IQ148 // namjoon ✔️

__DECEMBER__

Her teeth chattering indicates otherwise, but she ignores it.

HyunSeok now understands the meaning of her sudden change in appearance: she's trying to impress someone, and she's trying to look like how she did before.

His heart flutters at the thought that maybe, just maybe... She's dressed up and talking to him again because she had a change of heart. But HyunSeok quickly brushes the idea away before a seed of hope plants itself in his heart.

If she was doing it for him, she wouldn't have cut her hair. She mentioned that she used to keep it short so she cut her hair to look like how she was years ago...

She's trying to look like the last time the boy with an IQ of 148 saw her. She's trying to look timeless like she hasn't changed at all over the past year, but while also flaunting her new sense of self-discovery and confidence that she's built up over the past year. She wants to subtly show how she's grown as a woman while also remaining the same person HyunSeok is sure the boy with an IQ of 148 fell in love with...

How is HyunSeok so sure that it's love?

The fire he sees in her eyes...

It fills her with a certain warmth that was absent when he stumbled upon her one gloomy day at Ttukseom Park.

Love can do that to a person: fill them with warmth.

When HyunSeok turned to see JungMi, suddenly it didn't feel like winter anymore.

And since JungMi doesn't seem to mind the cold just so she can dress to impress, HyunSeok can be sure that JungMi is in love with this NamJoon character.

"I just... felt like dressing up today," JungMi further justifies her attire, or lack thereof.

"Well? How do I look?" She asks nonchalantly as she does a small twirl.

HyunSeok stuffs his hands in the pockets of his khaki work pants and relaxes his posture as JungMi turns for him to see her full outfit. He can't help but smile as she lifts up the middle of her skirt and expands like a blooming flower.

When he doesn't respond for a long time and just continues staring at her, JungMi's smile falters; there's still some lingering feelings on his part. She laughs nervously and abruptly stops her antics, making HyunSeok realize he's been staring too long.

He takes a sharp intake of air and runs a hand down his face, "You look... amazing as always."

"Thank you, HyunSeok..." JungMi says. She heaves a heavy sigh and fixes her hair one last time, "I'll just be in the back room..."

HyunSeok nods in acknowledgement, "Alright."

Silently, JungMi bows her head as she disappears into the door frame leading to the courtyard. HyunSeok resists watching her walk away and tries to focus back on the task of storing away the new supply of books on the shelves.

JungMi explores the courtyard again like she's rediscovering something she used to be so acquainted with. Although she was just here a few months ago for the book signing, it's the first time in a long while that she's able to enjoy a visit to the bookstore.

She's been to bookstores across the country throughout her book tour and she's scheduled to visit many more, but none of them have succeeded in matching the ambience of the Daeo Bookstore.

Perhaps it's the bookstore's tranquility...
Perhaps it's Daeo's serenity...
Perhaps she's being biased...

She cuts straight through the courtyard and levitates to the doorway of the back room. The bookshelves cast shadows on the floor that act as stepping stones for JungMi to walk across.

She walks through the shadows until she steps foot in the light seeping in from the window, the only source of light for this tiny room.

She stares out the window for a bit, standing at the end of the aisle. She remembers staring out that window all the time and making up stories about every person who passed her line of view. She could see everything; nothing was blocked from view.

She could see everything but everything felt out of reach. Some days she would feel like a prisoner staring out through the cell bars. The bookshelves, holding the things she loves most, felt like walls that sheltered her with false security.

Beneath the window is the corner where she sat; the corner that always kept her safe from the outside world when she wasn't strong enough to face reality. Where she learned what it means to love.

And her heart will always be in that corner.

But she doesn't feel like sitting.

She feels like standing today.

JungMi re-emerges from the back room and steps back into the courtyard. She realizes that many things have been moved around and rearranged: the stacks of books, the clay kimchi pots, the red CD player, the wooden table and stools.

HyunSeok must have tidied up the place in her absence.

Even the historic monument that withstands time is not resistant to change.

JungMi leans against the wooden table and takes out her phone. She pulls up NamJoon's contact with his new phone number saved.

1:37 PM
Fri, Dec 8
________________________________
JOON

Offline

NamJoon
Is this really your number?
Delivered 1:31

Please call me!
Delivered 1:37

Please answer me.
Delivered 1:45

Your new album is amazing.
Delivered 1:52

NamJoooooooon!!!
Delivered 2:00

Please call me.
Delivered 2:11

I need to hear your voice...
Delivered 2:28

________________________________

There's no response to her texts and she ends up standing in the middle of the courtyard long after.

But she doesn't lose hope.

=====

"You... you what?!" NamJoon outbursts as his manager hands back his phone to him, "Why didn't you tell me?!"

He had been wasting away his morning searching every nook and cranny in the dorm trying to find his phone. He thought he lost it and dropped it somewhere, but he finds out now that his manager had his phone the entire time.

"We had to change your phone number right away," The manager grabs NamJoon's limp hand and makes him grip around the mobile device after he hadn't made a move to take it back, "You were getting non-stop calls and weird messages from an unknown number. We didn't want to risk your number getting leaked if it was a crazy, stalker fan who got possession of it."

NamJoon huffs in annoyance and he begrudgingly accepts his phone back and unlocks it. He hurriedly opens his messenger app to see that whatever thread of texts his manager is talking about had already been deleted.

He looks back up at his manager, "What did the messages say?"

"Just what you would expect from a stalker fan who's found their idol's phone number," His manager scoffs as he recalls the messages from memory, "Stuff like 'is this really your number? Oh my gosh!' 'please call me!' 'I need to hear your voice!' 'please answer me!' and 'i love your new album!'"

NamJoon sighs. He wanted to try and visit the bookstore today before rehearsals later, but before he could leave he noticed his cellphone was missing. He was searching for hours before his manager walked in and held his phone out to him. Now NamJoon has to start heading to dance practice. There's no time to visit the bookstore now...

"All your contacts from before should be saved. Don't worry." His manager tries to reassure him.

"No, it's not that..." NamJoon sighs in defeat as he shoves his phone into his pant pocket.

"I was expecting a call from someone..."