Why did I, like this?
I want to hide my precious self

Samiya relished her alone time at home as she studied her notes on the Korean language and culture. The doorbell rang, and she almost missed it.

As she took up the delivered package, she gave a tiny smile. Along with a large container of hot kimchi and rice, chicken soup, four small containers of veggie sides, four small tubs of vanilla ice cream, six cans of Korean soda, two bottles of soju, and a few packets of chips and candies for her study breaks, there were also two containers of four different types of Korean noodles: spicy, veggies, black beans, and regular. It is more than sufficient for both her and Alia. When you consider the love of your life, your heart soars.

How are you going to move on? Your soul mate is the one person you cannot live without.

You texted him right away to say how much you appreciated his affection and attention.

Seokjin: My love for you surpasses even that of the sun for the sky. Please enjoy the meal and remember me with every bite. I love you, Sami, my little Mia, and you must never forget it.

You: Kim Seokjin, I love you too. My universe is you, sweetheart. I cherish and adore you so deeply that you will never be able to comprehend it. How is the study going?

 Seokjin: Although tough, I need your invigorating energy to finish my tour schedule soon. It may be a few weeks before I see you again. I'm already looking forward to those days. Next week is the Legacy luncheon. I'm assuming you'll be there.

You: I'll give you more energy in the upcoming days. Yes, Alia and I are planning to attend the luncheon. However, I've heard it's in an Ulsan five-star hotel. Vishan and my brother will both be there, and that is one meeting I am not looking forward to. Are you and Noodle-Joo going to be there together?

Seokjin: Regretfully. The entire family is coming. along with my immediate family and her parents. We won't be able to be seen in the open. My father is already suspicious, and even Noodle-joo is wary. But even if we aren't together, know that my love will envelop you, my dear Mia.

Observing Seokjin with Noodle would break your heart because you've already felt the impacts of his absence; however, you must possess strength. You must keep your status information private. For both of you and Seokjin, it will be too stressful.

You: You will be sorely missed. What is your schedule for tomorrow?

Seokjin: I'll be writing my paper in one of the faculty offices and studying at my library office. Next up is a Puma photo shoot. The brand has chosen us as ambassadors. A couple of interviews are scheduled for after we film the RunBts section. We are practicing in the studio right now.

You: Hopefully, your dance instructor won't be too harsh with you. guys. Have fun at the rehearsal, and be careful. Oh, Kim Seokjin, how I love you. Be happy, please.

Seokjin: I love you, my sweetheart. I'll try, yet these engagement issues make me so anxious.

You exited the chat after exchanging affectionate and kissing emojis They're at their dancing rehearsal right now, and Seokjin got home early. Thankfully, he was in a calm and relaxed mood that didn't overwhelm you.

Taking the containers to the kitchen, you helped yourself to some of the hot food. After grabbing a can of Coke and some chopsticks, you put your food on the tray and settle down to eat in front of the TV.

You heard Alia at the door at 2:00 p.m., so you jumped up from the sofa to meet her at the entryway. Her entire demeanor seemed rather odd, and you sensed that more had happened at the university. You hoped she hadn't gotten into an argument with some students. 

You scowled as she hung her arm around your shoulder, and she moaned, "Gosh, what a tiring day! I missed you so much, bestie—never stay at home again." She signed as she threw her bookbag on the entrance bench.

You chuckled, "My word, Alia. You are back for only one day. What could be so tiring?" You smirked at her flushed face.

With a deadpan smile, she observed your delighted face and said, "Any day at university is exhausting...and then I had the most interesting confrontation of all time. It made my blood boil just thinking about it. It caused me to catch imaginary snakes."Her eyes flickered erratically.

Oh -no

With a loud grumble, she settled onto the couch and said, "Gosh?"

"What?" you asked her as you sat down next to her. What transpired at the university that set Alia off on a combative path?

"It was the most bizarre day...apart from Shruti, who disappeared during the last two blocks with her soulmate!" she said with an incredulous laugh.

