PRETTY SAD FOR A GIRL SO IN LOVE â bangtan series.
·.·â ïœĄïœ„:*Ë:â§ïœĄ you seem pretty sad for a girl so in loveâŠ
â a BTS theme series inspired by Olivia Rodrigoâs newest album. Each fic is loosely based on one of the songs and borrows the heart of itâ not necessarily its plotâ to create a new story centered around one (or more) members. While every fic can be read on its own, together they explore the many faces of love and heartbreak.
authorâs note: this took me way longer than it should. itâs my first time editing and doing a âthemeâ masterlist so iâm really excited about this!! i really hope you like it<3 Links will be added into the tittles once theyâre posted!!
ïœĄïœ„:*Ë:â§ïœĄ GIRL SO IN LOVE. . .
1. DROP DEAD â kim seokjin.
summary: It all started as a silly joke between friends. One harmless unimportant conversation, one name thrown into the mix, and one boring late-night search that shouldâve ended after a single Instagram post and not in thousand of hours stalking a famous idol. Looking back, maybe your feminine intuition already knew that the story wouldnât stop there⊠because once Kim Seokjin crossed your mind, it seemed impossible for the universe to keep him out of your life.
warning! â none.
2. STUPID SONG â min yoongi.
summary: As a songwriter youâve always trusted your words more than your feelings. Unfortunately, falling for Min Yoongi makes both impossible to ignore. Wanting someone so much that youâre lost for words was slowly driving you mad. And somewhere between studio sessions, late-night conversations, and one too many stupid songs that sound suspiciously alike, you begin to wonder if love is supposed to feel this wonderfully unbearable.
warming! â none.
3. HONEYBEE â kim taehyung.
summary: Moving into a new apartment wasnât supposed to change much of your life. Except, you moved next to Kim Taehyungâ a man whoâs always had a habit of making himself at home wherever he goes. Funny enough, neither of you noticed youâd been building one together all along.
warning! â none.
4. MAGGOTS FOR BRAINS â kim namjoon.
summary: You always thought people who couldnât function without their partners were being stupid and pathetic. That was until Namjoon leaves for tour, suddenly every song, every meal, and every quiet moment seems determined to remind you that youâve officially lost your mind. Nobody warned you that missing someone could feel like a full-time jobâ or that love had a way of making even the smartest people act a little stupid.
warning! â none.
5. U + ME = <3 â jung hoseok.
summary: Dating Jung Hoseok feels a little like breaking every rule youâve ever had about taking things slow. Between meeting his family, compatibility quizzes that insist youâre all wrong for each other, and a future that somehow keeps slipping into everyday conversations, you and Hobi are determined to prove everyone wrongâ even if it means falling a little too hard and a little too fast.
warning! â +18 (to be added).
6. MY WAY â park jimin.
summary: Youâve never considered yourself the jealous type. Petty? Maybe. But thereâs a difference between insecurity and watching someone repeatedly ignore the word âno.â As Jiminâs ex grows increasingly creative in her attempts to stay in his life, you find yourself running dangerously low on patience. You were determined to handle things like a mature adult⊠at least right up until the night you realize there are far more satisfying ways to remind someone exactly who he goes home with.
warning! â +18 (to be added).
7. PURPLE â jeon jungkook.
summary: Loving Jungkook feels like watching two pretty colors blend into something even more beautiful. The trouble is, once they become one, itâs hard to remember what they looked like apart.
warning! â +18 (to be added).
. . . PRETTY SAD ïœĄïœ„:*Ë:â§ïœĄ
8. THE CURE â jeon jungkook.
summary: You had dated enough men to know exactly when the doubt would start. The comparisons, the jealousy, the quiet certainty that eventually you would never be enough. Dating Jungkook had cured every fear you ever had about love. For the first time, loving someone didnât feel like drowningâŠ. Which only made it more terrifying when you realized the thing ruining your relationship wasnât himâ It was you.
warning! â +18 (to be added).
9. BEGGED â kim namjoon.
summary: Namjoon has always loved you the best way he knows how. Between late-night promises, postponed plans, and a man who always means well, youâre willing to be patient. After all, itâs a virtue to not let good love slip away. But itâs funny how easily patience can disguise itself as hope⊠You just never imagined that one day youâd find yourself wondering whether love should have to be asked for in the first place.
warning! â +18 (to be added).
10. WHATâS WRONG WITH ME â kim taehyung.
summary: Taehyung loves you exactly the way youâve always dreamed of being loved. So why does every morning feel a little heavier than the last? When doctors insist thereâs nothing wrong and even happiness starts to feel like an unbearable weight, youâre left wondering if the greatest love of your life might somehow be the very thing making you sick.
warning! â +18 (to be added).
11. LESS â min yoongi.
summary: You never imagined the person who loved you most would also be the one forced to let you go. But when every attempt to save your relationship only leaves you both hurting a little more, youâre left wondering if the cruelest kind of love is the one that knows when itâs time to end.
warning! â none.
12. EXPECTATIONS â park jimin/jung hoseok.
summary: After one heartbreak too many, youâve decided to raise your standards. Lucky for you, Park Jimin and Jung Hoseok seem determined to exceed them. Whether theyâre trying to impress you or simply outdo each other is still up for debateâ and while neither of them looks particularly promising as husband material⊠youâre beginning to suspect theyâd make an excellent team.
warning! â +18 (to be added).
13. CIGARETTE SMOKE â kim seokjin.
summary: Itâs strange how every memory of Jin seems to come in pairs: one that reminds you why you stayed, and another that quietly explains why you couldnât forever. The hardest part is deciding which one deserves to be remembered and which one will help you decide your future with him.
warning! â +18 (to be added).
UPDATE SCHEDULE:
ââ AUGUST
ââ SEPTEMBER
ââ OCTOBER
ââ first of all, i knowww yoongi is a piscis and taehyung gives paris but but you have to walk with me on this one okay? trust me that i know bts better than all of you cause weâre really close friends and iâve been really stressing the fuck out which song to chose for everyone so you better stfu. i only accept good criticism. anyway im actually shaking for this fics!! i really hope you guys like it. and let me know what you think about the theme and the short summary so far<33
could I ask for a BTS reacting to reader doing topless at the beach? thank you đ
(not a minor btw!!!!!!!!!)
a/n: Omg I appreciate you telling me you're not a minor!
warnings: mdni, 18+, boyfriend! BTS, dirty talk, these are hc, suggestive touching, pet names (baby, my love, etc.), public beach, nude beach, private beach, a boat, allude to bj, allude to m-st-rb-t-ng (f. rec), allude to smut, mentions of dumbification, all boys down bad, skinny dipping, teasing, etc.
wc: 1.7k+
[BE VERY AWARE, SMUT BELOW THE 'KEEP READING' TAG]
Namjoon - When you go topless, showing Namjoon your pretty tits, his mind blanks.
He knows deep down he should probably be worried about someone seeing you partially naked, or be smug to show you off to anyone who might see you, but Namjoon doesn't think.
He sees your breasts, and his mind shuts off, or better yet, goes into autopilot. He doesn't even give you a chance to reach for the sunscreen before his body is rolling on top of yours. The beach umbrella covers you both from the left, but Namjoon's body covers yours entirely as he finds his hips between your open plush thighs.
"Joon-" You can't even finish saying his name when you feel his cock harden, barely separated by his swimtrunks and your bikini bottoms. And then it's your turn to have your mind blank because Namjoon's lips are sucking one of your nipples into his wet mouth while his cock is throbbing against your covered, puffy folds.
He uses his tongue to flick, lick, and lap the nub until your eyes are rolling to the back of your head, and your fingers are threading into his hair to pull him closer.
He makes you forget where you are. The only reason you two came to this beach was to relax, and Namjoon now planned to do that while sucking on your pretty titties. Once he was satisfied that you were wet and wanting, he planned to drag you back to the car to fuck you stupid and take you home to do it again. He wasn't going to last long for this beach day, but he was going to make it up to you.
Jin - You're at the beach, but on Jin's boat, far out in the ocean. You can see the many colorful dots of people lounging around on the sand, waddling into the ocean, or walking to find a place to tan, and you're happy that you get the privacy of relaxing with your boyfriend alone.
You knew that he most likely brought you onto this trip so he could go fishing while still spending time with you, and you were more than happy to come along. You didn't always fish with your boyfriend; sometimes, you would take advantage of the small yacht to tan or read inside, enjoying the soft waves lapping at the boat as you got lost in your latest book.
Today, you decided to tan first.
Jin was barely two feet away from where you lay, his posture relaxed as the sun beamed down on both of you. It was a perfect day. And you hadn't even realized he was watching you and not the ocean when you slipped your top off, closing your eyes and sighing happily. Your hand was resting just under your breast, and you were about to move it to your side when Jin spoke up.
He's soft but firm as his eyes rake over you slowly, his tongue licking his lips as he hums. "Move your hand up."
You furrow your eyebrows, blinking over at your boyfriend in confusion until you see the way his eyes hood and his cock twitch under your gaze.
"I want you to touch yourself for me, Baby. Move your hands up."
Jin's eyes stay on your pretty tits, ready to show you another way to relax, waiting for you to follow his orders. And you're always so good at taking his orders.
Yoongi - The strings to your swimsuit are already undone as you lie on top of your beach towel. You're lying on your stomach, resting your head on your arms as the sun rays beam down on you, and you're pretty positive you could nap just like this.
Yoongi is lying right next to you, but in the shade of the beach umbrella you two brought. His hair was wet from the ocean after you two had been swimming around for an hour before, trying to spot little schools of fish, and now, after another layer of sun lotion was rubbed on you, you were tanning as your boyfriend took in the beautiful day.
Waves lapped at the shoreline, the clouds were fluffy in the sky, and for the amazing day it was today, hardly anyone was on the beach but the two of you. It was perfect, and Yoongi didn't think it could get any better until it was time for you to flip over.
Your pretty tits grab all of Yoongi's attention the moment you turn over, making his lazy grin turn into an amused smirk. "If you wanted my attention, Baby, all you had to do was ask."
His teasing made you grin, your eyes rolling playfully as you shook your head. But then Yoongi was leaning closer, his thumb brushing over one of your nipples, and making you suck in a breath as he chuckled.
"I think you should take a break from the sun, c'mere, let me help you cool off."
Hobi - The day was warm, the ocean was cool, and Hobi was spending his free day with you on the beach. He wanted to have you all to himself; the long days of his job keeping him busy and away had taken a toll on him, so any chance he could have with you, he was going to take it.
It's why he lugged the beach towels, the umbrella, the sunscreen, etc., while you took care of the picnic basket full of snacks and drinks for both of you to share.
Hours of sun, sand, and swimming had left Hoseok tanner, his smile brighter, and your eyes gleaming as he swam closer to you. You two weren't far from the shoreline, but you were far from people, and it's why you forwent your top.
Your giggles rang in his ears as Hobi's eyes took you in. You were wet, hair drenched with ocean water, droplets sliding down your neck and into the valley of your breasts before joining back into the ocean. Your smile was mischievous, a knowing sparkle swirling in your eyes as you took in the way Hobi's breath caught.
He had pulled you in closer, his hands brushing along the curve of your breasts as your own hand teased the top of his swim trunks. He wanted to know if you had taken your swim bottoms off, too, suddenly wishing he was home alone with you instead of on this beach as your hand slipped under his swimtrunks in the ocean to grab his aching cock.
If you wanted to play, then Baby, he'll play. His cock was already growing hard under your touch, his pupils dilating as you gave him another playful giggle.
Jimin - Jimin is just finishing setting up your spot on the beach when you take your top off.
You two had taken a drive to a little trail that led to a private beach. It was the perfect getaway after both of you had the busiest workweek and had finally made it to the weekend.
Good weather, and belting to your favorite songs with your loved one had cured multiple long days at your day job, and feeling the sand underneath your feet had revived the energy you hadn't realized was depleted until now.
And it's how you end up taking a leap, untying the strings around your back and neck, and allowing the thin fabric to slip off your body as you look back at Jimin with a grin.
He watched as your grin grew bigger, his shocked face amusing you to bend over and slip your swim bottoms off next. "Catch me if you can!" You taunted, and then you were off, racing into the ocean with him short-circuiting under the umbrella he had carried all the way here.
It takes him three blinks to realize what you've said, and then his grin matches yours, and his swim trunks are pooling at his ankles as he chases after you. Your laughter rings in his ears, pushing him forward, eager to hear it again.
Taehyung - The moment you are topless on the beach is the exact moment Taehyung contemplates how he can convince you to follow him back to the car.
He doesn't care if anyone sees you; if anything, it makes a confident and smug grin dance on his lips because you're his, and he's proud to show you off.
Honestly, he isn't above fucking you in front of everyone if that's what you want. And he does ask you as he kneels between your legs, dipping his head down to lick a stripe up the valley of your breasts with a sparkle in his eyes. "You want to play, Baby?"
His tongue swirls the question mark over one of your nipples, his teeth grazing the little nub just to see you whimper in response.
"Are you going to take everything off? Want me to help you?" His fingers play with the strings of your bikini bottoms, brushing along your inner thighs until his knuckles are dragging over your puffy folds. "I can use my mouth, if you'd like?"
Taehyung forfeits the idea of sneaking you into the car. You're the one who caused his cock to harden, twitching pathetically in his swimtrunks as he presses it into your thigh. Now, he expects you to solve it.
Jungkook - Any thoughts in his head disappear the minute you take your top off at the beach.
You two were here to enjoy the sunny day, a little beach weekend if you will, where you two had planned to laze about on the beach and do nothing else.
But Jungkook's plan to swim around is immediately put onto the back burner in his mind as you lie back on your beach towel, topless, and looking like his wettest dream. "Fuck you're gorgeous." Jungkook is brought to his knees, his hands reaching for your waist and sliding up your sides until he can cup your pretty tits in his hand.
"Babe, I'm just trying not to create any tan lines." You giggle and then gasp as his fingers pinch your nipples, pulling them softly until your cute cunt clenches needily in response.
"Yeah? Are you gonna strip completely naked then, and show everyone your pretty body?" His hands move down from your tits and over your stomach to your bikini bottoms, teasing the little strings keeping the fabric covering the one thing he wanted most right now. "Are you gonna show me your pretty pussy, too? I've always wanted to fuck you on the beach, Baby. Want me to fuck you right here, right now?"
ëë° - you made it to the end!
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Summary: The absence of their eighth soulmate weighing heavily, Bangtan decides to give up on their search until a familiar face pops up online.
Warnings: Ot7 x Reader, Soulmate AU, Autism, Eventual Smut and Angst
-
We never met, but she's all I see at night
Never met, but shes always on mind
Who is my heart waiting for?
If every day I think about her
Yeah, every day of my life
Then tell me why I haven't found her
Jimin's own voice rings back to him through the practice room, reverberating through him as he moves. Hoseok sits on the floor, leaning against the mirrored backing as he watches the fluidity of Jimin's efforts. Even on his worst days, he flows from one movement to the next. A transition so effortless you wouldn't think it's real. Years of watching, however, attune you to the readable quirks of a dancer. A jerk, a slump, a twitch. Jimin is out of it, and Hoseok knows why.
"Three days until tour." He says, eyes narrowing on Jimin's feet. They hit the next mark.
"I know that," Jimin replies coolly. He makes his next spot, holds the count, and continues.
"Not with that dancing you don't."
Jimin huffs back, but doesn't speak. His pace quickens.
"Slow down!" Hoseok calls, starting to clap the beat for Jimin. "I know you want it perfect, but you have to focus for it to be."
Jimin stops, arms in the air. "Stop." He runs to his phone to pause the music.
Never met, but she's always on my mind
"What?" Hoseok rolls his eyes. "Don't take it personal!"
Wanna give her the world and so much more
"Shut up!" JImin slams his phone down, turning back to Hoseok. "she's singing."
Who is my heart waiting for?
-
The Twitch stream Jungkook had on in the background caught his attention, making him look up to his monitor.
I'll take her places they ain't found yet
I'll put it all on the line
"I really like this song," the streamer muttered, focused on her own monitor. She kept singing along before hitting a boss. "Fuck."
He watched, logging out of TikTok and slumping into his chair more. He had nothing to do, preferring to give himself a few days of rest before starting a tour. Plus, a good way to brush up on his English was watching an American streamer. He'd watched this one a few times. Her more monotone voice made it easier to follow along.
The streamer looked over at her chat quickly.
"The song is Who by Jimin," She read aloud. "It's about looking for his soulmate." She and Jungkook nodded at the same time. He hummed in agreement at the comment. He remembered holding Jimin just a few weeks ago, both distraught over the emptiness they'd all started feeling. The weight of one missing part to themselves was starting to weigh heavy.
"Have you met your soulmate?" She read again, squinting down at the chat. Jungkook refocused on the stream. She leaned back in her chair, pausing the game as she shook her head.
"No, unfortunately." She looked around, avoiding the screen. "But!" she pointed at the chat, as if it were someone she knew. "I know a few things about them. I have that recessive trait where I get flashes randomly, and I can see what they're doing from their perspective." She nodded along with the chat, "Yeah, pretty lucky. Hopefully, I'll find him soon. At least, I think my soulmate is a him; the voice is deeper, and his hands seem pretty big." She talked quickly, looking away from the camera.
"Jimin has the same thing," Jungkook muttered to himself. He suddenly found himself in a bad mood, not wanting to think about their search anymore. Jimin had been more reserved lately, not having had a vision in the past few months. He thought back to the notebooks Namjoon had splayed across their coffee table, sitting on the floor as everyone crowded the couch, grilling Jimin about the visions as he sat in the middle. Hair color, voice, height, street names, the list could go on.
"What do you know about him? From the visions, I mean?" She repeated another comment. Jungkook watched her lean back again, thinking hard. He knew that look; the decision to tell anyone about the contents of a vision was hard. He watched Jimin make it over and over again. It was hard to hear that your soulmate lived in America, or that she only seemed to speak English. Jimin always knew it wasn't something that any of them wanted to hear, yet he always told them.
"I need to watch something else," he groaned, rubbing his hands over his welling eyes. He reached for the mouse.
Knock knock knock. In rapid succession on his studio door.
"Jungkook!" Jimin and Hoseok yelled. "Let us in!"
"What is it?" He called out, moving the click out of the stream. He really did not want to be reminded of his failures right now.
"He had a vision!" Hoseok banged on the door again. "Let us in now!"
Jungkook jumped up, knocking his chair down to the floor and rushing to open the door. "What did you see, baby?" He asked as soon as he saw Jimin standing there, cupping his face gently.
Jimin gasped, stumbling back from Jungkook's hold, "Her," and pointed to the monitor across the room.
-
You inhaled deeply. "Ok. I'll tell you what I know so far 'cause maybe you can help me." You stared at the comments as they rolled in, not wanting to look at the monitor. It was too much like looking into a person's eyes at times. Some days were better, but today wasn't one of them.
"I know that he lives in Korea. I've heard him speak Korean a few times before, and seen signs as he drives around sometimes. I also know that he likes to make beats or sing." Your voice rose up the slightest amount at the end. It was a question for you. You saw too many different things and different studios to narrow it down.
"Something along those lines, He's got some sort of studio thing he rents out or something." You lifted your hands up. "But that's all I've got. Everything else is just quick glimpses. I've never even seen him looking in a mirror or taking a selfie." You read a few comments, exhaling at the funny ones. "Yeah," you agreed with one, "that would be helpful."
You shifted in your seat, pulling a foot up to your chest as you leaned forward. "Ok." You unpasued the game again, eager to stop thinking about the images flashing through your head. "Don't comment your soulmate success stories or you're banned."
-
"Are you sure?" Jin asked, leaning over Namjoon's shoulder. Namjoon, with all the other members crowded around him, seated in Jungkook's chair, watching you play a game. Jin held the notebooks up to the monitor. The drawings Taehyung did were close, but he still had his doubts. The eyes were wider, hair shorter, just not exact.
Hoseok looked through his fingers from the back of the crowd. "How is she not scared?" You moved through the horror game with ease, jumpscares rolling off you quick. You blinked rapidly at the flashing lights of the game's death screen, shook your head a few times, and restarted the challenge.
jImin nodded, "I'm absolutely sure." You turned your head to the side as you took a sip of water. "Look!" He pointed at the monitor, stretching past Namjoon. "I have seen that freckle, in that spot, in my visions."
Taehyung took the sketches he had done out of Jin's hands, holding them up so everyone could see. "I've drawn it," he ran his finger along the curve of your sketched neck, stopping at the freckle Jimin had made sure was in the right spot. "I've drawn her."
Jin tried to pause the stream immediately, pounding on the space bar. "Ahh!"
"Hyung!" Jungkook tried to stop him. "Don't break it!"
"Make it pause, Kook!"
"It's a stream, it doesn't pause!"
-
You sighed, leaning back in your chair as Twitch returned to the Home Screen. "That was a good one, beefcake," you said, hoping your fat cat was somewhere in the room.
"Mrrow." Beefcakes' small head emerged from the top of her cat tower.
"Yeah, yeah," you grumbled, standing up and stretching. "It's how I afford all that kibble, fatty."
"Brro."
"Sorry." You shuffled to the bathroom. No matter how tired you were, the routine needed to stay the same. You started with brushing your teeth, looking down at the to-do list on your phone.
PR pickup
Film PR
Gym
Tutoring session at 4 PM
You nodded to yourself before finishing up. You slipped into pajamas, gave beefcake a kiss, and went to bed.
-
"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Taehyung asked, slumped over on the table.
"Yes, keep bedazzling," Jungkook muttered quietly next to him.
"What if being autistic means you don't like rhinstones?"
Jungkook stared at him. "Then I peel them off one by one and give you bragging rights. Bedazzle."
"Ughhhh." He groaned as he picked up his glue.
They worked quickly in the background noise of Jin, Hoseok, Yoongi, and Namjoon huddled over Namjoon's phone. Their manager, Sejin, and a social media consultant rattled off the facts quick.
"She's been posting on YouTube for about 5 years, hitting more rapid growth after the first year when she shared her Autism diagnosis in a video titled: Autism: Enemies of Women and Puzzle Pieces." The group nodded along.
Their new consultant chimed in, "Mentions of soulmates include only two quick sentences in one YouTube video, in that one she talked about her soulmark, and then there is the stream you just watched. Her fanbase is actually posting a lot about this stream currently because it's the most she's ever mentioned a soulmate or even confirmed that she has not met them yet."
Yoongi leaned over table, resting his elbows on it and running his hands through his black hair. "Has she ever posted anything showing the mark?"
The consultant sucked in a breath. "No. Sorry."
He cursed under his breath and walked away, heading to Jimins' still form on their couch. He sat next to him silently before placing a gentle hand on his knee and rubbing in soft circles.
"Are you sure this is the correct P.O. box?" Jin asked, looking down at a text on his phone.
Sejin hummed. "Yes, and looking through past TikTok posts, if she posts the day after picking up PR, then she should pick it up tomorrow."
"So she could come to our first show?"
Everyone perked up, eyes on the group huddled around the phone.
"Yes," Sejin said, "We'll have someone waiting at the office when it opens to drop the package off, and if it turns out it's not her, we can make another donation to a foundation of her choosing and show our support for the community - works in your favor either way."
Sejin knew they weren't listening to the last part, hearing the whoops and chatter in the room.
"Thank you," Namjoon whispered, watching his soulmates hug and talk. They flitted around the room, talking to each other, crying to each other, kissing softly.
Sejin smiled. He knew how Namjoon sounded when he cried.
"Anything for my boys."
The call ended, and a three day countdown began.
-
"Let me try!" Jimin begged, reaching across the table. He had sat with Jungkook all night, long after everyone went to bed. He knew how Jungkook was, though; he wouldn't go to sleep until it was perfect. One of your videos played in the background, which made their heart rate jump as you ran across a highway, stopping at the median to pick up a small tabby. They talked for a bit as they watched, wondering if you kept it. Would they meet it if you did?
"Oh, now you want to bedazzle! You just want to be able to say you worked on it too." Jungkook retracted the bedazzling stick. This was your first impression of them, of their work, of who they are. It had to be perfect.
"Yes. Give it!"
"Too bad." Jungkook teased, putting the final stone in place. "It's done!"
summary: one second, you're larping being army, and the next you're being transported to a second location where seven men claim that you're their soulmate. what is a girl to do...
note: ok im spoiling all of you now because im going to be so busy for the week ok so no update till the weekend đ ALSO CAN U IGNORE THE TIMESTAMPS im still figuring ts out ok.
warnings: USE OF Y/N. kind of trauma later in the story, mentions of abuse, mentions of eating disorders and my humor.
word count: 5k+
index | next
CHAPTER TWO : where do i sign?
You wake up with a headache. Thereâs a heavy pressure in your chest as you feel the weight of the seven bonds settle. Your entire body feels like itâs on fire.
You groan before shoving your head into your pillow. There are quite a few things on your list today that you are less than excited to tackle. First is getting out of bed. The next is the very obvious elephant in the room: the tiniest problem of your soulmates being the worldâs biggest K-pop boy group.
You kick your legs in frustration. âFuck my life.â
You turn your phone over as you scroll through notifications and see a couple of messages from unknown numbers.
Unknown: We need to talk. What time are you free tomorrow? This is Namjoon, btw.
You reply quickly, explaining that you are free all day but wouldnât mind if he decides not to drag you out of your house before 12PM.
The next text is from Amelia letting you know that she stocks your pantry with Buldak and to check outside your door for her online delivery.
Bless her soul.
With your newfound connection with the Goddess of Fanfiction, you are sure you can pull a few strings.
You gather your blanket, a notebook, and your laptop and plop them all on your dining table. You start a cup of coffee and get to work. You are over 13 years behind, and you have to know everything about BTS before this afternoon.
You find out your soulmates have been in military service up until last summer. You also discover that you are the youngest at 25. You and Seokjin have an eight-year difference. You wonder what he thinks of that. Not that you necessarily care. You need to be his controversially young girlfriend. You can practically feel your toes curl at the thought.
Your phone buzzes, and you answer the call without looking at the ID. The only person who cold-calls you is Amelia. Yes, you do have friends other than Amelia. Youâre not that much of a loner.
âNo, Lia, I cannot bring you bunny food. You have a hamster. It is going to explode.â Amelia has been blowing up your phone asking about that for the past hour. You decide not to entertain her.
âDo hamsters generally explode in America?â Namjoonâs rich voice asks you. His English is slightly accented, but his voice goes straight to your dick. Or it would if you had a dick. You silently curse yourself.
âYouâd be surprised,â you reply. âWhat can I do for you, Namjoon?â
âDoes around one today work for you?â He asks. There is a rustling in the background as if heâs trying to move away from something.
âIt seems to work perfectly fine for me, but Iâm open to testing it out?â You jest. You think you are pretty clever for your joke and contemplate high-fiving yourself.
Namjoonâs silence dampens your mood. âThat was horrible,â a different voice informs you. You must be on speaker.
You recognise it as Hoseokâs. You resist the urge to harumph. You are not secretly decrepit and indignant; you will handle this with grace and composure.
âOh, who is you?â you grumble. âCan we get the other one on the line? I need to confirm a plan.â
âIâll text you the address,â Namjoonâs voice sounds distant as if Hoseok has taken his phone far, far away from him.
You decide that these are not your monkeys just yet and therefore this is not your circus to deal with. With your mind at ease, you hang up and resume your task at hand.
The gentle hum of the 1975âs discography plays in your living room, and you surf the internet. You enjoy your newfound task and honestly understand why AMRY are so in love with their leaders.
Though, does this make you the leader as well or just another groupie? Would you have to larp as a leader? You feel another headache coming on.
You donât think you are ready to lead. You will have to tell Namjoon this. Though speaking of headache, the pounding in your head has subsided to a gentle thrum much like your own heartbeat. You suspect foul play.
Soon enough, the time arrives for you to meet your soulmate. You push your feet into a pair of flip-flops and switch off all your lights as you leave your house.
