⟢ crab museum.

@✧ na dongmin Many times when Miyeon visited Dongmin for book-related reasons, he looked calm. Almost as still as a statue when he was in deep focus at work. It was similar to her job, but there was a higher chance of her interacting with visitors since they all needed a librarian’s help at some point. It wasn’t taxing unless it was a weekend where more people would be visiting. She almost envied Dongmin.

Heavy on almost, as she realised he had come from the hallway leading to the staff bathroom before changing into his protective gear. ‘Jesus Christ, this guy…’ she thought to herself as she attempted to mask her brief expression of disgust. Though knowing how Dongmin was, he rarely noticed and Miyeon always sunk back into her more default nonchalance.

She continued guiding some crabs back to the broken enclosure, shuffling them with the large cardboard piece like she was playing hockey. She didn’t even look up at Dongmin beside her as she knew she’d burst out laughing at his attire. “You’re welcome. I hope your bathroom trip was productive.” she couldn’t resist at least making a joke, even if Dongmin technically almost died (she knew the crabs wouldn’t do much, they probably wouldn’t touch him since they were too low and he was like 6 feet tall).

Miyeon gave up with the speed she was going at, wanting to get the job done faster. Quickly taking a look around his area, she found a box of plastic gloves (barely used) and put one on her right hand. The free hand grabbed a bucket, her actions following Dongmin’s. Even with his ridiculous (but understandable) protective gear, he was smart for getting a bucket.

“Did you forget? I mean, you could have. I had some of those books on crabs you wanted to borrow, and the scientific journals you paid for the be printed at the library. They’re in the cart over in the other room.” she answered politely, nudging her head towards the room just beside the one they were in, closer to where she entered.

“I do need to ask how one of the smartest guys in town didn’t notice his glass case break at his place of work?” she asked, genuinely curious. It would have been a more peaceful day of work deliveries for her, and a lower risk of Dongmin dying. He was unbelievably lucky that she had the keys, lent by his older brother.

@✧ rang miyeon It was almost as if a ray of sunshine had burst through the side door of the museum as his name rang through the halls amid his battles with the crabs. He could've sworn he could hear the angels' singing and the orchestra playing as she appeared. The familiar sight of a girl's silhouette flashed in front of him as she grabbed her own weapon from the storage closet — all while glowing as time seemed to come to a stop. (or at least, that's how it felt to him.) His lifeline was here, he was saved.

In that moment, the city's librarian looked like a war goddess to him — not that he believed in deities but he presumed if they were to exist, the goddess of war would surely look the same exact way as Miyeon did in that moment. In that split second, Dongmin was in awe. He was speechless for the first time and he wasn't sure he liked or enjoyed that feeling. It was a strange one indeed but he was sure it was because she'd come in the right moment to save him from peeing his pants while being attacked by crabs.

"Thank you, Ms Rang." His voice came out as a stutter as he tried to process the fact that he was rescued from the crabs that were threatening his life — his mind unusually coming to a slow, something that had never happened before. tiptoed around the retreating crabs as he rushed to the restroom to get his much-needed relief.

A few minutes passed before he reappeared, drying his hand on his handkerchief — he never believed in tissue papers, seeing them as a way to destroy more trees than anything useful. He much preferred cloth since it was washable which made it reusable for at least a few years before they'd have to retire to the back of his handkerchief drawer. Yes, he had a special drawer just for his collection of handkerchiefs. His eyes scanned the floor which was still filled with crabs crawling merrily as though they were proud of themselves for escaping the comforts of their enclosure.

Wordlessly, Dongmin got to work as he slipped on his protective gear — a pair of rubber gloves and a full face shield, things that were much needed for someone who was allergic to the very thing their occupation required them to handle. Why he chose to be fascinated by crabs was a question that not even his parents could've answered/answer.

"Thank you for rescuing me." He finally uttered as he scooped a crab into a bucket, covering it to ensure that it wasn't going to escape yet again. "What brings you here today?"

@✧ na dongmin Though Miyeon knew almost every single person in town to some capacity, her closer friends more than others, the manager and current owner of the famed crab museum was a bit of a mystery for her. It wasn’t that they hated each other’s guts nor were they distant in age or not in the same circles. In fact, the two latter were easily proven wrong. They’re only two years apart and she and Dongmin were actually both somewhat good friends with the local entertainer and carpenter (everyone needs their day job) Doyoon. There wasn’t much reason for them to be distant, but they had never entertained the idea of being extremely close. She could argue that she was probably closer to Dongmin’s older brother instead of him, but that was mostly because of work. She can’t admit that he was seemingly a bit easier to handle, she wasn’t exactly a ray of sunshine in her current state. That and the younger Na sibling looked more reclusive and needed his own space and time away from others. She could relate to that, at least. The librarian’s thoughts looked back at a conversation she had with his older brother during a period their work overlapped.

