03

Silence.

You both sit there in complete silence - save for the consistent buzzing of the radio - as you get farther out of the city, and of your acrylic nails tapping against the steering wheel.

With not much option, you suffer internally for what seems like aeons while Namjoon relaxes into his seat after discarding his vest above the headrest.

This exact moment reminds you of the times you've had to drive him home whenever he got drunk with his friends from college, the only difference is that he'd fill your ears with white noise and make you slightly giddy as if you had taken a shot with him.

Your eyebrows contract like thunder, and he thinks about what's gotten you so stressed back in his parking lot a few minutes ago. When he catches sight of your tensed shoulders and the tight grip you have around the steering wheel, he ought to ask. "Y/N, what's the matter with you?"

You almost shudder at his voice, suddenly feeling a chill run down your spine. Not to mention the uncomfortable feeling down your feet, trapped in black Stilettos. You wish you could take them off and throw them out the window. You aren't used to driving with heels but you don't really have much of a choice when you're driving your Boss.

"Everything is good, Sir." You answer him, not removing your focus away from the road and you feel his stare on the side of your face as he egged further.

"Am I making you nervous?"

Yes.

"No, Sir."

"But why can't you look at me?"

"I'm driving."

"It doesn't take five seconds to look at me."

With that, you finally snap your head towards him, fighting the urge to roll your eyes. You're confused about his behavior since this morning the second you walked inside his office. "Is this okay?" You gulp, hoping your tone didn't come out as disrespectful.

"Miss Park, I want you to look me in the eyes when you're talking to me." He demands, eyes narrowed and jaw slightly clenched.

You take your bottom lip in between your teeth to prevent saying something you'll regret. You've never thought about pissing him off under any circumstances, let alone when you're about to resign from the Company.

"I-I... Yes, Sir," You stumble over your words, and when you bring your eyes back in front of you, a car suddenly passes you from your right at a low speed.

"Ah!"

You swiftly step on the brakes and swerve the vehicle to the side of the road before your vehicle can make contact with the oncoming traffic in the fast lane.

You don't have time to think about yourself or process a word out of your mouth as you snap your head to the man beside you in alarm. "Sir! Are you alright?" You reach for your seatbelt, almost jumping out of your seat to check on him.

Just when you're sure he's alright and don't see any scratches on his face, you release a sigh of relief.

"Y/N... Shit. You're bleeding," he goes to inspect your face, grabbing your jaw with an intense hold. "Shit," he hisses. "I need you to keep your eyes open," He tells you and you start to see the panic on his face as he watches the blood trickle down your forehead.

"Y/N, I need you to relax, okay?" You can't seem to understand what the hell he's talking about, and all you can focus on is the movement of his mouth, his fearful eyes, the texture of his skin under the bright hour, and his voice that starts to drown out your senses.

Gosh, you're out of your mind.

Literally.

Because the last thing you remember is him shouting something.

✧ ✦ ✧

"You what?!"

"Namjoon, you're an asshole."

"Son, you've put her life in danger," You slowly flutter your eyes open to the loud chatters and murmurs around you.

"Mom, my life was in danger too! Why aren't you guys asking me if I'm okay?"

"Well, maybe because you're still standing perfectly fine and not in that bed with Y/N," you hear a familiar voice resound from the left side of the room. "Oh, shit. That sounded wrong. Forget I said that part."

"Both of you quit it!" A loud hiss causes you to knit your brows in confusion as you slowly look around, seeing your Boss with three other people that looked too familiar.

It's hard not to recognize Namjoon when he's standing tall beside a small lady with elegant clothes, and a tanned middle-aged man next to a much younger version of him. You're now fully aware that you're not at the hospital but the Kim's manor in Ilsan-gu.

They don't seem to notice your presence yet, with their backs to you. Thinking of a way to get their attention without being rude, you shift uncomfortably on the huge bed.

"Hyung! If you've got nothing important to say, you may leave the room now. Miss Park needs rest—"

Just when you thought you couldn't be more stealth with your actions, a loud beeping sound catches their attention and they immediately turn in your direction, eyes wide.

"Y/N, sweetie! Oh my, have you been awake all this time?" The ecstatic woman rushes to your side, and pulls you in a bone-crushing embrace. "Goodness! What on Earth got in my son's mind when he asked you to-"

"It's alright, Mrs. Kim." You interrupt her, not wanting to remember the embarrassing interaction you had with your boss. Speaking of your Boss, you meet Namjoon's gaze across the room, and the warmth on your cheeks creeps return for the hundredth time today.

Guilt is written all over his face and you understand by the way he sends you an apologetic nod that he feels responsible for what happened. It wasn't exactly your fault when the reckless driver switched to the fast lane at a slower speed while you were going over 65 mph.

