"So I'm not totally sure sure but there's actually this other bookstore I know nearby that might have the full collection? At least if that's what you're going for. Have you read them all?"

"Yes, digitally, but I wanted physical copies. Which bookstore?"

Book?? Perfectionist with a reading hobby has completeness dangled in front of her????

"It's called The Grove, it's actually a really nice place to visit even if you don't want any books because of the ambience but also they do have a lot of books. If you wait for me to get these through checkout and request a delivery I could walk you there?"

Sounds too date-like for her taste, this person has offended her and is Officially Not Her Type, but she does want to complete that set...

"All right," she agrees.

"Just a minute, then!"

And a minute later: "So which one was your favourite? Mine was the fourth but I'll readily admit that it's at least partly because the teenager that still lives in me found the gay side plot relatable. ...wait, is that TMI?"

(She has to buy her own books, too, so it's not really all that out of her way.)

"No, it's fine. I'm glad it spoke to you, though I found it kind of, I dunno. Pandery? But maybe I was on high alert after the female pair in three, because I was mad at it. I think the second objectively had the tightest plot and best pacing? Probably the third's my favorite anyway, I'm a sucker for banter even if the book upset me with its bi erasure and the 'Oh, but I never liked guys at all!' thing. Bitch, we were in your head last book, you definitely also like men, both is an option!"

He looks delighted by her opinions. "No, I totally get what you mean, yeah. Teenage Jaeha was going through some stuff, and I've still got this little habit of clinging to pieces of media that would've made him happy, you know? But separately, really, you liked the pacing in the second book best? Don't get me wrong, I see what you mean, but at times it felt a bit too... I don't know, bogged down in details of the world that didn't feel like they justified it?"

"It was setup! Setup is really important! The book took on a bit of a mystery genre and threw a bunch of extraneous information - which I admittedly also loved because I'm myself and the world is fun - but also in there were all of the pieces the reader needed to know to figure out what would happen! It was great, especially for rereads, and also set the stage for the later books really well! I like the third book the most but I feel like the second did the most, you know?"

"Ha, yeah, if mystery's your thing I can see that. Ah, we're here."

The decor very much follows the name: the walls outside are styled so that the whole place looks like a tree you walk into, with a sign hanging above the door with the words "The Grove" and something that looks like a magic druidic tome; the windows reveal a place filled to the brim with books in a carefully haphazard way; and there's a cosy little café in the back. The store itself isn't located in a super well-trafficked area, though, the kind of street that locals will often know about but that isn't trying to attract tourists. Not that the small town is particularly touristy, but still.

She loves it immediately and intensely. It's like a bookstore was made to be appealing to Hye-jin in particular, and knocked it out of the park. There's even a little café!! Aaa!! Adoration! She would have found this place eventually, but she's glad it's sooner rather than later.

Hye-jin practically skips inside.

Jaeha's glad he could introduce her to it! He's already done his book purchases but no self-respecting bookworm can walk into another bookstore and not look over some of the titles in the aisles of interest. He honestly really loves this bookstore and visits it whenever he comes over to see his noona but it's kind of expensive so he usually gets books from elsewhere. Not that he doesn't have money to burn, he's an A-rank esper, but it's the principle of the thing.

And, yes, the store does have the full collection of the book series Kim Hye-jin was interested in, a lovingly bound hardback set with beautifully calligraphed text on the covers.

Well now she feels bad about purchasing the partial set, because the set here is in a different print. She could just get only the last book, but, look at this set, it's so pretty and perfect together!! Clearly the thing to do is to instead throw absurd amounts of money at it, and instead donate the partial set she just bought to the local library and buy this one. It's soon enough she could plausibly get a return, but why would she do that to herself and to others. She has absurd amounts of money.

Anyway Jaeha's getting kind of ignored while she figures out this clearly super important conundrum. Well, forgotten about, she's not really... actively ignoring him.

Hey, he gets it, he was exactly the same the first time he visited this place, he's not holding it against her.

It's such a lovely place!!! Okay she - cannot reasonably carry all of these books home, and will not try. But arranging a delivery is... not happening, she's got some reservations about this guy and has long learned caution about her address. How about... hold for later pickup? Yes, she can have that, excellent.

This sorted, she will go get victory coffee and a muffin. Jaeha can come too, she guesses. (She's more polite about it than that, but. She is clearly not here for hanging out with him.)

Yeah, no, that's fine.

Once they're at the table he looks... kind of like he wants to say something and doesn't know how to.

Mmmm delicious mocha. Caffeinated chocolate and coffee together. A nice book store with scenic places to sit. Plans to fill her library with books that are extremely pretty and turn the whole place into her little sanctuary at home. Bliss.

But for the guy she doesn't know who looks like he is trying to figure out the right words to say to tackle a complicated topic.

"Hm?" she prompts, raising her eyebrows.

"I... this is going to come off so badly, coincidences like this don't happen in real life, it's like something out of anime, but if I don't say anything it'll come off even worse. I know we've just met and you've got no reason to trust me but it would feel slimy not to mention it.

"So, uh, I used to be Tae-gun's partner a few years ago."

He's right! Coincidences like that don't happen! She does not think this is one of those, actually!

A previous partner of Tae-gun is the one who probably traumatized him.

She is in a small town in the countryside.

He ran into her, a very obvious person who stands out in crowds with her bright red hair, in a secluded location where he could get the chance to talk to her.

This is not a coincidence, it's enemy action.

"Were you?" she says, blinking. "He hasn't mentioned you."

Because that's exactly the sort of thing that would absolutely drive someone's stalker ex up the fucking wall.

Yeah... yeah. "I'm not too surprised," he says, lifting his coffee to his lips and looking down at it. Tae-gun's had some bad experiences with partners in the past and he can't imagine he wouldn't have been tarred by association. "I'm not—trying to do. Anything, here. You can Google me, if you want. Just thought I should say something."

She doesn't need your permission to Google you, you creepy dipshit.

Instead of saying this, she just nods, like she accepts this as the only way a reasonable person would react.

"Well, thank you. I appreciate the heads up." Do not incinerate Tae-gun's stalker ex on the spot, that would be murder, and more importantly, there would be witnesses.

The social script would normally mean that she would tell him he's doing well, but she's not telling this man anything about Tae-gun.

"Is your noona with Lucid?" she instead asks.

"...hm? No, she isn't, but I am. Why?"

Ah, that's why they found her so quickly. They had someone with a reason.

"Oh, good, that's much more convenient. Could you please tell them to take a hint?"

"...I'm sorry? Uh, have they been—harassing you or something?"

Wow, that's kinda shitty of them, actually? What the hell! She's already got a guild! Like, sure, he's occasionally approached by poachers, but he didn't realise his guild was doing that! The fuck!