The second you get into your car, you call Amelia.
She picks up on the first ring.
âWhat?â
âHi, my angel baby!â You exclaim. Her suspicion is evident. âIâm going to go meet..them.â You are not sure if there is a spy in the network, so you refrain from mentioning your soulmates. You also havenât broken the news to her yet, for fear of shots being fired.
âThemâŠ?â Amelia plays like she is rock stupid.
âThem.â You offer no further clarification. Amelia is not an idiot; she will connect the dots herself or leave the room.
âBTS?â Amelia, the loudmouth, says at last. You hush her quickly. âDo not say such things out loud.â
âYou are such a curious creature,â she tells you, her amusement clear. You do not correct her or say that you really are meeting BTS.
âIâm so nervous right now,â you tell her. âI feel the hair on the back of my knees standing up.â
âWhy do you have hair on the back of your kneecaps...?â Amelia asks, clearly focusing on the big picture.
âDo you not?â you ask, genuinely curious.
âObviously not. Youâre so weird and testosterone-filled.â
âYouâre so bald,â you retort lamely.
âJust drive in silence,â Amelia tells you. What are you if not good with instructions?
As you round the corner, you feel the light tremor on your hands travel further down your body.
Having a soulmate sounds daunting, but the concept of having seven feels like a noose on your neck. You value your independence and, most importantly, your autonomy. The concept of having a soulmate robs you of the choice to pick your romantic partner.
Logically, seven billionaires being held at biological gunpoint to serve you at your beck and call doesnât sound like a horrible life to lead. But you are terrified that it will be a dull, dull life to lead. God, you must be the worldâs worst avoidant.
You feel like there are claws trying to lodge themselves into your throat. You shake your head, trying to snap out of it as you park. You quickly bid Amelia goodbye and take in the scene in front of you.
Here you stand in a pair of worn-out cotton shorts, a tank top, and a jacket to cover you, flip-flops, and there the building stands, looking like a scene out of a movie. You decide you hate billionaires and will force your soulmates to donate their wealth to charity.
The receptionist seems to share a similar sentiment when you ask her where the room number Namjoon has sent you is.
This feels so much like a spy movie that your previous nerves are forgotten, replaced by a sudden thrill. It is just so secretive. You love it.
You wonder if you will have to save their numbers in code names so that if your phone gets hacked, their identity wonât be in jeopardy.
You nearly giggle.
You could practically hear Amelia sighing as she calls you a schizophrenic.
You stand before the looming wooden door and wonder if it is too late to just go back home. You could block Namjoon and mind your business. The rest of your life is right there. You shake your head. You are no coward.
You can do this. You will face this situation head-on because your mama didnât raise you to be a quitter.
You knock.
You are greeted by Jeongguk at the door. He grins at you and motions you inside. âSheâs here!â he calls. You need a gun.
âI have a name.â You grumble, trudging past him. Your displeasure in this situation is obvious, but it is also obvious that they donât really care.
Jeongguk walks beside you, his joy radiating in waves. He is like a wire strung tight. Shuddering, you decide you will sit far, far away from that.
The room is huge, with a common room and separate rooms within the suite. It makes sense, considering that they are RICH rich.
You remove your flip-flops at the door as you trail inside, tracing your hands on the walls. You wonder what your life will be like with them. They have such busy schedules, and they are currently in the middle of a world tour. You are going to make it big in Milan as a fashion mogul. Your dreams just do not align.
You arenât willing to give up your pursuit of becoming a fashion designer. They most definitely arenât willing to give up their music career. You try not to think about the obvious red flags as you enter the common room. Jeongguk has been silent the whole time, so you turn to him.
He is watching you carefully. You donât know what to make of that. âWhere is everyone?â You ask. He nods towards the room.
The first thing you notice is a man you donât recognise, and that next to him Namjoon is sitting on the couch with Yoongi on one side and Seokjin on the other. You feel yourself blush.
Pathetic. You fight your groan.
You are so gone for the man; it makes you a little disgusted with yourself.
Jimin and Taehyung are on the floor with Hoseok playing what seems to be tic tac toe.
Seokjin is the first to notice you and greets you with a smile. âY/N,â
You blush again. You canât seem to turn it off. You really need a gun. You wave awkwardly at the group. âHey,â
âCome sit,â the man pats the cushion beside him. You regard the space as if it is infested.
âI think Iâm good on the floor,â you tell him. The last thing you need is him getting a face full of exactly what happens when you are near him. He doesnât seem to take it to heart.
âWould you like a blanket? The floor is cold.â Is all he says. God, is your face genuinely heating up? Oh my god, you need to die.
You shake your head. âAll good,â you murmur, trying to pretend like you arenât representing tomatoes all over the world.
This is an awkward situation. It is bound to feel awkward, you remind yourself. You have only been able to put a face to a name as of three days ago and have barely scratched the surface of their seemingly never-ending digital footprint as of this afternoon. You cannot be blamed for your discomfort.
You are also alone in a room with seven men. Anyone in their right mind would be a little cautious.
You pick at your fraying shorts as you give yourself a minute to collect your thoughts.
There is quite a lot you have to address. The most prominent issue is your conflicting schedules. It will be a nightmare pursuing a relationship with the insanity of time zones and the intensity of their line of work. There is also the slight issue of your disregard for soulmates.
You open your mouth to speak just as Namjoon begins. He quiets down when he sees you. âGo ahead.â
You shake your head. âNo, you first.â
âI insist.â He says.
You sigh deeply. âWell, if you insist.â
âI donât think Iâm ready for the commitment that comes with having a soulmate,â you say quietly. Let alone seven. But you donât say that part out loud.
At this, everyone zeroes in on you.
âWhat do you mean?â Taehyung is the first to ask.
âFor starters, Iâm 25.â You begin. âI like to think that I have a whole future of possibilities in front of me. And I donât particularly like the idea of having a soulmate.â You practically whisper the last part.
âYouâre 25?â That is Seokjin. You nod. "26 this year!" You cheer. No one else seems excited at your future achievement. You deflate.
"You guys also have so much of your own career ahead of you." You are a pioneer. You take a deep breath before you continue, but Namjoon beats you to it.
"We have worked so hard for all these years to be in this exact position," he says. "What would be the point of all this fame and money if we can't even afford to support our soulmate?"
The question seems reasonable enough, but you are not about to tell them that it isnât them, it is you. You and your crippling fear of ever being reined in. "I don't doubt that you can support me," you tell them gently. How are you supposed to phrase this?
"It's not that I'm against the idea of soulmates," you say. You are. "I just think we should be focusing more on our careers." True. You are at completely different points in life with the age gaps. The group doesnât seem to like your reasoning very much. Surprisingly, it is Jimin who speaks.
"We've focused on our careers for over half our lives," he says. He's uncharacteristically bitter, and for some reason that bothers you. "I think we're in a position where we can think about other things. What is this really about?"
You need a GUN. Why is it that the universe seems deaf to your pleas?
"My career, I guess?" you say. "I just-" you breathe deeply. You are calm and gentle and kind, and all the goodness in the world is going to manifest itself into your heart, because you truly are pure of heart. The purest even. "I don't see how this is going to work? You are in the middle of a world tour, for starters. I am actively trying to find a job just to make ends meet. We are at such different points of time in our careers."
"We can provide for you." Taehyung is speaking now. "You don't have to work."
You blink, clearly taken aback. That was never an option. Your family hasnât immigrated to this country for you just for you to throw it all away because you suddenly have rich boyfriends. You are more than that.
"That is very...kind," you say. "But I'll pass."
Taehyung frowns. "But you're saying that you barely make ends meet. We don't lack money. We can help."
You know he means well. This poor boy isnât telling you to quit your job; he only means that it doesnât make sense when they can just pay for you. Seven credit cards pave a golden brick road for you, but you arenât sure if you want that path.
You have big dreams and expectations of yourself. You are going to pursue this fashion designing job. You will have to start small, yes, but Rome wasnât built in a day. You will become a household brand. But for that, you will have to work.
You are going to work.
You only shake your head, your attention returning to your fraying shorts. You donât want to argue; thatâs not why you are here. You are here to politely decline their invitation for Ameliaâs wet dream. You are going to pull the career card and get the hell out of here. It seems something is easier said than done.
"Taehyung isn't trying to restrict your autonomy," Namjoon says, perceptive as ever. God, you are really hungry. It just dawns on you that the last thing you had was a cup of coffee.
"Men usually don't." You hadnât realised youâd said that out loud. You slap a hand over your mouth. "Sorry, that wasn't like targeted or anything." For the millionth time, where is that GUN?
Namjoon only raises an eyebrow. Yoongi seemed to hum thoughtfully. That is the first interaction you have with him. You really wish you could talk to each of them, one at a time, instead of feeling bombarded. It seems they come as a package deal, though, and you arenât about to separate them for your own comfort.
"Fine. Say we were to give this whole thing a shot. What would that look like?" you ask. You don't miss the relief in Namjoon's eyes or the way the tension in the room seems to slowly ease away.
"We would obviously have to speak to our managers," he says. He motions to the man beside him. "We would need to figure out a way to protect your privacy, and there will be a lot of paperwork." He winces.
You fight a groan. Maybe you should take it back.
"We likely will have to keep in close proximity in case our Soul Marks manifest. If it's something like Touch, then it's better safe than sorry," he continues. That seems fair. When the Touch Mark first manifests, soulmates need to constantly be in contact lest the bond thinks you're trying to reject it and, in turn, rejects you. Soul Bonds might be the ultimate avoidants.
"As for your job, what is it exactly that you do?" Namjoon asks. The question isnât phrased to be condescending; you know that. Still, you chew the inside of your cheek, taking a moment to reply.
The group waits for you while you sit there wondering if you should just leave yourself a complete enigma.
"Makeup artist," you finally say. "I work at a salon." It isnât a lie. Half-truth will get you places.
At that, Jimin seems to brighten. "You can join our team!" He says, excitedly. Your head shoots up. Seokjin shushes him, and you let yourself stare at him for a little while.
Seokjin is really, really pretty. But unfortunately for you, he isnât the only one. It seems a requirement to be part of this band is that you have to be undeniably beautiful.
Each member has you captivated in their own unique way, but you always find yourself stunned by Seokjin every time you see him. You quickly make sure that your mouth isnât hanging open like a fool.
Unsure how to respond to Jimin, you purse your lips in thought. Currently, you are craving a breakfast burrito. You might give someone head in exchange for a breakfast burrito. Much to your disappointment, the odds of you getting a breakfast burrito at two in the afternoon are slim. Slim but never zero. It seems to be a recurring theme in your life.
Inspired, you plan to order yourself a breakfast burrito when you go back home.
You smile kindly at Jimin but make no further comment. Instead, you turn to Namjoon. "I do have a question."
He nods encouragingly.
"You guys are like mega ultra famous, so how exactly would your fan base react to all seven of you having the same soulmate?" you ask. You genuinely do fear online backlash, not that you are one to take those kinds of things to heart. Or so you believe. You are a believer of not knocking things till you try them.
You're such a fucking hypocrite. Amelia's voice echoes in your head. You are sure you are losing your mind.
What would hypothetical Amelia know about the inner workings of your mind?
"We try to remain optimistic and hope for a positive response, but there's always going to be someone who won't be happy. Some things are beyond our control." Namjoon tells you. You nod sagely.
You win some, you lose some.
You draw up your knees to your chest. "Is it alright if I make a call?" you ask at last. The group shares a glance at who you assume is the manager. He smiles kindly at you, âPlease feel free, but try to refrain from mentioning who your soulmates are. It would also be preferable if you could put your phone on speaker for damage control.â
You shrug; you donât really care as long as you get to call. Your hands practically fly to your phone as you dial Amelia's number.
"Hello?" Her voice is groggy when she picks up.
"Were you seriously taking a nap?" you ask. You cannot believe this. Twice you have been caught in an unconventional, possibly dangerous situation, and both times your best friend has been completely carefree.
"I'm fucking tired, Y/N. What do you want?"
You cut her off with a loud shush. "I need your opinion on something."
Amelia yawns.
"You are far too codependent," is all she says. You know thereâs no true malice behind her words. "But I give you my blessing."
"Thatâs not-" That is exactly why youâd called. You arenât sure if this is a good idea. Yes, they are your soulmates. But in truth you donât know them at all. You have read too much dark romance for this. But Amelia would know. Amelia always knows. âWhat are you talking about?â you ask, kind of confused because you havenât mentioned anything to her.
"Just sign the damn NDA. You deserve this Y/N, you deserve love and joy and all the good things in the world. Now, stop calling me and talk to your soulmate before I kill you." She tells you. There's shuffling, and you hear a loud yeowl. Likely her cat. âYou also owe me the biggest story time in the world.â
"Promise?" you ask her. She only hangs up on you.
You stare at the blank screen before dragging your gaze up to your soulmates. There is a shared amusement as they watch you.
Much to your dismay, having famous soulmates means a disgusting amount of paperwork. The manager, who you quickly learn is named Sejin, has laid out a spread of documents in front of you. They are all titled âStandard High-Profile Soulmate NDA & Contingency Agreement.â
You are still sitting on the floor, but all the paper is placed on a coffee table in front of you, with your soulmates crowded around you as Sejin explains each document to you on your right.
On your left, Jeongguk and Jimin decide to insert themselves in your personal bubble. Jeongguk takes to tracing your ring finger on your left hand. His touch allows for a million tiny sparks to tingle along your arm.
You frown as you come upon a living arrangement clause. âI have to live with them?â you ask Sejin. You hadnât meant to sound so indignant, but you are understandably disturbed.
Sejin nods, albeit sheepishly. âWe suspect that a Touch Mark will manifest for one of the members, considering how your interactions went. This would mean that you would have to move in regardless; this is just a legal precaution.â
You hum. Moving? To Seoul? Is this man out of his mind?
You drum your fingers on your right leg. âOkay, does this mean I have to go everywhere with them on tour?â you ask. Sejin nods. Next to him, Namjoon winces.
You sigh. That was to be expected; itâs not like you can just avoid and neglect your Soul Bonds. You are divinely required to go through with this.
âHypothetically speaking, say I left my job and my entire life and did join them on tour, what would I be doing? I canât have a 10-month void on my resume.â
Sejin nods. âWe understand. Youâd mentioned that you work as a makeup artist and one of ours has just recently retired. We would love to evaluate you for the position, but we canât play into favouritism. If nothing else, we can create an internship position for you where you can gain hands-on experience, at the very least.â
You consider it. You donât particularly like your job, hence why youâd quit it two weeks ago. It doesnât hurt to try, and besides, you would have to be with them for the next ten months regardless. You might as well get some work experience. You could definitely learn things about styling and costuming on tour. You consider that important knowledge.
You hum and continue reading.
Youâve been trying to ignore your soulmatesâ gazes for the past hour because every time you look up, you see one of them smiling or staring at you. You especially canât look at Seokjin.
You come across a clause that explains a Nexus bond. You blink. âWhatâs this?â you point at it.
It is Namjoon who answers you. âThe seven of us are a part of a nexus bond,â he says. âWe all have a platonic soulmate bond with each other, but thereâs no anchor to it, well, until we met you.â
Sejin nods. âThe clause is basically lawsuit protection,â he says. âThe nature of your relationship with the boys will vary depending on both parties; we cannot confirm or guarantee a relationship of romantic or platonic nature.â
Could you have platonic bonds? You send up a silent prayer that your relationship with Seokjin would be romantic, and if it is, you would genuinely become religious.
God, if youâre there?
Your horror must be clearly written on your face since Hoseok bursts into laughter. âDonât worry, I donât think any of us feel platonic attraction to you.â
You blush at his words.
That feels like you are cheating on Seokjin, considering heâs been the one to take your blush virginity. He seems to share your sentiment when you glance over at him.
You try to suppress a smile at his pout.
âWhatâs this blank page for?â you ask Sejin.
âThe NDA is to protect both parties,â he explains. âWhile you arenât allowed to expose or hint at any relationship with the boys, it goes the same for them, except their families will be notified. The page is for you to decide who you would like to notify about thisâŠdevelopment.â
You nod sagely. Fairs.
You bite the pen cap, trailing your fingers over Jeonggukâs thumb as you think.
You arenât in contact with your dad. Your momâŠprobably. That leaves your group of three friends and your mother. You quickly list Amelia, Kiera, and Allisonâs names and contact information.
Jeongguk frowns as he looks over your shoulder. âYou donât want to tell your dad?â
You shrug. âI donât have his contact information.â
Jimin seems to deflate beside Jeongguk. âIâm sorry to hear that,â he says.
You shrug. You are at a point where you donât really care anymore. Your father has brought whatever life he is living into himself, and he is no longer your problem.
You look around the room, taking in Seokjinâs comforting smile and Hoseokâs encouraging nod. Yoongiâs eyes are trained on you; he hasnât said much to you, but you havenât really taken the initiative either. You will have to remedy that.
Jimin and Jeongguk are practically vibrating with excitement, and Taehyung only smirks at you. Namjoon is the one who looks the most worried.
You wished you could lean over and pat him on the shoulder.
If you sign this document, you will have to leave behind your entire life for the seven of them. Your career, your friends and family, and your beautiful apartment. You feel a pang in your chest as you think about the apartment you share with your three friends and how you all have painstakingly decorated each room together.
You look over at your future, the men you will be spending the rest of your life with. The men you will be marrying and loving till your last breath. Is it a fair trade? Not necessarily. But it is temporary. A lot can change in a year.
Nodding to yourself, you sign the document.
The rest of the hour is spent going over the details: their schedules, how soon you should be packing (tomorrow), what time you need to show up for the interview position (tomorrow).
By the time Sejin leaves, you are exhausted and have been introduced to words you never thought would be relevant to you.
You slump into the couch behind you. âGod, I need to tell my mom,â you mutter.
You glance at the time. Your soulmates have an hour till they have to be at rehearsal, and you need time to process. You decide this is where you will leave them.
âOkay, I need to get back home and get started onâŠeverything.â You sigh. âIâll see you guys tomorrow.â
There is a general consensus. âWe donât have anything tomorrow, except filming Festa. If you would like, you can come as well?â Hoseok asks you. You ponder.
âSejin said heâll send me a shared calendar that you have and the interview timings. Iâll let you know once I know.â
He only nods.
Taehyung brightens. âWe need to add you to the group chat!â
You blink. Of course they have a group chat. Wow, you are moving a million miles a minute.
Seokjin rolls his eyes. âYah! Let her process everything first before you all bombard her.â
You giggle. Apparently anything is funny when youâre trying to get laid.
Your phone buzzes with texts from your friend group demanding you return the car, if not yourself. The four of you share a car because, letâs be honest, California is disgustingly expensive. For four girls freshly out of college with two still working on their PhD, it can be a lot. Hence the shared living arrangements.
You frown. âI need to go home,â you tell your soulmates.
Soulmates. Why was that so weird?
Why?
You startle. You hadnât thought that. Are you actually schizophrenic? Have you finally lost your mind? Is thisâŠ
God? you echo in your mind.
No, Min Yoongi.
There is amusement in the voice.
You stare at him.
Namjoon is the first to clock it. âDo you have a Mind Mark?â he asks you, following your line of sight to Yoongi.
âNo, he just has a staring problem,â you grumble, standing up.
Yoongiâs laughter echoes in your mind, and you stumble.
Jeongguk steadies you. âAre you okay?â he asks, studying your face. You only nod, your eyes lingering on the silver ring on his lips. You shake yourself.
âGotta go. Iâll be seeing ya!â You cannot leave fast enough. Yoongiâs amusement lingers in your mind long after you leave.
ok everyone who wants to be added to a tag list go like this psot pls pls pls so i dont miss anyone ok thanks
After some editing and decisions to cut some material from the fic (it may be posted later as a drabble or a part 2), I am proud to present, Mafia Yandere Hoseok and his precious.
yandere mafia au
19.4k words
pairing: Hoseok x reader
beta readers: @pennyellee and @chimchimsauce
âPrecious,â his voice rang out through the building. âDarling, itâs time to come out now.âÂ
She didnât come out, choosing instead to press herself further back into her hiding place with her hand clamped over her mouth to stop any noise that might give away her position from slipping out.
âArenât you tired, precious?â he asked, his footsteps echoing. âArenât you ready to go home?âÂ
His footsteps stopped and there was an agonizing moment of silence before he spoke again but it wasnât to her. âFan out. I want this place swept from top to bottom. Keep all the exits sealed.â He ordered, voice hard and demanding. âI donât want her hurt. Do you understand?âÂ
âYes, sir.â the lackey acknowledged and there was quickly a series of orders fired off, directions on where everyone was to search.
âItâs okay, darling.â he spoke again, his tone completely different as he addressed her than when he was giving orders. âIâm not upset. I just want to make sure youâre safe.âÂ
She could hear the heavy sounds of boots falling on concrete as his men spread out in search of her.
There werenât a lot of places to hide in the warehouse. The building clearly wasnât in use, and there was only a handful of abandoned crates and machinery to provide shelter. She was hidden behind a group of crates, holding her breath as his men started their search for her.
âYouâve been driving me crazy all day, not knowing where you were.â he chuckled, the sound half tired and half something else, something almost manic. She was pushing the limits of his patience. She knew that, but she still couldnât bring herself to come out of her own accord. Sheâd work too hard for this opportunity to simply give herself up.Â
They both knew that she wasnât getting away. Heâd chased her down and cornered her here knowing full well it was a dead end. He wouldn't hurt her, but he sure as hell wasnât going to let her slip away.
The sound of tactical boots was closer to her now. They were slowly but surely closing in on her, methodically going over every inch of the warehouse in search of her hiding spot.Â
It was a small miracle sheâd even gotten this far. No, he never hurt her, but security around her was tight, ensuring that she stayed safely tucked away right where he wanted her. She was always right where he wanted her.
It was infuriating, and somehow his seeming lack of anger made it all the worse. No matter what she did, he had a seemingly endless supply of patience. She could spit in his face, and heâd still smile at her like it was all a game. Even now as she pushed every boundary set for her, he didnât seem angry. He seemed tired, worried even, but not angry.
The crate she was hiding behind shifted, and an unfamiliar face peered down at her.
âSir, weâve found her!â He shouted before turning his attention back to her. âMaâam.â He tilted his head respectfully, holding out a hand to help her up.
She didnât take it, not even as she heard the others rapidly approaching.
âPrecious.â he breathed a sigh of relief and a smile stretched across his features as she came into view.
Immediately she was pulled up and out of her crouched position as he crushed her to his chest, his fingers tangling into her already messy hair. There was no space between them as he held her close, as though he was frightened sheâd slip through his fingers again or disappear altogether.
âThere you are.â he murmured into her hair before pulling back so he could get a good look at her face, a smile spreading across his lips as he took her in. âYou had me worried sick.âÂ
She pulled back and stared at him silently, unsure how to proceed or what he was going to do next.
Tenderly, he pushed back the hair obscuring her features, taking in the dirt and dust that had settled over her face and clothes over the course of her adventures with disapproval. âLetâs get you home, darling.âÂ
Hoseok scooped her up, keeping her close to his chest as he strode towards the exit to where the car was waiting to take them back to her gilded cage.
Y/N had to wonder as he carried her how she had gotten herself into this predicament in the first place.
It had all started with a funeral
Y/N stared at herself in the mirror trying to figure out how she was going to hide the marks littered across her neck and collarbones for the funeral. She couldnât very well show up to her own brotherâs funeral looking like sheâd just gotten her back blown out. She was fairly impressed by the heart shaped hickey resting on the outer edge of her collarbone though. It was cute in its own way even if it would be a bitch to hide.Â
She eventually settled on a high-necked black dress. It had elbow length sleeves to accommodate for the warming spring weather, but the high neck hid the worst of the marks along her collarbones. The rest residing on her neck she could cover with makeup. The ones littering her thighs and hips would thankfully be kept a well hidden secret underneath her dress.Â
She was only in the city to arrange and attend the funeral. Sheâd moved away for college and hadnât looked back. Kai, on the other hand, had stayed and thrived in the less savory part of the city. Heâd already been caught up in it when they were teenagers and had only gotten more entrenched as time had gone by until it had finally caught up with him.
Y/N had gotten a call from one of her brotherâs friends last week to let her know that Kai had been shot. Y/N had immediately packed a bag and gotten in the car. By the time sheâd made it to the city, Kai was gone.
His friends had graciously offered her a place to stay while she arranged the funeral, but she had declined in favor of staying with a friend of her own who lived in the city. As kind as the offer had been, she didnât want to have any more contact than needed with her brotherâs friends. They were a mix of boys she remembered from her teenage years and new faces, but she knew well enough that they were all at least partially entrenched in the same life that had gotten her brother killed.Â
Staring at her neck as she began to apply careful layers of concealer, Y/N was struck again by the thought that a one night stand the night before her brotherâs funeral probably hadnât been her wisest idea. Hana had thought a night out would help get her mind off of everything. Y/N hadnât thought that sheâd intended for the night out to lead to mind-blowing sex and end with her sneaking out of one of the most gorgeous apartments sheâd ever seen. Y/N was choosing to blame the lack of judgement on the mix of grief and vodka.
Y/N managed to cover her hickies for the most part. They at least wouldnât be obvious to anyone at a passing glance. She didnât really want anyone at the funeral thinking she was a whore even if her actions the previous night had been decidedly slutty.
The funeral itself went much as any funeral did, and then Y/N was left to deal with the seemingly endless throng of people coming to give their condolences. Most of them she knew to be Kaiâs friends and associates. The roughened and scarred knuckles and the tattoos peeking out from beneath collars and shirt sleeves all but confirmed it. Kai had some of those same tattoos. She may not have seen or talked to Kai often over the past few years, but she recognized some of those tattoos.
The entire affair was exhausting. Y/N was sick to death of people telling her they were sorry for her loss. She almost thought she might scream if she heard it one more time. When her eyes fell on the newest arrival, she thought she might scream for an entirely different reason.
Her eyes had first been drawn to him because of the odd hush that had fallen over the space. All eyes had gone to him, not just hers, and for good reason. He had an intimidating aura, a presence that demanded respect. He was shrouded in a pair of dark slacks and a dark button down which had been generously unbuttoned to show off a glimpse of his chest. The jacket that was meant to go with the ensemble was stylishly draped over his shoulders, and gold flashed at his neck and his wrist. All eyes were on him as he made his way over to where she was standing. His making his way to her wasnât wholly surprising. She was, after all, the only family member for anyone to pass on their condolences to. Sheâd heard dozens of half hearted apologies for her loss already, but this man didnât seem the least bit grieved to be there. The expression on his face was more bored than anything else.Â
She kept her eyes on him as he approached, analyzing him. He was tall but not too tall. His build was all lean muscle like a dancer's would be, and he moved with the same grace one would expect of a dancer. The sharp planes of his face combined with his dark hair and his build to make a rather impressive figure overall- one that was undeniably handsome and a little intimidating.Â
She wasnât the only person in the room that seemed to find him thus. Everyone else held themselves still and quiet as they watched him in a mix of respect and apprehension. She did as well, but with a distinct nausea thrown into the mix as well.Â
He stopped in front of her, reaching out a slender hand to take hers into his own, her own hand engulfed in his grip as he smiled at her. It was an oddly heart shaped expression though the joy that one would typically associate with a smile wasnât there. It didnât meet his eyes, and those, she found, were cold and dead like a sharkâs.Â
The hands she had shaken all throughout the day were rough and calloused, and most of the suits that she had seen were ill-fitting, nothing like the impeccable fit of the man who stood before her. The man who now faced her was something wholly different, and she couldn't quite place how he had known her brother. Kai had been fairly low in the ranks as far as she had been aware. This man with his elegant hands and designer clothes didnât seem like a follower. He didnât sit low in the rank of anything if she had to take a guess. This was a man who wielded a fair amount of power. Worse than that, he was the man she had spent last night with, and he was looking at like the cat who had caught the canary.Â
âHello again, precious.â he purred, and a cold sweat broke out across the back of her neck as she felt all the blood drain from her face. He had yet to release her hand, stroking his thumb across her knuckles.Â
âHoseok.â she whispered his name, still unsure how he had come to be here but becoming increasingly nauseated by the possibilities of why.Â
He pouted, lips turned down at her lackluster response. âThatâs all I get after last night?âÂ
Her eyes widened, lips parted in shock at the blatant mention of their previous activities. âHoseok!â she hissed, ripping her hand from his as her eyes frantically darted around the room to see if anyone had heard him.Unfortunately, most eyes in the room were glued to the two of them, and she could only assume they were all straining to hear what was being said as well.Â
âI was so upset to find my bed empty this morning, precious.â He sighed, rolling his shoulders back. âBut how lucky I am to find you here! It must be fate!âÂ
Lips set in a grim line, Y/N reached out and snatched his wrist, all but dragging him from the hall in an effort to get him away from the watchful eyes of the congregated mourners.
