Chapter 4:
We loved no other way than this.

26^th December 2015

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.

I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;

So I love you because I know no other way than this;

Kyuri stood beside Namjoon nervously as the elevator doors closed. Her eyes flitted up to look at Namjoon who leant against the opposite wall coolly; the smell of cigarettes and musky cologne still stuck to his skin.

“Is my lipstick okay?”She nervously murmured before turning to face the reflective surface of the wall, peering at her reflection.

“You look fine Kyu.” Namjoon answered and Kyuri had to a double-take when she heard her old nickname. “S’not like Yoongi’s gon’ lecture you on your make-up.”

It was obvious Namjoon was in high spirits and had failed to notice the way a crease formed in her brow when he called her by that name. The doors opened at the eighth floor and he then walked down the hallway, glancing down at his phone, at the address his old friend had texted them that morning. A short phone call was all it took for Yoongi to agree to Namjoon’s request and he’d welcomingly invited them to his home.

Namjoon had heard that Yoongi had made quite the living for himself. He remembered when Yoongi opened his own garage a few years back and now Yoongi had opened a couple more, becoming a car mechanic and buisnessman altogether. His old friend had gotten married too and Namjoon wondered who the lucky girl was. He had gotten an invitation to the wedding of course, but he’d torn it apart and tossed it away without a second thought; it was just a few weeks after Kyuri had gotten herself married to another man.

Though, Namjoon and Kyuri heard their voices before they even arrived at the apartment door. A child’s screaming laughter and the voice of a mother who yelled for someone to get dressed. Kyuri’s footsteps immediately halted as she strained her ears to hear them. Namjoon immediately noticed, going over to her side with a worried look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Namjoon asked, hand resting on the small of Kyuri’s back protectively.

Kyuri shook her head and smiled thinly at him. “Nothing.”

If nothing had meant ‘We could’ve been like that’, then yes that would have been Kyuri’s honest answer.

A door suddenly banged open, making Kyuri jump in alarm. Though she and Namjoon quickly turned amused to see a small boy running out into the hallway, with no shoes and his shirt worn the wrong way around. He immediately stopped running however when he saw them in the way, craning his neck up to look at them with large doe eyes.

A taller man came running out the door soon after and Namjoon’s face brightened up instantly.

“Hey Yoongi!”Namjoon greeted the other as he picked up the small boy in his arms at the same time. “This your little man huh?”

Yoongi grinned afterwards and chuckled, stepping forwards and taking his son from Namjoon. “Yeah. It’s good to see you again Namjoon. Been a long time.”

Kyuri quietly walked towards the trio, not quite sure what she wanted to say to Yoongi first. It had been so long; she’d known Yoongi since high school. They used to hang out at Yoongi’s place because it was the closest Chungdam Public High and Kyuri had grown close to the other boy as well when they were younger. Now, it was just…plain awkward and Kyuri didn’t know what to say to a Yoongi with a child in his arms.

Yoongi brightened when he met eyes with Kyuri however and offered her a wide smile. “Good to see you again too Kyu.”

And all Kyuri could do was to smile and nod, her eyes still transfixed on the small tiny boy Yoongi held in his arms; a near, minature duplicate of his father.

They were then guided inside into Yoongi’s apartment. It wasn’t spacious but big enough for a family, Kyuri thought to herself. The décor was simple and every other decoration was either patterened with roses or tulips. Yoongi had brought them to sit in the quaint living room and served them drinks; his wife was busy with the other children before he himself settled onto a large armchair, balancing little Min Jisung on one knee.

“Two boys and two girls,”Yoongi boasted with a playful grin on his face. “Though it’s quite a hand when they’re running y’know.”

Namjoon nodded and laughed, forcing another smile. He hadn’t expected Yoongi to be a family man, much less a man to settle down with one woman. Another child came running into the living room at Yoongi’s words and plopped into said man’s lap. Yoongi chuckled and lifted her up, then balanced both children on both of his knees.

Kyuri’s eyes widened as she took in the little girl’s curly black ponytail bobbing up and down and the tiny pink dress she wore. They looked about the same age. “T-twins?”She asked in surprise.

