“Uh huh. Mutual trust. Your face says otherwise, Doc,”
She was humoring him, that much was clear from the playful twinkle in her eyes and the way she feigned a hurt expression; no one else would dare talk to him or tease him the way she did, they always saw the uniform, the name and put their walls up but Min, she was different, whether she didn’t know or simply chose not to care he wasn’t sure but of one thing he was certain, that nickname was definitely beginning to grow on him.
Especially with that look on her face when the name left her mouth. So he found the corners of his own mouth quirking up when he’d composed himself – now knowing that his manga collection was as safe as it could be – watching the girl move with an almost intricate gracefulness of a dancer before the words finally left him, “I trust you,” they were laced with sincerity, his eyes transfixed upon her frame and yet as he pursed his lips almost thoughtfully, the mischievousness dripping from the words now he could help but follow up on his words with a faux innocent almost puppy-like expression, “Don’t you trust me, Min?”
Two could play at that game.
“You’re lucky you brought the chocolate along. If not, I don’t think I could forgive you for this.” He watched her devour the chocolate with almost inhuman speed, probably out of fear of him taking another piece; she wasn’t far off if she’d assumed just that, he was tempted and rightly so, the chocolate looked delicious. “I wouldn’t want that,” he continued, musing with a little tilt of his head, “I’ll tell my suppliers to keep them in stock,” as if he’d ever be able to come across another chocolate bar; they were a rarity in this world now, he’d all but forgotten what chocolate cake tasted like.
“I think I’ve been keeping up my end of our business relationship pretty well… or do you have a complaint to file against me? Either way, I guess you’re just gonna have to take a leap of faith, Doc.” The words were far from a lie and it was part of the reason why he kept coming back here, the allure of the books and its owner however, definitely made it harder for him to say no. “Sometimes it’s your only available transportation,” he hadn’t even realized he’d said the words out loud until he caught the look of blank confusion on the young girl’s face, he merely shook his head in response and chuckled to himself, his hair falling across his forehead in the process only to be pushed back the moment he ran his fingers through them. Sometimes, you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall, wasn’t that how it went?
It was certainly the thought that kept him going after everything he’d been through; he’d witnessed betrayal at the heart of it, brothers turning on brothers, loved ones killing each other just to survive and yet he didn’t let the world harden him as it did others. He wasn’t stupid, he knew better than to blindly put his faith in people but at the end of the day, he knew he couldn’t give up on them.
Humanity would endure; it had to.
“You’re really gonna have to work on the threats -especially if you wanna keep your stash. Doctors aren’t the most intimidating bunch. But hey at least you’re trying, right?”
Her words elicited a hearty laugh out of him, the implication of her words more amusing to him than her; after all, he’d been dubbed the Ice King by almost everyone in the hospital for his threats in the operating room, and his intimidating stature that sent half the interns running with their tails tucked between their legs, if only they could hear her now. “I’m nothing if not open to advice on the subject,” he offered before continuing, following her up the staircase now, “I’ll work on my stone cold glare in the meantime,” the imitation that followed was more of a growl, with his crinkled nose and bared teeth, it was more cute than menacing, “I’d like to think I’m almost there,” his subtle teasing had gone over her head and rightly so, for she knew nothing about him save for how he was inside the walls of the bookstore, and yet he couldn’t help but allow a little knowing smirk to appear on his face to keep himself from laughing out loud yet again.
"I think my booby trap is perfect. No one knows how to get up these stairs besides me. So I’ll have plenty of time to deal with any attacks before they even reach the second floor.”
The involuntary groan that escaped his lips was probably enough to send Min laughing, Jonghyun on the other hand appreciated the thought that went into what could only be described as the controlled chaos around him. Traps set around one’s home had become common practice now even inside the military district where more perished due to random thefts or break-ins, Jonghyun himself had set up two traps of his own in the music store which in itself was almost impenetrable, save for the entrance that led upstairs. He found it odd that she, a woman living out of a bookstore, had gone to such great lengths to protect herself but he brushed the thought away just as quickly, pushing himself up and settling himself on the stairs. “I think your booby trap almost broke my spine,” he pursed his lips, exaggerating of course as evident from his tone, he could feel a bump and the odd bruise here and there but he paid no attention to it.
No, the book that had caught his attention had him entranced, he’d barely even heard Min’s following words or the sound of her subsequent footsteps. “Well good news is that you’ll survive. Bad news is that it looks like you’re gonna have a nasty bruise.” By the time he’d registered her presence next to him, she was already running her fingers along a bump on her forehead; a simple action yet one that drew an unexpected reaction from the young doctor, shaking him out of his reverie until his eyes locked upon the young girl’s. He could feel her warm breath prickling his skin, sending Goosebumps forming along his body, he barely even noticed the boyish smile on his face as he continued to study hers; a mixture of exasperation and what he hoped was apprehension. Her fingers brushed back his out of place hair, stilling his body, his breath, until his teeth gently nibbled on the skin of his lips, a habit he’d picked up since childhood and the source of his rather torn mouth. “Looks like it was worth it,” he murmured almost as if talking to himself, his gaze leaving hers the moment she spoke up again and breaking whatever it was that had transpired between them only a moment ago.
“Hey, Jonghyun…you okay?”
Was he? He wondered as his eyes flitted back to the book; he’d almost forgotten that it was still in his grasp. The emotional weight of that singular item began pushing down on him again, the pain flashing through his eyes until all he could do to keep himself was afloat was to put it aside until it blended in with the others; out of sight, out of mind. “Yeah, I’m fine,” his eyes still remained fixed on the place where the book now rested, I’m not fine… I miss him. I regret so much and it stands against everything I believe in. I shouldn’t look back on the past, I should be focused on what lies ahead of me.
"I have no idea what you’re muttering about, but it looks like it was that book that caught your attention."
It was no surprise that she’d called him out on his rather strange behavior and so as he took the hand she offered, he gave her a small smile, fake as it was before speaking up, “It’s nothing,” his eyes said otherwise but he knew she wouldn’t push him any further, not that he’d grant her the opportunity to, “So about those books?” He finished, allowing himself to be pulled up by her. For a someone who spent half of her time tending to books, Min had a grip as strong as any soldier he’d trained against which was partially what had caught him off guard – the rest very well could’ve been attributed to his rather clumsy footing – and off balance yet again. This time as he tripped over the last stair however, it seemed that the bookkeeper was destined to fall with him as gravity took hold of them sending them falling onto the beginning of the staircase with a gasp of surprise and a grunt emitting from the two.
In an attempt to salvage what was left of his dignity, the doctor had wrapped his arms around the young girl, maneuvering her and practically shielding her from the brunt of the collision as she landed on top of him, almost effectively pinning him to the wooden floor. He could feel her panting above her, no doubt the effect of the adrenaline surging through both of their bodies, his insides screaming at him to check for bruises on her yet he couldn’t bring himself to move, not that he could with her on top. Instead he found his hands unlocking themselves from around her, gently tilting her chin up to meet her eyes and assess her face for a hint of a scratch, “It seems like your books have a vendetta against the two of us,” he spoke after what felt like an eternity, his voice a low murmur combined with the smirk that had appeared on his lips, “Are you alright?” He couldn’t speak for her but his back was definitely going to feel the effects of their encounter in an hour’s time.
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