âWhat are you doing here?â she hissed, dropping his wrist as though it had burned her as soon as they were outside of the funeral hall and away from the prying eyes and listening ears within.
âI canât be here to see you?â He asked flirtatiously.Â
âItâs a funeral.â she deadpanned.Â
Y/N took a fortifying breath, squaring her shoulders as he met his eye with the best mask of indifference she could muster despite the war of emotions raging within. She didnât want him there, but she didnât need to let him know how much seeing him was truly bothering her.Â
âWhat are you doing here?â She repeated.
Hoseok arched a brow, taken aback by her cold reception of him. Hoseok wasnât normally one for sleepovers, but it had bothered him to wake up that morning without her in his bed. Heâd enjoyed their night together, and heâd thought she had too if the multiple orgasms were anything to go by. Panic followed by cold indifference was not the reaction he had been expecting from her, but he hadnât been expecting to see her at one of his rivalâs funerals either. He wasnât complaining about the turn of events though. If anything, he was intrigued.Â
âIâve come to pay my respects to the recently deceased.âÂ
Her expression became even colder as she took in that information. It was confirmation of everything she had feared he was when heâd walked through the door.Â
âHow did you know my brother?â She asked, staring him down with the best intimidating stare she could muster much to Hoseokâs continued amusement.
âKai and I moved in similar circles.â He admitted nonchalantly. âThough I didnât know he had such a delicious sister.âÂ
Her jaw ticked in irritation. âStop that.âÂ
âStop what, precious?âÂ
âImplying things.â
Hoseok grinned, a wide toothy expression filled with an almost malicious glee. âItâs not an implication if you know, and I do know you, darling- quite intimately.â He leaned in so that they were cheek to cheek, his next words whispered into the shell of her ear. âI can still taste you on my tongue.âÂ
Y/N flinched back, her cheeks reddening and her nostrils flaring as she tamped down her temper. âOf all the vile vulgar things to say. This is a funeral for godâs sake.âÂ
His grin widened. âWe could always talk about this more privately- back at my place.âÂ
Y/N stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out how much audacity someone had to have to try to seduce someone at a funeral or how stupid they had to be.Â
She huffed out a sigh, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her heels had been painfully digging into her toes for the better part of an hour, and she had no patience to deal with this man and his blatant propositions.Â
âAre you absolutely insane? Have you lost your mind?â She asked, taking a step forward into his space much to his surprise. âThis is a funeral. Worse, this is my brotherâs funeral. Whatever momentary lapse of judgment I had last night- whatever mix of vodka and grief led me to the horrendously bad decision of sleeping with you is done. Itâs over. I will not be repeating that particular mistake again. Now would you kindly leave?â She asked, tilting her head to the side. âI am trying to grieve in peace.âÂ
Hoseok stared at her, taking a moment of his own to take in the woman who stood before him. She was red-eyed and irritable, and yet he found her as enchantingly beautiful as he had the night before when heâd taken her to his bed- perhaps even more so now as he was the subject of her ire.Â
He laughed, a full bodied high pitched laugh that did nothing to settle her nerves or lessen her anger.
âPrecious, you are something else.â he spoke through the last of his laughter.Â
âAre you going to leave?â She asked, crossing her arms under her chest. âOr should I have you thrown out?âÂ
âIâm Jung Hoseok, darling.âÂ
He said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, as though she should already know what that meant and the implications thereof.Â
Y/N stared at him for a second as though that was supposed to mean anything to her before letting out a scoffed sardonic laugh of her own. âI donât really care who you are. This is still my brotherâs funeral, and I donât want you here.â She shrugged. âSo thank you for coming, but youâre not wanted here.â She gestured lazily towards the exit as she spoke, trying her best to convey to the man, who she was beginning to think was more than a little thick , just where she wanted him to go.Â
The smile on his lips froze in place, a muscle in his cheek twitching as he took in her words. âExcuse me?âÂ
She smiled, the expression mirroring his own shark-like grin as she leaned in, mirroring his earlier move. âThe dick wasnât that good anyway.â She whispered into his ear before backing away, smile still in place. âThank you for coming, but you can go now.âÂ
âPreciousâŠâÂ
âYou can go now.â she repeated, dead serious as she stared him down.Â
He tongued his cheek, scoffing as he glanced away for a moment before returning his sharp gaze to her.Â
âIf you came for seconds, there is nothing left for you here.â She interjected before he could say anything. âLights out, doors closed.âÂ
Hoseok stared at her, his retort dead on his tongue as she gazed at him expectantly. No one spoke to Jung Hoseok that way, least of all the women that he took to his bed, but here she was staring at him like he was the dirt beneath her shoe. Hoseok could barely picture her as the same woman who had been writhing beneath him in the throes of pleasure just a few mere hours before. This wasnât the woman whom heâd littered with love bites as heâd made her cum over and over again. That woman had been inviting and enchanting. Sheâd been more than eager to submit to him. The woman before him now was just as enchanting, but she was cold as ice as she deigned to banish him from the funeral all together. There was nothing submissive about her, and Hoseok didnât think heâd ever been more turned on in his life.Â
As he stood there contemplating the fact that his pants were suddenly a little bit tighter than would be considered comfortable, Y/N had already begun to move away from him, intent on returning to the funeral hall and leaving him behind without so much as a glance back in his direction.Â
His hand shot out, quick as a snake, to grab her by the wrist. His hold was tight but not bruising as he pulled her back into his orbit, eyes fixed on her a kind of adoring awe that made the uneasy feeling in her stomach once more develop into fullblown nausea.Â
âPrecious,â he began, his voice a purr. âThatâs not very nice of you- especially not when we got along so well last night.âÂ
He held back a smile as he watched her lips purse in irritation.Â
âGet your hands off of me.â She grumbled, attempting to push his hand from its position gripped against her wrist.
Instead of releasing her, as she so clearly wanted him to do, Hoseok proceeded to pull her even closer, his free arm moving to wrap itself around her waist until he had her almost flush against him.Â
âI donât appreciate disrespect, darling.â He cooed, fingers intimately splayed across her waist. âYouâll learn that with time.âÂ
âI told you to get your hands off me.â she hissed, struggling against his hold.Â
âYou liked my hands on you last night.â He pointed out with a grin stretched wide across his features.Â
âThat is not the point!â
Hoseok shrugged, smirk still playing on his lips. âI think it is.âÂ
âYouâre despicable. This is a funeral.â She huffed, giving up her struggle as she came to the morbid realization that she wasnât going to get out of his grip if he didnât want her to. His hold was like steel, unmoveable, and yet surprisingly gentle.There was no intent to harm her in it, only to keep her close.Â
âWe could have done this this morning if you hadnât run off. A bouquet by the bedside. Breakfast in bed. Morning sex.â His smile was teasing as he waggled his brows at her suggestively.
âI donât want any of that with you.âÂ
âYou wound me, precious.âÂ
She huffed out a frustrated breath, once more pushing against his hold in an attempt to get him to release her. âIâm about to if you donât let me go.âÂ
âHave dinner with me.âÂ
Y/N froze, all thought leaving her head as she tried to process what heâd just said. It seemed too ridiculous a thing for him to actually have said. âIâm sorry. What?âÂ
âHave dinner with me.âÂ
It sounded equally as ridiculous the second time.Â
âYou must be out of your fucking mind.âÂ
âOnly for you, precious.â
Y/N gave one last hard shove, and Hoseok released her, allowing her to take several stumbling steps back as she tried to compose herself, her mind whirring with the insanity of his proposal. Last night had been a mistake. She had already admitted that to herself. She just hadnât thought that it would have such an array of consequences. Nothing had prepared her for a clingy one night stand, let alone one that ran in the same less than legal circles as her own brother.Â
As she straightened out her dress and hair, both disheveled from her time in his arms, Y/N made the mental note never to drink anything mixed with vodka ever again.The aftereffects simply werenât worth it.
âI think you should go.âÂ
âExcuse me?â Hoseokâs head tilted to the side like an inquisitive dog as though he was trying to figure out if he had heard her correctly or not.
Y/N rolled her shoulders back, holding her head high as she stared him down. âLeave. You arenât wanted here.âÂ
His grin took on a sharklike quality as she spoke, all sharp edges with no real humor behind the expression. âNo one speaks to me like that, precious.âÂ
âMaybe they ought to.â She sniffed primly, a cold mask of indifference shifting into place despite the unease that he sparked within her.Â
âThatâs not very nice, precious.âÂ
âYouâve done nothing to deserve nice, and stop calling me that! Iâm not your anything, let alone your precious.â she sniffed, disdain dripping from every word.Â
âOh, I disagree.â He purred, expression still vaguely predatory as he sauntered closer to her, closing the distance between them. âI think youâre very precious, sweetheart. Maybe the most precious thing there is.âÂ
âDespicable.â She spat, slapping his hand away as he moved to brush away one of the errant tendrils of her hair.Â
Hoseok straightened, squaring his shoulders and fixing the lapels of his suit. âIâll leave you to grieve in peace, precious, but Iâll be seeing you soon.âÂ
âI hope not.âÂ
He reached out a slender hand, taking one of hers in his and raising it to his lips brushing a gentle kiss against her knuckles.
She yanked her hand back as soon as his lips made contact with her skin, hiding the offending limb in her skirts.
Hoseok chuckled, a smooth rich sound that carried all the mirth his previous smile had not. âUntil next time, precious.âÂ
Y/N didnât wait for him to speak again. Instead she turned on her heel, heading back towards the funeral hall with a staunch refusal to sneak a glance backwards to see if he was still there. The prickling sensation of eyes on the back of her neck told her all she needed to know on that account.
No sooner had Y/N re-entered the funeral hall thanSuho, one of the friends of her brotherâs she actually did know, came up to her brows furrowed with concern as he scanned her from head to toe as though trying to assure himself she wasnât hurt in any way which was odd, but she shoved that thought to the back of her head. It by far wasnât the strangest thing to happen that day.
âSuho.â She smiled tiredly, allowing the man to hug her. âThank you for coming.âÂ
He didnât respond, releasing her from the hug and grabbing her by the arm to drag her away from prying ears. âYou need to leave.âÂ
âWhat?â
Suho sighed impatiently, moving them both towards the exit as he did. âI donât know why Jung Hoseok was here or how you know him, but you need to leave.âÂ
âJung Hoseok?â Her brows furrowed quizzically. âHe said he was an associate of Kaiâs. I donât particularly like him, but heâs already gone. Not much he can really do to disrupt things now.âÂ
Suho grimaced at that, practically pushing her out the door into a side hallway. âJung Hoseok is not our associate. Heâs not our friend, and heâs certainly not our ally.âÂ
That caught her interest. âWhat do you mean?âÂ
âI mean that heâs made it his personal mission in life to try to eradicate us.âÂ
âYou donât meanâŠâ
âI do.â
Y/N froze, her blood running cold as she processed the information. That man had been responsible for her brotherâs death however directly or indirectly, and she had fucked him the day before the funeral.Â
Bile rose in her throat.
âOh God.âÂ
âI donât like the way he was looking at you, Y/N.â Suho shook his head. âAnd then he let you drag him out. It wasnât like him, and I donât like that at all.â Y/N kept her lips pressed firmly together. There was no need to let Suho know how close to the truth he was on that count.Â
âIf heâs responsible, why was he even here?â She questioned, her voice a hoarse whisper.Â
Suhoâs frown deepened as he led her towards the building exit. âI donât know. Maybe he was here to gloat. Whatever the reason was, I donât like it, but I especially donât like how interested he acted with you. Jung Hoseok doesnât let anyone drag him around let alone look amused while they do it.âÂ
After being escorted out of her own brotherâs funeral, Y/N was ushered back to the relative safety of her friendâs apartment with strict instructions from Suho not to venture out unless it was absolutely necessary. Y/N thought he would have preferred for her to be out of the city entirely, but there were still things only she could do as Kaiâs family and the beneficiary of his will.
She wasnât entirely sure what Suho thought Hoseok would do to her if he caught her out and about unaccompanied, but she figured his imaginings were much different than what the reality would be. She got the impression that Hoseok was far less interested in hurting her than in a repeat of their first meeting. Suho didnât need to know that though. She was perfectly happy to keep all the sordid details to herself. There was a chance that Suhoâs predictions were correct, but she highly doubted it based on the ostentatious bouquet that had been delivered to her door the morning after the funeral with a card signed JHS. The flowers had promptly been deposited in the trash along with the card and the invitation to dinner it contained.Â
The myriad of marks along her body were finally beginning to fade much to her relief. She was running out of ways to keep them from view as she dealt with the legal aftermath of Kaiâs death. Soon they would be entirely gone and with them the reminder of the man who left them, not that he was easy to forget. Oh no, Jung Hoseok was doing his best to be a thorn in her side even though she hadnât set eyes on him since the funeral.Â
Bouquets and gifts arrived almost daily bearing with them invitations to dinner or drinks. One had been particularly bold- inviting her directly to a repeat performance of their first encounter. Every note was signed in the same quick decisive hand by JHS, and every single note, bouquet, and gift immediately found its way to the trash. She did have to admire his persistence as unwanted as it was. He was not a man to take no for an answer, but she wasnât one to be so easily won over- especially not after learning that he was the reason that Kai was dead.Â
She wasnât sure how delusional someone had to be to think they could woo someone whose brother they had killed, but she was sure that it had to be an unhealthy amount. One night of passion wasnât enough to erase his sins and neither were the endless stream of gifts. Her thoughts on the matter didnât stop the notes and gifts from coming though. Hana thought it was romantic, but Y/N knew better. To her it seemed less romantic and more obsessive, and that was not something she wanted to become entangled in. All she truly wanted was to tie up the loose ends that came with being the sole executor of her brotherâs estate and return to the comfort of her own home and the safety of knowing that the city and the majority of its inhabitants were far away from her.Â
One of the inhabitants that she dearly wanted far away from her was Suho. Logically, she knew that he was trying to be helpful. She knew he was trying to do his part to take care of Kai posthumously through her, but he was annoying the shit out of her. Everywhere she went every appointment with lawyers she attended, Suho was right there with her.Â
Y/N was fully aware that it was a good thing that he was there. Most of Kaiâs assets would be turned back over to Suho and the rest of their cohort. Y/N had no need of them and no want of them. Suhoâs signatures were needed for the transfer of property, but she was sick of seeing his face every day. She was sick of him treating her like some sort of delicate flower- treating her like he didnât know her at all when theyâd known each other since they were children.Â
Kai and Suho had always been thick as thieves- the best of friends since the moment theyâd met in the 3rd grade. Theyâd all been normal then, just kids, but people donât stay kids forever. Suho and Kai entered middle school, and the tide began to turn. Suho started hanging out with a different crowd, and Kai followed right along after him like he always did the inseparable duo that they were. Kai was never quite the same after that.Â
While Suho had risen through the ranks of their burgeoning group, finding himself in a position of leadership, Kai had not reached such levels of success. Heâd stayed firmly in the middle of the pack, a higher up of the lower ranking members of their gang as much of an oxymoron as that seemed. Y/N had always thought it was stupid that heâd thrown his life away for that, but it wasnât her life, and she didnât have much say in what her brother did. She never had. As the little sister sheâd always been an afterthought, something that trailed along after Kai and his friends. Sure, he loved her, but it hadnât been enough to stop him from following right after Suho even when sheâd begged him not to.Â
By the time they were in their late teens, Y/N didnât feel like she even knew who her brother was anymore, and she couldnât help but blame Suho for that. Sheâd never been able to look at either boy the same way again. She still loved her brother, but she couldnât be around him, not when she was so terribly certain that the path he was on would be his ruin.Â
Y/N went to college, and Kai, several years her senior, had remained doing his own thing. After college, sheâd left the city, moved somewhere where she could try to forget that her brother was a criminal and the deteriorating state of their relationship with each other.Â
She hadnât seen Kai in years before Suho had called her with the news, a difference in opinion on his life choices had kept them fairly separate. Kai had made his choices, and she had made hers, but it didnât make the pain of his loss any less hard to bear. The pitying glances she would catch Suho sending her way didnât help matters either. She didnât need pity- least of all his.Â
She had just escaped Suho and the lawyers to find a moment of quiet and some much needed caffeine when she was met with something far more unpleasant than either Suho or the lawyers.Â
Y/N froze, tensing at the feel of the hand on her lower back. Even without looking, she had a sickening feeling she knew exactly who that hand belonged to.Â
âStalking is a crime.â she sighed, her gaze shifting to the side to see if her suspicion had been correct.
It had.
âYouâre a hard woman to get a hold of.â He sighed dramatically in turn. âAll of my efforts met with silence. Iâm starting to think you donât like me.âÂ
âI donât.â she moved forward causing his hand to fall away. âSome people would have gotten the hint.â
Y/N steadfastly ignored the man as she stepped forward to the counter, ready to place her order and get on with her day- hopefully away from Hoseok. âOne iced chai latte please.â she smiled at the barista as she started to grab her wallet from her bag only for an elegant hand to appear from the corner of her eye- a black amex extended and at the ready.
âWeâll take an iced Americano as well.âÂ
âHeâs not with me.â she snapped, glaring at him from the corner of her eye as she pulled out her own credit card.
Hoseok gently pushed her hard away, insisting the barista take his card instead.
âItâs the least I can do for my favorite girl.âÂ
âWe donât know each other that well.â
Hoseok ignored her comment, choosing instead to place a hand on her back again and gently push her in the direction of where they were meant to wait for their drinks.
âYou didnât get my gifts?â he asked once they were out of earshot of the queue.Â
âI got them.âÂ
âYou didnât like them?â
âI wasnât a fan of the sender.â she shrugged, checking the time on her phone.
âThatâs not very nice of you, precious.âÂ
Y/N glanced up from her phone to find Hoseok staring at her with a hard expression- jaw tight with displeasure despite the smile on his face.
âHow exactly did you expect me to respond?â she asked, crossing her arms under her chest.
âA little gratitude would be nice. Maybe a little adoration.âÂ
The hair on the back of her neck stood up on end. His tone had an arrogant, condescending quality to it that set her teeth on edge. She fully turned to face him, shoulders pulled back and her lips set on a grim line.
âWhat exactly should I be grateful for? Your tendency to stalk? Your unwanted interest in me? Or the fact that you are the reason my brother is dead?â
Hoseok stared at her, knocked a little off balance by the cold rage in her eyes. He was used to people looking at him with varying levels of anger, but he wasnât used to the women he showed interest in looking at him like that. He certainly didnât want her looking at him like that. He definitely wanted her eyes on him but not with that expression. He much preferred the sultry look in her eye from their first meeting. That look had been nowhere to be found lately though.Â
Hoseok glanced away, tongue in cheek as he tried to reign in his temper- a dry laugh escaping him as he did.
âIf you were anyone else, preciousâŠâÂ
âYou would what?â she interrupted him. âKill me?â she scoffed, rolling her eyes. âWhat would you do?âÂ
Hoseokâs smile was sharp as he regarded her. âI already warned you that Iâm not a patient man, precious. Iâd be a little more careful if I were you.âÂ
She shrugged, moving to take her drink from the counter. âItâs not like any of this matters anyway.âÂ
That caught Hoseok off guard.
âHow so?â
She shrugged again, and Hoseokâs jaw ticked in annoyance.
âYour obsessive stalker tendencies wonât last forever. Iâm sure youâll forget all about me and move on to the next unfortunate woman in no time.âÂ
Hoseokâs posture relaxed slightly, his smile a little easier. âYouâre unforgettable, darling.âÂ
Y/N made a face.Â
âIâm sure distance will help the process along.â She smiled with as much grace as she could muster, which was admittedly not very much as she began to make her way to the door only for Hoseok to grab her arm, stopping her in her tracks.
âWhat do you mean distance will help?â he demanded.Â
Y/N grimaced in displeasure, trying to wrench her arm away but Hoseok held fast refusing to let her walk away.Â
âWhat do you mean?â he insisted.
She sighed deeply, fully turning to face him. âI donât live in this city.â She started, keeping her tone even and slow as though explaining something to a child. âI will eventually-sometime soon- go home, and then we can both forget that we ever met each other, and you and Suho can go back to trying to tear each other to pieces without any involvement from me.âÂ
Hoseokâs grip on her arm tightened, his expression taking on a pinched quality. âForget each other?âÂ
âWhat do you think happens when people no longer interact with each other?â She snapped, trying to wrench her arm out of his grip to no avail. âWill you let go?â She hissed in irritation when his grip held firm. âI have places to be, and youâre harassing me!â
Hoseok stared at her, stone faced except for the occasional irritated tick in the muscle of his jaw. Â
âWhat is wrong with you?â She gasped, finally giving up her struggles to level him with a glare.Â
âYou canât leave.â He stated, already moving towards the door with her in tow.
âWhat are you- What are you talking about?â the space between her brows furrowed in confused irritation as he pulled her along after him, not unlike how sheâd pulled him out of the funeral. âOf course I can leave!â
âYou canât leave.â he repeated, completely serious.Â
âI donât even live in this godforsaken city, and thank fuck for that!âÂ
Hoseok stopped once they were outside the cafe, staring at her and, drinking in the frazzled irritated state she was in as his mind raced. He hadnât anticipated her leaving. It hadnât even crossed his mind that she would be leaving the city behind and with it, him.Â
He hadnât been able to stop thinking about her since the morning heâd woken up alone. He wasnât one to pine, but heâd made the choice to let the incredibly sexy woman from his club spend the night with him- something he never did- and had awoken to cold sheets and an empty bed. It hadnât been an unusual circumstance. Hoseok never let his paramours spend the night in his bed, but he had wanted her to stay and had been more than a little upset that sheâd slipped away like a thief in the night. It had been his incredible luck to find her later that same day- eyes red-rimmed and dressed in black but still as gorgeous as the night before. Heâd already been planning on tracking her down. No one walked out on Jung Hoseok. It had been an act of fate running into her again, and he had no intention of letting her slip away twice. The only hiccup in his mind had been his association with the deceased, but it was a minor thing. They could easily move past it. They had a fate together. Â
Heâd never felt like this about a woman before. She plagued his thoughts, waking and dreaming, and yet she seemed entirely unaffected by him. His attempts to woo her went unanswered, and she gave him about as much regard as one would a bug crawling across the floor. He wasnât a man used to rejection. He was a man used to everyone around him falling at his feet, but she stood tall against him, regarding him as a nuisance. It was infuriating, maddening, and it made him even more deeply infatuated with the woman she was. It made him crave the breathless submission- the sweet surrender and soft embrace of their first meeting. He wanted her with him- by his side and in his bed. She could regard the rest of the world as dirt beneath her shoe. Heâd encourage it, but he wanted her to be soft with him and him only.Â
âYou canât leave,â he repeated, grip almost bruising.Â
âI can do whatever I want.â she huffed. âNow let go before someone calls the cops on you.âÂ
âNo one is going to call the cops on me, sweetheart.â He smiled sweetly, pulling out his own phone as he did, hand still firmly gripped around her wrist. âNow hush. I have to make a phone call.âÂ
She squeaked in indignation at the command, but Hoseok didnât pay her any mind.
His mind had been whirring with possibilities from the moment that she had mentioned leaving. There was absolutely no way that he was going to let her leave the city, not when he hadnât had the chance to properly woo her. All his attempts so far had been met with outright rejections- not ideal for winning hearts- but Hoseok was convinced that was only because she was upset with him over the matter of her brother.Everything had been fine between them before sheâd found out, and with time, it would be fine again. He just needed the time to melt the icy exterior sheâd formed around herself after finding out.Â
Hoseok fingers flew across the screen even as he gave orders- a plan being formed and set in motion all at once. If time was what she needed, time was what he would give her, but she wouldnât be leaving the city.Â
It wasnât often that Jung Hoseok had to work for the favor of the women in his life. He simply didnât have to. Women fawned over him for a multitude of reasons: wealth, looks, skills. There was no need to work adoration when it was so freely given, but this wasnât to say that Hoseok couldnât be charming when he wanted to be. Hoseok could be the very picture of charm and grace when he wanted to be. He knew very well how to treat a woman. It was easier to accept baseless adoration than it was to cultivate true devotion. True devotion took effort, and for Y/N, Hoseok was more than willing to make the effort. She didnât just deserve it, she demanded it.Â
Hoseok had a constant stream of diversion around him. Work kept him occupied much of the time, but in the leisure time he did have, there was no shortage of amusements and company to enjoy them with. His initial interaction with Y/N L/N had been much the same. Sheâd simply been the woman to catch his eye that evening. What had caused him to become so fixated on her was something that he couldnât quite pinpoint.
Even half drunk she hadnât accepted anything less than his full attention, and he had been more than willing to give it to her fixated on the way the silky material of her dress rode up on her thighs and the strands of hair that fell out of her careless updo to hang around the column of her neck. She had been the image of carefully constructed reckless abandon. The scent of jasmine had floated around her, clinging to her skin and wafting up from her hair every time she moved. Everything about her had been curated almost as if to lure him in specifically and leave him drunk on her essence.Â
By the time they reached the car, Hoseok had the basics all ready to go. He had never had to force a woman to be with him, and he didnât plan on starting now, but there was nothing wrong with giving her a push in the right direction. He could be quite charming when he wanted, and he was more than ready to show her just how charming he could be. She just needed a little push in the right direction to get them started as well as a push into the vehicle.
The short walk to the car had been spent planning on his end and with endless struggle on hers, but nothing sheâd done had managed to break the iron grip he had on her wrist. Nothing she did broke his grip though, and no one on the street paid her protests any mind. Hoseok didnât pay her struggles any mind either.Â
âAfter you.â he offered as he held the door to the backseat open.
âGo fuck yourself.â She hissed, kicking out in another attempt to break his hold on her.Â
A sharp humorless smile spread across his face as she spoke. âBut why would I do that, precious, when I have you?âÂ
Y/N made a noise half way between outrage and shock as Hoseok scooped her into his arms and swiftly deposited her within the backseat of the vehicle, climbing in after her to ensure that she didnât climb out the other side.Â
Quick instructions were given to the driver as Hoseok climbed into the car, hands already reaching to pull Y/N close to him as she tried to open the opposite door to throw herself out of the vehicle.Â
âStop that.â Hoseok hissed as her elbow made contact with his abdomen.
âLet me out!â She struggled against his hold, trying desperately to get out of his hold.Â
âYouâre going to hurt yourself.â he scolded as he managed to get her arms trapped tight to her sides so that she couldnât repeat the earlier motion of jabbing at him.
