wintersong╰► knj + kjs

IV

사

oblique angles

the
violent
turning
of
seasons

she did not cry at the station. even when sehun hugged her and baekhyun ruffled her hair in the way that she both loathed and loved.

she did not cry as the black engine pulled away, going farther and farther away until it was a dark speck on the horizon, like a bit of ash that had escaped the fireplace.

she did not cry until she stepped through the double doors of the dance hall and saw that the grand piano was gone from its spot.

"with the soldiers gone again, they plan to cut back their operating hours. they said my assistance was no longer needed." namjoon sniffed in manner that conveyed his extreme offense at this. "as if they could find a better pianist than i."

jisoo almost smiled, but the tears would not stop. namjoon handed her a clean handkerchief. they sat on the edge of the stage; she on the bottom step, him in his chair. they stared onto the empty dance floor and wondered what would become of them.

"i...i hope you don't think me forward, but i have very much enjoyed the time that we have spent together. it would be a great shame to lose such a friend. t-this being so, i was wondering if perhaps you would like to visit me sometime. only if you wanted to, of course."

namjoon pressed the white card into her hand and as she started at the neat script through blurred eyes, it seemed to jisoo that a light came on somewhere and although she could not locate its direction, she was happy that it was there.

"i would love to visit you." she said, brushing away the last of the tears.

no more followed.

.

.

.

although she had been to the station many times, jisoo had never actually been on a train. she marveled at the steel and iron machine as her ticket was punched and when all the passengers around her slept as the train chugged forward through the snow, she stared out the window, gleefully taking in the white blur.

her arrival was not met with cheers. there was no one there to greet her. with directions in hand, jisoo took the only road in the small village, confident that it would take her where she wanted to go.

the house was not grand. it did not span hundreds of acres but it possessed a distinct elegance that jisoo thought fitted taehyung perfectly as she approached the front door.

she hesitated only for half a second as a shrill, irritated voice in her head demanded why, by herself, she was visiting the home of a man she had only known for a week. the voice had barely finished its sentence before she dismissed it and knocked on the door.

namjoon had informed her that he employed live-in helpers but jisoo was not prepared for the scowling boy that opened the door. even with such an unpleasant facial expression, he was very pretty with lovely dark hair that sported—in her opinion—the most adorable middle curl.

"yeah, what can i do for yo..." the boy started brazenly before he fully took in jisoo. the scowl suddenly disappeared, replace by a flirtatious smile as the boy leaned forward to take her hand.

"well hello there lovely lady. if I had known i was going to be seeing such a beautiful face when i opened the door i would have worn my best shirt."

completely taken aback, jisoo could only stare as the boy continued. "unfortunately you have caught me at a rather bad time so perhaps you can tell me where i can fin—"

"hey hey lovelace, who's at the door~?" for a second, jisoo thought she was seeing double as a second boy appeared at the door, almost identical to the one that still held her hand, but with a light shade of hair and side curl.

"you idiot! can't you see i'm in the middle of something?" jisoo's hand was forgotten as the one called lovelace whirled around, his curl bobbing angrily as he snapped at the second boy who suddenly seemed to take notice of her presence.

"oh hello there pretty lady," he said moving towards her to take her discarded hand, "my name is feliciano and i would very much like to take you out tonig—"

"you asshole!"

"brother, no need to yell~"

"she was mine!"

"tsk tsk~i can't even introduce myself?"

"GET IN THE HOUSE NOW BEFORE—"

"what's with all the noise? you guys are going to get the police called on us again." despite the scolding nature of the comment, the man that stepped out of the house was smiling and his grin widened when he noticed jisoo in front of the house.

"well hi there, i'm—"

"NO ONE CARES."

"lovelace, you really shouldn't yell. you're going to upset the neighbors."

"i don't care! i was here first. get the fuck back in the house."

"verily lovelace, you shouldn't use such a word in front of a lady."

"you know what? fuck all of you. i'm going back inside!"

"i think you should make sure he doesn't go break anything again feliciano..."

feliciano nodded and turned to jisoo, giving a small curtsey that caused her to notice for the first time that he was wearing a dress.

"i'm sorry if my brother upset you miss." he said before hurrying back into the house.

stunned beyond words, jisoo could only blink as the remaining man gave her a sheepish simper.

"i give you my apologies as well. i hope you haven't been too startled. my name is hoseok, by the way. how can i help you?"

remembering that she was actually there to see someone, jisoo finally closed her mouth and fished out the paper containing namjoon's address from her pocket.

"well i'm not sure if i'm at the right place anymore." she exhaled as she tried to smooth out the wrinkled note. "i'm looking for kim namjoon."

hoseok's grin brightened. "you must be jisoo then. ge said you would be arriving. please come inside."

relieved, but still slightly baffled, jisoo followed him inside.

"is namjoon home now?" she asked as they walked through the brightly lit hallway.

"yes, he's in the music room. it's the first room on the left." hoseok pointed down a side hallway. now, jisoo could hear the first notes of a song that she did not know.

"he'll be very happy to see you. if you need anything, just call." flashing her another wide grin, hoseok turned back down the hallway and jisoo was left to follow the noise.

when she stepped into the music room, she tried to make as little noise as possible, but somehow namjoon heard her.

"feliciano, i told you that there would be no ' pasta arabiata' served tonight." he put out without turning around.

"i'm sorry, but i didn't come here for pasta." jisoo replied. she giggled when he whirled around, his face a mixture of surprise and unabated elation.

"hello." he finally put out, after the shock had worn off.

"hello." she said back, voice soft and polite, with her lips curling. "please don't mind me. continue."

it was the fifth day namjoon played for her but jisoo thought as she stood there, that it felt like the first.