It was a public holiday and the shopping mall was more crowded than usual. Couples, families, friends, everyone had their own agenda, hardly paying attention to their surroundings, more so the many strangers crowding the venue. However, some people used the opportunity to do deeds which require a lot of attention.

 

“Please take one!” A young woman handed out a flyer to passer by’s. Most people weren’t interested. They simply took the flyer and left while others simply ignored her. A few asked her some questions, which she gladly answered.

 

“Please take one,” Naeri said with a smile to a young man. He was engaged in a phone conversation and simply waved her off, but his hand hit hers and knocked the flyer off her hand. The guy paused his steps and turned around slightly, just long enough to see her crouching to the floor to pick up the fallen flyer. When she got up, their eyes met. She had no expression on her face, but there was a hint of dejection in her eyes.

 

“Tch.” The guy simply left.

 

Naeri sighed and then put up her best smile again as she continued to hand out the flyers.

 

“Please take one!”

 

A guy took it and said a cheerful thanks to her, which cured her little disappointment just now. To her surprise, the guy jogged towards the guy with the phone just now.

 

“Hey, Seunghoon! Wait up!” The guy shouted. They both walked side by side and then disappeared within the crowd.

 

 

-

 

 

It was late in the evening. The sky was orange, and so was the whole city as soon as Seunghoon stepped out of the company building. He was walking towards his motobike, parked outside the building. As he climbed on his motorbike, his attention diverted to the nearby bus stop. A young woman, someone who seemed familiar to him was holding a box of books, walking with much difficulty before she stopped at the bus stop to rest.
Seunghoon wasn’t intending to watch, but he found himself turning around every now and then. The girl was massaging her feet and fanning herself. She wiped the sweat on her forehead before she put on her flats and picked up the box of books again. She wobbled her way and then twisted her feet. She fell forward along with her box. Her books and flyers scattered on the ground, some even spilledover the sidewalk into the main road. Limping, she panically picked them all up, worried that vehicles would run over them.

 

“Careful!”

 

Before she knew it, she opened her eyes and found herself in a stranger’s arms, lying on top of him. Just now, Seunghoon saw an incoming car while she picked up the fallen books, so he sprinted towards her to grab her away from the street. Seunghoon and the girl fell on the sidewalk and rolled over a couple of times. 

 

“Oh, my god! Are you okay?” The girl rolled to the side and hovered above Seunghoon, holding his face in her hand. Seunghoon pulled himself up into sitting position carefully, wincing at the sharp pain on his back.

 

“I’m okay, I guess…”

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry…  I-I should have been more careful. We should go to a hospital-“

 

“No, I'm fine, really.” Seunghoon forced himself to stand up to prove his point. The girl did the same and Seunghoon realized she had scraped her knees when she fell previously. He also saw the flyers on the ground and remembered that she was the girl from that morning, at the shopping all handing out flyers.
Seunghoon felt a pang of guilt for what he had done to her this morning, He picked up a piece of the flyer from his feet and scanned the content, but also secretly stole glances towards her to see if she remembered him.

 

“Ah, this is our library!” The girl pointed to the flyer.

 

“Your library?”

 

“Yeah, it’s a small library in my neighborhood. My friends and I hold tutoring classes for the neighborhood kids who can't afford private schools. We’re doing a campaign right now and these are donated books-“ she gasped and then crouched to pick up the remaining books.

 

“Quick! Help me out!” She called to Seunghoon. This was not part of Seunghoon‘s plan, and as much as he hated it, he couldn't find a way to get out of this situation without being awkward.

 

The girl did most of the job, but she seemed pleased all the same that Seunghoon helped her all the way. Thankfully, her books were all safe.

 

“Thank you so much for helping me. I'm Yoon Naeri, by the way. What’s your name?”

 

Seunghoon wasn't planning on making a new friend either, but…

 

“Kim… Seunghoon…”

 

“Seunghoon. If you have any books you don't need anymore, come by and donate it to us.” Naeri smiled happily.

 

“Is it far from here?”

 

“Oh, not at all. About 2 kilometers?”

 

Seunghoon paused for a while. “How are you going to get there?”

 

“Oh, I'm taking the bus, but not at this stop. I have to walk for another ten minutes from here.”

 

Seunghoon stared at her wordlessly. He couldn't believe it.

 

“Wait a moment. I’ll tell my friend to go home first.” Seunghoon told her.

 

“Huh?”

 

It had been a while since Naeri rode a motorcycle. It was a fun ride, and it saved her form breaking her arms and legs to bring back a box of books on her feet. It was a big help, and she felt so happy that the day ended on a good note. 

 

"We're here!" Naeri announced. Seunghoon slowed his bike to a stop in front of a small building, a continuos square shaped buildings of three, painted in bright, kindergarten like theme colours. It was located in a low key part of the city that all the other buildings nearby looked similar. Seunghoon even noticed a small, compact grocery store which sells snacks he last saw at least fifteen years ago.

 

Naeri jumped off his bike and eagerly took her box of books. “Thank you so much for the help, Seunghoon. I have to pay you sometimes,” Naeri grinned.

 

“Don’t sweat it.” Seunghoon shrugged, tightening his helmet.

 

"See you again!" Naeri waved at him. Seunghoon spared her as much as a glance before he sped off into the dark. Well, he wasn't planning to, but he didn't necessarily had to tell her that.

 

Naeri heaved a long, relieved sigh with a smile. 

 

“He isn't that mean afterall.” Naeri said to herself and then turned around to get into the library.