âLet me out!â She shrieked, throwing her head back in an attempt to headbutt him as he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms fully around her torso to stop her from causing herself or him any more harm.Â
âStop.âÂ
âThis is kidnapping!âÂ
âItâs not kidnapping!â He snapped back in offense. âIâm keeping you from making a mistake.âÂ
âPsychopath!âÂ
He huffed out a breath, frustration nearly radiating off of him as he held her down. âYouâre making this more difficult than it needs to be, precious.âÂ
âBoss.â The man driving the car reached back, handing a cloth to Hoseok as he did.Â
âLast chance, precious.âÂ
âGo fuck yourself.âÂ
âWrong choice.âÂ
Quick as a viper, Hoseok had the cloth pressed against her nose and mouth. The pressure, unyielding as he held her firmly. The sweet scent of the cloth seeping into her lungs the longer he kept it pressed against her airways even as she struggled against him.Â
Her struggles grew weaker and weaker against him as he held her there until finally, the world grew fuzzy around the edges, and eventually, she saw nothing anymore.
Y/N opened her eyes to a pounding headache and an uncomfortable burning sensation in her nose and the back of her throat. The combined feeling was so uncomfortable, that she closed her eyes, turned over, and buried her face in the pillow, hoping to smother the discomfort by falling back asleep, but this idea was disrupted by the fact that her pillows definitely didnât smell like spice and citrus and something woody and earthy. The pillows in Hanaâs spare room also didnât smell like that either.Â
Her eyes shot back open as she turned back onto her back, eyes staring up at a ceiling she didnât recognize. Her walls werenât painted soft beige and neither were Hanaâs. In that same thread of thought, the bed was far too comfortable to be the one at Hanaâs house. That was little more than a thin mattress rolled out on the floor for an unexpected visitor. This bed was both too large and too comfortable to fit the bill.Â
Slowly, she sat up, taking in her surroundings despite the continued discomfort in her nose and throat. The curtains were drawn making the room dim except for the threads of moonlight slipping through. The light was too pale and soft to be daylight despite it having been daylight the last time she could remember being conscious. Slowly, as more awareness dawned on her, the last conscious memories she had began to filter back.Â
The cafe. Hoseok. The car.Â
The room had to be his. Though the dim lighting didnât allow her to see enough detail to confirm or deny if it was the same room she and Hoseok had ended their first ill-fated encounter in, there was no other option of whose room this could be. And if this was his room- she had to assume the man himself wouldnât be far away.Â
Despite the raw burning sensation that still lingered in her airways, Y/N threw off the comforter and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It was at this point she noticed that the clothes she was in were hardly her own. The sunny yellow pattern of her skirt and the sensible mock-necked shirt of earlier were gone. In their place was a silk nightshirt that fell down to the top of her thighs. With an ever dawning sense of horror, Y/N realized her bra was missing as well, though thankfully the other half of the set was still where it should have been.Â
She made her way to the window, drawing back the curtains to see that the sun had fully set. Moonlight illuminated the garden below the bedroom window, and the high wall that surrounded the property. The garden was moderately sized, but not so large that she had to assume sheâd been taken too far outside the city. It did mean that she wasnât in the same residence sheâd been in before though. That had been a penthouse in the midst of the city. This clearly was not.Â
Y/N turned away from the window, making her way back towards what she assumed was the door leading out of the bedroom. Much to her relief, the door was unlocked, allowing her to slip into the hall.Â
The hall itself was lined with windows, soft yellow lighting making it clear that the house had not gone to bed for the evening, and putting Y/N even further on her guard. She wasnât sure who would be roaming the house and who was aware of her presence there. She also wasnât sure where Hoseok was, or if he was even in the house itself. Running into him was the worst case scenario. There would be no sneaky exit if she ran into him within the hallways.Â
Softly, she padded through the hall following it towards the end where a staircase made its way to the first floor of the house. Soft light spilled up from the first floor but no sound. The house had been dead quiet so far except for the barely there sound of her own footfalls against the rug running the length of the hall. Cautiously, Y/N began her descent, doing her best as she did to minimize any noise she might make. The quiet of the house made her feel as though she would be able to hear a pin drop. It didnât give her much hope that any noise she might accidentally make would go unnoticed.Â
Just as she reached the last stair, a voice rang out from one of the adjoining rooms.Â
âYouâre awake.âÂ
She froze, unsure on if she should stay put or if she should turn tail and flee in whatever direction the front door was most likely to be in.Â
The choice was swiftly taken from her as Hoseok emerged into the hall.Â
He was as dressed down as she had ever seen him- hair loose over his forehead, slipper clad feet, and loungewear that probably cost more than her rent adorning the rest of him.Â
âHow are you feeling precious?â he asked, tone soft and concerned as he took in the sight of her, hand lifting as he came to a stop in front of her to brush against her upper lip.
She pulled away with a hiss as he made contact with the raw skin there.Â
âIâm sorry, sweetheart. Chloroform is nasty stuff, but I didnât want you to hurt yourself.âÂ
âWhere am I?â she asked, her voice coming out in a croak through the raw skin of her throat.Â
âYouâre home, precious.âÂ
She took a stumbling step back, heel catching on the last stair of the staircase behind her. Hoseok reached out quick as a viper, snaking an arm around her waist and steadying her before she could finish her fall.Â
âCareful, darling.â He chided, pulling her closer and away from the stairs as he did. âDonât want you to hurt yourself.âÂ
Y/N shoved his hands away, stepping to the side to avoid another stumble into the stairs. Hoseok allowed her the distance, watching her with a soft teasing smile as her eyes darted around the space, searching for possible exits.Â
âI think you should sit down.â he hummed, head tilted to the side. âYou look like you need it.âÂ
She recoiled, snatching both of her arms back in an attempt to avoid him. âDonât touch me.âÂ
A long suffering sigh released itself. âYouâre overreacting, sweetheart. Iâm not going to hurt you.âÂ
âYou kidnapped me.âÂ
âThatâs such a vulgar term for it.â he waved his hand dismissively. âIt makes it sound so violent. I stopped you from making a decision that was going to ruin what we have.âÂ
âWe donât have anything! We slept together once! When I was drunk!â She shouted, chest heaving as her breathing grew shallower and faster. âAnd on top of that you killed my brother! What could we possibly have together?âÂ
His eyes remained fixated on her, expression soft and adoring as though her tirade meant nothing to him. Everything was right in his world, while she felt several seconds away from total collapse.Â
âAnd yet, I havenât been able to get you out of my head.â He hummed, stepping forward even as she continued to scramble back. He continued to press forward, pushing her further and further back as he advanced until there was nowhere left to retreat.Â
Her back hit the wall, and Hoseok was quick to follow, caging her in with hands on either side of her head, leaning in so their faces were only centimeters apart. His eyes closed in contentment as he took in a deep breath, taking in the scent of her hair as he did.Â
âEver since that night, youâve been haunting my thoughts.â He murmured, lips brushing against her hair. With a chuckle he continued. âNo one has ever walked out on me before.âÂ
She stayed frozen, barely breathing as he continued.Â
âI never let anyone stay the night, but you, you were special. I wanted you to stay- wanted one more night, maybe more, and then I woke up, and you were gone.â he sighed, hand creeping around to cradle the nape of her neck, tilting her head so she was forced to meet his gaze. âThat hurt my feelings, precious. I thought I was going to have to scour the city to find you again because no one walks out on Jung Hoseok, but there you were at the funeral. It was fate.âÂ
âIt was an accident.â Her voice trembled as she spoke, the sound barely even a whisper.Â
âIt was fate.â he insisted, grip tightening just a fraction where his hand held her head in place.
âYou killed my brother.âÂ
He cooed, both hands moving to cradle her face. âNo, precious. I didnât kill him. He was a casualty. I didnât order his death.âÂ
âYou killed-âÂ
âYou know the dangers his lifestyle posed just as well as I do.â Hoseok interrupted her, gaze boring into hers. âHe knew the risks too. His death? That night? The funeral? It was all fate. It brought you to me.âÂ
She trembled under his touch as the full weight of his delusion settled on her.Â
âYou⊠you canât just kidnap people and call it fate.â she denied, still frozen under his soft touch and adoring gaze.Â
He smiled softly, devastatingly, as he leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. âOf course I can.â he murmured, voice lowering to match her own hushed trembling tone. âWhat else would you call it?â Â
She didnâ t have an answer for that. Their initial meeting and the following run-in had been a horrible coincidence that even she had to admit seemed almost like the plotline of a drama. His unwavering belief it was fate, wasnât wholly crazy. His following actions were, but the initial belief that their meeting was fate wasnât so far out there. The problem was, he couldnât take no for an answer.Â
She didnât even notice sheâd started crying until Hoseok wiped the tears from her cheeks, cooing softly to her. âDonât cry, precious. Iâm going to take such good care of you. Youâll never want for anything. Youâll never even have to lift a finger if you donât want to.â
âI donât want it.âÂ
He ignored her.Â
âIâll spend every day worshipping you.âÂ
âI just want to go home.âÂ
âThis is home, precious.â He murmured, pressing a kiss between her brows,lingering close so that his lips continued to brush against her skin as he spoke. âYou just have to accept that.âÂ
âNo.â she whispered.Â
âDarlingâŠ.âÂ
âNo!â she screamed, pushing him back with more force than either of them expected and dashing away, running blindly in the hopes of getting anywhere that wasnât by him.Â
Her feet skidded against the floor as she paused, eyes darting wildly as she tried to puzzle out which direction to go.Â
âY/N!â Hoseok barked from behind her, following at a more leisurely pace despite the clipped tone of his voice.Â
The sound of him calling for her spurred her into motion once more. She dashed away, running in what she hoped was the direction of the front door, or any door that could keep her away from him. Hoseok followed behind, not deigning to run after her.Â
âYouâre making this harder than it needs to be, Y/N.â he called, irritation bleeding into his previously dulcet tones. âGetting yourself all worked up and for what?âÂ
She ignored him, almost sobbing in relief as she reached the front door, the handle turning easily under her touch. She didnât wait to see what Hoseok would do. Unsteadily, she practically threw herself out of the entrance and into the driveway.Â
Her mad dash was cut short as she ran almost straight into what had to be a security guard, his concerned eyes looking down at her as his hands steadied her.Â
âAre you alright, maâam?â he asked, taking in the night shirt and her bare feet as he cataloged her appearance.
âSheâs fine.â Hoseok called out, voice still clipped as he sauntered over.
âLet me go.â She begged, hands clutching at the guards arms as she tried to push out of his hold as well meaning as it was. âYou have to let me go.âÂ
âMaâam?âÂ
âSheâs fine.â Hoseok repeated, closing the distance and slipping an arm around her waist, easily tugging her away from the guard. âJust a little trouble adjusting. Isnât that right, darling?â He quirked a brow, as though daring her to disagree in front of his men.Â
âLet go!â She hissed, pushing against him. âI donât want to be here!âÂ
Hoseok chuckled, though the sound lacked the fondness of earlier. âSee?â he shrugged, reaching down to adjust his hold and lift her into a bridal carry. âJust a little trouble adjusting.â
âLet me go!â She shrieked, writhing in his hold. âYouâre crazy!âÂ
âEnough.âÂ
The word wasnât yelled. He didnât even raise his voice. The word was spoken softly but with a finality and authority that was devastating. It calm and quiet and yet deadly.Â
âI wonât let you hurt yourself, precious.â he was stern as he carried her back into the house, his touch burning against the bare skin of her legs. âYou can cry and rage as much as you want, but you will not put yourself in harmâs way,âÂ
âI hate you.â She hissed.
âThatâs fine too.â He shrugged. âItâll fade with time.â Â
Neither of them spoke again until he carried her into the living room, setting her gently down on the sofa.
âI think we should go over some ground rules, precious.âÂ
âFuck you.âÂ
He grinned, sharp and rogueish. âYou will.â The sound she made in response was strangled and outraged. âBut for now, ground rules.âÂ
She stared at him, seething as he spoke.Â
âI already promised you wouldnât want for anything, and I meant it. Youâll be well taken care of. Anything you want, youâll have.âÂ
âExcept freedom.âÂ
âYouâre not a prisoner, precious.â He disagreed, sinking into the opposite end of the sofa as she curled up into the corner. âYouâll be able to go out, shop, do what youâd like.âÂ
âBut I canât leave you.âÂ
âIf you want to go out, youâll either have me or security with you. I have a lot of enemies, precious, but I wonât let them touch you. The escort is for your safety.â
âAnd to make sure I donât leave.âÂ
His answering grin was sharp and predatory. âIf you leave me, precious, Iâll enjoy hunting you down.â She stayed quiet, not having a response for the unnerving glint in his eye. It was as if the idea of tracking her down excited him. âIf you want to go out, let me or the guards know. A driver will be called for you.âÂ
âI know how to drive.â she snapped.
âA driver will be called,â he repeated firmly. âYouâll have your own credit card attached to my account.âÂ
âSo you can monitor my purchases.âÂ
âSo I can provide for you.âÂ
âBut also so you can monitor my purchases.â He didnât deny it. âWhat about my phone? My wallet? My apartment? My job?âÂ
âItâs already been taken care of. Iâll give you back your phone once I can trust you with it. Your accounts have been closed, and the funds have already been placed into a joint account that your new credit card is attached to.âÂ
âYou canât just do that.â She whispered, horrified by how quickly heâd erased her entire life- everything gone in the span of an afternoon.âYou canât just take everything.âÂ
âWe take care of our women in this family.â Hoseok shrugged, unaffected by her horror. âYour brother should have understood that, but he left you to fend for yourself. That wonât happen again- not while youâre with me.â
âAnd what if you get bored of me? What happens then?â She challenged, chin raised definitely despite the fact her knees were folded to her chest as she curled into the corner of the sofa.Â
His smile was slow and devastating, adoring in a way that made her want to vomit. He didnât know her nearly well enough to look at her like that.Â
âI wonât get tired of you, but weâll call it a trial period if it makes you feel better.â he shrugged. âYou wonât do anything to put yourself in harmâs way, and Iâll do my best to woo you.âÂ
âWoo me?â she scoffed, side-eyeing him as she debated his sanity for what felt like the millionth time that evening.Â
âWoo youâ He agreed. âLike I was trying to do, but you very stubbornly ignored all of my attempts.â He shot her an accusatory glance.Â
âI didnât want to see you.â Her scowl was met by an indulgent smile. âI want my own room.â She demanded, keeping the stubborn tilt of her chin as she stared at him down. He pouted, honest to god pouted, as she glared at him. âMy own room. Iâm not sharing a bed with you.âÂ
âFine,â he conceded. âYouâll have your own room. For now.âÂ
âWhat happens if Iâm not won over by your âwooingâ? Do I get to go home?âÂ
He smiled indulgently. âThat wonât be necessary.âÂ
âYou have a lot of confidence for someone who had to kidnap a woman to get a date.âÂ
He shrugged, leisurely, spreading his arms across the back of the sofa. âI wouldnât have needed to resort to such tactics if you hadnât been ignoring me.âÂ
âWhat happens if I try to leave you?â she asked, as he relaxed head reclined onto the back of the sofa and eyes half-lidded.Â
âI already told you, precious.â he smiled lazily. âIâll hunt you down and bring you home.âÂ
âSo Iâm supposed to sit around all day and wait for you to want to play with me? Like a doll?âÂ
âOf course not.â he waved a hand dismissively. âI already told you, youâll be free to do whatever you want within reason.âÂ
âWithin reason?âÂ
âNothing that would put yourself in danger. Nothing that threatens the family. Things like that.â His hand made lazy circles in the air as he spoke, uninterested in her line of questioning as he rattled off the list of things that qualified as unreasonable.
âAnd what does âwooingâ me look like?âÂ
That caught his attention. He sat up a little straighter, gaze once more fixed on her. âOh, precious. Iâm going to treat you like a princess.â He purred. âDinners, dates, flowers, jewelry. Anything you want, itâs yours.âÂ
âAnd if I donât want it?âÂ
âYouâll still be treated like the stubborn little princess you are.â She sat up a little straighter at that, the suggestive tone of his voice making her uneasy. âYou might have forgotten, precious, but I remember every detail of that night together and how much you enjoy being treated like a princess.âÂ
âShut up.â she hissed, hackles raised at the implication.Â
âAnd of course weâll have meals together here at home. My schedule varies, so itâll change from day to day, but weâll have at least one meal together. Itâs good for couples.âÂ
âWeâre not a couple. You kidnapped me like a psychotic bastard.âÂ
âSemantics.â She opened her mouth to argue, but Hoseok sat up fully, sharp eyes fixed on her. âWe are a couple, precious, and as my woman, your only job is to pamper yourself. We take care of our women, and in return, we expect loyalty. I expect loyalty.âÂ
âAnd what if I canât give you that?â
The dead, shark-like quality came back to his eyes as soon as she finished speaking. His gaze was cold and calculating as though he was assessing an asset and not looking at a living breathing person. She certainly felt more like an asset than a person under that gaze.Â
âI donât think youâd like the consequences of that very much, precious.â He started, speaking slowly so that every word washed over her with added weight. âIâm sure you knew some things about your brotherâs business, and Iâm sure you also know what disloyalty gets you.âÂ
âWhat happened to your promises not to harm me?â she challenged, and his answering smile made her blood run cold.Â
âThere are ways to punish disloyalty without causing you physical harm, precious.âÂ
The words were flat, spoken without emotion as though the prospect of enacting those consequences didnât even faze him. She doubted that it did. Kidnapping hadnât.Â
He leaned closer, body shifting on the sofa to close some of the distance between them. âI said I wouldnât hurt you, and I meant that. I still wouldnât go testing boundaries if I were you though.â He leaned back again, his eyes raking over her form as he did. âOr do. Maybe youâd find the consequences exciting.âÂ
âYouâre disgusting.âÂ
He shrugged, continuously unbothered by her ire.Â
âIâm a man who knows what he wants. Is it so wrong that I want you?âÂ
âYes.âÂ
He sighed, rolling his neck and rising from the sofa. âYouâll come around eventually, precious, but for now itâs late. Letâs get you to bed.âÂ
âMy own bed.â She asserted firmly. âNot yours.âÂ
âYour own bed.â He agreed begrudgingly, but it was an agreement none-the-less.
True to his word, Y/N didnât want for anything. Everything she could possibly want was provided for her within the walls of the house. Her room was beautiful and fully stocked with everything she might ever think to need and them some. The contents of the closet alone were worth more than her car- let alone the collection of jewelry Hoseok had taken to giving her as a sign of his devotion.Â
When heâd said he meant to woo her, he had meant it. He treated her like a princess- a princess who was tucked behind the walls of a tower, but a princess none-the-less. Every action on his part was meant to convey the devotion he supposedly had towards her, and every day the adoring gleam in his eye seemed to get worse. No matter how prickly she was to him, he would smile and take it, throwing back barbs of his own as though it was a fun little game that they played and not an expression of her dislike of him.Â
Her first full day in the house had been interesting. There was minimal staff, and it was clear they had been given orders not to interact with her more than was necessary. She supposed Hoseok wanted her to rely on him more than anything, but it wasnât the order itself that she had found so strange. Instead, it had been the staffâs reaction, not to her presence, but to Hoseokâs attitude towards her. The first time theyâd shared a meal had been an accident. Sheâd ventured down the stairs to snoop and had promptly been greeted by a woman she assumed was Hoseokâs chef who had ushered her to the dining table for breakfast. Hoseok himself followed not too long after, greeting her with a tired kiss on the cheek despite her discomfort before taking his seat. The other woman had frozen at the action. It had been a momentary reaction, sheâd quickly slipped a mask of professional grace into place before Hoseok could notice her staring, but Y/N had noticed.
While staff in the house was limited, everyone she had encountered had the same momentary shock whenever they saw Hoseok interact with her. He treated her softly, more so than even she anticipated. He treated her as though she were his beloved and cherished girlfriend, instead of a woman he had slept with once, stalked, and kidnapped off the street. It was irritating how little awareness he seemed to have that he had kept her hostage for three months. It was irritating how pleased he seemed by how well sheâd integrated into the day to day life of his household. And she had integrated. There was nothing else to do.Â
Hoseok hadnât been lying when he said he wouldnât harm her, not physically at least, but her more reckless attempts at leaving had left her isolated and with nothing to fill the hours. Heâd taken away simple privileges like going outside. Heâd taken away access to the TV. Heâd taken away her books. Deprivation and boredom had kept her in check. The more sweetly she cooperated, the more quickly Hoseok returned her privileges to her, but true to his word, he never physically harmed her.Â
His interest seemed to lie more in forcing her cooperation in his delusion. He had no interest in causing her distress, but he took great interest in her comfort and care. It was baffling to her how he could kidnap her and keep her against her will and yet treat her as the most precious item in his house. At times it seemed like he knew every detail about her, and he used that information to his full advantage. Despite lacking freedom and agency, he made sure her prison was designed to keep her content, and the longer she stayed trapped with him, the deeper he seemed to fall into the belief that they were fated for each other.
âPrecious.â Hoseok murmured, coming up behind the chair she was lounging in with her book, leaning down to kiss her cheek, a habit heâd gotten into that she found more than a little irritating.Â
âStop that.âÂ
âHow was your day?â He asked, completely ignoring her ire as he moved to face her.Â
âDoes it actually matter?âÂ
Y/N flipped to the next page of her book, steadfastly refusing to look at him knowing full well how sulky he got when she refused to play along and give him the attention he wanted.Â
âOf course it does. I always want to know how your day was, precious.â
âWhy?â She asked, quirking a brow even though she still refused to look at him. âItâs not like my days have that much variation. Besides, if I so much as chip a nail someone is gonna report it back to you.âÂ
An indulgent smile spread across his face. âI still want to hear it from you.âÂ
She finally raised her head, looking him in the eye as he gazed at her, smile still playing across his lips. âI sat in this house. I read my book. I was told that trying to scale the walls was not approved behavior. Happy now?â she huffed, turning her attention back to her book without waiting for a response.
âIâm glad they told you. You could have hurt yourself.â He cooed, gently taking the book from her so that he could gather her hands into his- turning them over so that he could examine them for any injuries. âWho knows, you might have actually broken a nail if they hadnât stopped you. Brick walls arenât the most forgiving, darling.âÂ
âAnd you know this from personal experience?â
He laughed softly, his eyes lighting up with fondness as he knelt in front of her. âI have my sources.â Gently, Hoseok lifted her hands, placing a light kiss against the scratched skin of her fingertips. âI wish youâd stop doing things that will get you hurt.â He sighed, taking note of each of the reddened tips of her fingers, and the scratches on her palms from where she had tried to see if the garden walls were scaleable. âI donât like seeing you hurt, precious.âÂ
âThereâs a very simple solution you know.â He hummed, encouraging her to continue as he continued to take stock of the marks on her hands minimal as they were. âYou could let me go.âÂ
The soft smile that had played across his lips widened, spreading across his face until it was a full blown grin and a full-bellied laugh released itself.Â
âThatâs funny, precious.â He breathed through the last few giggles. âNow what would you like to do for dinner, hmmm?â he asked, gazing at herÂ
âDo I have to have dinner with you?âÂ
âYes.âÂ
âThen I donât care.â Â
He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her palm before letting her hands fall back to her lap. âGo get dressed, precious. Iâm going to take you out tonight.âÂ
âOut to where?âÂ
âItâs a surprise.âÂ
âI donât want any surprises from you.âÂ
âToo bad. Your dress is already laid out for you.â he hummed, rising to his full height. âYour shoes too.âÂ
She scoffed, leaning to pick up her book but making no other move to get up. âNot interested.âÂ
Hoseok plucked the book from her hands, tossing it aside much to her annoyance as her eyes flashed up to meet his.Â
âOops.â Hoseok shrugged, keeping his tone pleasant and calm despite the dead look in his eyes. âI made it sound like a request, but I wasnât asking, precious. Your dress and shoes are all laid out. Go get dressed. Weâre going out.âÂ
âHow thoughtful. Youâve got it all figured out donât you.â She hissed, remaining firmly in her chair, arms crossed under her bust. âBut I donât want to go on a date with you.âÂ
âConsider it your consequence for trying to scale the walls.â He shrugged, reaching down to wrap a long fingered hand around her arm. âUp.â He commanded, pulling her to her feet as he did. Â
Her eyes narrowed, but she complied, allowing him to half pull her up as she unfolded herself from her armchair.Â
Sheâd gotten good at reading his mood over her time locked away in his house, and she knew him well enough at this point to know that sheâd pushed his buttons enough for the moment. He never hurt her, but that didnât mean that he couldnât be just as petty as she could. He had his ways of making her pay for pushing his buttons even if they didnât involve causing her any physical harm. Each time she chose to push him had become a careful dance. She could irritate him, rile him up, and he would play along, meeting her challenges with an almost gleeful spirit, but she could only press her luck so far. As soon as Hoseok showed signs of no longer being willing to play along, she would retreat, biding her time and her manners as best she could.Â
Hoseok guided her towards the stairs with a hand pressed to the small of her back. Flinching away from his touch now would do her no good even if she despised the heat of it seeping through her clothing and into her spine. For now, she needed to play along, or at the very least acquiesce to his whims until that cold dead look left his eyes again.Â
Hoseok walked her all the way to her bedroom, opening the door like a gentleman despite her knowing well that he was not. She thought he would leave her in peace to dress, but as soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Hoseok sauntered over to her bed, lowering himself to take a seat beside the dress laid carefully out upon the covers.Â
âPretty isnât it?â He asked, running a finger across the silky fabric of the dress.Â
She stood still, watching him warily to see what his next move would be. He had made his desire for her clear, but he hadnât pressed her boundaries more than she allowed since he had kidnapped her. She didnât think that he was going to now, but she would rather be safe than sorry.Â
Hoseok lifted his gaze, expression softening as he took in the stiff set of her shoulders and the careful eye she regarded him with. âDonât look so scared, precious.â He chuckled, gracefully standing and making his way to her.Â
His hands found her shoulders, caressing her arms as they slid down to grasp her own squeezing gently. âGo get dressed, while I pick out your jewelry.âÂ
The words were spoken softly, but she saw it for what it was- a command.Â
Without a word, she stalked to the bed, sweeping the silky material up and making her way to the ensuite to change away from his watchful eyes.Â
As much as she disliked him, she had to admit that the wardrobe that he provided for her was beautiful. Each piece was as gorgeous as it was luxurious. This dress was no different. The fabric was soft and silken and a gorgeous shade of muted green. Black lace decorated the bust trailing into the small of her waist. It was beautiful, but so were all the other pieces of the wardrobe that Hoseok had provided for her. Unfortunately for her captor, she was not so easily moved by pretty things.Â
It took no time to slip into the slinky dress. Wrestling her hair into an appropriate updo took more time. Eventually, she was able to arrange it into a semblance of a french twist. It was a bit messy, with pieces spilling out to frame her face, but it was neat enough not to bother her in the long run. It would hold through the evening.Â
Next she set to work on her make-up. Hoseok had supplied her with all kinds of high end brands to use at her own discretion. Most days she chose not to use it at all. She rarely left the confines of the house as it left a bitter taste in her mouth to know that each time she stepped out with her loyal dog of a guard, her movements were reported back to Hoseok. It left an even worse taste to know that he could veto any outing she wished to take.Â
While he had professed freedom, each time she wished to step out of the house, it was swiftly reported back to him and if he did not approve of the outing she simply wasnât allowed to go. It was demeaning-making her feel more like a child than she had when she was an actual teenager.Â
Since she rarely went anywhere since her kidnapping, she didnât feel the need to doll herself up every day. Instead, she had taken to existing in the variety of loungewear that had been made available to her. Hoseok,though she loathed to admit it, had been thoughtful and thorough in his care of her. Once he noticed her preference for comfortable clothing, more and more of it had appeared in her closet, and he never complained about her lack of effort in her appearance. Instead, when he wanted her dolled up he did exactly as he had done tonight. He would lay out whatever it was he wanted her to wear, ensuring each detail of her appearance matched whatever activity he had in mind and was up to his standards.Â
Taking a fortifying breath after giving herself a last look over, she stepped back out of the bathroom, bare feet padding softly against the carpet. Hoseok was waiting for her, sitting on her bed as though he belonged there.Â
His eyes drifted to her as she made her way forward. A smile spread across his lips, eyes half-lidded as he took in the sight of her in the dress heâd chosen.Â
âYou look beautiful, precious.â he purred, standing and moving to meet her halfway.
