Parts: 4
Ship: Yoohyeon, Dami
Members Are: In a Non-DC AU
Categories: Fluff
Summary: When Yoohyeon walks into the bookstore where Yubin works one day, Yubin realizes with the help of her boss Minji that some real-life stories can be just as magical as the ones in the novels that she reads.
♡
Part I
Ever since she was a child, Lee Yubin always had her nose in a book. It was a habit her parents had encouraged rather than discouraged, purchasing for her whatever she so fancied from the local bookstore and allowing her to all but live at the local library. As she grew older, the habit turned into a hobby, a collection, and finally, a job – though Yubin really considered reading to be her entire life. Thus was the reason she was sitting behind the wooden counter of Dreamcatcher Books with her nose buried in a fresh copy of the latest installment in her current series obsession, just as she did every Monday through Saturday from nine o'clock in the morning until seven o'clock in the evening.
It was customary for Yubin to be perched on her favorite worn-out stool behind the counter, only glancing up when someone approached her. Occasionally, those waiting to make a purchase from the bookstore would have to ring the bell on the counter to attract Yubin's attention, even though they were right in front of her.
Yubin's boss, Kim Minji, often said that she was sure Yubin didn't even know she herself was speaking when she automatically said "Welcome to Dreamcatcher Books, let me know if I can help you find something," every time she heard the bell above the door jingle. Yubin would offer a slight laugh at the comment each time it was made, knowing that Minji was right, but not particularly wanting to own up to the fact.
Oftentimes, the speech would come out in a mumble, especially if Yubin was particularly entranced by the novel in her hands, as she currently was. "WelcometoDreamcatcherBooks...uhh...let me know...if you...needhelpwithsomething," Yubin said as a subconscious level of her brain recognized that a customer had walked through the door.
"Oh, yes, actually, I do need help," Yubin faintly heard a light, melodic voice speak. That sentence didn't quite register in her mind the way that the familiar jingle of the bell above the door did, however, and neither did the soft "Excuse me?" asked a moment later. Only when its owner cleared their throat and very lightly tapped the bell on the counter did Yubin finally tear her eyes away from the pages of her book right near the end of a cliffhanger chapter, much to her annoyance.
"Yes?" Yubin questioned, trying but inevitably failing to keep her anger out of her voice as her eyes met the person in front of her. The moment they registered the beautiful girl's shy smile, however, Yubin regretted every word she had spoken since said woman had walked into the bookstore moments earlier. Suddenly, her novel seemed like it was the least important thing on Earth. All she wanted to do was admire the maiden who looked like she had just walked straight out of the pages of a fairytale, one who was living and breathing – and speaking to her. Her slim build, honey blonde hair, wide chocolate orbs, rosy cheeks – they all made Yubin's heart thunder instatnly.
"H-Hi," the blonde said. "I-I was wondering if you had any books in English, a-and if you could point me towards them."
Yubin wasn't a woman of many words. She preferred to read them, write them, and occasionally listen to them, but to speak them was not her ideal. So whenever she did say something, Yubin selected her words sparingly and with utter simplicity. This occasion was no exception. "I do. Follow me."
Yubin tucked a stray bookmark into her novel and set it aside on her stool before brushing past the wooden counter, leading the blonde past aisles comprised of shelves to a section on the opposite side of the store.
"Oh, perfect," the girl smiled. "Thank you so much...um..."
"Yubin," Yubin finished for her, a small smile ghosting her lips. Similar to the way that she spoke, Yubin was neither one for expressing her feelings through her facial expressions, but she had begrudgingly realized that when she worked in a store, she had to smile so as not to appear rude to customers. It usually felt like a chore to her, but when she looked at the beautiful girl in front of her, Yubin felt that the new rush of butterflies in her heart seemed to make everything easier.
"Yubin. Thanks, Yubin." The girl had a bit of a puppy-like energy about her, playful and bashful all at once, with an aura that seemed to radiate cheerfulness effortlessly.
Yubin nodded once before she returned to the counter. Surprising even herself, she didn't feel a desire – or, at least, not one that was overwhelming – to pick up her book again. Instead, she sat down on her usual perch and leaned against the wooden surface, using her elbows to prop up her chin as she watched the girl study a stack of books that she had collected in her spindly arms.
Yubin worried that the girl had caught her staring when she glanced over at the counter, but there had been no need to be anxious. "Y-Yubin?" the blonde asked from where she stood, her voice a bit louder than it had been previously so that it carried across the room but not so loud that it would disturb the other customers in the store. "C-Could you give me a...a recommendation?"
Yubin smiled slightly to herself as she hopped off of her stool, only catching the fact that she had done so when she was halfway to where the girl stood. "What can I help you with?"
Perhaps it was the lighting of that particular section in the store, but Yubin briefly wondered if the girl's cheeks had gotten pinker before she replied. "I'd like to know if you've read any of these, and if you could tell me which one you enjoyed."
"I can't read English that well," Yubin said regrettably as she looked at the selection of books that the blonde had held out for her to see. "Not full novels like this. But," she added, perking up as she saw a familiar cover in the stack of paperbacks, "I have read the Korean translation of that one, and it's quite good."
