𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄 , jjp

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨

but jaebeom didn't go back to the bookstore the next day.

in fact, it took him three days to even look up the store name and directions again.

it's been four days since then.

if asked why, he wouldn't know exactly. but he suspected the weather - as laughable as it sounds - had something to do with it.

the past few days had been filled with sunshine, bathing the streets in bright light so opposing to the cold, miserable afternoon of rain. going back to that bookstore on such a beautiful day seemed almost wrong to him, as if it were only supposed to be a place visited on a sad day, a warm shelter from the wind, a pocket of sunshine itself.

jaebeom also speculated it had something to do with the boy. he's afraid he'll visit and the boy will be there, serving customers, and jaebeom will forget the words of the language he's spoken all his life, rendered speechless by him once again.

but he's also afraid he'll visit, and the boy isn't there - and this fear is scarier than the other, because if he visits and he's not there...

he stops the thought before it can continue to develop, disliking how unhappy never seeing him again makes him feel. he doesn't know anything about the boy apart from his face and his voice. what if he turns out to be a horrible person, someone jaebeom would never dream of talking with or even spending time in the presence of?

he sighs, leaning back into his seat and closing his eyes. the warm touch of the sun drapes itself around him, comforting and pleasant, but jaebeom observes his bitter yearning for rain, instead.

"...took it out and it really hurt," youngjae was saying as jaebeom's ears caught the last threads of his sentence. he blinked twice, brought back into reality as his hearing returned; the quiet whispers of wind through the trees throughout the park, faint laughter and screams from children playing nearby, chirping birds and the rustle of their wings as they took flight.

"ouch," he said, guilty he hadn't been listening but unwilling to admit that to the boy beside him.

"but it was a while ago," youngjae continued cheerily, his smile matching that of the sun above them. "don't you just love the weather today?"

"i do," jaebeom agreed, bringing his knees against his chest and resting his chin on them as he observed the other people around them from the bench they were sitting at. but he didn't quite mean it as much as he would on any other day.

"it says it might rain later today," youngjae added, brushing strands of hair that had fallen into his face to the side. jaebeom, unable to help himself, reached over and fondly ruffled his hair, causing a small whine to leave the younger's lips.

"i hope it does," jaebeom said softly.

"why?" youngjae asked, surprised. "last time it rained, you were miserable about it. we had to stop at that shop because we couldn't find our way home. remember?"

"i remember," jaebeom nodded, smiling despite himself. "the bookstore."

youngjae dismissed the topic, as it clearly held no significant importance to him, and began talking about other things.

jaebeom tried to give the younger all of his attention this time, but his mind kept drifting in the direction of the bookstore, picturing it just as it was that rainy day, exactly a week ago, with golden light filtering through the windows and books lining the shelves.

he spent the rest of that day ardently hoping it was going to rain, looking to the sky every few minutes to take note of the colours the clouds were painted in.

and when they were finally tinted grey at the edges, growing darker as the day continued, he couldn't stop the butterflies inside his stomach from fluttering nervously.

and now he's standing by the bookstore again, midafternoon with no trace of warm sunlight, umbrella held over head as it buckets down, and it occurs to him that he doesn't know what he's going to do when he's inside. especially if the boy is there.

ask for the book's name, he thinks slowly, unconciously fiddling with the chain hanging from his ear, a nervous habit of his.

and what then?

but the cold wind is biting through his layers, and jaebeom, unable to stop shivering, takes a deep breath, folds his umbrella and steps inside, nervously listening as the bell jingles above his head.

slowly turning his head to look at the front counter, his breath hitches.

because, sure enough, the boy is here, smiling at jaebeom with practised warmth. and as his mouth opens to welcome him to the bookstore, jaebeom can't help but stare, open-mouthed, momentarily forgetting how to move his legs.

he realises asking for the name of the book will be harder than he thought it would be.