Promises

24

Namjoon looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. "Am I overdressed?" He was wearing a blue turtleneck, a black overcoat and black trousers. He had his hair parted from the left side and styled it with gel. As he was about to change into something else, there was a knock on his door, "Sir, your family is here."

He looked at the clock, "Oh, shit." and ran out of the room. "Eomma, appa!" His parents were waiting for him in the living room. Mrs Kim sat on the couch and Taehyung was typing something on his phone.

"Oh, you are here." Taehyung looked, "I need to run. I came here to drop eomma and appa." Taehyung looked at his parents, "I'll see you at the auditorium." and he was gone.

"Oh my god!" Namjoon's mother went near him and folded the collars properly, "You look so handsome!"

Namjoon smiled brightly and a pink hue spread across his face.

As they reached the auditorium, Namjoon made sure that his parents sat on the right seats and were comfortable. "I will be back." He told them before leaving the sitting area. He took a bag with him and went backstage. He took out his phone.

"Namjoon?"

He looked up and smiled, "Hyung."

Seokjin chuckled, "What are you doing here?"

"Ah." He put the phone in his pocket and showed him the bag, "You left without breakfast."

Seokjin smiled endearingly and started walking with Namjoon's hand in his. Namjoon looked at their hands with confusion and then at Seokjin. He walked behind Seokjin with a bright smile on his lips. He noticed some students looking at them and thanked the heavens that he was wearing a mask. Seokjin stopped in front of a room and took out keys from his pocket. Namjoon noticed that it was some sort of green room.

"This is the older green room," Seokjin said as he sat on one of the chairs. When the university renovated the auditorium, they closed this one. Now it's just a storeroom." Namjoon got another chair and sat in front of Seokjin. He took out the lunch box and gave it to Seokjin with chopsticks.

Seokjin smiled and happily started munching on the food. He hummed, "This is good. Thank you." He smiled with his mouth full of food. "I was so hungry."

Namjoon chuckled, "Eat slowly." Seokjin nodded as he ate comparatively slowly. Namjoon watched Seokjin finish his food and then opened the bottle of water for him.

Seokjin took the bottle and smiled, "You are spoiling me too much, Joon-ah."

Namjoon's eyes widened and he started looking around. It was the first time after they got married that Seokjin called him by a nickname. He knew a blush must have crept around his cheeks and he hoped that Seokjin would not notice it. The room was really abundant. There were too many old chairs and tables here and there. All had white sheets covering them.

Seokjin got and gave the bottle to Namjoon, "Thank you so much."

"You don't have to thank me." Namjoon got up too and packed everything back.

They got out of the door and started walking to the auditorium. "Oh," Seokjin said, "I will be late tonight. I am taking the students to an after-party. So don't wait for me."

Namjoon nodded, "Do you want me to pick you up? I am sure you guys would drink as well."

"Yeah, we would." Seokjin shrugged, "But, I will come back myself. I am the teacher here. I have to be the responsible one."

"Okay." Namjoon smiled. When they finally reached backstage, he stopped Seokjin by his wrist. "Hyung." Seokjin turned back with wide, curious eyes. Namjoon smiled and raised his fist, "Hwaiting."

Seokjin smiled brightly and copied his action, "Hwaiting." and he was gone, ordering to whoever met him on the way.

~

The night was cold and dark. It had started snowing lightly. The only light in the room was a little bulb that Namjoon had kept on. He looked at the time on his phone. 2 in the night. Seokjin wasn't home yet. He was worried to his core. Something about the fact didn't sit well. He tried calling Seokjin, but his phone was switched off. He tried to call Taehyung but he didn't pick up the call. He was about to call Hoseok when his phone rang. It was an unknown number. He clicked his tongue and picked up the call.

"Hello?"

Do you know Kim Seokjin-shi.

Namjoon gasped, "Yes. What happened. Where is he?"

Ah, he is at our pub. He is really drunk and won't pay up.

Namjoon sighed and closed his eyes, "Okay, I will be there in 15 minutes. Please take care of him and text the address to this number."

He cut the call and ran out of the house with his valet, mask and car keys. As soon as he reached there, He saw Seokjin yelling at the bartender, "I want another vodka!"

The bartender sighed, "Sir, for the nth time, we are closed. Please-"

"Hyung!" Namjoon cut the bartender, running to Seokjin, "Are you alright?"

"Ah, finally." The bartender rolled his eyes, "Please take him away."

Namjoon bowed the tender, "I am really sorry." He took out the card from his valet and gave it to him, "Please settle the bill."

After the bill was paid, Namjoon draped Seokjin's hand over his shoulder and supported him by the waist, "Let's go, hyung."

When they reached near the car, Seokjin lumped on the snow and sniffled. Namjoon clicked his tongue and knelt to his level, "Hyung, let's go home. You will get a cold."

Seokjin chuckled, "I deserve it anyway."

"We talked about it, yeah?" Namjoon tried to reason with him. "You do not deserve anything bad. You deserve all the good things. Now let's go home."

"Namjoon-ah!" Seokjin looked at him with dazed eyes smiling sadly, "Why do you love me?"

Namjoon sighed, "I will answer it only if you get in the car."

Seokjin got up immediately. He scurried in the passenger's seat. Namjoon smiled and shook his head. He secured the seat belt around Seokjin. As Namjoon started the car, Seokjin looked at him, "Answer my question."

"You probably won't even remember it tomorrow." Namjoon said, without looking at him, "But I have no particular reason for my love for you. And honestly, if you have to find a reason to love someone, is it really love? I love you because you are you. You are Kim Seokjin. Loving you is just like breathing. Loving you makes the happiest person alive." Namjoon looked at him, smiling.

Seokjin was still looking at him. He turned around in the seat, closing his eyes. Namjoon noticed tears falling from his eyes, but he didn't say anything.

By the time they reached home, Seokjin was asleep. Namjoon carried him to their room and made sure that he was comfortable on the bed. Namjoon wiped the tears off, "I don't know what happened suddenly, but I am here for you."