âI need you to zip me up.â she admitted, cheeks heating in embarrassment as she did. She would have done it herself- would have preferred to- but she couldnât quite get a grasp on the delicate zipper located at the back of the dress.Â
âOf course.â Hoseok grinned as she turned to give him access to her back.
She did her best to suppress a shudder as his fingers brushed against the bare skin of her back as he slowly did up her zipper fixing her into the dress.
 âCome. I have your jewelry all picked out.âÂ
Silently, she trailed behind him as he led her into the walk-in closet and sat her down at the vanity there. The jewelry heâd chosen was laid out in a glass jewelry dish on the vanity. There was a variety of rings and bracelets laid out there along with a set of diamond earrings- large stones in an emerald cut that attached to a smaller round stone and a smaller emerald cut stone where the peg was placed.Â
âBeautiful.â He murmured, leaning down to place a kiss to her head as she began to fix the earrings into place.
âStop that.â she huffed annoyed as she batted him away. âYouâll ruin my hair.âÂ
He huffed a little himself. âIf I ruin it, Iâll fix it for you.â He shrugged, reaching down to the jewelry tray to pick up one of the bracelets heâd chosen.Â
He picked up her left hand and began fixing the stack of bracelets into place.Â
âI can do that myself.â she snapped, trying to snatch back her hand, but Hoseok held her firmly in place paying no mind to her protests.Â
âLet me do it.â he snapped back,lithe fingers easily fixing the next bracelet into place.Â
He repeated the process until all four bracelets were fastened before he set to work on the rings.Â
âI think I know how to put on a ring.â she murmured as Hoseok lifted her hand again, slipping one of them into place.
âJust let me.â He huffed, annoyance bleeding through his tone at her continued resistance. âI have a vision.âÂ
âOf course you do.âÂ
She huffed again but didnât protest further as he arranged the rings on her hands as he pleased until he was satisfied with her appearance.Â
After the last ring was in place, Hoseok released her hands allowing her to place them in her lap.
âBeautiful.â He murmured again, leaning down to place another kiss to the crown of her head.Â
âWould you stop that?â A quick hand darted up to bat him away.Â
Just as quickly, Hoseok's hands clasped around her wrist, bringing them down to her waist and keeping them pinned there as he leaned down to nuzzle into the crook of her neck.Â
âWould you prefer I kiss you here?â His tone was low and silken, seductive as he placed a kiss to the juncture of her jaw and throat. âYou liked when I kissed you here before. Made such pretty noises for me.â She could feel him smirking against her skin as he spoke.
âGet off me.âÂ
He placed another kiss to her throat but retreated just as sheâd requested.Â
âIâll go get ready. Wear the heels by the door.â he grinned, a bright sunny expression that she sourly thought shouldnât be on the face of someone quite so vile.Â
She watched as he practically danced out of the room, deeply pleased with himself and his planning. Heâd promised her dates, and as of yet, there had been very few occasions when Hoseok had taken her out of the house. Each of those rare times had been an outing to somewhere private, somewhere where she would be secluded from people who werenât him or being paid by him.Â
She supposed she couldnât blame him for that. If she had kidnapped someone she probably wouldnât want them out in public too often either- too much risk of escape or discovery of the crime. Today he was oddly insistent about the whole affair. Normally if he wanted them to have dinner, it was within the confines of his home even if the dinner itself was fancier. There had been one or two nights when heâd dolled her up only for the occasion to be a candlelit dinner in the garden. She didnât think that that was the case today though. Heâd said he was taking her out, and she really did think he meant out. Heâd been too meticulous in her presentation for her to think he meant anything else.
She noted sourly that there was no handbag allotted to her for the evening as she slipped on the pair of heels laid aside for her. There wasnât any need for a handbag when there was nothing for her to carry. Hoseok had yet to return her phone to her. There was no wallet to place into a handbag either or anything for a wallet to even hold. She had access to a credit card as heâd promised her on that first night. It simply wasnât within her keeping though. Either Hoseok paid for whatever she wanted himself or the credit card was left in the custody of her guard and pulled out for any purchases she may want to make.Â
She had to admit however begrudgingly that that was rather clever of him. It ensured that she didnât have direct access to any funds. Even if she did manage to slip away from him and the guards, she would have no phone and no money to aid in her escape making it all that much harder. It was smart- irritating but smart.Â
If sheâd had internet access and free use of a credit card she probably would have booked her escape to somewhere far far away and made a much more concentrated effort on slipping her guards. As it stood though she didnât have access to either of those things. She supposed that her passport was also within Hoseokâs keeping. Heâd been quite proud of himself for wrapping up her life previous to him in a neat little bow and tucking it away as though it no longer existed. She had to assume he had all of her important documents. They werenât the type of thing you left behind if you were looking to keep someone by your side in the long term.Â
She tried not to think about that though. Thinking about just how thoroughly and cheerfully Hoseok had trapped her was depressing. Depression wasnât something she could let herself sink into if she had any chance in hell of finding a way to get away from him. Her chances were slim enough as it was without giving into hopelessness.Â
âAre you ready, precious?â Hoseok asked, appearing in the doorway of her bedroom and startling her out of her thoughts.Â
She blinked slowly, trying to slow the racing of her heart as she settled after nearly jumping out of her skin. It didnât help that Hoseok was looking at her with an infuriatingly amused smile as though he found the entire thing cute.Â
Y/N glared at him, looking him over from where he stood waiting for her. She was even more irritated to discover that he looked good- infuriatingly good. She wasnât blind. She knew that Hoseok was an attractive man. It had been half the reason for this entire mess in the first place. If he hadnât been handsome and charming and available they never would have had that disastrous one night stand in the first place, and he used that handsome face and charm as a weapon to try to breach her walls and ingratiate himself into her affection.Â
Tonight he looked especially handsome. His hair was done in dark waves and swept partially away from his forehead. The black pants clung deliciously to his long legs, and his button black button down was unbuttoned just enough to reveal the first few inches of his chest. If she didnât know who he was, she probably would have blushed at the devastating smile he was shooting her way, but unfortunately she did know who he was, and all those good looks went to waste on account of the rotten personality within.Â
âReady as Iâll ever be.â Y/N stomped past him, muttering as she went with him happily trailing behind her as she swept through the halls and down the staircase.Â
âY/N precious!â he called as she stomped her way into the foyer calling her to a stop and allowing him to catch up to her, slipping his hand into hers and intertwining their fingers. âThere.â he sighed in contentment. âLetâs go, precious.âÂ
Y/N did her best to remain neutral as Hoseok pulled her out of the house and to the waiting car. On the few occasions sheâd left the residence, sheâd been driven in a nondescript black SUV with windows so tinted she could barely see out of it. This care was not that. It was sleek and black with two doors on either side. She didnât have a good enough view to see what make and model the vehicle was, but she assumed it was expensive. It was a feeling that was confirmed as she slipped into the leather interior as Hoseok held the door for her.Â
âWhere are we going?â Y/N asked, as he pulled out from the gates of the residence.Â
âI have someone I want you to meet.â There was something brewing in the way he said it, something vibrating just beneath the surface that she couldnât quite place.
âFriend of yours?âÂ
âMore like a brother.âÂ
She couldnât stop the scoff that slipped past her lips. âProbably equally as horrible as you.â
âYou love me, precious.â He shot her a sultry glance out of the corner of his eye. âI know you do.â
âKeep dreaming.âÂ
The laugh that burst from him was full-bellied and joyous. Clearly his earlier ire had passed, and he was once again delighted by whatever barbs she chose to send his way.Â
âPrecious, I dream of you every night.âÂ
âDisgusting.âÂ
The rest of the ride was spent in silence, Hoseokâs hand eventually drifting to rest heavy on her thigh as he drove. Sheâd attempted to remove it. Twice. Each time she brushed it off, he simply replaced it, his grip growing more firm each time she tried to remove him. After the third failed attempt, sheâd simply chosen to accept it rather than picking a fight. Sheâd picked plenty of those recently and there was only so far she could push him before he snapped. She was waspish but not stupid.Â
The restaurant was beautiful, softly lit and quiet. Hoseok helped her from the car, and held the door open for her as they entered the restaurant like the gentleman he pretended to be, barely even glancing at the valet as he passed off his keys. All his attention was focused on her. It was a disconcerting habit of his.
Hoseok didnât pay much attention to the hostess, confidently striding through the restaurant with a hand firmly placed against the small of her back.Â
âDonât you need to be seated?âÂ
âPrivate room, precious.â He murmured, leaning down with a conspiratorial grin.Â
She snorted. âWhy? Scared Iâll start screaming in the middle of the room?âÂ
âGo ahead, precious. No one will stop you.âÂ
She narrowed her eyes at him, but didnât say anything else. She didnât doubt that she could scream her head off and no one would bat an eye, not while she was with him. If they did, they wouldnât do anything. No one ever seemed to do anything against him. Sheâd raged those first few days. Sheâd kicked and screamed and tried to get the staff to look her in the eye, to help her, but none of it mattered. Sheâd given up on that after the first few weeks. No one would go against him.
âYou like that donât you?âÂ
âLike what, darling?â he asked, as they approached the door of the private room.Â
âThe power. Knowing that you can do anything you want, and no one is going to stop you.âÂ
Hoseok grinned again- a hint of the devil in his eye. âItâs addicting.âÂ
He opened the door, ushering her in before him. Already seated at the table was a man sheâd never seen before- unsurprising as she didnât really know much about Hoseok or his life outside of the walls of his home. The man stood, politely as they entered. His dark hair was long, swept away from his face. She admitted it was a handsome face, luminous with a pair of sharp dark eyes that seemed to cut through her in a second.Â
âYoongi!â Hoseok cheered as he closed the door behind him. âGlad you could make it.âÂ
âYou called me here.â the other man replied dryly, retaking his seat as Y/N took her own. âI brought what you asked for. Is this her?âÂ
âThis is my precious, my Y/N.â Hoseok beamed, staring at her adoringly. âHowâs Rosie? Is she good?â Hoseok rattled off questions, taking a sip of the water that had already been waiting for them on the table.Â
âRose is fine.â the man nodded. âRecovering.âÂ
âGood. Glad to hear it. We were all worried about her.âÂ
Y/N looked between them, trying to keep up when she didnât really know either man very well. âWho is Rosie?âÂ
âMy wife.â Yoongi replied, leaning back into his chair.Â
âShe had a bit of a scare recently. Glad to know sheâs doing better.â Hoseok nodded, draping an arm over the back of his chair lackadaisically. âWe all love Rosie. You should have seen their wedding, precious. Yoongi here couldnât stop smiling the whole day.âÂ
âHow long have you been married?â Y/N asked politely, grabbing her own water glass to take a sip.Â
âTwo years.âÂ
âCongratulations.â she murmured.
âHow do you want to do this, Hob-ah.â Yoongi sighed, pulling out a folder she could only assume had whatever Hoseok had asked him to bring.Â
âDinner first?â Hoseok suggested, fingers lazily gesturing through the air.Â
Yoongi shook his head, opening the folder. âGotta get home to Rose.âÂ
Hoseok nodded understandingly. âSignatures first then and dinner another day.âÂ
âSignatures on what?âÂ
Both men ignored her question as Yoongi started to pull out the papers carefully laid within the folder. âItâs pretty standard. The stipulations you asked for are all there as well.âÂ
âYoongi here is the family lawyer.â Hoseok explained, reaching to take the papers that had been handed to him, glancing over them casually.Â
Y/N peeked over trying to see just what kind of papers Hoseok had asked the other man to bring. He didnât bring business around her usually.Â
The layout of the table itself put a stop to her snooping. The round table put them just far enough apart and the print was just small enough that it made it hard for her to catch a glance without leaning over into Hoseokâs lap, a position she definitely did not want to be in.Â
âItâs all in order. You both just need to sign.â Yoongi explained as Hoseok nodded along.Â
âBoth?â Y/N asked, perking up as a knot formed in her stomach.Â
There wasnât much that Hoseok would need her signature for. Heâd dismantled her entire life without so much as a word to her. Why would he need her signature now?Â
Hoseok signed and initialed without so much as a second thought, passing the papers and the pen over to her with a bright smile.Â
âSign here, precious.âÂ
Y/N picked up the papers, reading through to see just what she would be signing before her eyes snapped up to Hoseok in shock.
âThis is a marriage contract.â She whispered, staring at Hoseok with wide eyes. âWhy is this a marriage contract?âÂ
Hoseok reached across the table to grab her hand, smiling softly as he did. âIt gives you security, precious. It ensures that you are protected legally.â
âYou mean legally tied to you.âÂ
Hoseok didnât flinch at the accusation in her tone, continuing to smile at her adoringly. âYou knew this was the plan, precious. I donât know why youâre so surprised.âÂ
âI donât want to marry you!âÂ
âSign the papers, precious.âÂ
âNo.â She shook her head, moving as though to stand but Hoseokâs grip tightened keeping her in place.
âDonât be stubborn, precious.â He murmured, dark eyes boring into hers as Yoongi watched them both carefully from across the table.Â
âExcellent proposal, Hob-ah. Very romantic.â Yoongi scoffed, crossing his arms as he waited to see how the situation would unfold.Â
Hoseok shot the other man a withering glare before turning his attention back to the woman before him.Â
âPrecious.â He purred, doing his best to keep an even tone so as not to spook her even further. The color had drained from her face leaving her wan and ashen. âYou know I love you. Weâre fated. This just makes it official.âÂ
âI donât- I donât want that.âÂ
âSign the papers, precious.âÂ
âNo.â
The word left her as a whisper, but even spoken softly it seemed to echo through the room.Â
âItâs not a choice, precious. Youâre mine whether you sign the papers or not. You will be Mrs. Jung whether you sign or not. Make it easy, precious. Sign the papers.âÂ
She shook her head, earrings swinging wildly as she did. âYou canât force meâŠâÂ
âItâs not force.â Yoongi interrupted. âWhether you sign the papers or not doesnât really matter. There are ways of getting your signature on them without you signing. Itâs been done before.âÂ
âThatâs illegal.âÂ
Yoongi shot her a flat look. âWhich is why you should sign now. Donât make extra work for everyone.âÂ
âYou canât justâŠâÂ
âI can.â Hoseok affirmed, a little frown marring his features. âDonât I treat you well? Arenât you happy?âÂ
âYou kidnapped me. Youâve held me hostage in that house.âÂ
The frown disappeared, a slow calculating smile taking its place and lighting up his face. âAnd think of how much more freedom youâd have with my ring on your finger. Weâd be so happy, precious.âÂ
âI donât want to marry you.âÂ
âOf course you do or you will. You just havenât come around to the idea yet. Always so stubborn.â He tutted with a fond smile.Â
She stared in horror at the papers laid out before her. From what the men were telling her, it mattered very little whether she actually agreed to sign them or not. Her signature would make its way onto those papers with or without her say so. This was a courtesy on their part. Hoseok could have had the papers forged and filed without her ever seeing them or knowing heâd done it, but he was in his own twisted way giving her a choice. She also now knew why her ring finger had been left suspiciously empty as Hoseok had bedecked her in jewelry. He had been planning to fill the gap in later.Â
âThis is cruel.â She whispered, still making no move to pick up the pen laid in front of her.
âThis is fate.â She stared at him, trying to figure out how he could say it with such surety because it was clear that he whole heartedly believed that, and he was certain that with enough time and coercion she would too. âSign the papers, precious. Make the right choice.âÂ
âWhy are you doing this to me?â She demanded.Â
The walls seemed to be shrinking in on her as she sat under his scrutiny, the papers and the pen laying traitorously before her. It was one thing to be trapped with him. It was an entirely other thing to be legally bound to him. Legality was an axe hanging over her head. It made the probability of escape so much less likely.
There had been a hope that Hoseok would give up his delusional obsession with enough time.
If she didnât fit the role he had imagined for her, he would let her go. Clearly, Hoseok didnât have the same thought. Instead heâd presented her with a nail in the coffin. Men in these circles didnât believe in divorce. They might not always be faithful to their wives, but divorce was never an option. She knew that well enough. This contract would quite literally bind her life to his for the rest of their days.Â
âBecuase I love you, sweetheart, and I want you to be my wife.âÂ
âYouâre insane.âÂ
âSign the papers.âÂ
She shook her head, pulling her hand away from Hoseok to wrap her arms around herself. âYou canât do this. You canât make me.âÂ
Yoongi released a long-suffering sigh, leveling her with a stern look. âYour name is going to end up on those papers one way or another. Itâs all been decided.âÂ
Hoseok stood, slithering to stand behind her chair and bending so that his cheek was level with hers. âSign the papers, precious.â His hands slid down from her shoulders to her arms, uncrossing them until his hands were over hers, their fingers intertwined. âThink of how much happier youâd be if you just gave in, if you agreed to be mine.âÂ
Alarm bells sounded in her head.
Hoseok had made the entire ordeal about winning her over to his side. He wanted her consent for his obsession. He wanted her agreement. Signing this paper would give him that. It would open the door to everything that came after.Â
âI wonât do it.âÂ
âThink of how much better things would be, precious. Think of how simple it would be to just be mine- the freedom you would have as Mrs. Jung.âÂ
âI donât want it.âÂ
âYou do.â he insisted, speaking directly into her ear. âYou want freedom, darling. This paper will give you that.âÂ
âThatâs a lie.â She hissed, leaning away from him as much as she could. âYouâre a liar. This is just another way to trap me.âÂ
âOf course it is.â Hoseok cooed, nuzzling into her hair, loving the slight tremor that had overtaken her and the wide vulnerable look in her eye. He loved when she was fierce, but he loved it even more when she was soft for him. âI canât have you running off, darling. Youâre far too precious to me. This ensures that youâre mine no matter where you are- ensures youâll always be brought back to me.âÂ
âYouâre sick.âÂ
He smiled into her hair, grip loosening on her hands so he could pick up the pen. âI wouldnât need legal assurances if you didnât keep trying to scale the fucking walls.âÂ
âBastard.âÂ
âSign the papers, precious. Either you sign them yourself or Yoongi has them doctored. Either way, I win.âÂ
He placed the pen in her hand, closing her fingers around it and backing away to give her room to sign.
Shakily, Y/N picked up the pen signing her name to the document despite the tremor making her signature messy and out of place next to Hoseokâs own quick and decisive signature. She didnât doubt him when he said heâd have the paper forged. No matter what she chose to do, legally sheâd be Mrs. Jung.
âPerfect.â Yoongi declared, taking the papers back from her once sheâd signed and initialed all that was needed on the contract. âNow the certificate.âÂ
He handed them the paper, and Hoseok signed without hesitation before handing the pen back to her where she signed again much to Hoseokâs delight.
âIâll get these filed tomorrow. It was nice to meet you, precious.â He smiled for the first time that evening. âWelcome to the family.âÂ
Y/N sat there shell shocked as he left, disbelieving of her own actions, disbelieving of the fact that she was legally Mrs. Jung Hoseok.Â
âWeâre going to have the most beautiful wedding, darling.â Hoseok cooed, taking her hand in his to slip the final ring onto her finger. âAnd youâre going to be the most beautiful bride.âÂ
Despite the state of shock that Y/N found herself in, Hoseok proceeded with the dinner as though it was a celebration and not her last meal. She supposed that to his mind it was a celebration. Heâd gotten exactly what heâd wanted, and sheâd walked away more powerless than before.Â
Hoseok prattled on about wedding details,and Y/N couldnât pry her eyes away from the ring sitting very conspicuously on her left hand. The ruby set in the middle was large and dark. Set in an emerald cut, it demanded attention as a statement piece with two smaller baguette diamonds framing it on either side. It was a ring meant to draw notice, and it was distinctive enough that it would be recognized at a glance. It ensured that anyone in Hoseokâs circle would know who and what she was to him as soon as they saw it.Â
âWhy?â Her voice cracked as she spoke, interrupting Hoseokâs musing on when would be the best time to hold the wedding.
âWhy what, sweetheart?â He asked, tilting his head to the side inquisitively as he sipped his wine.Â
âWhy did you do this to me? Wasnât holding me hostage enough?âÂ
The sigh he released was long-suffering in nature. âI donât think you understand, darling. Youâre mine. You were meant to be mine from that very first night, but you just canât seem to realize that.â He shook his head sadly. âSo stubborn.â
âIâm not yours.âÂ
âYou are.â he waved his hand breezily. âThereâs no use fighting it, precious. This was always going to happen.âÂ
Her gaze met his, eyes watery and red though she refused to let the tears fall. She didnât want him to have that satisfaction. Heâd taken enough from her for one night.Â
âWhy now? What happened to wooing?âÂ
He smiled indulgently at her. The expression was every bit as patronizing as the man who made it. âY/N, my darling. My precious girl. You didnât really think that your attempts to leave me would go unnoticed and unpunished? I already told you. Actions have consequences, and I wouldnât need legal assurances if you simply stayed where you were supposed to.â
âItâs a cage.âÂ
âYou wouldnât need a cage if you didnât try to scale the walls, darling.â He shrugged. âBesides, there are worse things than marrying a man who adores you, and I do adore you, precious.â Â
âYou barely even know me!âÂ
âI know you very well, sweetheart. I know you haunt my every thought. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you.âÂ
âAnd what about what I want?âÂ
He sighed again, leaning back and crossing his arms as he assessed her. She felt less like a woman he claimed to adore and more like a puzzle to be solved under his gaze, like the last three months had been nothing more than a game and he was trying to figure out how to make his end move.Â
âIt wonât be so bad.â It was a soft assurance, a repeat of what heâd already told her. âAnd as for wooing you softly, that clearly hasnât worked. You need a more firm approach.âÂ
âExcuse me?â She bristled.
He leaned forward, dark eyes focused solely on her. âTrying to win you over softly hasnât gotten us anywhere. Youâre too stubborn, precious. So now we try things my way.âÂ
âThe last three months havenât been your way?âÂ
A spark of excitement lit his eyes, a gleeful smile accompanying it. âIf Iâd had my way from the beginning, youâd have never left my bed. If Iâd had my way, youâd have woken up every day in my bed.âÂ
She hissed, recoiling away from him. âFucking bastard.â she spat, standing from the table.
Hoseok followed, standing from his own seat. âIf I remember correctly, you liked it when we did things my way.âÂ
âDonât touch me.â she backed away as he approached, crowding her towards the wall.Â
âItâs all Iâve been craving for months.â he murmured, caging her in. âItâs time I treated you like my woman- fully. Enough games, precious.âÂ
âItâs not a game. I despise you. You make my skin crawl.âÂ
He hummed non-comitally. âI can make you feel lots of things, if you give me the chance.âÂ
A resounding crack filled the space, and silence descended onto the room.Â
Hoseokâs head stayed turned to the side as Y/N stared at him in shock, her hand stinging from the impact.Â
Neither of them moved for a long moment.Â
Hoseok stayed eerily still as the handprint reddened across his cheek.
Y/N barely dared to breathe as she waited for his reaction. Never in her life had she raised her hand to someone before, not like this. She remembered playfights with her brother as a child, but sheâd never purposefully struck someone before.
Slowly, Hoseok turned back to face her, his face devoid of emotion as he stared down at her.Â
âHoseokâŠâ she breathed, wide eyes meeting his dead stare.Â
âI didnât realize you wanted to play rough, precious.â he exhaled, leaning in to breathe in the scent of jasmine wafting from her skin. His nose trailed along the column of her throat as he held her in place. âWe can play rough if you want,â he chuckled, nipping at the delicate skin where her jaw met her neck. âbut I think I can think of some other ways to celebrate that would be more fun.â
âNo.âÂ
âMrs. Jung. Jung Y/N.â he purred, placing open-mouth kisses down her throat to her collarbone. âGod, that sounds so fucking hot.âÂ
âGet off.â
He groaned as her arm snaked up and around his neck, finding cruel purchase in his hair as she tried to yank him away from her. âThe things you do to me, precious.â She yanked on his hair again, eliciting another groan. âKeep going, precious. Show me your rage.âÂ
He pressed his hips against hers, pushing her up against the wall more firmly and causing her to still at the feel of the hardness against her hip. âIâve been craving this for months.âÂ
His hands snaked down, caressing her curves as they made their way behind her upper thighs, lifting her suddenly and forcing her to jump if she didnât want to fall and bunching her skirt up around her thighs. With her legs wrapped around his hips, Hoseok took full advantage of their position to slip his hands beneath the bunched up fabric of her skirt, caressing her bare thighs as he ravaged her neck once more. âMy patience has been hanging by a fucking thread.â
âYouâre disgusting.â Â
 He hummed, kissing his way but up towards her jaw. âYou always smell so sweet- just like jasmine.âÂ
âPervert.âÂ
âMrs. Jung.â He sighed contentedly against her.Â
âIâll scream.â She threatened as he sucked a mark into the place where her jaw and throat met each other.Â
âGood..â She yelped as he bit down more sharply. âI want everyone to know youâre mine.âÂ
She snarled, digging her nails in as she tried again to push him away from her despite the instability of her position pressed up against the wall. âI want you.â He purred, sighing against her skin. âI want you so much is maddening. Just let me adore you, precious. Would that be so bad?â
She hissed as he pressed his hips into hers, nestling into the space between her thighs. âArenât you tired, precious? Arenât you, lonely? Donât you want to feel loved?âÂ
âNot by you.âÂ
âIâm all youâve got, precious. Let me worship you.âÂ
âI donât need you to worship me.â A strangled sound tore from her throat as Hoseok rolled his hips against hers.Â
âI know.â he grinned, placing a kiss to her pulse point. âLet me do it anyway.âÂ
âYouâre the worst person I know.â she hissed, melting into his touch despite her own better judgement.Â
It had been so long since sheâd been held like this- so long since sheâd had anyone who wanted her the way that he did. She knew it was wrong. It was twisted in too many ways to even begin to untangle, but despite knowing that, she found a small part of her wanting to give in- wanting to be adored the way that Hoseok promised to adore her. Even if it was wrong, even if it was twisted, it had to be better than isolation.
âYouâre the best thing in my life. My heart. My wife.âÂ
âStop it.âÂ
âYou donât want me to.â He whispered against her lips.Â
âDespicable.â
And the worst part was, he was right. Despite everything, when he held her like this, when he looked at her with those eyes, he made her feel so⊠precious.
Soulmate AU
pairing - OT7 x reader , BTS x reader
word count - 13.8k+
summary - You are an up and coming author for M-Buzz; Manhattan, New Yorkâs popular and new news source, set with the task of interviewing the globally famous band, BTS. You also have a bit of a glitch in your system. While everyone else has a set of initials and a birth date to signify who their soulmate is, you have a set of 14 letters and 21 numbers, something unheard of and rather stigmatized; and something that confuses you, that is, until you meet the men youâre interviewing.
warnings - cussing , eventual smut , MDNI , early writing (literal years ago) pls go gentle on me
P2 -
Alright, youâd be the first to admit that there were wonderful advantages to the job youâd landed three years ago. You spoke 3 languages fluently, which made you the go-to person for Korean and Japanese interviews with a language barrier. You could meet celebrities that other ordinary American interviewers couldnât truly connect with on your level, while saving your company a few bucks theyâd otherwise spend to book an actual translator.
Other interviews with the bands, actors, and high-profile socialites would be limited to watered-down conversations held with those celebrities and their translators. So, yeah, youâd pretty much been given the highly prestigious press title the moment your employer had seen the âfluently speaks 3 languagesâ bullet point on your resume.Â
âKPop and Japanese anime have blown up in America over the past few years!â Sheâd told you excitedly. âYouâd be an amazing addition to our team.â Â
And so you had started working your ass off immediately. Currently, you have interviews with Hideo Kojima, Hayao Miyazaki, Hajime Isayama, EXO, and BLACKPINK on your belt. You were looked up to in your work environment because of your dedication to the interviewing process. Plus, your income kept you comfortable. You were happy, for the most part. However, at times, you felt complacent.Â
Sure, your job was amazing. Being able to speak 3 languages alone was a feat in and of itself, but at the end of the day, you felt lacking. Your social life had dwindled, something your family had been worried about since the second month of your working career, and although you thought it a nonissue at first, the loneliness built until it was something you could hardly stand to endure, but it was also inescapable.
