Rewrite the Rules

Twist: Part 14

My fingers trembled slightly as I reached for the doorknob, the booming sound echoing in the sterile silence of the hallway. A sliver of hope battled with a nagging unease. Who could it be at this hour?

Taking a deep breath, I yanked the door open, the harsh fluorescent light momentarily blinding me. There, framed in the doorway, stood the last person I expected – Namjoon. His hair, usually meticulously styled, was a mess of dark curls, and his face was flushed, a stark contrast to his usual cool demeanor.

"Namjoon?" I stammered, my voice barely a whisper. My gaze darted past him, searching for the ever-present security detail that usually surrounded him. "Where are...?"

He cut me off with a wave of his hand. "Ditched them again," he mumbled, his voice laced with a hint of sheepishness. But before I could question his recklessness, his brow furrowed in what looked like genuine confusion.

"Why did you leave backstage?" he asked, his voice laced with a note of urgency. I felt a surge of defensiveness rise within me.

"I couldn't see a thing from back there!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms out in frustration. "It was awful! I always thought it would be amazing backstage, but you guys were all the way down by the front. There was no point in staying and well... my belongings."

His expression morphed into something akin to disbelief. "Backstage?" he repeated, his voice tinged with a hint of exasperation. "But... the pass..."

"The pass?" I echoed, confusion replacing my annoyance. "What about it?"

He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture that usually signaled his frustration. "Emma," he began, his voice soft, "did it ever occur to you that there might have been a reason you were brought?"

The question hung heavy in the air, and a sudden understanding dawned on me. My cheeks burned with a mixture of embarrassment and a strange fluttering in my stomach. "Like what?" I asked.

He hesitated for a second, then took a deep breath. "Like, maybe I wanted to apologize," he admitted, his gaze flickering down to his shoes.

"For what?" I pressed, my curiosity outweighing my nervousness.

A sheepish grin played on his lips, a sight that sent a jolt through me. "Maybe... the kiss?"

"The kiss? Yes, horrible kiss. Never, ever do that again. Yuck." I teased, a playfully. I couldn't help but laugh, the sound echoing through the room.

His grin widened, transforming into a full-blown sheepish smile that was bordering on adorable. "Emma... Oh, sarcasm," he began, scratching the back of his head, a gesture that screamed endearing awkwardness, "I, uh... I didn't mean to surprise you like that or make you feel uncomfortable."

"Surprise is an understatement, Namjoon," I admitted, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "But honestly? It was actually a pretty good kiss. It was kind of an unexpected twist to the night. It definitely added some excitement."

He let out a relieved sigh, his shoulders visibly relaxing. "Yeah, I know it wasn't exactly part of the plan," he confessed. "The energy of the crowd, the music, everything... It just got to me, I guess. I got a little carried away."

I chuckled softly, the tension dissipating with each passing moment. "Carried away is one way to put it," I agreed. "But hey, no harm done, right? It just wasn't what I expected."

"I genuinely didn't mean to overstep," he said earnestly. "I hope it didn't throw you off too much about the whole concert experience."

He trailed off, searching for the right words, leaving the sentence hanging in the air like an unfinished melody. I couldn't help but interrupt, a wave of reassurance washing over me.

"Don't worry about it," I interjected, my voice laced with a gentle sincerity. "Honestly, it was a complete surprise, but not a bad one. A little unexpected, maybe, but definitely not something I'll hold against you."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," I confirmed, offering a reassuring smile. "But the song, though..." I began, my voice trailing off playfully. "Did you really have to drag me up there and make me sing a whole song?"

"Oh gosh, you should have seen your face," he admitted, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Pure panic mixed with a dash of surprise. It was..." he hesitated, searching for the right word, "endearing."

"Well, it was embarrassing!" I countered, a playful pout forming on my lips. "What if I completely butchered the song and made a fool of myself in front of everyone?"

"There was no butchering involved," he countered, his voice turning serious. "I heard you singing in the restaurant earlier. You have a beautiful voice, Emma. Seriously."

Despite his compliment, I couldn't help but shake my head. "Still," I insisted, holding firm, "never again, alright? Promise me you won't subject me to a public karaoke session ever again."

"Alright, alright," he conceded, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Public singing is officially off the table. But..." he trailed off, his gaze suddenly flickering towards the door.

"But what?"

"I've got a live stream with the members in about five minutes."

My stomach rumbled loudly, a comical counterpoint to the seriousness of his announcement. "Oh," I replied, feeling a pang of disappointment. "Well, I guess you should probably head out then."

"Actually," he began, his voice hesitant, "I haven't eaten dinner yet either. I'm starving."

"You?" I echoed, surprised. "You're telling me, after a huge concert like that, you haven't had a chance to eat?"

"Nope," he confirmed. "So, I was thinking..."

He trailed off again, leaving me hanging. "Thinking what?" I prompted, a sliver of curiosity sparking within me.

A beat of silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken tension. Then, with a boldness that looked like it surprised even himself, he reached out and grasped my hand. His touch sent a jolt through me, a spark of electricity that danced down my arm.

"Come on," he urged, his voice laced with a hesitant hope.

"Where are we going?" I blurted, my mind scrambling to catch up. "I need to grab my key..." My hand instinctively reached for the familiar weight of the plastic card in my pocket, found it inside.

"Don't worry about your key," he reassured me, his thumb brushing absentmindedly across the back of my hand.

"There'll be plenty of time for that later. Right now, I've got a live stream to do, but there'll be food. Come and join us."