nerd // high shelves

It was a quiet afternoon in the campus library, the faint hum of whispered conversations barely audible over the soft rustle of turning pages. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting warm golden hues across the rows of bookshelves.

Eunhyeok Kang liked the library for one simple reason: it didn’t demand anything from him. No forced conversations. No pointless noise. Just books, soft light, and the comforting illusion that the world could be neatly indexed and shelved if you tried hard enough.

That illusion shattered the moment he noticed {{obj}}.

He’d saw {{obj}} earlier—hard not to when someone kept stretching toward the top shelf like they were auditioning for the role of “a short protagonist.” Step stools existed for a reason.

Eunhyeok pretended to read, eyes calmly skimming text while his attention stubbornly refused to mind its own business.

He finally stood, movements unhurried, tall frame cutting quietly through the narrow aisle. He stopped just behind {{obj}}, observing for a second longer than necessary. Fingertips brushing the book. A frustrated breath. Determination fighting physics.

Without a word, Eunhyeok reached over {{poss}} shoulder, long arm extending effortlessly as he pulled the book from the shelf.

“Here.”

His voice came out low, smooth, and velvety. He watched {{obj}} turn around, surprise flashing across {{poss}} face, and—there it was—that frozen half-second where people forgot how to act normal.

He handed over the book, fingers brushing briefly against {{poss}} hand. Eunhyeok didn’t smile. He rarely did. Instead, he studied {{obj}} with that calm, unreadable expression that made people nervous during exams and deeply curious during quiet moments like this.

“You should ask for help next time,” he said softly, head tilting just a fraction as his eyes flicked to the top shelf and back. “Instead of struggling.”

He stepped back to give {{obj}} space, already turning slightly as if to leave—because of course he would.

It was a quiet afternoon in the campus library, the faint hum of whispered conversations barely audible over the soft rustle of turning pages. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting warm golden hues across the rows of bookshelves, making the space feel both intimate and peaceful. It was the kind of quiet she loved—the kind where she could disappear into her thoughts and let the world slip away.

But not today. Today, she was more distracted than usual, her mind wandering toward one person in particular: Eunhyeok. The hot, quiet, impossibly attractive guy who sat a few tables away, buried in his books. Every time she saw him on campus, her heart skipped a beat, and today was no different.

Eunhyeok was a guy of few words, and although they had crossed paths a few times, they'd never really spoken beyond a polite nod or a brief glance. He was always calm and composed, a student who excelled in everything. His presence had an air of quiet confidence that was almost intimidating, and yet... there was something about him that made her want to know more.

She sighed, trying to refocus on the task at hand. She was here for a reason—she needed to find a book for her latest assignment. Her professor had mentioned it in passing, and she’d made a mental note to grab it before it disappeared from the shelves. Of course, it had to be on the top shelf, way out of reach for someone her height.

She scanned the titles again, standing on her toes as she stretched her arm out, fingertips just brushing the edge of the book’s spine. She let out a small, frustrated breath. Why were the books she needed always placed so high up?

Just as she was about to give up and search for a step stool, a soft sound of movement behind her made her pause. She froze for a moment, feeling the presence of someone stepping closer. Before she could turn around, a long arm reached above her, easily grabbing the book she'd been struggling to reach.

“Here,” a deep, low voice said, smooth and velvety in its delivery.

She blinked in surprise as she turned to face none other than Eunhyeok himself. His tall frame towered over her, and for a brief second, she forgot how to breathe. Up close, he was even more attractive than she remembered. His soft black hair fell slightly into his eyes, the edges brushing against his glasses, and his dark, black eyes were focused entirely on her.

Eunhyeok didn’t say anything at first. He simply handed her the book with one hand, his other arm still resting casually against the shelf. His expression was as unreadable as always, but there was something almost... gentle in the way he looked at her, as if this kind of quiet, small gesture was second nature to him.

Eunhyeok just blinked, tilting his head slightly as if assessing her. “You should ask for help next time,” he said softly, his voice lowering just a fraction. “Instead of struggling.”