Behind The Shelves ~ Jang Jin Ah

[alexander thyme]

Ah it was only the first day of class, but just like always, Alex had a need to be first in everything. Making his way to the library, he plopped down in one of the chairs next to the tables behind the shelves of books. It was the perfect place to get things done.

Spreading all of this things out, the boy staked a claim on the table he was currently by. No one was allowed to use it, unless he was feeling generous. Usually he was, let's just hope what if anyone was going to come, he stayed generous.

A few students walked past him and gave him a strange look. Alex waved them off dismissively. They should know that, that was what he always did. But then again they could be first year students, fresh out of the other magical schools...

Alex could hear a few of the girls walking past him whispering to each other about why the Quidditch referee could be so cute yet such a nerd. He looked up at the whispering group and gave them an amused look before looking down at his book again. Who said that cute boys all had to be douche bags?

Suddenly someone stopped in front of him. He couldn't tell who it was from the shadow, but someone was there. Without looking up form his books, Alex murmured, "If you are here to disturb me, please go away. If you are here to borrow something from me, do so and then bring them back. But if you are here to use my table too, please give me a good reason in why I should do so."

[jang jin ah]

The familiar scent of knowledge greeted Nana as she walked into the library, the source of all knowledge and her second home. The term had started not too long ago and the third year was already making her way back within the comforts of books and knowledge. Constant studying is the key to graduating top of her class especially with the sadistic Transfiguration. 

A group of girls passed her by, whispering not secretively about the Quidditch referee being cute yet unbelievably nerdy. There is goes again, where nerdy boys just have to be those physically weak kid with broken thick rimmed glasses and placing books before boobs. Is it a sin to be a good looking nerd? She rolled her eyes at their immaturity. “Kids.” The many generations of engrained stereotypical view on how unattractive a nerd is partly to be blamed. 

Nana shifted her focus onto the boy sitting there alone with what presumably to be his things sprawled all over the table. The Quidditch referee, beating her to the library. She knew he's a fellow Ravenclaw and a third year since they took the same class but she never managed to remember his name. Heck, she can't even remember anyone's name. She stood opposite him, patiently awaiting a response and he didn't fail her. 

A small smile appeared on her face. He seemed to be a worthy study partner to share a table with. Nana flipped her blonde locks back, pull the chair furthest from the boy and sat down without a single word. She opened her book on Advanced Transfiguration and flipped to the page she had bookmarked. It was well almost a quarter of the thick book. Well ahead of the current lesson despite the term starting not too long ago. A true Ravenclaw indeed.

"You don't own the table. It's the school's property and every other student's right." She flipped the page nonchalantly before looking up, giving him a polite smile meaning no harm to a fellow eagle. ”If you need a reason, I'm a Ravenclaw. Will that suffice?” 

[alexander thyme]

Apparently his visitor was a girl for Alex had heard her muttered the word kids. She too had heard the very loud whispers about him. The boy bit back a snicker of amusement. Those girls were a bit immature, posing themselves as well... kids.

What amused him too was that the girl, after listening to his short speech, just sat down in the chair furthest from him before responding to him, saying that he didn't own the table, but if he really had to have a reason, she too was a Ravenclaw. Interest flowed into Alex's mind, breaking him away from his books.

Looking up, the boy gave the girl a curious look and a smile. "I do suppose you are right about me not owning the table for it is indeed student property." He then shuffled his stuff around to make room for the girl across from him. "So you're a Ravenclaw huh? I've seen you around before. You're Jin Ah?" He knew that he'd probably butchered the girl's name horribly.

[jang jin ah]

Nana took it as a good sign that he did not retort. There was no reason that he should be. She wasn't being particularly rude or anything. Besides, fellow members of Ravenclaw should not be fighting with each other in the first place, especially over petty issues such as this. It did be a great disgrace to ones' intellect. The boy shuffled his stuff, making some place on the table for her. A welcome and approval of her place at the table. She smiled thanking him.

"You're Jin Ah?"

Her eyebrows raised. This should not come across as a surprise. It was to be expected. The both of them are members of the same house as well as having taken the same class for the last two years and now a third. He should know her name at the very least even if they have never talked to each other. On the side note, who wouldn't know her or her name. She was after all one of those rare Asian walking around campus and a beauty to boot. That will be her being vain.

Unfortunately or fortunately for him, she doesn't remember his name. She might have heard his name several times in a passing manner but she never did commit it to memory. In fact, she never quite remember anyone's name. She only remember two type of person's name. First, her family and next her enemies. She wished that the group of girls would have said his name instead of using 'that' cute Quidditch referee.  

"Yes I'm Jin Ah." She smiled. Hoping that he will spill his name in the process...somehow. Classmates for two years and not knowing his name wasn't a pleasant thing in her opinion. "And you're the cute Quidditch referee."

[alexander thyme]

As he moved his stuff for Jin Ah to put her stuff down, Alex caught the approving smile that came on her face. Good, score one for Alex, no angry girl for him to handle today.

An amused smiled appeared on Alex's face when the girl confirmed her name and called him, the cute Quidditch referee. The boy bobbed his head in response and said, "Yes that's me. Alex Thyme, the one and only Quidditch referee on the campus." He then scratched the back of his neck and added, "But of course, I wouldn't be so keen on tacking on the cute part. I'm really not that vain."