– Flashback, a few years ago. –

“You two should hang out more, you’ve known each other–” Dongwoo casually suggested, packing away some documents.

“Of each other.” Miyeon immediately corrected, a soft exhale coming from her nostrils as she settled some freshly-binded records onto the local fire captain’s desk at his request.

Dongwoo briefly tensed up at her coldness, but he remembered her when she was still a younger sunshiney cheerful teenager so it never fazed him for too long. “Right, of each other… since you were kids. Both grew up in this town, I guess you did miss some time with him since he went to college early.”

“Does it count as missing if we never had time together in the first place?” moved faster than her brain sometimes, but it was still logical even with her lightspeed answer.

– Present day. –

Only in the past few months (probably a year, since she didn’t really keep track of it) had Miyeon been visiting Dongmin at his workplace more often than usual. Supposedly there were some upcoming exhibits to be built and more obscure crab species to be brought on display. She never questioned any of it since it gave her extra income, though a librarian’s salary in a city wasn’t exactly dirt level. She did enjoy sifting through the local library collection and ordering some books since Dongmin was a more quietly demanding client. Some of the books and journals he asked for required direct ordering and custom printing from services outside Gohyang, and Miyeon enjoyed the hunt. A more nerdy preference she has and actually enjoys, but she keeps it low profile with her scary elegant image she had forged since returning. Visible excitement was a private inner-circle thing for her now.

“Dongmin,” she half-shouted as she entered the crab museum from the side door. She was thankful the owner’s brother handed her the keys. His words being ‘He gets really into work sometimes, he might not hear you so you can grab my copy for work-related stuff’ and Dongwoo was rarely wrong about his brother. He urged her to just get his phone number but she refused. Her small trolley was carrying a stack of books related to crabs and some binded journals on top. At the base were some construction and design manuals, Dongmin probably wanted to learn how a fully new exhibit would be built. Again, no questions from Miyeon as long as she got her pay.

She quietly roamed the area, passing the front desk and heading deeper into the museum. Her brows furrowed at the glass tank and she tsked to herself. “You’d think he’d keep this place in top shape with how much he loves –” Her words were cut off as her eyes followed the trail of sand and pebbles from the tank hole. It didn’t register in her mind that the crabs would move and a mix of shock and suppressed laughter on her appeared. The sight of one of the most efficient men in the city holding a frying pan in defense of his crab wards was one to behold, up until Miyeon remembered that he was actually allergic. “Oh , Dongmin!”

Springing into action, Miyeon set her trolley aside and ran to grab a cardboard panel that was in the storage closet nearby. The crabs were never really hostile, but someone with allergies towards them would just be fearing for her life. She assumed crab allergies were like peanut allergy, even close air exposure would warrant the use of an Epipen. “Shoo, shoo, little guys…” she spoke to the crabs gently, like they were children, and nudged them away from the cowering museum owner with her cardboard. They didn’t really object, she assumed they were just walking around like it was nothing.

Without looking away from the crabs, she spoke directly to Dongmin, who was facing her back. “Go do whatever you were doing, I’ll bring them back to the tank.” For once, she wanted to question him since he had a frying pan in his hand. Possibly self-defense or something, but those were for later. For now, he had to escape and she had to put his ‘captives’ back home.

— OPEN STARTER —

Dongmin stared at the crabs that were slowly marching towards him from the gaping wide hole in the side of their glass tank. He had no idea how a glass tank of that size and thickness could have shattered but it didn't matter. All he knew was that his crab allergy was going to have him dead in under five seconds if he didn't figure out a way to get out of there.

He would call his older brother if his phone was on him but it was in his office. He had left it there, thinking he wouldn't need it since he was simply going to the restroom and surely nothing was going to happen on his way there. It was hilarious how quickly life decided to prove him wrong, however. Now he had nothing with him but a random steel pan that he grabbed from one of the tables, a raging bladder that was getting harder to control with this sense of impending doom and the clothes on his back. That was it. Nothing else.

What was he going to use to cover himself? His bladder? Crabs love salt water. If anything, his urine would just attract the crabs closer to him.

Dongmin looked around the room in distress. He was slowly backing into a wall and he was also this close to peeing himself. There was no way he was going to survive this.

Somehow the genius of a man had completely forgotten the fact that he had shoes on his feet and he was wearing long pants so all he had to do was run to safety. Instead, he stayed rooted in his position, back to the wall as the crabs inched ever closer.