#90 - “You still have this?”

Namjoon x You

Word count: 1506

Moving was never the most exciting thing. It sounded exciting, a new place, somewhere you can explore and start fresh but it also meant a lot of sweat. Packing up all of your belongings into cardboard boxes was, honestly, exhausting. Not only did you throw away a lot of things that you would kind of prefer to keep but don’t really have an excuse for but the boxes were heavy, no matter if the air conditioning was on or not there was sweat beading along your forehead.

Moving was a double-edged sword.

However, the help, well the help was nice. You were lucky enough to have your oppa helping you pack up your room. He had always been too nice, in fact in high school you noticed many girls taking advantage of just how nice he was. It wasn’t something you worried about at the time because...well, he needed to learn. Now though, it made you mad and a bit frustrated. It’s funny how time flies and you mature.

Today though, maybe you were using his too nice offer just a tiny bit. Isn’t that what friends are for though? Friends. It was odd to think you were friends. Two years ago the two of you were staring at each other with starry eyes and fingers entwined with super glue in between. Time really does change everything. You had already packed up most of your clothes and were just working on the odds and ends of your closet while you let him pack up your night stand. There wouldn’t really be anything in there that you didn’t want him to see.

It wasn’t like you had deep dark secrets but there is always something in one's room that you don’t want to share with others for various reasons. If if you forgot what that was currently, you knew there was at least one time. His spotify playlist was playing in the background, your chatter had long since died as you were two in a half hours into packing and sometimes just quiet working together was comfort enough.

“You still have this?”

Singing softly to Suran’s If I Got Drunk Today you weren’t really paying attention and didn’t register what Namjoon had said.

“What?”

You kept packing all of the extra shoes you found, good lord who allowed you to buy all of these?! The amount was ridiculous. Namjoon raised the brown leather bracelet that he had engraved for you that had both of your birthdates. It wasn’t very unique with the idea but the meaning behind it was. The design on the leather bracelet was also something he had specifically paid attention to the types of patterns you wore and owned. It was honestly one of the most thoughtful gifts you had received. It wasn’t for a birthday or White Day, nothing where he was obligated, just something he had wanted to give his girlfriend because he cared. The bracelet would always touch you even if you didn’t wear it.

Wiping your brow that was beaded with the dreaded sweat from packing you looked over to your left where Namjoon sat on your bed that still needed to be broken down and held up the leather bracelet. Nodding, you looked down and smiled softly as your hand reached for another set of shoes.

“It means a lot to me.”

Packing up the final three sets of sandals, because one could never have enough variations of them, you raised your eyes back to the obsidian eyes that were still gazing at you. You were unable to tell what he was thinking but those cogs were whirring and you were almost curious enough to ask. Except you didn’t.

Namjoon nodded with a quiet, ghost of an,

“Oh…”

Set the bracelet aside so he could place it in a safe spot in the box he was packing at the end and went back to what he was doing. Now, that you're shoes were done, you closed the box, sealed it with tape and carried it down the stairs of your parents house. When you came back up, you found Namjoon just sitting on your bed, alarm clock in one hand but his eyes were elsewhere. Following his line of sight you noticed your bracelet again.

Paying it no mind, you grabbed another box, assembling it and started on some of the odds and ends you still had left in your closet. The music had changed and no one was singing but it was nice to fill the void with. It took you a minute to realize there was a presence next to you beside your closet door. Looking back, there he was, the man who was taller than you had such broad shoulders compared to you and recently changed his hair color to hazelnut brown.

“Hyejin-ah…” He started and then stopped. You could see that he was having some type of internal battle so you waited, patiently. Letting him decide whether he was going to continue what he wanted to say or let it go.

“I know- I probably shouldn’t but.. Do you want to try again?”

Blinking your eyes a few times didn’t clear up the image of what you thought you couldn’t have possibly just seen. However, Namjoon was there, fingers playing with the end of the bracelet, a nervous tick. This was real and he had gone there. Honestly, the first emotion you had was shock. There wasn’t much going on besides really needing to process what he said.

“Aish, I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that and it was probably best not to…” He was a rambling mess, half mumbling half not. He was cute. Namjoon had always been cute. Awkwardly cute. This made you giggle and break you out of the frozen stance you had been in.

“Did you think about this?” You couldn’t help asking, was he really thinking things through. You had always been a pretty firm believer that when you break up with someone it’s for a reason. It’s easy to get swept up in old feelings but that doesn’t mean that you should. The two of you had parted on rather good terms but even still… You had broken up.

Namjoon rubbed the back of his neck before staring down at the bracelet for a moment before raising his eyes to yours.

“I think we’ve matured a lot from two years ago. We’re not the same people as we were back then. HyeJin-ah…”

He was struggling again but it didn’t matter, you understood what he was trying to say. It doesn’t seem like two years should make a difference but being 17 and being 19 actually did make a difference. Were the both your full-fledged adults? No, definitely not but the pettiness and immaturity of a 17 year old honestly made you a little sad to see how ridiculous of a person you previously were.

Lowering your gaze to the brown leather bracelet in Namjoon’s hand, you realized you wouldn’t be opposed to try again. Namjoon had always been a constant in your life, you couldn’t seem to ever fully let go of him and it looks like neither had he.

“Okay.”

“Yeah, you're right, we can’t go back-”

Waving your hand impatiently in his face, you ignored the words he just said.

“Okay, oppa. I said okay. We can’t go back but I don’t want to. Let’s walk forward together.”

You held his gaze so he could see that you were being one hundred percent serious and then nodded towards your wrist. Arm still held out, Namjoon got the hint and gently wrapped it around your wrist, tying it on. The grin he was wearing was so wide you weren’t sure how it was possible. His large hands cupped your cheeks as he leaned closer.

“You can yell at me later.”

His words were rushed and less than a second later his lips were pressing against yours. He was gentle, always so gentle but he still managed to send that shiver down into your abdomen. When he pulled away, hands still cupping your cheeks you could see that twinkle of excitement and fondness in his eyes.

“Oppa! My parents are home!”

He chuckled that deep raspy chuckle of his and pressed his lips against your forehead while your hand smacked him in the shoulder. He chuckled once more and stood up.

“Alright, back to packing. You’re always wanting to take so many breaks. How do you think we’re going to finish in time to get some BBQ later?! Aish, never going to make it at this rate.”

You watched as he scratched the back of his head while shaking it in disbelief. Reaching over for the nearest item which luckily for Namjoon was a Lemur stuffed animal you aimed and threw it directly at the back of his head. This only made him laugh more and flash you his dimpled grin.

“You’re paying.” You grumbled while he continued to tease you the rest of the night.