Desk Affair✓

25

Chapter 25: The Longing

Namjoon sat in his office, staring blankly at the piles of documents on his desk. His hands rested on the keyboard, but he hadn’t typed a single word in hours. The office was eerily quiet, the soft hum of the air conditioner the only sound breaking the silence. The usually lively space felt suffocating, oppressive even, as if the walls were closing in on him. The absence of YN had slowly consumed him over the past several months, leaving him hollow and disconnected from the world around him.

It had been nearly ten months since she had left Korea. Nearly ten months since they had last spoken, shared a laugh, or touched. And each passing day weighed on him like a leaden weight, crushing his spirit.

His phone buzzed on the desk, a notification from his assistant reminding him of yet another meeting. He ignored it, his fingers twitching to swipe away the reminder. What did it matter? His heart wasn’t in anything anymore. Not the work, not the projects, not even the occasional outings with colleagues. The only thing that filled his thoughts, day in and day out, was YN.

He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his dishevelled hair. His eyes burned from the lack of sleep. Night after night, he tossed and turned in bed, unable to find peace. The emptiness of his apartment without her presence was unbearable, so he often stayed late at the office, sometimes not even bothering to go home at all. He'd sit there, staring at the desk where they'd shared so many stolen moments, where their passion had exploded in ways he never imagined. And now…now it is all gone.

"Namjoon, you need to stop this," he muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes. But how could he? His heart felt like it had been torn from his chest, leaving nothing but a gaping wound. YN had become so much more than a secret lover. She had become his world, his reason for being, and without her, everything seemed meaningless.

There was a soft knock at the door. "Come in," Namjoon said, his voice gruff and distant.

His assistant stepped in, her expression concerned as she handed him a file. "Your flight to Europe is scheduled for tomorrow morning, sir. The business meeting in Paris—"

"I know," Namjoon interrupted, not looking up from his desk. "I’ll be ready."

"Is there anything else you need? You haven’t eaten—"

"I’m fine," he cut her off again, sharper this time. His assistant hesitated for a moment before nodding and stepping out, closing the door behind her.

As soon as she left, Namjoon’s resolve crumbled. He leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. He knew she meant well, but no one could understand the torment he was going through. No one knew what it felt like to be so utterly lost without the person who had given your life meaning.

His thoughts drifted back to YN. Was she thinking about him? Did she miss him the way he missed her? He couldn’t stand the thought that maybe she had moved on, that she had found a way to live without him. His chest tightened at the idea, the pain almost unbearable.

With a deep sigh, Namjoon stood up, pacing the length of his office. He stopped by the window, staring out at the city lights below. The world kept moving, people kept going about their lives, but Namjoon…he was stuck. Stuck in a limbo where he couldn’t move forward, couldn’t let go, couldn’t forget.

He pressed his forehead against the cool glass, closing his eyes. "YN, where are you?" he whispered to the empty room. "Why did you have to leave me like this?"

His phone buzzed again, pulling him from his thoughts. This time, it was a notification about his flight. A business trip to Europe, to finalise some negotiations that should have excited him. But instead, the only thing that filled his mind was the possibility however small that he might see her. YN had left Korea to find some peace, and part of him had hoped, prayed, that she’d chosen Europe as her escape.

"Maybe…maybe I’ll see her," Namjoon whispered to himself. He knew it was unlikely, but a small, desperate part of him clung to the hope that fate would bring them together again. He couldn’t go on like this much longer. He needed to see her, to hear her voice, to feel her presence. Even if she still needed time, he just needed to know she was okay.

---

The next morning, Namjoon found himself at the airport, his eyes bloodshot from another sleepless night. His suitcase rolled behind him as he made his way to the boarding gate. The noise of the airport swirled around him, but it all felt distant, like he was trapped in a fog.

"Flight 982 to Paris is now boarding."

Namjoon’s heart pounded as he approached the gate, handing over his ticket. His mind was racing. What would he do if he saw YN? What would he say to her? He had rehearsed a thousand different scenarios in his mind, but none of them felt right. He wasn’t even sure she wanted to see him again.

As he settled into his seat on the plane, Namjoon stared out the window, his thoughts consumed by memories of their time together. He remembered the way her eyes would light up when she laughed, the softness of her touch, the way she had always made him feel understood. Now, there was nothing but silence between them, a void that stretched for miles.

---

The flight felt endless. Namjoon had tried to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes, images of YN would flash before him, keeping him awake. By the time the plane landed in Paris, he was exhausted, emotionally drained. But there was still a flicker of hope, a tiny spark that kept him going.

As he stepped off the plane and into the bustling airport, Namjoon scanned the crowd, searching for a familiar face, even though he knew it was foolish. YN could be anywhere if she was even in Europe at all. Still, he couldn’t help but hope.

"Sir, your car is waiting," his assistant said, appearing by his side.

Namjoon nodded absently, following her out to the car. The city of Paris stretched out before him, vibrant and alive, but Namjoon felt numb to it all. His thoughts were thousands of miles away, with the woman who had stolen his heart.

---

As the car drove through the streets of Paris, Namjoon stared out the window, lost in thought. The city’s beauty went unnoticed as his mind drifted to YN once again. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to happen, that this trip would bring them back together.

"Maybe I’m just being foolish," Namjoon muttered to himself, rubbing his tired eyes. "But I can’t help it."

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