Love is not over

"What's friendship?"

"Being able to make her smile, no matter what."

Mishil stared at her phone for a good 5 minutes before she understood what was about to happen. Kim Namjoon was gonna come to her apartment.

Kim Namjoon....Kim Namjoon?!...KIM NAMJOON!?!?!?

She shot up from her dining table and around the house straightening stuff, almost losing her limbs with all the running around like a headless chicken,

Then, she flew to her bathroom, looking for her facewash and trying to look pretty for the man who made her heart do mini back flips with the simplest of actions.

She tidied things on her way and ran around her apartment making sure the apartment was cosy and neat enough. When she stepped into her bedroom, her eyes widened as she realized what her room décor was.

Good for her, Mishil did not have her walls covered with their pictures. But, there was one poster that she had bought just some months before her bonding. Kim Namjoon in his ash blonde hair, smiling wide. Kissed deeply by the rays of the sun. Looking every bit of a high school sweetheart.

The poster wasn't life size or neither was it, something explicit or even amusing. But still, Mishil blushed at the fact of having Kim Namjoon in her room, in her apartment and seeing himself hanging on her walls.

She weighed the consequences. It was either having the poster and assuring Namjoon of the fact that he was her favourite or having the risk of being caught pulling down the poster.

Who was gonna risk the slowly growing bond between the two of them? Not her.

She walked to her bedroom sorting out things here and there, thinking about how they both were trying. To make it work between the both of them. Thinking back to just a fortnight ago, when the man who had made her heart do high jumps just by smiling through a screen, had held her in the shield of his arms while she cried.

They talked that night. They both were sensible enough. They dropped the formalities and 'ssi's from their names and of course, exchanged numbers.

Step by step. Slow. That's how they'd go.

Mishil plugged in her phone to the home speakers and put up one of her favourite covers of the boys. It was a song that was sad but she found herself enjoying the soft melody and the heart-wrenching melody. Today though she unknowingly went down that forbidden lane of her memory. Where she hadn't gone down since she'd bonded.

The mask covering his face, he got out of his dark-tinted SUV not forgetting to thank his driver Hyung and climbed the steps leading to the apartment block. She was on the topmost floor.

Namjoon got in the elevator and pulled down his mask, the left side of his chest tightening out of nowhere. The feeling you have when you cry hard or you're extremely sad. His mind travelled to the girl who was somewhere above him and he wondered if she was okay. Namjoon got off at the top floor, the door straight ahead was where he wanted to go.

Namjoon checked his shirt for any wrinkles and then reached out for the doorbell, his eyes catching the sight of the ajar door. His gut twisted, jumping into the worst of scenarios as he softly walked into the apartment.

It was cosy and neat, with a personal touch everywhere. Photo frames on the wall down the hallway. She, her parents and two boys whom he could only guess were her brothers. He saw Soo-Ah and her on some of the frames, posing goofily outside the stadium where they'd bonded. Where he found his soulmate.

Namjoon took cautious steps deeper into the house, a familiar voice reaching his ears. It was his voice. Singing.

Was she perhaps; listening to 'Fools'? Namjoon peeped through the open door, his heart painfully twisting at the sight in front of him. His soulmate, his Mishil sat with her back to him, her knees tucked under her chest, chin resting atop her folded knees. He could understand what she was feeling. Somehow he felt whatever she did. He softly sat beside her, grabbing her hand. Joining them from fingertips to elbows. She looked at him, her eyes wide.

"What's bothering you?" He asked, looking at her. "Nothing is! Just some old memories." Mishil answered, voice still wobbly. "It's your parents, isn't it?" Namjoon asked, chest tightening at the sight of her watery eyes. "All of them. I miss them so much sometimes." She sobbed, lying her head on his shoulder.

"Don't you talk to them? Like at all?" Namjoon asked, holding the girl close to his chest. "I talk to my brothers here and there. My mum's crushed." She cried, her sobs wrenching his heart. "You gave up too much for me Mishil! Why? You love your family so much. Then why did you choose me over them?"

This question bothered Namjoon for a long time. And, now when they were talking more, he wanted to ask her. Maybe, change her mind.

"They told me to choose between my life and their rules. I want to live, Namjoon. And, even you know what my state would've been had I left that day. I wouldn't even make it back alive. Which is why I decided that it was now or never. I spared them the pain of dealing with me. And, I didn't want you to be in pain because of me. So, I walked away from them." She blushed softly.

