The Wings of Harmony

27. The truth untold

Nam Joon had been trying to reach Manya, but her phone was tied up in another call. When she finally called back, he answered, his voice a blend of curiosity and the longing that had been building up inside him. "Hey, were you busy?"

Manya's voice came through light and teasing, a sound that never failed to make him smile. "Not really, just Jimin and Tae were on call."

Nam Joon's interest sharpened. "What are they up to?"

"They were arguing about something trivial and needed me to play the referee," she chuckled softly, the warmth in her voice easing his mood.

He chuckled, "Let me guess, was it a girls' thing?"

"May be," she replied with a playful shrug that he could almost picture.

Nam Joon exhaled, half in amusement, half in exasperation. "These kids, I know them well." He hesitated, then asked, "Nothing serious, right?"

"Nope, just a casual chat," she reassured him, though her words did little to calm the ache he felt in her absence.

He sighed, his voice softening with a longing that felt all too familiar. "I miss you. When are you coming back?"

Manya's voice softened, a sigh of her own escaping. "I miss you too. I'm sorry, babe. I'll be back in three days."

Nam Joon's response was almost instinctual, driven by a need to close the distance between them. "Should I come down there? I can catch a flight to Tokyo right away."

Manya pouted, though he couldn't see it. "I wish you could, but you're so popular here, we'd be caught in no time."

Frustration seeped into Nam Joon's voice. "How long are we going to hide? How long will we treat this like a ticking bomb? Why can't we just be together, openly, like any other couple? It's been two months since you met my mom, and there's been no progress since then."

Manya's silence was heavy, her heart caught in the tug-of-war between love and fear. Nam Joon's voice grew quieter, yet the hurt was palpable. "You're so good with everyone around me—my mom, my sister, the boys—but when it comes to us, it's like you're holding back."

She could barely find her voice. "I cherish them because they're dear to you. But I'm scared, Nam Joon. Scared of going public, scared of what it means for us. Please, try to understand."

Nam Joon was conflicted, his emotions swirling in a storm of love and frustration. He wanted to be angry, but the love he felt for her was too deep, too strong. Still, the conversation was draining, and he couldn't keep it going. "I get that this is hard, and I don't want to add to your stress while you're away. 

He paused, taking a deep breath to calm the storm inside him. "Let's just give it a break for now. We'll sort this out when you're home, okay? I don't want to keep going in circles and making things worse."

Manya sat in her hotel room in Tokyo, staring at the city lights outside her window. She was there for a client meeting, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Nam Joon and the strain that had been creeping into their relationship. She had grown close to his mom since their first meeting, often texting or calling her, finding a sense of comfort in the older woman's warmth and friendliness. His sister had become like a younger sibling to her, someone she cherished and looked forward to seeing.

Yet, despite these deepening connections, an invisible barrier remained between her and Nam Joon. The physical distance only seemed to amplify the emotional one, with every conversation leaving behind traces of unresolved tension. Manya found herself caught in a web of anxiety, torn between her deep yearning for him and her apprehension about confronting the world.

But all that changed the moment they reunited.

When she returned from Tokyo, her heart was pounding with anticipation and uncertainty. But as soon as Nam Joon pulled her into his arms, the world around them seemed to fade. The tension that had weighed so heavily on their relationship evaporated, as if it had never existed. The conflicts that had once felt insurmountable dissolved into nothingness, replaced by a softness and understanding that only they could bring out in each other.

In that embrace, it was as though they were reintroduced to each other, not as the couple who had been struggling, but as two souls who had always been destined to find their way back. The invisible barrier that had once stood between them shattered, leaving nothing but a deep, unspoken bond that needed no words to convey. Manya realized then that no matter the challenges they faced, their connection was stronger than any obstacle.

As they sat together in the quiet of his apartment, the city lights of Seoul twinkling outside, Nam Joon took her hand, his grip firm yet gentle. "We've been through so much," he said softly, his voice full of emotion. "But every time I look at you, I know it's worth it. We're worth it."

Manya nodded, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "We are," she whispered, feeling the truth of those words settle deep in her heart.