"Eclipse? By Monica Lee?"
Yubin hummed in confirmation. "Mhm. The author lives in America, but she's Korean and has a large Korean following, so she wrote it in both languages. I read the Hangul version, and I really enjoyed it." Yubin gestured to the counter behind her, where her beloved novel had been discarded on the wooden surface. "In fact, I'm reading the second installment of the series right now. It's called Red Sun."
"Interesting," the girl replied. She was already skimming the synopsis with curious eyes. "I think I'll get this one, then. Do you have the English version of the second book, too?"
"Not yet," Yubin answered. "We're getting it in a few days. But I can write down your information and let you know when it comes in, if you would like."
"I would love that," the girl grinned. Yubin felt a twinge in her stomach when she gazed at the blonde's perfect smile. It was charming and beautiful, and Yubin fought hard to keep a blush off of her cheeks as she realized that the smile was, in that moment, only for her.
"Okay," Yubin said softly. "Shall I bring this one to the counter for you?"
"That would be nice," the girl replied. "I'm going to keep looking around a bit, though, if I can leave it with you."
"Of course," Yubin answered, giving the girl another nod as she took the book in her grasp. Once she had sat down on her usual perch again, Yubin selected a customer notice slip from a shelf under the counter and found a pen before beginning to fill out the information in its required spaces.
The simple task didn't take long. Yubin quickly found herself setting aside the paper and pen, drumming her fingers mindlessly on the counter. The girl had left her line of sight, having ducked somewhere between the aisles to study some comic books, so Yubin decided that it might be worthwhile to pick up her own novel again.
"Gahyeon?" Handong called bewilderedly. Her voice was strained to begin with, but in the lonely yet thick woods of Boca Island's forest, it carried even less so than she had expected. "Gahyeon!" Handong yelled again, feeling her vocal cords protest painfully as she spoke. As the red sun on the horizon slipped ever faster towards the edge of the sky, she became more desperate by the moment. Already, a cold mist shrouded her vision, and she could hardly see the ocean any longer. It seemed like the forest was closing in around her, a morphing and tightening maze of sorts. It had seemed so small from their plane, but Handong was quickly realizing that the woods held far more twists and turns – in more ways than one – than she had anticipa—
"I think I'm ready to check out now," a melodic and now familiar voice said from above Yubin, nearly making her jump off of her stool.
"Oh, sure." Yubin replaced the bookmark that she had just removed from her novel and clamored off of her seat, leaving the book on its worn fabric surface, to stand in front of the register. "Here's the customer notice slip. If you can write down your name and phone number, I'll let you know when it comes in."
"Great." The girl pushed a stack of books towards Yubin as she reached for the piece of paper and pen that was handed to her. She began filling in the spaces that were left on the slip while Yubin rang up her books, studying each one with interest.
"Did you happen to read the information about the author on this one?" Yubin asked as she held up an English reference book.
"No, I didn't..."
Yubin smiled as she set the book back down, detaching her gaze from the girl to punch some numbers into the cash register. "I've been waiting for this to happen sometime. This book is written by Monica Lee's wife, Alice. You see, they met because they were at a writing convention in New York and bonded because they were both Korean-American authors before they started dating. Cute story, isn't it?"
"Oh, it is," the girl said softly, bringing the book back into her arms as she studied it with newfound interest. "I love that."
"Me too," Yubin hummed. She gave the girl her total and carefully packaged the books in a large paper bag that she handed over the counter.
"Thank you," the girl said politely, offering another wide smile, much to Yubin's delight. With a slight blush on her cheeks, Yubin returned the grin, finding it effortless to do so as her eyes met the blonde's.
"You're welcome. See you again soon."
"See you, Yubin. Thanks again for your help." And with that, the girl ducked out the door, heading beyond the striped awning and down the sidewalk until she was out of view.
Yubin glanced down at the slip of paper that the girl had returned to her, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. As much as she wanted to return to following Monica's well-spun tale of Gahyeon and Handong's adventures in Red Sun, there was a story she wished to delve into in its entirety first, sure that it would unlock a fairytale of her own. To Yubin's delight, the first lines were now in her hands.
Customer Name: Kim Yoohyeon. Phone Number: 02-197-0107. Book Request: Red Sun (English Translation) by Monica Lee.
Part II
"I'm sorry, Handong, I-I don't remember." The look on Gahyeon's face was saddened, yet there was an air of uncertainly and pity, as though she were not emotionally attached to the woman that she was looking at. After all, why would she be?
"No," Handong breathed, then louder, more quickly, she repeated the desperate word. "No! Gahyeon...Gahyeonnie. You have to remember me. Please. Please tell me you're joking." The tears that were already spilling over onto Handong's cheeks made it clear that even she herself didn't believe the words she spoke to the red-headed beauty in her arms.