You didnât have the initials and birthdate of your soulmate etched in black ink on your left wrist, as everyone did at birth; instead, you had 14 letters and 28 numbers. The long sequence of characters had earned you confused looks from doctors at your yearly check-ups and a lack of social life. Youâd had them memorised by heart.Â
K.S.M.Y.J.H.K.N.P.J.K.T.J.J The stutter in the last two letters irked you to no end. And the numbers were a complete mind-fuck.Â
12.4.92.3.9.93.2.18.94.9.12.94.10.13.95.12.30.95.9.1.97. What any of it meant was a fucking mystery to you and everyone around you. You were an enigma.
It wasnât an existence you were keen on, and you know that it was a huge chunk of your familyâs worrying. But youâd accepted long ago that you werenât going to have a soulmate, that youâd either have to find someone else who was as misfortunate as you, or just settle with being alone save for one-offs and porn. It wasnât like you werenât living damn close to those truths now.Â
You can still vaguely hear your mother chastising you for having such a full schedule. âYouâll never find your soulmate if the only thing you care about is your work,â sheâd told you, thinking the overabundance of black on your wrist was a clerical error, and your lesser-than history of romance was a result of you not looking for them hard enough. It took everything in you not to break down at her harsh words, but you mustered a weak, âIâve found them already, Mom, my work is my soulmate,â and left her townhouse. That was 6 months ago, and youâd not seen her since. You still stuck by your words, because even if you were lonely, you were beyond appreciative for the job you had, soulmate be damned.Â
But sometimes the loneliness was deafening, and it left a question ringing in your head like a church bell. Was the writing really worth it? Â
Friends from college couldnât keep up with your hectic lifestyle of needing to be ready to board a plane at any given moment for an immediate press conference or high-profile interview your boss had scored you. You couldnât have a pet out of fear of never being home to care for it, and your family couldnât pause holidays because youâd have a layover flight that day.Â
So, long story short, yes, your job was amazing and had definitely provided you with some of the best moments of your life (itâs not every day that you get to ask Hideo Kojima about Death Stranding,) but itâd also enhanced the evergrowing emptiness of your solitude, and piled on your shoulders round-the-clock work hours.Â
âY/N! Thank god youâre here,â your co-worker, Elle, greets you. Sheâd been the one person you could rely on the most since your first day. Sheâs a pretty girl, a few years younger than you, her colorful pencil skirts and chiffon button-ups always brightening your day as soon as you walk into the office.Â
âGood morning to you, too, Elle.â You tell her, shocked when she quite literally hugs the breath out of your body. âWhatâs gotten into you this morning?â You ask her, stepping back to look into her eyes.Â
âI had a few too many cups of coffeeâŠâ She smirks, âBut, youâll be proud of me! I got your interview with BLACKPINK edited, and itâll be fresh on the press and on YouTube within the next few hours or so.âÂ
âThatâs great! Thanks, Elle. You do need to be careful with your caffeine intake this early in the morning, though. We donât need a repeat of Christmas.âÂ
She cringes at the reminder, vividly recalling the day sheâd forgotten to eat and passed out when sheâd gotten a papercut opening her Secret Santa gift. Itâd cost her a weekâs pay in medical bills once sheâd been released from the hospital with a few stitches sheâd scored from landing on her face in the officeâs rec room.Â
âPoint taken,â she grimaces.Â
You chuckle, nudging her shoulder as you work your way into your office, Elle on your toes the whole time. Your focus drifts as she tells you about her late night and early morning, because this is routine for the two of you now. Youâre both free to chat amongst yourselves if youâve finished your current assignments, something youâre grateful for, until your boss either emails you or makes her way into your office to assign you your next task.Â
âY/N?â Elle asks you, dragging your jaded attention from the swirling of the hot chocolate sheâs readied on your desk, back to her face.Â
âHuh?â You ask drowsily.Â
âI said, did you hear that the Bangtan Boys are going to do a mini-tour around Seoul, Daegu, and Busan before they go on a break?â She says, exasperated by your lack of interest in her earlier monologues.Â
âI actually hadnât heard of that, yet.â You reply lightly, interest piqued, âis anyone from our office covering the tour yet? I know Andrew speaks some Korean, albeit not as fluently as I do.âÂ
âI havenât heard anything in the office yet,â she answers. âBut, that leads to the question, er, well, favor I have to ask of you.âÂ
You eye her questioningly, already cautious.Â
âItâs just, I know that youâre sometimes allowed to bring a tagalong when thereâs big stories like this to cover, so I donât know⊠I was wondering if maybe I could be your plus-one if you get the story?âÂ
âUgh, Elle, you know we donât really get to choose the stand-in reporters for those trips,â you groan.
âAndrew told me that when heâs been given big stories that he always takes Cam with him,â she whines. âAnd Iâve never been out of the country, let alone the continent. Itâd be an amazing opportunity for me to be able to leave New York for once.âÂ
She pleads at you with her eyes, full pink lips puckered and trembling.Â
âIf- and I mean if,â you emphasize, seeing how her pout turns into a near-blinding smile, âif I get the story, because honestly, we donât even know if there is one; then I might consider asking Mrs. Powell if you can assist me as a co-writer.â
âYes!â Elle shrieks, jumping up and down, chiffon bouncing and blonde hair waving across the room wildly. âI knew I could count on you! God, youâre so awesome.âÂ
âYeah, yeah,â you huff, checking your email. âPowell wants me to write a follow-up on the BLACKPINK interview, so Iâm going to start on that. Iâll find you around lunch so we can discuss what I summarize,â you tell her, âoh, and Elle?â You say, stopping her in the doorway of your office before she leaves. âRemind me to kick Andrewâs ass later for being such a mushroom.âÂ
Elle laughs, stepping out of your office with a skip in her step.Â
You didnât exactly hate Andrew, but you trusted him about as far as you could throw him. He was ruthless in his interviewing and even more so in his everyday life. Beyond that, you guys had the same working position, prospective head reporter for M-Buzz, an up-and-coming Manhattan news source, and both you and Andrew wanted the head reporting position that only one of you would get.Â
Four hours, three cups of coffee, and two bathroom trips later, the follow-up is written; the 4,000 words glaring at you from the computer screen. You type in Powellâs email address and hit send, letting out a sigh as you watch the check mark change from grey to green.Â
Your mind, the persistent bastard, decides to wander back towards the dreaded soulmate topic, and although you werenât too keen on staying in the mindset, you canât shake it.Â
At 21 years old, youâd never met another individual with a lack of âthe signature,â as most Americans referred to it. Youâd moved cross country a multitude of times, studying various current events that arose, and interviewing until your mind was numb, but youâd not once encountered anyone with the same blank canvas that your wrist housed.Â
Youâd seen the way some people would glance at your wrist, nosy tendencies flaring, and then the way theyâd raise their brows in shock, looking to you like you were some sort of circus animal. The pity in their eyes was acidic and made you want to vomit.Â
Youâd also have witnessed the irritation that would swell in your chest when you saw people treating their soulmates poorly, or ignoring their existence altogether.Â
Cam and Elle could deny it all they wanted, but they were, in fact, soulmates. No amount of repression and cold insolence would change fate. They couldnât deny their cosmic attraction forever, just like you couldnât deny your cosmic solitude.Â
Thereâs a small knock on your door, and then Elle is peeking her wide-eyed face through a crack, looking sorry for interrupting your train of thought.Â
âMrs. Powell just asked for you and Andrew to go to her office,â she tells you.
âWonderful,â you quip, standing up and straightening your pencil skirt, not at all excited at the uncomfortable situation youâd be in once you entered your bossâs office.Â
âI really think itâs about BTSâŠâ Elle says shyly, walking alongside you towards the elevator.Â
âIt most likely is. Sheâs probably going to have us kill each other for the story.âÂ
âYou were always a scrapper,â your friend jokes.Â
âDonât give me too much credit, Elle. I grew up in Washington. The closest thing to a fight Iâve been in was trying to squeeze into a bus with ten other people during a rainstorm.âÂ
âIâve seen how you get when you want a position,â she tells you as the elevator doors start to slide shut, âyouâll knock 'em dead.âÂ
Her face disappears behind the metal panels, and the elevator rises.Â
You could go for the job, yank it out from under Andrewâs nose, and enjoy Seoul, you hadnât been to before, and you did very much enjoy traveling. Or you could simply stay home and watch Friends reruns, edit another reporterâs papers, and drink champagne. You could buy some Ben and Jerryâs and take some sick days, go to a spa, and just relax.Â
The latter wasnât you, though. You were driven, adventurous, and properly bored with New York. You needed a change of scenery, even if it were only for a few weeks, and if you could take Elle, thatâd only make Seoul more enjoyable.Â
With your mind set, and the doors to the elevator opening upon arrival to the thirtieth floor, you step out and walk with purpose towards the office marked âPowell.âÂ
âThanks for finally joining us, Y/N,â Andrew mutters as soon as youâve stepped foot into the room.Â
âNice to see you, too, Andrew.â You smile, masking irritation with friendly courtesy.Â
âCool it, Klein,â Powell huffs, eyeing Andrew coldly. âGo ahead and have a seat, Y/N,â she motions towards the chair opposite where sheâs sitting at her desk, and you take it, avoiding the glare Andrew sends your way as you sit to his left.Â
âIâm sure youâve both been bombarded with notifications throughout the day about the âPersonaâ tour taking place in South Korea later this month?â She asks, smiling, when you both nod. âGreat, well, I had Margaret over on the tech floor set us up with better alerting algorithms last month, and theyâve worked magic for us today. We managed to book a two-person reporting gig for the entirety of the tour-â
âYouâre sending me with Y/N? Doesnât that seem a little redundant, given weâre both going for the same job?â Andrew groans, running his hand over his pointed face.
âLet me finish, Andrew,â Powell snaps, âI was going to say that you guys could pick who, amongst yourselves, would go with an apprentice, but given your outburst, I am choosing to send Y/N. Weâre sending a reporter to interview the band and review the tour, not fight amongst coworkers.âÂ
You hold back a laugh, shocked that youâd gotten the job without having to lift a finger.âBut- I didnât mean toâÂ
âBut you did,â Powell states dryly. âAnd now Y/N will be going to Korea for three weeks while you continue covering the Presidentâs tweets.âÂ
That, you do laugh at. âAt least youâll have a lot of content,â you joke.Â
Andrew huffs, grabs his coffee from the end table between your chairs, and leaves the room swiftly, jaw locked and scowl present.Â
âSo,â Powell shifts her gaze from the slightly slammed office door to your still-shocked expression, âyour trip is pretty much all set up, you leave in three days, and the tour starts in five. The hotels will be paid for, of course, I just need to know who youâd like to bring along with you and whether youâll be needing a spare room or just one with two beds when we book your stays.âÂ
âOh, just one room will be fine,â you tell her, âIâll bring Elle along with me, she does a spectacular job of helping to revise my articles already.âÂ
âSounds great, Iâll just let HR know whoâs being sent and fill out some paperwork, and you guys should be set. Your first interview with BTS will be the night you land, so youâll have to get situated in the hotel quickly. From there on, Iâll continue emailing and calling with updates and schedules. Pretty smooth sailing, all and all.âÂ
âJust how I like it,â you smile, shaking her offered hand and leaving the room.Â
You donât expect Andrew to be waiting for you at the elevator, but there he is, in all of his angry-man glory; face red and temper very obviously still flaring.Â
âAndrew, I really donât thi--â
âNo, you listen here,â he stops you, voice low and threatening. âIâve worked my fucking ass off to be where I am today and I will not have my career ruined by some up-and-coming 20 year old floozy. You hear me?â He shouts, finger waving in your face as sweat beads on his forehead.Â
âI donât understand why you even-âÂ
âI donât care if you donât understand! My point is, watch your fucking back and stay the hell out of my way.â He spits, pushing past you and towards the stairs on the opposite side of the hallway.Â
What the fuck?Â
âHe said what?â Elle asks, shoving another forkful of ramen into her mouth.
âThe manâs fucking insane,â you tell her, twisting your own noodles with your fork, âitâs not like I targeted him as soon as I walked into the office! I literally just sat there and listened. Didnât have to utter a peep.âÂ
âI canât believe he called you a floozy. Is he stuck in the â60s?â She mocks. âListen, I know youâre upset, and after a situation like that, no one can blame you⊠But, Y/N, look on the bright side. Weâre going to have so much fun in South Korea. I canât thank you enough for letting me come with you. I really canât.â
âBuy me lunch once a week for the next two months and weâll call it even,â you joke.
âDeal,â Elle replies instantly. âYouâre the only person I know who will eat noodles every day with me and not get tired of them.â
âItâs good food,â you reply, âpeople are just ungrateful.âÂ
Itâs almost as if youâve blinked and youâre getting off the plane in Seoul. The last few days passed by in a blur as you and Elle attended a few meetings, going over company policies and general rules of thumb. No sexually explicit questions, no touching the interviewee, be on time for the interviews, dress appropriately, etc.
âItâs colorful here,â Elle exhales, stepping to your side as you wait for a taxi. âKind of exhilarating.âÂ
âItâs pretty breathtaking,â you agree, smiling at a taxi driver who finally acknowledges the two of you and pulls to the curb. You give him the hotel address once heâs situated your luggage in the trunk, and you rest your back against the leather interior as the car begins to weave through traffic.Â
âWhere do you wanna go first?â Elle asks after nearly half an hour of silence, âWe could go to a local restaurant? Cam told me about a few places heâs been to that have completely ruined American cuisine for him.âÂ
âWell, first we have an interview.â You placate her, âfood, after. Maybe we could walk the streets later and sightsee?âÂ
âMmm, fair enough.â Elle smiles. âThank you, Y/N. No, I really mean it,â she says, shrugging off the interjection thatâs ready to roll off your tongue. âI know people usually say thank you just to serve their own egos, but I really mean it. Youâre a good friend, and I appreciate that.âÂ
You blush, not quite knowing how to respond.Â
âWeâre going to have a great time,â Elle adds, filling the silence, âthis will be the best work trip either of us has ever been on, I swear it.âÂ
âAlright, youâre getting sappy,â you chuckle, nudging her shoulder. âSave it for when we reflect on the trip a few months down the line, huh?âÂ
âYouâre not very emotive, are you?â She jokes.Â
âHey, I can be emotional. I just choose not to act on my emotions in front of other people. I promise you, inside- very deep inside my body, my psyche is curled in the fetal position and crying from just how youâve moved me.âÂ
âShut up,â she scoffs, shoving you lightly. Her eyes light up as she glances out of the passenger window from her back seat. âIs that it?âÂ
You follow her gaze to the gargantuan building ahead of the taxi, and your mouth gapes. âThatâs itâŠâ You breathe, completely taken aback by how luxurious the hotel looked.Â
âWowâŠâÂ
âYou can say that again.âÂ
You pay the taxi driver and bow, thanking him in Korean. Elle is already out of the small vehicle, pulling her luggage out of the trunk with a few grunts. You couldnât hold off your work forever, despite how nervous you were growing. You could do this. You knew you could. Turning to the nearest bellhop and signaling him over, you begin to pull your suitcase out of the trunk.
âWe have roughly 2 hours before weâre supposed to be downtown to meet with BTS for the interview,â you tell her. âSo that gives us an hour to get ready. Powell said Big Hit offered a driver to us during the tour.â
âA driver? But weâre interviewing them, not the other way around,â she replies, following you and the bellhop as he escorts you to the front desk inside the massive building to retrieve your key.Â
âI guess they really appreciate American media covering them,â you tell her, âmaybe theyâre considering another U.S tour sooner rather than later,â you shrug.Â
âYour keys, Miss L/N.â The bellhop tells you, handing you the golden objects on a ring. Room #901, thatâd put you pretty high up.Â
âThank you,â you tell him, smiling widely. âWould you be able to lead the way and get our bags up there? Weâre on a time crunch,â you tell him in his native tongue. He nods his agreement and grabs a silver luggage cart from behind the front desk.Â
Youâre shocked that M-Buzz has put you and Elle on the top floor, not quite expecting the obvious pampering.Â
âThis is just so exciting!â Elle chirps, nearly scaring the poor bellhop. You offered him an apology for her outburst and huff. âI mean, the top floor? Cam has never mentioned being treated to a top-floor suite.âÂ
âItâs not what I figured weâd be getting, thatâs for sure.â You mumble, âMaybe thereâs some sort of catch? An extra 50,000-word write-up? Deducted pay?âÂ
âOh, give M-Buzz some credit, Y/N.âÂ
âDonât get me wrong, I appreciate it, I do, and Iâm not complaining in the slightest. I just didnât expect it. Weâre only going to be in Seoul for a week or so anyway. We have two other major cities to go to after.âÂ
âYou have a point,â Elle agrees, âbut I donât think theyâd dock our pay. The write-up seems more realistic. But you have gifted fingers, itâll be a breeze for you.âÂ
âMagic fingers?â You question her, cheeks blazing.
âGet your mind out of the gutter, Y/N. Everyone around the office calls you Magic Fingers because of how quickly you can pull a five-star article out of your ass.âÂ
You send her a pointed glare, this time verbally apologizing to the bellhop for her crudeness. You only had ten floors to ascend, and then youâd be free from the claustrophobic confines of the elevator and the awkward social setting looming inside of it.
âI just write whatever pops into my head, I donât overthink itâŠâ You explain, feeling completely self-conscious, breathing out a sigh of relief when the elevator doors finally open, revealing a large hallway with only one door on either wall.Â
âPenthouse 901,â the bellhop announces, shoving the key into the lock and pushing the door open for you and Elle.
âHoly crap,â Elle squeaks.Â
âThank you,â you tell the bellhop, handing him a 10,000 won tip, hoping itâll cover the cost for Elleâs loose lips. He bows and exits the room, leaving you and Elle to gape at the extravagant room alone.Â
âThis is kind of amazing,â you whisper, eyeing the white marble floors and granite countertops in the massive kitchen.Â
âKind of amazing? Itâs fucking incredible, Y/N,â Elle corrects you. âThey even sent us a bottle of champagne.âÂ
âFor a reporting job?â You wonder aloud, still not quite grasping the intricacy of the penthouse you were situated in.Â
âWho knows?â Elle answers, âIâm not complaining.âÂ
You shake the slight unease you feel, and start to unpack your belongings, makeup bag, and toothbrush, some of the first things you grasp. âIâm going to find a bathroom in this castle and get ready. You should do the same,â you chide, pulling your hair into a loose ponytail.Â
âMeet you back here in an hour?â Elle shouts, already at the opposite end of the mini-mansion.Â
âSounds good!â You holler, pushing open a door and gasping at the bedroom in front of you. Satin sheets, dark maroon walls, wall-length mirrors, and a massive television screen glaring at you with purpose. âWow,â you whisper, openly admiring the intricacy of the carpet and bedding. âLater, Y/N,â you order yourself, refocusing your whirling mind on getting ready for the interview mere hours ahead of you.
You had drafted a multitude of questions for said interview while on the flight, thankful that Elle had drifted asleep for the entire duration you were in the air. God knows you wouldâve gotten nothing done had your coworker been awake.Â
Aside from clothing and a tad bit of makeup, you were ready. Beyond ready, in fact. So why were nerves still prickling at the back of your psyche and rendering you a shaking mess right now?Â
You want to break down and have a good cry, but you know thatâll serve you no good. You have a job to do here, and you werenât going to let M-Buzz and Elle down. Maybe if you did a great job youâd have more extravagant trips to look forward to, Elle included.Â
You splash your face with water from the connecting bathroom, and look at your face in the mirror. Nerves definitely had done their work on you, your pupils were still slightly dilated from your strange near-panic attack and you had cold sweats.
Thankfully, you had packed your favorite lavender body oil, which always seemed to soothe your anxiety when huge work or life obstacles such as this clouded your mind. A pat of the scented liquid against your throat and wrists, a natural makeup look completed with a mauve lip, and your new black pencil skirt paired with your pastel pink blouse and a high bun had you feeling rejuvenated and even excited for the interview. You didnât even trip once in your nude Miu Miu heels on your way from your bedroom to the living room.Â
Elle waited, as she said she would, in the entryway of the luxurious penthouse. âI thought you said Powell was going to hook us up with a one-bedroom?âÂ
âShe did,â you tell her, âcan you please not use the phrase âhook us up withâ in a sentence, please?â You groan. âIt sounds like youâre talking about us fucking the room.âÂ
âYou are especially frisky today, Y/N whatâs gotten into you?â She asks, wiggling her brows suggestively.Â
âNothing has gotten into me, Elle,â you huff, âIâm just excited to do the interview, thatâs all. I wanna bring up astrology signs and stuff,â you explain, âitâs going to be fun!âÂ
âFor you,â Elle quips, leading you out of the room and into the elevator. âNot everyone is as involved with astrology as you are, you know.âÂ
âIâm not involved with astrology,â you huff, âreaders like to learn this stuff about their celebrity crushes. Itâs not far-fetched,â you grumble.Â
âIâm just teasing you,â she laughs, nudging you. âIâm sure the interview will be fun. I know you were brainstorming our questions and topics the entire flight.âÂ
âWha-â
âYou type loud,â she shrugs. âItâs good to be prepared, donât be embarrassed.âÂ
You want to argue with her for the sake of your ego, but you know she was right. Sheâd embarrassed you, not necessarily a hard feat for her, given how well sheâd come to know you.Â
âPowell wants me to try and interview them in mainly English, but she said that if I think itâs easier to do it in Korean, that would work, too.â You tell Elle, kicking at the elevator floor as it continues its slow descent. âI donât like it when she leaves me to make the big decisions.âÂ
âOh, Y/N. You always do this.â Elle groans, rubbing her hand against her face.
âDo what?â You ask, slightly defensive.
âPsych yourself out before the interviews you do. You second-guess everything, and then the second we walk into the interviewing room, you completely shift. Itâs like you were never worried in the first place, you just⊠go with the flow?â She explains, âit makes the worrying you do beforehand incredibly frustrating. Especially knowing how confident and driven you are outside of interviews and work.âÂ
âIâm sorryâŠâ You say, sad that youâd made her even an inkling upset.Â
âDonât be, itâs very you. Iâm not frustrated you experience it, just frustrated you donât seem to credit yourself enough on how spectacular of a job you do all in all. And as far as the English or Korean topic goes, the guys have been learning more English from what Iâve learned, so they might surprise you and make the decision for you.âÂ
âI appreciate that,â you tell her, because truthfully, you do. âIâll try my best not to be a mope the rest of the tour, I swear!â You hold out your pinky, grateful that she doesnât leave you hanging as you lock in your promise.Â
The elevator finally dings, and the two of you step out, crossing the lobby quickly and hopping into the black SUV that waits outside of the hotel with your name in the passenger window. The driver greets you, quickly explaining his job at Big Hit, which literally consists of driving interviewers and members of Big Hit to and from locations during tours and press conferences.Â
âWe appreciate you driving us,â you tell him in Korean, leaning towards the front seats so you can see him better, and noting his slight blush and the creases that form at the corners of his eyes as he takes your compliment.Â
âWe will be arriving at the Big Hit building in ten minutes,â he tells you, âitâs a pretty short drive.âÂ
âThatâs great. Weâll make it on time, then.â You smile, repeating his statement in English for Elle as she watches the night scenery flitter by her outside of her window.Â
âDo you think theyâll be as beautiful as they are on screen in person?â Elle asks.
âMore than likely,â you answer her, âbut we arenât here to pine over them. Youâve got a soulmate back home to worry about,â you chastise her.
âYeah, but you donât.â She replies dryly after a few minutes pass, âand I am still single, you know.âÂ
âYeah, yeah,â you wave her off, âyou and Cam have both made that abundantly clear.âÂ
âShut up,â she mumbles, pulling her cardigan tighter around her body while she sulks. âItâd be weird if we got together.âÂ
âWhy?â You ask her, interest piqued, âBecause you work together? Donât give me that.âÂ
âNo, because I dated his brother in high school.âÂ
You were not expecting that. Whatsoever.Â
âYou dated his brother?â You ask incredulously.Â
âYes, his brother. Adam.â She snaps. âDidnât end all too well.âÂ
âIâm sorry, Elle,â you tell her honestly, âI didnât know. If I did, I wouldnât joke about it.âÂ
âItâs okay, there are reasons Cam and I donât bring it up.â She shrugs. âOh, look!â She points, and you follow her finger, seeing the mostly-glass-constructed building thatâs lit up down the expansive driveway youâve turned onto.Â
âThatâs a lot of windows.âÂ
âNice assessment.â Elle laughs.Â
âThanks. It was exhausting to make.â You joke back, pulling your notebook you kept with you during interviews, out of your purse.Â
âI canât believe weâre going to meet them,â Elle smiles, âIâve been listening to them since 2 Cool 4 Skool was released.âÂ
âI listened to Wings when it was released, but aside from that, research is my extent of BTS knowledge.â You tell her.Â
âWait, what?â She asks, taken aback.
âI just kinda stopped listening to music and paying it any attention after my dad passed away in high school.â You shrug. âThey released that in my senior year, so I gave it a listen. It was good, but I donât know. I didnât want to listen to music like I did when my dad was around, I guess.âÂ
The car comes to a stop before Elle can reply, and your driver steps out to open your door. You bow, thanking him and heading towards the Big Hit worker who waits for you and Elle at the front door to the Big Hit establishment.Â
âY/N?â The young woman asks.Â
âThat is me.â You answer kindly, shaking her offered hand.Â
âThe boys are waiting for you and your co-writer in the main room. I am Mai, and I will be guiding you there and staying on hand for any questions you may have during the interview.â She tells you.
âThatâs wonderful! Thank you.â You answer her, following her and signaling for Elle to do the same as she leads you over the threshold and into the marvelous entryway of the building.
âThis way,â she directs you, stepping down a small flight of stairs and into a ridiculously well-lit room, every piece of furniture and decor white, save for the three chairs and two sofas that are burgundy.Â
You can feel sets of eyes on you as you enter the room, but you wait until youâre sat in the lounge chair that Mai directs you to stand in front of to raise your chin and look the boys in the eyes.Â
To say theyâre gorgeous is quite possibly a disservice to them. Theyâre ethereal, otherworldly.Â
âHello,â you address them, your voice surprisingly steady given your inward disarray from simply looking at them. âMy name is Y/N L/N, Iâm a reporter from M-Buzz, an up-and-coming news source in Manhattan, New York.âÂ
Some of the boys are glancing at you with confused expressions on their faces, and you can swear that two of them look at you with complete shock and bewilderment. You save yourself a lengthy self-analysis and repeat your introduction to them in Korean.
âWoah! Are you fluent in Korean?â One with a giant smile, black hair, a yellow Gucci crewneck, and an exuberant voice asks you.Â
âHoseok, we havenât even introduced ourselves,â another rebukes the man who must be Hoseok, his voice a velvety, rich sound that nearly has you blushing.Â
âIâm so sorry!â Hoseok rushes, bowing to you, âMy name is Jung Hoseok, or JHope! Itâs nice to meet you.âÂ
You smile gently at him, âItâs nice to meet you, too, Hoseok.âÂ
âIâm Kim Namjoon, or RM,â the one with the rich voice tells you, bowing as Hoseok did. Heâs very well defined and the tallest of the bunch. His lips are drawn up in a smile, but you can tell that theyâre shapely. You absentmindedly notice his hands, the size of them, and the muscles that shift in his arms as he plays with his hands in his lap.Â
âDonât keep her all to yourselves,â another voice rings out. You glance at the owner of the new voice, pleased with what you see, though youâd never say that aloud. His lips are full, eyes bright, and hair a butterscotch blond. âIâm Kim Seokjin, but ARMY calls me Jin, or Worldwide Handsome.âÂ
You smile, returning his bow.Â
âIâm Kim Taehyung!â A man with a bandana tied across his forehead to keep back his chocolate brown hair smiles, eyes bright and boxy-smile infectious. âARMY calls me V.âÂ
âIâm Jeon Jungkook!â The muscular figure next to Taehyung introduces himself, his smile wide and cheeks flushed as you shift your gaze to him. âItâs nice to meet you, Y/N.â He smiles even wider, a feat you thought impossible.Â
âIâm Park Jimin!â The next introduces himself, his smile sweet, but something lying beneath his eyes tells you that sweet is something he can be far from. His hair is a light pastel pink, his eyes crinkle as he smiles at you, bowing. You recognize that heâd been one of the men to look at you in shock.
