₪₪₪₪₪

Jongin spent the following days after Namjoo’s breakup with him pissed off. He wanted to torture her with missing him. Have a taste of your own medicine and come back crying, begging. He didn’t even talk to her while filming.

But Namjoo really didn’t come back crying.

Jongin waited, hoping she would come to the congratulatory dinner. The mood was high and merry, because the drama production had finally ended. Everyone could put the scandal behind them, pretend it didn’t happen. Namjoo didn’t come and he grew a little angrier with how stubborn she was. Then he’d let her wait it out until she couldn’t anymore. Have it that way.

A day passed and he couldn’t take it anymore. He would confront her, ask her if she could really live without him. Knocking on her door he waited. Namjoo had to be home, where else would the unemployed go?

“Namjoo!” he knocked. “I know you’re there. Open the door!”

“Gosh, who is it at this hour?” a voice mumbled. The door opened and he spotted Hee ruffling her hair, eyes poofy from a long night out. She stared at Jongin as if she didn’t recognize him.

“Is Namjoo here?” he asked.

“Namjoo?” she asked.

Impatient, Jongin stepped inside and looked around. He hurried toward her bedroom, but it was empty. “Where’s Namjoo?”

Hee shrugged.

“What does that mean?” He could feel his hopes plunging deeper into his stomach. “Where’d she go?”

“I’m not sure,” Hee yawned more carefree than he imagined. Was she not worried? Someone was missing!

“You know where she is.” He stated adamantly.

“I don’t,” Hee shook her head. “She came yesterday from somewhere and packed up.”

“Packed…up?” was he hearing right? “For how long?”

“I think she’d like to be alone for a while,” Hee said. “Now, I want to get some sleep. Are you done here?”

Exhaling out of irritation and annoyance he spun around to walk out. Did Namjoo walk out on her own two feet or did someone make her go far away? Someone…someone like Bae Hyunki?

Jongin’s mind was jumping to all these absurd conclusions that he felt insane himself, but he couldn’t stop himself from thinking too far ahead. However childish it may be, he couldn't block out any possibility. Not until he got wind of Namjoo. As he slid into his car he dialed for her, hoping to hear her voice.

“Yes, hello?” an unfamiliar voice greeted.

He hesitated not expecting this. “Is…Kim Namjoo there?”

“Who is this?” the voice asked. “Hello? Who are you?”

Jongin hung up. What was going on?

Shifting gears, he sped off down the road worried. Maybe he should have gone after Namjoo earlier. Then he could have tied her down, bring her to his house, make her stay. A voice laughed at him from the back of his head.

Swerving haphazardly into the parking lot, Jongin entered the entertainment company and rode the elevator up. Without knocking he barged into Hyunki’s office. The two people inside glanced at him surprised, but he didn’t care whatever meeting his boss was currently having. He wanted his questions answered first.

“Where is she?” he questioned.

Hyunki looked at him confused.

“Namjoo, where did you make her go?” he demanded.

Flustered, Hyunki turned to her visitor who shortly excused herself. Walking her to the door slowly Hyunki apologized while Jongin’s insides screamed he didn’t have all day for this nonsense.

“What was that?” Hyunki asked with brows crossed. “And what are you doing here?”

“Namjoo, I want to know where she is.”

“Why would I know?” Hyunki asked walking over to her desk.

Jongin followed her, “Because you made her go away.”

The CEO turned to look at him with a frown, “Are you insane?”

“Because if not you, she wouldn’t be missing!” Jongin blamed.

“Why are you looking for her?” the CEO asked. Pulling a document forward she said, “A vitamin company wants you to endorse and promote their upcoming product, I was just about to call you.”

Jongin slammed the paper down, “I’m talking about Namjoo here.”

“I don’t know,” Hyunki looked up into his face squarely, “she terminated her contract. She’s no longer a part of my company.”

“Namjoo…Namjoo wouldn’t,” Jongin denied. “She didn’t. Then where would she go?! She has nowhere to go.”

“Jongin,” Hyunki called for his attention, “it’s over.”

₪₪₪₪₪

Straightening, Namjoo sneezed. Placing a hand at her back she peered up into the sunny sky, wondering why it was so deathly hot.

“Break time!” someone called out and Namjoo turned to see three women coming down the dirt lane steadily carrying trays of food above their heads. Situating Jongin’s black cap above her head she stepped out from the rice field and climbed up onto the road.

“You’re doing a fine job, young lady,” the elderly woman whose skin was bronzed from the long days out in the field complimented. “Where are you from again?”

