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It is a normal day at Bangtan dorm when Arin knocks at their door. Or so she thinks.

When the door was not answered in ten minutes, she furrows her brow. It is eleven in the morning and by this time at least one of them is awake, usually Jin. She made sure to come a little later than her other off days because she knew they all would be exhausted from last night.

The thought of last night still pisses her off though.

She never rings the doorbell, knowing some prefer sleeping till late hours of the afternoon. Usually a knock works, otherwise the sound of her trying to compose some musical from entering random passcodes at the entrance has a member whining and answering the door.

But nothing.

To her surprise, the door opens the moment she thinks of pressing the doorbell, revealing a half-awake Namjoon who shoots a small hi and walks away without glancing back again. She knows he must have come home late from what Era had told her. They had spent some time together and Era had driven back home, then chatted on the phone for an hour or so.

It had Arin rolling her eyes.

The hall is empty meaning none of them is awake. 

So she decides on doing what Jin usually asks her to do, wake up the members. It was rather a routine for her, to blast some music throughout the house if members overslept and wake them up in her style.

She did not mind hearing them curse if that resulted in getting to see a glimpse of their naked torso. The members even had a meeting about it alone, on how they should stop sleeping shirtless and throw their underwear around now that the visit of a girl is frequent to their dorm.

However Jimin and Jungkook had protested about it, the former saying why to change ourselves instead of stopping her from coming and the latter whining about how he cannot sleep with a shirt on.

The result was obvious and now Jungkook was forced to sleep with a shirt and Jimin still had to hear the annoying nasal voice of Arin trying to hit the high notes in his songs.

Nevertheless, that's the plan.

She walks to Jin's room while realising that she actually never saw his room because he's always the one awake when she stops by. When she turns the knob slightly, she realises it's locked. Okay, we move on to the other room.

She skips her way to Jungkook's room. 

However big other's beds were, Jungkook's bed was cosy. He preferred the scent of laundry wash just like her, some plain shades of bedsheet just like her and most importantly he was the only one who did not push her out of the room. Even in his sleep. Worse to worse, he'll hit her with a pillow or pull her into a headlock after he's had a bath.

That is why she prefers waking Jungkook first. She would make sure to take a Bluetooth speaker from the living room and play ddaeng at full volume while rapping and jumping on his bed so that he can wake up. It was effective.

Jungkook was so sick of that song that he nowadays woke up as soon as he heard the song for 3 seconds. Arin would just childishly blows a raspberry to him and run away to another room. That was how he woke up daily. From the good dreams of Yerin, the song Ddaeng did not sound too appropriate for them.

So she gently knocks on the door but everyone knows, that she does it for the sake of it because she doesn't even wait for a second before opening it. But today when she turns the doorknob, it does not open. It was locked.

Why has everyone locked the door today? 

Her frown deepens. She comforts herself thinking they must not have wanted to get disturbed today, but she still felt herself losing hope of today becoming a better day than the previous one.

She turns towards Jimin's door. She presses her lips, this one's always difficult. She hesitates, her hand lingering on the doorknob before she twists it and to her relief, it opens.

"You're here." Arin almost closes the door back when she sees Jimin awake, rubbing one of his eyes and sitting on the edge of his bed. "Did you have a good sleep?"

The gears in Arin's brain turn, she wants to record it all. Did he just ask her if she's slept well? He actually acknowledged her presence, didn't he?

Arin simply nods, suddenly turning into a shy girl from the books who has, according to Era, thrown all her courtesies and manners out of the window and not even share a single greeting properly.

Even Jimin seems to be taken aback by her silence because he recalls not a single moment where she hasn't spoken something. 

He was not sure what exactly seems to trouble her but he knows something was triggered last night. He had been thinking about it after she left it. Maybe she wanted someone to stand up for her? Maybe she wanted someone to second her? Maybe she just wanted someone to support her. He thought how intimidated and small she could have felt like the youngest in the room.

"Are you hungry?" Arin asks, out of blue. Jimin shakes his head. 

"Will other members wake up? Should I?" 

"No need, they all are very exhausted, you can make some breakfast for yourself if you are hungry."

"I'm not hungry..." Arin seems to think what to say more until she blurts out, "Should we paint?"

