THE MANAGER NIM

57. TO A NEW BEGINNING

From the perch of the deserted rooftop of the hotel, you could see the humongous skyscrapers that are resembling a bunch of matchboxes stacked high over each other in distance and scattered streaks of amber oozing out of those street lights illuminating the dark roads and streets. The soft breeze which gently caressed your skin all day is now fiercely ruffling your hair like a feral animal. Few strands mess with your nostrils and eyes, distracting you from the ethereal view ahead of you.

Your patience starts to simmer down as the wind starts to blow even wilder, tousling your dark locks avidly. You place both your hands in either side of your ears and rest the elbows on the edge of the wall, trying to secure the swaying strands of hair in its place.

"Behold, the idol of woe!" Jungkook appears at your side, holding two cans of beer in hand. Just his presence makes your skin tingle with happiness. It has always been like that, but you were too oblivious to notice it. You struggle to conceal the little smile playing on your lips behind the dishevelled hair, continuing to play the role of a grief-stricken girl like a pro. You quickly switch the emotions and frown at him, with melancholy eyes.

As expected Jungkook's face tightens at your gloomy face, you know for a fact that he is internally cursing himself for hitting a raw nerve.

'Damn! I'm a born actor!' you exclaim internally, but a part of you feels guilty for conning this sensitive guy.

"What do you want?" you turn around, shifting your gaze back towards the glowing windows of the towering buildings since his sharp brain could cognize your phoney act eventually.

"I... I'm sorry!" he blurts out, startling you.

You nod, eyes still glued to the building and blocks.

"Y/n, I can feel what you're feeling right now and I'm the one to blame. But not even in my wildest dream I thought Kiara noona would show up again. I was really rooting for you an_"

"Enough Mr Jeon, let's not talk about it. I know you had good intentions but we can never forge our fate as per our will. I'm happy for both Kiara and Namjoon, hope they both rekindle the magic they once had in the past." You mean it with all your heart.

"But what about you, your aching heart? Don't you wanna pluck it out to ease that excruciating pain caused by the thought that your loved one is wrapped in another person's arm at the moment?" he asks in a demanding tone as if he is the one whose heart got shattered by Namjoon's love life.

His empathy seems to be reaching the brim, where he is imagining himself in your spot. Or perhaps, he is thinking about the time when he wanted to pluck out his heart.

"I don't know, I just don't want to mutilate my heart more, scarring it for a lifetime by thinking about the past. You got only one life, man." You coolly blabber to appease him.

A humourless laugh escapes his throat, "I wish I was this wise and my feelings were this lucid." His breath collides with the cold wind as he whispers the last part. When you turn around to see his face, his expression resembles a kid's longing for a toy he could never have.

"Right now, you look like a Korean version of Devdas Mr Jeon, is there something bothering you?" you ask, trying to peer into his heart's content.

"I am!" he says while opening his beer.

"Is it? then who is that Paro?" you ask nonchalantly, curbing the curiousness surging inside your heart to know the identity of his beloved 'goddess'.

He gulps down almost half the tin and turns around to face you. His eyes emit something unfathomable for your pea brain. He continues to stare into your soul and his sudden attention unnerves you.