Chapter 25
"The good old days"
Namjoon was sound asleep on the cold Saturday morning, when suddenly, an unpleasant sound woke him from his dream. As he slowly opened his eyes and listened carefully, the sound repeated and he realized it was someone continuously knocking on his door.
Annoyed and tired Namjoon dragged his blanket over his head and tried to block out the sound, but the person outside didn't give up that easily, and in the end he angrily threw his blanket to the side and got out of bed.
If this is Ye Ji again I swear I will freak out, Namjoon told himself as he walked towards the door, where the knocks had only become louder and more consistent.
"Yes, what is it?" Namjoon said harshly as he opened the door, but his expression soon changed.
"What a way to greet your old friend," the man with pitch black hair said as he looked up at Namjoon with an insulted look.
"Yoongi hyung!" Namjoon exclaimed in a joyful tone as he quickly embraced Yoongi in a big hug, to which Yoongi simply responded by pushing him away.
"I see you've gone sentimental after becoming a professor," Yoongi said while brushing off his clothes.
"And I see you're as cranky as ever," Namjoon replied with a laugh, "it's so good to see you again. What brings you to Seoul?"
"I'm just here for a few days, I'm doing a rap performance tonight," Yoongi explained, "Hoseok is here as well, we're planning on doing a performance together."
"That sounds like the good old days," Namjoon said while reminiscing about the past.
"Well," Yoongi said with an expression that somehow made Namjoon nervous, "it isn't completely like the good old days. Not without you."
"Me?" Namjoon said and laughed, "the days I spend performing and rapping with you guys are long gone. I mean you even said I have gone soft after becoming a professor."
"I don't know," Yoongi said as he took a good look at Namjoon, "I think you still have it in you."
"You do?" Namjoon said in a sarcastic tone, "I think that's your wishful thinking."
"No, I really think you can do it," Yoongi said with determination, "besides, aren't you just a little interested by the idea of going up on stage again. Just this one time?" Namjoon stayed silent as he looked at Yoongi who spoke with such a persuasive power.
"Oh well, let's do it!" Namjoon said enthusiastically and held out his hand which Yoongi shook without hesitation, "when is the performance starting?"
"What performance?" Both men turned around by the sound of a female voice, Yoongi with a shocked expression, while Namjoon simply sighed.
"Ye Ji-ssi," Yoongi said when he saw the beautiful woman standing behind them with a carefree smile on her face, "what is this? Are you two...?"
"No," Namjoon said quickly, but he regretted when he saw the fallen eyes on Ye Ji, "did you want something?"
"I just came by to see if you're free today," Ye Ji said, "but I suppose not since Yoongi is here. Long time no see." Ye Ji smiled at Yoongi while nodding her head in a greeting way and Yoongi did the same.
"Yes long time no see," Yoongi replied, still a bit confused about the situation, "I don't know if Namjoon-a has plans, but I'm leaving in a bit so-"
"Weren't you going to come in for a cup of coffee?" Namjoon spouted and made both Yoongi and Ye Ji look at him.
"S... sure..." Yoongi said, "I guess we can discuss the performance in details."
"Are you guys performing together again? That's wonderful," Ye Ji exclaimed.
"It's just for one night," Namjoon said, trying to get Ye Ji to calm down, "for old times' sake."
"Still, I would love to come and watch you on stage again," Ye Ji said, "ah... but I understand if you wouldn't want me there." Ye Ji held her head low and nervously brushed her arm, making Namjoon's heart ache.
"You can come if you really want to," Namjoon said, making Yoongi look up in surprise while Ye Ji had the biggest smile all over her face.
"Thank you so much!" Ye Ji said, running over to give Namjoon a hug, but he quickly moved away and stopped her by saying:
"But you can't stay, Yoongi and I have to prepare for tonight."
"Is that so?" Ye Ji said and drew back, "then I guess I'll see you both tonight. Message me the time and place, it's the same number."
"I will," Namjoon replied and waved goodbye to Ye Ji as she walked towards the elevator and kept turning around to send Namjoon one more of her sunshine smiles.
"Okay, what's going on here?" Yoongi asked when he got inside and Namjoon closed the door behind them, "didn't you and Ye Ji break up like 2 years ago?"
"We did," Namjoon replied with a sigh as he looked for coffee mugs and turned on the kettle, "but she's back in Korea now and for the past two weeks she's been coming by pretty often. I think she wants us to get back together."
"What right does she have?" Yoongi said, "wasn't she the one who wanted to end things?"
"I think we were equally determined to end things," Namjoon replied, "if she hadn't ended things, I probably would've later on."
***
"So..." Ye Ji's voice sounded somewhat distant over the phone, "how are things going with your exams?"
"It's draining all my energy to be honest," Namjoon replied while taking out his books, ready to begin this night's study time, "what about you, isn't it in the middle of the night over there?"
"Pretty much, but no one is asleep with exams right around the corner," Ye Ji replied.
"It's a good thing it'll all be over soon," Namjoon said in a relived voice, "can you believe in just a few months we'll have our master's degree? And not long after that you'll come back to South Korea."
"Ah... about that..." Ye Ji stuttered, making Namjoon put down his pencil.
"What are you saying? You are coming back once you finish you master's degree, right?" The silence from the other side of the phone made Namjoon even more nervous as he felt his hands shaking while waiting for her response.
"Actually... I got a job offer in LA," Ye Ji said, "it was just too good an offer to decline."
"Ah, I see," Namjoon said in a harsh tone, "and just when were you thinking about telling me this?"
"I didn't want to stress you out before your big exam," Ye Ji defended herself, "I feel like all we've been doing lately is fighting."
