable old fart.