“Nope. Quadraplets,” A feminine voice sang in answer and Kyuri looked up to see a young woman walking into the living room, tying her hair up into a ponytail. Two more children trailed behind her, another boy and a girl shyly walking towards them.

The warm smile on her face however, had somehow shocked a part of Kyuri. She was about her own age, still too young to be a mother of four in Kyuri’s opinion. Her face was bare of makeup except for some light powder and pink lipstick. There were also dark rings under her eyes, but somehow, she smiled with a brightness that rivalled any cover magazine model. The lack of sleep must’ve been from raising four children but the warm glow she emitted was undeniable.

If anything, Yoongi’s wife was the polar opposite of Kyuri herself.

“Kyuri, Namjoon. This is my wife, Nara.” Yoongi introduced with a bright smile, to which Naristole a small peck on his cheek.

 She stretched her hand out towards Kyuri. “Yoongi’s been telling me about you and Namjoon since we met.”

That had Namjoon raising an eyebrow as Kyuri promptly shook Nara’s hand.

“Yoongi talked about us?”he questioned, glancing at Yoongi in confusion.

“Yes. When we were dating,”Nara piped up, her eyes brightening in a milsecond in comparison to Yoongi’s sudden embarrassed groaning. “ I was always home-schooled so I’d get Yoongi to tell me what it was like in a high school and he’d always talk about you both and…another guy. I can’t remember his name though.”

“Jung Hoseok?”Kyuri asked quietly and the woman immediately nodded.

“Yes yes! That’s the guy!”Nara exclaimed in excitement. “Yoongi told me that you both were very popular in school. A High School couple; the perfect match!”

Kyuri’s face immediately changed to something between amusement and disgust. She looked away quickly, desperate to avoid Nara’s gaze. The 3 other adults in the room didn’t fail to notice and Nara’s excited voice instantly died down.

“We’re divorced.”Namjoon stated out bluntly, “I hope you’ll respect that.”

The sheer shock on Yoongi’s and Nara’s face was undeniable.

But Yoongi was quick to recover, putting on a poker face as he placed a hand on Nara’s knee.“No no, it’s our fault. Um, how bout’ some more drinks? It’s a little early to have dinner but Nara can cook pretty quick.”
 

Kyuri lifted her head up and quickly shook her head at the request. “No, it’s okay Yoongi. Really,it’s fine. It’s just… some things aren’t meant to be.”

The smile on Kyuri’s face obviously surprised the married couple. Namjoon made no move afterwards, keeping a stoic face as he listened to Kyuri talk instead.

“As for Hoseok though,”Kyuri trailed off, knowing that the change of topic would do them all good. She offered a wide grin at Nari “I know Namjoon and Yoongi haven’t been in contact with him but I have.”

“He’s a lawyer now,”Kyuri added after a pause. “He’s the smartest out of all four of us and I think, the most successful.”

Yoongi frowned and exclaimed, “Hey! What bout’ me?! I’m a buisnessman too, counts as successful doesn’t it?”
 

The four adults laughed in sync and even Namjoon chuckled, flicking Yoongi’s forehead. Though they stopped when a child suddenly climbed up into Namjoon’s lap. Yoongi was about to pick him up but Namjoon shook his head, murmuring that it was okay.

“Hey lil guy,”Namjoon greeted as he picked up the 5 year-old in his arms. “What’s your name?”

He seemed the smallest out of all four of Yoongi’s and Nari’s children, Namjoon noted and held a stuffed toy animal to his chest protectively. His eyes were shaped like crescent moons and a dimple on both cheeks when he gave Namjoon a tiny smile with his pink lips pressed together.

“Min Jimin.” He answered in a small shy voice and then, pointed a stubby index finger around the room, beginning to point at his siblings in order. “And that’s Jidam, Jisung and Jihyo.”

Namjoon nodded and everyone else in the room clapped in response. Jimin’s mother complimented him for being such a clever, brave boy and Jimin gave a little squeal of delight before he tried to hide his chubby, red cheeks in Namjoon’s black t-shirt.

“He’s so adorable,”Kyuri cooed, hands patting Jimin’s head and the boy smiled brightly in return, showing off a bright smile with his two front teeth missing.

