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

20. DNA

“Urin jeonsaengedo

Ama daeum saengedo

Yeongweoni hamkkenikka~”

Kim Namjoon was in the midst of strolling down the well-lit pathway leading to his favorite childhood park, whistling the tune of their latest music video. The rapper had managed to score a couple of days off to see his family for the Chuseok holidays and so far, everything had been perfect until a bumbling figure had crashed right into him and shattered his reverie.

He looked down in surpise to meet Hong Ji Ah’s wild gaze, eye shadow smeared around the corners of her eyes, hair disheveled and body heaving with breathlessness. “Woah there! Who’re you trying to outrun, the Flash?”

Ji Ah didn’t answer and sensing the fatigue wafting off her trembling frame, Namjoon guided her into the serene park, mostly deserted and peaceful. A few kids milled about, engrossed in their own games and paying the two adults no attention, something the rapper was thankful for. Steering the silent videographer towards a bench secluded by tall trees and a giant swing set, he pushed her down gently and occupied the space beside her. Ji Ah made no move to speak and Namjoon sighed. “The fact that you’re in Ilsan…I take it you’re here to see your family?”

No answer. Ji Ah just stared at the ground, her fingers tightly entwined. The nightfall was a beautiful amalgamation of twinkling stars speckling the horizon, a light wind blowing across the park and rustling twigs and leaves. Namjoon glanced at her, never before having caught Ji Ah in such a vulnerable state. After a few minutes of deadening silence, the rapper finally decided to speak again. “You have snot running down your nose, you know.”

It worked. Ji Ah instantly whirled towards him, her fingers exploring her face as she glared in his direction. “I most certainly do not!”

“At least you’re not moping anymore,” he chuckled softly and Ji Ah found her annoyance ebbing, slipping away with the last vestiges of her irritation. Namjoon smiled at her and she felt a twinge in her chest which wasn’t quite related to the argument with her parents. He didn’t speak further, just letting her collect her thoughts and the videographer couldn’t help the gratitude she felt for this small act of consideration on his part.

It was Ji Ah’s turn to break the silence. “Namjoon…how had your parents reacted when you told them you wanted to pursue music?”

If Namjoon attributed the sudden question to her decision to visit her family, he didn’t show it. Instead, he rubbed his nose, stroking his chin as he contemplated an answer. “My mother asked me to give her three good reasons why she should allow her perfectly intelligent and scholarly son to run off and become a rapper,” he stated with such a serious face that Ji Ah couldn’t help but laugh in a low voice. She didn’t doubt this fact at all, knowing Namjoon’s mother well. “I told her that I would make it and that if I didn’t, I would return and dive into my books and notes and continue studying. That seemed to be good enough for her. It wasn’t difficult to convince my dad after this; he always had a soft spot for my mother’s decisions and a softer spot for me,” he finished with a smirk and Ji Ah punched his arm playfully.

Namjoon laughed with her, carefully weighing his next question. “How was it?”

Ji Ah sighed, sinking into the bench and rubbing her palms. “Not even five minutes in and everything tumbled down like a house of cards,” she replied quietly, averting her gaze. “I thought I could do it but I think I was wrong.”

“You weren’t,” Namjoon stated firmly and Ji Ah blinked at the conviction in his voice. “You weren’t wrong. And your parents…Ji Ah, you need to understand that they were worried about you. That’s what parents do. They worry even if it stifles their children.”