You look to the last figure, sensing his eyes still on you. They are. He looks to you with the same expression Jimin had prior to the introductions, eyes serious as they take you in. âMin Yoongi,â he says simply, nodding his head towards you.Â
You smile at him, slightly uncomfortable with the way he and Jimin seem to be fixated on you.Â
âItâs nice to meet all of you. This is my co-writer, Elle.â You motion towards your protege. âShe doesnât speak Korean.â You explain.Â
âAh,â Namjoon speaks up, âthey arenât all fluent in speaking English yet, but theyâve been practicing and understand most of it. We can do the interview in English and then translate what needs to be translated into Korean. If that works?âÂ
âThatâs great!â You answer him, breaking into English to explain the conversation to Elle. You smile when the guys all introduce themselves to her in English. The beginning of the interview goes about how all interviews ever go.Â
The cameras are set up, you redo your introductions, and you ask the basic questions. Favorite colors, favorite songs on their current album, favorite songs of theirs in general, celeb crushes, etc.Â
Youâre excited when the first thirty minutes pass and the interview opens up to the part youâre most hyped for. Astrology. This had been fun to come up with.Â
âSo, for this next part of the interview, Iâd like for us to talk about our astrology signs in order from oldest to youngest. The fans are really excited about this.âÂ
âDinosaur Jin!â Taehyung shouts, earning guffaws of laughter from everyone but Jin.Â
âYou wonât be laughing when youâre 26 and exhausted,â he pouts.Â
âSo, Jin-hyung is the oldest. Whenâs your birthday?â You ask, preparing your notepad.Â
âDecember 4, 1992.â He tells you, and your brain momentarily comes to a stop. 12.4.92 plays on a loop in your mind. âThat makes you a Sagittarius,â you tell him, âyour sign is an archer! Your element is fire, your birthstone is topaz, and your ruling planet is Jupiter, the biggest one.âÂ
âAs it should be.â He quips, wiggling his eyebrows at his bandmates.Â
âWhoâs next?â You ask, nerves building.Â
âSuga!â and âYoongiâ are immediately shouted out, and the man in question tears his eyes from you to look at his members.Â
âHuh?â He asks.
âYou werenât paying attention again, hyung! You have to tell Y/N when your birthday is,â Mai interjects from her directorâs chair.
âOh, sorry.â Yoongi mumbles, turning back to face you, gaze heated. âMy birthday is March 9, 1993.âÂ
You freeze, more of the code on your mind ringing in your ears. 3.9.93.Â
âThat makes you, uhâŠâ You trail off, thinking. âPisces! Thatâs it. Yeah, your sign is two koi, your element is water, your birthstone is amethyst, and your ruling planet is Neptune!âÂ
âCool,â he answers emotionlessly, still gazing at you, looking nothing short of perplexed.Â
âNext?â You call.
âHoseok!â Namjoon tells you, looking at his friend proudly.
âMy birthday is February 18, 1994! I think I was already told that Iâm an Aquarius!â He explains happily.Â
Youâd love to reply with enthusiasm, but the numbers are rolling in your mind, and now youâre tying the letters into them as well. Jinâs birthday was the first set of numbers on your wrist, but his initials were S.K? Wait, no. If you used Korean, as you should, his initials were K.S.
Your feet lift you out of your seat and out of the building without a second thought, and you race for the car, already asking the driver to take you back to your hotel immediately. He looks concerned, but acquiesces, pulling out of the driveway swiftly. In your haste, youâd left your notebook and Elle, but youâd shoot her a text or call her once you got back to the penthouse. Youâd needed to do some research and figure out if you were right on this.
Because there was no way in hell that BTS, in its entirety, was your soulmate(s).
Kim Seokjin. December 4, 1992. The name and birthdate correspond perfectly with the first set of initials and date. You could chalk it up to coincidence, but looking more into it had your heart threatening to leap from your throat.Â
Min Yoongi. M.Y. The second set of initials, another match. March 9, 1993. Another flutter rose in your chest.
Jung Hoseok. J.H. February 18, 1994.
Kim Namjoon. K.N. September 12, 1994.Â
Park Jimin. P.J. October 13, 1995.Â
Kim Taehyung. K.T. December 30, 1995.Â
And Jeon Jungkook. J.J. The stutter at the end of your frustratingly long list of numbers. September 1, 1997.Â
Youâd need a massive bottle of vodka to wash down the events of this evening. The Big Hit driver, Shei, youâd learned his name on the drive back to the hotel, had asked you numerous times what was happening. You couldnât blame him; youâd essentially shoved him back into the SUV and ordered him to take you back to the hotel as if your life depended on it.Â
He didnât hesitate; youâd figured that wasnât in his code of conduct. He obliged immediately, peeling out of the Big Hit Entertainment driveway without a care to give.Â
He did want answers, as any person under the amount of stress and complete confusion youâd forced onto his shoulders would be. But how were you supposed to explain that during the most pivotal and important interview in your career to date, youâd discovered and found that not only did you have a soulmate, you had seven! And to make a confusing situation even more confusing, all of your soulmates made up one of the most sensational boy groups ever? Shei would probably make a U-turn on the freeway and take you to a psychiatrist, which, now that you think about it, could be helpful.Â
âYou left me!â Elle shouts through the phone, âI had to wing the rest of the interview, and the boys all got really quiet after we finished the astrology skit!âÂ
âWait- finished it? How?â You question her, momentarily forgetting about the inner soliloquy.Â
âYou left your notebook in your chair! I told them about your horoscope and then mine.â She huffs. âThatâs not what matters, though! Donât try and get me sidetracked. You left me alone, and I didnât know what to do! I just listed out your questions like a robot!âÂ
âYou told them my horoscope?â You choke out, breathing becoming more difficult with each passing second, she doesnât answer.
âWhat the fuck, Y/N? Werenât you going to? The notes said to compare and contrast our horoscopes with theirs!âÂ
You mentally slap yourself, angry with yourself that youâd forgotten your notebook and that you hadnât prepped Elle better, for her own sake, before the interview.
âIâll make it up to you, I swearâŠâ You sigh. âI just⊠I had to come back to the hotel.â
âWhy?â Elle argues, and you feel the bitter pang of guilt well in your chest. Sheâd never spoken to you so harshly, and what hurts more is that you know sheâs not in the wrong. You were unprofessional. âWhat was so important that you left me and BTS hanging? You know, weâre going to have to speak to HR about this?âÂ
Fuck. You really didnât think your actions through at all.
âI can speak to HR,â you reassure her. âThereâs no excuse for leaving the interview like that. I know that much. I just- I donât know! Have you ever had a fight or flight instinct kick in?âÂ
âWhat? No?â Elle answers. âI donât understand what that has to do wi-â
âI had to leave, Elle.â You explain, exhaustion and jet lag sinking in and catching up with you. âI just-I went into a weird shock and I needed to leave.âÂ
Elle remains silent for a few minutes, and you almost check the call to make sure she hasnât hung up on you. âOkayâŠâ she sighs.Â
âThank you-â
âNo, no, no. Donât shove the thank youâs onto me right now. Youâve got a lot of explaining to do, still. Iâm not completely stupid or oblivious, Y/N.â You can hear her grimace through the phone line. âI saw the way that the guys froze up when I told them your birthday.âÂ
Shit. Shit. Shit.
âAnd I know for a fact that Yoongi and Jimin looked at you like youâd shocked them with tasers when you gave them your name!âÂ
âElle-â
âNo! Donât âElle,â me. Explain to me whatâs going on!âÂ
You grip the phone tightly against your ear, afraid to say what you know is most likely the truth. The words are about to slip out of your mouth, but a sob emerges instead, shocking you and most likely scaring Elle.
âI just- thereâs so much going on and I donât know what to do.â You stammer out, shaking on the loveseat youâre curled into. âI canât even begin to tell you whatâs going through my mind right now.âÂ
âHoly shit, itâs that bad? Did one of them hurt you?â She asks, and you can vaguely hear her asking, no, more like ordering, someone to drive her to the hotel.
âNo!â You shout, âNo! They didnât hurt me. Iâve never met any of them before.âÂ
âYou swear?â She asks, voice slightly wobbly with worry.Â
âI swear on my life,â you reply instantly. âItâs just way too much to explain over the phone, canât I just tell you when you get back?âÂ
She hesitantly obliges, but forces you into staying on the line with her until she gets off the hotel elevator onto your floor. You can tell sheâs been worrying her ass off when she walks into the living room of the penthouse, eyes wide, pupils dilated and breathing labored.Â
âNow,â she breathes loudly, âcare to explain what the actual hell is going on?âÂ
You scooch over, patting the cushion next to you, and Elle sits down, gaze worrying at your teary eyes and confused face.Â
You bite your bottom lip, wondering if showing her would be easier than explaining. You know sheâd seen the lengthy piece of ink on your wrist before at work, but youâd explained to her that you were just an error in the universeâs system. Certainly, no one in existence, even someone with the largest imagination, would deduce that you had seven famous soulmates.Â
âJust- look.â You breathe out, deciding on âfuck it,â and shoving your armsleeve up to your elbow. You twist your wrist, giving Elle a very clear view of the long list of numbers and letters. She takes her time, eyeing all of the black print before looking at you, still confused.Â
âKim Seokjin,â you point towards the first set of initials, âborn on December 4, 1992.â You point to the corresponding date. She knits her brows together, refocusing on the puzzle on your arm.
âMin Yoongi,â you point again, âMarch 9, 1993.âÂ
âJung Hoseok,â she whispers in awe. âKim Namjoon, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, Jeon Jungkook⊠Holy shit.âÂ
âAnd now you see my dilemma.â You conclude, cocooning further into the giant hoodie youâd shrugged into once you got back to the suite. âI always thought that this,â you wave your left arm around dramatically, âwas just a sign that I was pretty much condemned to isolation. But, nope! Iâve got seven fucking soulmates and theyâre all ridiculously famous. How the hell is any of that supposed to work?âÂ
âWait,â Elle stops your monologue, âdoes this mean that theyâre all each otherâs soulmates? Or is it just your initials and birthdate on their wrists? OrâŠâ she starts, âmaybe nothing of yours is on their wrists.âÂ
âWell-â
âNo! Because Jimin and Yoongi looked like two fish out of water when you told them your name, and the rest of them looked the same after Iâd told them your birthday.â She explains.Â
âSo we can assume that my initials are on their arms?â You question aloud. âI donât know if I want to jump to that conclusion yet.â You huff, âThis all just seems so⊠ridiculous? I donât understand how Iâd end up with BTS as my soulmate, or is it soulmates? I didnât think you could even have more than one!âÂ
âItâs not unheard of,â Elle tells you. âMy great-grandmother had both her first husbandâs and second husbandâs initials and birthdates.âÂ
âYeah, but those are two people,â you say, remembering when sheâd told you of her great-grandmother. Itâd been on a work trip some months back, if you remember correctly. âI have seven people tattooed across my wrist. And I didnât plan on marrying seven times.âÂ
âMaybe you donât have to.â Elle reasons, âWe donât know how their relationship works. We donât know if theyâre just working together or if theyâre something more. We donât know how many initials they have on their arms. They cover them with makeup before every public appearance they make.âÂ
âI guess youâre rightâŠâ You grumble. âI just donât understand. Why me?â You ask no one in particular.Â
âMaybe youâve got enough moxie for seven guys,â Elle jokes, nudging you playfully. âCâmon, Y/N. Youâre hot! A complete catch. Why shouldnât you have seven devastatingly attractive men pining for your affections?âÂ
You roll your eyes, groaning at the thought of seven fully grown men trying to get your attention. âItâs a headache waiting to happen,â you tell her, rubbing your temples.Â
Both of you jump when Elleâs phone rings. You look at her, confusion running amok through your mind. She shrugs, answering the call with a smooth âhello.âÂ
âOh! Hi!â Elle chirps, mouthing âBig Hitâ to you. âAh, thatâs so generous of them!â She smiles, âYes, of course. Nerves can get to anyone,â she points a glance at you. âTomorrow? That works!â Pause. âThank you so much, I canât express how much we appreciate this opportunity.âÂ
She taps off the call, turning to you immediately with a blinding smile.Â
âThe boys worked their magic and have told Big Hit not to file a complaint over your work manners,â she laughs, âand theyâd like to meet up again tomorrow for a rerun. At a restaurant theyâre having rented out!â She squeals.
âTheyâre renting out a restaurant?â You cough out, completely taken aback. âAnd they stopped a formal complaint from being filed?â
âTheyâre your knights in shining Gucci tuxedos.â Elle laughs. Â
âNot funnyâŠâ You snap. âThatâs too much to expect from themâŠâ you sigh.
âYou didnât expect anything,â Elle reasons, âtheyâre being nice, and honestly? They might be trying to break the ice.âÂ
âYou know, the awkwardness that today probably blew up like a helium balloon. You did literally sprint out of the interview after Hoseok mentioned being an Aquarius.âÂ
You blush crimson at the reminder, âThanks for that.âÂ
âHey, youâre the one who turned into Usain Bolt during an astrology reading. Not me.âÂ
âFuck off!â You shout, throwing a couch pillow at her and hitting her directly in the face.
âUncalled for,â she whines, hitting you back with it. âYou have to go see them.âÂ
âNo, I donât!â You argue, âI have options. I could flee the country, or the continent! Go home, pack my little townhouse, and move to Alaska.âÂ
âAlaska?â Elle asks, exasperated. âReally?âÂ
âItâs far enough away.â You shrug.
âDonât pull this! You should at least meet with them and see what they think of everything. Iâm sure theyâre as confused as you are.â Elle chides.Â
âFine!â You shout, standing from the couch and heading for your bedroom, âbut donât be shocked if Iâm in a shitty mood in the morning!âÂ
You hear her laughing as you seclude yourself into your room, the events from the day rendering you beyond exhausted. You let out a big sigh, climbing into your bed and under the covers. Youâd be meeting up with the boys for the second time within 24 hours tomorrow.Â
You honestly couldnât tell whether you were excited at the nearing reunion, or completely fucking terrified.
You bolt straight up, cold sweat dripping off your body. Youâre confused initially, remembering very vividly how you were drowning a second ago. It takes a few minutes for your body and mind to adjust, the realization that you were dreaming slowly resounding in your mind, slowing your breathing, and calming your racing heartbeat. Your fingers loosen their vice-like hold on the silken sheets beneath your trembling body.
You were in Seoul, and youâd landed, you glance at the clock on the bedside table, roughly 7 hours ago. The number â7â lights up in bold script behind your eyelids. 7 soulmates. BTS.
Your mind whirls through the damn near delusional happenings of the day before, trying to piece together some sort of explanation or resolution to your dilemma, but you come up empty handed. You scoop your phone off the bedside table, immediately opening âGoogleâ and typing in what you assume you should type given your⊠predicament.Â
âWhat does it mean to have more than one soulmate?â glares at you, the brightness of the phone screen only adding to the discomfort you feel when researching such a topic at 5 AM. You turn the blinding graphics down, making a sound you can only compare to a car engine failing to start, as the only search results that pop up are for people who have anywhere from 2-4 sets of initials and birthdates.Â
Okay, having 4 was probably frightening, too. You couldnât be too harsh on Google or the human race for not having dealt with your specific situation. 7 soulmates? Youâd never even considered the possibility of such a pairing.Â
The same questions Elle had the night before race through your mind as you sit in the hotel bed, at 5 AM, in Seoul, alone.
What if they didnât have your initials on their arms? What if not all of them had your initials on their arms? What if they were going to make you choose between them?
You felt sick. Sick to your stomach. Not wanting to soil the expensive bed sheets in your room, you rush to the connected bathroom, kneeling pitifully in front of the toilet and emptying your stomach into the porcelain bowl and water below.Â
You rest against the cool tile of the floor once the heaving has stopped, hair sticking to your forehead, and your head aching. You reach lamely for a courtesy bathrobe thatâs tied to the bathroom door, wrapping it around you like a blanket, and use a pile of hand towels as a makeshift pillow, before falling asleep on the bathroom floor.Â
âAre you okay?â Elle shakes you awake, her blond hair pulled into a ponytail, and eyes wide and worried as she looks at you.
âMâfine.â You grumble, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. âJust had a bad dream.âÂ
âSo you fell asleep in the bathroom?â She asks you, confused.
âNo, I felt sick when I remembered what happened last nightâŠâ You breathe out.Â
âAh,â Elle sighs, âyeah, I canât imagine whatâs going through your head right now.âÂ
âToo much,â you answer her, slowly sitting up.Â
âIâll make you some breakfast!â She chirps. âThat gives you time to get ready for the meeting with the boys later!âÂ
âShit, I almost forgot about that. Whyâd you have to remind me?â You groan, standing up and grabbing your toothbrush.Â
âYou need to at least talk to them, Y/N. They saved our asses from possible suspension at work and they clearly want to speak to you about the whole⊠situation.â She mumbles. âPlus, maybe theyâll tell you some stuff we can use in our articles.âÂ
âTell me?â You question her, toothpaste spilling out of your mouth and onto your pajamas. âYouâre going with me!âÂ
âUh, no. Iâm not.â Elle shrugs at your shocked expression, âI donât need to be there, and frankly I shouldnât be there. They asked to meet with you, they didnât ask for me by name as well; and thereâs some pretty, er, intimate things they might want to ask you.â
âWhat?!â You choke, the toothbrush falling from between your lips and into the sink.Â
âI donât mean it like that,â she laughs. âAlthough thatâd make for an interesting read.â She jokes, âI mean, they might want to get to know you personally. Me being there would make things incredibly awkward.âÂ
âCanât you at least wait for me close by? You could be my savior if I need to get out of there quicklyâŠâ You explain, spitting your toothpaste into the sink and rinsing your mouth.Â
She looks ready to protest, but you silence her by placing your hand over her mouth. âI brought you on this trip with me, Elle. Not as a coworker, but as a friend. Itâd mean more to me than I could possibly begin to explain if youâd be on standby for me while Iâm talking to them.âÂ
She rolls her eyes at you, but nods her head in agreement. âYou owe me, big time.â She scoffs, âNow take a shower, and Iâll make you some breakfast.âÂ
The woman is true to her word. Once youâre out of the shower, smelling fresh, and dressed decently enough (a cream colored sweater and a new pair of jeans you bought before the trip), she places a massive plate of waffles in front of you.Â
âEat.â She orders, sitting next to you at the kitchen bar, and digging into her own plate.
âIâm nervous,â you explain, poking at your food, but taking a large bite when she eyes you.Â
âI donât blame you at all. Just try not to hyperfocus. Their wanting to meet with you and helping us avoid trouble yesterday speaks volumes. They more than likely just want to talk. Nothing extreme.âÂ
You nod at her reasoning, thankful that sheâs there to at least try and keep you level-headed.Â
âIâll be just a few blocks down,â Elle tells you, the Big Hit driver, Shei, had put up the partition in the SUV, allowing the two of you what little privacy you could have.
âThank you,â you tell her earnestly, meeting her friendly gaze.
âYouâll be fine,â she reassures you, âtheyâre really nice guys from what I saw last night.âÂ
âUgh, donât remind me. I feel so stupid.â You groan, curling in on yourself in embarrassment.Â
âSo you donât want to hear about how worried they were when you split?â She asks you. You peek through the sleeve of your hoodie, interest rising. âAh, looks like Iâll have to explain later.â She smiles, âWeâre here.âÂ
You drift your gaze out the window, noting the bodyguards and Big Hit employees trying to blend in with the outside world. The restaurant, as previously discussed, has clearly been rented out. Upon seeing the SUV, one of the Big Hit employees, a woman you havenât met, sends a signal to Shei. He seems to understand immediately and turns into a nearby alleyway. It takes you a moment to realize that youâd be entering through the back of the eatery.Â
âI feel like a sack of drug paraphernalia.â You mope, getting unbuckled and ready to squirm your way out of your seat. You turn to Elle, nerves bubbling. âIâll call you as soon as Iâm done here.â You tell her, meaning every word.Â
âSure, sure. Just get in there before a fan sees you and bombards you.â She laughs, nudging you out of the door that Shei has opened for you.Â
âThanks,â you mumble to him, allowing another employee to lead you through the back door. The restaurant itself smells absolutely amazing, you couldnât even begin to fathom how amazing the food would taste once it touches your taste buds. A few kitchen workers bow to you, and you return the kind gesture, feeling extremely out of place in the pristine kitchen.Â
Soon enough, tile floors turn to wooden panels, and you look up to meet some of the eyes youâd run from the night before. Namjoonâs gaze is gentle on you, Jinâs is approving, taking in your figure as you stand before him. Taehyung and Jungkook are too busy playing some sort of napkin game theyâve created to acknowledge your entrance. Hoseok waves enthusiastically, a massive grin split across his bright face.Â
Jimin, beautiful as ever, smiles his eye-crinkling smile that has your stomach doing cartwheels within the confines of your body. Yoongiâs eyes are serious on yours, hands fidgeting atop the table they sit at; his hair is hidden beneath a beanie that makes him look more boyish than he did yesterday.Â
âEr- hi.â You say awkwardly, waving slightly at the men once you stand in front of their table.Â
âAh!â Jungkook jumps, dropping the napkin-ball once your voice hits his ears.Â
âHa!â Taehyung whoops, jumping in his seat excitedly, âyou lost, Kookie!âÂ
âCanât you two be normal for once?â Jin asks, shaking his head disapprovingly, but affectionately, at the two youngest members.Â
âThatâs a ridiculous request, hyung.â Jimin smiles, nudging Jungkook lightly. âBesides, werenât you playing table football with Kookie and V last week?âÂ
Jin blushes a rosy red, clearly embarrassed heâd been outed.Â
âItâs okay,â you rush to reassure him, not quite understanding your sudden need to alleviate his discomfort, âI still play Nintendogs on my DS.âÂ
Jin raises his eyebrows at you, along with most of the members, save for Yoongi, who still looks at you with a nervous expression.Â
âIsnât that the game where you can have a Shiba?â Taehyung smiles, âIâve always wanted one.âÂ
âThatâs the one,â you reply, feeling your own embarrassment flare up as the ridiculously attractive men all keep their gazes on you.
âMy friends in school would play those games all of the time,â Jimin smiles, pulling a chair at the head of the table out for you before returning to his seat. âDo you like to play games, Y/N?â He smiles a toothy smile, and if you werenât a reporter whose life consisted of reading subliminal messages, you wouldnât have caught the sensual innuendo beyond the question.
âJimin-ah, letâs not talk about games right now,â Yoongi speaks up, flickering his impassive glance from you, to Jimin, to you again.Â
âYoongi is right,â Namjoon nods. âWe were worried last night that you wouldnât show up.â He explains as you take your seat, keeping your hands in your lap so you donât fidget too much or too obviously. âSome of us were worried weâd scared you off before weâd even had the chance to properly introduce ourselves. Itâs safe to say weâre relieved youâre here.âÂ
You smile, somewhat consoled, knowing that theyâd been nervous, too.
âIs there anything youâd like to eat?â Jin asks, âWeâve ordered 8 servings of rice and vegetable stir-fry already. The chef said itâd be a half hour or so.âÂ
âRice and stir-fry sounds great,â you answer him, âcould I get a cup of water?â You ask, your throat feeling dry from your ebbing nerves.Â
Jin nods his head and goes to retrieve a pitcher of water and some glasses from the kitchen. He pours your drink gingerly, long fingers holding the pitcher with exceptional care.
âFrom your exit during the interview, weâre assuming you know why we invited you?â Namjoon asks, eyes kindly analyzing your posture.
âI, uh- yeah. I assume itâs about thisâŠâ You lift your left hand atop the table and push back the cream-colored fabric, revealing the numbers and letters that haunted you your entire life.
Two of the three maknaes smile once they eye the black ink on your wrist. Taehyung and Jimin looked to be far more comfortable in the situation than Jungkook, who still resembled a deer caught in the headlights.Â
Hoseok makes a noise similar to a pelican, rounding the table and showing you his wrist. The letters and numbers are all the same as yours, save for one. Where you had his initials and birthdate, he had yours.Â
âShow her,â Hoseok chastises his team, waiting for them all to mimic his actions.Â
They do. Youâre shocked as you realize with finality that you had 7 soulmates, and so did they.Â
Whereas most people had another half, or third, and rarely a fourth, of their soul waiting for them inside someone else, you and the seven men in front of you had each other.
âI canât believe weâre finally meeting you,â Taehyung smiles, hugging you to him.Â
âTaehyung-ah, give her a minute.â Jin orders.Â
Youâre thankful he does. You werenât disappointed in the men huddled around your dining chair, far from it, in fact. You did, however, feel the room closing in on you.Â
âI just need a secondâŠâ You explain, rising to your feet, âExcuse me.â You bow to them, excusing yourself to the bathroom.Â
Hardly recognizing the pale woman who stares back at you in the mirror, you douse your face with cold water from the sink, appreciating the relief it provides your heated and muted skin. You give yourself a while, not wanting to overexert your emotions and head back into the room quite yet.Â
The air is cooler in the bathroom, anyway, and easier for you to breathe. You pull your phone from your back pocket, ready to text Elle and ask her to pick you up, but you glance at yourself in the mirror again, seeing the way that color is returning to your face and your breathing has regulated itself. You could do this.
Shoving your phone back in the confines of your jeans, you push the bathroom door open. The boys wait for you at the table, all of them quiet and anticipating your return. Taehyung catches your eye, his expression regretful and dejected.Â
âIâm sorry I hugged you like that,â he tells you, voice radiating his honesty like a heater, âI just got so excited to finally know that you were real.â He explains, âThe thought of you being uncomfortable didnât occur to me. Iâm so used to having the hyungs around, and being able to express everything that I forgot you didnât have any of us to express yourself to growing up.âÂ
âItâs okay, Taehyung,â you tell him, meaning the words from the bottom of your heart. âI just get very anxious when new things blindside me.âÂ
He smiles at your acceptance of his apology, boxy features warming your heart.Â
âSo, how long have you all known about this?â You ask, pointing to your wrist.
