Reflection | PJM

2| first farewell

After finishing introductions with Jimin and exchanging phone numbers, you agree to have private lessons with him for three hours each day after general practices.

You rush home to freshen up and wash the dry tears off your face. Covering up your morning sadness, you apply light makeup for your date--or meeting?.. with your boyfriend--or ex?

Again, it's complicated.

Feeling a bit nervous about how you should act when you see him, you decide to keep things as casual as possible.

Your hair is already dry but you use a blowdryer on it anyway to give yourself some volume. You slip into a short lavender dress. It's still warm outside, as it's not quite the end of summer yet. White sneakers, a denim jacket, a small crossbody bag, and you're out the door.

———————

From outside, you can see the large bookstore is lively as people order their coffees and hold their partners' hands inside the shop's corner cafe.

Various customers occupy the single booths throughout the shop and enjoy a good read while becoming one with the big comfy chairs. The dark brown wood, colorful books, green couches, and red lamp shades make you feel nostalgic.

This is where you first met your boyfriend, shopping for summer reads last year.

You search for his face through the window. Is he late? It was his idea to come to this location.

You dig into your bag to grab your cell phone to call him when suddenly a pair of arms are wrapped around your waist and you're hoisted into the air, spinning in a circle.

A little annoyed, you slap at his hands, "Put me down, Joon!"

He sets you back on your feet, and he's laughing so cutely like he's really enjoying himself. You can't help but smile at him, and you reach up to gently poke his deep dimple with your tiny fingertip before he bends down to kiss you lightly on the mouth.

Kim Namjoon. Always a gentleman.

Holding hands, you walk into the bookstore together. "I like fiction," you inform him. He covers his mouth to stifle a laugh. You jab him in the ribs and ask what's so funny.

"We're just very different," he responds, protruding his chin as he thinks. "I prefer nonfiction, but if it's fiction it has to be sci-fi. I won't accept anything else."

Feeling like you've been given a mission, you glance around the bookstore and notice the sci-fi aisle first.

"Okay, meet up at the bestsellers table when you're done," you say to him before swiftly disappearing into the sci-fi section.

You stare at the tall shelves of novels and wonder how many different stories must be here. Running your fingers along the spines of the books, you randomly stop and pick one off the shelf.

You frown. This one is about vampires. Isn't that topic a bit too common these days? You replace the book and begin your random selection again. Please be something good this time.

Your fingers choose a thick novel with no cover art. The book is made of some kind of rough, brown material with gold embroidery. You flip through the pages and read a few lines here and there since there's no summary provided.

You realize this book is about a female lead who gains powers and discovers she's a test subject for a mystical creature who's been hiding and drugging her all along.

You giggle to yourself knowing Namjoon will hate this book, but you figure it'll serve as punishment for him moving to the US tomorrow.

You then select a book about paranormal activity and walk through the nonfiction aisle, grabbing a random book off the shelf, not even stopping your stride to look at what you grabbed since you aren't even slightly interested in the genre.