"I—I..." The female whimpered, fiddling with her fingers as she appeared like gradually getting herself embroiled in a situation that was not even so intricate to begin with. She eventually took a deep breath, and squinted her eyes at Namjoon— catching him off-guard. By upending the potentially inimical circumstance according to her own convenience— that too, in quite an impeccable manner— the lady unarguably exhibited her capability to manoeuvre the inevitable at any given time of the day.

"You know what? I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?" She nudged Namjoon, but the latter was not so unprepared either.

"Hey lady, at least be original. That's what I had asked you. So answer me first and then I shall return the favor? How's that sound?" He contended, rendering the female tongue-tied for a while.

"Ah, you were not so innocent after all. God, I'm such a poor judge of character." Namjoon exhaled conspicuously, adding effect to his dismay. Side-eyeing in annoyance, he resumed, "You're a stalker, right? Of course you are, that's why you seemed too familiar for a stranger... when we first met, you know? And that's also probably why you're following her around right now as well. Am I right?"

The woman scoffed, "Obviously not."

"Yeah, offenders usually say that when they get caught. This case is no different. I understand your psyche, miss. But there's one thing that I don't at the same time..." Namjoon's voice faltered in uncertainty as he struck his chin with his index finger, "What's your purpose behind stalking Doctor Shin? Have you perhaps... don't tell me!"

Namjoon lurched back in haste, his widening eyes complementing his already-gaping mouth for which his hands were also progressively in motion— in order to shroud it— as he exclaimed, "Have you perhaps fallen for her?"

"What? No! What the hell?" She, in return, lashed out at Namjoon for arriving at such an absurd conclusion.

"Why? She's amazing. What did I say was so disgusting for you to glare at me like that?" The male gestured at the woman who was still in the process of wrapping her head around the allegation made against her.

"That could be the motivation behind you trailing her like a creep... as you said, I understand your psyche, sir. So, if you allow me." Performing a fleeting bow before Namjoon, the female turned around on her heels, cascading down the road without wasting any further minute.

Meanwhile, Namjoon stood planted on his own spot, the blush across his cheeks growing saturated with every passing moment. The fact that a total stranger stumbled upon and ambushed him with a truth that he had always assumed had remained efficiently tucked away by him beneath a million layers of pretense, was unprecedented for him in every sense of the term. For the woman to direct him towards his reality may not have been that big of a deal, but Namjoon felt considerably exposed at having an unknown person divulge his own existence before him.

He had to redress the balance or he might go insane at this rate. For why was everyone able to perceive what must have remained a beautiful secret between the two of them— Kim Namjoon and Shin Youngmi?

Their story was not a walk through an art gallery, to be mesmerized at the unparalleled pulchritude of the numerous creative pieces hung on its walls. Theirs was a cache of memories— neither photographed nor written down, solely for the sake of keeping it obscured from the world. Somehow, it wound up as the unrequited variety of love, but that apparently was still insufficient for Namjoon in order to drown in contrition.

Namjoon was content, with whichever way their story was predisposed towards heading into.

"Wait!" Namjoon yelped, urging the departing female to halt in her tracks.

"Hell, not again." She muttered under her breath at Namjoon's call, picking up her pace instead of aligning herself with the man's request.

It did not even take the woman a minute to lunge out of Namjoon's sight as she shuffled down the alley with all her might.

▪️

Namjoon's brain was currently not cooperating with him. Every object that fell into his grip had ended up being twiddled so mercilessly that there remained no longer a scope of vindication for him. After all, the testimony borne by a mangled pen, a lacerated roll of newspaper, and his precious phone itself could not altogether be an assemblage of mere, fabricated lies. There had to be some veracity in it.

And right now, it was seeming to be the fact that the man had been spiraling completely out of control.

