First, I apologize for the super looong time it took me to update. I was in a rut, no inspiration at all :(

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"Oppa, choose already!" you pouted, hopefully prettily, at your boyfriend Namjoon as you presented 3 different designs of cufflinks to him.  You were at the department store trying to choose a birthday gift for his dad and you have shortlisted the options to these 3.  There is less than 2 hours until you need to be at the birthday dinner and you are worried that you wouldn't be able to pick a gift to bring.  Normally, you would have bought one at least a week before the event, but Namjoon said he wants to pick a gift together. It would have been a great idea, but Namjoon had been very busy the past few weeks and it wasn't until this afternoon that he had free time to shop.

Namjoon carefully looked at each one, probably looking for symbolism and hidden meanings in the design.  He always overthinks things, you thought. But that's what you love about him. He can be goofy and funny, but most of the time he shows his intellectual side.

"This one." Namjoon finally said, holding the chosen cufflink in his hand.  "I think this suits Dad the most."

"Great!" you smiled with relief. You motioned for the shop attendant to wrap up the cufflinks as you took out your wallet to pay for your share.  This was the condition you set when you agreed to buy a gift together- that Namjoon would actually allow you to pay for your share. You needed to insist because Namjoon, always the gentleman, always paid when you go on dates and even paid for the items you shopped.  You are okay with him footing the movie ticket or dinner bill, but you always felt awkward when he paid for the items you want to buy.  As a result, you usually don't shop when you're with him.

You handed cash to Namjoon who then added his share and gave the money to the shop attendant.

As you walked out of the store, gift in hand, you thought about the past year since you and Namjoon had been in a relationship. You were actually childhood buddies, growing up as neighbors in Ilsan.  Your father and his father were friends from college and went into a business partnership after graduation.  They both had a knack for making money so their business had flourished for the past 25 years. Their close friendship plus their thriving business was actually the reason you and Namjoon became a couple. It might be unusual in modern Korea to still arrange marriages for their children, but both your parents did not see it as "arranging a marriage" but rather as "nudging you both in the right direction" although the nudge felt like more of a push. 

You didn't really mind. Truth be told, you've had a crush on Namjoon since middle school and it sometimes frustrated you when he seemed to be indifferent to you, always treating you the same way he did his younger sister.  When he moved to Seoul to pursue his dreams of becoming a rapper, you congratulated him and hugged him goodbye when he was leaving, but the moment he left, you locked yourself in your room for a few hours to cry your heart out.

You and Namjoon kept your communication lines open but there was not a hint of romance in any of his messages, to your frustration, and so you were surprised when, during a dinner celebration for your college graduation, a few years since Namjoon debuted as a hiphop idol, your father and Namjoon's father announced their decision to pair you up with Namjoon.

Namjoon, who went home to Ilsan for the dinner celebration, was as surprised as you were at the announcement.  You both looked at each other across the table and tried to communicate wordlessly.

Did you know about this?, your eyebrows wiggled at him.

No. First time I'm hearing this. Namjoon's eyes widened.

What the hell were they thinking, you exhaled.

I'm too young to get married, he coughed.

"I'm younger than you by a year and no way am I ready to be married, too!" this you unfortunately said aloud without meaning to. You felt all eyes at the table looking at you with disappointment.  "Sorry, Appa, I did not meant to say it like that. But I just graduated and I'm not planning on getting married soon." you explained, trying to placate your father.

"Honey, we're not asking you and Namjoon to get married now.  You can be his girlfriend for the time being while you two get to know each other better. Then after a few years, when you are both ready, you can get married." your dad explained.

"We grew up together. I think I know everything I need to know." Namjoon said. "But I'm very busy with our practices and I'm working on new songs for our album. I don't think I have the time for a girlfriend in Ilsan."

"Don't be rude, Namjoon," his father said.  "And _____ will not be in Ilsan. She will be working at our Seoul office starting next month."

Namjoon looked at you questioningly and you shrugged. He already knew you will be working at your fathers' company after graduation, but he didn't know you will be in Seoul. You planned to surprise him with this after dinner but the surprise is ruined now.  In any case, no surprise can be bigger than the bomb both your fathers dropped just a few minutes go.

"Eomma," Namjoon looked questioningly at his mom.

"Namjoonie, just try it. I wouldn't have been okay with it if I didn't think you and _____ are compatible." 

"I also think you will someday be a very good husband to my daughter and she will be a  very good wife for you." your own mom added.

