north star (knj)

chapter four

But I won't
Make that mistake again and fall
So I say I don't
Miss you at all
And someday I won't
Miss you at all

I Don't Miss You At All - FINNEAS

----

"You've been staring at your phone all morning."

"No, I haven't."

"Yes, you have." Leo grinned at me across the table. "Expecting a call from lover boy?"

I made a face over the edge of my coffee mug. "He's not my lover boy."

"Aha! So, it is Namjoon," Leo exclaimed, slapping his hands down. "The way you were curled up against him in the closet at the afterparty was amazing, by the way. What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing." I shoved a forkful of hash browns into my mouth, hoping it would send the message that I was not in the mood to talk about it.

"Nothing, my ass. He left you a handwritten note telling you to call him," Leo said. "Which by the way, have you done that yet?"

"I texted him last night," I said.

"A text? A text! Ugh, that's boring. Did he respond?"

I hesitated. "Yes."

Leo's green eyes lit up. "Yes....and? What happened?"

"Nothing." I collected my empty mug and plate and walked over to the kitchen sink. Technically, nothing had happened. I had only texted Namjoon back and forth a few times last night, and now we could be done with the matter. I owed Namjoon nothing.

"You'll tell me eventually," Leo said. He leaned against the kitchen counter as I rinsed off the breakfast dishes and loaded the dishwasher. "You're not good at hiding things."

Two minutes after I started the dishwasher, my phone started ringing. I tried to beat Leo to it, but my brother magically appeared at the table, a gleeful smile on his face as he looked down at my phone in his hand.

"You saved his number?" Leo asked as I ripped my phone from his grasp. "You so like him!"

"Shut up." I tapped the green 'talk' button on the call. Holding it up to my ear, I said, "Hello?"

Like the caller ID had promised, Namjoon's voice greeted me. "You forgot to shake your Magic-8 Ball this morning."

"Oh, did I?" I laced my voice with sarcasm. "Whoops, sorry."

"It's not like you to be so forgetful," Namjoon said. On the other end of the call, a loud whooshing sound disrupted him.

"Where are you?"

"Airstrip," Namjoon said, raising his voice. "About to board."

Something sank in my stomach. "Oh. You're leaving."

"We have some other shows and appearances in America before we go back to Korea." Namjoon paused to yell something in Korean. Switching back to English, he said, "We'll be back in Los Angeles for a James Corden appearance at the end of February."

Leo took my extended pause as an opportunity to interrupt the call. Leaning over the table, he whispered, "Is he confessing his love for you?"

"No, be quiet," I said, pushing him away.

"You can just hang up if you want me to be quiet," Namjoon said over the phone, tone clipped.

"No!" I realized I had shouted and ignoring Leo's knowing smile, turned away and softened my voice. "I'm sorry, I was talking to Leo."