He gasped, eyes wavering in a despondency characteristic of an excruciating heartbreak. Laying back on his sofa gingerly, he rested his head against its soft surface. His gaze was fixated at the ornamental ceiling above— otherwise the major selling point of his house, presently a conduit for his overthinking to vent itself out— while he evidently stayed in wonder. Whether or not everything that went down in the last couple of days would actually revert itself back to normal was all that was on his mind, no matter how hard he strove to ward the same pessimism off.

Love had gotten the best of him, there ought to be no second opinion on it anymore.

Silly emotion, sillier him.

Overwrought, Namjoon rubbed his eyes, fishing his phone out while the jitters kept on threatening his integrity with novel methods. However, what had been jotted down for him in his record of destiny was something that he himself was not genuinely familiar with. It may look like a set of scribbled letters, put down in black and white without much concern, but was still not so much of antipathetic to him as a matter of fact.

His phone had vibrated after all, informing him of a notification that he did not have the luxury of even anticipating— to be coming his way— after all that had happened earlier in the day.

It was a message from Youngmi.

Namjoon did not squander the opportunity by mulling over whether to be so quick in responding to her or not, and instead went forth with what his feelings had instructed him to do.

"No more second-guessing in this household." He mumbled to himself, a smile unconsciously etching across his lips.

Senior Shin
Hi, I'm sorry for today. Can we talk?

"Of course, why do you think we can't?" Namjoon remarked absentmindedly while dialing Youngmi's number the very next instant.

"Hello, Namjoon?" Youngmi started, guilt underlying her voice.

"Yes, hello. You wanted to talk. What do you wanna talk about?" Namjoon, although keyed up on the inside, tried his best not to portray himself as such.

"Everything, Namjoon, everything that I've ruined because of my indecisiveness." Youngmi answered, a sob surfacing as she finished.

"Wh—what do you mean by that, senior?" Namjoon did not sound so confident either.

"I'm sorry for treating you like shit, Namjoon. All you ever did was to look out for me, and I always took it for granted. But do you know why I did that? Because deep down I knew that regardless of all the berating I may subject you to, you'd stick by my side. And that makes me a horrible, horrible person. I can't even imagine being treated like that by someone. How did you endure me all these years, Namjoon?" Youngmi had let herself loose by then, hiccups interrupting her speech standing firmly by the fact.

"I stayed there for you because I wanted to, senior. It's not so complicated, you see. Well, sure, our bond is and that only disables me from watering it down for you in a simpler language. You don't need to know all that, though. Just know that the assurance is real, okay? Whenever you need me, I'll always be there for you. That's a promise." Namjoon comforted Youngmi, and every fiber of his being could simultaneously sense the relief too.

"You're too good. At times I can't help but suspect if you're even real. How will I ever repay you for all your kindness?" The female inquired, sincerity dripping from her tone.

"You can though, if you make a promise as well." Namjoon suggested, his face squirming in embarrassment.

"Sure, what do I have to do?" Youngmi quizzed, unaware of what was to follow.

"Promise me that you'll meet me tomorrow at... let me think first," Namjoon paused for a quick recollection. "Cafe La Vie En Rose, the one at the Main Square? You know of it. You've been there for a batch reunion once, I vaguely remember. So, what do you say? Give me your word."

"Yeah, okay. Fine by me. Let's meet there tomorrow after work." Youngmi conformed.

"See how easy it was? You were chewing over it for literally nothing." Namjoon giggled, causing Youngmi to mellow out as well.

"I did, and I realise that. Not everything requires such an intense deliberation. You've unlocked yet another possibility for me, Namjoon."

"And I will continue to." Namjoon grinned in gratification.

▪️

a/n

so... chapter 9! how was it? did it make you soft? did it make you cry because everything got resolved?😭 well, cry while you still can hehehe🤡 i think i'm slowly returning to how i used to write prior to the break. i mean, this chapter is somewhat better than the 7th one. idek what i did there lol. anyway, pls vote and comment if you deem the chapter, and most importantly me, as worthy of it. pls keep the interaction going. even a single reader would work, i'll derive my motivation from them. thank you for reading. have a great day ahead, lovelies!