"They've inflicted me with pain that I didn't deserve. I wanted away from that world. Better and happy. Then, this happened. Something that I did not ever expect to happen. But, I'm happy. That it's you. And, that I have Soo-Ah and the rest of the boys beside me. But, sometimes, I feel like it's all in here. Except for the ones I love the most."

A few salty pearls slipped out of her eyes making the man beside her understand and realize. She let go of them because it was not worth the pain. Sometimes the cruel decisions we make are just for the best. And, they're made to spare our loved ones from the pain we or our situations might inflict.

Mishil let go because sometimes it's best to let go. For the betterment of us and our loved ones. And Namjoon like the idiot he is misjudged her.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you that day. I misread the situation. I should've asked you before jumping to conclusions." He apologized. She smiled and softly looked at him, nodding. "You did not know any better. It was normal for you to react that way."

She was hurt when Namjoon said that to her. But, now that he had apologized, there was no need for her to hold grudges. They sat there in silence, basking in the aftermath of Mishil's meltdown, snuggled up against each other. Namjoon hesitated for the longest second before dipping his mouth to brush his lips against the skin of her temples. And instead of stiffening up, Mishil felt the weight of the world leaving her being. Who knew kisses did make things better? 

 "Let's get up from this floor, shall we? I came straight from practice and my back hurts." Namjoon said it as a joke but the way Mishil's eyes widened he got the message that the girl was gonna begin fussing.

"Why didn't you tell me? Oh my! I'm so sorry. I made you sit on the floor! Oh my God, Kim Namjoon! Why would you not tell me?" Namjoon internally cooed at his worry wart of a soulmate and then noticed that she was just seconds away from chewing her tongue off. So, he did what he deemed fit. He placed one of his long digits on her lips.

Mishil's eyes widened, as she felt Namjoon's arm snake around her waist and pull her to her feet, the long warm finger sliding down from her lips. "You might've chewed your tongue off if you went on further." He laughed, making her heart do two somersaults.

The man did not know what he was doing with her. Namjoon kept on holding her close to his body. "I like your room." Namjoon, said, looking around.

(Or I'll leave it to your imagination)

"Thanks.." Mishil felt warm on her cheeks. "So, I can make you blush just by holding you this close, huh?" Namjoon teased when he the reddish glow on his soulmate's cheeks.

"Yah Kim Namjoon!" Mishil wiggled, trying to escape from the situation but Namjoon's grip around her waist kept in its place. "So what will be your state when I...." Namjoon leaned in, close to her ear. "...kiss you."

Her cheeks went up in flames as Namjoon smirked cockily. "Yah...you...how can you....how on earth can you...yah...Kim...Namjoon...." She rambled, making Namjoon laugh out loud. He released her waist, ruffling her hair.

"I'm kidding Mishil! I won't do anything to make you uncomfortable. I was just messing with you." Namjoon laughed. "Your face is on fire! Pfft!" Mishil pouted when she saw Namjoon teasing her. She pushed him and walked away. 

"Kim Namjoon, you're a tease!" She puffed her cheeks, walking to the kitchen.  "If I'm a tease, what are you? Wait!" He looked at the wall beside her bed. There he was, staring back at himself. "You have me hanging on your walls! Yah! Kim Mishil and you say I am a tease?"

"Yeah, you are! You're a tease. A huge ass tease!" She shot back, still pouting. "Well, if I'm your bias, then according to the ARMYs, you have a daddy issue!" Namjoon teased, making Mishil's jaw drop open.

"How on earth do you know that? Don't tell me, do you have a secret fan account?" Mishil asked, to confirm the rumours. "Maybe!" Namjoon flexed his dimples, raising his eyebrows.

"Kim Namjoon...you-" She scoffed, handing him the sparkly water bottle. "Thanks but where did you get that poster?" Namjoon leaned on the wall. "Do you not shut up?!" Mishil laughed, sipping her mango milk. "Nope!" Namjoon shook his head, smiling.

They both began laughing, just looking at each other. One could look at them and say, that something beautiful was blooming in between the both of them.

I finally updated. *weakly fist pumps*

I started writing this Thursday but by midnight I got attacked by a fever and a runny nose.

I can't anything smell now and I can't breathe through my nose.

Now, this chapter is for two people.

First, daydreamies for her generous review on Bonded.

Her review made my confidence boost up to the sky.

I was supposed to thank her for the last chapter but my dumb ass forgot.

Sorry about that.

*bows 90 degrees*

Thank you for encouraging me.

I'll update the other two story tomorrow and day after tomorrow. I hope!

Anyway!

I purple you guys and keep me in your prayers!

Fay💝