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Just a reminder that a ♦ before italicized conversation denotes that the conversation is in Thai.

Side characters that appear for the first time/mentioned for the first time in this chapter plus their pronunciations.

Lee Yeongjin

            Lee Yawng-jin

Kun Kung Shiwon

            Koon Kung She-wahn

January 13th

It would have been a massive understatement to merely refer to the past few months as excruciating. First there was the big blow up I had with the company. No one was happy about how I unveiled my Soulmate Mark, or even the fact that I unveiled it to the public in general without discussing it with anyone in the company first. Of course I personally wasn't very remorseful due to the situation they had tried to put Alluvion in.

<<

October 19th - after the events of chapter 6

Kim Kwang-Min, Founder and CEO stared down at me with a fierce look on his face. I've seen the look directed at his underlings. I've seen it on occasion directed at Minsookie. And I've seen a somewhat fiercer expression directed at Ru Naehyeon before he was fired. I cannot recall having ever seen it directed at me like this before.

"What on Earth possessed you to release news like that? And why on Earth didn't you let us know at the meeting yesterday that you had not only channeled somnium venereum, but that you had also known you would end up with your mark sometime later on in the day?" I swear it honestly looked like smoke would be coming out of his ears any minute.

I sigh. "I hadn't channeled it until later in the afternoon, so I couldn't alert anyone at the meeting yesterday since it hadn't happened yet. Also, it wasn't my intention to be caught out in public. I know it's hardly an excuse, but yesterday I was running on no sleep. While I slept somewhat decently last night, the lack of sleep from the night before took its toll and, believe it or not, I had forgotten what time my mark would appear." As I'm explaining myself, I realize I should be defending myself, or rather my team, against something else also. "Besides, even if I had channeled somnium venereum earlier on yesterday what could I have said? You were too absorbed with everything involving the possibility of transferring Minsookie, and after I received that news my main focus was directed toward my group and what you were trying to destroy." He tried to interrupt me, but I wouldn't let him. "Before you try to argue this fact let me also share with you that I am not the only member of Alluvion that has a Soulmate Mark now. All five of us have one, and they are all identical."

Lee Chiwon, the vice president, gasped. "While that is an interesting turn of events; I can't help but find it difficult to believe."

It was lucky for us that when I got the call to come into the office for an emergency meeting that the others joined me. They were waiting in the cafeteria. I felt bad that we had barely enough time to put the groceries away before heading to the company building. Making kimchi would have to be put on hold. Even though they were only in the cafeteria it took them about fifteen minutes to make it up to the conference room, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smirking at what was probably Minsookie's suggestion to make them wait it out. Once they got there Kim-nim didn't hesitate to ask them all to reveal their marks, only Juahie hesitated. "Kim-nim, I could show mine if you truly insisted, but I would have to remove my pants to do so."

I caught Jaeyeonie and Jiseongie fighting to contain their laughter. I swear sometimes it's like Jaeyeonie is one of the maknae line.

He shakes his head. "Okay, that's fine. I'll settle on just seeing the others' marks for now."

After they proved to him that what I was telling him was true Kim-nim sighed and plopped down in the chair. "I guess this means I will need to continue searching for a new member for Blaze. I've already sent scouts all over the world, maybe one of them will turn up something."

"If you send someone to the United States I wouldn't mind joining the scout you send. Offer them my support." The Vice President, Lee Chiwon, offers. I'm not sure why he volunteered, but after a single nod in consideration the focus is back on us.

Park Taewoong, the company's president who had been silent until now, piped in. "So, what do we do regarding the media storm and Gamon's mark?"

Minsookie of course took that moment to pipe in and bring up the idea of us needing a way to search for our Soulmate. Best way to beat a media storm? To create a media frenzy by openly admitting the truth, or in this case partial truth since only the existence of my mark would be revealed in a press conference. In addition to that we also took the opportunity to announce the clever idea that had been Minsookie's plan all along. We just didn't let them know that my media stunt had been somewhat on purpose.

We had to relay that idea to our media liaison, Lee Yeongjin. Luckily, he was immensely supportive of our idea, and felt there was no reason to change it.