"Eomma!" you protested, feeling like you were being sold like cattle.

"I think it's a great idea," Namjoon's sister Nara said mischievously.  "Only someone who has known Oppa since childhood will be able to stand being his wife."

"Yaaah!" Namjoom gave his sister a hard stare. Nara just laughed and hid behind their mom. Giving up, Namjoon turned to you again and asked, "_____-ah, are you okay with this?"

"I guess we can try," you said diplomatically. Namjoon glared at your 180 degree turnaround. He expected you to side with him and continue protesting. "I'm not going to argue with my bosses. I have a job to think of," you explained, motioning to your father and his.

In reality, after you've gone past the initial shock, you realized your father is giving you the opportunity you've been praying for.  You wanted to have the chance to make Namjoon fall in love with you and here it is- a legitimate reason for you to stick by Namjoon's side in Seoul. Step 1 (Making him see you a girl and not as a sister) has been handed to you so easily. In no way is Namjoon going to continue to treat you as a sister when you're supposed to be his girlfriend and future wife (possibly, if you both don't screw up).

"Traitor," Namjoon said to you under his breath. You pouted at him but kept silent. Finally, he conceded, "Okay, Appa, Uncle, we'll try."

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Namjoon assisted you to get into his car. It was now only a liitle over 1 hour until dinner and Namjoon still needs to drop by the apartment he shared with the other BTS members to change into dinner clothes.  Good thing you already dressed up for dinner, you thought. Otherwise, you'd really be late.

15 minutes later, you were at his apartment doorstep. You can hear loud shouting coming from inside the apartment. "What's that?" you asked Namjoon.

"Yoongi-hyung is in Daegu right now so the kids are being especially noisy." he answered as he opened the door with his key. The noise was louder with the door open and you can see Jhope and Jimin having a pillow fight while balancing on top of a narrow bench, with Jungkook and Taehyung spraying water on them (to make the fight more challenging, you guess).  Jin was standing on top of a tall chair, apparently refereeing the fight. Nobody paid attention to you and Namjoon.

"Yah, stop!" Namjoon shouted over the din.

'Can't stop this, hyung. I'm winning!" Jimin shouted back.

"Who's winning? I'm going to crush you," Hoseok yelled as he smacked Jimin in the face with his pillow viciously.

There were more unidentifiable yelling from the other three.  Namjoon resignedly shook his head and pulled you towards the bedroom he shared with Jungkook. "Just stay here first while I shower and get dressed, ok? Those boys are hopeless" 

You grinned at the last comment and teased, "I'm sure you would have happily joined the pillow fight if I wasn't here."

"Me? Join those monkeys?" Namjoon asked incredulously.

You laughed and pushed him out of the room. "Go and shower. We're going to be late."  You closed the door behind him with a smile.

As Namjoon showered in their common bathroom off the living room, you looked around their bedroom. You've been at their apartment several times before but it was the first time you'be been inside their sleeping quarters.  It had a double deck bed along one wall opposite the windows.  Under the windows were two desks next to each other. You can tell which one was Namjoon's because of the number of earphones on it.  He frequently misplaced his earphones so he bought a lot at each time he passes by the store.  There were small framed pictures of him with his parents and with his sister.  Also, the other desk had high school textbooks so it must be Jungkook's (although the books don't look like they've been read at all).

A long the wall behind the door was a closet and shelves full of folded clothes, various boxes, toys and novelty items. Fan gifts, you thought as you examined some of them and automatically arranged them in a more orderly fashion. There was something else you nagging at you about the room, but you can't pinpoint exactly what it was.  You looked around the room again, noticing the clothes hanging aorund the bed frame (Jungkook's) and the scratched surface of Namjoon's desk.  You straightened up the messy bed covers on Namjoon's bed and arranged the pillows on Jungkook's.

The answer came to you just as Namjoon poked his head inside the room and told you he was ready to go. You realized- with the hundred or so items cluttering the room, Namjoon didn't keep a single picture of you.  

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part 2 to follow.  Oh, this is going to be a long story- longer than jimin's.  i am trying my best to shorten this to 3 chapters though because these are supposed to be "short stories". but hey look I'm writing about Namjoon when I said Suga's story was to follow Jimin's. tsk! tsk! ><

Honestly, i love all comments, even if you just say you hate my stories.  Thanks for reading :)

I love BTS. so much. just saying.