AMOUR

Chapter Two

There was something different in the air that morning, something more welcoming. As Hana walked to the place that was dearest to her, the library near the farmhouse, she couldn't help but feel fresh that morning. Everything around her felt so inviting.

The cool spring breeze would welcome anyone, but it felt as if it was especially blowing today for Hana.

Hana came back to forget about her break up. But surprisingly, that was the last thing on her mind.

Her face lit up as the library came in view. "Good morning Mr. Choi!" she beamed as soon as she entered the library. "How have you been?" She asked.

"Umm? Excuse me? Who are you?" Someone asked as she walked up to the counter.

The person she thought was Mr. Choi was someone else. "You're not Mr.Choi," she said, embarrassed by the encounter.

A young man was standing in the place where Mr. Choi usually used to stand. Hana was so used to seeing him first thing when she walked into the library that she forgot that the environment might've changed in the last four years.

The guy standing in front of her wore black clothing from top to bottom. He had an attractive pull to him. Something about him made Hana stop and stare at him. His round black orbs were so mesmerizing to her. It was as if they held the entire galaxy in them. He was quite tall and somewhat built. Overall, this man was very handsome.

"I'm sorry, I disturbed the peace of the library," Hana said after she broke out of her trance.

"Oh, no worries!" The guy broke out in a smile, making his bunny teeth more prominent. "You must be looking for the owner? Right?"

"Yes, I am!" Hana quickly answered.

"He's in the back. I'll go fetch him." He ran towards the back as quickly as he said it. This gave Hana time to observe the library. Everything looked the same. Not a book was out of place. A few minor details caught Hana's attention, but they would be unnoticeable for someone who didn't come here as often.

Or someone who wasn't as observing as she was.

"Look who came crawling back," Mr. Choi came in through the basement door, wiping his hand with the apron he was wearing. His voice instantly made Hana smile.

She teasingly rolled her eyes. "I didn't come crawling back. I just missed you and everyone else," she silently walked into Mr. Choi's welcoming arms, and he embraced her warmly.

Mr. Choi loved Hana like a daughter. He was quite successful, yet he was single. Mr. Choi didn't marry anyone saying that books were his life companion. He used to say to Hana and Sana that he has two beautiful daughters he doesn't need any women in his life. Mr. Choi was fifty-two years of age and surprisingly wasn't a bit lonely. He spent his entire youth building his business and didn't let any distraction waver him. He did once mention him falling for a woman when he entered adulthood. But he told them she disappeared one day, and he kept a close check on his heart after that.

Mr. Choi knew the Kang siblings since they were toddlers. He was good friends with their father. But he was exceptionally close to Hana since they both shared a common interest.

"Same difference," Mr. Choi teased as he tightly embraced her and swayed from side to side affectionately. He never mentioned it, but it was pretty apparent that Hana was his favorite out of all the three siblings. "What is the reason for this surprise visit? Any occasion?" He asked as he pulled away.

"Not really," Hana shrugged, "I'm going back in a month or two," she slipped her hand into her jeans. The round-eyed boy caught her attention once again, and she asked Mr. Choi about him by discreetly pointing towards him.

The round-eyed boy got busy in his work once again after he saw the little interaction. He had already observed the girl keenly. Curiosity was eating him away, but he stayed silent. He thought it was better to keep shut since there was no need for his involvement.

"Who's he?" Hana asked out of curiosity. And the nameless boy secretly sighed in relief. He didn't know how long he could hold it in. The pretty girl had genuinely grabbed his attention.

"Oh him?" Mr. Choi looked back at him and seemed as if he was at a loss for words. "He is Jungkook, err, my nephew?" Mr. Choi blurted out whatever came in his mouth and further explained, "Yeah! He came to visit from the states. He loves books, so I let him help around here."

"Oh, I see," Hana said quietly. She could tell by his tone that Mr. Choi was lying, but she didn't say anything. She walked towards Jungkook and politely introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Kang Hana. Nice to meet you," she extended her hand towards him and smiled.

Jungkook looked appalled but reluctantly took her hand. "Nice to meet you too," he nervously smiled.

Hana noticed his posture and energy but ignored it. He was a stranger to her. She was at no place to judge him. But something told her that he might be the reason for her insomnia that night.

"Hana, let's go, talk somewhere else," Mr. Choi intruded. "We have a lot to catch up on"

"Sure," Hana agreed. She smiled at Jungkook once more and walked towards Mr. Choi. Jungkook sighed when he saw them disappear behind the door. But he didn't know if he was relieved or sad. Nonetheless, he shook away all the thoughts and got back to his work.

Hana and Mr.Choi talked for hours and didn't even notice the time passing by. They indeed had too much to catch up on. Mr. Choi was furious and was ready to throw hands when Hana told him the real reason for her visit. It was hard, but Hana managed to calm him down.

If Hana hadn't stopped him, he probably would've killed the poor guy using his connections. Hana knew he was a respected, well-known elder in the business world. With a snap of his fingers, he can make anyone disappear from the face of this world.

"Now that I am back home, that thought doesn't bother me anymore," Hana stated, "Don't worry about it uncle, it's alright."

Mr. Choi huffed and fell back in his chair. "God, I want to scratch the skin off of that guy, how could he do that? He lost the most precious girl in the world."

Hana giggled at his comment. "I know right! She agreed with him. But don't do anything, I don't want your violent side to come back."

Mr. Choi used to be very violent when Hana was a baby, or so she heard from her father. She had never seen that side herself but from what she had heard, it was pretty bad. And her father had given her clear instructions to not let that side come back. But she never had to do anything about it since Mr.Choi never showed any sort of violence in front of them. Maybe he changed after spending time with the siblings.

Or maybe the violent him is still there, hiding in him, waiting to come out.

Hana and Mr.Choi sunset and he walked her home. That's one more thing Hana like about him, he was a pure gentleman. And the old guy could flirt like it's no big deal. Flattery is his second nature.

After Mr.Choi left Hana went to her room and laid down. She had nothing to do and it was started to bother her. She was so used to the hectic schedule of her university that even stopping to breathe for a second felt like she was wasting her precious time.

Hana went on a walk after having dinner with Mrs. Wang. She couldn't stay put till she was near to passing out, she needed a distraction, something to keep her occupied.

She was walking on the running trails along the Nakdong river when she saw something unexpected. Someone was standing on the edge and from what it seemed he was about to jump in.