✓LOVER BOY | hwang hyunjin

08. Picture

The library was quiet. Afternoon sunlight filtered in through the gently dancing curtains. A hush of peace hung upon the walls. And it was broken when the footsteps of Yeseul walked through, her face shadowed by the cap that had turned into a habit of sitting on her head.

Her glasses slid down, hair escaping the braid, brushing against her cheek. Hyunjin watched, his eyes a pool of serenity. The last couple of days had made him and Jeongin to join the volunteering program, since the girl had refused to meet their eyes outside the library.

Yeseul was made the incharge of the Administrative Section. With a cardboard box under her arms, she walked, eyes gazing at the highly placed ceiling, till she felt the familiar carpet softening her steps. Taking a right turn, she stopped, her arms sore from the boxes she had been placing on the floor. A sigh rolled out of her lungs. Yeseul sat down on her knees, pulling out the green coded files before she pushed them in the bookcase in a neat display.

During the work, her eyes caught an unfamiliar stack that oddly stood out. Confusion traced her face as she pulled out the set of novels. Hyunjin was incharge of the literature section. The mild annoyance itched her. Gathering a breath in her chest, she walked towards the boy who sat in a chair, eyes closed as the sun flooded it's golden light on him. Yeseul scoffed.

"Hey."

Hyunjin gazed towards the girl. Blinking, and squinting at her. "Wait a second. I can't see anything."

"Section C-1. That's where the novels go. You placed them in the Office section."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

Hyunjin pushed his lips in a straight line, suppressing the urge to smile. Yeseul could sense the desperately held back joy. This wasn't the first time they had gotten in this conversation.

"Hyunjin," Yeseul sighed, sitting down to meet his eyes. "We have gone through this so many times before. You already made the same mistake yesterday."

Hyunjin looked up, eyes meeting hers, the smile now oozing out of him like summer zest. "I just want you to talk to us. It feels awkward to be silent around someone who is for unknown reasons running away from me."

"I'm working."

"And I'm waiting."

Jeongin waltzed in, a grin deep rooted on his face. "Hyung! I got us lunch." He happily showed the lunchbox in his hand.

"Bro- What the hell, Jeongin?" Hyunjin stood up. "Did you trick the lunch lady again?"

Yeseul had heard enough. The duo couldn't stop teasing innocent people. And now she too was a victim of it. "Jeongin, can you please help Hyunjin?"

Jeongin glanced between the two, finally nodding in agreement. "I'll do that."

"Why can't you teach me?" Hyunjin moved ahead, making Yeseul to freeze in her place.

"Yes, that's right." Jeongin avoided eye contact. "I'm pretty busy myself."

"Jeongin." Yeseul turned to face him. "You just got your second lunch. You're not busy at all. And Hyunjin, you were just basking in the sun, and expect me to believe that you two take your work seriously?"

"Alright. Let's not fight." Hyunjin clapped his hands to break off the atmosphere. "Let's get to work. Jeongin, let's help Yeseul."

"What?" Yeseul felt her ears warming up. "No- I work by myself. No. I said no. Guys." She couldn't stop them, even though she stood rooted, her arms trying to block the path.

"Should have let them get bullied."

Taking a run, she finally caught up to them. Her eyes horrified to find Jeongin emptying the boxes on the floor, and Hyunjin placing the folders with the spines turned inwards. "Oh my God."

"Don't worry. We'll be done with this within minutes." Jeongin gave a thumbs up, and Hyunjin just shrugged when Yeseul disappointedly looked at him.

It took several minutes to bring a sense of order in the place. The three separated off, each taking care of their own assigned jobs. Yeseul sighed, looking happy with the neat look of the bookcase, but a curse was not too late to escape her when she saw a set of manga sitting in the height. Her hands reached out, frustration restlessly rising inside her when her fingertips barely reached the sore sight.

"Hyunjin, I'll kill you one day." Yeseul cursed.

"Called for me?" The unexpected whisper frightened the girl, her balance falling off, as she awaited the floor to take her in a painful hug.

Before she knew it, she fell, her hope of being caught by the boy breaking down. "You should've caught me!"

"I did think of doing that, but then I thought you won't like the cliche act."

Yeseul stood up, embarrassed. She dusted away her pants, her hand once again reaching out towards the manga. "I hate you."

Her words fell silent when she felt the boy stand close, his arms extending from behind, touching her bandaged fingers, making Yeseul fall in a trap of her recalling his gentle hands, helping her and her wounds.

Hyunjin almost pulled down the comics, before he realised how close he stood to Yeseul. His smile fell off, eyes frozen on the red knuckles of the girl. His gaze travelled to her visible cheek, florid by the frozen time. The breath stopped in his throat. "I- I'm sorry."

Yeseul glanced back, her eyes meeting his, but before the time could bring out the sense of what Hyunjin felt in his chest at that moment, a flash broke them away.

"Sorry." Jeongin laughed, the phone in his hand a witness to what has happened.

"Jeongin. Delete that right now." Hyunjin moved towards him, pushing his glasses back.

"What? Forward it to you? Alright."

Hyunjin didn't waste a second to chase his friend, leaving behind a girl who still couldn't calm the throbbing in her ribcage.