My shining self, 

my precious soul

You were exhausted from the agonizing bonding the night before, but your excitement overflowed when you remembered your lovely soulmate and how much he loves and embraces you.

The only thing that casts a shadow on your light is the impending arranged marriages. You and Jin have discussed alerting your parents about your present situation, but for the time being, keep it hidden from your friends and agencies. You two aren't prepared to cause a scene. If it comes out, it will be covered by every tabloid and news program, and paparazzi from all over the globe will harass you and Jin. You will be scrutinized to the core by his ARMY fans, and you will not want to be in the public spotlight here in Korea.

While you'll be eating an early dinner with Sona, Alia, and Sona were stunned by your cheerfulness. You've chosen to go out to supper as a group. Alia will be the one to pay the bill. Sona drove you to a Vietnamese restaurant named Pho Mons. You can't wait to check out the newest Asian flavors and enjoy the restaurant's atmosphere.

Alia notices a few open tables downstairs and suggests, "Let's sit by the window."

As she sat down on a seat, Sona's face lit up with delight. You follow Alia's lead.

As she placed the menus in front of you, a waiter smiled pleasantly. You grin because you can read some of the menus but not all of them. Sona was ecstatic to help you with your translation.

Alia smiled as she recognized a few phrases. You've been putting in a lot of effort in class for the past several days. Your lecturer informed you that each of you would be assigned a peer tutor who would assist you in cementing the content you had learned. You're thrilled to work with a genuine South Korean native that will be able to help you without you feeling embarrassed. 

You may have even heard that you would be asked to present a little conversation with the professor or a peer for a grade. You've considered doing something like instructing someone how to cook an Indian dish and a drink. Instead, you'll turn it into a presentation, explain the technique, and bake some at home to serve to the class.

With your new friend, you had a pleasant chat. She couldn't stop gushing about BTS, particularly the cute sunshine, Hobi, and the next fan meeting. She and a friend had already booked the tickets. You simply shook your head in disbelief at the ARMY's enthusiasm. Fans love your soulmate and his band.

Your food arrived from the waitress. Platters and various side dishes were piled high on the table. Alia was delighted because she enjoyed the food and questioned the waiter's menu. You and Sona tuck into the delectable supper buffet.

"My stomach is bursting at the seams. Their sweet and sour stir-fry is one of my favorites. I think I'll order takeout ", you groan softly as you stroke your tummy.

"Oh my...I see you've gained some weight, girl," Alia chuckles. "Be careful, and you still have to crown your successor."

"Are you a beauty queen?" Sona asks, her eyes wide as she sips from her alcoholic drink. She realizes since you are so beautiful. Even if you aren't wearing much makeup, she knows that Alia is a well-known model, but she never asked Alia about you.

You smile and nod. "Yes, I live a life of glitz and glamour. My entire family participated in the industry, but I like to create and design clothing. I'm focusing on my fashion line after finishing my language education." You grin at her surprised expression.

"Wow, you gals have it all together," Sona exclaimed. She works in the hotel and restaurant industry. However, she was born into a poor Chinese family in Shanghai.

Alia shook her head and said, "Don't make assumptions. Our families are highly traditional, and you must understand the system's norms when it comes to obeying your parents. We must follow our families' wishes and rules while still unmated. Which I think is ridiculous because we can't choose our fate." Alia's expression was sour as she finished her last calamari stick. You agree with a nod. Consider the fear you'll face if your family finds out about your soulmate's status.

She had a giddy grin on her face as she gazed at you. "Oh my goodness, Samiya you won't believe it! Last night, I received a call from my agent. Remember the audition for Sports Illustrated's swimsuit catalog? So, I'm one of the six models that will be leaving for Hawaii on Friday."

Your eyes widened in surprise, and Sona was shocked. "Congrats...oh my goodness...so you're leaving on Friday? Oh, my Goodness! This weekend, I'll be alone till Tuesday. Alia, you're so terrible, "You whine. You despise riding the bus. You're going to miss her.

