adora • lookism

4. The Library

Satisfied, Zoe also waved an enthusiastic farewell and left the classroom.

"What," Ari replied to Jay's look. "It's not like I'm going to drink at karaoke. Besides, you're coming too, so what's there to worry about?" While she was talking, she took up the arm Jay was offering out, hooking it with one of hers, and let him steer her out of the room. "And you're not one to speak either! I saw you smoking out back the other day, don't think I didn't!"

• • • •

[Apologies. An unforeseen situation requires my attention. Could I postpone today's appointment by an hour.]

Ari squinted at the text she had just received. Was that... a question? Or a command? Why wasn't there a question mark?

Either way, she technically could postpone the appointment, but time would be a bit tight...

[Can I trouble you for a ride to my next appointment?] she replied.

[Yes.]

[Then okay ( ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ) ]

Ari deliberated over the emoji for a second, since this particular client wasn't exactly the friendly type, but she sent it anyway. If he didn't like it, what could he do? It wasn't like there was a replacement for her in this organization. Either he'd suffer her emojis, or he'd suffer all the problems her acupuncture was treating.

[Thank you.]

Now with an hour to spare, Ari began looking around for the nearest library. An hour was probably enough to clear away at least half of today's homework. She was not about to have a repeat of last night.

Most study libraries were sort of pricy in Gangnam, but it wasn't really like she had a choice at this point; she had already come all the way here. She chose the one that was closest to the clinic. It was one or two minutes by walking distance, which meant she could zip over as soon as the hour was up.

The inside was busier than she thought it'd be for an area that didn't have any schools nearby, filled with rows upon rows of bowed heads and the faint echo of rustling paper. Ari padded down the aisles looking for an open seat.

No matter how far into the library she walked, it seemed that every table she passed was filled to the brim. Finally, nearly all the way to the back of the library, she found a table that only had one other occupant.

Looking at him, though, she could instantly tell why he was the only one at this table. It wasn't that he smelled bad or anything---if anything, the hint of cologne tickling the air smelled divine---but anyone could take one look at him and peg him as a gangster. If his intense eyes and the muscles straining against his shirt weren't telling enough, the elaborate tattoos spilling out from under his rolled up sleeves were more than enough to speak for themselves. And this particular table was one that had no dividers, meaning there was nothing to stop anyone sitting there from falling under the gangster's attention.

But of course, this meant very little for Ari, who nowadays saw thugs every single day of her damned life. Their mostly bare bodies, at that. See one hypermasculine sculptural masterpiece of a body and you'd seen them all, not to mention that few tattoos could impress her after witnessing Samuel Seo's in all its glory. Now that was something worth bragging about; sometimes she even found her fingers tracing the lines before her brain caught up to her hand.

Ari sat down in the seat next to the gangster with all the aplomb of someone who stuck her needles into the naked skin of thugs for a living. The gangster in question barely even glanced at her, too focused on reviewing the papers in front of him. This suited her just fine; she also pulled out all her homework and promptly started on it.