Till death do us part [ j.jk × p.jm ]

chapter- 61

Three days had passed since Namjoon had encountered Jin at the clothing store, and though the brief interaction had left him with more questions than answers, Namjoon had pushed it to the back of his mind. Life continued on, filled with work and his own internal thoughts. There were still too many things he was figuring out for himself, especially after everything that had happened in the past year.

On a quiet Saturday afternoon, he found himself wandering into a local art gallery. He hadn’t planned on it—he was just looking for a change of scenery, something to clear his head. The exhibit he stumbled into was featuring contemporary photography, a collection of stark, emotional portraits and landscapes. Namjoon wasn’t sure what he was hoping to find in the photos, but he couldn’t help but appreciate the rawness of it all. There was something about art that made him feel less… heavy.

As he was absorbed in one particular photograph—an image of a city at dusk, the skyline a mixture of orange and deep purple—he felt a presence behind him. Almost instinctively, he turned just in time to see a familiar face.

“Namjoon?”

He blinked, almost not believing his eyes, but there was no mistaking it. Jin. Of all places, the gallery. The surprise of seeing him again after just a few days left Namjoon with that familiar awkwardness, though this time, it wasn’t as uncomfortable.

“Jin,” Namjoon said, his voice betraying a hint of surprise, though he quickly regained his composure. “You come here often?”

Jin tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into a small smile. “I guess I didn’t expect to run into anyone I knew here, but... I come when I need to clear my mind.”

Namjoon nodded, glancing around the exhibit. “Yeah, I get that. It’s a good way to escape for a while.” He hesitated, wondering if he should say something else but deciding against it.

They both stood in silence for a moment, the quiet hum of the gallery surrounding them. Namjoon found himself stealing glances at Jin, noting how effortlessly attractive he looked, even in a simple outfit. The way Jin carried himself had always been easy to appreciate. But as much as he could recognize that, Namjoon knew he couldn’t let himself get distracted.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, though,” Namjoon said, breaking the silence. “I wouldn’t have guessed this would be your thing.”

Jin shrugged casually, his gaze flicking to the photograph Namjoon had been studying. “You’d be surprised how much you can learn from a picture. Sometimes, it’s not about what you see—it’s about how it makes you feel.”

Namjoon raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed by the simplicity of the statement. “That’s... a good way of looking at it.”

Jin met his gaze, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “You look like you're lost in thought. Is something bothering you?”

Namjoon gave a small, dismissive shrug. “Just... a lot on my plate, I guess. Life, you know? Same old stuff.”

There was an easy, unspoken understanding between them. They both knew what it felt like to be weighed down by responsibilities, by the mundane but sometimes exhausting routines that life had to offer. Jin didn’t push for more, instead allowing Namjoon the space he clearly needed. The conversation, like the gallery, felt soothing in its own way—calm and light, without diving too deep.

They continued to wander through the exhibit, commenting occasionally on certain pieces or discussing the emotions they evoked. Namjoon couldn’t deny that Jin’s company was pleasant. He was easy to talk to, relaxed in a way that made the silence between them feel comfortable, not awkward. Still, Namjoon couldn’t shake the nagging thought in the back of his mind: He wasn’t ready for anything more than this. He wasn’t ready to dive into anything complicated. He had learned that the hard way.