6:27 AM

He sighs as he sees the time on his watch. Looking up forlornly at the bookstore praying for time to go by quickly, that’s all he wanted. He stares longingly at the newest masterpiece displayed behind the glass windows of the store. The newest novel created by the love of his life.

“Red Sheets,” he cites with an adoring sigh.

The bookstore opens at 8, and he’s contemplating skipping his first period. Should I? he thinks brightly. First period is boring old history anyways, but then he frowns as he shakes his head. Even if he skips first period, he’s bound not to go to school anyways, because he wouldn’t be able to stop himself once he gets his hands on that treasure. He’s most likely gonna be in his own little bubble, not caring about the world as he dives into that wondrous gem. Oh, how he wishes that he didn’t have school today.

With a final sigh, he walks away and goes to school. He can’t afford being absent, as that will put a dent in his scholarship. All he can do now is pray for the day to go by as quickly as possible, so he can run off to the bookstore after class and get his new Yin Fuwa novel.

 

“Okay, please write a 500 word summary about chapter 10; I will collect them all tomorrow. Class dismissed.”

A loud chatter erupts as soon as they are dismissed. Finally! He smiles as he gathers his things and heads to the library. Free period means reading time.

“Hey, Chanyeol!” He looks back as his name is called and waves at his friend.

“Sup Jongdae?” he greets as they both bump knucles.

“Bleeeh, nothing much, the usual boring stuff.  Mr. Yang started spouting the importance of tooth brushing and gave us a lecture about cavities in Health Ed.” The smaller of the two cringes. “I bet he wants to be a dentist secretly. It’s not normal to have 2 dozen pictures of different sets of teeth with cavities.”

Chanyeol was about to reply when a group of giggling girls hurries passed them, catching the two by surprise.

“That’s weird; this hallway leads to the library,” he says aloud, as he adjust his glasses.

“Yeah, only nerds like us go there.” Jongdae squints at the group before them, making his eyes even smaller.

They continued walking until they both stopped behind the library doors. They both look at each other, shrug, nod, and push the doors open. They stand rooted to the spot and stare incredulously.

 “Hey, Jongdae.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you see this?”

“Yeah.”

“Seriously?”

“Absolutely.”

“You don’t think we’re both dreaming, right?”

“...”

“Jong— OUCH!”  Chanyeol quickly covers his mouth as a hundred pair of eyes-well maybe that’s exaggerating much, but it felt like a hundred pair of eyes-look at him. He immediately bows, grabs his friend’s elbow, and drags him to the farthest corner, away from prying eyes. “What did you do that for?!” he accuses his sly friend, who’s smirking cheekily at him.

“You asked if you were dreaming, so I punched you.”

“Most people would just pinch.”

“I am not most people.”

“Oh, please; just stop. Why are there so many people?” He takes a peek behind the bookcase, observing the huge crowd inside.

“More like, ‘Why are there so many girls?’” Jongdae supplies.

That’s when the taller of the two notices the library is occupied by a horde of girls. Girls that are looking smitten and excited. “What? Hey, Dae, what do you think is going on?” He looks behind him to see his best friend nowhere in sight. “Dae?” He looks around and sees Jongdae talking to one of the girls. He is about to follow him, when a very intoxicating smell of lemon and apple invades his nostrils. He looks around, trying to find the where the scent came from, and is about to go and find the source of the fragrance, when Jongdae pops up in front of him.

“I got it!”

“Got what?”

“Why it’s so crowded with the female species!” His bestfriend beams at him.

“Err, okay. What is it, then?”

“Our librarian, Mrs. Kang, got into an accident.”

“That’s terrible!”

“Yep. But she’s fine. Just a sprained leg, that’s all.”

“Oh, that’s good, then, but that does not explain why there’s a ton of girls here.”

“Well, you see, they called in a substitute librarian.”

“And?”

