Shall We? | NCT Lee Jeno ff

Chapter 50 - Hyun Nam

 Jaemin and Eunkyung served the most delicious pasta and seafood Hyun Nam has ever tasted, even more than those fine dining restaurants Father would take the family to. She expected dinner to be quiet without Ilsung but it actually wasn't. Everyone kept on cracking jokes that made them unable to eat without spitting out their food from laughing. Childhood stories were shared, happy tears flowed, and the food was finished until the very last bit of rice. After dinner, people began to do their own stuff. Eunkyung was in her room probably sweeping it for the 5th time that day, Ji Hyeon was laying on the couch watching TV, Jaemin was already asleep and Mr. Jungho was in his room. Hyun Nam and Jeno decided to come out of the house. They sat on the house deck leading to the garden with the door closed so nobody could hear what they were saying.

The garden was lit up with lights built in the ground, the sound of the flowing water soothed the two. Too bad the stars were covered by clouds that night or it would've been the perfect K-drama romance scene. As they first sat across each other, Hyun Nam slowly crawled into his arms. Lying her head on his shoulder as their hands found their way to each other.

"I can't believe it," Hyun Nam started.

"Hm? Can't believe you're moving here?" Jeno answered. He spoke in that soft, quiet voice like how he always did when they were alone and in each other's arms. His voice sent shivers down Hyun Nam's spine.

"No. I can't believe I'm here; holding your hand, laying my head on your shoulder. Never did I expect that we would be here," Hyun Nam said with a small smile while she played with Jeno's ring on his finger.

"I can't say that I don't feel the same way."

Hyun Nam suddenly remembered something Jeno said before or after the New Year's kiss.

"You said that you met me 'again'. You told me there's a story about that. I think this is the perfect time to tell me. Don't you think so?" Hyun Nam asked, looking up to her boyfriend and he nodded with a smile.

"Okay, then. Let the storytelling begin," Jeno said.

---

It was a warm afternoon in the year 2007; guessing by the temperature, it was summertime. A little boy was visiting Seoul for commercial shooting. He knew the streets well enough to go get his favorite ice cream. While his mother talked to a high school friend on the streets, he walked away, distracted by a street performer. As he neared the man, he looked to his side to see a library. It was quite small for a grown-up but for the little, short boy it was huge. His smile grew as he saw a children's corner filled with children's books and toys. He entered, saying a small 'hello' to the old librarian. Not many people were in the library, it made him feel safer. Just when he noticed that he wasn't with his mother, he saw a little girl sitting on one of the pillows on the colorful carpet at the children's corner. The girl was a bit taller than him but her face made it look like she was younger. The girl was wearing a dress that was too formal for just a visit to the library. She had shoulder-length straight black hair that she had to tidy up every couple of minutes because it kept on going in her face while she was reading.

The boy dug into his pockets to find a hairpin his older sister gave to him, she always forgot to bring one so Jeno was sort of her safety net. He walked closer to the girl and it wasn't until then that she realized he had been staring at him.

"Hello," she said with a smile. The boy extended his hand with the hairpin on it and nudged it into the girl's hand.

"What is this for?"

"Your hair," the boy said while gesturing towards his own hair. The girl thanked him and proceeded to put the hairpin in her hair, holding it in place. He sat down next to her, looking over the book she was reading. The page showed a picture of a girl holding a baby tiger in her arms with a big smile.

"I love tigers, do you?" the girl asked and the boy nodded. Then, she closed the book to reach for another one on the small shelf beside her.

"Here, this one's good, you should read it," she said and gave him the book in her hands. The boy looked at the cover.

"Escaping the Zoo. You must really like animals," the boy smiled looking at how the girl giggled and blushed.

"Yes, yes. I do." The two sat there watching over each other's books and their progress. They would laugh and smile, and after a book finished, they started a new one. A woman came in, her frantic eyes searching around the library until she saw her young son. She ran and hugged him, angry that he left her running alone. The woman dragged him away. He saw the girl waving goodbye sadly before she realized his hairpin was still in her hair but it was too late, an older man, who she called 'Mr. Jungho', approached her and carried her in his arms. The last thing he thought as if he would see her again, that beautiful smile. That smile.

---

And he did. She was in his arms.

"Oh, I remember that vividly. I didn't want to go back to the company party we were having at home so Mr. Jungho had to carry me back," Hyun Nam laughed, remembering the memory.

"Never have I had a girl I loved as much as the one I met when I was 7. You made me like reading, and your smile, here," Jeno stopped, his fingers grazing Hyun Nam's chin to her cheek.

"This is what made me fall in love," he continued as Hyun Nam stared into his eyes. A yawn came out of her mouth and she kneeled.

"I'm going to sleep, good night, Jeno," she planted a kiss on Jeno's cheek but he pulled her back into a kiss on the lips which made her smile. Hyun Nam left Jeno on the deck alone. As she entered the house, Ji Hyeon was already gone and Jaemin was still fast asleep with a blanket over him. She stepped into each of her sisters' rooms to say 'good night' before coming into her own room and laid on the bed. It was weird to think that she was sleeping there, the sheets were different. The ceiling wasn't filled with glowing stars anymore. That was the only thing she missed from her old bedroom. Maybe I'll go to the department store tomorrow to buy glowing stars with Eunyung and Jihyeon. That thought made her smile.

---

She woke up, thinking it was around 3 in the morning, but turns out it was only 11. Hyun Nam reached for her phone on the bedside table and texted Jeno to see if he was awake. A couple of minutes later there was a knock on her door. She walked to it and opened it to see Jeno in his pajamas and his hair all messy.

"Did I wake you up?" Hyun Nam asked and Jeno shook his head, coming into the room. She laid on the bed, pulling the blanket over her while Jeno sat on her desk chair. They sat there silent, looking at each other before Hyun Nam tapped the spot beside her, allowing Jeno to lay down on her bed. She turned to look at Jeno and Jeno turned to look at her.

"Don't look at me like that, now I'm blushing," Hyun Nam held a laugh which made Jeno chuckle. As they lay there, their bodies a couple of inches from each other, thoughts of anything else were gone. The two beings hesitated on doing anything. Finally, Jeno's lips met Hyun Nam's and now it felt normal that they were in each other's arms. Hyun Nam read that love would feel like fireworks but all it was now was a blur. Slowly his hands reached hers as they entangled with each other and-

"Wait," Hyun Nam said and Jeno immediately stopped like a button turned off in him. His body, which was on top of her, laid down next to Hyun Nam.

"I'm sorry," Hyun Nam apologized, but Jeno was already placing his hand on her cheek and making small circles that tickled her face. He gave her forehead a peck and hugged her close. Close to his body. To his beating heart. 

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