Kyuri spluttered and immmediately, she and Namjoon burst into another round of laughter. Jimin could only look around, sporting a confused pout as to why they were.

The four adults talked some more and shared a couple of laughs, till the sun finally set and Yoongi insisted they stay for dinner.With no other plans, Namjoon and Kyuri gave in. Kyuri went to help Nara in the kitchen, getting the table ready with the four quadraplets trailing behind her in a line. Nara had laughed at the sight and nudged Kyuri with a grin on her face.

“That means they like you,”She commented as she handed Kyuri another pile of plates. “You’ll make a good mother one day.”

Kyuri’s expression changed immediately, something along the lines of hope flashing across them.  She glanced behind her to see little Jimin leading his brother and sisters behind him, the four of them beaming up at her adorably.

“You think so?” Kyuri asked, hope evident in her voice. “I mean…I never had proper parents so I don’t know if I can…”

Arisu’s name was echoing at the back of Kyuri’s head when she realized she let out a little too much personal information slip out of her lips. Nara instead, went over to her side and squeezed her shoulder. The other woman gave Kyuri a firm nod and a wide smile.

“All you need is love.”Nara answered, “As cliché as it sounds because, as parents I think…we sacrifice everything and anything for our children. Our flesh and blood. And there is no mother who does not love her children.”

In all honesty, Kyuri couldn’t agree more yet she opted not to answer. The raven-haired woman merely bent down and gave a peck on each of the four children’s heads, giving Jimin a second one when he bashfully asked for one more and ushered them out of the kitchen.

Once the night had ended, Namjoon and Kyuri left Yoongi’s house in silence. Both were plagued with questions again but neither dared to voice them out. It felt dangerous, as if treading on a frozen lake of thin ice; just walking side by side. By the time they had reached the lobby however, Namjoon finally twirled a set of keys infront of Kyuri, tossing them to her.

Kyuri’s reflexes were quick enough and she caught them just in time. The young woman looked at Namjoon questioningly but one look at the seashell keychain and she knew. Immediately, she gaped at Namjoon with wide eyes, almost unable to articulate any words. The other merely chuckled, slipping his hands coolly into his jean pockets.

“Remember when we stole that car? When we were still in school?” he stated anyway and Kyuri nodded repeatedly.

“O-of course. We…”Kyuri trailed off, remembering when the cops had failed to track down the thieves even when she and Namjoon were right under their noses. “We hid it in Yoongi’s garage.”

Namjoon grinned and slung an arm casually over Kyuri’s waist. “The ol’ Pontiac firebird. Yoongi and I are gonna put it on auction tomorrow. We just gotta see how it goes.”

Kyuri blinked twice, tilting her head to the side. “Wh-why? You didn’t tell him-”

Namjoon shook his head, gently guiding Kyuri outside to see a polished, sleek black car parked just outside the building. Their steps came to a halt and Kyuri could only stare at it in awe. It was obvious Yoongi had kept the old classic in top notch condition, its rims were replaced and there was not a single scratch on the metal beast’s sleek black surface.

“I just thought we should have…one last night with it.”Namjoon finished off, “Fore’ we bid her goodbye.”

Kyuri stared down at the keys in her palm. “You’re gonna sell it away?”

“For Arisu.”Namjoon answered quickly, causing a flash of surprise to cross Kyuri’s face. She could only stare wide-eyed at he ex-husband, the name of her daughter slipping out of Namjoon’s lips sounded so foreign to her.

“Don’t give me that face,”Namjoon added, crossing his arms. “We’re not gonna be able to use it anyway. We only have five days left Kyu.”

Kyuri’s frown only deepened more and she turned away from the other man. He was right; they had only five days left to live. Five days left to make sure Arisu lived a happy life.

“Let’s go.” Kyuri finally exclaimed, quickly running to the driver’s seat with the keys jingling in her hands.“I’m driving!”

Namjoon could only laugh as he shook his head, slipping inside to take the passenger’s seat. This was going to be one hell of a bumpy ride.

Author's Note:

A little ordinary, a little meh... but I guess that's why they call it filler chapters don't you think?

-Styx ;)