“Seoul,” Namjoo replied sitting down for the food. “I’m taking a break. Where are your children, ma’am?”

“They’re scattered everywhere, no one comes out here anymore,” the woman replied. That was why Namjoo had come out to the country. For air, for peace, for herself and to get away from the hectic city life. Plus, she was getting pension and some allowance for the work. It was all thanks to Minseok.

That night as she sat in her small bedroom with the bedspread laid out behind her, she browsed through her phone. Kim Minseok had resigned from his position as a gossip reporter, had announced he would be publishing his first romantic comedy novel next year. Not before he published his last article about Kim Namjoo.

Namjoo scrolled through the article depicting her life. Just a simple girl with no admirers who lived with a woman who raised her; a woman who was not her mother but named Kim Hee who was just Hee to her. Kim Namjoo was no orphan, she had family and someone to live with. Kim Namjoo who worked hard and had held her longest job as a celebrity. She had met and fallen in love with Kim Jongin and was thankful for having met him. She wanted to thank her supporters and fans who rooted for her during her short-lived career. She wouldn’t forget anything or anyone, and would live as a sincere, hardworking person.

And like that people started forgetting her. The article had received sympathy and some lashes but that would be the last of actress Namjoo. Now she was just Kim Namjoo. The nobody.

“Do me a favor,” she had asked Minseok that night at the playground. “I want to go somewhere for a while. Just me, alone.”

He’d handed her a piece of paper with the location of work in Muju. Namjoo had since gone on fishing trips with the elderly locals, slipping on rocks and falling in the water. She had ended the day with no fish, but the elders had fed her. She chased chickens and walked the fields with cows. The sun beat on her day after day as if punishing her for her sins. A month and a half passed like that with her sleeping beside Jongin’s black cap.

The first person to contact her upon arrival back in Seoul was the most unexpected. After receiving the surprising phone call Namjoo headed off toward a smoothie shop, and there she was, Son Naeun, at the window seat waiting for her.

Dragging her luggage after her, Namjoo sat down across from her. “Well, this is unexpected.” Namjoo greeted then looked around. People were watching them and she felt tingles shoot up her body. Would people recognize her?

“I got your number from Minseok,” Naeun said.

“You…talk?” Namjoo asked confused.

“No, I’m more like…a threat to him,” Naeun smiled. “Would you like something to drink?”

She shook her head. “But why did you call me?”

“I was curious,” Naeun replied, “how you were doing. You still look like a celebrity.” Namjoo almost inched back when Naeun noted the black cap on her head. “I’m a little disappointed you quit so early. If you ever had a fan event, I would have visited. I was a fan, you know.”

Namjoo nearly blushed, unable to believe what she was hearing. Class A actress Son Naeun had been a fan of her.

“So what have you been doing? I heard that you disappeared,” Naeun said.

“Oh…I was in Muju,” Namjoo answered.

“You don’t have any regrets?” Naeun asked. “About quitting, that is.”

“No.”

“Well, you do look happy,” Naeun noted. Namjoo’s brow twitched. What exactly was going on here? Naeun glanced at her watch, “It looks like I’m taking up your time. You should be going home.”

Namjoo rose to her feet when Naeun did. “Well um…have a safe trip back.”

Naeun smiled her way, “Good luck. I’ll be rooting for you.”

A frown grew on her face as she watched Naeun leave. Rooting for her? What exactly did that mean? Was something going to happen?

Confused, Namjoo dragged her luggage after her and hailed a cab. Hee could either be home or not be home. Namjoo wasn’t sure what to expect since she hadn’t exactly announced her arrival home. When the cab pulled up Namjoo noticed someone sitting in front of her house hunched forward. He was suspiciously dressed in black and with his face hidden against the knees drawn up to his chest. One of Hee’s admirers?

Pulling her luggage out from the cab Namjoo thanked the driver and waited for him to drive off. Starting toward her home beat from the trip, Namjoo calmly sized the man up. He was wearing a hat, hiding his hair from her. There were no cars around. Did he live in their neighborhood? Or had Hee been inviting men over since she hadn’t been home?

“Excuse me,” Namjoo called out. “I don’t think you should be sitting there.”

Reaching the foot of her house she pulled her suitcase up to her side and waited for the man to rise. Her lids flew up as she watched him straighten and felt go dry.

Glancing at the silver watch on his wrist he announced, “I’ve been waiting for 45 days, 1,104 hours, and too many minutes. Is your head clear enough to come back to me now?”

“Jongin?” Namjoo’s brows twined together.

“Yea, that’s me,” he grinned. “Hello, Namjoo.”