âSince we banded together,â Namjoon answers. âItâs actually one of the main reasons we decided to debut.â He shrugs, âWhen I met Yoongi-hyung at a BigHit meeting and he saw my wrist, it was like I wasnât alone anymore.âÂ
Yoongi smiles a gummy smile, looking at Namjoon. âI felt the same way,â he agrees, âgrowing up was difficult. I was ashamed of my marks and hid them. I thought they meant Iâd never have a successful relationship. But when I saw Joon at the meeting, and he had his sleeves rolled up without a care to give⊠I just saw my initials and the rest we share, and I didnât feel empty anymore. There was someone I could connect to.âÂ
âAnd then Hoseok showed up, loud and energetic,â Namjoon laughs. The man in question smiles, blush creeping its way onto his face. âWe were both shocked,â he signals to Yoongi. âThe chances of us meeting each other were slim enough, but a third showing up? It was crazy.âÂ
âYou guys would have been lost without me,â Hoseok groans, âyouâre both so messy.âÂ
Yoongi rolls his eyes, and Namjoon laughs. âOnce Jin signed on, we kind of just let the rest play out. Figured that if luck stayed on our side, we wouldnât need to look for ourselves.â Namjoon explains. âIt was pretty smooth sailing for a while. Jungkook signed on, and then V. Jimin was last.â Jimin smiles at the mention of his name. âWe only had one more person to wait for.âÂ
âAfter âWingsâ was released, we kind of lost hope,â Jin adds. âWe thought maybe you werenât real. Weâd met people with your initials, but when we asked when their birthdays were, we got nothing.âÂ
You nod your head, âI grew up in Washington, went to college in California, and then moved to New York for work.â You tell them, grateful that they provide you with their undivided attention. âYou know where I work, so thereâs no need to explain that. Thereâs actually not much to explain, really. I move around a lot for reporting gigs, so I donât have time for friends and stuff.âÂ
They look saddened by that, and your heart pangs in response. âItâs okay,â you reassure, âmy life has been full of amazing experiences and opportunities because of my work.âÂ
âIt sounds like itâs held you back, tooâŠâ Jungkook says, voice heavy with concern.Â
âOnly socially.â You reply, âI have a decent home and enough money to keep me going.âÂ
âHave you dated?â Jimin asks.
âJimin-ah!â Jin scolds him, flicking his forehead.Â
âItâs okay!â You tell him, âItâs a fair question. I havenât seriously dated anyone. Iâve casually dated, though.â You explain. âOnce it turns towards serious conversations and âwhat are weâs,â I book it.âÂ
Jimin thinks over your answer, enamored by the casual way you gave it.Â
âIf we had known, we would have reached out,â Namjoon confesses, turning the conversation back towards the elephant in the room.
âIf anything, Iâm to blame,â you laugh. âYou guys are globally famous, your names are everywhere, so are your birth dates. If I had paid more attention, we might have met soonerâŠâ You trail off.
âDonât blame yourself!â Hoseok consoles you, eyes unwavering as they convey his sincerity to you. âWeâre meeting each other now, and thatâs good enough for us.âÂ
You smile at his reassurance, appreciating how wholesome and bright he truly is with finality.Â
âThank you, Hoseok.â You tell him gently.Â
He nearly transforms into the heart-eye emoji at you saying his name, his features softening immensely and leaving a dopey grin on his face. Jimin pats Hoseokâs shoulder, shining his crinkly-eyed smile at the older man.
âHow are you feeling about all of this?â Yoongi asks, big brown eyes looking at yours with concern, the first discernible emotion youâve seen on him since entering the room. It nearly knocks the wind out of you. The softness of his face mixed with the molten emotion beyond his eyes renders you wordless.Â
âErm-â you gape. âI, uh- Iâm definitely still shocked, but I feel more at ease now,â you manage to push the words out of your mouth. âItâs way more comforting knowing that Iâm not just a glitch in the system.âÂ
âWhat do you mean?â He asks.
âI always thought that I was meant to be alone,â you shrug.Â
âBut you have the mark,â he cocks his head, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.
âYeah, but Iâve never seen someone with my extent of it.â You explain, âtypically people have one or two initials and birth dates on their wrist. I have seven. I figured that maybe I was just a reject.âÂ
He looks saddened by your explanation, âWell, youâre not.âÂ
âYeah, Y/N! Youâre not alone.â Jimin smiles.Â
âYou have us,â Taehyung adds, putting an arm around Jimin and Jungkook each.
âI also live in America,â you remind them, sipping at the water Jin had poured you earlier. âI canât just leave my job and my home to come to Korea.âÂ
âWould you ever be open to the idea?â Namjoon asks.
You sit on the question for a minute, deliberating in your mind the pros and cons. The cons were intimidating. You would have to leave the job you worked so hard for, youâd leave behind your family, youâd leave behind Elle, and youâd be starting all over on a new continent. The pros, however⊠You could rebuild, make a new family because you werenât around your biological family much anyway, you could still visit Elle and FaceTime her every dayâŠ
But you were getting ahead of yourself.
âI might consider it some day,â you answer Namjoon, noting the relief that fills every single memberâs eyes. âBut thatâd be down the road a ways,â you add, âitâs not something I could just do at the drop of a hat.âÂ
The men nod, understanding and appreciating your answer. You donât bother asking them the same, you know their love for their country and the people in it. It was visceral, unwavering, and stronger than any fan-artist connection youâd seen, ever. Itâd be selfish to ask them to leave their livelihoods. They could still make music in America, but the emotions behind the music? The reason for making it? The heart of BTS would always remain in Korea.Â
âWe have another question to ask,â Jimin speaks up. You look at him and nod, giving him the go-ahead. âWell, you see, we were wondering if any of the initials on your wrist look different to you? Like maybe one seems thicker or darker?â He asks.
You furrow your brows, confused, but raise your left sleeve again and really look at the bold lettering. The food arrives as you examine your wrist, the waiter delicately placing your meal on the table in front of you.
Sure enough, a lettered pairing does stick out from the rest. Youâre at a complete loss as to why you hadnât noticed it before. Youâd spent hours upon hours of your life glaring at the ink. How were you only just realizing the imperfection permanently etched atop your skin now that Jimin mentioned it?Â
âYeahâŠâ You breathe out, looking at Jimin's waiting gaze. âIâve never noticed it before.âÂ
âItâs pretty microscopic,â Namjoon explains. âItâs only really noticeable once someone addresses it.â
âThatâs strangeâŠâ You murmur, looking back at your wrist. The letters only seem to have grown bolder, nearly looking italicised now that more time has passed. âIt looks more bold nowâŠâ You explain, meeting the eyes of the man the bulkier text belongs to.Â
He looks back at you, eyes softening as they look into yours.Â
âAre mine thicker for you?â You ask him.Â
âThey are.â He replies.Â
âWhat does it mean?â You ask Namjoon.Â
âWell, we hunted down a woman in Daegu, she calls herself a âreader.â She was pretty difficult to find, but Big Hit helped us. She specializes in the marks, has books upon books on them. She told us that there have only been a handful of cases like ours,â he tells you, âand that the bold initials are present every time. She said that the bold initials signify the strongest bond within the soulmates. For me, my strongest bond is with Hoseok.â He looks to the cheery man beside him. âAs his is mine.âÂ
âWhat does that mean for you and the others?â You ask him, taking a bite of your stir-fry.Â
âWeâre all still soulmates,â he answers. âNothing will ever change that. Hoseok and I just connected on a deeper level. It doesnât mean weâre more intimate with each other, it doesnât even mean we love each other more than we love any of you,â he motions towards everyone at the table. âIt just means weâre closest with each other on a spiritual level. Heâs like my twin flame. I think thatâs what Americans call it sometimes.âÂ
Youâre not unfamiliar with the terminology, but you never considered it true. You thought it was just an excuse for people to seek other relationships when they had a soulmate, or an excuse for some soulmates to be excessively smitten with each other.Â
âDo you all have twin flames?â You ask the remaining members. They all nod.Â
âMine is Kookie,â Tae smiles.Â
âAnd mine is V,â Jungkook replies.Â
âMine is Jimin,â Jin tells you. Jimin nods, âand mine is Jin,â he adds.Â
âAnd youâre mine,â Yoongi tells you, eyes still soft and warm on yours. You flush under his direct gaze, turning into a melting pot of emotions.Â
âHow long have my initials been bold?â You ask him, voice wavering from the force of emotion thatâs threatening to crack you open.Â
âSince our debut,â he replies, taking a drink of his water. Full lips pressing against the fogged glass of the cup sinfully. He takes your ogling as a mere loss for words, âyouâre here now, though. Thatâs all that matters.âÂ
You snap out of your reverie and realize that had you not been smitten by the way he drank his water, you most definitely would have been apologizing for taking so long to show up.Â
âEven so, Iâm still sorry for taking years to find you guys.â You tell them all, tearing your gaze from Yoongiâs soul-stirring one to address the rest of the members, your soulmates. âI do have a question, and I donât want it to come off as rude.âÂ
âIâm sure it wonât,â Namjoon reassures you.
âWell, I was just wondering why you guys hide your marks? Elle said you guys cover them for interviews and public outings.âÂ
âWe do,â he answers, âwe didnât want to go public with anything unless we had to, at least, not until you were here. We didnât want to make any decisions unless we all had a say in them, especially given our careers.âÂ
You nod thoughtfully, appreciating his answer and the meaning behind it.
âThatâs thoughtful of you all,â you say, smiling as you look to each of them. âThank you.âÂ
They smile back.Â
âIf you guys want to go public with it, Iâm fine with that. Itâs nothing I canât handle.â You explain.
âAre you sure?â Jungkook asks, eyes and voice full of concern.
âWe could cover your initials for now,â Jin suggests, âyou are the youngest of us, so it wouldnât be a hassle. And we could uncover it once everythingâs more secure? For instance, if you move here?âÂ
You run over the option in your head, seeing no direct harm that could come from doing so.Â
âThat might be a better option,â you agree, âwould that make you uncomfortable, Yoongi?â You ask him, concerned that it might cause your twin flame even an ounce of discomfort.Â
âNo,â he answers, and you can tell from the look in his eyes that he means it. âAs long as youâre safe and happy, weâre fine with doing whatever we need to.âÂ
You melt at his words, finding immense comfort in them. Itâd only been an hour of you being with them, and youâre already feeling an immense relief. Was this what it felt like to be around your soulmates? Was this what youâd been missing out on?Â
You couldnât even begin to fathom the difficulty Elle and Cam had when they were around each other. BTS had been in your company for not even a day, and you could already feel a gravitational pull towards them, anchoring you to them in a way that left you feeling complete.Â
âThank you,â you tell Yoongi, grinning at the flush that spreads across his full cheeks at your praise. âThank you, all.â You tell the rest of them, your appreciation seeping through your very pores. âI canât begin to express to you how much it means to me knowing you all support me so much already.âÂ
They smile at you, taken by your words. You can feel the mood in the room lift substantially, and you thank the heavens above for allowing this brunch to go so much better than originally planned.Â
The rest of the food is devoured quickly by the eight of you, and it feels like all of 10 minutes have passed before the food is gone, and Elle is calling you nonstop. You reluctantly tell them you have to go, heart aching at the drop in their expressions at your announcement. âIâll see you guys tomorrow! At the show!â You tell them, texting Elle to have Shei come get you. Their expressions brighten slightly, but you can still see that they donât want you to go.
âHow about this? Iâll give you guys my personal number, and we can start a group chat. Plan some hangouts and see where that takes us?âÂ
They nod enthusiastically, pulling their phones out and quickly inputting your information into their contact lists. You can feel your phone vibrating in your back pocket at least 10 times as you say your goodbyes and thanks.Â
You bow to them, following the waiter out of the restaurant through the kitchen and into the back alleyway. Elle and Shei are waiting in the SUV, and Elle pounces on you as soon as you step foot into the large vehicle.Â
âYou are telling me everything when we get back to the hotel.â She orders, youâre about to object, but she covers your mouth with her hand, âNope. Thatâs my payment for not getting a single update from you in two and a half hours.âÂ
You roll your eyes and mumble a âwhatever,â but her hand blocks out any sense you might have made. She laughs at you, finally pulling her hand away.Â
âDid you have a good time at least?â She asks.
âIt actually went really well.â You answer, blush rising. You turn towards your window, watching the scenery pass by, when you receive another text.Â
You pull out your phone, unlocking the screen and entering your texting app.Â
8 unread conversations greet your eyes. 7 singular text chains, and one group text.Â
The first text youâd received in the restaurant is a simple âhiâ thatâs signed âJungkook.âÂ
The next is longer.Â
âHello, jagiya! Itâs Taehyung!â A purple heart sits at the end of the sentence.Â
âWorldwide Handsome here, checking in on his beautiful soulmate. Xxx Jinâ The next reads.
âY/Nie! Itâs Hoseok! Text us when you get to your hotel safely! We had fun today :)âÂ
âHello, Jagi!!!! Jimin here ;) We miss u already xxxâ
âHi, Y/N. Itâs Namjoon. Make sure to save our numbers so you donât think weâre strangers texting you all the time. Iâll set up a group chat after I send this. :-)âÂ
âHey, itâs Yoongi. Your twin flame.â You smile at that, noting that heâs sent another since then. âYou obviously know that, please disregard that message⊠oh, and check the group chat.â
You do as youâre told, and smile at your phone. There are introductions, but what sticks out most to you is the picture of you and Yoongi gazing at each other at the table. Judging by the angle, Jungkook or Taehyung must have taken it. Itâs flattering and captures the ambience of the early afternoon.Â
You hug your phone to your chest, emotion flowing through you hotly. You reply to the texts and follow Namjoonâs advice and save their numbers. The group chat goes crazy after you reply, Taehyung and Jin spamming it with animated gifs, and Jimin sending a few selfies.Â
You donât miss the pointed glance Elle sends your way as she watches your face dance with happy emotions during the car ride home.Â
Typically, youâd snap at her in embarrassment, but the happiness and complete full-feeling youâre experiencing now prevent you from feeling anything short of euphoric.
even more niche boyfriend things i think bts would do
part 1 | part 2 | part 3
namjoon:
not a newborn baby but is a big proponent of the kangaroo care concept; like loves to cuddle you while heâs shirtless; him on his back you laid on top of him, skin touching skin at every possible contact point; it does it for him every time
sends you pictures of animals he finds wandering around when heâs out and aboutÂ
takes soooo many pictures of you; don't get me wrong there's a fair share of couples photos like you're definitely taking selfies together whenever y'all go out but he takes twice as many off guard pictures of you as posed ones; definitely has a pic of you during golden hour forlornly looking out a window as his lockscreen
asks you to make him a playlist and listens to it whenever he misses you even if it's really disjointed and doesn't fit his mood simply bc you made it and he's always in the mood for you <333
learns to be more gentle around you so he becomes 5-7% less clumsy when youâre around
if you went to a party together i think thereâd only be like one hour max where youâre separated from each other any more than that and yâall both start getting fidgety from missing each other bc if youâre in the same space you absolutely have to be together; when you do meet back up he tucks you up underneath his arm and kisses your temple and yâall are sickly cute for the rest of the night; like enough lovey dovey pda to make someone nauseous
always amazed at the amount of stuff you manage to bring out the house; like you'll come out after him and he sees you walking towards the car, arms stuffed to the brim with water bottles and lotions and umbrellas and whatever else you deemed necessary for the day's outings, so he has to rush to help you before you drop everything; eventually gets hip to the fact that you're a a girl and you're always gonna have bunch of things and starts pre-loading your belongings so you won't have to struggle
Oblivious Boyfriendâą; as smart and emotionally intelligent and mindful as he is, he's not a mindreader; like he be so focused on his feelings for you, his passions, and his work that he lowkey don't know wtf going on outside of that; so if there's something going on around you or something wrong with you or you have a problem with him you're gonna have to spell it out lest he be none the wiser
doesn't like when you watch him work out because you're more of a distraction than anything but he does like going to you straight after working out; he gets a real kick out of the way you ogle him and feel up on his biceps while he's all pumped upÂ
he really likes when you call him cute nicknames; joon, joonie, joonie boonie, namu like it lowkey make his heart soar; his personal favorite is joon bug you call him that and he would literally steal the moon if you askedÂ
seokjin:
tests out all his new recipes on you; feeds you bites to taste along the way so you're not too hungry because he's a perfectionist and it takes him extra time for him to plate it; "the presentation is just as important as the taste!"
likes when youâre in the same room as him while he plays his games; not necessarily watching him but just your company is enough; switches between focusing on the game and engaging you in conversation so you wonât get bored; would actually love it if you did take an interest in whatever game he was playing; would take his time explaining the back story of each character and their strengths and weaknesses; would start a separate game so that you could play and have you sit between his legs while he helped you with the controls
has to kiss you at least 3 times before leaving the house; once when you wake up, once while youâre going through your morning routine, and once before you leave; more kisses may be shared but any less than three and he swears his whole day is thrown off
heâs going to pick at you; thereâs just no way around it itâs in his nature; he wonât do it enough to make you actually annoyed but enough that you wanna smack him around a little; which⊠he likes things like that
has no problem singing and dancing whenever y'all are casually listening to music but if you actually wanted him to sing for you he'd get all shy, red in the ears and neck and would have to take a couple days to practice before following through
begs you to join him for tennis practice bc he wants you two to become the next venus and serena
yâall will do that one couples trend on tiktok where they paint each other and then reveal the pictures at the end and itâs not like yours is fantastic or anything but you can tell that you at least tried; meanwhile when you see seokjinâs painting you canât tell if youâre looking at a distorted walrus or a possessed squirrel either way it is NOT you no matter how much he insists it looks like you
stays sending you thirst traps; like whenever he looks good whether it's bc he's all dolled up for some event or he's fresh out the shower with his hair slicked back or he just sees himself in a mirror and remembers he's worldwide handsome, his phone is out, he's putting a sultry look on his face, snapping a pic, and sending it straight to you
you binge watch animes together; no one will see or hear from either of yâall for like 5 days straight, complete radio silence; and when someone finally knocks on the door they see that yâall been camped out in the living room no phone in sight on season 6 of whatever anime yâall started last friday night Â
must feed you every time you meet up; like if he has not seen you eat something in the time you spend together he has not completed his boyfriend duties; even if he comes to your place he has to make sure you have at least eaten a snack; doesn't matter how much you weigh he absolutely can not have you wasting away on his watch
yoongi:
gently tucks your hair behind your ear
always offers you his arm to link when itâs cold out so yâall can share each otherâs warmth; he absolutely will still be wearing slides with no socks tho and you fuss at him about it every time
lets you play in his hair; just sits there nonchalantly while you give him the most ridiculous hair styles; pig tails, corn rows, mohawks; as long as you donât cut nothing he doesnât care fr; takes a picture when youâre done with that big gummy smile on full display bc of how silly he looks
says he's not a big social media person but one of his favorite past times is sitting down with you scrolling down your fyp for hours; makes you send the funniest videos to him so he can watch later
youâre one of the few people that he gains energy from being around so he likes your presence even when youâre not particularly doing anything; like you just be sitting next to each other or like be hand in hand on a walk around the neighborhood not even saying anything but in his head heâs thinking about what a great time heâs havingÂ
if you're up late at night and start feeling peckish he'll make you some snacks even if he doesn't plan on eating; still scolds you about how eating late at night is bad as he's enabling you; ends up eating with you too
he doesn't like watching dramas with you; he'll claim it's bc of the plot but really he just doesn't like how you be kicking your feet and giggling at the male leads
not the best with verbal affirmations so whenever he does go out of his way to compliment you he ends up just as flustered as you are; âyou look pretty todayâ and his cheeks are flushed more than yoursÂ
always preps you to bargain and gathers together all coupons before yâall go grocery shopping; âjust bc iâm rich doesnât mean i like to be ripped offâÂ
he's always listening to you even when it seems like he's not; you could be rambling on about something and you think he's not paying attention so you stop midsentence and be like "are you even listening to what i'm saying?" and he looks up from whatever he was doing and then repeats back to you everything you said; has a great memory in general so he remembers everything you say and do even the small things that you forget about
hoseok:
sends âthinking of youâ texts just to let you know when youâre on his mind
if you start dancing to a song he gets all hyped up and heâs joining you immediately; hands on your hips moving you as he pleases; itâs a club wherever you and the music are
makes you one of his little beaded bracelets that says âur my hopeâ
if you fell asleep in a position that looks uncomfortable heâd gently rearrange you until he got you in a more normal position; 100% the type to carry you bridal style to bed if you fell asleep for the night on the couchÂ
the type to pop up at your crib with an insane amount of the most exquisite, top tier take out and you gotta try to figure out who he think eating all this; doesn't even try to fight the boujee allegations when you tease him for bringing out caviar and trufflesÂ
always takes pics of you when he thinks you look good; like you could be running late and youâre rushing trying to get out the door but hoseok is just gonna spend a good 30 seconds checking you out while youâre fussing at him and then be like wait a minute and starts posing you; has several organized folders of you because of this labeled by genre of your look; itâs easier that way so when heâs showing people pictures of you they wonât accidentally get a peek of something meant for his eyes only
loves the idea of you becoming his family so he really likes bringing you home; warms his heart to see you getting along with his parents and his sister; sets up a group chat with you him and his sister to help y'all talk more but lowkey gets pouty when y'all do get closer and be chatting and hanging out without him đ
if you're not already together he'll facetime you in the morning; he won't have much to say at first other than a groggy good morning; but after he comes to terms with the fact that he has to be awake and takes a couple sips of his iced americano he's his usual ball of energy sunshiny self; will have you up doing morning stretches and light calisthenics at 6:30am
every couple weeks y'all go to the nail salon together and get mani-pedis; he leaves the acrylics and jewels and glitter to you but the overall color scheme and design aesthetic for your nails match; takes like 17 pictures of your hands together to show off
loves cuddling up to you on the couch so you can play in his hair; like each time his head is resting on your chest and your hand is running through his hair lightly scratching at his scalp he swears heâs reached nirvanaÂ
jimin:
will drag you out the house in the middle of winter to drive down to the beach and watch the sunset together; youâd be huddled up together you sat in between his legs leaning against him his arms draped around your neck pulling you into him; youâd stay there sitting in the sand even after the night settled in just talking until you were shivering and sniffling then heâd take you to a cafe to get some hot cocoa to warm upÂ
randomly calls you in the middle of the night bc he misses your voice; smiles the entire heâs getting scolded for scaring you bc you thought something was wrong bc he called you at 2am
kisses your forehead, nose, and lips in that order every time you part waysÂ
hates knowing there's other people staring at you so like if you're out together and wearing like a hoodie or something and he notices you're garnering attention he zips it all the way up and pulls your hood over your head and tightens the strings so no one can see you; in turn knows you hate the thought that other people even think of him so he pretends they don't even exist; like you can literally point somebody out and be like "omg aren't they so pretty" and he's gonna avert his eyes in the opposite direction won't even look and just be like "you're so pretty. there's only you"
number one advocate for a lazy morning; snuggles into you, his head on your chest trapping you in; looks up at you with a goofy smile and preens when you press a kiss to his forehead
squishes your cheeks in both his hands when you're being too cute for him to handle
like the true feminist he is, he supports your rights and wrongs!!; like you get into it with somebody and then tell him the story afterwards he's hyping you up the entire time telling you that you were right and what you should've done and what he would've done if he were you; he's just always gonna be on your side
riles you up just bc he likes the reactions you make when youâre irritatedÂ
itâs tea city when it comes to you two; like whatever you know he knows and whatever he knows you know; gossiping is actually one of your favorite bonding activities; he likes to play it up and drag it out whenever he finds something out; like heâs gonna text you and be like UR NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS!!!!! and youâll be like WHAT and heâll be like I HAVE TO TELL YOU IN PERSON OMG!!!! đ± when itâs like noon knowing darn well he not getting off work until 10pm at the earliest đ
likes to go with you when you have to ârun errandsâ bc itâs usually just you doing girl things like getting coffee and then going to the store to buy snacks and skincare and he thinks itâs really adorable how you light up when you see small things in cute packages
taehyung:
has a series of like 12 hour logs in his phone recents list bc he stay falling asleep on facetime
makes it a point to hang out with your male friends just to assert dominance; doesn't matter if they have partners of their own or are completely uninterested in you he still wants to look them in their eye, shake their hand, and then put his arm around you to tie up any loose ends that may be dangling around
helps you pick the eyelashes out of your eye whenever one gets stuck
asks you to come over with the sole purpose of convincing you to take a nap with him; will straight up lie on the phone and tell you he wanna hang out and do this and that and then when you get over there he like letâs nap first; your cuddles just gon do it for him every time
uses kisses as bargaining chips; like if you need him to do something like idk take out the trash he's only gonna do it if you give him 3 kisses so you give him one as a down payment and the other 2 after he completes the task; (he was always gonna do what you asked but kisses make everything better)
likes to keep his hands free when he's out and about so he's always adding extra stuff to your purse; because he's always in your bag, he knows its exact content; you'll be frantically searching for your lip gloss and he'll ask what you're looking for and when you tell him he'll pull it out of some random side pocket he moved it to so he could make room for his stuff
will randomly wake up out of his sleep and call you just bc you crossed his mind; takes like 30 seconds to respond to anything you say bc he only half awake; the call lasts for like three minutes before he hangs up to go back to sleepÂ
as a big fan of roleplay at least once in your relationship he's gonna make y'all get all dressed up and go to a bar separately and act like strangers and he's gonna pretend to pick you up
if you sent him out to pick up period products last minute heâs the type that ask if you wanted lemon or lime flavor bc one package is yellow and the other is green đ; alternatively would ask whatâs your coochie size when he noticed the numbers on it
heâs not gonna let you win at any game you play; doesnât matter how much you whine and pout he likes winning too much; god forbid youâre actually good at something heâs gonna try his very hardest and will even practice so that he eventually beats you; will give you all the prizes tho
jungkook:
if he gets bored while youâre asleep heâs gonna start messing with you; his favorite go to games are flicking your bottom lip until you tuck it in or start to gain consciousness and stacking cheerios on your forehead; his personal best is 9 of emÂ
hooks his chin over your shoulder to be nosy when youâre watching something on your phone that catches his attention
he understands that youâre not as nocturnal as he is but sometimes when you stay over at his place and he feels restless he canât help but crave your attention; will wake you up at 4am gently with kisses so you can try some of the food he made; youâll be half asleep with him kneeling in front of you feeding you some spicy noodles; heâll patiently wait for you to finish chewing before he asks you if itâs good; makes you take at least one more bite before kissing your forehead and letting you go back to sleep; tucks himself up next to you about an hour later after he finishes cleaning up after himselfÂ
you make funny tiktoks together; they never leave the drafts of course except for when he finds it particularly hilarious and sends it in the group chatÂ
threatens to beat up anyone who upsets you; like you tell him a story about someone who was upsetting you at work and his first response is "bring them to me. i'll take care of it"; and lord don't let someone get carried away at a club or something like if a guy starts hitting on you and won't take no for an answer before you can even tell them off he's already at the scene one shove away from being breaking news on every media outlet in the world
gets pouty when you have a night out without him but he understands the need for balance so doesnât put up too much of a fight; his only stipulation is that if you canât make it home on your own or your friends canât drop you off that you always always call him; the thought of you getting into some randos car late at night when youâre not even mentally there all the way sends chills up his spine; he canât sleep unless he knows youâre at home safe and sound anywayÂ
doesn't consciously have a preference for how you dress like he thinks you look good in whatever but you in a dress or a skirt itches a particular part of his id that would have carl jung doing backflips; like whenever you pop out in a dress or a skirt he's coming up to you and giving you a kiss on the lips while his arms wrap around your waist and 10-30 seconds later they're dropping down and his hands are toying with the ends of your garment and grazing your thighs underneath it; it just does it for him every time
you're his safe place <333; he goes through periods where you're the only person he wants to see; he will scare you half to death like you'll get off work and go home and you hear all this noise and whole time it's him in your kitchen making sandwiches for lunch; will make up for scaring you by tucking your face into his neck while his arms are wrapped tightly around you so he can breathe you in and then cupping your face and giving you kisses; you're his baby
you have matching hyperfixations; like one of you will get into something and wonât shut up about it and then being the supportive partner you are whenever youâre on social media you send the posts you stumble across to them; but then the algorithm picks up on it and the content keeps popping so often that you actually start being entertained by it too; then yâall wonât shut up about it and have inside jokes and no one ever knows what yâall are talking about bc itâs so deep down into the referential millennial dadaism
gets offended if youâre walking side by side and not touching in some way; like if you start walking ahead of him or something heâs gonna clear his throat very pointedly and when you look at him like ???? heâs gonna look at you like youâre stupid and pull you into him where you belongÂ
a/n: as promised she is back đ«Ą thank you to everyone who encouraged me to repost đ pls continue to be kind my mental state is probably worse than it was before LOL
