Dearest Namjoon,

XVIII. Quietly

November 4th, 2015

"Can we talk?"

He hesitated before answering. He had wanted to avoid this but what's the point? It was inevitable.

"Okay."

Silence filled the room; it was an irrefutably calm day yet dark clouds were glooming over their hearts as they wondered how this was going to end. Everything they wanted to say was crumbling down in their unnecessarily prolonged silence.

It was more than awful and impeccably awkward. After 4 years of marriage and almost 12 years of knowing each other, it seems like everything is the way it was when they first met, quiet.

°°°°°

January 8th, 2003

The first time they met, I remember, was pretty funny. Jisoo and Taehyung had accidentally set them up for a date; a date or in actuality, a meet up. It was the first major breakup the couple had and the two were petty enough to ask each other's gifts and belongings back. And that's where the two came in. They agreed to meet up but changed their minds literally a moment before the set time; they didn't want to see the other and neither thought of informing each other. Jisoo dumped everything on Evie and Teahyung begged Namjoon, with teary puppy eyes, on his knees and palms together.

Everything was in a frenzy and didn't know even know each other's faces then. The place where they had agreed to meet up was at a cafe in front of their university. Namjoon was waiting for Jisoo and Evie was waiting for Taehyung. They waited for a while; they really didn't want to return to their respective friends without finishing the deed. Mind you, it was 2003 then, mobiles were a rarity for normal college students.

It was noon, rush hour was starting; with students crowding in to escape the cold outside. They were eventually asked to share a table because they were both there solo and they couldn't exactly refuse, it was under 0 degrees outside with the snow storm. It was awkward and they surely weren't comfortable with eyes darting everywhere except to what was in front of them.

After 30 minutes of silence, Namjoon finally asked, "Are you perhaps waiting for someone?" Evie nodded and he continued with a 'me too'.

Another moment of silence, Evie pursed her lips before asking, "Do you happen to know a man named Kim Taehyung?" He nodded, starting understanding where this was going.

"And a woman called Kim Jisoo?" He nodded again. Evie sighed, mumbling profanities under her breath.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yep." She pulled out a mid-size paper bag from under the table and seeing this, Namjoon too put his box on the table. "I should have known. I picked that box for them." She said and they exchanged their belongings.

"It was nice meeting you." She stood up, took the box and started walking but was stopped when he grabbed her arm.

"Wait, what's your name?" He slowly released his hold on her arm.

"Evie." She replied, monotonously.

"I'm Namjoon." He introduced. She stood there for a moment, thinking of a response. She flashed a quick smile, "See you later then." They both knew their petty break up wasn't gonna last a week and they would probably meet again.

°°°°°

"What do you think about us?" Evie started low.

"I...don't know what to say." His head hung low and his voice barely audible, "I'm sorry."

She shook her head, "If anyone should be sorry, it should be me. I'm sorry, Namjoon."

"Should we just get a divorce?" A moment of silence ensued. Immediately regretting what he said, he scooted closer to hold her hand but he knew, deep down, that it was the most appropriate question; the elephant in the room that had been ignored for too long.

"I'm sorry...but I think our marriage has stopped working."

He held her hand firmly, interlocking her fingers with his and softly caressing it with his other hand, "You're right, Evie," his voice broke, "an-and please don't be sorry; we just got a little unlucky."

She wept, he cried; comforting each other till they grew too tired. It was one long night.

°°°°°

After their divorce was official, Namjoon accepted an offer he got from Hong Kong. He immigrated a month later. Evie too moved to another city where she got a recommendation from her previous professor and started working under Dr. Lee Jinki. Jisoo and Taehyung were still the same, their 10th wedding anniversary had passed and Jihyung was in middle school. Hoseok was still happily unmarried and single but was seriously considering to confess to a childhood crush. Jimin got married not long after Evie and Namjoon did and contrary to the main couple, they were happy and were expecting their second child. I once overheard Hoseok said his friend, Yoongi or Suga if you'd like, was getting married and that Seokjin's engagement was broken off.

Everything returned back to how it was for the couple while everyone else seem to change between them but a new chapter has begun.

To Evie and Namjoon and anyone else who needs to be told this,

It's time to let go of what might have been.

From, the narrator.