The Library That Held His Fear

Thanks to the magical word “library,” Jiyu’s fear of Hunter was slightly suppressed. She let herself be guided by Rosa’s hand and stepped into the playroom. Her eyes widened in astonishment.

The playroom was the size of four of Jiyu’s rooms combined. It was packed with equipment that looked like a playground: monkey bars, slides, swings, and even a zip line. There wasn’t a single thing missing.

But what caught her gaze was not those things.

Across from her, a massive bookshelf stretched from the floor to the ceiling, stuffed full of books. A wheeled ladder leaned against the far side so she could reach the top books easily.

“Wow.”

A small sound slipped from Jiyu’s mouth.

In front of the bookshelf sat beanbag chairs big enough for three adults to lie in comfortably.

This was the first time Jiyu had smiled since she and Hunter started their play date.

Hunter leaped onto the round chair hanging from the zip line and raced across the room at breakneck speed. She flattened herself against the wall and crept toward the window, keeping low.

While Hunter darted like a flying squirrel above the playground equipment, Jiyu sank deep into a beanbag chair and buried her nose in the books.

Just being in the same space, playing separately, brought her a strange kind of peace. And for the first time she forgot this was Hunter’s private playroom and lost herself in the pages.

How much time had passed?

“You can read, huh?”

Jiyu startled at the sudden voice and looked up. When she met those bright blue eyes, she quickly lowered her gaze and nodded.

“…Yes.”

That was all that was said.

Hunter had already lost interest and jumped toward the monkey bars again. Jiyu let out a sigh of relief and returned her eyes to the letters. Then she lifted her head at the sound of a dull thud and a groan.

Hunter lay sprawled beneath the monkey bars, looking like she had fallen from quite a height.

As Jiyu watched in surprise, Hunter sprang up and clambered back onto the bars.

The handles on the long poles were spaced differently. One in the middle had a spinning wheel attached, making it look especially difficult.

Hunter ran along the bars with long arms and grabbed the handle. She gathered her legs and swung them back and forth. The wheel squeaked as it made a full half-turn.

She stretched one arm out from the handle, then reached for the next one, which was at least five inches away. With both hands locked on, she rocked her body back and forth before leaping off.

Jiyu couldn’t help but gasp, “Ah!”

Sure enough, the next handle slipped from her fingertips. She tumbled to the floor with a heavy clatter.

“Ugh.”

After that short groan, silence filled the playroom.

Hunter lay flat on her back and slammed her fist into the thick mat on the floor. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself up.

The moment their eyes met, Jiyu lowered her head. From the corner of her eye she saw Hunter brush herself off, stand, and climb back onto the monkey bars.

Clang. Groan. Thud. Groan. Thump. Groan.

The same sounds repeated. Jiyu couldn’t resist and looked up again.

Isn’t it painful?

She wondered when he would give up.

The moment Hunter realized she was being watched, she shouted angrily.

“I can do it!”

Jiyu startled and nodded, parroting his words.

“Yes. I can do it.”

Only then did Hunter rise a little unsteadily and climb back onto the bars. She looked at Jiyu and commanded,

“You. Watch me carefully. Stop reading the book.”

“…Alright.”

Her voice came out meek.

Hunter kept climbing, eyes on Jiyu, until she reached the handle. Gripping it tightly, she swung her legs like on a swing. The wheel spun with a sharp whir. Then she stretched her arms and leaped.

Thud. Hunter’s palms struck the ground. She barely grabbed the handle. Then she let out an animal roar.

“Yes!”

“Woo.”

Pure admiration spilled from Jiyu’s lips.

From there on, it was easy. Hunter crossed her arms and flew along the bars in an instant, reaching the end. She let go and landed with a soft thud. Raising her chin, she smiled triumphantly.

Confirming that she had witnessed his success, Hunter commanded again.

“I did it! Clap.”

Jiyu clapped her small hands exactly as she was told.

More terrifying than a ghost in the middle of the night or a horned monster, but seeing him smile made him look like an angel.

Jiyu saw Hunter strolling toward the library, so she quickly lowered her head and held the book up to her face like a shield.

Peeking over the top, she watched Hunter stand in front of the bookshelf and flip through the books with a drr-r sound.

He stopped in the middle of the shelf, pulled out a chapter book, and stood in front of Jiyu. He tapped the beanbag chair with his toe.

“Can you really read a chapter book?”

“…Yes.”

Jiyu answered hesitantly. Hunter suddenly thrust the book at her.

“Then read this. Out loud.”

The book was The Magic Tree House. When they went to the library, she had read the first few pages and given up because it was scary. Compared to the one in her hands now, it wasn’t nearly as frightening.

Jiyu took the book and began to read slowly, aloud.

Standing there for a moment and listening, Hunter suddenly leaped onto the wide windowsill, which was cushioned with cushions, and stared out the window, swinging her legs.

She had been afraid of the book when reading alone, but today it didn’t feel scary at all. As Jiyu got lost in the adventure unfolding inside the pages, the swinging legs below the windowsill stopped.

Hunter, who had been sitting quietly listening to the reading voice, suddenly jumped down onto the beanbag chair.

“Ahh!”

The spot where Hunter landed sank in, and Jiyu, still sitting obediently with the book in her hands, fell backward. Luckily, it was onto a soft beanbag chair.

Hunter snatched the book from her hands and lay down on the beanbag.

“How far have you read?”

Jiyu barely managed to sit up from the sinking chair and pointed to the middle of a page.

“Here.”

“I want to read too.”

Hunter read a few spaced-out words aloud. Then she reached out and pulled Jiyu, who was awkwardly sitting there, toward her.

“Now you read it again.”

“…”

Jiyu lay down next to Hunter, hesitating.

“Quickly.”

“Yes.”

She reread the letters and began reading aloud calmly and steadily. Hunter’s head bent low over the book.

Loren and Amy had come down to the playroom to check on the kids when they were playing, and they were surprised by the unusual sight.

The two were lying on the beanbag with their heads together, reading the book.

Rosa, who had been dozing in the chair by the door, startled by the noise and tried to sit up. Loren quickly put one finger to her lips to silence her and sat back down.

Worried that Hunter might bully the gentle Amity, Loren shook her head in disbelief when she saw her son lying face down, reading the book with quiet focus.

Hunter had no interest in the book. She had learned alphabet and phonics at preschool, but she still sounded out every word.

Moreover, the child was far too energetic to sit still and concentrate. Even when she or Nanny read to her, she lost interest in a second. This Hunter was lost in the book without even noticing who had entered the playroom.

Loren silently signaled Amy to leave the room. Rosa, creeping out of the playroom so as not to disturb them, asked Amy in the hallway,

“Amy, does Olivia speak Korean well?”

“Of course! She understands everything in Korean and speaks it fluently. I only speak Korean to her, and Nanny is Korean too.”

Amy replied with a sweet smile.

Strictly speaking, she was a babysitter called only twice a week, but Amy called her “Nanny.” It felt more natural.

“Haa. I should have done that too. It’s just that English is so much easier, and speaking Korean to the child isn’t easy.”