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It always happens every year.
Jaebum puts off buying gifts for his friends' birthdays until the very last minute. To top it all off, he is bad at choosing gifts because he doesn't know if they'll like it or not. He doesn't want to spend money on something that his friends will not use and leave them with a feeling that he just bought whatever he can get his hands on. Jaebum wants his friends to know that he's put some thought into the gift he chose and didn't half-ass it just for the sake of being able to give one on their special day.
The friend in question is Yugyeom, his longtime neighbor. He's 4 years younger than him and his parents dote on him like the son they never had. The kid has a penchant for trouble and never fails to push him over the edge. He's almost always crashing in Jaebum's room and inviting himself over for dinner. And his parents, oh his his dearest parents, let Satan's spawn do as he please, saying, "He's like a little brother to you, Jaebum-ah... You're lying if you say you love him any less than we do."
And it irks Jaebum because yes, he loves the kid and it's the very reason why he's racing to get to the bookstore to buy a book for him. He nearly choked on the Kimchi Fried rice he was eating one Monday morning when his mother told him that Yugyeom actually borrowed some of his books over the weekend while he was out.
"He borrowed my books?!"
"Yes, sweetheart."
"And you let him?!"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I let him?"
At that point, Jaebum turned to his father and asked, "You let her let him borrow my books?"
His father shrugged and said, "I want peace in this household." His father took a sip of his coffee while side eyeing his wife, who was also sending daggers his way. "And Yugyeom seems to be genuinely interested in reading those books," he continued.
Jaebum remembers gulping down his breakfast and speedwalking to the Kim household to make sure his books didn't end up as a door stop. He took the stairs two at a time after greeting Mrs. Kim, who would very well be his second Mom at this point, a good morning and asking if he can 'check on Yugyeom's well being'.
Jaebum also remembers barging into Yugyeom's room, only to find the rascal seated on his messy bed, reaching for a half empty glass of milk on his bed side table while one of his precious books cradled in the other.
The rascal was actually reading. On a Monday morning.
"Ya! What are you doing with my books?!" he asked, pointing an accusing finger at Yugyeom.
"Uhh... Reading. What does it look like I'm doing, hyung?" asked Yugyeom, looking at him like he had grown a second head.
"WHY?!"
"It's summer, hyung. I have nothing to do. Besides, I'm gearing up for my last year in high school and reading seems to be a good brain exercise. Shouldn't you be heading for your part time job?"
Never had Jaebum anticipated someting like that coming out of Yugyeom's mouth and all he can do was nod. He was about to turn around and be on his way when he looked at Yugyeom again and said, "Those books better be in the same condition when you return them toㅡ"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Because they're your precious babies, I know. Auntie reminded me. Now go or you'll be late," said Yugyeom, not even looking back at him as he waved a dismissing hand.
That was two years ago, when the brat found the beauty in the pages of books and a never ending supply of them in Jaebum's room. Two years ago, when Jaebum realized that he rubs off on his dongsaeng more than he'd like to admit and that he feels good being able to share something useful and beneficial for his future.
Now, in as much as Jaebum like lending his books to Yugyeom, he thought that it's about time that he starts creating his own collection. And Jaebum will start him off with said collection by buying him his own copies of classics he knows he will enjoy reading again and again.
And he'll only has time for that tonight.
Jaebum is making his way through throngs of people in the mall. Apparently, Christmas has a habit of coming in early every damn year; it's only the second week of November and the crowds at the mall plus the Christmas jingles blasting from the speakers are really testing his patience. The moment he stepped into the mall, he thought of going back in a weekday night instead but thought twice since he'll probably be too busy and very tired by the end of each business day. And it just so happens that Yugyeom's birthday will fall on that up coming Saturday. God knows Jaebum will refuse to wake up early on a Saturday just to go to the mall and go through the same amount of weekend crowd just to buy the same books he can very well buy tonight.
So onward, little Im Jaebum goes. Braving the waves of people making their way through the mall, despite it being a Sunday night.
By the time he reaches the bookstore, several toddlers have bumped into him, a number of frazzled mothers have screamed near his ears, a gazillion shop employees have ployed their products, and several remixes of 'Jingles Bells' have played.
Jaebum is just about ready to tear his hair out.
He squeezed into the bookstore, going directly to the fiction section. More mother and child tandems were in his way, asking for the full republished version of Harry Potter. If he can only wave a wand and make everything and eveeyone stand still long enough for him to find the books he needs and go back all the way to the line at the cashier.
But no. As luck would have it, he was stuck betwixt shelves of young adult fiction books, waiting for the customers to get the books they want and be on their way. Jaebum took a deep breath, a really deep one; he was trying to hold on to the very last shreds of his patience a d he's finding it really hard to grasp their slippery tendrils.
'You're doing this for Yugyeom. You're doing this for Yugyeom. You're doing this for Yugyeom.'
He started the short mantra in his head, in the hopes that the thought of the his 'beloved dongsaeng' will get him through his ordeal. The customers finally found the books they wanted and started moving. Jaebum started walking as well but someone none-to-gently bumped into him. He heard a tiny 'ooomph!' and felt a hand grab his shoulders from behind.
