falling for you (jaebum x reader)

3

Summer was just days away, and you absolutely couldn’t wait to be finished with your sophomore year of college. You decided to rear your ugly head into the campus library one last time before you would leave to visit your family for two weeks. This would allow you to borrow a new book to read on your flight home and back, as well as supply time for you to relax right before you surrounded yourself with the busy airport and your boisterous family.

As the sun began to set, you trudged into the empty library, determined to not embarrass yourself a third time. Third time’s a charm, you thought. There can’t possibly be any other way that I could humiliate myself even more, I’m the only one here.

This time you started your search for a book from the opposite side of stacks as you had before so you didn’t waste time combing through the same ones from before. Before, when you were gamboling through the other half of the aisles. Before, when your stupefied eyes met his piercing ones. You shook your head rapidly. You needed to snap out of it or you wouldn’t be able to find a book by the time the library closed in twenty minutes.

Quickly pacing through the aisles with newfound purpose, all you wanted was to find a book and get the actual hell out of here. To your inconvenience, none looked appealing. You decided to abandon the unlucky section of aisles, slinking silently to the shelf that you had left off on in your previous visit. The moment you parked yourself in front of the plethora of books that read the number 823, you regretted it, mind tracing its way back to the source of your humiliation. No matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t wipe the image of his knowing smirk out of your head.

You sighed, acknowledging how superficial your behavior towards given the situation was. You couldn’t just vacate the library, you had your heart set on finding a book for your trip. Finally giving in, you blindly lifted a rattling hand and snatched the first book it came in contact with. As you strutted down the remaining length of the aisle, you eagerly glanced down to reveal what you had picked.

Gulliver’s Travels, the cover read. Out of the few books you actually owned, this was one of them. On the bright side, you could have chosen a worse book. Gulliver’s Travels was one of your favorite childhood stories and for the time being, you wouldn’t mind rereading it once more. With resolve, you marched contentedly to the checkout station at the front of the library.

Rounding the corner, you focused on your desired destination—in which you saw no one waiting for you there. “Wonderful ”, you sighed. Just as you were about to turn around and scan the building for a librarian on duty, something kept you from doing so.

It all happens so quickly—before you could even register what was happening, your left foot was caught fast under what seemed to be a black dress shoe, the driving momentum of your quick pace jolting you forward. You lose your balance, preparing to brace yourself for impact, but two strong arms wrap around your shoulders, pulling you sideways and away from the floor instead. Consequently in their effort to catch you, the owner of the arms lunges forward and loses their own balance, sending both of you falling to the floor.

You snap your eyes up to match a face to the body that was currently shoving you to the ground. All you could make out through the blur of their accelerating features was jet-black hair and a pair of thick black glasses. Your back hits the ground with a thud, his firm chest colliding with your own not long after. The boy’s elbows were bracing himself on either side of your head as he finally looked down at you.

“A-ah sorry,” he sputtered, voice cracking awkwardly. His face was centimeters from yours and you could feel his breath fan across your face with his remark. Your cheeks heated as you processed the position you were currently in, his half lidded eyes snapping open widely with realization. He then pried himself from on top of you and stood up, clearing his throat to break the silence. Latching onto his outstretched hand, he yanked you from the roughly carpeted floor.

“I was just wanting to check out this book,” you said, carefully waving the book so he could see it. He nodded and led you to the front desk, taking the book from your grasp, and then scanning its barcode. His calm, sleepy expression twisted into one of distaste as he eyed the computer screen.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you check this book out. You have an overdue book. I won’t fine you for it if you bring it right back, but if you’ve lost it…” he trailed off, gazing at you expectantly. You had completely forgotten that you took the now two-weeks-overdue book with you when you fled the library the last time you were here. You facepalmed, dragging your hands over your forehead and through your hair dramatically at your own irresponsibility. Your dormitory building was very close, which explained why the campus library was your go-to place for hanging out. The library would close in fifteen minutes, but you were positive that you could retrieve the overdue book before closing time.

Without any notice, you turned and darted out the doors of the small library back to your dorm. Once you had scrambled through the door to your shared dorm, you rummaged through your bag, hoping that the book would still be in there from the last time you touched it two weeks ago. For once in three weeks, you were actually in luck. You seized the book and sprinted back to the library, the chilly evening air cooling your skin as you set off outside.

By the time you made it back to the library, you still had five minutes to spare. Handsome Library Volunteer Guy was still seated at the front desk. You trudged over to the desk and dropped the book onto the counter flatly, huffing with fatigue. He lifted his head up, bewilderment decorating his face.

“How did you get back here with that book so quickly? Did you run all the way to your dorm?” he questioned.

“Mm-hm,” you stated dully. He cautiously slid the book off of the counter and deposited it onto a cart, presumably with all of the other books that had been returned recently.

“Do you know of any books you would recommend? I haven’t been able to find one since I finished the one I just returned,” you asked. He stood there for a moment, staring into the distance in thought.

“Actually, I do. Follow me,” he smiled, flicking his head in the direction he was about to lead you in. You followed behind his timid stride, noticing that you were brought to the same aisle as the first time you encountered the man standing before you. He reached up high, hand hovering over a book briefly before removing it from the top shelf. As he handed it off to you, you couldn’t help but notice that the book you held was written by the same author as the one you used for your final essay. Putting two and two together, you realize that he gave you the sequel to the science fiction novel that you just returned.

“Oh, I didn’t know there was a sequel!” you squealed. He giggled affirmingly, walking you back to the checkout station.

Not bothering to take a seat again, he leaned over the desk while he checked the book out. You observed that he spent more time preparing your book than it would usually take; yes, he scanned the barcode and entered information into the library’s database, but then instead of handing you the book, he snatched a blue ballpoint pen from a cup filled with many writing utensils.

Biting his lip, he opened the front cover, sliding the issuing slip out of the paper pocket it had been in for who knows how long. He then glanced up to meet your eyes, his own burning holes into your skull as he towered over you. Your cheeks flared and you thought you would actually melt on the spot. Finally, the pen made contact with the slip, his hand scribbling the text “재범” and a phone number. With that, Jaebum shoved the piece of paper back into its place and slid the book in front of you, grinning sheepishly.

You murmured a quick “thank you”, lifting your book from the counter and hustling away.

Bonus : Before your back was fully turned to him, you could have sworn you saw him wink at you out of your peripheral vision.

Thanks for reading! (~˘▾˘)~