I don't want this to take twenty years to finish. Hopefully that isn't the case.

I believe I promised someone I would update as soon as I finished chapter four. Well. It's done.

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Wooyoung's POV

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Luckily for me today was Saturday, which meant a day of light chores and a whole lot of nothing. Most kids my age went out with their friends, attended parties, or went on small holidays. And I enjoyed that too. But I would much rather spend my time at home, curled up on one end of our couch, my notebook balanced on my knees and my favorite mug with tea in it on the coffee table beside me.

"You okay?" I barely glanced up as Yeosang let himself into my house. When we grew up as close as we did, it was just kind of commonplace to intrude uninvited, because nine times out of ten they were welcomed anyway. He sank to the side of the couch opposite me. "San is such a jerk," he continued. Something in me twisted at his words. "Don't pay him any mind. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"But he does," I croaked out, my once furious pen scribbles stuttering to a halt. "He's not wrong Yeosang. I am weird. What I do is weird. No one my age writes fanfictions. Certainly not the guys." Yeosang rolled his eyes so far back I was surprised he didn't see his own skull.

"You aren't normal Wooyoung," he replied. I was pretty sure that was supposed to make me feel better, but it really didn't. "That's not a bad thing," he continued, his tone softening as he read my expression. I'm sure I looked quite sullen. "No, you aren't like most guys our age. But what does that matter? You do what you love. And you have a lot of people that love that. That love you. What about your fans that you've cultivated?" If only Yeosang knew the half of it. He remembered my old account. He knew nothing of my new one, and how I had more than doubled my fans.

"I don't know Yeosang," I sighed, setting my notebook aside, the drive to write gone for the time being. I shook my head, dispelling this unidentifiable feeling inside me. This weak feeling, like I was this fragile flower that would blow over in the wind even though that was far from the truth. I could hold my own against San and the lot. It just got tiring doing it over and over when we all got along not too long ago. What I wouldn't do to see Hongjoong or Seonghwa hyung right now.

"Come on." I jumped slightly when Yeosang spoke up, so far in my own thoughts to comprehend anything else. "We gotta get you out more. You're going to mope in a puddle of your own confused feelings if we don't." He rose, hauling me up after him. "Go change into something that isn't pajamas. We're going to the mall."

"I don't know..." I said even as I trudged up the stairs to my room to change. I threw on jeans and an oversized sweater, the sleeves ending long passed my fingertips. I studied myself in the mirror on the back of my door, frowning thoughtfully. I ran my fingers through my hair to "comb" it. Finally, I snatched my wallet off my nightstand and stuffed in my pocket. I joined Yeosang downstairs. "I don't know," I repeated. "What if we run into San? Or Yunho or Mingi? They all hang out at the mall on the weekend." Once again Yeosang rolled his eyes, pulling me out of the house.

"Quit worrying about what those three think of you," he ordered. "Your worth is not defined by their opinions." I let those words sink in. They were powerful, that was for sure. It may not have been defined by those three specifically, but I still felt lesser of a human being some days. It wasn't just them. It was all of them, relentlessly tormenting me because I didn't mold perfectly to their standards.

We arrived at the mall far too quickly for my liking. It was already bursting with activity, people running this way and that like their lives depended on the constant motion. Children ran circles between shops, their parents monitoring their every move from the center. Small clusters of teens moved like piranhas, gathering at one storefront before moving off to the next. As fall was setting in, everything had that sort of homey, comfortable feeling you really only saw in places like this, every store glowing in soft oranges, reds, and yellows, wrapped up like they could actually fight the nip in the air this season provided.

"Let's go visit our haven," Yeosang spoke up, continuing to pull me along. I went willing, already feeling better at the mention of our favorite place. Our "haven," as Yeosang called it, was Book World, a tiny, off the wall book store. They dabbled in second hand book sales as well as having a host of new titles, as well as stationary and everything a budding author would want. I got a lot of my favorite notebooks from this place. And my favorite set of pens.

"Hi Jinsoo," I greeted as we passed the front counter. Jinsoo, the owner of the small shop, glanced up. He'd been running the place for as long as I could remember. He was an older gentleman, probably in his fifties, with already greying hair. He had a wrinkled face that looked stern, but he was such the grandfatherly type that it hardly affected us anymore.

"Ah, Wooyoung, Yeosang, good," he said, coming out from behind the counter. "I actually have a new worker today. He's around your age. You guys can tell me what you think of him." Yeosang side eyed me. I lifted one shoulder in a shrug. It would be strange having a new person in our space. "He's supposed to be coming in soon," Jinsoo added.

"We'll wait around," I assured him. Like we would've gone anywhere else. Yeosang, who'd found his way to the back of the store already, beckoned me over. I sidled up to him and we both poured over the second hand shelves, plucking a few things off to keep.

"Wooyoung? I froze as a very familiar voice spoke up behind me. I closed my eyes, praying this was all a dream. But when I turned around, there San stood, his hands on his hips like usual. My stomach sank when I saw the little name tag on his shirt.

San... He was Jinsoo's new hire. He now worked at one of the few safe places in my life.

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San's POV

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Working for Book World wasn't my first choice. Hell it wasn't even my fifth or sixth. But I knew very few places were actually hiring and besides, I had a feeling I wouldn't have to do a whole lot at this job. It didn't seem like the busiest place ever. Not that I expected to be bored or anything...