Handong didn't know what the proper way to talk to someone with amnesia was, but she was fairly certain, based on Gahyeon's reaction, that it wasn't the way she had just gone about it. "I-I'm very unsure—"
The familiar jingle above the door to Dreamcatcher Books made Yubin's head shoot up from her book mid-sentence, as it had every time that morning. She had been waiting since the shop opened that day for Yoohyeon to come in, seeing as Minji had alerted the blonde that the book she wished to purchase had arrived. Though several arrivals had gotten her hopes up already, Yubin was immensely pleased to discover that this one did not. "Hi, Yubin." Yoohyeon smiled shyly. "I got a call that the book I wanted was in."
"Right. My boss told me that she let you know it was here. Would you like to look around before you check out?"
"Actually, yes, I would," Yoohyeon replied. "If that's no trouble, I mean."
"Of course not. I suggested it," Yubin said. She felt another smile tug at her lips as she spoke, something she had found herself doing more frequently over the past few days.
Yoohyeon grinned. "Okay. I'll be back, then." She turned on her heel, her blonde locks tumbling over her shoulders as she headed straight for the English section.
Yubin admired someone that was smart. She herself was someone who craved knowledge and information, seeking it out wherever she went. It was one of the many reasons that she loved reading so much. For Yubin, someone who also understood the wonders of knowledge the way she did was someone to be respected.
That was why, though Yubin could tell she and Yoohyeon were quite different people – opposites, even – from the moment she laid eyes on the beautiful blonde, she respected her. And Yoohyeon, she could also tell, respected Yubin in return. The way that Yoohyeon had asked her for her book recommendations and trusted her told her so. Yubin smiled to herself as she thought about that while she returned to her own book.
"—about all this. H-How can I know..." Gahyeon murmured.
"You can trust me." Handong spoke so confidently, more confidently even than she had when she told Gahyeon that they were safe right before the plane went down, that she shocked herself.
"I can?" Gahyeon asked. Handong looked deeper into the girl's cocoa-tinted eyes to see that they had welled up with tears, the whites of her glossy orbs stained with red ribbons of blood behind their surface. Her gaze was pitiful and vulnerable, something Handong had never seen before in her daring, trouble-loving, energetic best friend.
It was shaking her to her core as a sudden realization washed over her: during the entire journey to Boca Island and through everything they had experienced after the plane crash, Handong was the one being brave – something she had never done before in her life outside of Gahyeon's shadow. This was, she realized, her chance to change.
"You can, Gahyeon, I promise...because..." Again, Handong didn't know what she was or was not supposed to say to Gahyeon after the accident, but she decided that it was more important to tell Gahyeon what was on her heart after what they had gone through, knowing that their lives could be lost in the blink of an eye. "Because I love you."
"Yubin?"
"Did you find everything you were looking for?"
"Well," Yoohyeon began with a smile, drawing out the word slightly as she spoke, "I found more than that, actually, so I was hoping that you could help me narrow down my selection."
"If you saw my bookshelves at home, you would know right away that you asked the wrong person," Yubin joked. "But if you start with what you like best and keep a certain number of those..."
Yoohyeon nodded at the suggestion and pulled out two books, stacking them on the side. "These, I know I want. I was wondering if you had any ideas about the rest."
"I've read all of these." Yubin smiled slightly. "We have similar taste."
"Have you really?" Yoohyeon grinned. "How cool!"
"I liked this one the most," Yubin said, reaching for a shimmering silver hardcover. "Odd Eye. It's very good. Part of the Dystopia series by Monica Lee. I see that you're liking her books."
"Loving them," Yoohyeon corrected. "Well, the...singular one that I've read, anyways."
Yubin smiled. "I'm sure you'll love this one, too, then." She ran her spindly fingers over the spines of the remaining books on the counter, her wide eyes taking in all the titles. "You know, this one is quite good as well, Which A Star. I think you would like it, if you like Monica's books. And then I'd say this one, And There Was No One Left."
"I think that I'd better stop at that for today," Yoohyeon said as she collected Yubin's recommendations and added them to her stack. "I'll have to come back when I get paid again."
"I'll put these back for you, then, unless you'd like me to set them aside until you're ready to purchase them."
"You can do that?" Yoohyeon asked, her eyes widening happily.
Though Yubin didn't talk that much, her way of thinking everything over carefully made it so that when she did speak, her words were all the more valuable to those whose ears they fell upon. That much was currently evident by both the pink blush and shy smile that spread across Yoohyeon's face. "For pretty girls like you, I most certainly can."
It appeared to take a few moments for Yoohyeon to regain the ability to speak, which was time that Yubin wisely used to ring up her purchases. "Why do pretty girls get the exception?" she finally asked as she handed over her credit card.
"Because," Yubin answered simply, "I have an excuse to see you again."
Part III
Yubin carefully traced the surface of the hardcover book in front of her. It was a simple color scheme, all earth tones comprising the palette; but the design, especially with its raised texture whose ridges brushed Yubin's fingers lightly, was intricate and fascinating.