“Andddddd! The sub is –”

Before Jongdae could finish, Chanyeol-being the clumsy idiot he is-leans back thinking there’s a bookcase to lean on, but then he remembers that he moved earlier, so there’s nothing behind him, which entails him to fall flat on his on the floor and make himself the center of attention due to his clumsy self.

But instead of falling, his back slumps onto a hard and warm surface that seems to be breathing. He slowly looks behind him and sees a stunning blond man, with crazy thick eyebrows, a gorgeous mouth, and thick, black framed glasses perched on a perfectly chiseled nose.

Adonis?

“You alright?” The man spoke in a deep, sensual voice. Chanyeol isn’t sure, but he thinks he hears someone fainting behind him.

“Yeah. Sorry, I was just clumsy.” It probably is a bad idea to talk, as it requires him to breathe, and in this case, the moment he utters those words, he immediately inhales a lungful of lemon and apples. The scent makes him dizzy, and he tries to grab onto something to steady himself.

A few gasps and angry mutters can be heard behind him. “Oops.” Apparently, that something he grabs on to is the same god-like man who’s probably the sole reason why half of the female population of the school is cramped inside the library and also the very reason why he’s going to get hate mail.

 

 

 

Jongdae almost jumps out of his seat when an angry Chanyeol dumps his bag forcefully on the floor beside him in class. The tall boy’s face is contorted into a frown, a tinge of dark circles almost smudging the bottom of his eyes as he glares at the poor table while muttering something incoherent.

“Sup, Einstein?” Jongdae greets as he looks up at the messy turf of curly locks of his bestfriend. “Woke up at the wrong side of the bed today?”

“ARRRGH!” The disheveled friend slams his head on his desk, earning stares from half of their classmates. “Ouch!”

“Should I call a doctor, now?”

“Shut up, Dae,” Chanyeol mutters with a pout as he rubs his reddening forehead.

“Care to spill the beans on what makes you a grumpy doodle today?” He was expects another angry remark from his friend, but the taller one looks at him with that a puppy look with big tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. “…What?”

“My…my love,”  He sobs.

“…What?” The shorter of the two stares as if Chanyeol has grown another head.

“It’s about the love of my life!” Already sobbing

“Uh…Love of your life? You mean that novelist? The one you call your husband?”

“YES!” He sniffs “And he is my husband!”

“...I will ignore the last part. What about Fufu?”

“It’s Fuwa! How many times, Kim Jongdae?! It’s Yin Fuwa! FU-WA!”

“Fine, him. That dude. Now, what about him?”

“I...I...” He looks at his best friend so helplessly that Jongdae almost feels sorry for him. Keyword; Almost. “I wasn’t able to buy his book!” Chanyeol sobs pathetically beside him.

“…That’s it?”

“What do you mean ‘That’s it?’?” He frowns.

“I mean you big dummy. I don’t think it’s a big deal. You can go and get a copy later.” He pauses. “Oh. Wow. This has never happened before right?”

The taller one nods sadly.

“What happened?”

“It’s his fault!” Chanyeol spit out, seething.

“Who’s fault?”

“That new librarian.” Chanyeol hisses.

“…How is it his fault?”

“Okay,so you know what happened in the library, yesterday?”

“Yeah. Sub librarian, real name, Mr. Yifan Wu, a.k.a. school heartthrob, caught you, Park Chanyeol, a.k.a. damsel in distress, from the danger of colliding with the cold solid floor. What about it?”

“It was not my fault!”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, bro. Still haven’t told me the main point here.”

“Ugh. Main point is his fangirls started preaching how I shouldn’t get any ideas coming close to him. They drived me up the wall and started following me around that I totally forgot about the book! It’s not like the man is gay for god’s sake!” He stops as he sees the look his bestfriend was giving him. “What?”

“Geez bro, you’re blind.”

“…What?”

“Really Chanyeol? The man was eying you like a piece of meat in a prison cell full of vegetables! He has googly eyes when he stares at you. It’s as if he has stars in his eyes.” Jongdae shivers beside him.

