Unexpectedly Regular | Kim Namjoon

36

Tall buildings, grey skies, people on hurry, hectic traffic. As soon as they entered São Paulo again, anxiety reached them. However, as they were just refreshed by their scape to the countryside, they felt prepared to deal with whatever they were supposed to face once they returned to their lives and turned their phones on again. Nara beared in mind her decision to do things as nicely as she could, no matter how hard she might want to do otherwise. Even if she stepped back unconsciously, she would still have her mother's house and lap to escape to. During that weekend getaway they've learned together a good way to deal with problems from now on. Nara was just thankful she had somewhere to run and people with open arms waiting to calm her down when she needed. She could count on her mother, on her friends and Namjoon too. She was taught that weekend that they both could create a safe environment within their own presence so that they could be each other's safe place to go.

As calmly as they could, then, they started dealing with the things they were pressed to. Just as soon as they went back to the urban landscape, real life called and there was an urge for decisions.

Namjoon had received a call and although Nara got anxious over the things she overheard, she tried to cool down and wait until he ended the conversation and could explain her what was going on.

-So, now a real big media outlet that published our photos had announced they had explicit sexual footage of a certain celebrity, recently involved in a dating scandal and although they had not revealed names it's not hard to guess who they were talking about.

-Do you think they have the tape?

-Probably not yet.

-Does that mean the person who is blackmailing you and the company has made a move to transform this into an auction between you and the media?

-Exactly. They are trying to sell it to whoever buys it. First, they've tried to sell to the other website, now this big media press group. We have already paid the first website so they would keep quiet.

Nara remembered when Namjoon clarified that his lawyers guaranteed that whoever ended publishing the tape would be sued but they didn't want that to happen. They could be blackmailed forever and still there was nothing to prevent the person from taking their money and still upload the video somewhere. If the one behind that only wanted to provoke Namjoon and his girlfriend, that's what this person would have, because actually, none of their measures could really keep the footage from being leaked.

-How much longer will we be extorted because of that single moment?

Instead of the rage she had seen before, now Namjoon's face showed hopeless frustration. The car stopped in a halt, as the traffic got worse again. Nara let a low growl of sadness out of her mouth.

-If you could, would you erase that day?

She kept staring hopelessly at the cars around theirs but the answer she was waiting for came soon.

-No. – He answered without hesitation and the firmness of his voice made her turn her head to look at him – Not even a second of that. Maybe I would have erased the tape earlier or more carefully, but not that day. It was cool. It was me doing something I wanted without thinking too much of the consequences for a while.

-There were consequences. Harsh ones.

-I know the hardest ones are over your shoulders and I'm sorry you have to deal with that. If I could, I'd be your shield and I've been trying hard to keep all that from reaching you. I failed you and I'm sorry. – He held her hand over the gear stick firmly – But I'll be by your side, anyway, no matter what happens from now on.

Nara looked from his hand to his face. It was the fact he was holding it the reason for all the turbulence she was into. Letting go of it would maybe take her away from the turbulence faster but now she was used to being shaken, so much, that she already knew a way to keep flying safely and comfortably through the dark rainy clouds. Maybe they would need to stop and revise and repair some pieces of their plane before getting to their final destination: a common life. And she had stuck to her previous decision. Do whatever she needed to do from now on with love.