Though Yubin loved reading, she appreciated the beauty of art as well, and cover art on books was certainly no exception. This one, a new addition to the bookstore thanks to its recent release, particularly enchanted her, tempting her to open its pages and discover what fantasy may lie within its depths. She ran her right hand over the swirling tree in the center of the cover gently as she picked up and held the book in her left, whispering the title of the book out loud to herself as she did so. "Sahara." Yubin was reading another novel already, but the temptation was overpowering her, and she soon found herself flipping to a page in the middle of the book to acquire a taste of its contents.
Siyeon ducked her head low against the swirling sand. She was going against the current of the wind, knowing that it was trying to teach her, to tell her to return, but she was determined. All that she could do was to pray towards the sky, the only thing that could not be covered.
She dared not look up, needing to protect her eyes, but she spoke anyway. "Please, God," she whispered, but her voice was snatched away immediately by the air twisting around her. She continued nonetheless, albeit in a louder tone. "Tell me the way I should go in these blind days..."
"Yubin..." a voice called softly from behind her. Even before Yubin turned to see the face to whom the voice belonged, she could tell that a gentle smile was spread across it.
"Yoohyeon," Yubin responded, returning Yoohyeon's expression.
"You're not at your usual post today," Yoohyeon observed, her smile widening as her eyes met Yubin's.
"I was just setting up this display," Yubin explained factually. She carefully placed the book that she had been holding on the stand in the center of the short table near the front of the store. "But I'm done now."
"I see that you're still reading, even if you're not sitting behind the counter."
Yubin smiled. "Just a taste, you know."
Yoohyeon nodded to the book with her chin. "And what did you think?"
"I think that I might like to pick up a copy," Yubin mused.
"You'll have to let me know how it is. I might need to do the same, you know."
"Of course I will. Next time you come in."
"I look forward to it," Yoohyeon murmured, glancing down as she shuffled her feet shyly.
Noticing Yoohyeon's bashfulness, Yubin spoke, "Shall I ring up the books that I set aside for you last time, or would you like to look around today as well?"
Yoohyeon shook her head as the last few words slipped from between Yubin's lips. "I'd better not," she said, laughing lightly. "I think I've picked out enough for now."
"Alright," Yubin smiled. She rang up the stack of books and put them in a bag while Yoohyeon handed over her credit card.
"Yubin?" Yoohyeon asked softly.
"Yoohyeon?"
"I really enjoyed the books that you recommended, the first ones, I mean. By Monica Lee."
"They're good, aren't they?" Yubin replied as she returned Yoohyeon's card. "Who's your favorite character?"
"Right now, it's Gahyeon. I just started Red Sun, and I really like how adventurous she is."
Yubin's smile widened. She loved knowing that others felt the same way she did, thinking the same things about the same characters, and knowing that as the story progressed, so their feelings might as well. "Red Sun is a wild ride. I hope you're ready. It's a little crazier than the first book."
"Oh, good," Yoohyeon replied, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "I like that." She paused for a moment, fiddling with the bag that Yubin had left on the counter for her. No one else was waiting to pay – in fact, the store was not very busy at all – so neither of them felt rushed to end their conversation and part ways. "I really like having another reader to talk to. My friends don't really care about books as much as I do."
"Same here," Yubin replied. "Most of my friends are in books at this point because of that."
Yoohyeon grinned. "I get that." She glanced down, still fiddling with the bag, her fingers moving more quickly and shakily than before. "Um...we...maybe, if you would like, I mean, we could...get together sometime to talk about...the books and everything?"
Yubin wanted to encourage Yoohyeon's confidence, not to push anything, but she couldn't stop herself from prompting, "A date?"
"I...um...I mean...if you...I..." Yoohyeon stammered. She was looking more anxious by the second.
Yubin chuckled. "I would love to."
Yoohyeon's flitting hands stopped moving over the bag, her eyes widening before a large smile spread across her lips. "Your laugh is pretty," she blurted. She covered her mouth after she realized what she had said, and though her hand was clamped across half of her face, Yubin could still see the deep blush that was quickly spreading over her cheeks.
Yubin laughed again, a bit louder, both out of surprise as well as humor. "Thank you. You're pretty."
If Yubin thought that Yoohyeon was blushing hard before, she was now sure that the girl had become a lobster. "T-Thank you," Yoohyeon squeaked after a moment.
"You know," Yubin began, "it's about time for my lunch break. Shall we go to the park across the street to talk if you're free right now?"
Yoohyeon nodded quickly. "Sure! I am!"
"Great." Yubin grabbed her phone from under the counter, watching out of the corner of her eye as Yoohyeon twisted her hands together in front of her, rocking back and forth on her heels with a giddy grin on her face. "Ready?"
"Mhm," Yoohyeon hummed. She clutched the bag of books that she had purchased to her chest as Yubin held the door open for both of them.
The air outside was light and refreshing, prompting Yubin to take a satisfactory deep breath that she exhaled with a smile. "Nice out, isn't it?"
"It is," Yoohyeon agreed.
"So, you just started Red Sun? How did you like Eclipse?"
"So much that I'm tempted to read the Hangul version as well," Yoohyeon admitted with a laugh, after which Yubin nodded firmly.
"You definitely should. It's worth it."
"How can I be sure that you're not just saying that so I'll come back to the bookstore?"
