Work Text:
“I can’t believe you hate me.” Hoseok groaned aloud, dragging his feet up the steps after Hyungwon. “This could actually be deemed cruelty.”
“Yeah, yeah, shut up.” Hyungwon rolled his eyes without looking at Hoseok. “It’s just five minutes. I only have one to hand back, the other four minutes will just be the librarian talking about it.”
Hoseok groaned even louder. He really could not be bothered listening to Hyungwon talking with some old lady librarian he’d managed to charm with his model-like face and deep knowledge of english modernist literature. They could have already been at the ramen restaurant by now, waiting for their food to arrive. Alas, Hyungwon wanted to make a quick detour to his usual library that was apparently “just around the corner”. Lying fucker, it was actually around two corners.
The library was just as musty and boring looking as Hoseok imagined. Book Smell surrounded him from the moment they entered, with a strange quiet that wasn’t quite perfect silence. There weren’t many people about - there were only a few sofas throughout occupied by lone readers. A couple people sat at computers, typing away at word documents (or Facebook, as one guy seemed to be doing). It wasn’t exactly the type of scene Hoseok wanted to frequent often, if he was honest.
That was, until all his expectations were dashed. It wasn’t some old lady hunched over the computer behind the librarian desk. It wasn’t some middle aged woman who had fallen for Hyungwon’s charms. No, it was a guy who dressed a little like an old lady with a cardigan and glasses on a chain, a guy with soft looking curls and a lovely eye smile when he saw Hyungwon coming. Hoseok was a tiny bit blown away (only a little).
“Hey, Hyungwon!” The librarian greeted, taking the book from Hyungwon’s outstretched hand. “How did you find it then?”
“Cried my eyes out at the end. Why didn’t you warn me about that ending?” Hyungwon whined. The librarian just chuckled.
“Spoilers, of course. It would ruin the entire emotional impact.” The librarian spoke as he worked, scanning the barcode inside the book before typing out something on his computer. “Didn’t you think the memory altering was a surprise?”
“Yes!” Hyungwon seemed distressed. Hoseok had never felt to lost. “It seemed like such a tiny detail that was only mentioned in passing at first, then it seemed like it would make sense when he wanted it done. But to find out he had already had it done? Fucking hell, Kihyun-ah.”
“Intense, right?” Kihyun (Hoseok assumed that was his name) sighed dramatically. “I was so emotionally drained after reading that book, I couldn’t start another that night. I needed a break to consider my life and my life choices.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Brought a friend with you today though? Do you want to join in on our pain?” Kihyun laughed again and Hoseok decided right there and then that he had found The One. This man was beautiful.
Hyungwon, however, snorted. “I’ve never seen Hoseok pick up a book in my life.”
Hoseok wasn’t sure what came over him. “Uh, no, I read.” The look Hyungwon gave him was enough to have Hoseok himself cringing. “I want to read it. Can I check it out?”
“Sure!” Kihyun seemed pleased. This, in turn, pleased Hoseok. “Do you have a library card?”
“...No.” Never mind, Hoseok was dying inside.
“That’s okay, I can get you one right now if you’d like? It’s just a form you have to fill out.” The form was already in Kihyun’s hand, pulled straight from a pile on the desk. Kihyun offered it out to Hoseok with a smile. Hoseok felt his hand move by itself to take it from him.
While Hoseok filled the form out, Kihyun disappeared into a small room behind the desk, giving Hyungwon the opportunity to nudge Hoseok in amusement. Hoseok, flustered, signalled for him to shut up! It’s nothing, I read books now! Hyungwon raised an eyebrow but let Hoseok fill out the form in relative peace.
Hoseok left the library ten minutes later with a shiny new library card, a book he knew was going to rip his heart out, and a huge crush on a librarian with an ugly (but cute on him) cardigan.
Now, Hoseok was never ever a book fan. In fact, he could probably list off on one hand the amount of books he has read in his life. He found books hard to get into, reading a waste of time and, really, he would just prefer to be doing something else. This book, however… Hoseok couldn’t put it down.
Perhaps it was because he actually picked it up with the intention to finish it. He wanted to impress the cute librarian and be able to hold a conversation about a book like Hyungwon had, simply because Kihyun was pretty attractive while he was doing so. Though putting actual effort into reading the book proved to be worthwhile - Hoseok had never cried so much in his life. The characters resounded with him on a level he never expected, and the ending had him in floods of tears from the injustice of it. It was sad and Hoseok had never prepared to be so emotionally compromised by strings of words on a page.
He slammed the book down in front of Kihyun with a pout on his face. “I can’t believe you hate me.”
Kihyun laughed that beautiful laugh of his. “You liked it then?”
