Siren Song | KNJ ✅

Chp. 20: Top Secret; This is Confidential

Namjoon's POV 🪴

Ari and I agreed to go our separate ways for a little bit so we could both have some time to clean up and change after our time at the ocean. She made me promise to dress down and be comfortable because she said she didn't want me making her feel bad for throwing on sweatpants, and I laughed, promising I would arrive in casual attire as well. A few hours later, I've arranged to sneak into her place, and I have a driver on call to pick me up whenever I want my night to end. When I arrive, she is already cooking and offers me a seat at her small kitchen table. 

"I feel bad not offering to help, but I am an absolute menace in the kitchen. I'd probably light the entire building on fire," I joke apologetically.

"That's okay. It's nice to have you here. I wouldn't have offered to cook if I didn't want to!"

Ari is a breath of fresh air. Throughout the day, her actions showed she doesn't try to bullshit me, or manipulate me to like her. She's just herself and looks so cute in a pair of white joggers and a soft pink v-neck t-shirt. Her hair is tied up in a messy bun, and she has a baby blue apron wrapped around her while she cuts vegetables and readies a pan. She looks like a domestic goddess and it's adorable.

She walks over and pours a glass of wine for me and tells me to relax, and for the first time in forever, I actually do feel relaxed. Not somewhat relaxed, but full-on relaxed without a worry in the world. This woman has no idea the impact she has had on me today.

Before I know it, she's whipped up a nice dinner, and I love the experience of feeling somewhat "normal."

"So, where did you learn to cook? This is delicious."

"My mother always cooked our meals. It was cheaper; she had to be very careful with money, so she taught me from the time I was little. We used to cook together. It was lovely, actually."

She smiles at me, and I appreciate she has shared so much with me today. We finish our meal, and I insist on helping wash the dishes, and even though I almost dropped a plate onto the floor, she doesn't make fun of me. She just laughs and tells me the soap makes things slippery. Nothing about my personality seems to really bother Ari, which confirms for me that the day we first met, she really was off. That woman that huffed out of the Sculpture Garden, was definitely having a response to stress, and the situation at hand; that isn't the Ari I know and am falling for.

God, I'm falling for her...

After cleaning up, she plays music while I study her cherry blossoms painting again. Ckay's, Love Nwantiti (ah ah ah) fills the air in the background. I smile when she joins me in looking at the picture. Between the music and the comfortable atmosphere, I feel very much at home in Ari's tiny apartment.

"I wish I could paint like this. I dabble, but I would need lessons to create work like this," I explain.

"Anyone can create art!" she smiles, and it melts me.

"I just can't seem to quite draw what I see in my mind's eye," I explain.

"Maybe you just need to try a different approach. Come here. I'll show you," she tugs on my hand, and I feel the chemistry between us, just like I did on the beach, and I wonder if this is one-sided or if Ari feels it too. My heart pounds in my chest feeling her soft, smooth skin gliding over my hand.

Ari pulls me down to sit on the floor and produces a large artist's pad of paper. She opens it to a blank page and puts a pencil down on the stark white sheet. Dragging the pencil in one continuous line,  she scrolls around the page creating shapes with a continuous line that never breaks until an interesting scribble is left. I watch her long artistic fingers rip the page from the pad, and she sets it down in front of me with a mischievous grin, and I ponder what she is doing.

She starts the same actions on another piece of paper, producing another page of swirls and circles, a continuous squiggly line creating shapes forming from the fine line she never breaks until she is satisfied. She then rips the page off again, but this time she places it in front of herself.

I watch as she walks over to a rolling cart full of art supplies, and returns with her arms full of colored pencils, charcoals, and pastels. She sets down her treasure between us, and I cock an eyebrow at her trying to read what she is up to while finding the entire ritual fascinating.

What is this fantastic woman up to?

"Okay, now that we have our 'drawings' this is where you just free your mind and decorate the page any way you want." She picks up a light blue pastel, and I chuckle, remembering her saying blue is her favorite color.

Ari spins the page around a bit, looks at it from different angles, and starts coloring and shading. Switching colors as she goes without any rhyme or reason. It's as if she is just feeling her way through what she is producing.

"Come on, don't leave me hanging, Joonie. That one is yours. Do whatever moves you."

I can feel my ears turning a little red. It's not lost on me that she was relaxed enough to call me Joonie for the first time. It might be the wine that she's refilled for both of us, but I'd like to think we are just moving into a comfortable...friendship.

Is this just friendship?

"I see. This is such a cool idea. I'm in."

We sit in comfortable silence for quite a while, just working on our sheets, listening to soft music, and taking little breaks to glance at what the other is creating. This woman just fed me an inexpensive meal in her tiny apartment, poured me cheap wine, and now we basically have an impromptu art class happening on her apartment floor, and I'm absolutely over the moon about it all.

I'm a little surprised with myself because, if I'm being honest, I genuinely enjoy the finer things in life. I've worked hard for a long time to get myself to a place where I deserve to enjoy the finer things and spend my hard-earned money, but tonight it's all been about simplicity, and it has been enchanting.

We continue listening to music while creating our art, and eventually begin chatting about work and the different people Ari's met since working with Lily. She tells me about the work she is going to do on the website, and I can hear the excitement in her voice.

Before long, I see her trying to stifle a yawn, and I realize that a few hours have slipped by. It's getting late, so I text my driver, who informs me he will be by in about five minutes. We pick up our drawings, and Lily hands hers to me.

"Here, I made mine for you," she smiles, and out of all the name-brand accessories and clothing, as well as the expensive items I've been gifted over the years, nothing has felt as satisfying as this scrap of paper does.

"Really? I love it. Will you accept mine?"

She smiles shyly and nods as our hands brush against each other while we exchange pictures and I can hear my heart pounding in my ears.  My phone chimes letting me know my driver has arrived, and Ari walks me to her apartment door.

"Thanks so much, Joon. I had a great day."

"Me too."

Before I know what is happening, Ari leans up and gives me a quick hug, and I act on impulse grabbing her hand gently and bringing it up to my lips. I stop suddenly, seeking permission before preceding any further, and she blushes and nods as I kiss the soft skin on the top of her hand.

"Goodnight. Sleep well." I whisper; her eyes look glossy, a shy smile meeting mine.

"Thank you. You too. Safe travels." Her words sound dreamy, and it's hard to tear myself away from her touch.

I slide out the door and swiftly make my way to the backseat of the car waiting on the curb for me.

Holy shit.