"You can't," Yubin replied wittily, making Yoohyeon giggle. "But," she added after a pause, "I'm confident now that you'll keep coming back. I don't think that I need to worry anymore."
"You worried about me, huh?" Yoohyeon playfully countered. Before Yubin even had a chance to react, she continued, "But how do you know that I'll keep coming back?"
"I'd like to think that it's because of me," Yubin chuckled slightly, "but really, I just know that you're hooked on the Utopia series, so you'll be back to keep getting the next installments."
"Well, I like those too," Yoohyeon mumbled, her gaze dropping to the path that they had started walking side by side on, "but it's mostly because of you."
"Oh, really?" Yubin asked bemusedly. She hadn't expected Yoohyeon to be so forward with her answer – and to confirm her hopes so quickly.
"Mhm," Yoohyeon replied under her breath, so quietly that Yubin could hardly hear her.
Yubin simply smiled for a moment. At first, she focused on the fact that she was smiling so readily, something that had long been considered an occurrence that was unusual for her. Yubin then began looking around, and she admired the leaves fluttering in the gentle breeze of the wind, the sun shining through a few fluffy clouds scattered in the bright blue sky, and the crisp air that surrounded them. She did all this before gently reaching out and taking Yoohyeon's hand, saying softly, "I want to remember this moment."
"What moment?" Yoohyeon asked, though Yubin suspected that the question was more of a request for confirmation of what she already guessed.
"This one," Yubin replied, tugging Yoohyeon gently to a nearby bench and sitting down so that the girls were facing each other. She reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair that was blowing in the wind behind Yoohyeon's ear, making her blush fiercely and duck her head. "Just being with you."
Yubin surprised herself.
For as long as she could remember, she had never been one for spoken words, unless they came in the form of music. She recognized that the art of conversation could have value to others, but until she began talking to Yoohyeon, truly talking to her, that was; she had not grasped that value for herself.
Yoohyeon was a good listener, which was something that surprised Yubin. The blonde leaned forward with genuine interest when Yubin spoke about her family, her hobbies, and her job, but most of all, when Yubin talked about reading. Yubin quickly realized that they had very little in common besides their love for books, but she was quite alright with that. It was a factor that she would have never considered to be unimportant before meeting Yoohyeon, but the puppy-like girl made her realize that sometimes opposite personalities could still work in a way that was beautiful and complete.
Yubin and Yoohyeon talked for so long that Yubin only realized that she had to get back to work a minute before her lunch break ended.
"Oh, no, Yubin, you didn't even have anything to eat!" Yoohyeon exclaimed. "I kept you for so long, I'm so sorry!"
Yubin smiled. "Don't worry, Yoohyeon, I enjoyed this much more than I would have liked something to eat. I'll be okay until dinner."
"No," Yoohyeon insisted, a frown crossing her face as she spoke. Yubin half expected her to stomp her foot like a child when she pouted her lips. "You need to eat." She stood to her feet, pulling Yubin with her, and began to lead them back down the path.
"Well, what do you plan to do about that?" Yubin chuckled as Yoohyeon tugged her along.
"I'm going to bring you something to eat," Yoohyeon answered factually, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh, Yoohyeon, that's really not necessary," Yubin protested. As someone who rarely ate a big breakfast, if she even ate one at all, she was indeed feeling a bit hungry and knew that she would definitely be craving some food by the mid-afternoon, but the last thing that she wanted to do was to trouble Yoohyeon.
"Nonsense," Yoohyeon retorted. "And you're going to accept the food that I bring you!"
Yubin smiled at that, knowing that she was going to have to give in eventually. She suspected that Yoohyeon was the kind of person who always got what she wanted, and she wasn't about to attempt to change that. The idea of eating something delicious was sounding better and better by the second. "Okay," she sighed. "But nothing too big, and I'm paying you back."
"No need," Yoohyeon insisted. She paused for a moment, as though debating whether or not to utter her next sentence. The long conversation she and Yubin had just engaged in must have given her some confidence, however, because she finally said, "You can buy us both a meal sometime if you really want to repay me."
"Another date?"
"Something like that," Yoohyeon mumbled, a familiar and rather customary blush spreading across her cheeks.
"Okay, deal," Yubin chuckled. "I'll take you out, Yooh, you have my word."
At the use of the new nickname, Yoohyeon's blush deepened. Though Yubin suspected that it was subconscious, she deeply enjoyed it when Yoohyeon tightened her grip on Yubin's hand. "Okay."
"Hey, Yooh," Yubin said as they ducked under the awning to the bookstore, stopping in front of the door. Yoohyeon turned so that their eyes met, letting Yubin see curiosity etched in the chocolate orbs that had enchanted her from day one. "I really enjoyed this," she said softly.
"Me too," Yoohyeon replied, a smile spreading across her face. "I'll be right back with some food, though, okay?"
"Okay," Yubin smiled. "I'll see you soon, then." She let go of Yoohyeon's hand more than a bit regrettably and waved before ducking inside the bookstore.
"Have fun on your lunch break?" Minji asked bemusedly, watching Yubin with a knowing smile.
