Chapter 5

                                                                       Pages Left Unread

The next few days passed with the kind of rhythm Kai hadn’t noticed before — slow mornings, quieter evenings, and thoughts of Yuna lingering longer than they should.

He told himself it was just the bookstore. The peace. The rain.

But today, the skies were clear.

Still, he went.

The bell above the door gave its usual chime, and the scent of paper and wood greeted him like an old friend. Kai stepped inside, this time without hesitation.

Yuna looked up from behind the counter, mid-sip of a warm drink. She smiled — not surprised, not expectant. Just… glad.

 “No rain today,” she said, setting her cup down.

 “Guess I ran out of excuses,” Kai replied, his grin small but honest.

She tilted her head, amused. “You never needed one.”

There was a pause, a shared glance, then she gestured toward the back of the shop.

 “There’s a new stack of used books that came in. Want to help?”

 “Do I get paid?”

 “In coffee and silence.”

 “Deal.”

They sat on the floor behind a low shelf, sorting through dog-eared novels and poetry collections with covers worn by time. Occasionally, their fingers brushed — neither of them pulled away.

Yuna held up a book with a faded red spine.

 “This one’s my favorite,” she said.

 “What’s it about?”

 “Two people who never say what they really feel. They keep waiting for the perfect moment.”

Kai looked at her, then at the book.

 “Do they ever find it?”

 “No. But the book ends beautifully anyway.”

Something in that stayed with him. It felt too familiar — like a mirror quietly held up.

The shop was silent, but it wasn’t empty.

 “Yuna,” Kai said suddenly.

She looked at him, waiting.

 “Why do you work here?”

She blinked, surprised by the question. Then shrugged gently.

 “Because it’s quiet. And I like the kind of people who come in when it rains.”

He nodded.

And for a moment, it wasn’t about books, or poetry, or the weather.

It was just about being seen.

---

Kai left a little later than usual.

As he pushed the door open, he paused.

 “Hey,” he said over his shoulder, “you ever read the ending of that red book out loud to someone?”

Yuna looked up, her eyes soft.

 “Not yet.”

Kai smiled. “Maybe next time.”

And then he was gone.

But this time, he left something behind — a folded note between the pages of a book he hadn’t bought.

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