“No, he was not, and he didn’t do that!”

“Yes,he did! Which is why the female population is feeling threatened by you.”

“…”

“Dude, just admit it; I’m a genius, and you, my dear friend, may have a hot dude waiting to pounce on you any moment.”

“What are you, some kind of fortune teller?” he scoffs.

 

 

 

After school, Chanyeol heads to the bookstore after dodging the librarian’s crazy fangirls. He breathes a huge sigh of relief the moment he steps inside the bookstore.

Finally, I’m in heaven.

He traces his finger tips on the newest book by his favorite author in the ‘Featured’ section, loving the beautiful black book with red linings on the spine. But instead of grabbing one, he heads to the ‘Best Selling’ section and sighs for the second time. He proudly and lovingly stares at each of the beautiful works of his beloved author, all displayed in a neat row on the top shelf. He grabs a copy of ‘Red Sheets’ and stares at it, smiling.

“You’re a fan of Yin Fuwa?” a deep voice asks beside him.

 He turns his head so fast he hears his bones cracking. There, standing in all his glory, is the very reason why he’s enduring so many glares for the past two days. He really wants to be angry at the guy, but that damn scent of lemon and apples is overwhelming his senses again, and he’s just trying to stand his ground.

“You know him?” Act cool, Chanyeol. You can do this.

“Yeah, he’s okay.”

Chanyeol grips at the book tightly and was about to retort when the librarian reaches for one of the books on the shelf. “But this, it’s really a good one. It feels like the story is real.”

The simple white book glints under the fluorescent lights of the store, the title “When I met you” written in a beautiful script font and, Chanyeol can’t help but nod along as he feels the flood of memories from when he read that book. “That’s my favorite one,” he blurts out, startling himself.

“It’s my favorite, too.”

He stares up at the librarian, smiling at him and couldn’t help but stare at those mesmerizing eyes. He snaps out of it and turns around quickly, dropping the book on the floor and forgetting the reason why he was in the book store in the first place. All he wants to do is leave before he thinks anything silly that may get him in deep trouble.

 

 

 

“I can’t believe that you didn’t get your book! Wow, this is just so amazing!!!” Jongdae smirks at his glaring best friend.

“I’m disowning you as my best friend.”

“Aww, come on, man. It’s just fun to see you like this. Nothing fazes the great Chanyeol, certainly not the God-like substitute librarian. Or maybe…”

“Please, shut up.” All he wants to do is wipe that huge smile off Jongdae’s face. He doesn’t understand why he had had to leave but his gut told him to just get away, or else something might happen that he would regret. “I still have some research to do on physics.”

“I thought you’re avoiding Mr. Wu.”

“I am.”

“But you’re entering his territory.”

“Yep. But I’ll be fine; he won’t be able to see me with all those fangirls around, anyways.” And I won’t be able to see him, either.

 

He slowly, enters the library and-as expected it’s filled with a huge crowd of girls crowding near the librarian’s desk where Mr. Wu is sorting out borrowed books. Chanyeol carefully walks passed them, finding the books he needs and going to the farthest and most secluded part of the library.

He opens his books and starts his homework. Being on a scholarship, he needs to maintain his top spot on the honor roll at all cost. Homework is fine to him, and he has no qualms in doing it.

After not getting enough sleep the night before due to that unexpected encounter at the bookstore, however his eyes seem to betray him and start to feel heavy. He looks out at the window and decides a little break won't hurt.

 

 

A wave of lemon and apples flood his senses and wake him from his slumber. Alarmed, he looks around, expecting to see the handsome librarian but only finding himself alone.

"I'm going crazy, huh?" Shaking his head at the thought, Chanyeol decides to gather his things and go home when he notices a hot cup of tea on top of a parcel wrapped in neat brown wrapper with a messy scrawl on top:

To Park Chanyeol

"What?"