Jimin chuckles, "For a psychology student, you love painting too much."

"Who said psychology students can't paint?"

That makes Jimin smile.

For the next thirty minutes, supplies are gathered for their painting spree, making sure to tip-toe around the house. Arin shakes her head when she realises that Jungkook's room was still locked and that man has art supplies enough for her. 

Fifty white shirts are very important for an art enthusiast like her.

When all of it was collected and placed on the floor beside Jimin's bed, Jimin finds himself smiling at Arin's concentrated face. She has her tongue poking out and she is probably biting it too hard because she hisses everytime something she paints and it doesn't go as expected. She looks too adorable and peaceful to him that he can't help but boop her nose.

That gesture has Arin flinching back and blinking cluelessly at Jimin. She quickly stands up, walking to the mirror he has at the corner of his room. When she sees the paint on her nose, the shade of red and white mixed— she snaps her head towards him with wide eyes. "Did you just put paint on my nose, Park Jimin?"

He shrugs while pressing his lips to suppress a laugh. It wasn't intentional, he just forgot he had paint on his finger. Arin continues staring at her reflection and Jimin gets back to painting when suddenly something skims past his cheek. Then Arin comes into his view, laughing while showing her finger which she probably brushed his cheek with. "Revenge!" she laughs, already ready to run. 

"You..." he huffs, when he touches his cheek and feels the wet paint. "Come here."

And Arin's running out of the room with Jimin following her. It's all laugh and play, as they chase each other down the corridor, back to Jimin's room, then someone else's room. They don't know who because they are too busy laughing and Jimin probably can't even see properly.

Jimin follows her downstairs and Arin slows down, tired but when she sees him just behind her, she tries to run faster. But before she could escape, he manages to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her back to his chest.

Arin's laughter dies down, getting replaced by a shudder that runs through her spine. 

Being this close to him, she finds it strange how she feels some familiarity in his presence and its effect when they have never been this way before. Her heartbeat quickens when Jimin casually presses his painted cheek with hers, the words in her wrist itch. 

She is unsure of what to do next— whether to run from, kick him or push him or...

He places his thumb and index finger on her chin to turn her face towards his.

Kiss him.

And she just closes her eyes to press her lips on his. Eyes closed.

Jimin knows it is not out of any urge by how gently she kisses him, just a press of her lips against his. However, he feels the blood rushing to his brain, urging him to touch her more— pull her closer or kiss her more.

But she pulls away. Jimin doesn't open his eyes.

Arin thinks that she understands why her sister kisses flower petals, wants to touch anything that is soft and caresses anything that seems delicate. Jimin is just like that, an elegance that is so fragile— a touch could break him.

She doesn't expect to see Jimin's eyes closed when she looks at him. She expected him to push her away, do something but he stands there still. As if the touch is still lingering on his skin.

The sound of a snort followed by someone's choked laughter forces the couple to look towards the living room, where, surprisingly, Jungkook and Yoongi sit. They are trying to show that they have seen nothing and failing miserably at that. 

That causes Arin and Jimin to panic, making them push each other away before Arin stumbles her way to sit on the couch and Jimin somehow makes it to the kitchen.

"You guys are finally up," Arin says, awkwardly laughing after that. Yoongi who was sitting beside her chuckles, shaking his head.

"Unfortunately," Jungkook sticks out his tongue in her direction. Arin averts her gaze, shy by the teasing looks she gets from him and Jungkook parts his mouth in disbelief. Why would she feel shy of the members seeing her kiss when she doesn't even care about seeing the members naked?

"Anyway, It seems you don't need my relationship advice anymore," Jungkook shakes his head. Arin, without a warning, pulls a pillow from where Yoongi rested, making him lose his balance and fall on the other side of the couch, crushing his cheek against the hard hand-rest. 

"When did I ask you for any in the first place?" She throws the pillow towards Jungkook who catches it just in time and throws it back. Arin ducks down and it hits straight onto Yoongi's face who had just recovered from the past hit. 

The pillow-fighters widen their eyes in dread, and before Yoongi could comment on how they both have managed to crush both of his cheeks, the sound of unlocking a door draws his attention away.

