A Modest Proposal (Kim Namjoon/ BTS) (#SerendipityAwards)

3. Look Here

Ji Ah tried to steady her breath as she rummaged in her bag for the door keys. Her meeting with Namjoon hadn't been as awkward as she had anticipated. On the contrary, she was surprised to discover the relative composure of her thoughts. Namjoon wasn't who he used to be, no. But that didn't change anything. Not in Ji Ah's eyes at least.

Her fingers finally closed around the object she had been seeking as she pulled it out to unlock the door. Despite the proposal, Ji Ah felt that she owed it to both Namjoon and herself to take a step back.

Lee Mi Na, however, had shared no such sentiment.

"You want me to do what now?" her boss had shrieked when Ji Ah had suggested that she assign someone else the position of assistant videographer. "First you lot mess up. And then you have the audacity to advice me?"

"It's just a suggestion," Ji Ah had tried to reason with Mi Na but the Head of Productions had shot her down immediately. The brunette-haired woman had had no choice but to reconcile herself to the decision. And hope that Namjoon could indeed prove her wrong.

For both our sakes.

Ji Ah shook her head as she stepped into the modest, two-bedroom apartment situated on the 12th floor of a Seoul high-rise. The living room was tastefully furnished, with brocaded curtains gently rustling in the summer breeze. A small coffee table was positioned on a rug, small bean bags placed around it. The aroma of freshly brewed beans wafted in the air and Ji Ah scowled at the figure lying prostrate on the couch opposite the balcony overlooking the bustling city life unraveling in the streets of Seoul.

"Yah, Kang So Min!" she growled with unrestrained annoyance as her roommate, and colleague, winced in surprise. "You have no idea of the hell I've been through today all thanks to your lazy ass!"

So Min looked sheepish as she held up her smartphone, EXO's Byun Baekhyun grinning at Ji Ah through the screen. "I've been nursing a cold all day long!"

Ji Ah's eyes narrowed at the seemingly blatant lie. "And yet you seem well enough to stalk Byun Baekhyun."

Her roommate instantly dropped her phone, scrambling to retrieve it. The sight of her fumbling around was too funny and Ji Ah laughed despite herself. So Min's eyebrows scrunched up as she watched her kick off her shoes and sink into the soft leather of the sofa. "What happened?"

Ji Ah sighed as she dived into the particulars of her story. Listening with rapt attention, So Min could barely conceal her trepidation as her friend's narrative continued, knowing about her history with Kim Namjoon all too well. "I'm sorry, Ji Ah. If I'd known that Mi Na would send you, I wouldn't have taken a leave."

Ji Ah shook her head. By the wan expression on So Min's face, it was evident that she hadn't been lying about her condition. "It's done. And I've decided to face it."

So Min bit her lip as she scrutinised Ji Ah's face for any signs of deception. Not finding any, the red-haired woman placed a placid palm on Ji Ah's knee. "I'm going to be right there with you!"

"Good, because I need you to take over when I leave," Ji Ah stated as So Min's eyes widened questioningly.

"You think he can do it," she said and Ji Ah realized it wasn't a question. She shook her head.

"I'll leave regardless of whether he can do it or not, and whether Mi Na likes it or not," she began slowly as her forehead creased. "Namjoon may have become wiser, but the uncertainty which plagued him in the past still haunts him in some way. Reflection is proof of that." As she alluded to the rapper's solo song, Ji Ah's eyes traced the sunlight which illuminated the room in a golden glow. She could still recollect the unhinged emotions with which she had heard him sing the lyrics, words which she was well-versed with. "And I don't know if he'll ever be able to outrun it."