“I loved it.” Hoseok flopped over the desk, reliving the book in his mind. “It was heartbreaking. I can’t believe it. I don’t know what to do with myself after finishing it, you know? It was so good.”
“I have a few ideas with what you can do.” Kihyun smiled like he was about to share a secret, leaning over the desk to position his face in front of Hoseok’s. Hoseok had never seen a pair of prettier eyes. He had it bad, and it was only the second meeting. “I have a lot of books I could recommend to you. I think you’ll like some of them, Hoseok-ssi.”
Hoseok never once intended to become a reader, nor did he intend to find himself frequenting the library, but Kihyun seemed to have awoken some part of him that thought that books could maybe be okay. Or maybe Hoseok was just super gay and had a huge crush. Either way, he found himself with another book that Kihyun deemed suitable for his consumption. Hoseok was almost excited to start reading.
Hyungwon was unimpressed. “The last book I saw you reading was the fucking dictionary.”
“Yeah, well, times change.” Hoseok sniffed in indignance. “Books are pretty good.”
“Kihyun has recommended you three teen literature books about gay boys.” Hyungwon rolled his eyes. “He’s just as obvious as you. Ask him out and spare the both of you from this.”
Hoseok flushed and turned his head away. “He just has good taste in books. As do I, now.”
Unfortunately, Hoseok discovered that Kihyun does not live in the library, and apparently takes days off. There was a blonde guy working behind the desk this time (what the fuck, are librarians all just pretty twinks?) and Hoseok wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself.
“Can I help?” Pretty blonde asked with a pleasant smile.
“Uh.” Hoseok was great at conversation. “Is Kihyun not in today?”
The pretty blonde pressed his lips together as if to suppress a laugh. “No, Kihyunie isn’t working today. Is your query anything I can help with?”
Hoseok stuttered a little and shook his head. “No! It’s, uh, it’s fine. I’ll, uh. Yeah, there’s nothing. Thanks for your help!”
Kicking himself, he walked away without handing back the book he had managed to finish last night. He didn’t want to hand back a book and walk away without talking to Kihyun about it. Plus, he needed Kihyun’s carefully selected recommendations to ensure he’d enjoy the next book.
Kihyun laughed at him the next time he was in - which was the next day, because Hoseok was a little bit desperate. “Minhyuk said you were asking after me?”
Hoseok tried his best not to turn red, but probably failed. “Yeah, I mean. I need your recommendations. To read. Books and all, you know.”
“I know.” Kihyun laughed again, so cutely Hoseok thought he might die. “I’ve got the perfect book.”
Except, it wasn’t perfect.
Or, maybe it was. Hoseok was just bored. There was a reason he never read books before his Kihyun Infatuation, and it was simply because he got bored easily. The excitement of his new crush and the thought of impressing him spurred him on for the past four books but book number five was proving to be challenging.
Hoseok tried. He really tried, but by page 40, he was starting to be unable to look at Korean characters anymore without them blending together. Hyungwon was getting a little tired of Hoseok’s constant sighing.
“Oh my god, just put the book down. I know you hate it.” Hyungwon was laying on the sofa, messing around on his phone. Hoseok hated how, even when just lounging around the house in sweats and with messy hair, Hyungwon still looked like a model. Damn those thick lips.
“I don’t hate it.” Hoseok tried to argue. “It’s just… God, I hate reading. How did I even make it through the other books.”
“The power of love, hyung.” Hyungwon rolls over to look at Hoseok. “Kihyun isn’t stupid, you know. He probably knows you don’t ever read, you’re getting his hopes up. He’ll think he’s changing you for the better.”
Hoseok groaned and pummelled the poor bean bag he was lying on in frustration. He hated that Hyungwon was right. Hoseok hated a lot of things about his best friend. Hyungwon was lucky that Hoseok still loved him, regardless.
Hyungwon came with Hoseok on his next library trip (funny how it became Hoseok’s library trips instead of Hyungwon’s), with the excuse he wanted to find something new to read. Hoseok knew Hyungwon was just trying to butt into his non-existent relationship with Kihyun.
“Hi, Hoseok-ssi!” Kihyun smiled as brightly as he always did when he saw Hoseok. Hoseok’s heart skipped a beat as it always did when he saw Kihyun. “Oh, Hyungwon-ah, it’s been a while.”
“Been busy. How has my Kihyunie been?” Hyungwon teased and Kihyun scowled, his chin folding in the cutest way.
“Die.” Kihyun turned away from Hyungwon to Hoseok. “So, did you like the book?”
“I… didn’t finish it.” Hoseok scratched at his neck sheepishly. Kihyun pouted.
