I scanned the shelf, reciting the alphabet in my head to keep track.  I had been in this particular section of the library countless times before that I didn’t really need to look so closely, but it was a habit. 

                I paused.  There was a gap where the book was supposed to be.  I looked around.  That’s strange.  Almost nobody but me checked it out these days. 

                Glancing around the area, my eyes settled on someone leaning back in an armchair near the wall.  On closer inspection, the person had the book draped across their face.  And I knew exactly who it was.

                “Lee Jihoon!” I hissed. 

                He removed the object from his face slowly and blinked at me. 

                “What?” he groaned, sliding into a sitting position like it was the most difficult thing in the world. 

                “Why are you here?” I asked.

                “My mom kicked me out of the house and told me to go study,” he replied.

                I snorted.  “So you decided to sleep.”

                He shrugged.

                I shook my head and held my hand out.  “Whatever.  Can you give me that book?”

                He raised an eyebrow and looked at what was in his hand.  “This is a collection of fairy tales.”

                An embarrassed heat rushed over my face.  “So?”

                “You read fairy tales?”

                “They make me happy.”

                He passed the book to me.  “Why come to the library, then?  Why not just buy a copy for yourself?”

                It was my turn to shrug.  “There’s something nice about having to come to the library.  If I had a copy to myself then it would probably get boring after awhile.”

                He gave me a skeptical look.  “You’re weird.” 

                I stuck my tongue out at him like a five-year-old and hugged the book protectively to my chest. 

                He cracked a smile and finally rose from his chair.  “Well, I’m going to go eat.  Have you had lunch?”

                I raised an eyebrow.  “Are you treating me?”

                He sighed grudgingly.  “Fine.”

                I brightened.  “Awesome.  Let me go check this out and then we can go.”

                About two weeks later, we walked up to the school roof during lunch break.  I took in a deep breath of fresh air and exhaled with a sigh.  I rubbed my eyes.

                “I’m exhausted.  I stayed up all night trying to finish my paper,” I said, sitting down on the concrete and leaning against the ledge.  “School is so stressful.  And,” I added, looking at Jihoon with wide eyes.  “I went to the library a couple of days ago and the book wasn’t there.”

                “You’re acting like it’s the end of the world.”

                “It is,” I whined, taking his arm and flopping it in the air as if it expressed my despair.

                He shook me off and reached for his backpack.  “Relax,” he replied, pulling out the storybook. 

                I gasped.  “You have it!” I stared at him.  “Why do you have it?”

                “I wanted to see what made you keep waiting to read it.”

                I grinned and opened it up.  I flipped to one of my favorites.

                “Read it to me,” I said.

                He frowned.  “What?  Why?”

                “You have a nice voice.  I want to hear you read it.”

                He grumbled something to himself but began. 

                Soon, my drowsiness over took me and Jihoon’s voice lulled me to sleep.

                He stopped reading when he felt my head rest against his shoulder.

                He slowly closed the book.  “I’m the one who’s supposed to sleep, dummy,” he murmured.  A small, amused smile lined his lips as he draped the uniform blazer he’d taken off earlier over me.  Then, he closed his eyes as well and we fell asleep together like that, a gentle breeze enveloping us.