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The man who always stops by the bookstore.
Written by Malranggong.
*The material for this article was gloriously provided by Chureushup.
A warm, yet somewhat chilly autumn breeze blows. Autumn is already here. Fallen leaves, blown by the chilling wind, lie scattered in front of the bookstore. The cement floor in front of the bookstore has been dyed orange. It looks like it was painted with paint, making it difficult to clean up. But the owner comes out and tells me to clean up the leaves. As a mere part-timer, I listen to the owner's words in silence and sweep the orange leaves scattered in front of the bookstore with a broom. Ah, what a pity.
“It’s a shame.”
Someone blurts out a regretful note, as if reciting my thoughts. Who could this familiar voice be, thinking the same thing as me? I already have a guess, but I want to be sure, so I turn around. Ah, as expected, it's Kim Namjoon, a regular at our bookstore. He's standing there again today, wearing a beige coat. The color suits the warm yet chilly autumn well. What book did he come to buy today?
“I also think it’s a shame. The orange color matches our bookstore perfectly.”
“The boss ordered it again.”
“That’s right. By the way, you’ve been coming here quite often lately. You’ve been coming here quite often before, too…”
“There’s a saying that autumn is the season for reading books, right?”
“Hmm, I think I’ve heard of it before. Anyway, come in. Even the warm autumn breeze is quite chilly.”
As soon as he enters the bookstore, he stands in front of the recently published books. I stand at the counter as usual and wait for him to choose a book. What will it be this time? I read quite a few of the books he chose out of curiosity, and they were all good. They say he really has a good eye for books. As I rest my chin on my hand and watch him choose a book, the warm sunlight shines down on him. He is still beautiful and wonderful as he chooses books. He really suits the season of fall.
He carefully selects a book, placing it on the counter. Only one this time? He always buys more than one. He just smiles at me.
“Come again next time, Namjoon.”
“I’ll come again tomorrow, Dahee.”
He leaves the bookstore, his face warm yet cold as the autumn breeze blows. He, visible through the glass window, always seems to grow heavy as he takes his first steps home. Even just looking at his back, he looks so different from when he was choosing books. He seemed so excited when he was choosing books, but strangely, when he heads home, I feel a urge to grab him. Tell him not to go. He seems to want that too. He doesn't want to go. But it's all just my feeling. I just watch the orange leaves fluttering in the wind. Ah, I have to sweep again.