Chapter 32

"We shouldn't be together"

"So apparently... we're supposed to invite our family... for the play we all prepared as a group project," Na Ri explained over the phone.

"When is it?" Hye Jin asked in a loud voice, trying to drown out the background noises.

"December 21st," Na Ri replied and she immediately felt her stomach beginning to hurt.

"Hm, I think I can make it," Hye Jin said to Na Ri's great surprise, "I'm gonna have to talk to my boss first, so I'll message you when I know for sure I can be there."

"Okay," Na Ri said.

"Did you invite your brother?" Hye Jin asked.

"Woo Jin?" Na Ri said and gulped, "he... probably can't make it."

"How do you know if you didn't ask him?"

"I just know!" Na Ri blurted out without realizing before it was too late.

"Alright," Hye Jin said, "but one of these days you should really catch up with your brother, he misses you."

"I talk to him... sometimes."

"You don't even follow him on social media!"

"I don't have social media."

"Fair enough." It suddenly got silent over the phone, although no one suggested they should hang up. The background noise had faded and Na Ri wondered if her mom had made it home.

"Should I..." Na Ri started with a trembling voice, "invite dad?" Another silence fell over the conversation between Na Ri and her mom, but this time it was different. It was a much louder silence and Na Ri could almost hear her mother's answer before she spoke it.

"Na Ri... you know your dad is too busy to come," Hye Jin said, "why bother asking when you already know he's going to say no."

"Of... of course..." Na Ri stuttered, "you're right... it was stupid."

"Na Ri, I'll make sure to be there," Hye Jin said, trying to cheer up her daughter.

"I have to go now, goodbye," Na Ri said and hung up before her mother had time to say anything else. 

Na Ri stared at her phone while she sat down on her bed and let out a sigh in the process. She scrolled through the messages on her phone, looking over the messages she sent to her dad and the few she had received in return. Her index finger lingered over the keyboard while she imagined every possible way she could express herself to her dad. After a while she found herself in the middle of typing out a message and when she was done, she stared at it for a solid minute, until she jumped up from her bed when she received a message and her phone started vibrating.

Na Ri looked at the time and suddenly realized she had promised to be at Taehyung and Jungkook's dorm room at 12 PM. 

After jumping out of bed, Na Ri tried putting on her coat with one hand, while texting Min Ji with the other. She didn't even read through the message before it was sent, and at that point she didn't even bother correcting all the typos she made.

"Bye Cat!" Na Ri said and waved at her cat, who looked at her with big curious eyes while Na Ri stormed out of her apartment and locked the door behind her. As Na Ri ran past Namjoon's apartment, the door cracked open and from the corner of her eye, Na Ri saw Namjoon walk outside, looking at her in shock, but she didn't have time to think about that, she had to hurry.

When she reached the dorm, she was completely out of breath and before she knocked on the door, she gave herself a minute, just breathing in and breathing out slowly. After regaining her composure, Na Ri placed two silent knocks on the door and waited patiently while she heard some movements from the other side.

"There you are!" Min Ji said with a smile when she opened the door. Na Ri took in a deep breath and walked inside the room where Taehyung and Jungkook sat on the floor with papers scattered all around them.

"Woah, who would've thought the top student could be late?" Taehyung said, but the second he felt Min Ji's cold gaze on him, he continued, "...I mean, glad you could make it, Na Ri-ssi."

"I'm sorry... I'm late," Na Ri said and lowered her head, "I was on the phone with my mom and... I forgot the time."

"That's okay," Jungkook said, "you're here now and we really need you, just look at all this." Na Ri took another look at the papers and books, feeling a sudden urge to clean it all up or at least organize it a little bit.

"What's... going on?" Na Ri asked.

"We all just suddenly realized how much we're in a hurry because we delayed this project for so long," Min Ji said, "we're trying to get organized so we know where to start."

"This isn't organized," Na Ri said bluntly.

"We know that," Taehyung said, a little bit of frustration visible in his voice, "that's why we... that's why we need you." Na Ri couldn't help but smile when she heard those words leave Taehyung's mouth and she immediately felt a rush of adrenaline flow through her body, filling her with newfound energy.

"Don't worry," Na Ri said and sat down next to Taehyung, "we'll make it in time, I promise."

But even though Na Ri said those words with such determination, after working on the project for a while, she had a hard time believing it herself. Her look, which before had been firm and full of energy, had changed into worry by the time they were all parting ways.

"Wait," Min Ji said just as Na Ri was about to leave, "I'll follow you out, I have to get back to the women's dorm anyway." Na Ri simply nodded while Min Ji grabbed her stuff and quickly said goodbye to the boys before leaving with Na Ri.

It was the beginning of December and not a single tree had any leaves left. Everything looked bare and naked. Na Ri wished it would at least snow so everything could become a little brighter. The darkness and coldness of the winter was enough to make her even more depressed and worried, but snow usually did miracles on her mood, something she really needed at this point, three weeks before their project had to be turned in.

"It went well, right?" Min Ji suddenly asked while they walked around outside, "Jungkook and I... we didn't seem awkward, right?"

"No," Na Ri quickly replied, but in reality she had been way to focused on their assignment to take notice of such things.

"Jungkook is talking about moving back into Taehyung's dorm room," Min Ji continued, "that's a good sign, right?"

