House of Cards (Kim Namjoon x reader)

Chapter 3

"Y/N, what did you want to tell me?" he asked, looking up at you with eyes that melted your heart. You hid the lollipop behind your back and held it tightly, palms sweating. He tossed his hair back, a move that made you fall for him more and more each time.

"Um, I don't know how to say it, but I won't run away anymore." you said quietly, looking at the ground. The grass sway under the summer breeze. His feet were in front of yours.

"Just say it." he chuckled. He had never seen you so nervous before and it was cute.

"Namjoon, we've known each other for a long time and I always knew that you would be in my life for the duration of it. But I didn't think I would see you in any other way except my best friend, until now." Your body felt light and heavy at the same time while those words came out of your mouth. You had never been afraid to talk with namjoon about literally anything and everything. He was a good listener.

His face morphed into confusion."Y/N, what do you mean?" he asked. It seemed that he had taken a step back, one centimeter.

"I like you, Namjoon. Hell, I might even love you. You're always there for everything and I can't picture my life without you, you were constant when my life was a mess." You looked up with a hopeful smile, your heart was a jackhammer but it wouldn't matter because he was Namjoon, and he wouldn't hurt you. Except he did. He coughed and looked away.

"Y/N, I'm sorry. I-I don't feel that way. You're just my best friend."

The alarm clock woke you up and for the first time in forever, you were grateful. You got up and showered. The hot water burned your body, but it was a distraction from that dream. Of anything you could have dreamt about, it had to have been that memory. The day you had been so excited for and the day that crushed your spirit. After that, you went back home for the weekend to clear your mind. You decided then that you would grow stronger and stay by his side rather than retreating and feeling pity for yourself. Your parents had opposed to remaining close to him, knowing his playboy side and how materialistic the rest of his family is.

Jungkook was still asleep. His blanket was halfway on the floor so you tucked him back in bed. No matter how old he gets, he'll always be your baby. You left a note saying you'll be out the whole day and left. You first headed to the clinic to grab some supplies for the trip, and went on your way. Jungkook should be in later to take care of any appointments along with the new intern, Jimin. It seems that everyone has a crush on Jungkook because every time Jungkook walks into the room, Jimin becomes so smittened by him.

It was a little past noon when you reached your destination. The patience, someone you had known since you opened your clinic, had moved into the countryside for cleaner air. Her lung cancer didn't seem to be improving but you kept going anyways. She needed you, as a doctor and as a friend. So every few months, you would drive for hours just to see her. She looked thinner when she opened the door for you. Her collarbones were more revealed and her cheeks lost their colors.

"Hello Areum, sorry I'm late." you said. She shook her head and pulled you inside.

"It's okay. I made some jasmine tea." she said quietly. A gal in her late 40s with no kids of her own, she relied on her eldest nephew to bring her food and clean the house sometimes when he's not at work. You only have briefly seen him a few times but Areum said he was the most handsome kid she had ever seen.

"That sounds lovely. I bought some cake, the one that you like in the city." You told her to sit down while you grabbed the plates, you knew the lay out of the house by heart. "How have you been feeling?" you asked while watching her eat.

"When I wake up, I immediately want to go back to bed. Even when no one is around, it still feels suffocating." she answered. After she was done with the slice of cake, you began the check up. Namjoon developed a portable blood reader for you to carry with you during occasions like this. You looked at the results and frowned. "What is it?" she asked. When you hesitated to answer, she nodded slowly. "I'm not going to make it, am I?"

"I promised you, you will. I can call the best hospital I know for you to start treatment and you can begin immediately-" Areum placed a hand on your arm to tell you to stop talking.

"No, I know my body and it can't fight any longer. I don't want to spend the last few moments of my life in a hospital with people pitying me. I'm in the place I've always dreamed of." she said, looking about the house and the backyard. It had a view of the mountains and clear sky. It made you emotional, life is unfair sometimes.

Areum then began coughing, hard. She held your shirt tightly as you supported her back, the blood got on your shirt. Her nephew happened to entered the house at the exact moment and dropped the groceries down on the floor.

"Aunty!" he yelled. He lifted her up and carried her to her room. It was a normal occurrence as far as you were concerned. She fell asleep after you gave her some medicine. Back in the kitchen, he offered you a drink.

"Thank you, Seokjin." you said, your hands still shaking.

He scoffed. "Yah, I'm still older than you. Call me oppa."

"Alright, oppa. How have you been?"

"Great, actually. I just got a job at K Tech." he announced with enthusiasm. You then remembered that it was Namjoon's company and Seokjin must have been extremely smart to get in.

"Congratulations! If I had know, I would have brought something as a present for you."

"Hm, what if I take you to dinner one night?" he asked. You jerked your head in his direction only to see that he was being serious, and a little bit nervous. He waited patiently for your answer. His hands knotted together and he stood like a hamster with broad shoulders. You left without giving him a clear answer. It wouldn't be fair to him to say anything definitive. Your mind was still a mess.

On the drive back to the office, you thought about Areum and her decaying body. How unfair the world is. It takes things and it takes, never giving, never returning. Pain remains while happiness seems to be scarce. Tears began to form and when you reached the clinic, you couldn't hold them in any longer.