sweater paws || soobin

[15] - stories

I excitedly entered the library that lunch, searching for Y/N's head at one of the tables. It wasn't difficult, though—she was the only one that seemed to be there.

I took a seat next to her, noticing that this time, her head was up a little higher and her hair was more or less pushed out of the way.

That meant I got a better look at her features. I hadn't noticed them before since her appearance as a whole seemed to be swallowed by both her hair and her sweater. She had a cute button nose, starry eyes, and pretty, pink lips. She was hunched over slightly, absorbed in a book, her mouth drawn into the tiniest, sweetest smile. I liked seeing her smile. She didn't do it very often.

She then faced me, possibly just realizing I was there and a confused expression was etched onto her face. "Why are you staring at me?"

I blushed, not having realized up until then that I was staring at her. Then again, I had been thinking about how pretty she was the entire time, so I must've had a clue. That thought alone caused my cheeks to flush darker.

"S-sorry," I stuttered. Changing the subject quickly, I queried, "You like reading?"

Her smile grew slightly wider and I assumed reading was something she really enjoyed. She nodded, saying, "Yeah, I do. It's nice to just...escape your real life for a little while."

Since she seemed to really like reading, I decided I'd continue talking about the subject. Plus, I wanted to see her smile a little more. "What are you reading?"

"It's called Anne of Green Gables," she told me, holding up the book cover for me to see, her eyes holding a sparkle in them that I fathomed only books could bring out. "It's a classic. It's about this orphan girl named Anne who accidentally ends up at the house of a brother and sister. They didn't expect her at first, but she was so loveable that they couldn't ever imagine her leaving. So they kept her. It's my favourite book, actually."

I grinned. She had never talked this much. Luckily, I liked reading too, so I wouldn't be bored if we talked about the subject more often. If this was the reaction she gave, then I thought I'd never stop talking about books again.

"It sounds wonderful," I said to her, the smile still lingering on my lips. "I'll be sure to read it sometime. Out of curiosity, why do you like it so much?"

Her smile was still there, but it changed somehow when I asked that. It became...wistful. Sad, even. I didn't even know a smile could be sad until I saw the smile she was wearing.

"Home," she said. She paused for a few moments and it almost seemed like the hesitation was for dramatic effect. "I'd always liked how Anne got to find a home. A true home. Where she was loved. Where she belonged."

I almost regretted asking when I saw her expression change, but after she answered, I was more grateful that I had. Slowly, I was piecing together her story. Not the classic story she was so in love with—but her story. Her life. And why it seemed so...dreary.

Home. Something was wrong at home, that much I could tell. I could be oblivious and kind of an idiot sometimes, but I wasn't totally brainless.

She wanted a home. But what was wrong with the one she lived in?

That was something I'd have to find out.