Yubin jumped slightly as she turned towards her boss sitting behind the wooden counter on Yubin's usual seat. She was still in a bit of a daze, replaying the fresh memories in her head as she entered the bookstore. "Oh! Yes," she mumbled sheepishly, prompting Minji to giggle.
"I knew that something was up when you started smiling at customers like it wasn't painful anymore," Minji teased.
Yubin rolled her eyes at the comment. Her boss was her friend first and foremost before she was her employer, and she liked to exercise the privileges that came along with that. "Oh, come on," she groaned. "Just because I smile more doesn't mean anything."
"Oh, no, nothing at all," Minji replied, obvious sarcasm dripping from her words. "Just that you're in love, but that's it, really."
"I am not! I just met her!"
"Mm, you keep telling yourself that, Yubin."
"Right, right," Yubin mumbled.
"So, did you two go out to lunch?"
"No, we just sat in the park, and she felt bad that she made me miss my chance to get something to eat, so she's buying me some food right now."
Yubin thought that Minji's eyes were going to pop right out of their sockets with the way that they got so wide. "She's buying you food right now?" she asked incredulously. "And you think you guys aren't in love?!"
"Minji, I just met her, oh my God! We're not in love!" Yubin reiterated, covering her face with her hands as a blush rushed to her cheeks.
"I'll believe it when I see evidence to the contrary," Minji snickered, finally relinquishing her seat so that Yubin could use it instead.
Yubin simply shook her head and reached for the nearest book to stick her nose, which was still tinted pink with embarrassment, into. She hardly noticed that it was Sahara until she recognized the main character's name in the opening sentence.
Lee Siyeon had long been interested in countries apart from her own. She lived to travel, thrived on adventure, and sought out new journeys as though she needed them like the air she breathed.
That was why she was currently standing in the middle of her bedroom, which looked like a tornado had just run through it, tossing items left and right into a bag. She was going to Africa, to the Sahara Desert, to be specific; to trek the area by herself – and she couldn't be more excited.
Siyeon picked up one of the items to be placed in her duffel bag with a considerably bigger amount of care than she had for anything else, bringing it closer to her face to inspect it. The reason for her trip: The Book of the Tree of Language.
It had all started—
"Do you like tteokbokki?"
Yubin grinned as she looked up at a very worried Yoohyeon, who was staring back at her with her hands tightly clasped around a plastic bag. "I only thought after I bought it about the fact that maybe you don't like spicy food, or you're allergic to something in it, or – or—"
"I love tteokbokki, Yoohyeon."
"Oh, good," Yoohyeon breathed. "Here you go, then."
"The only thing that makes tteokbokki better is having someone to share it with," Yubin stated, looking at Yoohyeon rather pointedly.
Yoohyeon smiled shyly. "Shall I keep you company while you eat, then?"
"That would be nice. And you? Where is your lunch?"
Yoohyeon looked down at her hands, which were now empty. "I...uh...well, to be honest, I didn't really think of getting something for myself," she admitted with a laugh.
"Good thing you got plenty of tteokbokki, then." Yubin dipped her chopsticks into the dish and pulled out a singular spicy rice cake, blowing on it carefully before she cupped her hand underneath it and brought it to Yoohyeon's mouth.
Yoohyeon appeared as though she'd opened her mouth to protest, but Yubin didn't let that happen. She placed the tteokbokki piece in her mouth, quickly wiping her lip with her thumb when some sauce began to drip. "Good?" she asked once Yoohyeon had chewed for a moment.
"I think I should be asking you that," Yoohyeon frowned. As Yubin laughed in response, she leaned forward, taking the chopsticks and feeding Yubin the same way Yubin had done for her.
"It's very good," Yubin asserted before Yoohyeon even had a chance to ask the question on the tip of her tongue.
"Good," Yoohyeon grinned.
"Your turn," Yubin winked at Yoohyeon again before bringing another piece of tteokbokki to her mouth. She readily accepted the food, even as a slight blush spread across her cheeks.
"Cute," Yubin teased, reaching out to brush Yoohyeon's lips gently again. There was no sauce left there that time, she simply wanted to feel their soft texture once more.
Yoohyeon rolled her eyes, appearing to be fighting a grin as she took the chopsticks from Yubin and fed her. "You're a flirt."
"A romantic," Yubin corrected as soon as she had swallowed the bite of food in her mouth. "I'm only a flirt for you, silly."
Yoohyeon was giggling so hard that Yubin wasn't sure if she could even feed her another piece of tteokbokki, but between the two of them, they managed to finish the meal. Then it was Yoohyeon who reached out, her thin fingers resting against Yubin's cheek as she swiped her thumb across her bottom lip.
It sent a shiver down Yubin's spine, making her blush at the obvious reaction. Yoohyeon just smiled. "Did you enjoy the food?" she asked sincerely.
"Of course. I told you, the only thing that makes tteokbokki better is sharing it with someone, and I got to do that." Yubin paused for a moment before adding, "Did you enjoy it?"
Yoohyeon's smile widened. "I'm glad. And I did, as well."