Alia lets out a small laugh. "You'll make it, my girl. Sona will be beside you at all times." She gives you a gentle pat on the shoulders. You don't feel you'll be able to operate without your crutch.

Sona flashes a big smile. "By Monday evening, I'll be here. I'm going to meet my soulmate Samiya I'm sorry. Our residence, on the other hand, is secure. You can unwind without being disturbed by our loudness."

You made a sniffling gesture with your nose. "Oh no... It's unsettling to be alone in an unfamiliar environment. To get to the mall, I'll have to take an Uber. I eat alone and watch Netflix."

Your lovely pout made the two older girls laugh out loud. You enjoy being in your world, but that is not the case in Korea.  If he isn't too busy with band schedules and such, you'll just spend your time texting your soulmate.

You sat at the restaurant for two hours, just chatting about everything. Sona informed you that she would be moving to marry her Ghanian Soulmate in two months. You smiled and expressed your happiness for her. Alia appears to be saddened because her family does not want to end Ranveer's engagement. She even considered doing something radical like becoming pregnant by a random guy, but she will never do anything with someone she doesn't love and who feels the same way about her.

She wished she had a soulmark, but she had given up hope for the year after her last birthday. Ranveer is unconcerned. He's after his inheritance, and she's the perfect girl his family has chosen for him. Alia simply sighs and turns to face her best friend. She is well aware of your apprehensions about marrying one of her cousins. Vidhan would be her last choice for Sami. He is a womanizer who is secretly seeing a Bombay model. She discovered the truth, and she knows he kept it hidden from his family and your Family.

When Alia sees your radiant face, she smiles. Something made her friend very happy, and she hopes she has adjusted to life in South Korea by now since Alia does not want to return.

You'd all paid, and you'd receive your hot takeout to enjoy at home if you're hungry. When you see some text messages from your love, you quietly check your phone, and your heart beats erratically.

You and your soulmate were talking on the phone later that evening, and you grew even more in love with him. He even sings you a lullaby. You fell asleep that night wishing FATE would intervene to protect you from the adversaries of your happiness.

                                               ೋღ 🌺 ღೋ

The next day

You paired your skinny black jeans with a sheer see-through black top and a vibrant yellow crop top underneath.

When you brought Alia's coffee to her room, she was still putting on makeup. Your dramatic eyes cause her eyes to widen.

"Wow, you're a stunning girl. I like how the eyes have a hint of color. Because of how drab you seem these days, I nearly forgot you were Miss India. "She makes you laugh with her antics. You push her shoulder while placing her hot drink on the dresser.

You snort, " You do not filter through everything? You know, I'm just happy. I'm beginning to feel at ease. I won't be complaining." You make a happy face.

Alia brushed her hair one last time. She wore a black top with a maxi skirt dress, and she styled her wavy hair with a lovely hat. She stood up after thanking you for the coffee and taking a sip.

"I'm delighted you've started to enjoy your time here. It almost made me feel awful for uprooting you and bringing you here. For the past two days, you've sounded sad, and I've assumed you don't like it here. I'm relieved right now." She took a deep breath and exhaled quickly. She is delighted that you are happy.

Sona has already left in her small car for work, as she had somewhere to go after worth. She left at around 5 a.m.

You and Alia had a good time on the way to the university. Today's students on the bus were extremely chatty. Some talked about their classes, upcoming assignments, and new acquaintances.

"'Did you discuss the wedding with your parents?' She has a worried expression on her face as she looks at you.

"What do you mean...they're aware that I've been delaying the marriage negotiations. "You furrow your brows, confused.

"After finishing his modeling shoot in Japan, Vidhan will be coming to South Korea, my sister told me last night. He'll be staying for a week. My parents had informed him about our whereabouts. I was furious. I don't want him to bother you at our new apartment,Sami,' she spat. Your breathing has been constricted. Vidhan with Soekjin, oh my goodness!

