𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃

23 | blue moon

Saying it out loud like this, somehow lifts an invisible weight off my shoulders and she glares ahead silently. It's enlightening in a way, hearing my own voice admitting it. It's almost as if I'm finally convinced that I made the right decision for myself. I draw in a breath, my hand on the wheel, while the other rests on the window. I notice Nox from the corner of my eye taking out a Rothmans cigarette from her purse, the same blue package that Taehyung gave her earlier and I laugh quietly.

She lifts a cigarette to her mouth, but right before she lights it, I stop her, "Can you not? We're in a closed space and I don't want to inhale the smoke."

"Oh, okay." She squeaks and puts the cigarettes back into her purse. "You know, I was relieved too."

"If you weren't relieved after dumping that prick it would be concerning."

"Why did you break up with her?" She asks. "If you don't mind me asking that is."

I sigh. "Long story short, we fought a lot, made up a lot and drank a lot."

"Nice."

"She nearly broke a plate on my face, so there's that."

"Not nice."

"But I still love her." I tell her. "Actually, let me rephrase that. I love the person I thought she was."

And I miss that person.

"Yep, I feel you." She mutters. "It's hard to fall out of love with an illusion. Because, when you first lay your eyes on them, the first thing you'll notice is the surface. Looks truly are deceiving and they distract you from seeing what's actually lurking underneath. You fall in love, you want to get to everything there is to know about them and yet all you see is this; a picture you painted with the lies you tell yourself because in your head you've sculpted this perfect human being that you believe is deserving of all the love, you're willing to give and more, when in reality they're empty inside. They claim they love you when they don't even know how to love. All they know is pain, so all they can give you are scars and bruises."

I pull over at a neighborhood where small shops and an Apple store is right up ahead and Nox looks at me in confusion.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Well, if I didn't, I would never grow up." She says swiftly. "I was a stupid kid and I let myself get deceived."

"No, you weren't stupid." I say firmly. "You were young and all of it was out of your control."

"Yeah, especially the part where he would beat up my brother."

Damn, he really did a number on them. Fuckers like him deserve to rot in jail right where they belong. In a place where they can show their true colors instead of hiding behind closed doors. "No matter what happened, you're still here and away from him okay? Don't blame yourself for what he did to you."

"But I can't help but feel guilty." She mumbles. "I was the one who let him in, in the first place. I'm held accountable for some of the damage if not all of it."

"Look where you are Nox."

"I'm in a car with you in some creepy looking neighborhood."

"Smartass," I laugh and she gives me a small smile. "What I'm trying to say is that you're independent and you're making your own money. You give the best massages that give boners and you're a fucking manager at an apartment and you work so many jobs, I can't keep count. You're saving up money for your brother's college fees, instead of getting a loan or depending on some other source of income. You're more capable than you give yourself credit for."

Now it's her turn to laugh and she shakes her head, before sweeping her strawberry blonde hair away from her face. "Thanks, Jimin."

"You're welcome." I chuckle. "Now get out of my car."

"Pardon me?"

"You owe me a beer." I say. "The convenience store is right across the street."

Soon enough, Nox gets out of the car and crosses the street in her high heels. When she returns with two cold Blue Moons in a plastic bag, I start the engine and it doesn't take long until we reach Sunleth Street. Once we both are out of the vehicle, I lock up. Nox tosses me one of the bottles and I catch it midair. Together, we walk towards the apartment and I notice a black shinai bag hanging on the gate. There's a green Post It note on it.

"What the hell is that?" Nox inquires, reaching out for the bag when I retrieve it.

"It's a kendo shinai." I explain to her.

"Did you order it?"

"No, it belongs to me."

"Okay, so why is it out here?" She asks.

"My ex brought it here." I reply. "I wonder how she knows where I live. I never told her my address."

"Okay now that's creepy." She says in a sing song voice.

I remove the note from the bag and read it.

You didn't want to answer my texts and you didn't want to talk to me earlier (and for good reason). I asked that guy you hang out with, you know the sleepy one with the dark circles to drop this off for me.

Evelyn

"No, it's not like that. Apparently, she saw Yoongi somewhere and she asked him to drop it off." I tell her. "I was harsh to her earlier."

"You're starting to get soft Seven." She mewls. "Don't let her get to you."

"She's not that type of girl."

"If you say so." She punches the password at the gate and it makes a sound that indicates that it's unlocked. We pace inside the safe premises of our apartment complex and Nox clinks our beer bottles without even having opened them.

"What was that for?"

"Cheers Seven, to becoming better versions of ourselves." She coos. "As much as I would love to sit out here and drink with you, I'm afraid I'll have to say goodnight, because I have shit to do early in the morning."

"Okay, goodnight Nox."

"Night Seven." She says with a contagious grin. "Don't drink too much though. I don't want to deal with that kind of trouble again."

"Nox just tell me, what did I do?"

"Fine." She huffs. "You said I was beautiful and that you wanted a blowjob. That was a beautiful sentiment, if I say so myself. Good luck sleeping now while thinking of this."

What now?

"Are you serious?"

She smirks as she walks towards her apartment. "I have no reason to lie to you."