Ethereal || BTS x Reader

chapter 1

"Finally! The last box." You let out as you leaned against the large shelf, almost gasping for air. It had taken you almost two weeks to move into the small shop, the books you and your best friend, Chaeyeon, had accumulated over the years being almost too much to move.

You had moved to Seoul nearly two months ago. You needed a fresh start and Chaeyeon had let you live with her in her small, two-bedroom apartment. She needed a roommate and you needed a place to stay, so the situation was perfect.

You had lived with your grandparents up until almost three months ago. Your parents had passed from a fire when you were a teenager, and your maternal grandparents had taken you in. You continued to stay with them until well past your adventures into adulthood. At least, until a couple months ago when your grandparent's bookstore had been the product of a stupid kid with a lighter.

You and your grandparents were inside, while you were restocking some of the shelves, your grandparents were in their room, getting ready for bed. The fire had reached them before you could. You somehow managed to make it out, but not without any physical reminders. Not that you needed any.

You placed your hand over your shoulder, touching the large scar that covered your right arm. The marred skin reached from the top of your shoulder to the tips of your fingers. The doctors said that over time the redness would go down, but your doubt it. It looked almost like you had just made it out, pushing at the door and using your weight against the old wood to make it out of the store before you perished.

You shake your head, hair flying into your face as you try to push the memories from your head. You had a bookstore to put together and get open.

Opening the bookstore was the only way you could think to keep your grandparents' memory alive. With the money you received from your families will, as well as the insurance money from the fire, you were able to get a nice, quaint bookstore located in the outer ring of the city.

It was a nice location and your neighbors had already made themselves known, bringing you and Chaeyeon cookies when you first started moving the shelves around. Plus, the shop was only a couple of blocks walking distance away from the apartment. It was also a couple of blocks away from Hyunwoo, Chaeyeon's brother. He was a huge help, able to lift more of the heavier boxes and rearrange shelves.

You had first met the two siblings when they moved with their parents to your hometown when you were 8. Chaeyeon had been your best friend ever since, and by association, her sometimes annoying but protective older brother. Their family had moved back to Seoul when you were 17, their parents' jobs moving them back. But that didn't stop them from dropping everything when they heard about the fire.

Chaeyeon had flown down the next morning, her brother and parents following down soon after. They were there every step of the way, holding you when your recovery was not looking good. Holding you back when the teenager who started the fire had shown up in your hospital room to apologize. (Hyunwoo almost went to jail that night.)

Her parents had taken over planning and arranging the funeral along with talking to insurance and the authorities while you were in recovery. You had no clue how you would ever be able to repay them.

-*-*-

It had been a busy week leading up to the official opening of the bookstore. At the last second, Chaeyeon had decided to buy out the small café next door. She had claimed that you couldn't have a bookstore in Seoul without a café, so you spend the better part of a month knocking out the wall in between the two stores and connecting the layout.

You both were able to find a couple of nice employees who were able to work both the shop and the café. They were in university and looking for part time jobs that didn't interfere with their schedule, which was right up your alley. You spent only a couple of days training them to run the store before they were able to do it without you.