LUMINESCENCE | K.NJ ✓

XI - THE FLAME THAT GROWS

CHAPTER ELEVEN - THE FLAME THAT GROWS

IN ALL HONESTY, Namjoon hadn't imagined what it'd be like to kiss Nouri.

Sure, he had harbored a little crush on her for a while, but it was just that – a crush. He didn't really know her before, he just thought that she was pretty and kind. She was the the barista at his favorite coffee shop that he wanted to get to know. He hadn't anticipated that he'd actually become close to her.

He definitely didn't expect to find himself standing in the middle of a run-down market with his lips pressed against hers.

It may have been an accident, but she had grabbed his shoulders the second he made contact with her and pulled him a little closer as she stumbled a step backwards. He held her steady with one hand cupping her cheek while the other slid down and pressed firmly against her back.

It was a still kiss. Neither of their lips really moved much at all – he only parted his very slightly and tilted his head a bit in order to keep the moment looking real and believeable from an outsider's perspective.

He would have been lying, though, if he said that his heart wasn't pounding in his chest, or that he didn't feel a small spark of elation in the pit of his stomach as she began to follow his lead in order to keep the kiss from seeming forced.

People would normally describe the feeling of a kiss that felt just right by comparing it to fireworks; a burst of color and heat and passion that left you in awe, wishing for more, like a wide-eyed child staring up at the sky in excitement.

This wasn't like that – but it felt right. Better than he imagined the fireworks felt – they were a moment short lived, one that fizzled out into nothing only seconds after it occured.

This was more like a candle. A flame that started small but gradually grew stronger and brighter, the feeling spreading through his chest and into every fiber of his being. It was small but it was warm, and it felt right.

At least, it felt right until he heard Yoongi's voice piercing into his thoughts through the earbud, bringing with it the reminder that this kiss wasn't real.

Although to him, it sure felt real enough.

"Hey! He's gone," Yoongi informed. "You two can stop . . . whatever it is that you're doing. Wait – are you kissing her? Oh my gosh – "

Namjoon pulled the earbud out in annoyance to silence the irrating voice that was being fed through the speaker. He lingered for half a second longer, perhaps selfishly, before he pulled away from Nouri.

The moment they parted he moved a few steps back from her, desperate to give her space. Now that it was over, paranoia grew like vines in his head, twisting around and choking out any positivity or hope that had begun to blossom when his lips touched hers.

She was quick to avoid his gaze, with her head ducked down, chin tucked against her chest. A curtain of her white hair fell across her eyes, but failed to hide the dusting of red that covered her cheeks and nose. Her hand raised to cover her lips.

He felt an indescribable amount of guilt. His mouth opened and closed without a sound escaping him – he wanted to speak but couldn't quite find the words. "Nouri, I –"

"We – we should meet back up with Yoongi and Hoseok," she said while jerking her thumb back over her shoulder. She kept the hood over her head and even pulled it down slightly to hide more of her face.

Namjoon had never seen Nouri act anything close to shy or flustered, so he wasn't quite sure of how to act towards her in that moment. He simply nodded and followed her outside as she took the lead.