"I think so," Na Ri replied, not feeling competent enough to give advice on this matter.

"I really hope he moves back in... I hope those two can still restore their friendship." Min Ji looked at Na Ri who didn't know what else to do rather than simply nod her head.

"But what about you? How are you feeling?" Min Ji said and changed the subject.

"Me?" Na Ri asked and looked at Min Ji who was staring right back at her.

"Are you nervous about the project? Since we've fallen behind schedule a little bit?" Na Ri was silent for a while until she shook her head and said:

"No... it'll be okay. We still have 3 weeks."

"Yes, that's the spirit!" Min Ji said and made a fist to show all her fighting spirit, "but if you do get nervous or stressed out, please tell me. I want to help." Min Ji looked at Na Ri with such earnestness, Na Ri almost felt bad for only sending her a smile in return.

***

"Caaaaaaat" Na Ri said as she threw herself at the floor in front of her cat, who at first looked very confused, but soon after, it was purring like a little kitten while rubbing its cheek against Na Ri's. With her almost numb body, Na Ri gently caressed the cat over its fur, only adding more volume to its purring. She went directly to work after parting ways with Min Ji, so her body felt heavy as a rock and she couldn't even begin to imagine how she would get up from the floor again.

Instead she rolled over to lie on her back, her right hand still petting the cat next to her, and she looked at her ceiling.

1... 2... 3...

7... 8... 9...

17... 18... 19

19.

It had been a while since she last counted the cracks in her ceilings, but she immediately felt more calm. She was certain even after years passed by, after winter turned to summer and back again, no matter how much time passed, this would stay the same. Even if she changed, this would stay the same.

After pushing herself and finally getting up from the floor, Na Ri opened up her fridge and took out some leftovers from the day before. It didn't take long before her plate was empty and after cleaning up the dishes, she decided to do some late night studying before going to bed. She was halfway into a chapter when she suddenly heard the sound of her phone buzzing and she quickly got up from her chair to see who wanted to get in touch with her. She unlocked her phone and opened the message, but her face turned completely cold as she read through it.

Na Ri held her breath as she kept staring at the message on her phone. Her index finger lingered over the keyboard and a thousand ideas for what she could reply flew by in her mind. But in the end she just threw her phone angrily on her bed and walked with firm steps towards her closet. She had to get some air or she wouldn't be able to breathe.

Quickly, she grabbed a warm sweater and after pulling it over her head, she headed towards the door to her balcony, but the second Na Ri took a step outside, she lifted her head and got eye contact with Namjoon who stood right across from her on his own balcony.

In the split of a second, Na Ri turned around, ready to go back inside, but Namjoon spoke up before she left.

"Wait, you don't have to go because of me," Namjoon said and Na Ri stood like she was frozen, her hand still resting on the door handle, until she slowly let her hand fall down.

"Are you... not angry at me anymore?" Na Ri asked, her head still facing the door and her eyes avoiding Namjoon's.

"I wasn't..." Namjoon started, until he realized he was about to tell a lie and he quickly changed the sentence, "I'm not angry anymore. Just stay there comfortably and get some fresh air as you intended." 

Na Ri moved away from the door and turned around, facing the city view while trying to calm down her heart, which was racing ahead like a 100 meter runner in the middle of a race.

Nobody said anything for a while and the city sounds was all that filled the air around them. Cars honking, sirens in the distance, the faint sound of people talking and noise from various televisions and radios, coming from the apartments around them where people had the door or the window open.

Only then did Na Ri notice a way too familiar theme song playing in the background and as she used her ears to follow to sound, she realized it was coming from Namjoon's apartment.

"Are you... watching FRIENDS?" Na Ri asked after mustering up the courage.

"Oh, yeah I am," Namjoon replied, "I didn't bother pausing, I've watched it so many times." Na Ri just nodded her head. Again the silence took over between them and the noise from the TV suddenly felt more distinct than before, making it possible for Na Ri to play out the entire episode in her mind as she listened.

"It's 'the one with the rumor'," Na Ri suddenly said and Namjoon looked at her in surprise.

"You're good," he replied, clearly impressed.

"I heard Brad Pitt's voice," Na Ri said and suddenly noticed how easy it felt to speak with Namjoon. No stutter in her voice and no beating heart. But that was only until she realized this and her anxious heartbeat returned, alongside a heavy breathing.

"I saw you run out today," Namjoon then said, "you looked like you were in a hurry."

"I was meeting up with Min Ji and our group," Na Ri replied, "I... was late..."

"You, late? I thought that was impossible," Namjoon said in a witty manner, but when he noticed the sad expression in Na Ri's eyes he decided to change the subject, "is the project going well?" Na Ri just nodded her head, hoping he wouldn't ask any further.

"I'm glad things are going well," Namjoon said and a sudden type of seriousness appeared in his eyes as he continued, "it seems like... our rumor is dying down." Na Ri looked at Namjoon whose eyes were focused on the horizon and she gulped.

"Y... yeah..." Na Ri stuttered.

"You know, ever since that rumor started I've been thinking a lot," Namjoon said and Na Ri suddenly felt out of breath while waiting for him to continue, "you were right. We shouldn't be together, you and I... it's just... it would be wrong."

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~