Fate

Chapter 175

Namjoon's P.O.V.
"You look like death."

Did he want to get punched? "Because I feel like it."
I don't know what hurt more, the fact I regretted confronting her or the fact that she managed to go about her day like nothing happened.
"She didn't sleep next to me last night."

The maknae didn't get it, putting his boxing gloves on. "Yeah? Min's working on a comeback. It's fair."

I tightened my own gloves. "Keep going, and I'm not gonna hit the bag."

"Hyung.." His eyes widened.
"That doesn't sound like you."

Oh, but it could be. "She's upstairs, clearly being her kind and sweet self with the girls before doing another comeback stage. Me? I'm here because I didn't sleep and got tired of looking around my place seeing everything was normal."

Then, Kookie got it. "She told you."
He scanned my face. "She got caught?"

Well.. "Both. It's complicated."
Revealing details of our intimacy was never gonna happen.
"I knew she could defend others and her work, but I thought she'd be more.. tame..with me."

"Eww? Hyung, that sounded so wrong."
It did to me too. I was at a loss for words. "Min is very sweet with you, but that doesn't mean she can't tell you off. You know that."

"Yeah. I remembered that when I asked her to sit back down and she took a minute. Also, when she said we couldn't sleep in the same bed if we were upset at each other."

Maybe having that talk after I went down on her wasn't the best idea. I did act like I was cool with it..
He pulled his gloves off. "We're going upstairs. Come on."

That's the last place I wanted to go to! "No f*cking way. No chance."

"Don't you think she spoke to someone about it?"
I didn't get it.
"My girlfriend is her childhood best friend."

How could that slip my mind? Meg. Of course she'd know! He.. called her his girlfriend. Look at him assuming his feelings. "What did she say?"

"That you're right-"

"Knew it." Did I interrupt him?

He went on. "But Mina's right too."
How can both sides be right?
"Your reactions are totally different, but you're both feeling guilty."

What- "Why do you sound like Jin hyung? I came here to beat a bag up. I don't know why I opened up to you."
I picked up my bag. "I don't need a moral lesson from you."
Cool down, Namjoon. Don't turn your back on him.
"I appreciate your concern though, but I guess I'll go lock myself in my studio.. if anyone is looking for me."

I heard him sigh as I left. Don't sound disappointed in me, Jungkook. You're one of the last people I want to feel this way.

Waiting for the elevator, I saw a group of 16 women and immediately knew who was exiting the building. Eleven of them were wearing denim shorts with white safety shorts underneath, fishnet tights, sneakers and long sleeved crop tops. Their hair was done, half down with two small buns. I saw her auburn hair, behind all of them, by a staff member, making sure everyone was accounted for, fixing a tag peeking out from a shirt..
You're still doing that? Taking care of them? Watching them fondly from behind?
She was still standing straight, her posture impeccable.
"How can you?"

The doors of the elevator opened. "Sunbaenim?"

Jake? I waited for him to exit, but he didn't. "Weren't you getting off?"

He motioned for me to come in. "I was, but I don't mind doing another trip. There's something you should know, about noona sunbaenim."
I was ALL ears. Wait.. Did he know? HE knew? Don't jump to conclusions. Don't-
"I don't know much, but I might know someone who does."

Moonbyul refused to tell me anything, just that we were being stubborn and thick headed. She was already mad that the secret slipped because of her.. It wasn't fair to ask her anything else.
"Who's that?"

It was so obvious, I missed it. "Her manager. The one that takes care of all of the female dancers under BigHit, BeLift and Source. He'll know. He's the one who fixed her schedule after all."

He'd be at their performance, wouldn't he? "You. I've said it once, but I'll say it again. I like you. Thank you."
I should check at his office, just in case. I pressed a different floor.

I bowed and he bowed back. "Don't thank me too fast, Namjoon sunbaenim. He's not gonna be warm to the idea."

Right. Right... I took a deep breath. I had to be smart about this. I could be clever. "I'll take care of it. Thank you!"
I got out of the elevator. "Only a quarter of the ladies left earlier, maybe he has other things to plan.."
After scanning the office, I found whom I was looking for. "Manager-nim?"

"Yes?" He looked up.
"Namjoon-ssi? What can I do for you?"

Don't give me this look. You had to be expecting me. "I suppose you've been waiting for me to knock on your door."

"I did. But, I also figured you must've spoken by now. You are living with Miss Yoon, are you not?"

Was he being condescending? I couldn't tell. I barely spoke with him. "That isn't relevant to the fact that I wasn't made aware of something important as her emergency contact. You can understand that I feel cheated here."
Be nice.
"I simply wanted to know if you had anything to do with it being withheld."
If not, I had a reason to be upset.

"It was an order from above, but it was a condition that she agreed to."
Agreed to?

"Tell me the conditions of that contract in detail." If there's an NDA in there.. It took a bit of convincing and possible threats to his superiors, but I got the information I wanted. I couldn't believe my ears. I was slightly disgusted by my label, to be honest.

I needed to see her and the subway wouldn't be quick enough. I jumped into the first cab I could find.
.
.
.
I arrived a few performances before Le Sserafim's lucky enough. When they took place on stage, I gave myself time to observe. Seeing her, static, waiting for the music to start, made it easy to compare how she used to be prior to all of this. She'd have her thighs covered. Shorts and skirts would be slightly over the knee or longer. As much as she liked her figure from the front, the only reason she didn't hesitate when she was my duet partner, was because her backside was covered by loose pants or a flowy hanbok.
She preferred high waisted pants because it would hide stretch marks on her lower back and her beautiful round butt. Don't get me wrong, it was still in the same cute shape, just.. a bit smaller and perky for the excess skin that was now gone.

She didn't glance at her outfit once during the whole dance. An unflattering angle didn't seem like a possibility. I was a net positive. Funny how scars bothered her less.
Terrible how the company preferred scars..
At least, we could all admire the art on her skin, including the quote on her ribs. Yes, the shirt was that cropped. Her performance was as great as it always was.

One thing that was new to me was this smile of hers, beaming with pride.