He carefully picks up the parcel and unwraps it, revealing two books; one is the very book he’s tried to purchase for two days now. He opened the book Red Sheets and saw a note with the same chicken scratch writing written on the parcel wrapper. 

You left so suddenly that you forgot this, so I thought I should get it for you. I also got this other book, thinking you might be interested. I'd like to know what you think of it. Hopefully, you can tell me what you think. Oh, and please drink the tea; I made it myself.

-Wu Yifan

His hands shake, and his heart thumps wildly in his chest. The second book’s title stares him in the face. His throat constricts as he gulps down a crazy feeling pooling in on the pit of his stomach. He eyes the tea on the table and slowly sips it. Chanyeol then stands, holding two books to his chest, fingers curled on the indented along their spines. He traces the words I Like You as he leaves the library with a smile on his face and taste of lemon and apples on his tongue.

 

"Spit it out, man." Jongdae looks at him indignantly.

"What are you talking about?" he asks confused.

"You and Mr. Wu," his best friend sings songs.

"What?"

"A week ago, you were condemning him and his fangirls, and now all of a sudden, you and him seem to be having this stare fest going on. Don't you dare deny it; I can see those secret smiles when you're not looking."

Yep, Jongdae wouldn't be his best friend for nothing. "Okay okay. I admit my feelings have changed. But there's nothing going on between us except that he's recommending me some good books to read."

His hawk eyed bestfriend was about to reply when his attention shifts to somewhere behind Chanyeol. It refocuses on the latter with a devious smirk on his face. "Okay, I believe you."

The taller of the two frowns knowing that his best friend is planning something ; It’s blaring siren alarms on Chanyeol’s head. "You're up to something."

"Hmm?" The other smiles at him sweetly.

"I hate you."

"I love you, too, babe." Before Chanyeol can retort, Jongdae leans forward and gives him a kiss on the nose, leaving him stunned to move with his mouth agape making him look like a deranged monkey on crack. "You're really pretty like that."

He is about to punch the living daylights out of Jongdae when a huge shadow looms over them. He looks behind him to see their librarian looking extremely pissed off which is a scary sight to see.

"Is there anything wrong, Mr. Wu?" Chanyeol probably has a whiplash from turning his head so fast at his friend's remark. Jongdae can be an idiot, but he didn't know his friend has suicidal tendencies, too.

"You're making a scene that disrupts the peace in my library Mr. Kim Jongdae." Both students stay rooted but sink lower on their seats with wave each of anger from the librarian.

"Hehe. Um. Sorry, sir. I was just showing affection to my dearest, beloved friend here. It’s nice to show affection through skinship to the people you love, don't you think so sir?"

Chanyeol could feel his eyes bug out, because if he heard correctly-which he knows he did with his huge ears and all-Jongdae emphasized some of those words that could mean something else.

"Yes, I do agree with that Mr. Kim. However, there is an appropriate place and time…" Although their librarian seems calm, his voice is cold as ice, and his eyes can probably kill a raging bull.

"Yes Mr. Wu." Jongdae nods but then adds, "Won't happen in the library again; I promise."

Chanyeol wonders why Jongdae is still alive and comes to the conclusion that his best friend is probably the dumbest person in school. He is about to intervene when Mr. Wu smiles a sickeningly sweet smile that is scarier than his glare.

"Mr. Kim. I heard that you want to try out for the basketball team?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Good." The teacher nods with a delighted smile on his face. "I will be helping Mr. Choi for the tryouts tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you on the court." With that, the librarian leaves only to come back with a book in his hands. He slides it in front of Chanyeol, who seems to have his mouth hanging open within the whole conversation since the stupid nose kiss. "By the way, Mr. Park, this book is really an eye-opener that you should read."

Chanyeol looks down at the book and tries not to gulp. It reads, "You're mine"

 

 

 

 

"Congratulations! Heard you got in!" Chanyeol exclaims the moment Jongdae comes limping through the classroom door. His arms are decorated with splotches of purpling bruises. "Wow. Didn't you tried out for basketball? Why do I feel like you tried out for wrestling, instead?"