Your confused eyes bulge out. "What? Did they complete the bond? Wow, what a surprise!" You had a sudden, depressing realization that you would never be able to publicly declare your love for your soulmate. If FATE doesn't step in, you may never even get the chance to be with him because your status will have to be kept secret at all times.

Alia smiled. "We're not sure, but she texted Daphne, who was meant to be in the same culture class, and asked her to let us know. Sabine then started our chat group right away. You should have seen the notification. You are invited to participate in—"

You just gave me a headshake. You spent too much time texting your soulmate and studying.

"So, what took place? Who forced you to remove your cat's claws? Spill, you never started fights!"You cast a disapproving glance at her. You do not want her to become involved in heated disputes and entice the Delhi and Mumbai paps to visit Korea. You wish to remain unseen for an extended period. Being in Korea allows you to be real. Trying to fit in with the majority of the students here without seeming unduly glitzy, with minimal to no makeup. You do feel liberated.

"Do you remember a week or two ago when Seokjin and his management came into the faculty cafeteria with a girl who was his best friend?" Alia said, looking confused and pointing with her two forefingers in a quote on "best friend".

You didn't initially register till you started growing pale in the face where you were sitting. 

Noodle-joo!

You stammer out, "Er... what?" Did Alia get into a fight with Noodle, Seokjin's girlfriend?

"Indeed, dearest friend. She came over to me with her friend. Excuse me, they witnessed me getting into BTS Seokjin's car! Then we shared a kiss. How absurd! Me with one of the Bangtans. What could pique his interest in us? We're not even Korean. The foolishness. Do they have any idea how the Army would react if one of us—just a regular student—began dating him? Seokjin's girlfriend is going to be extremely gorgeous. His standards surpass even the stars in the galaxy. How fantastic would that be? He's one of the most sought-after guys on campus in the world!" The accusations and the obvious violation of her privacy incited Alia to leap up with fresh fury.

You took a deep breath. My goodness! It's awful. She believed Alia was dating Jin, but why? You, Jin.

You have a terrified expression on your face. Seokjin and you didn't exercise enough precaution. How come you were so reckless? It was caught by someone that you kissed after getting into his car and being driven to the university. This isn't good! You're going to be exposed soon. You have to tell your soulmate. They will keep closed tabs on Alia from now on. They believed Alia to be you. You wore your hair in a messy bun and were wearing Alias's BTS-Army hoodie. You could make sense of Noodle. You had an Alia-like appearance. The evidence that Seokjin is seeing someone else behind her back is now within her reach. The father of Seokjins is likely to lose it. Seokjin's marriage to Noodle is already set in stone in his mind.

"She even researched everything about me...my dating life...my whole bloody personal life," Alia continued in her tirade. "She is aware of my fame in India. How did she find all that information? Is she aware that I'm tarnished? However, it was more fantastical than I realized that she believed me to be playing around with a member of BTS. Sami, what would happen if she told everyone that Seokjin and I were dating? Think of the K.Army! I'm going to die," she exclaimed, her fists clenching her hair. She had a confused expression in her eyes.

You suddenly leaped to your feet, determined.

"Alia, please just relax. You can't let them start rumors. She may not even be dating Seokjin, in my opinion". You made a pathetic attempt to console her." but they are only jealous that an Indian girl captured his attention.

Alias's eyes enlarge, "Oh my goodness! Sami, they'll assume we spent the whole weekend hanging out. Seokjin seemed to have skipped university as well when I left on Thursday—was this intentional? To be with someone new. Lordy, lord! I enjoy BTS reports, but not when I'm involved. This is very, very wrong. What if Seokjin came up to me? I do not want to meet him in this manner, causing him embarrassment. How am I going to meet Jungkook? How ridiculous!"

She mutters endlessly.

You pressed your lips together to contain your laughter. However, Alia doesn't think it's funny. Now is not the time to inform her about you and Seokjin. She will murder you and cease speaking with you for weeks. Alia is capable of holding grudges. How are you going to tell your friend the truth? She is your best friend.

"Let me just go and refresh," she said with a simple shake of her head."I'm really hungry."

