calendar ↠ the boyz

five

As much as Jinae was excited for exams to be over, May meant finding a summer job. One that she could hopefully stick in. But little did she know that Eric Sohn would be the reason she would stick around for so long.

"So this will be your main focus," the lady who she had come to know as Eunsook spoke as Jinae trailed behind her. "And this is the record section. There's a little studio just there where staff can feel free to play some records and relax on their break."

"Oh," Jinae hummed, smiling. "That's really cool."

She followed the elder woman around like a lost puppy, her eyes moving quickly to keep up with everything she was being shown.

She had landed herself a job at a record and book store, with the promise that she would keep the books in the most pristine condition and most accurate order.

"I'll let you settle in," Eunsook turned on her heels, staggering the girl behind her. "Jiheon will show you the basics of the cash register and you should be good to get started in your cleaning and ordering."

"Thank you," the girl bowed, nervously glancing over at the pretty girl by the till.

She smiled at every customer, her eyes almost disappearing but Jinae could see that she had the kindest eyes. So, why was she so nervous?

Ah, because she struggles to make friends. Makes sense. "You must be Jinae."

"Hi," the girl smiled awkwardly, walking over. "Jiheon?"

"That's me," she gushed excitedly. "It's so nice to have another girl here. I love your dress."

Break time came soon enough. Jinae found herself wandering towards the studio, blowing cold air into her face as the slowly but surely arriving summer began to take a toll on her body.

She peaked in, seeing a head of blonde hair fixing through records. Some soft metal played through the record player. "May I help you?"

"Oh," Jinae stood back from the door, seeing the boy finally turn to look at her. He was staggeringly handsome. "I'm Jinae, I'm new here."

"Oh, hey!" She noticed a twang to his accent. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Eric."

"Eric," the girl repeated under her breath, smiling nervously as she looked around the room. "I like your music."

"Thank you," he gushed, a wide smile on his face as he looked back at the girl. He was sure he had never seen anxiety quite like this. "Have a look through them, pick one and I'll play it for you."

Jinae's mouth hung agape, feeling the pressure to pick something good.

"But you gotta promise me..." Eric started, his eyes fluttering. "Don't mess up the order."

The girl mocked offence, a hand to her chest as the two began to laugh. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Her hands gently lifted through the alphabetically situated albums, her mind ticking. But when she seen the familiar black and white cover, she gasped ever so slightly.

It was then she felt the presence of the boy behind her, looking over her shoulder. "Ah, excellent choice. A bit too mellow for this summers day, but I'll take it."

Handing him the record, she cautiously took a seat as she watched him place it under the stylus.

Upon hearing the slow melody, she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "Cigarettes After Sex - they never fail to bring a tear to my eye."

"Oh, really?" The girl laughed, opening her eyes to see the boy leaning against a table.

She tried her best not to become engrossed in his appearance. His messy blonde hair, the vest underneath an oversized zip up and a pair of shorts - he was like a summers dream.

"Really!" He pretends to wipe a tear away.

"I thought boys didn't cry?" Jinae laughed, the boy joining her as he sucked in a deep breath.

"Oh, you're in for a lot of tears if you're to work with me," Eric chuckles. "Trust me."

The days continued like this, the two meeting in that same little studio for their breaks, listening to the same music on repeat whilst they talked about random things. "What's your school like?"

"There's not much to say about it," Jinae shrugged, the boy taking notice of her shifted demeanour. "It's just a school. Some people are okay."

"Good friends?" Eric tilted his head.

"Come on now," the girl tutted as he chuckled. "Only a few. Can't you tell?"

"Not really," he shrugged, leaning back in his chair casually. "You seem sociable, or maybe that's just with me."

The girl often wondered that herself. Maybe her years of being an outcast had allowed her time to figure out how to make friends as the years went on.

Or maybe it was just him. "Don't flatter yourself, Eric Sohn."