>>

The problem is I've been through at least a dozen of these 'Meet and Greet' events ever since with nothing to show for it. We had all hoped when we had made the announcement that she would come running immediately and show up at the first event, but that hadn't happened. Of course after so many of these we were all beginning to become discouraged. Hell, the others hadn't even bothered to come with me today. They were all simply that disheartened by the possibility that this plan wouldn't end up working out after all. Minsookie and Jiseongie, the maknae line, seemed to be taking it the hardest in fact. It's obvious Jiseongie is juggling a lot of things that are stirring up his emotions, not just our Soulmate who has yet to make an appearance. Minsookie has been trying to channel it mostly in his dancing and choreography, but he can't fool me. I can read how hard he is taking it in his eyes. Juahie is hard to read sometimes, and a lot of the time when it comes to himself he tends to keep things closed off from others. Jaeyeonie is having difficulties, but he has been channeling his growing depression positively by focusing on working hard on future lyrics and arrangements.

This session I've been through at least twenty candidates thus far, and none of them fit. At first I had been taking about five minutes to go through the questions. Then I was able to dwindle that time down to two minutes. It was starting to get sick of waiting around through this charade.

The next nine were just as easy to get through as the last ten or so were. I was relieved when Mengrai told me there was only one young woman left. When the door opened and she walked in I was completely and utterly shocked. I definitely didn't expect a foreigner, but that wasn't the only thing causing my stomach to flutter erratically. Despite the oversized coat and the earmuffs she is wearing I find myself completely captivated. She is simply breathtaking. I should have taken the opportunity to scope out the rest of her body as she took off her coat and continued walking forward, but honestly I just couldn't manage to make it past her face. Perhaps, that was mostly because her beauty was truly that alluring to me. However, I am sure that subconsciously I was also trying to keep my examination of her on more of a gentlemanly level.

I felt myself correcting my posture as she took nervous steps up to me. Mengrai took a step beside me. ♦ "Kun Kung Shiwon tried to talk to her when she got here, and she didn't respond right away. When she did it was at first in English before she muttered a fractured thank you in Korean. He doesn't believe she understands Korean."♦

I nod. I don't speak many languages but at least English is one in my repertoire. I can't help but wonder if it is her mother language. Judging by her red hair, bluish green eyes, and freckled skin she could be from almost any country in Europe or perhaps even the U.S or Canada. I wait for her to come a bit closer before addressing her. "Do you speak English?" I ask even though I know the answer already.

"Yes, I'm from the United States."

I smile warmly at her and indicate the seat across from me. She echoes the smile and once again those strange erratic sensations fill me up again. "Why don't we start simple? What's your name?"

A knowing smile seems to grow on her lips that I immediately find fascinating before she voices her reply. "Lilianne Brodin, but I go by Lily."

I glance at Mengrai. His face doesn't change expression, but it doesn't have to. We've known each other long enough that I can see the hope he has for me and the rest of my group shine in his eyes. "Remind me how old someone would have to be in the United States before they are legally allowed to get the Amorium serum injection?" I honestly don't remember even though it is a fact I had learned at some point over time. The biggest reason I am asking though is because she seems older than I would guess someone could legally get the injection over there.

She wets her lips before she answers, and I swallow hard after I chase the movement with my eyes. Her beauty was causing me some problems in the nether region, and I was more than thankful to have a table between the two of us right now. So much for trying to remain a gentleman. I mentally groan.

"Most have to wait until they turn twenty-one unless a parent signs off that they believe their child is mature enough to handle such an impactful relationship as young as eighteen." She pauses for a second, and I can actually see her mood change abruptly. "Umm. Can I tell you a story? It will help me explain...my situation better?"

Mengrai tries to get my attention but I am too busy trying to guess what she might say to me. She seems so apprehensive, and while only just being introduced I want her to know I am not only willing to listen but also somehow convey that I am someone she can rely on. And hopefully in the near future my other teammates can convey the same. "Sure. I'm all ears."

