IQ148 // namjoon ✔️

__OCTOBER__

October ; 2016

...The image of her is still fresh in his mind weeks later.

The moment he walked up to that table in the courtyard... and she looked up at him... her hair pulled back to completely expose her face... and her eyes that shimmered with fervor...

She radiated enthusiasm for her book, and that enthusiasm passed on to those around her. She absolutely glowed under the open sky in the courtyard, where sunlight seemed to be attracted to her and stick to her hair, making golden highlights in her raven hair.

Before the book signing, it had been so long since he last saw her... Just under a year.

When he heard she was having an exclusive book signing at the Daeo Bookstore, he knew he had to go. It felt like she was signaling for him to come; like she wants to see him again. This signal was meant for him. Why else would she have it at the Daeo Bookstore? It couldn't have just been a coincidence... And if it was, it was still a coincidence that brought them back together for that moment.

And at that moment... It felt like they never went their separate ways... It felt like it was just the two of them again, huddled in the back of a bookstore.

He remembers her pushing that stubborn strand of hair behind her ear; one of the few things that never changed about her.
He remembers balling his hand into a fist before he could reach across the table and push it behind her ear. But she pushed it away like it didn't bother her anymore.

When he went to shake her hand, he was afraid that his hand would be shaking like the first time they met; the nerves of meeting a stranger for the first time are the same nerves as when meeting someone he used to know so well for the first time in forever.

If JungMi didn't still have her particular mannerisms and her personal quirks still, then her major nuances would have made her seem like a complete stranger all over again.

The way she carried herself... He can tell she's changed in a way.

She didn't hide her face under her curtain of hair.

She didn't avoid meeting other people's gazes.

She didn't sit in the corner between the bookshelves.

He notices things about her that she wouldn't have done in the past...

It just goes to show how much she's grown in his absence.

He heard she's starting her national book tour soon. NamJoon is also going on a world tour soon. They'll both be so busy...

But the signed copy of her debut novel in his hands feels like it's a piece of her that's with him; a reminder that the girl he used to sit with in the bookstore is still out there somewhere, even if they'll be on separate sides of the world.
NamJoon may be known to have lost his phone and even his passport in the past while traveling, but he knows for a fact that this book will never leave his side.

Before he packs it away in his luggage with his stuff for the tour, NamJoon just casually studies the book in his hands: the weight of it... the number of pages... the paperback binding... the books cover art... the font the title is typed in... the freshness and smoothness of the pages... the words in Times New Roman font...

Is this what JungMi always imagined it would look like? Did she hold it in her hands like he is now and just admire its existence like he is now?

He can't resist turning to the first page and reading the first few paragraphs:

One thing that NamJoon understands in life is that everything happens for a reason. The universe is not as chaotic or sporadic as people view it to be, but rather runs by an orderly, pre-planned agenda that occurs at the worst possible times; not chaotic, but ironic.
It is a law that every average man knows, but takes the openest of minds to accept. NamJoon didn't know it then, but he does now. He realizes the events beforehand on that chilly day were leading him there; the place, he could say, where he learned right from wrong.

Before he can resist his temptation, his eyes are already reading the next paragraph until he's turning the page. Then he reads page after page, which turns into chapter after chapter breezing by. The book was still open and within reading view whenever he had to grab something to eat. He didn't intend to spend most of the day reading, but he's already halfway through so he can't imagine stopping now.

By the time he nears the end of the book, the sun has already set. He finished packing all of his travel necessities sometime during the day, but the book is still not packed. When he reaches the last page, it feels as though he just lived an entire lifetime...

It's strange... her book seems to end unresolved. The story doesn't have a proper ending, as if the story hasn't completely ended yet; as if it's still happening but she doesn't know what happens next.

But she seems to conclude the story on a reflective note with hope for a future for the two characters.

A person can change another person. Meeting you made me realize this.

NamJoon closes the book after reading it from cover to cover, "What a beautiful story..."

On the back of the cover, JungMi had written her message in marker in bold letters with her signature at the bottom of the page.

He reads the note from JungMi and treasures every word for every ounce of sincerity she put in:

Let this book stand as physical proof that you made my day even brighter by coming to my book signing. :) I'm so glad you love the book and your support is very cherished.
I hope to see you again in the future so we can talk about some more books.
To my biggest fan.
Lee JungMi.