(1) At First, It Was Half Excitements, Half Worries

Let's Not Fall In Love
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Starfield Library is like her sanctuary. Ahn Soo Ri loves being in this place. It’s like kids being at a kid's cafe, mothers being in IKEA, and this place is like her holy place. She can spend hours reading and absorbing into the book. And today, she is ready to hunt her new books, looks around, and stops at the best-seller section. She already holds two books in her hand, I Love Everything About You and Beautiful Ruins, but a long night shift at the hospital will be better if these books accompany her. When the thesis and presentation slide is getting on her nerves, a good fiction or fantasy book will keep her insanity and put her back on track. Her eyes catch a book with black and warm yellow color, the title is already interesting. As she is about to take the book, another hand is faster than hers and able to grab the book before she can touch it. She looks at her behind and finds a tall man with glasses and sharp eyes holding the book that she missed five seconds later than him.

“I saw that book first.” Soo Ri said to him.

“Sorry but I’m looking for this book as well, and I grabbed it first..” The man is definitely not a fan of the quote, “Ladies First”, Soo Ri glances at the bookshelves and finds that it’s the last one. She grabs the man’s T-shirt immediately as he was about to leave,

“You know I was standing there before you, and I just missed it because my arm is not long enough to get it faster than you. You should ask first whether I was to get the book or not .” Soo Ri is not going to give up on her book.

“Okay… then I apologize but I really need this book, I’ve been wanting this one.” the man said.

“I told you, I saw it first, you literally robbed that book from me.” Soo Ri. Suddenly a man approached them followed by a bookstore’s staff.

“SCoups-ah, is there a problem?” the new man asked the man who was arguing with Soo Ri.

“He took the book that I was going to buy, that book is mine.” Soo Ri. 

The quarrel continues since no one is willing to give up on the book, Soori is persisting and so does the man that is now holding the book. The bookstore staff is now caught between the two.

“Scoups-ah is something wrong? What took you so long?” Lim Do Hyun, the manager, comes to check on his artist, who said that he only needs fifteen minutes to find the book he’s looking for.

“It just happened. Just wait, how much time do we have, hyung?” Choi Seungcheol, known as SCoups, is the leader of SVT, the famous idol group.

“The new book will come in two days, I will definitely save it for you.” The bookstore staff promised Soori.

“Why don’t you take the one that arrives in the next two days?” Soo Ri looked at Choi Seungcheol. Seungcheol laughs seeing this girl is so competitive and cute when she is pouting and irritated.

“I can’t. I have to work outside South Korea starting the next three days, And I’m flying tomorrow. I want to take this book with me.” Seungcheol feels that the girl is very interesting, he even takes off his mask, but still, she is not showing any reaction. He feels this situation is very funny. Seo Do Hyun, his manager, is beginning to worry if they will draw others' attention.

“Agashi, I’m so sorry. But I hope you can understand. I will pay for the new book that will come in two days and I personally will make sure the book is delivered to your place. Will that be okay?” Do Hyun.

Soo Ri took a deep sigh, “It’s fine. I never meant to get a free book from the beginning.” Soo Ri threw a mean glance once again at Seungcheol and she left.

 

The SVT members are listening to Hyelim's explanation about tomorrow's departure. They will fly to the US for a month, attend the music award, and several US talk shows, record collaborations with some artists and rappers from the US, and film their new music video for their new album. But since the incident at Starfield, Seungcheol keeps thinking about the girl that he argued with because of the book that is now in his hand. 

“Did something nice happen?” Mingyu asked as the meeting ended.

“Why?” Seungcheol does not understand why Mingyu is asking him like that.

“You were smiling all the time, it looks like you have something fun in your mind.” Mingyu knows his leader so well.

“Mingyu-ah, we should work harder. There is someone who didn’t even recognize me even when she stood only three feet away from me.” Seungcheol taps on Mingyu’s shoulder and leaves the meeting room first.

“He is weird…” Mingyu mumbling.

“Who?” Dino.

“Him..” Mingyu pointed his finger at Seungcheol.

