Reversed

☆28☆

"Your roommate Gina came into the shop earlier tonight. Minnie told me you were off for a while due to your sister's death, but Gina was the one who told me you were coming to a concert. Is this how some people grieve?" He smiled in a teasing way and it made Nari laugh.

"Yes, Jun, this is how some people grieve." She stepped down a few steps to his level and the pair began their walk down the street. "Actually, I came in my sister's memory. She loved this group. The ticket to tonight's concert was hers but I knew she would want me to go in her place since she couldn't."

"Ah. I think that's very thoughtful of you. I'm sure she's happy to see you enjoying the concert. That is, if you did enjoy it." Jun grinned and stuffed his cold hands into his coat pocket. He felt almost silly for being here but he hadn't been able to properly convey his condolences to his friend and coworker after the passing of her sister. When her roommate came into the shop and mentioned Nari was alone at a concert, he figured she would be going home alone as well. He felt it was a good time for the two of them to talk and for him to pay his respects.

"I did enjoy it, actually. It was fun. I think I understand a little of what my sister saw in those guys." She smiled shyly and buried her face in her scarf.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. I'm sorry to just surprise you like this but I didn't want you walk home alone and then I also wanted to tell you how sorry I am for your loss. I'm sure your sister meant a great deal to you. Were you close?"

"Yes. Terribly. But we did have different tastes in music, obviously." Nari laughed softly and blinked back tears. "I'm good, Jun. Really. I'm coming to terms with it a bit more each day."

Jun nodded slightly as they slowly walked down the street. Traffic was bad, some of it due to the concert but most of it just due to the business of the city. Two black vans slowly slid past them and he could have sworn he saw someone looking at them from the windows. He shrugged and put the thought into the back of his mind. Probably just his imagination anyway. "How long will you be off?"

Nari breathed deeply and her breath floated out into the air as a white cloud when she released it. "Well, I have a few things to do next week so I will be at work a few days but not the entire week. Why? Are you planning on missing me?" she teased with a giggle.

Jun blushed in the darkness. "I think we will all miss you. It's quiet when you aren't there. We have to use the recorded music then." He smiled and glanced over at the girl next to him. Her dark hair swirled around her shoulders, cascading down from under her beanie. She looked tired, probably from everything she'd been through recently, plus going to a full scale concert tonight.  His heart was torn.  Ria's face drifted across his mind and he stuffed his hands further into his pockets.  No, he was not ready.  She had left too big of an ugly raw hole in his heart. 

Nari felt his eyes on her and she cleared her throat.  She liked Jun.  After all, it was very sweet of him to come all that way just to make sure she got home safely.  However, she had no desire to be someone's rebound girl.  She was happy being single and just enjoying her student life for a few more years before being catapulted into the fierce job market.  She wanted something big but the entertainment industry actually made her very nervous.  The most she could ever hope for was a music teaching job in a school somewhere.  She was content with that thought to be honest.

The couple walked on in silence in the cold air, both lost in the recesses of their own pitiful thoughts.

* * *

Taehyung crawled out of the van first, wincing in pain as he stretched a bit to try and work out the pain in his back.  He shook his head slightly and then pasted on a smile as the others followed behind him.  "I'm whooped.  My bed is calling me," he laughed, trudging into the dorm building.