Just as the door shut, Ki's knees gave way and she slid down the back of the door and onto the floor. She buried her head in her hands.

Her mom rushed over to her daughter, "What is it? What's the matter?"

She looked up at her mother. "Omma, this can't happen." Her mother knelt down beside her and put her hand on her daughter's shoulder, "Of course it can happen. It just happened."

"You don't understand. This isn't some boy. Plot twist! He's BTS. Our lives are ruined if I see him. We would have to move because hoards of angry females would be outside our door chanting for my death. It would ruin him and it would ruin me."

"Then why did you tell him you'd see him again?"

Ki burst into tears, "Because I wanted to know what it felt like just for a moment. To know the smile on his face was because of me. Because for that one moment he belonged to me. I just wanted one moment."

Her mother held her in her arms as they sat on the floor and she cried for a really long time. Neither one spoke. She was simply allowed to feel.

When she had finally exhausted all of her tears, she stood up and then helped her mother up.

Her mother looked at her tenderly, "What are you going to do?"

"The only thing I am good at. I am going to write a story." Ki let out a deep exhale and took out her phone.

"Joon. It felt like a fairy tale. It's what every girl would dream of. To have Kim Namjoon show up on her doorstep and ask to hold her hand. I think, maybe, my soul left my body for a moment. I was in another place that wasn't real, some place in between reality and a dream. A place where this would be possible. But we don't live in that space. We both know I can't see you again. I'm just a girl. And you are not just a boy. You are RM. I lose everything if I am with you. And for what? So you can get bored with me or too busy to see me? Then I lose everything and I lose you and you continue on being RM of BTS and I have to change my name and join a witness protection program. I am not meant for the spotlight. I am meant to be behind the scenes. It's where I belong. You and I are not just from two different worlds, we are two different worlds. Suspended in parallel orbits that will never cross. I will keep my promise. I will never hate you and I will never forget you. I will never forget the small moment I held your hand and your heart. I wish you all the happiness. - Ki"

She hit send. She was a coward for sending a text, but she didn't want to lead him on. She needed this to end swiftly so they could both begin healing.

Her phone buzzed in her hand.

"Unfortunately the number you have reached is not accepting your proposal. Your response has been rejected. A promise is a promise after all. I'll see you tomorrow. - Joon."

Ki looked at her phone in disbelief. For perhaps the first time in her life, she had no words.

Ki's mother came into the room with a hot cup of tea. She handed it to her daughter.

"What did he say?"

She shrugged her shoulders in a mini temper tantrum. "He said he'll see me tomorrow."

Her mother smiled, "I like this boy. He knows you are an idiot and likes you anyway." Her mother patted her on the head and gave her a kiss. "I'm going to bed. Don't wake me up when you come in unless the house is on fire or BTS shows up again."

Ki had a hard time sleeping that night. She slept on the couch so her mother wouldn't be bothered by her constant repositioning. She didn't know what she was feeling. Was she happy he hadn't given up so easily? Was she mad he happened accepted a clean break? What on earth was she going to do?

The next day at work, Ki was an unfocused wreck. For the first time in her career, she turned in a write up with a smelling error. She just kept waiting. Waiting for what, she didn't know. Waiting for fate to decide her future. Waiting for Namjoon.

The moment she got off work, her phone buzzed.

"There's a private taxi waiting in the underground garage for you. Get in and await further instructions."

She suddenly wished she'd worn something cuter.

When she reached the garage she spotted the taxi. She climbed into the back seat.

"Hi, I don't actually know where I am going."

The taxi driver nodded, "I've got the address already. I've been prepaid."

Ki tried to sit back and relax, but her stomach was in knots. She supposed she should be grateful to see him face to face once last time and to tell him goodbye.

After some time the taxi pulled over into a convenience store parking lot. Ki looked around confused. Her phone buzzed.

"Thank the kind taxi driver and step out of the vehicle. You will see a black van in the car park. Walk towards the van."

