on patrol | vol. i ✓

CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN.

Namjoon sighs for the umpteenth time in the last hour or so. He's standing in front of Seokjin's apartment, a single rose in his hand. He's looked through perhaps hundreds of different bouquets to find the perfect one, but he couldn't get himself to feel comfortable holding a giant bouquet filled with colorful petals and luscious leaves. So he settled for a single rose with a white ribbon tied around it.

"Pull yourself together, Kim Namjoon," he says quietly to himself, wiping the sweat off his palms on his pants. He's honestly freaking out and none of the breathing exercises seems to be calming his nerves. "You can do this," he finishes his internal prep talk before finally knocking against the door in front of him. He waits impatiently for it to open, and when it does, he's taken back by the sight of a complete stranger.

"...Who...I'm sorry, isn't this Kim Seokjin's apartment?" Namjoon asks with forced calmness, trying to peer behind the man. The man is watching his now, his ridiculously high nose held high and his big eyes studying every inch of his face.

"It is...but who are you?"

"Is Seokjin here?" Namjoon asks instead of answering the man, slowly growing agitated by the tone of the stranger's voice. Who is this man and why is this man inside Seokjin's apartment? Is this perhaps Seokjin's...fling? New boyfriend? A date? God, it could be anything, and he's starting to panic now.

"Depends," the man answers, looking to be challenging him. Namjoon grits his teeth, wondering if he should just push past the man. He has no idea who he is, but he's not enjoying the rather authoratative (dickish) behavior, especially when it feels like the rest of his life's happiness is at stake.

"Who's at the door?"

Namjoon cranes his neck when he hears Seokjin's voice coming from inside the apartment.

"Seokjin!" he calls out and watches as the door opens wider to reveal Seokjin standing besides the stranger.

"Oh...hi," Seokjin says softly as he takes a small step back, and it hurts Namjoon to see that expression on the other man.

"I know you said you needed time. But I wanted to just give you this to let you know I meant everything I said," Namjoon begins calmly, handing the teacher the rose he had been holding. Seokjin takes it tentatively, his lashes fluttering as he holds onto the flower. The officer had originally planned on having a long talk with the man to persuade him of his feelings, but he's seeing that this isn't the right time, considering the stranger present. He has a lot of questions, but he's not about to push it. Not now. For today, he's just going to have to hope that he gets his message across to Seokjin.

Seokjin bites his lower lip and looks down, unsure of what to say, and Namjoon doesn't stand around waiting for a response either. He nods curtly and turns on heels to leave, and Seokjin lets the man walk away. Seokjin watches Namjoon disappear into the hallway and holds the rose closer to his chest. He hadn't expected the man to actually come all the way to his apartment, with a flower no less, and now his chest just...hurts.

"Is that him? He's cute," his friend Jaehwan comments as they walk back into the apartment. Seokjin rolls his eyes before staring at the rose in his hands. How...Namjoon-like, he thinks. So simple yet...not without a sense of grace and depth. A flower so bold in color yet understated...

"You know," Jaehwan continues, sprawling across the couch. "I wasn't all that convinced before but...I think he really likes you."