The Darkest Parts. knj ✓

6: Standing with a stranger

You jump, I jump

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I place my little blanket on the floor as I sit down by Dean's grave. I try to make as little noise as possible as I pull out my flask of green tea. I open it up the sweet aroma fills my nose. I pour it in the multi cup and pull out the another one for the man. He looks like he's been here for a while.

I don't know why but I feel like he needs it just as I do. I stand up and walk some steps to the man hesitantly bowing. He looks at me, his eyes widening a bit before looking down at the cup in my hand. 

"A chilly day don't you think?" I ask lightly trying to create conversation. Which works because he softly smiles and takes his hands out his pockets. He's fingers deathly pale and have some red veins, he's cold. He gently takes the cup and sips.

"A little wind never hurt nobody," he replies looking forward. He sips his tea and nods.

"Yeah but a lot can blow you away,"I say sipping on my tea also looking ahead at Dean's grave. My heart aches but just standing with this stranger makes it a little bit light. Standing with a stranger prohibits you from being melodramatic.

Its weird how just yesterday I mentally and physically broke down on his grave but today I'm standing up and drinking tea with a stranger.

"That was corny, it's almost as if you were trying to blow me away." He smiles showing his cute dimples. I lightly laugh and turn towards him.

"I'm not a fan of my own jokes either," I bow. "Clin Akai,"

"Kim Namjoon," he bows as well. Wait Kim Namjoon as in KN? Like the initials on the umbrella.

My brain starts to think. "By any chance did you loose an umbrella here?" I ask.

"Oh, yes I did." He scratches his head mimicking me. "By any chance was it covering you from the heavy rain yesterday?" He wittily asks.

I laugh lightly. "Yes it covered me all through the night."

"You slept here yesterday?" He asks concern running all over his face. Suddenly I don't feel like standing anymore, my heart beats faster while my smile drops into a frown. I nod my head looking back at Dean's grave. I sigh a long sigh sitting down on the blanket.

Namjoon follows crouching down looking ahead on the grave.

"I couldn't help it. I didn't wanna go home and sleep lonely again." I feel my tears welling up in my eyes and my throat hitches. "And now- now that he's gone," I sniff allowing some air through my nose. "The bed feels lonelier,"

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Namjoon watches in silent as the lady, Akai weeps into her hands. Her trust came out of no where and landed on him as she poured out. He has no words of comfort feeling a ping of pain in his heart, as the same thing of loosing a lover happened to him. All he knows it's to be strong for her. He crouches down lower beside her examining her lovers grave.

Park Dean
1983 - 2020

37 years... A young age to die.

"So young." Namjoon starts hesitantly. "How did he pass?"

"Cancer and Aids." Akai muffles out between her hands. She removes her hands from her face. "Failed operations,"

Namjoon looks at her in shock. He thought how could such a beautiful woman have such a disease, but then again he didn't want to judge or jump to conclusion especially about her health.

"Are you..."

"No." She says her breath shakes little. "Dean.." There were no other ways to talk about Dean's situation, how he had slept around while he had someone else at home who loved him. Namjoon didn't understand what his story and her story were but he knew that it made her uncomfortable to talk about.

"You don't have to talk about it," he says lightly rubbing his hand on her shoulder. "Is it okay if I escort you to your house?" He asks like a gentleman he is.

She nods a little as her smile returns for a little while. He wouldn't want to leave her here alone after hearing that she slept here.  Akai hasn't smiled a lot since Dean's death but this mysterious man, Namjoon has managed to make her smile even if it wasn't his intention.

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They walk quietly side by side. Namjoon watches ahead keeping the same pace as Akai. She gazes at the floor, feeling her heart beat at a normal pace. For some reason she wanted him to know about what happened to Dean, maybe as a sign of relief to free her soul or maybe because she trusted him and believed that he wouldn't be a stranger and would stay by her side.

"He wasn't faithful to me," she begins. She hugs herself and walks slower. "I knew what he did when he left my house, but I had covered my eyes to blind myself from seeing the truth. I found out in the hospital, the same day he died, that he was infected and there was nothing I could do." She let's out her breath. "I loved him even though he didn't." Her voices hitches but she continues. "I stayed with him even though he didn't." As the tears roll down her face.

"He's so stupid! He came home one night with a sickening smell on him, I knew but I pushed it away. Not only did he bring prostitutes over, he also got infected. Now look he found 2 diseases and tempted with them, look where he is now." She doesn't notice when Namjoon stops and begins hugging her as her cries became heavy and rough to control. "6 feet under."

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