Ki thanked the man and did indeed see a black van. She walked slowly to the van. The driver got out of the car and opened the back door for her. She was fairly certain she had been taught her entire life never to do this thing. Wasn't this exactly what you were not supposed to do? Don't get into strange black vans? She stepped into the van. 

As her eyes adjusted to the dark inside, she saw Namjoon sitting the seat across from her.

"Oh!" She said startled.

"I'm glad you came. Thank you for seeing me."

"Where are we going?"

"No where. I just told the driver to drive around for an hour so we can talk. I figured that way no one would see us together."

"Is this what it's like dating you?"

"I don't know, it's never happened before."

She looked at him strangely. Had he really never dated anyone? She tried to imagine what he could possibly see in the seat across from him. An ordinary girl. Literally not a single thing made her special.

"What are we doing? Why am I here?" She tried to say it as plainly as she could, but the pain in her voice was hard to hide.

Namjoon leaned over, putting his elbow on his knee. "I like you and you like me. We both deserve to see where this goes." 

She could see the sincerity and determination in his gaze. She felt on fire. Not like lighting up the night, but like being consumed by flames. She didn't know how to survive.

"I don't deserve any of this. I didn't deserve spending a beautiful week with you. I didn't deserve being deceived by you. I didn't deserve nearly losing my job because of you. And I certainly don't deserve you now. You.... well you are you. And, well look at me! I am the exact opposite of everything you deserve."

He sat back in his seat and looked at her. "What exactly do you think I deserve?"

"A super model. The daughter of a CEO. Seo Yeji or Ariana Grande!"

"I've met them both. Lovely ladies, of course."

Ki's cheeks flushed as she imagined it. Of course he had met them. Of course they were lovely. That was the world he lived in.

"But what you are telling me is that I deserve a shallow love based on physical beauty. Is that really all I deserve to have? Don't I deserve to like someone because I choose too? Because fate accidently had us meet? Because we both love reading and sitting outside with a cool breeze. Because she makes me laugh every time she has to tell me every exciting thing that happens in her stories. Because she has this insane habit of needing highlighters to read a good book. Because she thinks hot chocolate is for kids. Because whenever she needs to be brave she pulls her hair behind her ear as if she's refusing to hide behind any mask and she is facing the world. You are right. I could be with a lot of people. I want to be with you. And I can tell by your adorable red cheeks right now, that you want to be with me."

"We don't always get what we want."

"But we could this time."

She wanted to say yes. She wanted to live in this fantasy. But sometimes the bridge to cross is just too wide.

Ki tried to speak, but she felt her eyes burning and knew if she opened her mouth the tears would start falling. She looked out the window at the world passing by.

"Ki?"

She turned to look at him.

"Take a chance."

"I can't."

"Please..."

She cut him off, "Take me home, Joon."

Namjoon's face fell, but he quickly recovered. He pressed a button. "Let's go to the rendezvous."

She heard the driver confirm through a small speaker.

"I've got another taxi waiting. They can drive you home. That way no one sees the van in front of your house."

She nodded and they drove in silence. When they arrived at the parking lot, the driver parked and opened the door for her. She stepped out of the car and turned to Namjoon, "Knowing you wanted to be with me is enough for me. Thank you for that. I hope you'll return the promise and never hate me too?" she said hopefully.

He turned to her and said matter of factly, "See you later."

Before she could respond, he clicked another button and the door shut on it's own.

What the....

She turned confused and walked towards the taxi waiting for her. He didn't mean that surely. He knew they weren't going to see each other right? And the way he shut the door in her face. Was he upset? Did see you later really mean see you never? She was so confused. She thought about it so long she didn't even notice when she arrived home.

"Miss?"

"Oh, sorry, yes, thank you for the ride."

Ki walked up to her apartment building and buzzed herself in. She was 99% sure she'd just broken up with Kim Namjoon. She was a little worried about the 1%.

When Ki had stepped out of Namjoon's van, he watched her walk away. He was done watching her walk away. He quickly grabbed his phone and called Jin.

"Project John Cusack is a go. I repeat. Project Cusack is a go. I'll text you the address."

Namjoon hung up. He was going to battle.