"I'm glad you weren't there for me. If you’d showed up, I'd probably be dead."

"What?"

"He's not human I tell you." The shorter of the two slumps down on his seat. "You should've seen him, though. He was like God on court."

"Who?"

" you. You know who. That possessive, unconfirmed boyfriend of yours."

"What?”

"Oh, don't play dumb, dude."

"No, I know who, but why do you call him that? We're not a couple."

"Exactly. that's why it’s unconfirmed, because you're not together, yet, but he acts like you are, so it makes sense." He rubs the sore spot on his back. "He was so intense, man."

"Did he beat you up?"

"Yes."

"What?!"

"He beat me up on court. He's like a ninja assassin on every aerial attack. Everyone was dropping like flies."

"But what's with all those bruises?"

He looks at his arms. "Oh. I tried to block him, but he knocked me down. A lot. Also," He points at the bruise on his face and forearm, "I was running to catch up on a fast break but slipped and hit the pole."

"Well. I guess that suits you."

"Tsk. I was just trying to prove that the man has the hots for you; you should just go YOLO and go out with him. I would go for him, but I have my Liyin."

"Jongdae, I can't even if I want to. I have no time for love."

"Well, if that's what you want, mate, then it’s up to you. However, I hope you'll be okay when someone else claims him."

Chanyeol looks at Jongdae, who is staring out of the window.

On the courtyard stands Mr. Wu and Sulli, one of the school princesses. The girl is inching closer to the librarian with hand resting on his forearm. They look close, and Sulli is smiling happily as the teacher pats her head.

 Chanyeol looked away as the school bell rings. He wonders if the class can hear his heart breaking over the loud bell.

 

 

Chanyeol avoids the library for a week. It isn't until he has a super hard project coming up that he really needs to use the library.

He sneaks in and slips into the astronomy aisle to locate books containing galaxies. "Damn it. I know there's one book here somewhere."

"You mean this one?"

With his heart thudding in his chest and stomach doing somersaults and legs turning into jelly, he looks at the man who's been plaguing his mind ever since he stepped foot inside the portals of his sanctuary. With "Your Galaxy" in his hands, he hands it to Chanyeol. "I had it with me for quite some time. You can have it, if you want."

"Thanks." He can't look him in the eye knowing his own eyes might betray him. "Um, I gotta go."

He is about to leave when Mr. Wu blocks his path.  "Why are you always running off the moment I try to talk to you?"

"I...I have...um…a lot of things to do, sir."

"Really? Or maybe you're just avoiding me?"

"Sir, I have homework to do."

"She asked about kittens."

"What?"

"Sulli. She asked about kittens. She saw the picture in my wallet and asked how to take care of one coz she was getting one. I just gave her some tips."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Coz you're jealous, but instead of showing it, you try to suppress it."

"And why would I be jealous?" He looks up confidently only to see the taller man crowd closer. Both of them are almost the same height, but Wu Yifan can easily tower over everyone with his presence.

"Because you want me."

"You think highly of yourself, sir."

"No. It's not that, it’s just I really like someone who's passionate about books. But it turns me on when someone tries to avoid me when I know that person feels the same way that I do."

Chanyeol isn’t sure why, but everything felt hot. Or maybe it is because he can feel the other man’s breath on his lips. He is tempted to them to try to see if they taste as good as the heat traveling through his body made it seem.

The wafting smell of lemon and apples is oozing off the librarian’s clothes, making his knees go weak and those deep pools of hazel brown stares at him as if stripping him bare and .

Chanyeol doesn't understand why this is happening, but he knows that he's in deep the moment those soft pink lips connect his. The taste is delicious with a combination of mint and coffee and something he can't place.

Before he knows it, the other pulls away looking at him hopefully. Instead of saying something, he slips a book into Chanyeol’s hands and tucks a stray strand of hair behind Chanyeol's ear and smiles at him.

