stardust | park seonghwa ✓

04

TODAY, I find myself wandering back and forth in between the many rows of bookshelves in the library merely for my own enjoyment. Yeosang's class finishes in about half an hour and I've got some spare time to kill before we both would usually go out for lunch at a nearby Subway or something.

You know, there's just this something comforting about the library and maybe it's because I love the peace and quiet as well as the warmth of the heaters whirring from the ceiling that somehow feels like a better 'different' than the heaters back home. Usually, I'd snatch a random book from the shelves and have a quick read of it while plugging my earphones to a computer and watch a dozen of music videos or two.

Some people may call it lame and that there's probably a million of other exciting things I could do, but sometimes just sitting down with a nice piece to read is comforting.

So I do it again, this time picking out a book about Greek mythology from the 'G' aisle.

Sliding on to my usual seat at the computer rows, I quickly turn the device on and plug my earphones to watch one of my favourite boy group, B-TEEZ's new music video as I read.

It's one of the fewer things I enjoy doing on my own, being engrossed in my own world in a quiet room and surrounding myself with the enthralling words as the book tries to captivate me, telling their story with the faint booms and claps of the song sounding far, far away. I find myself being transported into the peaks of Mount Olympus, where the Gods and Goddesses walk around majestically in their silky white robes and silver headpieces.

My mind tries to picture the most beautiful woman I can make up in my mind, and there I was, having a small talk with Aphrodite whose voice sounds soft and melodic. Or I could be watching Artemis out in the forests somewhere, pulling on her bow and arrow to shoot at a target fixed on a tree. Or maybe, I could see Apollo begging Daphne to stay, being blinded by the cloud of lust caused by the arrow of love that had shot him.

As I flip another page over, someone tugs at my earbuds and let them drop to the side. Before I could cry out in protest, the person tilts his head and lets out of a curious hum.

"B-TEEZ?" he asks, making a somewhat 'not bad' face. "They're kinda cool, I like them."

"Now that you've added your words of contribution, can you leave me in peace thank you very much?" I say, shuffling in my seat before slipping the bud into my ear once again, focusing back on the words typed on the pieces of paper.

"No, you're welcome," Seonghwa nudges me slightly so he could see the screen more clearly, "I totally forgot Neverland comes out today!"

I try to ignore Seonghwa, tracing my eyes over the lines of the paragraph to remember where I was up to but with the boy almost banging his head on the table - which left me a little alarmed because... what if they snap? His neck, I mean.

"My favourite is Seonghoon, by the way," he tells me after the song ends, looking up to meet my eyes. "Who's your favourite?"

"Juyoung," I simply tell him and click another song.

"Awh, are you in a bad mood today?" Seonghwa chuckles teasingly.

I only spare him a glance before returning back to reading my book. Next to me Seonghwa now rests his head on his arm, stretching over so that he was looking forward at me before pulling the top of my book down. Scowling, I place my book down on the table and tug at my earphones before fully turning to face him.

"Yes, what do you want?" I ask.

Seonghwa flashes me a boyish grin. "Nothing," he chirps, "you were just sitting here alone and I owe you for yesterday anyhow."