You laugh and say, "I have something you can enjoy; just warm it up. A main course is served with appetizers and a dessert. Enjoy a bottle or two of soju—I know you're a soju lover. After you take a shower, I'll get your meal ready for you. I discovered a brand-new Korean drama series called Pinnochio, which centers on a girl who is unable to lie."

"Oh, lovely...okay, I'll see you soon," Alia nods. "Oh my goodness, before I forget. The girls asked if you were feeling well enough to go to the movies this evening only to enjoy a night out with the gals. I'm ready to unwind and you?"

"Err okay," you said, furrowing your dark brows". But are we going with the bus at night?" 

At night, you're not in the mood to take public transportation. Unlike Alia, who was a frequent dater in Delhi, you enjoy the nightlife. even in Mumbi, the place you called home during the busiest periods of your reign. Throughout your tests and time in Korea, your agency relaxed your obligations as Miss India, but you still have them.

"We're able to reserve a luxury taxi". She grinned. "Uber services are fantastic."

"Okay, then," you say as you head into your sunny yellow kitchen to start preparing some meals for Alia. While you wait for her to finish refreshing, you have a tub of dessert.

Out your window, you notice some movement. Your eyes widen. Sona appeared to be back from her little vacation. You dash over to open the door just in time to see her unlocking her front door.

"Hey, Sona! Girl, welcome back," you cheerfully say as you open your door. A wide, friendly smile adorned your lovely face.

She spun around a little startled and grinned a little. She made a welcoming bow. You give a small nod in return.

"Hey, Sami! I'm back, safe and sound," she muttered.

You frowned and said, "Are you okay?" to her. Sona had an oddly distant appearance. Perhaps since she didn't wear foundation makeup, her unusual freckles were more noticeable. Beside her was her brown baggage trolley. She wore simple black flats, a lovely pink cardigan, and a long, flowy black dress. Her ebony locks were secured in a messy bun behind her head.

She smiled, but her eyes were blank. "Yeah...Sami. I'm a little fatigued, Em. My car broke down. and I came with the bus. We can get together for drinks tomorrow, okay? Tell Alia 'hi' from me."

You watch her open her door and enter, and you nod. Sona was acting strangely. You hope she's okay and it's a shame she must be under a lot of stress over her dependable car.

With a shrug, you returned inside, shut the door, grabbed Alias's food, and set the heated dishes on the dining room table.

Alia had a fresh, adorable look. Although you're happy that she's excited once more, you're not sure how you feel about keeping your status a secret.

When Alia tasted the kimchi dishes, she moaned. She relished every bite of it. You sat across from her and informed her about Sonas' strange behavior and return.

Alia scowls "She loves her car. Being dependent on public transportation for a while is something I can imagine."

You whisper, "Maybe, but something is not quite right with her. Do you believe she may be having issues with her soulmate?"

"I hope not," Alia shook her head, "because she loves her soulmate."Perhaps they are struggling to prepare for the wedding. Her family is not wealthy, but he is nonetheless honoring a traditional duty by paying her family a set sum before allowing them to marry him."

You nod "Perhaps she doesn't have enough saved because she works as a hotel maid. Since we are friends, we need to figure out how to help her."

With a smile, Alia said, "Okay, we can ask her tomorrow. Thank you; the food was excellent. I believe you should go and get ready. We are meeting the girls at the mall's entrance."

You quickly leap up and excuse yourself while Alia cleans up the kitchen. 

But deep inside, you still have a nagging feeling about how you'll tell Alia your amazing secret.

A/n  Alia is on the warpath.  

I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please don't murder me for the late update. Thank you to all the new readers, voters, commenters, and those who added the book to their readers 'lists.

octavia_king MarieKarlsson3 @himffic   @ArmyLovesPurple @Hooky99

1. Must Sami tell Alia the truth?

2. How do you think will Alia react to the news?

3. Why do you think Sona looks too odd?

4. Do you think Noodle and her friend Joy, will stalk Alia?

5. How do you think Seokjin act if he found out about the confrontation?