West Side • minsung

Chapter 3: The Librarian

"Would you please, stop that?" Minho is about to slam one more.

"I'm done."Minho answers  but jisung caught the last book.

"Kitty cat, you're gonna get me into trouble! let me take- those and be on your way. " Jisung whisper-yelled, yanking the book from Minho.

"You're new."

"Obviously! I just got transferred from the cafeteria, i thought getting lunch for free is worth it. "

"Aha. it sucked?"

"Sucks." Jisung exhaled.

"Anyways, thanks for returning the books... Hey! Welcome, Identification, Please. "Jisung then smiled at the other student who just walked in and tapped their card for them.

"If you need anything, I'll be just here. " Jisung says his script.

"Actually-" Minho says as Jisung stops in his tracks.

Jisung gave him a look.

"Alright. What book do you have in mind?" Jisung then turns to Minho and asks.

"I need some reference for shakespeare." Minho adjusts his thick glasses to read his list from his phone as Jisung patiently waits.

"Which... Shakespeare?"

"Hamlet."

"and?"

Minho chuckles. "Wuthering heights? "

"Outrageous. A report in due?"

Jisung looked expectantly as Minho met his eyes waiting to clock at the moment.

"Nope."

"You don't actually like these." Jisung laughs quietly.

"I do."

"Also a book for raising succulents." Minho added.

"Pffftt, are you for real? give me a few minutes, I'll get you your books, but if it's not too much, Wuthering heights is just right there."  Jisung pointed at the shelf labelled the classics, Minho irked with the idea of not using the system at all.

The conversation of whispers lasted two minutes, maybe three minutes, but it's been most of a conversation for someone like Minho.

"I'll be standinf by so you can give me my books quickly." Minho sat at the table just across the counter, backed against the librarian.

"Not your books, by the way." Ten minutes passed when he felt a tap on his shoulder and was given more than one version of hamlet and three botanical books for succulents and cactuses.

From there on. Minho never sat on the dark corners of the library, He sat where he can hear Jisung humming softly enough to blend his voice into the thin air as if he's not singing at all. It's amazing how ambient his voice can be, floaty and dreamy. Sometimes he'd give cues to Jisung whenever his sensitive ears picked up noises of someone dallying on the aisles, chit-chatting loudly enough, and straight up weird stuff. They're more like a team running the library.