You gasp gently, "What!!!"No, that's terrible! It has to be your parents' fault, right? Bringing you together is their mission.

"Yes! He's just confirmed that he'll be joining me for the legacy luncheon. One of the main speakers at this luncheon will be your brother. Vidhan will annoy you that night. I'm not sure how he'll deal with all of the attention on you. I hope you may find your true love and not marry my cousin. He's unsuitable for marriage. Samiya. He'll frustrate you and require a lot more attention, so you'll have to treat him like a traditional wife. He enjoys being pampered by women." Alia has a mournful expression on her face as she thinks about her fate.

You took a deep breath. You didn't call your mother last night.  Vidhan's parents want you to be with him. His parents are counting down the days until you conceive their grandchild. You are the best match for their kid, and sadly, there is no rule in place to prevent the system from arranging marriages.

On the other hand, the red gold has given the Billionaires club a headache. Dual, Tarnished, and blue and yellow stringed soulmates are easy to marry off. Redgold, on the other hand, is a challenge. The majority of couples don't survive without their soulmates. Some people have strong hearts, but they live half of their lives in loneliness and emptiness. Some people died due to a lack of energy.

You are well aware that your feelings for Seokjin are intense, and you may be among those who quickly died. Physically, you won't be able to handle it. The serum is currently undergoing trials, and it will be pretty costly. You doubt that ordinary people will be able to afford it. You believe system scientists may perfect it precisely for the Billionaire Legacy club to push the bill for red gold to marry the people they desire.

Your heart fell as you arrived at your destination, knowing that if Jin's parents had their way, you and Jin would lose each other. Because you never know when the cord will be broken, every moment with him is priceless. You're not sure if you want to live in a world where he isn't yours if he has to marry Noodle-Joo. Although he will be married and bound by a ring with someone else, he will be deeply miserable without his soul mate.

As you both walked silently to the Language department, Alia pressed her hands against yours.

When you get to your desks, your class is already filled. Everyone was happy to see you. As you look around your group, you grin. Between Kim Taehyung and Cha Eun woo, Shruti and Daphne argued about who had the most gorgeous visual. As you and Alia watched Daphne sulk because Shruti understands how to win a debate, you both laughed. You already know that BTS's second-youngest maknae is incredibly gorgeous, but Seokjin, in your opinion, takes the cake and the cherry on top.

They stopped abruptly when they saw Ms. Kim, your professor. She looks a little tired. You hope she is okay.

Ms. Kim smiled at her foreign class as the students became quieter, and you all bowed and greeted her warmly. This professor has grown on you.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes our discussion. This week, I will pair you with a peer tutor to assist you with your Korean communication. I hope you enjoy getting to know your tutors and seeing and experiencing more of South Korean culture by taking short modules. Please be open-minded because they will be surveying the entire process——-" you all listen to the new module with mixed reactions. You're a little nervous about spending time with a stranger, and you're thinking about whether you'll be alone.

"Ma'am, when will we start?" Alia asked, raising her hand. "I need to go out of the country for four days, including this weekend."

Ms. Kim smiles softly and says, "Alia, please call your peer tutor and set up an appointment." You'll all need at least a week or a three-day mini. It all depends on how far you've progressed personally."

"Who are our peer tutors, ma'am?" Sabine asks, her brows furrowed.

"They are in their fourth year, and some of them will be graduating early due to peer tutoring, which will add a considerable number of credits to their grades. So, please think about it and show up. I will include it in your grade."Ms. Kim responded, her tone being a little severe. When the rest of the group hears this, they all clap their hands.

You shrugged your shoulders. You don't care who your tutor is as long as you can converse in Korean with locals for 5 minutes at the end of the course.

"I hope I don't get a pervert," Alia smirked.

"You're usually pretty unlucky when it comes to guys, so brace yourself," you snort a bit.

Alia just scrunched up her face, and her friends all giggled.