A very tired looking Jin with equally fresh and dressed up Hayoung greets them when the room to Jin's door is opened. Hayoung doesn't look at Yoongi, knowing if she does, she wouldn't be able to do what she was here for. Apologise.

This morning, when she woke up from the dream, sweating—she realised that Yoongi knew.

Why else would he dream of them kissing? She feels embarrassed that Yoongi has been seeing her fairytale dreams with Jin and also angry because he has been acting like he doesn't know anything. 

Jin had asked her if she's okay and she couldn't bring herself to speak about it yet. Not when things seem to have just gotten better between them, even though Jin refused to sleep on the same bed with her and slept on the extended couch instead.

But he did mention apologising to Arin because even though Hayoung has her own reasons, the little one is nothing but a sweetheart. He cannot hurt her by ignoring what happened last night. Hayoung (with a bitter heart) said she would do it (even though on the inside she did not find anything wrong with what she said).

So here she was. But Arin is not willing to give her a moment because she is by Jin's side, whining.

"Hyunnggg~"

 Jungkook rolls his eyes because he knows exactly who she is copying at the moment.

 He is glad that Arin's back to her old ways because he feared he would not see her today or if he did, she would not be herself. The last night did seem to pretty much affect her even though she kept it all inside. 

Although, he cannot bring himself to hate Hayoung despite all of it. Knowing her for years, he knows that her words have always been spoken before she even thinks about them and there might be a reason that things escalated the way they did. He trusts Jin enough that he's capable of loving the right person. He also feels conflicted because Hayoung had talked down to Yerin too, if he doesn't hate her then, it might not be fair to Arin and Yerin.

"Yoongi hyung is trying to–" she gets interrupted when a pillow crashes against her cheek. "Stop mimicking me!" Jungkook huffs.

"Well anyway, anyone up for some fried rice for lunch?" Jin says, ignoring the younger. "I am going to cook for you guys."

He looks back and intertwines his fingers with Hayoung's, "It was Hayoung's idea... especially for Arin, it's her favourite right?"

Arin stares hard at the intertwined hands and sighs. She says nothing when she looks at Hayoung either because the latter has not even made an effort of looking at her. Jin lets go of her, the silence lingers in the room until the landline rings.

Yoongi picks it up, smiling when he hears Taehyung's voice. The others look at him, expecting to hear what it was all about but they step closer when Yoongi's smile drops. 

And then he tells them, "Eunbee's in the hospital."

. . .

Taehyung remembers all a bit too clearly.

They were on their casual routine, doing their own thing. The peace of the previous night lingered in between them, the silence and the smell of ramen still fresh in their minds. He did not mind it, knowing he has to take baby steps to improve their relationship.

He knows the distance and time they have been away from each other, has made it worse. Had they been together all this time, it might not be so bad. But they both have changed and the other knows nothing what and how— and are forced to stick together.

One moment, he's looking at her walk towards the bedroom and the next moment he's tugged forward by the string as Eunbee's choked scream reached his ears. He had panicked so much because the red string seemed to burn into her skin, choking her. It confused him as to why did the string suddenly strangle her out of nowhere but he didn't have time to ponder upon it.

He immediately picked her up, called for his driver that is always around the area and drove her to the hospital. On the way, he called for his manager while trying to hook his fingers through the string around her neck to create some space but the string seemed too tight for her to even cough or cry. Her eyelids drooped low and Taehyung knew she would be unconscious if he didn't help her now.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he finally managed to hook a finger inside the string and pull it away from her skin, giving her space to breathe. "It will be okay, you'll be okay..." he kept murmuring as Eunbee struggled to breathe. Soon enough she was taken to the emergency, a few gasps as the doctors and nurses saw the string around their necks.

Taehyung was asked to be around because he was the only one who could touch the string and after a few tries of tugging the string away, it finally loosened and Eunbee was immediately put up on the breathing machine.

When things calmed down, the manager came and Taehyung called the members to inform them as well.

If this is how the string is going to be, then he's going to lose his best friend in no time. 

Jimin is by his side very soon, giving him a shoulder to lean on. Namjoon and Hoseok talk to the doctors while the manager is making sure that no news gets relayed out of the hospital room. 

They just know now that they have to make things right, no one else can help them and certainly not fate who is taking her sweet time in repairing things.

