where would i be without you? || a book of IZ*ONE one-shots

2kim: bookworm

Planes were not exactly her favourite. She loved the flying bit and the pretty clouds or stars at night. But she hated sitting in one place for hours. She was always fidgety and her feet would get cramped easily. Lately though, she had been flying business class and she did not mind travelling at all. 

Especially after a long day of her editor nagging at her, some time alone miles away from the people she worked with was exactly what she needed. It wouldn't last too long though, because she was travelling for work, a book signing event because she is an author, and there would be staff to receive her in the other country. Nonetheless, seven hours is something at least.

"Ms Kim?" an airport staff member approached her.

"Yes?"

"I've just been informed that your flight has been delayed by a few hours. I'm so sorry for the trouble," the staff member bowed in apology.

She waved him off with a smile, "It's alright. I'll just wait in the lounge in the mean time,". Internally, she was celebrating because a flight delay meant a few more hours of time for herself.

She headed to the lounge where a kind old man greeted her at the front desk, "Passport and boarding pass please," he requested and she handed them to him so he could check. "Thank you, Ms Kim Chaewon. Have a lovely time inside,".

Chaewon went inside the lounge and the usually empty room was almost full. It must've been the people whose flight was also delayed. She grabbed herself a croissant and a cup of cold strawberry milk and looked around for a table and seat. She found one in the corner but another woman was there. 

Chaewon approached her, "Hi, is it alright if I sit here?" she asked politely. 

The woman, who had her nose buried in some book, did not look up at her but replied kindly, "Yes, of course,".

Chaewon wondered what book she could possibly be reading that could hold her interest that much. Whoever this author was, Chaewon needed to get some tips from them. She sat down and was about to take a bite of her croissant when she noticed it, the name on the book. It was hers. What.

Chaewon looked at the woman's face and was about to introduce herself but the woman made a funny expression and Chaewon just had to stifle her laugh. The woman's reaction to what she was reading was so animated that Chaewon found it amusing. Initially, she had planned to listen to some music and take a nap but watching the woman in front of her proved to be a better use of her time.

Staring is rude and Chaewon was never the type to do it but in this case, she just couldn't look away. She munched on the rest of her croissant and sipped on her strawberry milk while watching the woman in front of her. Chaewon could guess which parts she was reading, she is the author after all. 

It was over an hour now and the woman did not look away from the book even once. Chaewon went from just watching her funny expressions to admiring the woman's pretty features. She had long silky black hair that fell so perfectly. It partially covered her eyes which were mesmerising. Chaewon could not see the woman's lips as they were covered by the book but she could only imagine the woman's smile to be breathtaking. Before she realised, she had a goofy grin on her face.

Just a while after that, Chaewon noticed the woman reaching the last few pages of the book and at the end of it, she saw the satisfied look on the woman's face and that made her satisfied with herself because it meant she did a good job writing that book. 

For some reason, the moment the woman was about to look up, Chaewon got shy and looked away. She pretended to examine her boarding pass which, obviously, did not have that much of interesting information on it. She reached for her phone on the table but as fate would have it, it slipped out of her hand and fell onto the floor. Specifically, right next to the woman opposite it.