Ms. Kim took a position in front of you and began outlining the next class. You all seem to appreciate taking part in the lessons. After class, Ms. Kim informed the class about their peer tutors: Sabine and Alia would be tutored by a student majoring in Engineering. They'll meet on Wednesday and Thursday next week. Sabine was adamant about not being alone with the man. She prefers to wait for Alia to return from her photoshoot.

Ms. Kim had an undefined expression on her face as she glanced at you. "Miss Samiya Dholakia, could you please come to my desk? We experienced a minor issue with your peer tutor." She motioned you to approach her. You give the nod. You turn to face your friends, who are debating the tutoring sessions.

You sigh, assuming that your tutor would be unavailable this week or that you are indifferent about it.

The bell rang for lunch after a two-hour block, followed by another two-hour block of Cultural Studies and Korean History. Everyone leaped to their feet and began gathering their things. You immediately stuffed your belongings into your bag and rushed up to Ms. Kim, motioning for your group to wait outside the classroom.

Ms. Kim flashes a bright smile. "Mr. Kim is your instructor, Miss Dholakia, and you will meet him at lunch. That is the only time he will be accessible to schedule your meetings for today. You can meet him in the library's study hall. Are you familiar with how the library is set up?" You groan and nod despondently. You were looking forward to discussing and conversing with your pals, as well as possibly spending a few minutes with them. Also, if Seokjin is free and not with Noodle, spend a few minutes with him during your lunch break. You can sense your soulmate is missing you, and you trust he hasn't overworked himself. As you think about him, your heart yearns to be with him. You want to console him since you know how much stress he's under right now due to his engagement issues.

You notice a spark in Ms. Kim's eyes and wonder about it, but you dismiss it.

"Ma'am. I'll meet him during my lunch break. Thank you very much. "You give a polite smile. When Ms. Kim watched you walk out the door, she smiled. Mr. Seokjin made a point of snatching one of the most attractive girls in her class. Perhaps he was aware of her star status in India. The faculty was always knowledgeable about all of its students. Lee Min-Ho, Lee Min-Ki, and Don Woon are just a few of their well-known and accomplished alumni. She found out by accident from their Indian administrative assistant that she has two trendy and famous girls in her class: an Indian politician's daughter who is a model and aspiring Bollywood actress, and the current Miss India, who came third in the Miss World contest and placed in the top five in Miss Universe during her reign.

She loves that the two girls are so humble and ordinary during their college years that only a tiny fraction of the student population is aware of their status.

When you see your friends waiting for you outside, you sigh heavily.

Daphne's dark blond brows furrowed, "What does Ms. Kim require? She didn't put you in a group, did she?"

You sighed profoundly and shrugged your shoulders. "My tutor is busy and requests that I meet with him in the library during lunch?"

"Is he deranged or what? We use lunchtime to catch up on things. During a free period, you can cancel and reschedule a meeting." Sabine goes on a rant.

"I can't. He is a senior, and his schedule might be packed. Let me just see him after the cultural classes." You look sad at them. You want to talk to your friends.

"That's a real bummer. You are not allowed to eat in the library. I'll smuggle in a health bar for you." Shruti made an offer. She clasped your arms in hers. You just smiled and proceeded to your Cultural courses while Alia grinned and locked arms on the other side.

"Or do I have to buy you something to eat on the bus? I still need to pack my luggage and get my plane ticket. This morning, my agency sent me an e-mail. I'm sorry for leaving you alone at home. It'll be over in four days." Alia gives you a concerned glance. You smiled and told her that everything was fine. You'll just put up with it and enjoy your alone time. Perhaps you'll go through all of your soulmates' music videos. 

You laughed a little and shook your curls. "It's fine, guys; after our Korean History class, I'll eat. It will only take two hours. I'm going to get a Soda. Perhaps he will not begin the session immediately. I sincerely hope not because I am not mood to work during my lunch break. If it ends early, I'll join you for lunch, okay?"

