The library is usually fairly quiet at this time of day. Well - being a library, itâs always quiet - but there are fewer people. And to someone like Charlie, the presence of people is its own kind of static, humming constantly in the back of his mind and grating on his anxiety. As a result, there are days when he needed solitude, stillness, silence.Â
It feels like one of those days, Charlie thinks. And yet, when he sees a familiar face seated at one of the long tables, he finds he doesnât mind so much.
He doesnât know the guyâs name; theyâve talked about assignments a few times, cracked some jokes, but never made a formal introduction - and now Charlie feels like too much time has passed to ask. He calls him Rice Cakes, on account of the fact that he once brought spicy rice cakes to the library (he never claimed to be creative). Most of the times that Charlie goes to the library, Rice Cakes seems to be there, too. Charlie decides that he has come to like Rice Cakes.
He shrugs off his bag and sits at the other end of the long table. After a long day, he finds heâs looking forward to studying. Reading has always been a comfortable, familiar, safe pastime for him, and he never seems to dread school like some of his peers. A few minutes of reading pass, the silence broken by the swipe of his highlighter on paper.Â
Then, he caps his yellow marker and replaces it with a blue one, using it to mark a term he is unfamiliar with. He flips to the back of the book, only to find that itâs not in the glossary. Maybe, he thinks, his quiet companion on the other side of the table will know.
He stops immediately, staring down at his book with wide eyes.
Did he actually say that out loud?
Jitae liked to think that he did well in his studies. He could be anywhere really, and he would be able to focus and tune the rest of the world out for a little while. But of course, there were always times that proved that things like this werenât necessarily easy to do and as a habit, he decided to keep his studying to the library.Â
It was promised to be a quiet place, given that it was in the rules of being a library and the silence was comforting and despite the many busy bodies who were around, it was as though no one felt as though they needed to fill the silence. They just simply kept to themselves.
Today was like any other day and Jitae had finished his studying earlier on, but decided to re-read a comic he particularly enjoyed simply because he was free for the rest of the day and really, why shouldnât he?
He looked up when he heard shuffling of feet and noticed a familiar face sitting in a familiar spot. Jitae had known him as his library company and he always seemed to be there. They never said much and the two always kept to themselves and Jitae found quiet solace in the otherâs company, although he didnât know his name.
Jitae knew he was a student there, but it was funny to think that he only ever really saw him in the library.
He assumed it would be a day like any other and his attention quickly returned to his comic book when he heard the other speak.
â....Rice Cakes?â he asked, a confused expression on his face as he turned to look at him. âDid...you just call me Rice Cakes?â
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