Chapter 12 - Things left behind
1053 Words
Sienna reread the note five times.
Not because she couldn’t understand it.
Because she could.
Too well.
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**Thought the poetry section looked a little empty without me.
—S**
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Simple.
Casual.
Like he hadn’t shattered her heart standing in the rain three nights ago.
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“You’re smiling again.”
Sienna immediately folded the note.
“I’m not.”
Mina stared at her from across the counter.
“You literally are.”
---
Sienna looked away quickly, pretending to reorganize the books from the box.
But Mina was right.
And that annoyed her.
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Because she shouldn’t feel warm over something this small.
A note.
A few books.
One stupid letter at the bottom of the page.
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But she did.
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“Okay,” Mina said, hopping onto the stool behind the register dramatically. “Tell me everything.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Sienna.”
“He sent books.”
“Yes,” Mina deadpanned. “I can see that.”
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Sienna sighed softly.
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Mina leaned forward slightly.
“You like him.”
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The words settled heavily in the air.
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Sienna looked down at the hardcover in her hands.
At the slightly worn edges.
At the tiny bookmark tucked between the pages.
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“He’s complicated,” she murmured.
Mina snorted.
“He’s famous. There’s a difference.”
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Sienna almost laughed.
Almost.
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Before she could answer—
The bell above the door chimed.
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Both girls looked up.
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A familiar figure stepped inside.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Black hoodie.
Mask covering half his face.
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Sienna’s breath caught instantly.
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No.
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It couldn’t be—
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The stranger pulled his hood down slightly.
And suddenly—
Sienna realized it wasn’t Soohyun.
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But someone who looked enough like him to make her heart stop anyway.
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The boy blinked at her awkwardly.
Then smiled sheepishly.
“…Hi.”
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Mina looked between them immediately.
“Oh my god.”
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Sienna frowned slightly.
“Can I help you?”
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The stranger rubbed the back of his neck.
Clearly uncomfortable.
“Uh… probably?”
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Something about him felt familiar.
Not because she knew him.
Because he carried the same exhaustion Soohyun did.
The same carefulness.
---
Then it clicked.
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“You know him.”
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The boy winced.
“…Yeah.”
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Mina looked seconds away from exploding.
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Sienna crossed her arms slowly.
“Who are you?”
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He hesitated briefly before pulling his mask down completely.
“I’m Jisung.”
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The name meant nothing to Sienna.
But the guilty expression on his face did.
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“He sent you.”
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Jisung looked offended immediately.
“No, actually. He told me NOT to come here.”
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That made Sienna blink.
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“…Then why are you here?”
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Jisung sighed dramatically.
“Because he’s miserable.”
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Mina made a small choking noise beside her.
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Sienna stared.
“What?”
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“He hasn’t slept properly in days,” Jisung continued before lowering his voice slightly. “And our manager’s losing his mind because he keeps disappearing after schedules.”
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Sienna’s chest tightened painfully.
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“He needs to stop doing that.”
“That’s what I told him,” Jisung muttered.
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Mina slowly slid away from the counter.
“I’m going to…” she pointed vaguely toward the back room, “…not be here for this conversation.”
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Sienna barely noticed her leave.
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Her eyes stayed fixed on Jisung.
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“You shouldn’t be telling me this.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you?”
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Jisung hesitated.
Then—
“Because he won’t.”
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Silence settled between them.
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“He thinks staying away is protecting you,” Jisung said carefully. “But honestly? I think it’s killing him a little.”
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Sienna looked down immediately.
Because hearing it out loud hurt more than she expected.
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“He made the choice,” she said softly.
Jisung let out a quiet laugh.
“You really think that was easy for him?”
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No.
That was the problem.
She knew it wasn’t.
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Sienna leaned back slightly against the counter.
“He belongs to a different world.”
Jisung snorted.
“Yeah. And he hates it most days.”
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That surprised her.
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“He doesn’t seem like someone who hates being famous.”
“That’s because he’s good at pretending.”
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The words hit hard.
Because she already knew that.
She’d seen the difference herself.
The idol.
And the boy in the bookstore.
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“He talks about this place constantly,” Jisung admitted. “Actually, no. Not even the place.”
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His gaze lifted toward her.
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“You.”
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Sienna’s breath caught instantly.
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“He likes you,” Jisung continued bluntly. “Like… a lot.”
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Heat rushed to her face immediately.
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“You don’t have to say it like that.”
“How else am I supposed to say it?”
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Sienna looked away.
Heart beating far too fast.
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Because part of her had known.
But hearing it from someone else made it real in a completely different way.
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Jisung sighed softly.
“I’m not telling you to date him or whatever,” he said. “Honestly, I think both of you are kind of doomed.”
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Despite herself—
Sienna laughed quietly.
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Jisung pointed immediately.
“There. That.”
“What?”
“You laugh more when he’s around.”
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The words landed gently.
Painfully.
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Silence followed.
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Then—
Jisung reached into his pocket.
Pulling out something small.
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A bookstore membership card.
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Sienna frowned.
“That’s mine.”
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“He accidentally took it.”
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Her chest tightened instantly.
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The edges were slightly bent.
Like someone had held onto it too long.
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Jisung placed it carefully on the counter.
Then smiled softly.
“He kept it in his wallet.”
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Sienna stared at the card.
Unable to speak.
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Because suddenly—
The distance between them didn’t feel so distant anymore.
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Even apart—
They were still carrying pieces of each other around.
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