"Well of course we've been fighting because we never really talk," Namjoon yelled through the phone, "you never have time to talk anymore and you never come home to visit. We're drifting apart Ye Ji!"
"It's a 17 hours' time difference, of course it's hard to find time to talk," Ye Ji said annoyed, "you knew this when I moved here. You were the one who said we could make it work."
"Yes when I thought you would only stay there for two years, now you're talking about staying for an indefinite amount of time."
"You could move here!" Ye Ji said and sounded like her whole world suddenly got brighter.
"No!"
"Yes, we can make it work," Ye Ji continued while Namjoon tried to stop her, "you can move here and we can find a place to live. I can use my connections and get you a job interview."
"NO, YE JI!" Namjoon yelled.
"You... you won't even consider it?" Ye Ji asked, her hoarse voice making it clear she was fighting back tears.
"No, I won't", Namjoon said directly, "South Korea is my home. I want to be with you, move in with you, marry you. But I want all that to happen in South Korea." Ye Ji turned silent over the phone and so did Namjoon. None of them said anything while they continued to hold the phone against their ear. Once in a while, Namjoon heard something which sounded like a quiet sobbing, but he didn't comment on it but just forced himself to think of something else.
"You know," Ye Ji said in a hoarse voice, "whenever we fight like this, I really wish we could see each other. If you were here in front of me, I'm sure we'd work things out."
"But that's the thing about long distance," Namjoon replied, "we can't be right there in front of each other. That's how it works." Ye Ji turned silent again, until Namjoon heard her take in a deep breath as she spoke again.
"Namjoon-a..." Ye Ji said and hesitated before she continued, "let's break up." It felt like a stab to his heart, even though Namjoon had anticipated it, it still managed to shock him enough that it brought tears to his eyes.
"Alright," Namjoon replied, "let's break up."
***
Yoongi reached out to take the cup of coffee Namjoon had made for him and he gave him a quick "thanks" before he started drinking the hot liquid.
"So, are you planning on getting back together with her?" Yoongi asked in all seriousness, "because I can't be there to drink away your troubles when she leaves you again."
"Yeah, I really did take it out on you and Hoseok, didn't I?" Yoongi nodded.
"Alright, let's talk about something a little more uplifting," Yoongi said, making Namjoon laugh in the process.
"Yes, because you sure are the most uplifting person in the world," Namjoon said sarcastically.
"And you sure haven't forgotten how to use sarcasm even though you've become a good, honest citizen."
"What can I say? You just bring it out in me."
The two friends talked for a while about everything which had happened for the past couple of years and also managed to make a plan for what songs they would perform together.
"I'll see you tonight then," Yoongi said as he walked out of the door of Namjoon's apartment.
"Yes, I'll see you," Namjoon replied and was about to see Yoongi off when he heard a crack from a door and only a few seconds later Na Ri was standing right in front of them.
"Ah, hello Na Ri-ssi," Namjoon said to greet Na Ri, who looked a bit startled to see Namjoon and some strange man outside his apartment.
"Hello," Na Ri said and bowed politely since she didn't know what else to do in front of a stranger.
"Are you on your way out?" Namjoon asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.
"Y... yes..." Na Ri stuttered, "I'm going to... work..."
"Ah is that so," Namjoon answered and suddenly felt Yoongi elbow him in the side, "I'm sorry for being rude. Na Ri-ssi, this is my friend Min Yoongi. Yoongi hyung, this is Song Na Ri."
"It's nice to meet you," Yoongi said and showed his best smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, something Na Ri felt mirrored in herself and she suddenly felt a lot more comfortable around him.
"It's nice to meet you too," Na Ri said and showed a smile similar to Yoongi.
"Wow, Namjoon-a, you have such nice neighbors," Yoongi said and looked at Namjoon with a smirk, "why don't you invite Na Ri-ssi for the performance tonight?"
"Ah..." Namjoon stuttered nervously.
"What... performance?" Na Ri said as her eyes lit up.
"You see, Namjoon-a used to be a rapper," Yoongi began explaining, "we decided to do a performance together tonight, like we used to do back in the days."
"Yoongi hyung," Namjoon said and tried to speak to him using facial expression, "I don't think Na Ri-ssi is interested in something like that."
"I want to go!" Na Ri blurted out in the same second and Yoongi looked up at Namjoon with one eyebrow raised.
"R... really?" Namjoon stuttered, not knowing what to do with himself anymore.
"That's great, let me get your number and I will text you the details," Yoongi said and just when Namjoon thought he would see the usual Na Ri be unwilling to give out any form of personal information, she simply handed Yoongi her phone without hesitating for even a second.
"Thank you," Na Ri said politely when she got her phone back and she bowed one more time before she walked past them, walking towards the elevator.
"You idiot!" Namjoon said angrily when Na Ri was out of sight and he hit Yoongi right on his shoulder before he had time to react, "why would you invite her?"
"Ouch, why are you hitting me man?" Yoongi said and looked confused, "she seemed like a nice person and you guys seemed close."
"Well..." Namjoon started, "it's more complicated than that."
"How so?" Yoongi asked, "more complicated than having your ex girlfriend at your first performance in years? Besides she was cute. If you're not interested I can't say I won't be."
"She's my student!" Namjoon then blurted out, making Yoongi turn completely silent as he looked at Namjoon in disbelief. But then, after a few seconds, Yoongi came to and huffed before simply saying:
"Yo dude..."
Hello everyone!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember to stay warm and eat healthy and take care of yourself. Stay safe.
Also, don't forget to leave a comment down below.
Love, Annalise~