IQ148 // namjoon ✔️

__NOVEMBER__

"Yeah... Yeah, a walk sounds nice..." NamJoon contemplates Yoongi's advice.

Maybe what NamJoon needs is to clear up his creative space. He's been working nonstop the past month and jumped from their schedules in America right back into the studio with very little time for himself anywhere.

He's been overworking himself and his brain is in desperate need of refreshing. His creativity needs revitalization, and that means stepping away from his work for a bit.

NamJoon didn't realize how much he needs a breath of fresh air right now...

=====

NamJoon used to be able to see leaves falling from trees as a topic for lyrics and could create melodies from the sound of the wind. He would pick up on the little nuances of the park and think about how they make him feel. His senses were continuously introduced to new feelings and thoughts. He used to be in awe and overwhelmed with inspiration from his surroundings. Ttukseom used to do that to him; it used to be that place that sparked a creative urgency, but not now.

He comes up with... Nothing...

He follows Yoongi's advice and goes for a walk at Ttukseom.
Nothing.

He tries riding a bike along the Han River.
Nothing.

He tries taking a bus ride to anywhere.
Nothing.

He rides the bus all through the whole circuit and passes all the bus stops until he's on the other side of the city. Still nothing.

NamJoon steps off the bus and immediately realizes where he's arrived without intending to: Gyeongbokgung Station.

He's arrived again at Seochon Village.

On his own accord, his feet guide him down the familiar path that he used to always walk. Perhaps it's because he hasn't visited in months, but it feels like he's walking this path for the first time all over again. NamJoon is the weary traveler who's returned from a long journey; America was a foreign land to him, and now he's returned to somewhere that's familiar. Somewhere along his journey he lost his inspiration, and now he's arrived at the hearth of his self-actualization to find himself once again.

NamJoon has always been drawn to the simple things in life; the little nuances that make the day different from yesterday or tomorrow, subtle wonders that make a place more memorable than here or there, tiny details that distinguish one from another. Despite all these things around him screaming for his attention, NamJoon pays attention to the little things that tend to stay in the background and merely... exist for its own existence.

NamJoon is one to take a second glance when he catches it passing in the corner of his eye.

It is based on this principle of NamJoon's character that he stops in the middle of the road when he sees a flash of a pale pink in the corner of his eye. 

Something about it makes NamJoon take a second glance...

A flower cart parked by the side of the road has caught his attention. The cart is a beautiful display of different assortments of flower arrangements. Each individual flower is so small on its own; Vibrant, colorful, lively, yet so small.

This is why NamJoon has always been so fascinated with the simplicity of life.

Something considered insignificant can hold so much significance. Flowers, which arguably do not affect the quality of life of an individual, are used as messages from one person to another.

But the bouquet of pink flowers that catches his eye stands out amongst the rest; perhaps because they are placed nearer to the front for pedestrians like him to be attracted to them first.