It Began at a bookstore

12. Letters from a birdie.

Kim Taehyung:

Taehyung didn't realise that he was still standing there, just in case she turned around again, until he heard the bell of a cycle as someone rode past.

He blinked.

It wasn't very late, although taking the bus right now would be faster than walking all the way over. As he weighed his options, the pocket of his coat buzzed.

"Yeobseyo?"

"Hyung, eodisseoyo?"

"Ah, Jungukk-ah, I'm at the bookstore. Are you off work?"

"Ne. I'll come get you. I'm just a street away."

"Arasso."

He looked down at the books in his hand. Among the books back at the house, there were hardly any that had outer covers like these. They had all looked so....ordinary and usual.

He used to wonder what made Namjoon Hyung want to buy them, just upon first look.

Then ofcourse, hyung always knew which book he wanted before going to buy them. Hyung had always encouraged him to try them, but the books at home had never tickled his curiosity, to make him want to pick them up.

But these books, with their colours and art right out front, as if baring a piece of themselves, so that you knew what you're getting into. These books made him wonder.

He looked out towards the road again, in the direction that she had gone.

It was empty.

A familiar car horn sounded, making Taehyung turn the other way. Jungkook gave him a two finger salute, from behind the wheel. Waving back, Taehyung walked towards the car.

"Alone, Hyung? When you mentioned the bookstore, I figured Namjoon hyung was with you."

"Ani, I just dropped by."

Taehyung clicked the seat belt in place, and was about to lay the books in the middle glove compartment, but chose against it, and placed them back on his lap.

"And I wasn't exactly alone. I had company."

Tae glanced over at an extremely curious looking Jungkook.

"Oh? Nugu?"

"Ah, just a girl I met-"

"A girl?! Where did you even meet her? You hardly leave the house!"

"We met at the bookstore, today!" Taehyung hastened to complete his sentences before Jungkook's assumptions went too far.

"Woah...here? Jinja? Yeppo?"

Taehyung just stared out the windshield, as if considering the question. Jungkook took several glances at him to see if anything on his face would give away his thoughts.

"Well, erm, she helped me find a book! I've been wanting to gift Namjoonie hyung one, and I didn't know where to start looking. She helped me with it though."

"Does she work there?"

"Ani, from what I gathered she's a doctor. She was a customer there."

"Huh, and she helped you find a book, all by herself?"

"I asked her to! There weren't any other customers there and Han-ssi seemed to really like her, so I went with his intuition. He wasn't wrong."