"Okay, just send us a text message in the group chat. If your meeting is on schedule, we can order you something to eat fast and spend some time together, no problem." Daphne suggested.

"I'll do," you say as you leave your buddies in the cafeteria and make your way to the library. It will take you almost 2 minutes to walk this distance.

ೋღ 🌺 ღೋ

Your eyes widen as you reach the study/research floor and notice a tall figure sitting at one of the long tables. You took a look around and noticed that the study hall was empty. Who wants to study in the middle of the day? You approach the guy who sat with his face downward, scribbling something in a book. On the table is a blue bucket hat. His hair fell over his eyes. He wore reading glasses and seemed uncannily familiar from the side profile. But you don't want to think about it; you want this meeting to be over with. As your heart began to pound loudly in your chest, a strong pull invaded your heart. 

You both inhaled deeply at the sight of each other until he turned his head fully towards you, who stood still a few meters away. As you quickly look around and rush up to him, a big surprise grin finds its way to the corners of your mouth.

As soon as he saw you, his eyes lit up with delight. You can feel your soulmate starting to reach out to grab you in his arms, but you have to keep yourself in check since you never know who is snooping around the library.

Jin clears his throat as your presence completely enthralls him, and you gaze at him with hooded eyes. "Are you Mr. Kim, my peer tutor?' you teased. This is so surreal. You bow a little, unable to comprehend the situation's absurdity.

He smirked, "The one and only Miss Dholakia...please have a seat and allow your sir to serve you."

He pointed to a seat across the table.

You share a shy smile as you take a seat across from him and toss your bag on the table, still reeling from the realization that your soulmate is your assigned tutor.

"Oh my goodness! How did this happen, Seokjinnie, "You inquired softly, eyes wide with surprise.

Seokjin quietly chuckled. "First, let's talk about the basics. How is my girl? Isn't she lovely today?" He gave you a heartfelt smile and looked you in the eyes.

You have a faint blush and a gentle grin on your face. "I'm good, ecstatic, and amazed! This is odd. Is it true that you're a peer tutor for me?"

"Yes, sweetheart and your Mr. Kim will teach you everything there is to know about Korean culture." As you watched him subtly wriggle his brows, you quietly giggled as you placed your hand over your lips.

"Oh, my goodness! Mr. Kim, it is entirely inappropriate. You could lose your job if you flirt with a particularly keen student." He gets a wink from you.

"Well, not if it's done secretly; we go to my office and start with the most important first lesson?" smirked Seokjin.

When you arrive at the office, place your bag on the futon. Seokjin swiftly locked it, and your eyes widened in astonishment as he gently grabbed your forearms, pushed you against the door, and kissed you passionately and longingly. You gaze at him as he takes your face in his hands and stares intensely into your deep black pools of love.

"Sweetheart, I miss you tremendously. I couldn't wait to see you and wrap my arms around you. I love you, "he says softly. You provide a warm smile. "I've missed you, too, darling, and I love you too,"

Seokjin grinned as he lifted you and placed you on his desk. You shriek at the abrupt movement.

As he stood in front of your seated position, you whisper-yelled, " SEOKJIN!"  You've still had your arms around his broad shoulders.

He smiled softly as he gently brushed your curls away from your face with his hands. "Sweetheart, you are stunning. I can't imagine my life without you. Ms. Dholakia, you complete me."

You give him a tender smile. "I'll always be yours. My heart only beats for you, Seokjinnie—- "You stammer it out as he kisses your lips again, leaving you both gasping for breath. 

Knowing deep down that you'll be fighting for your love in a fierce war.

A/n. Another update after a few weeks. I hope you like it.

Thank you for still being a stan for the Soulbound series. Epiphany has reached 13k reads only because of you, my amazing readers. 

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Question 1: How would Seokjin react when he learns about your fiance's visit?

Question 2: How will you feel if Seokjin and Noodles' engagement goes ahead as planned?

Question 3: Why is it necessary for Seokjin to keep your secret hidden from the rest of the world?