Just then a group of Hufflepuff boys passed them and some of them let out loud catcalls. Alex glared at the group and waved them off. That was rather rude of them to do that, especially in a library. The boy shook his head and muttered, "Despicable." He then smiled slightly at Jin Ah and said, "Sorry about that. I'll apologize for them to you. Boys will be boys no?"

[jang jin ah]

"Yes that's me. Alex Thyme..."

Score! If she could, she did heaved a sigh of relief but it did be plain weird. By some luck, he had mentioned his name - Alex Thyme. "Alex as in Alexander?" She wondered to herself. Well that is not really important. At the mention of his name, the first thought that crossed her mind was...a herb? The girl can cook too. A girl have to know how to cook to begin with.

While she was immersed in her little thoughts about meals that would go well with thyme, a group of Hufflepuff boys passed them by. Just when merely walking by wasn't enough, they had to unnecessarily let out loud catcalls. It resulted in nothing less than a glare from Alex along with an apology on their behalf. She shook her head, declining the need for it. "There's nothing to apologize." He should not even be apologizing but them. It is true boys will be boys regardless of what shape and size they come in. Although this boy named Alex here is slightly different from the rest. At least that is what she had concluded from their first meeting and conversation so far.

"At least it's better than a disgusted look." She gave him a wink. Nana was clearly used to having those catcalls. She took it as an acknowledgement of her natural beauty without the need to be wearing revealing clothes. That mindset was either her being mature or just being purely vain. "Although I do prefer it outside of the library." Nana looked up and around her. Hoping that they did not involuntarily disturbed other genuinely studious student. 

[alexander thyme]

Cocking his head to the side, Alex then nodded it. The way Jin Ah said his name, sounded like a question to him and he wondered why. "Yes, Alex as in Alexander... is something wrong? Oh and yes, my last name is exactly like the herb, strange I know." He commented thoughtfully.

A small smile lit up on Alex's face. He nodded his head and said, "If you say so. I know a few girls however would probably take offense to it thought." He then glanced back down at his book before looking up again.

Alex grinned at Jin Ah's next comment. "Yeah, if they gave you a disgusted look, I would have personally taken offense to it and probably dragged them out to get a pounding." He murmured nonchalantly, "No one deserves to have a dirty look thrown at them."

Chuckling, the boy agreed to the comment that the catcalls should have been done outside. "Exactly my thoughts as well." Alex sighed and shook his head. Glancing out of a window nearby, the boy smiled softly, wishing he could go out right now. But his head told him that he had stuff to study.

[jang jin ah]

Nana chuckled at his comment. "Kamsahamnida (thank you) my gallant knight in shinning armor." That save her the effort of beating them up herself if it was ever needed. If she can't use her physical strength just because she's a girl, her knowledge and trusty wand did do the job for her. Slow and painful using the beauty that is Transfiguration. 

She noticed his expression that came along with the sigh. It sounded as if he prefers to be outdoors rather than having the catcalls done outdoors. It could be that she was just over thinking it. However, Nana mimicked his movement, staring out at a nearby window. From the window, she could see a blue sky dotted with fluffy cotton candy like clouds. Ravenclaw's animal, an eagle soaring above it. The sight of one was as if Rowena Ravenclaw was calling out to her dear Ravenclaw to come out into the bright sunny outdoors.

"It's a nice day today."Would it be good to take a break or do some studying outdoors for a change?

[alexander thyme]

'Kamsahamnida, my gallant knight in shinning armor.'

"Pardon me?" Alex mused, his expression curious. Those every words that came out of Jin Ah's words stumped him a little. It wasn't hard to forget that she was Asian, due to not many of them were here. So it was very safe for him to assume that it was in a different language. "I get the second part of you message, but the first part... not so much." He confessed with a smile.

As he was staring out of the window, Alex's wandering mind was pulled back into the room. He uttered a soft groan of disappointment. Turning back to Jin Ah, the boy nodded his head. "Yeah it really is isn't? Maybe I should have gone out to study instead of being cooped up inside the library." He said ruefully, but then genuinely smiled at the girl across from him, "But then, I wouldn't have met you, would have I?"

Then an idea entered his head and Alex tilted it curiously. "Perhaps if you would like to go outside too, we can study together there." He offered with a shrug of his shoulders. But if the girl wanted to stay in here, he wouldn't say no to that. After all he had been in the library for a good 30 minutes before Jin Ah came around to talk.

[jang jin ah]

It was understandable that he did not understood her. They were after all born and raised on the opposite side of the globe and across the big blue ocean. 'It means thank you in Korean.' She explained to him as if she was tutoring him. 'You pronounce it as kam-sa-ham-ni-da. Got it?'

"But then, I wouldn't have met you, would have I?"

Nana tilted her head slightly. Her blonde locks cascading down the side of her face. The corner of her lips slowly turned upwards and spread into a big smile. Perhaps blushing a little. 'And I wouldn't have met the cute Quidditch referee.' She was enjoying herself in teasing him as the cute Quidditch referee. Well, he is reasonably cute by her standards which is a good thing for such a vain person. Most importantly, it was a higher chance that she will remember that title rather than his name. Lexie? She had already begun to forget it. 

She hadn't managed to even read pass the first paragraph of the open page and yet the tempting callings to head out into the Sun seems favorable. After a moment of hesitation and decision making, she closed her book and turned to face him.

'Should we?'