Jaebum has had it. His personal space has been invaded and patience frayed to the very last thread ever since he entered the God-forsaken mall. Don't people have enough sense to leave some allowance between themselves and the people before them so as not to cause any inconvenience? Didn't the idiot see the there was little to no space to move and walk properly?
He turnes around, dead in his tracks, as he glared at the man before him.
"Could you not?"
Jaebum was ready to bitch out and he didn't care how it made him look and sound like anymore. Mothers and children be damned.
Im Jaebum is NOT going to going to take it anymore.
What Im Jaebum did not expect to see though is a pair of beautiful, corcerned eyes looking back at him. Beautiful, concerned eyes attached to a beautiful, concerned-looking man. His lips, which were set to a cute, permanent pout, opened.
"I'm so sorry, Sir! I was pushed... I didn't mean to bump into you and grab you like that," the man said, the hand that grabbed Jaebum's shouldee by accident raised in a manner that he's asking for forgiveness. Or defensively, whichever way you want to see it, to make sure that he can push an angry Jaebum away from him lest his apology falls on deaf ears.
Jaebum was stunned, to say the least. His mouth frozen between an acerbic response and a total blank. Whatever scathing reply Jaebum had died in the back of his throat and he ended up swallowing it when he heard the beautiful man speak.
The said man was almost as tall as him, his hair styled into perfection, and his clothes properly pressed with nary a crease in sight. He was wearing the book store's mandated uniform of white long sleeves polo paired with light khaki trousers and black loafers. Right above bookstores patch on his left chest was a black name pin that says ‘Jinyoung’ on it.
“Sir? Hello? Are you alright?” asked Jinyoung, as he waved a hand in front of the immobile Jaebum’s face.
“Huh?” was Jaebum's only response.
“Umm… I'm sorry for bumping into you, Sir. I didn't mean to grab your shoulder like that. If I didn't, I would've fallen all over you,” said Jinyoung sheepishly, as he scratched the back of his pristine head. He smiled and eye-whiskers appeared around his eyes.
“You should have!” Jaebum blurted out of nowhere and for no reason whatsoever. It didn't make any sense for him to want a stranger to ‘fall all over him’. Evident in the confusion passed over Jinyoung's face. “I meantㅡI meant, if you had, you know, fallen for meㅡI mean, if you had fallen ON me, it would have been okay. Hahaㅡha…”
It Jaebum's turn to scratch the back of his head. Whatever anger he had inside him all but dissipated and his brain cells weren't able to catch up to the sudden u-turn his emotions took.
“Riiight. Because for a second there, you sounded like you were about to bite my head off,” said Jinyoung, one eyebrow raising.
“Bite your head off? You? Me bite you?” Jaebum sputtered, his nerves getting frazzled as the seconds passed by.
Jinyoung scoffed in disbelief.
“I MEANTㅡI wouldn't ‘bite your head off’,” said Jaebum while making air quotes. “I'm pretty sure people wouldn't mind biting yoㅡ,” Jaebum stopped himself before he dug himself into a deeper grave.
At this point, Jinyoung had his hand in front of his mouth, trying to hide the smile he was definitely sporting.
“Youㅡyou can help me because IㅡIㅡI… I need help from someone like you who can help me who is in need of, umm, help,” Jaebum finished off lamely.
Great job, Im Jaebum. Bravo.
Jinyoung, bless his ‘customer is always right’ heart, bit his lips to prevent himself from laughing but as a result, his eye-whiskers became more prominent and Jaebum…
...well Jaebum has never seen no beauty greater than him.
The magical moment was broken by a voice coming from behind Jinyoung.
“Yes, well that's great because he was also trying to help me get the new Harry Potter set for my kid and now you flirting with him is keeping him from doing his job,” said a middle-aged woman who looks like she can't wait for the Christmas season to be over before it has even begun.
Jaebum saw Jinyoung straighten up as light blush started to make its way up his face. Jaebum stared as Jinyoung turned to the customer and gave a small bow.
“I'm sorry, Ma’am. Let me get that for you,” said Jinyoung. He turned back to Jaebum and followed through, “I'll be happy to help you, Sir, after I'm done.” Jinyoung made to move past Jaebum.
“Wait! I was actually looking for the same exact thing. It's a gift for this little braㅡbrother, my little brother,” said Jaebum, lying through his teeth.
“Oh! Well… Let me get you a set as well then,” Jinyoung smiled at Jaebum and hurried past him.
Jaebum watched as Jinyoung walked away, wondering how he went from looking for ‘Catcher in the Rye’ to ‘Harry Potter’ in a span of a few seconds.
As he was pondering, he hears Missus I-Hate-Christmas clear her throat. Jaebum looked back at her with a questioning look on his face.
“You weren't really looking for the Harry Potter set were you, young man?” she asked, an all-knowing smirk appearing on her lips.
“No,” said Jaebum, as he shook his head. “But I know I have 7 days to go back for returns and exchanges,” he added with a smirk of his own.
Jaebum made a mental note to finish work early this coming Friday.
Besides, the Christmas crowd on a weekday night couldn't be any worse than it already is on a weekend. And even it is, Jaebum won't mind.
FIN