She proceeds to tell me how she was on track to get her injection at eighteen. How her parents had saved the money up for her for years. Then she shared with me the sad tale of their demise and how those plans had gone up in flames. Her sad story definitely calmed the problem I had been developing. After all, It definitely wasn't appropriate to have an erection when my potential Soulmate was talking about her parents' and grandmothers' death.

She clears her throat, and I immediately ask Mengrai for a bottle of water and pass it over to her. She briefly thanks me before taking a sip and continuing her train of thought. "I had to wait until I could comfortably live on my own, and then I started saving up the money all over again. I wasn't able to fully accomplish that until about three months ago."

I didn't have to do mental math regarding when we got our marks in comparison. The time lined up perfectly too. It's kind of amazing that we channeled somnium venereum around the same time she finally got the injection.

Then she told me something I found quite hard to believe. She hadn't known of our group's existence before she received her mark. "It was my friend Raina who put two and two together. Oh, but I should show you my mark shouldn't I?" She asked.

Before I could form a proper response she rolled down the collar of her shirt. I tried to remain impassive but when I saw the title of the song that had been plaguing me basically since the beginning of my career I couldn't help how my eyelids expanded to accommodate how wide my eyes became due to my shocked disbelief.

Then she starts taking off her blazer and shows me the mark on her upper arm. She blushes, and the pink hue to her pale skin I find completely endearing. "I can't show you the other three here but..." She grabs her phone and fiddles with it for a second, probably unlocking it and pulling up whatever she wants to show me, before handing the device over to me.

I almost don't want to look away from her, but my curiosity basically has a mind of its own. I find myself looking down at another image. This one of her luscious upper thigh. There goes my attempt at being a gentleman flying out the window again. I scroll through to find the other two remaining ones, although at this point I am most definitely convinced that she is my Soulmate. No, correction, she is our Soulmate. I hand her back her phone before picking up my own and quickly placing a call with our group manager. "Junghee-hyung, I found her. She's from the United States so I need to know if there was any sort of plan put in place if she wasn't from Seoul."

He sighs on the other end. "No, we didn't think that far ahead. I guess she will have to remain in her current accommodations until I can get that completely worked out."

I'm a little annoyed by that in all honesty, because that would have meant that our Soulmate could have been from another part of South Korea, and they still wouldn't have had a way to handle it. That doesn't stop me from telling him my next part of the plan; I know he won't argue with me since it is a perfectly sensible one. "Well, I want to bring her to the company building so she can meet the others regardless. I'd rather you not tell them yet though. I want it to be a surprise."

"I'll have to let the CEO, President, and Vice President know. They will probably want to meet her also."

For a moment I'm surprised to hear that the Vice President is back. It takes a few seconds for my mind to catch up with what he said, and I can't help but sigh in response before running a hand through the back of my hair. "Yeah, they probably should know. I'd still like her to meet the others first though. They'll probably all insist on going with her to meet upper management."

"I'll make sure to insist upon that for you then." He answers, and I can hear the smile in his voice as he adds, "also, congratulations. I can't wait to meet her myself."

I turn to her and smile. "So, I guess you must be curious where we go from here."

She smiles back at me. "No worries, I got the gist of it from your side of the conversation."

I frown. "You speak Korean?"

She shakes her head. "No, I got the Wernicke's Serum injection shortly after being certain that the five of you were my Soulmates. So, I can understand whatever language the five of you would be using."

♦ "You can understand when I speak Thai also?" ♦

She smiles at me. "Yes, I can. I guess that means while Minsook also speaks a bit of English that you can still tell me things secretly in Thai he wouldn't understand."

"Well, I wonder if that would change once the others got the Wernicke's Serum injection themselves; I mean since we are part of the same bond that is. Forgive me, but none of us expected a foreigner when we received our marks so none of us thought to get the injection. Nor, have I looked much into it honestly." That's when I think of something that I probably shouldn't be sharing with her, something that he should probably tell her himself, but I still find myself saying regardless. "Heck, Minsookie might not even want to get an injection himself. Don't tell him I shared this but he has a thing against needles, and since he thinks he probably speaks English fine enough he will try to swindle his way around having to get the injection." I know sharing that fact with her, potentially going against Minsookie's wishes to keep it secret, might just bite me in the ass later.

