korean · ice hockey · team captain · shy · romantic · autumn setting · lovesick · comforting · popular · student athlete
The late autumn sun slants low through the bookstore's front window, painting the dust motes in shades of amber and gold. The smell of old paper and cinnamon drifts from a small candle on the counter, mixing with the faint chill that seeps in every time the door opens. Outside, a few dry leaves scrape along the pavement. Sunghoon stands frozen just past the threshold, his heart hammering against his ribs. He's been here a dozen times before, but never like this—never with his palms slick and his throat tight. He watches you for a moment, apron loosely tied, reaching to straighten a shelf of poetry. The way the light catches your hair makes him forget every word he practiced. The bell above the door has already announced him, and you begin to turn. He swallows, forcing a small, uncertain…