“Not to your taste?”
“It’s not that! It’s just…” Hoseok was about to continue before Hyungwon (damn him) decided to input.
“He’s run out of reading steam. You certainly spoil him with recommendations.” Hyungwon didn’t even flinch when Hoseok punched him in the side. Below the desk, where Kihyun couldn’t see, of course.
“Oh, am I giving you too much to read? I’m sorry, I know you must be busy with other things too.” Kihyun seemed a little upset and Hoseok was ready to murder Hyungwon.
“It’s not too much!” He wasn’t about to tell Kihyun that he didn’t really do anything in his free time - it wasn’t like he did his college work or anything. Kihyun could figure that out in his own time. “I’m sure I’ll love the next book you give me.”
Hyungwon rolled his eyes so hard, Hoseok was sure they’d hurt.
“You shouldn’t be so formal with me.” Hoseok told Kihyun one time in a strange surge of bravery. “How old are you?”
Kihyun appeared a little flustered for a moment. “Twenty five. I was born in 1993.”
“Great, me too! Drop the honorifics, Kihyun-ah.” Hoseok wasn’t sure what he was doing, but it was worth it to see Kihyun stuttering and fumbling with stuff on his desk for a distraction. He had a cute sweater on today, pink with white around the collar, his usual glasses perched on his nose. Hoseok was dying inside.
Since his last visit with Hyungwon, Hoseok had taken to sitting on the sofas in a corner of the library to (pretend to) read. It allowed him to see Kihyun a little more. The pretty blonde - Minhyuk? - was working with him today, and Hoseok figured that they argued a lot. By argued, he meant Minhyuk would do something, Kihyun would get annoyed, Minhyuk would laugh it off while Kihyun stands frowning disapprovingly. It was nothing serious, Hoseok could tell. If anything, Kihyun obviously had a fondness for his smiley coworker.
Hoseok had run into an obstacle in his crushing, though. He didn’t think he could bear to read another book.
By this point, seven books into Kihyun’s recommendations, Hoseok could remember exactly why he had never read before. He could barely focus on a page before his mind wandered. Soon, he found himself sitting with the book open, his phone hidden between the pages. This even continued at home where he had no obligation to hide that he wasn’t reading - he just felt a weird sense of duty to at least look like he was trying to read.
“Just ask him out!” Hyungwon cried as he slapped a hand down between the pages of Hoseok’s open book. “Please, I can’t listen to your constant sighing and whining anymore. Ask him out, he will say yes!”
“You don’t know that!” Hoseok snaps back, except he knows that Hyungwon does Know That. Hyungwon knows everything, somehow.
“Have you ever seen him look at you? He smiles more in one conversation with you than I’ve ever seen him smile in my whole life, and I’ve known him for a good year and a half.” Hyungwon drags a hand down his stupidly perfect face. “Plus, I was there last week and he actually asked after you. He was disappointed that you weren’t with me. Disappointed at seeing me!”
Hoseok stared dumbly at Hyungwon for a moment, processing his words.”Oh. Well, if you put it that way…”
Hoseok slammed the book down on the desk. Kihyun startled slightly, but eased up seeing Hoseok. He opened his mouth to speak but Hoseok beat him to the punch.
“Do you like anything other than reading?” Hoseok asked, his hands pressing down onto the book he hadn’t read.
Kihyun blinked in surprise. “Yes, of course. Why?”
“Do you like ramyeon?”
“Y-Yes?”
“Great.” Hoseok grinned widely. “Wanna get some with me when you finish work? A date.”
The redness on Kihyun’s face probably matched that of Hoseok’s. “A date?” Hoseok nodded. Kihyun brought a hand up to play with his ear, a cutely shy gesture. “I mean… I would like that.”
“You would?” Hoseok had been hoping for a yes but actually hearing confirmation still shocked him. Kihyun nodded too. “O-Okay. I’ll. I’ll be waiting for you. In the corner. Over there.”
Hoseok practically bolted over to his sofa space, hiding behind the pages of a book immediately. Despite himself, he kept stealing glances over at Kihyun, pleased to see Kihyun just as flustered as he was. The tiny suppressed smiles on Kihyun’s face melted his heart a little. Only two hours until the library closed - until then, Hoseok would pretend to read and Kihyun would pretend he also wasn’t peeking over at the gorgeous man he’d developed a massive crush on over the past two months.
(They get ramyeon. Hoseok learns that Kihyun likes many things other than books, Kihyun learns Hoseok can’t bring himself to read anything else. Kihyun accepts this detail, on the condition that Hoseok pays for the meal. As if Hoseok wasn’t planning to, anyway.)