"No worries, I mean it was the same for me after all. There wasn't much point to getting it until I was certain." She frowns, and while I hate seeing it I can't help but think it is probably the cutest frown I have ever seen. "Raina had to help me pay for it and the plane ticket here. I hated having to use her money like that."

I pause for a second and consider that. "Perhaps we will have to do something in the future to thank her for her generosity then." A pensive look crosses her face. "Was there someone else I should consider thanking?"

She shakes her head rapidly. "No, not necessarily. I admit I was thinking of a couple of my other friends who were quite helpful, maybe not monetarily but in other ways." She clears her throat, and her cheeks turn an adorable pink. "I swear I wasn't inferring to add them to whatever plan you are cooking up."

I can't help but laugh. "I didn't think that in the slightest, but if it makes my Soulmate happy then I have no problem at least considering it."

She timidly smiles at me. After returning the smile Mengrai gets my attention and the two of us start to plan how to get all of us out of here together.

We have to part ways for a moment. That way we don't cause a huge media event by being seen leaving the convention center together. I head back the way I came trying to look somewhat forlorn as I pass the mob of Currents that have been waiting here for him to come out. I'm no actress but I am pretty sure I put on a convincing show regardless of that fact. After I get past the line of Currents waiting, I walk around the building, and once I reach the doors I originally came out of I open them again before letting the security guard escort me to where Gamon and his manager are waiting for me in an underground parking garage. I hop in and take the baseball cap and face mask that are offered to me then quickly put them on and fasten my seatbelt. "Don't worry, these back windows are tinted and have a reflective surface on the outside. They won't be able to see you. The mask and hat are only in case someone happens to see you through the windshield."

I let out a nervous laugh. "This is all so surreal to me."

Gamon surprises me by catching my hand in his own. I jolt slightly at the surprising tingling sensation that passes from his palm to mine and back again. "Me too."

I frown as I regain my focus. "I'm sorry that you had to wait until the last 'Meet and Greet.' My plan was to try to buy my badge shortly after my passport was set to arrive in the mail, but the badges offered during that time frame were all sold out. After that bummer I was just thankful to be able to secure one at all." I admit to him. I don't mention how hard it was on me to know who they were during Christmas time and not be able to be here to celebrate it with them. I would have to wait a whole year to celebrate our first Christmas together, but perhaps that isn't altogether a bad thing. By that time next year we will probably practically know each other inside out and definitely have an idea of what to get each other.

"First of all, there is nothing to apologize for. Secondly, regardless of what I just said, I appreciate the sympathy because having to sit through them all was a complete and utter nightmare." He gives my hand a brief squeeze, and offers me a devastating smile. "You were definitely worth the wait." My cheeks grow warm, and for countless moments we become lost in each other's eyes. The moment is only interrupted when his expression turns dark and he outwardly sighs morosely. "I felt bad for turning so many people away, but at the same time some of the things they did to try to prove I was their Soulmate, and they were mine, were quite ridiculous. Many times over I found myself wishing that Minsookie was the one to have ended up with the mark on his neck. He would have gotten a kick out of pulling a stunt like getting caught with a Soulmate Mark on his neck." He leans in to whisper something to me, although Mengrai is the only other one in the car. I'm not certain if his Thai manager speaks English or not, and I am sure even if he did he would probably keep any secret that Gamon shared with me. I shiver when his breath hits the shell of my ear. "I'll have to let you in on what happened the day my mark showed up. All I'll say now is that Minsookie is still to blame." He pulls away again, and I try not to frown as the space grows bigger between us. He looks over at me and smiles at me before adding. "Now, I can't help but be thankful it was me who ended up with a mark on my neck since I got to meet you first."