 "Please consider" he says.

With that, he leaves the student dazed tightly clutching the book.

‘Be mine’

The words were never spoken aloud, yet Chanyeol can hear them echo loudly throughout his heart.

 

 

 

"Damn damn!"

Chanyeol is late. Very late. He wasn't able to sleep last night because of that stupid book, and now he's gonna have a record for being tardy. Not once in all his four years of high school has he had come in late, but there’s a first for everything.

He bursts through the doors, forgetting who his first period teacher is. He stops dead on his tracks and he stares at Mr. Lee's disapproving face. "Mr. Park, you're late."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Very well. Take a seat."

He breathes a sigh of relief, thinking he got away with it, but today doesn't really seem to be his day at all.

"Mr. Park, you can serve detention in the library this afternoon."

Great! Of all the places it has to be the library.

"You can help Mr. Wu tidy things before his leave. It is his last day today."

What?!

 

 

 

"You're leaving?"

The librarian looks up from arranging some of the books in the stockroom. "Yeah, I'm a substitute remember? Mrs. Kang will be back tomorrow."

"That's it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're just gonna go and leave?"

"Does it matter if I leave?"

"Of course it matters!" He can't help but shout. "You made everything matter to me, and now you're just gonna leave?!"

Mr. Wu smiles at the student, who looks so torn and distressed. "Do you have answer for me, now?"

"Yes."

"And that is?"

Chanyeol rushes to the librarian and connects their lips in a heated kiss. The urgency to be close is primal. Nothing else matters except pouring out every ounce of raw desire into each other. The need to be close is so strong Chanyeol feels dizzy. They have to unlock their lips to gasp for air but don’t move from their embrace. The older of the two runs his fingers through the other's hair in a loving caress.

He takes Chanyeol’s hand and puts it on his chest right above his heart. "Remember this. It’s yours."

The student fixes his eyes on his hand under the other's and froze. The heat immediately turns into ice as he stares at the glinting band nestled perfectly around the other man’s ring finger. The librarian notices the change in the younger one and realized what he saw.

Before he can speak, Chanyeol withdraws his hand, as if burned. With tears pooling on his eyes, he looks at the older man with a question in his eyes.

"Chanyeol let me…"

"That ring?"

"..."

"Is it.....?"

"I'm married."

Chanyeol runs off and doesn’t look back. As he leaves his tears fall to the floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 Chanyeol lies on his bed and glares at his beloved books on display. He can't feel any emotion except anger and irritation.

"I hate you."

He lies there with silence surrounding him.

"You played me."

The red sheets crinkle as another one slips beside him.

"I'm so pissed off at you."

Long arms wraps around his body as lips peppered his neck with kisses.

"Don't you dare seduce me!"

"Hmm?"

"Don't go hmm at me, mister! You've gone too far with your stint."

"But dear," the other man crawls on top on him smirking. "You love having me around."

"Yah, Wu Yifan! How the can I concentrate on school if you keep parading your everywhere!?" Chanyeol glares at him.

"But I miss you. And besides, it’s all research for my next novel. You happily agreed to helping Yin Fuwa out, didn't you?"

"You're just using your work as an excuse to rile me up."

"Yep; that, too." Yifan smiles beams at him.

"You're an idiot. You almost blew my cover and exposed me you jerk."

"I don't get you." He s Chanyeol's shirt to reveal milky white skin underneath and a silver necklace nestled on his chest. He plucks out the identical silver ring from the necklace and slips them onto Chanyeol’s ring finger. "Why so hell bent on keeping us married as a secret?"

"Because it can ruin my scholarship."

"But I'll gladly pay for your school fees."

"No, thank you," Chanyeol scoffs.

"So independent." Yifan frowns.

"You love me all the same." Chanyeol finally smiles up at his husband. "I'm still mad at you." He pouts.

"Then let me make it up to you." Yifan smirks as he dips his head down for a kiss...and some other stuff more than kisses.

---