But you don't blame anyone for that matter, not even yourself for taking your eyes off the road for even a few seconds. There are just bad drivers out there and it can happen to anyone, even the one with the most awareness.

"Mom, that's enough. The accident won't be the one killing her," another familiar man emerges from behind and a wide grin automatically makes its way to your face.

"Jin."

"Hey, gorgeous. Miss me?" Mrs. Kim detaches herself from you and the man you haven't seen for a while now, greets you with a subtle peck on the cheek. Out of anyone's peripheral, Namjoon crosses his arms against his chest at the unpleasant sight in front of him.

Why the hell have you never smiled that big in front of him?

You giggle when you finally come face to face with the older Kim sibling. "It's good to see you too."

"Yeah, yeah. I know I'm all you think about," he teases, causing you to chuckle. It's good to know Kim Seokjin hasn't changed a bit; still the same man you met years ago when Namjoon first brought you to a family gathering. He was nice enough to entertain you while easing your nerves.

"How come you never visit me anymore?" He asks, knowing the exact reason why. You would never drive casually up here without Namjoon. Yes, you were close with his family, but you'd never want to cross any lines.

Work and personal life should always be separate.

That's what he taught you when you first started working for him, and you made the mistake of telling your ex-boyfriend where you happened to work. Long story short, the poor guy showed up on Valentine's Day with flowers and went as far as doing a dramatic performance inside the lobby. Fate wasn't on your side and Namjoon happened to see it before you did, having him kicked out with a bunch of Securities.

Years ago you'd feel bad about it, but Namjoon technically saved you from a potential two-timer.

"Why would she visit you? She doesn't have an obligation," Namjoon, who has been quiet ever since your consciousness came back, clears his throat.

"Someone's being a grumpy old man," Jin retorts.

"You're older than me," Namjoon scoffs, making his way next to your bed. You avoid his gaze and stare at the fancy coated wallpaper surrounding the entire room. It's definitely better than the sight of hospital walls, you think.

"Gentlemen, I think that's enough for today. Y/N has to rest. Let's postpone this at the dinner table," Mr. Kim finally says, tugging Jin towards the bedroom door, Mrs. Kim following behind. The old man is usually friendly with you, but he has noticed your nervous state and his younger son's concern for you.

With one last glance before he shuts the door to leave you and Namjoon, he mumbles a word to you."I hope you can join us for dinner, Y/N."

Feeling grateful for his kindness towards you, you reply with a polite bow until you're finally left alone with Namjoon as he stands on his spot at the edge of your bed. You don't get to open your mouth when he beats you to it.

"Y/N, I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

"There's no need to apologize, it's no one's fault," You tell him honestly, returning his apologetic gaze.

"No, this wouldn't have happened in the first place if I only hadn't let you drive."

You don't know what to feel after hearing him say those words. Maybe a little offended that he doesn't trust your driving, but of course, you won't tell him that so you stay silent, and cast your eyes down to your hands.

"Are you feeling any kind of pain?" Namjoon's voice softens as he looks over your figure. Your back is leaned against the headboard, half of your body covered by the heavy blankets layered on top of each other.

"Tell me if you're hurting somewhere... I'll try to make it better," he mumbles before tossing the extra pillows onto the carpet.

"I think I'll be fine, Sir. Thank you," you thank him, suddenly embarrassed that he has to care for you. You follow his every move with your eyes, licking at your chapped lips and parched throat.

When he notices your stare, he rushes to you with a glass of water. "Drink up. The doctor said you need at least a week to fully recover, then they'll see if there are any other complications," he informs you before settling on the mattress. You feel his presence by the weight added onto the bed, but it's enough to put distance between the both of you.

"A w-week?" The liquid inside your mouth threatens to be let out, but you force it back down your throat with a harsh gulp. "Sir, isn't that a bit too much? I feel perfectly fine now. We still need to do the interviews for the position—"

"You're still worried about that when we almost got in an accident?" he sighs, running a hand through his slicked-back hair.

"Sir, I'm completely fine," you reassure him, unaware of the slight raise of your voice. "Look, I can even stand on my own," you kick the heavy material off your body in an attempt to stand up when the sudden feeling of dizziness causes you to stumble forward.

This is another embarrassing story to tell your kids someday.

You curse yourself internally and wait for the impact on your frail body, but instead, you feel strong arms wrap around your sides, just under your breast bone.

He doesn't notice what his touch stirs inside your mind and your stomach. "You never listen to me, do you?" Namjoon hisses, his warm breath brushing against the side of your ear, causing intense warmth all over your body as your heavy breaths try to catch rhythm. You don't know if this is only part of a hallucination you never imagined to be in.

You attempt to push yourself away from him, but to no avail, "You know how much I hate it when you disobey me, Y/N."

"Sir—"

"You're still my employee, after all. I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon."

two updates in one week? I'm on a roll XD