One shots (Namjun):
The early evening London streets were crowded, filled with horse drawn carriages which were taking people home after a long day of work, or beggars who were begging for money.
A young lamplighter was pedaling through the evening chaos, determined to get home after a long day of turning on and off lamps, just wanting to write in his journal.
He had light brown hair and green eyes, and was tall, standing somewhere over 180.3 centimeters, even taller than his father.
His name was Namjun Kim- the only son of Seokjin and Penelope Kim, along with the grandson of Anthony Heart, a famous English professor at a prestigious University.
He also had a younger sister named Adela, who was seven years younger than him, but she was currently at boarding school, so he didn't see her that often.
He missed having her around, sure, but he knew that she enjoyed boarding school, and didn't want to take her away from her friends.
At least one of them was enjoying their life.
He signed, before beginning to slow his peddling down, once he reached his street, thankfully losing the large crowds.
He didn't want to be a lamplighter, and felt trapped in his life- trapped in his fathers expectations of him.
His father was a lamplighter before him; before he retired from the job completely, and started working as a bartender full time.
The twenty three year old took over his fathers place when that happened- he was only sixteen at the time, but knew right away that it wasn't the life for him.
He wanted to be a famous poet someday- in fact, he loved writing, and wrote poetry in his journal at night, waiting until his parents were fast asleep.
He knew that they would never accept his dream of being a poet- or at least his father wouldn't, since he had the same expectations for him since he was born.
He wanted him to become a lamplighter like how he was, but Namjun already knew that wasn't the life for him.
He knew, though, that his mother and grandfather would support his dreams, but didn't want to bother them, since he was raised to be independent.
He still lived with his parents though, which definitely wasn't a good look for someone his age, but they were getting older- in their late forties- and he wanted to help take care of them.
His thoughts were interrupted by yelling, which was coming from the astrology center that was down the street from them.
"GET OUT!" He heard an older man yell out, before he pushed a young woman, who looked around his age, out of the shop, and onto the streets.
They made eye contact, ice blue eyes meeting green ones, before she just shook her head, beginning to walk down the alleyway; her back to him.
He just blinked a couple times, before he sighed again, getting off his bicycle, and propping it up against the side of the apartment building, next to his fathers.
He then walked into the back door of the apartment complex, disappearing inside the brick building.
If only he knew that the mysterious young woman was still looking at him.
----
Lily Andrews has loved astrology her entire life.
Her father was an astrologist himself, meaning that she grew up helping her father study the stars, and charting maps.
And she's always known that was the kind of job for her, but, unfortunately, she knew that she wouldn't be taken seriously.
I mean, she was a woman after all, and this was the late 19th century, meaning that there was no way that she would get a job at the astrology center that her father just so happened to work at.
She was right- she didn't.
In fact, she was kicked out that very night, and wasn't alone in the alleyway, since she made eye contact with a young man with gorgeous green eyes.
And she couldn't help but notice that his eyes were filled with sadness, like he wasn't content with his life- almost like there was a dream that he couldn't fulfill.
Which was exactly how she felt, with the fact that her dream was to study the stars and become a famous scientist.
But she knew, however, that those dreams would never come true, which was why she was interested in him.
There was something about him that she could relate to- she just didn't know what that was.
She was standing outside the astrology center a couple days later, her ice blue eyes staring at the door nervously, while her strawberry blond hair was pinned up on a bun on top of her head.
She raised her hand, ready to open the door again, when a friendly, and smooth sounding voice got her attention- in a good way.
"Aren't you going to get kicked out again?" The unknown stranger asked her, causing her to turn around, making eye contact with green eyes.
A small smile appeared on her face when she came face to face with the mysterious male from the other evening.
You know, the one that interested her.
"I'm Lily," she blurted out, sticking her hand out, and inviting him for a handshake.
"Lily Andrews."
He smiled back, before taking her hand and shaking it, introducing himself back.
"Namjun Kim."
Her eyebrows furrowed at his words, and she watched as he dropped her hand, before walking back towards where his bicycle was sitting.
"Namjun?" She pointed out, following him, since she wanted to learn more about him.
"That's an unusual name."
"My father's Korean," he replied, keeping his tone of voice calm, while picking his bicycle up.