"Good, then," Yubin said, returning Yoohyeon's smile. "I'm glad, too."
"Well, I probably shouldn't keep distracting you from your work," Yoohyeon said after a moment.
Yubin nodded slowly. "Yeah, I shouldn't keep you either. I know you probably have other things to do."
"I like doing this the most, though."
Yubin smiled. "Me too."
"So...when will I see you again?" Yoohyeon asked shyly.
Yubin hummed. "I'd like to see you again soon, when are you free?"
"Anytime," Yoohyeon replied with a shrug. "I set my own hours."
"Ah, right." Yoohyeon had filled Yubin in on her job as an English tutor during their conversation in the park. "Well," Yubin suggested, "what about tomorrow afternoon, since I'm off? I can take you out for that that I owe you."
"I don't think you owe me that anymore, since you fed me half of the lunch I bought." Yubin could tell that Yoohyeon wasn't denying the offer even before she added, "But that sounds lovely, I would really enjoy that."
"Okay, it's a date, then."
Part IV
Yubin ran her hands against the crisp plaid fabric of her suit jacket, carefully making sure that her white graphic tee was still tucked in just the way she liked as she shifted her weight from one sneaker-clad foot to the other. She was glad to finally have an excuse to wear the suit she had picked out on one occasion while shopping, a purchase that had then had no meaning or purpose besides indulging her own pleasure.
But as Yubin stood outside the restaurant that she and Yoohyeon had agreed to meet at for dinner, she was sure that the suit had been less of a mindless acquisition than she had originally thought as the blonde beauty she was waiting for finally appeared. "We match!" Yoohyeon exclaimed happily.
"We do." Yubin was finding it a bit hard to compose sentences all of a sudden. Yoohyeon was dressed in an oversized distressed sweater in the same soft shade of taupe as Yubin's suit with a short black skirt, her long legs on display in such a way that made Yubin breathless. She couldn't help but blurt out what had popped into her mind. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you," Yoohyeon whispered, looking down at the ground shyly. "You look really handsome."
Yubin grinned. She reached out to take Yoohyeon's hand in her left one as she opened the door to the restaurant with her right. "Thanks, Yooh."
The girls walked inside, and Yubin happily noted that Yoohyeon left their hands loosely twined together as they made their way to a table and began perusing the menu. "How are you?" Yubin asked, not absentmindedly, as her eyes stayed fixed on the paper in front of her.
"I'm great," Yoohyeon replied easily. "And you?"
Yubin glanced up briefly, looking at Yoohyeon over the edges of her wire-rimmed glasses. "The same," she said with a smile.
"That's good," Yoohyeon responded, returning Yubin's smile. "Should we get something to share?" she asked after a pause. "I can't seem to decide what I want. I'm stuck between two dishes."
Yubin quickly found that one thing she and Yoohyeon had in common besides books was the way they approached food. By the time they'd made their selection, Yubin had to admit to herself that she was getting a bit worried about the bill – though she didn't truly mind. She was willing to indulge Yoohyeon in whatever she desired, as long as it put the beautiful grin that Yubin loved so much on her angelic face.
"How is work?" Yoohyeon asked once they had given their orders.
"The usual, so...good. I really did get into that book you saw me setting up the display for, Sahara. It's great. You'll definitely have to read it."
"I'm going to go broke buying all these books, and I'm blaming you," Yoohyeon laughed. "But I do want to read it, and I will!"
Yubin smiled. "Don't worry, I'll start getting you some kind of loyalty discount. I'm pretty sure it won't be hard to convince my boss."
"Why's that?"
Yubin rolled her eyes, an embarrassed smile beginning to replace her placid one. "Well, she might have seen us outside the shop yesterday and jumped to, er, several conclusions."
"Such as?"
"Things that are irrelevant," Yubin replied, fully aware that a blush was beginning to spread over her face as she spoke.
"I don't buy it," Yoohyeon teased. "I think she knows something that I don't."
"For example?"
Yoohyeon leaned forward slightly across the table as she studied Yubin's eyes. "That you really like me."
"Would I be on a date with you if that wasn't the case? You just wanted me to admit it," Yubin smirked. She could tell that Yoohyeon wasn't expecting her to be so forward. She wanted to laugh at her reaction, but she didn't.
Yoohyeon was blushing quite fiercely, raising both hands to her mouth as she giggled. "I really like you too, Yubin," she whispered shyly.
Yubin simply smiled, reaching out and placing her hand over Yoohyeon's. She ran her hands across her soft skin, feeling the ridges of her slim fingers gently. "I want to remember this."
"Me too," Yoohyeon replied. "I've been thinking about you saying that at the park. It's a nice thing to say out loud. It helps you solidify the memory, I think."
Yubin nodded, happy that Yoohyeon had come to the same realization that she herself had several years ago. "It does."
After another pause, Yoohyeon leaned forward and propped her chin up on her free hand as she looked at Yubin with interest. "So, tell me about Sahara."