. . .

Jungkook rocks on his feet while darting his eyes continuously towards the gate. A soft smile appears on his face when he sees Yerin run out of it, towards him.

He was on his way to the hospital as well when he got a call from Yerin. His Hyungs assured him that they'll be fine and he should go to her instead. Jungkook had driven to the training camp with a heavy heart and it just keeps getting worse when Yerin looks at him like that, with a smile on her face.

She stops right before him and bites her lips under his gaze. Jungkook chuckles, bending to her level and sighs, "Do you really have to go?"

The hesitance in his voice is clear and it reminds Yerin of the numerous reasons she didn't want a soulmate. Being someone who is required to go on such intense battlefields, away from her loved ones for months or even years, with no certainty of returning alive— it's a tough thing to commit to. Jungkook of all people doesn't deserve to live in such uncertainty.

The uncertainty that she did not expect would come so soon. A goodbye.

She had gotten a call last night as soon as Jungkook dropped her at home that she was needed for a new mission team, and as a lead commander at that. She could not miss such a big opportunity and headed to the headquarters where the mission plan was laid out in front of her.

A soldier on duty never knows what is waiting for him, victory or death. 

Her heart couldn't handle the thought of not bidding her soulmate a goodbye before she goes. Forever or for the time being. Whatever is written in the books for her.

So she called him.

"I will be o-okay," Yerin says.

A lie. Jungkook knows it all too well. He can sense it in her tone, the voice that fails to waver even the toughest times.

He does not know what to do at the moment, he knows he cannot stop her and he knows that he cannot protect her either. So he does only one thing he can think of, pull her close and wrap her in a hug, tight. 

"Please take care of yourself," his voice breaks at the very thought of having her injured. 

She looks up and places her chin on his chest. "Promise me, you will too."

"You're the one who is going there—" his voice breaks. A tear threatens to fall down his cheek as he tries not to think the worst. 

She will come back, safe and sound. He will be right here with open arms to engulf in a proud hug. They will be right here, happy. He tries to breathe but he sees Yerin looking at him, somehow apologetic and he's not surprised when his resolve breaks.

"Don't go please," Jungkook cries out, closing his eyes. The tears fall down, Yerin's heart cracks and she tiptoes in an attempt to kiss his closed eyes but huffs when she can only reach his nose. "Why are you so tall..." she mumbles, placing a kiss on his nose and Jungkook laughs through his tears. 

The feathery touch on his nose lingers when he is pulled down again by his collar, Yerin grins when Jungkook comes in level with her. She places a kiss on his forehead, then between his eyebrows and with closed eyes, he asks again, "Do you have to go..."

I have to, Yerin mouths when she places a kiss on his eyelid. He pulls her close and buries his face in the crook of her neck.

"Major Lee, hurry up." someone calls out for her from the other side of the gate. 

Jungkook's hold tightens, not letting her pull away from him and it takes all the reassurance to have him pull back to look at her.

"I will come back, I promise."

Don't make promises you can't keep, Yerin. A voice inside, tells her. 

Jungkook sniffs, fishing out a small silver chain out of his pocket and showing it to her. "I was saving it for our first date." he smiles, "now seems like a better time."

Yerin stares at the chain.

"I am not giving this because we are not going to have our first date, okay? You're coming back and I am taking you to the date but..." he loops his hands around her neck to secure the necklace around it, "I want you to remember me, keep yourself safe for me. I am trying you down."

Yerin looks at the necklace, the pendant dangling from its centre. Of course, he had to choose a flower pendant.

He takes her hands and guides them to his face, right where his tattoos start. Her hands hardly touch his skin, as if he was so delicate that her touch would harm him. 

She can admire him all day long without getting tired.

"I love you," he suddenly says. "I know it's early but I just know I do."

He leans down towards her, "So make sure to come back fast so that I can remind you all day, that I do–" he kisses softly on her lips, "Love you."

He places his forehead against hers. Yerin closes her eyes before whispering, "I will be back before you know it."

And then she is gone.

And Jungkook can only pray that he does not wake up with another bunch of flowers on his body or even worse, to see the ones he already has, dead. 

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what in the descendants of the sun shit is this. also the longest chapter so far <3