Her lips moved before she glanced around for the van, his Jaguar. None of it was in sight.

“Did you walk here?” Namjoo gasped.

Jongin laughed cheerily, “I’ve been rooted here since the day you decided to disappear.”

Namjoo merely stared at him knowing he was clearly joking.

“I was lying. You actually believed me, gosh,” he teased. “Someone tipped me off, so I’ve been here since morning.”

The corner of her lips upped and she turned with a roll of her eyes.

“So,” he started, “you’re back.”

“I’m back.”

“For good?” he asked.

“For now.”

He smiled. Her heart fluttered.  “Can we not be broken up and date for real?”

Her eyes sat on him. Some time had passed between them, but it felt like nothing had changed. She’d gone to do something for herself, for her own fulfillment. She hadn’t run away if he thought she did. She’d never run from Jongin before, but she hadn’t expected him to be here and waiting for her.

They were really fools.

“I still like you,” she confessed, “is that good enough?”

Without waiting a beat Jongin lunged toward her, tore her cap off, and crushed her lips with his. Jongin kissed her so hard she could hardly breathe. His hand drove up her face into her hair, his arm pulling her close she didn’t think there was any air between them. They were panting when he withdrew and gazed into her eyes.

“My lipstick,” she laughed touching his lips covered in pink smears.

Reaching for her suitcase he asked, “Should we finish this up inside?”

₪₪₪₪₪

“So you were hanging out with old people?” Jongin asked. “That’s all you did?”

“They’re elders,” she corrected.

“As you say,” he complied. “I did a few advertisements. It was lonely doing it by myself, so I thought about you.”

“Was it?” she asked.

“We should’ve done more if it weren’t for that stupid drama.” Namjoo laughed. Jongin still insisted, “That drama was really stupid. I never liked it. I'm glad it got poor ratings.”

The knock on the door made them turn. “Namjoo? You’re home? Why didn’t you tell me!” it was Hee. “I’ll go buy some pork belly for dinner. Is there anything else you want?”

“N…no!” Namjoo called out.

After passionately kissing she’d decided whatever, so she and Jongin had made love in her bed until they were spent. Now they were just lying under her sheets lazily reeking of sweat.

“I’m good. I’m tired, so I’m going to sleep,” Namjoo said.

“All right, whatever,” Hee said as she turned to walk away.

“So,” Jongin shifted to face her, “you’re unemployed now.”

“For now,” she corrected.

“Then we can go on all the dates we want,” Jongin said, “because I missed you. I was lonely and I’m tired of Chanyeol.”

“You’re not working right now?”

“I’m on break.” He kissed her. Shifting closer he rubbed his leg against hers. “Want to go to Myeongdong and fight over food again?”

“What about the reporters?” she asked.

“You’re a nobody, why would they care?” Jongin reminded. “Can we uh…stop talking?”

“Why? I like it,” she grinned against his lips.

Grasping her hip, he rolled her over and pressed his mouth against her neck, rubbing his lower half between her legs. Giving into the sensation Namjoo released a moan from listening to the sounds of the night tick by as the hours deepened.

They hadn’t talked marriage. They didn’t talk about how far their relationship might go, but as of right now Namjoo was focused on being carefree. There was no burden of being caught doing something unlikely by the media. She had no more fear of being who she was. She didn't have to worry anymore. She could date Jongin freely and no one could say a thing about her, because she was no public representative and she had no influence. No one could judge her as they did before on a widespread platform when she was once a celebrity. There were no more fans. If it fell on anyone, it would fall on Jongin and he had that authoritative CEO to fix his problems.

Namjoo grinned as she walked alongside Jongin down Myeongdong, each of them holding a plate of food, both their heads covered in black caps because they matched that way and it made them look like the couple they were.

Whatever happened later, Namjoo wasn’t worried. If Jongin wanted to marry her later, she’d say yes. And if they fell apart again, the world still spun and she should keep moving.

***Welp, there we have it. There's no resolute end, but once more, life just keeps moving despite the stops along the way. Namjoo is now free of being a celebrity and being chained. Hmm...not sure I tied up all the loose ends but forgive me for my mistakes. I know the story ended abruptly. I did what I could.

***Tbh I think the story went downhill, not sure how or where lololol I feel like it went nowhere. I guess that shows I'm not good at romantic comedy :/ I tried. But I want to thank the readers that kept through the story with me. You were important and I remember your names, and some I've seen a lot. Thank you for enjoying my stories, that means a lot to me. Happy reading with your other stories. Now I'll be heading over to Substitute Soulmate. If you're interested, check it out. Thanks once again guys! I hope to see you guys around!