"Wooyoung?" The name slipped out before I could stop it. I saw his shoulders tense under his sweater, and a small amount of guilt nestled in my chest. But I put my hands on my hips sassily anyway, giving no indication his reaction bothered me in the slightest. Wooyoung, and Yeosang beside him, both turned to face me, wearing matching neutral expressions. Wooyoung's eyes wandered downward, expression sinking when he caught sight of the name tag on my shirt. I guess I should've figured these two would be here. It seemed like the place they would like.

"San," Yeosang greeted coolly. "So, you're Jinsoo's new worker?" I nodded, directing my attention to Wooyoung, who so far had remained quiet. He shifted his small stack of discount books in his arms, avoiding meeting my eyes. "Come on," Yeosang said, pulling Wooyoung to the opposite side of the store, near the notebooks. I sighed, shaking my head and heading up to the front counter.

"Hello uncle," I greeted Jinsoo, bowing a little as I approached. He glanced up, a smile softening his tough features. "Those must be the two you told me about," I added as a kind of afterthought. Jinsoo mentioned two boys close to my age frequented the shop. It never occured to me it would be those two. "What would you like me to do first?"

"Just hang out here and watch the store," he said, patting the counter. "I haven't eaten anything yet today. I'm starving." I chuckled as I traded places with him. Luckily for me there wasn't a real uniform for this place, so I could wear whatever I wanted. I leaned against the counter, looking around. As far as book stores went, it seemed pretty standard. Shelves upon shelves stuffed full of books, random knick knacks, and crafting supplies. A small section near the back devoid of shelves, instead making space for a couple recliners so ancient I was surprised they didn't crumble if I looked at them the wrong way. A tall lamp between them, casting soft light in that corner.

"Just these." I nearly leapt from my skin when something slammed onto the counter. I glared at Yeosang, who shot me one if his own, shoving a small stack of things across the space between us. I began to ring him up as Wooyoung approached, his arms a lot more occupied than Yeosang's. "I never understand why you don't take a basket," Yeosang chided him gently, plucking a few things off his stack and setting them on the counter.

"Because it would encourage me to buy more," Wooyoung replied. "And I spend enough money here as it is." They shared a laugh between them, and suddenly I was struck of images of the golden days. The days when all of us were friends, and laughter would ring out from eight mouths. Some days I did miss it. I wasn't even fully sure what happened.

"18227.70 won please," I told Yeosang, hardly believing he got all this stuff for that little. He handed over the money, which I stuck in the register. I bagged his things for him. He took it, casting one last look at me before moving aside for Wooyoung. He piled his stuff neatly. A few torn books. A couple notebooks. A few sets of pens. I wordlessly scanned each item, trying hard not to focus on the fact he was probably buying more because I ruined his last one. "14582.16 won please."

"Here." He slid a card across the counter. I slid it at my register, handing it back. Our fingers brushed momentarily, and he jerked back like I'd shocked him. I battled down another wave of guilt as I bagged his purchases. As soon as he had ahold of it, Yeosang dragged him away, back to the innards of the store. They sat themselves in the chairs. Yeosang fished out one of his books, opening it and immediately launching in. Wooyoung took out a notebook and one of the sets of pens. The sparkly blue notebook? Alright...

"Hope everything went well." For the second time in five minutes, I jumped as someone spoke to me. Jinsoo laughed at my sour expression. "What did they get this time?" Jinsoo asked, setting a take out container on the counter and motioning to the duo tucked away in the corner, lost in their own little world.

"Just some books and notebooks," I said with a shrug. "Hey uncle?" He hummed in response, moving off to inspect the shelves, mumbling to himself. "How come you sell all of that for so cheap?" I asked.

"I'll have to get more sparkly notebooks," he said to himself, pulling a small notepad out of his pocket and making a note. "He's attached himself to those." I waited patiently while Jinsoo flittered around, making note of everything they bought. It had me wondering if he purposely ordered in anything that was specific to Yeosang or Wooyoung's tastes. Probably. He could do that. "A lot of stuff I get in is second hand," Jinsoo finally said, standing straight and turning to me. "Either libraries don't want them anymore or someone is getting rid of them. Sometimes I've picked them up myself for a handful of won. But I always sell them back for a little more than I got them. And those two are some of my best customers. They're in every week getting things."

"Hmm." Now it was my turn to be thoughtful. I guess I'd be seeing a lot of the two of them then. I would be working most weekends after all.

"San." I glanced up as another voice called my name. I broke into a grin when Yunho strutted through the door. "What's up man?" he asking around. "A book store huh?" Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Yeosang and Wooyoung hurriedly gathering their things. Yunho followed my line of sight. "Oi, weirdo, where do you think you're going?" he called after Wooyoung, who scurried away and pretended he didn't hear anything.

"None of that here," Jinsoo snapped, looking plenty pissed. "If that's how you're going to talk to my customers, you can get out right now."

"My apologies," Yunho said, bowing low. "It won't happen again." Jinsoo grumbled something and stalked off. Yunho shot me a wolfish smile, and I knew this was far from over.

...

Everything is prepped. I'm just waiting for a few chapters in case this doesn't get worked on steadily.