It wasn't too long before their food arrived, and the girls found that the meal was too good to be interrupted with conversation, so they took turns feeding each other every so often instead. Yubin thought that the food tasted even better when Yoohyeon carefully cupped her hand under Yubin's chin, holding out a spoonful of kimchi noodle soup or a bite of fried rice with a caring look in her eyes.
"Thank you for the meal, Yubin," Yoohyeon said shyly as they made to leave after they had finished. "I really enjoyed it."
"Of course, Yooh." Yubin took Yoohyeon's hand gently as they walked out the door. "I always like something sweet after I eat, though. Should we get some ice cream next door?"
"I would love that!" Yoohyeon exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Ice cream is my favorite."
"Mine too," Yubin chuckled. The ice cream shop was only next door, so as they ducked inside, she asked, "What flavor would you like?"
"Hm...I think I want mint chocolate chip," Yoohyeon hummed. "What about you?"
"Really?! That's my favorite, it's what I always get."
"Me too," Yoohyeon laughed. "I'm so glad that we agree on food."
"And books. The two most important things," Yubin joked. Once they had received their dessert, she suggested, "Shall we walk for a bit? It's still quite light outside."
"That sounds nice," Yoohyeon smiled.
The girls made their way back onto the sidewalk, heading aimlessly down the concrete path as they resumed the conversation that they had abandoned earlier. "I couldn't believe what happened in the ending of Eclipse," Yoohyeon said animatedly, the hand that wasn't holding her ice cream cone gesturing wildly in the air as she talked.
Yubin found it hard to pay attention to what Yoohyeon was saying, even though the conversation was of utmost interest to her, because of how she looked when she spoke in such a way. It was a bit easier to focus when Yoohyeon began prompting Yubin to speak instead.
"That's why I enjoy being an English tutor so much," she finished. "What about you? What makes you love working at the bookstore?"
"It's my place to dream," Yubin replied. "It's funny, because it's called Dreamcatcher Books, you know, but...it's true. I can walk in and pick up any book that I like, and I get taken to another world."
Yoohyeon hummed in agreement, prompting Yubin to continue, "I always thought that life, or my life, at least, was too plain to be a story like the ones I read, but..." she paused for a moment, thinking to herself. "I think that there is beauty in a story that is quiet and tranquil until the moment that it seems to transform into a fairytale."
"What moment would you say that was, for you? Or have you not experienced it yet?" Yoohyeon asked.
"When I started working at Dreamcatcher Books," Yubin replied easily. "Because I began to learn more than I ever had, meeting new people and getting to read whatever I wanted. I went on adventures every day, and I still do." She swallowed hard, suddenly a bit nervous. "And because I got to meet you."
Out of the corner of her eye, Yubin watched as Yoohyeon smiled. "I'm part of what makes your life a fairytale?"
Yubin blushed. "Well, sometimes someone walks into your life when you're not expecting it and you sort of realize that maybe they are a key part of your story, like, what makes it special, and you just don't know it yet."
"I think we do know it," Yoohyeon whispered. Yubin wasn't quite sure if she was meant to hear the comment at all.
Even with the steady conversation between them, the ice cream cones quickly disappeared, and the sun was beginning to slip just far enough in the sky that a beautiful sunset had started to unfold. The girls were just approaching the park across from the bookstore when Yubin stopped to admire it. "Pretty, isn't it?"
Yoohyeon slipped her hand into Yubin's as they paused, looking up at the sky with soft smiles. "Not as pretty as you, but it's close."
Yubin laughed lightly, squeezing Yoohyeon's hand. "You're right. It's not as pretty as you, either. Maybe we should look at each other, instead."
"I like that idea better."
"Me too," Yubin said, realizing halfway through her sentence that her voice had unintentionally gotten softer. It seemed to have a mind of its own when she looked at Yoohyeon.
So did, apparently, her hands. Yubin gently took Yoohyeon's other hand in hers, pulling her so that their bodies faced one another. "I hope you enjoyed tonight as much as I did."
"I did," Yoohyeon whispered. "I really did." Her bottom lip slipped between her teeth for a moment as she looked into Yubin's eyes, her gaze flitting slightly as though she was debating something. Yubin already knew what she was going to do anyway, so she simply held Yoohyeon's face in her hands as the blonde leaned closer.
Yoohyeon's lips felt even better, Yubin quickly decided, against her own than they did against her thumb. They were soft and tasted like vanilla, and she moved them carefully and lightly against Yubin's own, a breathless hesitancy written all over their quivering surface. Shaky breaths and small whimpers escaped from between Yoohyeon's lips when Yubin pulled her closer with a tug of her fingers, her own breath quickly becoming ragged and broken. To Yubin, it felt like both a very long amount of time and none at all before they pulled apart.
"I bet I know what you're going to say," Yoohyeon whispered, her lips still so close to Yubin's that Yubin could feel them move when she spoke.
"What?" Yubin asked, more so asking for a repeat of the sentence than prompting for an answer, seeing as she still felt a bit dazed.
"But I'm going to say it first," Yoohyeon continued. It finally clicked in Yubin's brain what Yoohyeon meant just in time for them to say it together, making a wide smile spread across both of their faces.
"I want to remember this."