𝙼𝙾𝙽𝙸𝚃𝙾𝚁𝙴𝙳

Chapter 4

"Happy birthday, my love," echoed the voice of the wealthy CEO in the small library cum cafe.

The beautiful girl behind the reception emerged, saying, "Why, Joon? I told you not to come."

"Can't I come to wish my girlfriend a happy birthday?"

"But there are so many people here."

"I don't care," he handed her the flower bouquet and the gift box. "Happy birthday, and I love you." He gave her a peck on her cheek.

"Thank you."

"You both are so sweet!" a girl exclaimed, sitting in a chair with a coffee in her hands.

"But still, I'm gonna simp over him. I don't care if he has a girlfriend or not," another girl said. Everyone chuckled.

"Come," Nari, Namjoon's girlfriend, held his hand and dragged him into her cabin.

As soon as she closed the door, he pulled her close and spun her in a circle. "I've arranged a party for your birthday on my farmhouse. Your family and my family will be there," he whispered in her ear.

"I don't want you to do all of this for me, Joon. Why can't you understand?"

"Why? Why should I understand? I love you, and this is how I show it."

"Don't."

"Why?" She fell silent and looked down.

I don't want you to love me this much, Joon. I don't want you to get too attached to me. I want you to hate me.

"Tell me!" His heart raced, his mind overthinking, and troubling thoughts raced through his mind.

"Because I don't love you," she yelled. "I love someone else. I never loved—" she looked up at him with a cold expression. "You were just a means to money for me, and now I'm done. I've found someone else."

His heart shattered, tears streamed from his eyes. He stepped back, gazing at her with disbelief, pain, anger, and betrayal. "Y-you never loved me?"

"No!" She averted her gaze.

"Look into my eyes and tell me that, Na-ri."

She met his gaze, a benefit of her master's degree in acting. "I never loved you, Kim Namjoon. Now, you can get out of here. I hope we never meet again. Never come back here."

He kept staring at her, wiped away his tears, and left the place quickly.

"I'm ready, Joon. When are we leaving?" His mom asked as soon as he entered his house.

"We're not. No party now."

"What happened? Why are you canceling the party?" His mom approached him, but he stepped back to hide his tears.

"We broke up."

"What? Why?"

"She doesn't love me, Mom. She never did. She was only with me for my money."

"Na-ri isn't that kind of girl. She's so sweet. She can't—"

"She said it herself, Mom. She said she loves someone else and was only with me for money," his voice unintentionally rose, causing his mom to flinch. "S-sorry, Mom, I didn't mean to raise my voice in front of you. I just need some time."

"The person you're trying to call is unreachable. Please try again later."

"The person you're trying to call is switched off. Please try again later."

He tried to call her, but she didn't pick up, and in the end, she switched it off. Although his brain told him she admitted she never loved him, his heart disagreed.

In their two-year relationship, he had come to know her deeply. He knew she could never do this. Something was amiss, but he couldn't figure it out. He didn't want to give up.

The next day, he decided to visit her shop once again. However, he saw someone else at the reception.

"Excuse me," a young woman looked at him and smiled. "Can you tell me where the owner is?"

"I am the owner. How can I help you, sir?" She had a high-pitched voice, was short and slender, in her early twenties, with brown hair, hazel eyes, a medium-sized nose, and thin lips. Definitely not Na-ri.

"How can you be? I'm talking about Jung Na-ri."

"Oh! Sir, I'm her cousin, and now I'm the owner of this shop."

"Why? Where is she?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but who are you?"

"I'm her boyfriend!"

"Oh, I didn't know. Can we talk inside?" She gestured toward the cabin door behind.

"Sure," she opened the door, and they went inside. She motioned for him to sit, and so he did.

Suddenly, all those memories flooded back to him, the ones he had created with Na-ri.

The day he first met her because he wanted to buy this bookshop, but she denied him, and how he tried to convince her.

The young woman cleared her throat gaining his attention pulling him out of his trance. "So, I assume you are her boyfriend."

"Not to assume. I am."

"But before handing me over this shop, she said that she broke up and told me to forbid you from entering this shop."

"Then why did you?"

"For the reason she denied."

"Can you be a bit more specific?"

"Sure," she chuckle dryly. "So she didn't want you to come here because she thought I would end up telling you. She knew because I am more of a emotional person, driven by emotions. Right now, the case is exactly same. You seem to be too curious, uncomfortable, and broken. As I can read easily, and I can read people more easily so you can close your mouth," Namjoon close his mouth, which he had opened unintentionally.

"So, your love story is halfway through. I don't want it to end wrong way but in a better and more understanding manner because I assume you to be a person like that. She broke up with you because she knew that yesterday they were going to pick her up. By 'they', I mean those wierd men who randomly pick up people. No one knows why and they never return."  

"So," he looks down, trying to control his tears. "She will never return. She will never come back."

"Yes," she sighs heavily and stands up. "You can have your time. I will be outside," and she left the office.

You could have told me. But you didn't. So that's why you said that. But that's wrong. Tears fell from his eyes. "But my love, I will not leave you that easily. I will bring you back at any cost."

He wiped his tears and opened the door of the office, "Do you have the keys to her house, miss?"