I brush my eyes over him. He really is truly a beautiful human being. The breadth of his shoulders was really something I felt couldn't make a full impression without seeing it in reality for myself. The strain of his fitted shirt against his muscles had me swallowing against the immediate heat it caused to build in my core. The strong angles and contours of his cheekbones and chin offer a powerful look that is somehow complimented by his tawny skin tone. His sculpted thick eyebrows offer another masculine allure above his pretty, wide expressive hazel eyes that are framed with thick eyelashes. His lips, plump and almost feminine, add a stark alluring contrast to his features. The plushness of them almost made me want to fight against the seat belt and press mine against his own this very minute. Which isn't like me at all. I have been kissed a couple of times before, but those few times were years ago while I was still in high school before I lost my parents. And I never initiated any of those kisses myself. His beauty is both contrasting and bewitching to me. It had already been haunting my dreams in the best way, but now that I am seeing him in person it will probably be even harder to get myself to wake from the future dreams I will be having.

"When did you arrive in Seoul, by the way?" His question breaks me out of my brief reverie.

"Three days ago. I wanted a chance to get adjusted to the different time zone before arriving at the 'Meet and Greet.'"

His eyes widened comically for a second. "Maybe that's why I felt something strange that day."

I immediately think back to when I first exited the airport. There was simply a sense of rightness when my feet touched the actual ground once I walked out of the airport. I had chalked it up to simply knowing I wasn't a world away from my Soulmates anymore, but perhaps it was more than that. "Hmm. Now that you mention it, when I landed I felt a bit different too. Perhaps we were able to sense that we were close? Is that a thing with Soulmates and the serum?"

He must be as equally clueless as I am because he shrugs his shoulders. "I'm really not certain. I haven't heard anything like that before. I wonder if Juahie has read anything like that."

I smile fondly at the idea of Juah researching just to find out something for me. I really am enjoying my time with just Gamon right now, but I would be lying to myself if I didn't admit that I was still overly eager to meet the others also. A tendril of curiosity starts curling inside of me and before I know it I am asking after the other four parts of my bond. "Why didn't they come today?"

Gamon sighs. "They were worried about being disappointed again. Honestly a lot of them have been throwing themselves in their work the past week or so. It makes me sad to see it, but we are also promoting our Comeback right now." He frowns after he says that. "I hate the fact that it will take our time away from you."

I shrug. "I won't lie and say that doesn't suck a little bit, but it is your job." I pause for a second and smile. "Does that mean I get to see and hear some of the things that you have been working on before others?"

He gives me a sly seductive expression that I swear sets my body ablaze. I find myself subconsciously clamping my thighs together before his next words make my body tighten with need even further. "Perhaps, if you play your cards right."

I fight back the need growing in my body and promptly counter with the first flirtatious and honest response I can think of. "It's a good thing I am excellent at card games."

He immediately laughs, surprised by my phrasing, and the rich masculine sound echoes throughout me. "Touché."

I shrug. "I'm not always that eloquent. So don't expect a witty retort terribly often."

After a few long moments of simply staring into each other's eyes I turn to look out the window and give myself a moment so I can breathe properly once again. It had to be lack of oxygen that was making me lightheaded right? I stare at the world outside for a moment, and despite my poor sense of direction I still try to determine if I recognize any of the landmarks. Of course after only a few moments I realize that I haven't been out this far since I tried to limit my exploration to walking distance only. "How much further until we get to the company building?"

Gamon double checks where we are through the windshield. "Only a few more minutes. An Junghee should be waiting for us near the entrance that connects to the private parking garage. He'll at least have a temporary pass for you, but we will have to get something more settled with security in the near future."

Without being told I knew that An Junghee was the group's manager. I also knew that each member had a manager that also acted as a part of their personal security but the names of each of them weren't public knowledge. I only knew Mengrai Lam was Gamon's simply because of the introduction I was given before I left the convention center and pretended to be turned away.

I only manage to catch a glimpse of the steel and glass building before we are driving underground again and into the private parking garage. "So, how are we going to do this? Are you going to escort me to where they are practicing? Are we going to meet up in a conference room?"

"Let me first determine where they are all at right now. They might be working on separate projects." He responds before typing out a quick message on his phone. "They are all in Jaeyeonie's private studio eating a late lunch, but they are planning on continuing with dance practice now that I have returned."

"So, we need to get to the dance studio first before they do?" I ask.

"Precisely. Although... I think we are going to have to cover you up more. Luckily I have just the thing in my own studio. We'll stop by there first."