“Aah…. aren’t we all weird? No one is normal in our group.” Dino. Mingyu becomes puzzled when he hears the maknae just mumbling like that,

“Well, he’s right…. Everyone is weird.” 

 

“SVT will attend the Grammy Awards. They are getting bigger each day. They even placed their new song in the Billboard Top 10 now.” Choi Ae Rin comments on the latest SVT MV on the big television screen as she and her best friends are having dinner together at Samseong-dong. 

“They are dancing in sync, it’s hard to keep 13 people to stay together like that. Even another big group ends up at 9 because it’s hard to keep their ego.” Kang Ryujin.

“Who are they?” Soori asks as she is munching her boiled pork. Ae Rin, Ryujin, and Lee Ji Eun are no longer surprised to have her reaction.

“Idol…. They are one of the hottest idols now.” Ji Eun.

“Her sister even works in HYBE as PR Manager, but she knows nothing about idols.” Ae Rin disses her.

“I know BTS, I even went to their concert last year.” Soori defended herself.

“That’s because your sister told you to come and accompanied her sister in law that came from Jeju to watch them.” Ryujin. Soori is pouting knowing that she can’t make up things with them. Ryujin, Ji Eun, and Ae Rin have been best friends since they entered their playgroup together. Their fathers have been best friends since college. Soori was the last to join the group, she was transferred to the same elementary school with them when they were in 5th grade. Ji Eun was the first that got along with Soori and the next few days she’s naturally being in their circle and their friendship is still going strong until now, as they are more like a family. 

“When is your boyfriend coming?” Ae Rin asks Soori.

“He’s here… he arrived last week.” Soori.

“Last week? How come you haven’t met him?” Ji Eun.

“He is still jet-lagged. I visited him two days ago at Hyesung’s place where he was sleeping and I had to go back to the hospital.” Soori.

“He is staying with Hyesung now?” Ae Rin asks Ryujin, Hyesung’s girlfriend. 

“Eo… he came to his place immediately from the airport.” Ryujin.

“Is his parents okay with that?” Ji Eun. 

“His mother texts me and asks me to tell him that he is no longer her son.” Soori and her friends laugh upon hearing that. Soori and Hyun Yi Hwan already dated for five years. They met while Soori was pursuing her medical degree at Harvard, and Yi Hwan was pursuing his engineering degree at MIT. They met each other in a party held by their Korean acquaintance, Yi Hwan had liked her since the first time he saw her and was the first who approached her. And to their surprise, they turned to the same person, Ahn Hye Sung. Hye Sung is Soori’s cousin from her father's side, and Hye Sung is also Yi Hwan’s best friend from high school.

“Is Yi Hwan going to work at his father’s company?” Ae Rin.

“Maybe, he was serious when he did his internship at the BMW factory in Germany, he loves cars very much.” Soori.

“So when is the wedding bell rings?” Ji Eun.

“Hahaha… funny…” Soori.

“I think everyone thought the same when they heard Yi Hwan back to Seoul, I bet both of your parents have the same question as her. Yi Hwan is 32 now. He did his military duty after finishing high school, finished his master's degree faster than everyone else, and then joined BMW for an internship. Now he is back to manage his family business. He has had you, his girlfriend, for five years, both families already know each other, so a wedding is the most normal route that happens after all of that.” Ae Rin.

“Well, you know I never take a normal route for anything. I even skipped high school and went to Harvard two years earlier than usual,” Soori brags about her being a genius.

“Aaahhh… I hate it when she brags about that.” Ryujin stuffed Soori’s mouth with big meat wrapped, the girls laughed and continued their dinner as they shared their stories and jokes with each other.

 

“Is it good, hyung?” Vernon takes the book that Seungcheol read a few minutes ago. Seungcheol is munching his dinner, nodding his head to his question. 

“Good Dollar Dream Department Store." Vernon reads the title and starts opening the page. 

"I'm thinking about reading the book slowly. So don't give me any spoilers if you've already read it." Seungcheol. 

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