"It's a tradition in his family for the male to name the first born child. He basically wanted my name to remind him of his parent's culture."
She just nodded, staying silent, while her ice blue eyes studied the small smile that was on his face.
"And your mother?"
She immediately started panicking, when she noticed the smile fade from his face, and how he started leaning against his bicycle.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I was just curious, and..."
"It's okay," he spoke up, placing his bicycle back against the brick, while his green eyes made contact with her ice blue ones.
"I don't mind really."
He went silent for a moment, almost like he was thinking over his next words.
"Her name's Penelope Heart. She married my father only four months after knowing him, and had me shortly after."
"Penelope Heart?" She asked back, her tone of voice laced with confusion, since she remembered that name.
"As in Anthony Heart's youngest daughter?"
"Yes. You know him?"
"My father used to be his coworker back at the University. He used to be a science professor, before he quit, getting a job at the astrology center."
She watched as he nodded, before he picked his bike up again, turning back towards her.
"Walk with me," he simply stated, his green eyes twinkling with excitement, causing her to smile, and nod in response.
They walked silently after that, through the crowded streets of London; the young woman accompanying him on his rounds across the city.
If only they knew at the time that this would bring them even closer together.
-----
"Why did you get kicked out of the astrology center?" He asked her, keeping his tone of voice calm, not wanting to offend her.
He's just finished his rounds across the city, meaning that they were on their way home, squinting in the afternoon sunlight.
"I wanted to get a job there," she responded calmly, almost like she wasn't affected by his question.
"But because I'm a woman, the owner turned me down, since he doesn't believe that I know what I'm doing."
"You want to be a scientist?" He asked again, honestly impressed by the young woman who was walking beside him.
"Of course I do, Namjun. I mean, my father was a scientist, along with my grandfather, and I was raised creating maps and mapping stars.
It's actually my dream to become a famous scientist someday."
They went silent after that, enjoying the comfortable silence, while enjoying each other's company.
"What about you?" She asked him, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes, watching as he remained collected and calm.
"What made you become a lamplighter?"
He remained silent for a couple minutes, making her concerned that she offended him again, but that turned out not to be the case.
"My father," he began, trying his hardest to keep his tone of voice calm, since he didn't want her to know how affected he was by this topic.
"He was a lamplighter before me, and wanted me to follow in his footsteps. He retired when I was sixteen, becoming a bartender full time, and I took his place."
"But you don't want that, Namjun. Do you?"
She could tell that her words were accurate, based on his reaction to her question.
His smile faded, and the sadness returned to his green eyes, telling her that her assumption was correct.
He didn't.
"I want to be an author; a poet in fact. I've always loved writing, and write in a journal every night.
But I know, Lily, that my father would never allow me to go down that path. My mother and grandfather maybe; but definitely not my father."
"Doesn't sound like he's very accepting," she muttered, wondering to herself what it was like to grow up with those kinds of parents.
Her father was accepting, thankfully, and accepted her decision to be a scientist, determined to help her reach her goals.
Which made her lucky in a way, but she also realized that Namjun didn't have that.
He never had that.
"He's not," the older male responded, continuing to push his bicycle beside him, even though his arms were slowly getting tired.
"At least when it comes to me he's not. He's accepting towards my younger sister, but I've always got the feeling that he liked her better than me.
I mean, he was never around when I was younger, always at work, claiming that he was the breadwinner of the family, needing to make money to support us.
But I couldn't help but wonder if he was cheating."
She took his hand after that, aware of how emotional he was getting, which made her sad in a way.
"You need love in your life, Namjun. Someone that will be there for you, by your side, helping you reach your dreams in life."
He smiled, before he stopped walking, causing her to stop walking also, looking at him with confusion.
Before she could say anything, however, he kissed her, not caring that they were only a couple feet away from his apartment building.
He just wanted to feel love.
"Thank you," he said once they pulled away, their foreheads pressed together, and their hands still connected.
"You don't know how much I needed to hear that."
They kissed again after that, the kiss passionate and slow; both parties taking their time, not wanting to rush things.
They promised to meet again the next morning, before going their separate ways, wide smiles on their faces.
If only they knew that his father watched them kiss from the apartment window.