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"Will you be going back home, Taehyung?"

"No, Namjoon Hyung." Taehyung shakes his head, shifting in his seat, "We will stay inside the car, while the rest of you quickly give the interview and come back, okay?"

It looks like the members want to protest against it, but then their manager opens their door, "It's okay, let him be. He's been inside that house for two days straight now."

Jin sighs, understanding. He urges Namjoon to get down and let Taehyung wait for them.

"Be careful okay?" Namjoon says, eyes momentarily looking at Eunbee who's refused to look or talk to any of them for the past hour she's been with them. "If you feel anything weird, ask the manager to drive you home."

Taehyung nods. Namjoon pats his shoulder as if he's trying to cheer him up but he knows nothing can. It's always weird to leave a member behind and continue their usual work. They might not feel the presence of the six but they definitely feel the absence of one. 

According to their schedule, they had to shoot an interview today, however, the company was successful in getting that interview done off the camera and proposed the idea to provide photos themselves.

So, Eunbee was asked to cooperate for today and accompany him to a small shoot nearby. They would edit his red string in the photos, technology is high end nowadays. But for the interview, the magazine requested them to come in person at the least. 

Even though soulmates is a normal thing, the fans are often reminded of that but usually, the bonds are private, perfectly hidden from the 'crowd' but that's not the case with Taehyung. That's why it was collectively decided that he'll stay away from the public's eyes for the time being.

If the situation doesn't get sorted soon, they'll put up a notice saying he has personal matters to attend to. 

When the rest of the group was informed of Taehyung's soulmate— except Jungkook and Jimin who already knew— all of them were concerned. Taehyung isn't sure if this is what he had imagined if he ever had about soulmates. One by one, the members get off their car, patting Taehyung and or giving him an apologetic smile which he shrugs away, leaving them in silence.

No one attempts to change the uncomfortable atmosphere, knowing speaking anything would make it more. Eunbee is working on her phone, writing something with her pen as Taehyung looks through his socials, making sure to not like anything accidentally. He hopes these happy messages about him being a fluff don't change into the ones being concerned.

He hopes the situation gets sorted soon. He feels sorry when Eunbee gets a call and all she does is apologise for postponing or cancelling her appointments. The whole soulmate ordeal has not only affected their bond but their daily lives, careers, business, just everything that seemed happy and normal initially.

If it were someone else in their place, maybe—just maybe— they could have had it simpler. But he's a public figure, nothing is simple for him.

. . .

"Are you done with your interview?" Jimin asks Jungkook who's scrolling through his phone. The younger looks up, "Yes. Actually, I was going to come to you, V Hyung just sent me the address of his friend's training camp. If we leave early tomorrow, we can come back on time."

"Is it really necessary?" Jimin sighs. "I don't think anything good is going to come out of this, I know how Seojun is."

Jungkook gives him an apologetic smile, "I know Hyung, but if V Hyung feels so then we should give it a try. Even if we come back with nothing, we shouldn't make him lose hope."

Jimin nods. "I think you're right. Even if we come back with nothing, he'll at least learn to accept it."

Jungkook snorts, "What's gotten into you? So pessimistic." He shakes his head and they start walking back towards the car, "I don't think I have ever seen the red string of fate being cut or broken honestly. I do have heard the tales of the bond loosening and getting untied from around their pinkies but I have no idea how that happens—"

"I am an idiot!" Jimin groans. Jungkook furrows his eyebrows, "Yes we know that but what's with the sudden realisation?"

"Jungkook! I went to this convenience store yesterday and there was this girl who was playing with a string and it was glowing and I thought it was that light we hang on the Christmas tree or something— of course I thought that because a string of fate doesn't look that way— but the catch is that she was playing with,she even untied it and it was—"

"Hyung, calm down." Jungkook holds his shoulders. "Okay, I got it. You saw a girl with a string of fate and she had untied it, right?"

"Maybe."

"Okay, maybe is a good lead. If we can go back around the same time, we can stumble across her and ask for her help as well. I mean something better than nothing, right?"

Jimin nods, exhaling. 

. . .

The members come back one by one in the car, try to keep Taehyung conversing about what they were asked or about the random spider they inside. Anything really, to not let the awkward tension settle from before again. Once, all of them are back, their manager starts driving them back home, members to the dorm and Taehyung to Eunbee's.

Jimin is casually humming a tune sitting in the front and looking outside when he suddenly yells, holding the manager's forearm. "STOP!"

The manager almost curses, abruptly stepping on the brake, causing everyone to get pushed forward. Eunbee's hand instinctively comes in front of Taehyung to stop him from hitting his head somewhere because of the jerk. She clears her throat, retracting her hand.

"Are you insane, Park Jimin!?" Yoongi shouts, but the younger one is no ears. His eyes are trained at that one girl who seems to be walking jollily on the footpath. All of them huddle around the window, trying to get a look at outside when Jimin gets off the car. 

"What the hell is he doing?" Taehyung exclaims. Eunbee is clearly uncomfortable as everyone tries to keep their balance and not sandwich anyone with their weight while getting the front seat view of whatever is happening. Jimin approaches the girl, spares a glance around before quickly calling her out. The girl is shell shocked to see him, jumping in her place as she keeps mumbling something or the other.

Figuring out that the best thing to do right now if he wants to talk to her, is to drag her to the car and ask for her help, he catches her wrist and does exactly the same.

"Oh my god, is this real? Am I getting kidnapped by the Park Jimin? Am I Y/N now?! Is this some kind of drill? Am I on camera? " she says and Jimin opens the door to the back. 

"Hobi Hyung can you please sit in the front." The elder nods without question, getting off the car while Jimin is pushing her in, urging her to sit down quickly and stop swooning over the members. Well, the members, they aren't even simply confused. They are terrified, surprised utterly demented.

Hoseok is too curious so he tries to peak over his seat from front to look at every one.

"Jimin, are you changing your career to something—" Jin says, and receives a pinch from Jungkook.  Then the youngest turns to the girl, observing the string wrapped around her wrist and then to Jimin, recalling what he told him before, "Hyung, is she the girl you met at the store?"

"Oh my god, it was you, right?" The girl exclaims, pointing at Jimin who has closed the door now. "I can't believe you remember me? I am really Y/N now? Is this a dream or have I entered inside some kind of a fan— story?" she clears her throat.

"What is this Y/N, Y/N she keeps saying?" Jin whispers to Namjoon who gives his Hyung a pleading smile to shut up.

Jimin sighs, before holding her wrist and slightly pulling up her sleeve. Yoongi almost scolds Jimin for treating her the way he has been before his eyes notice the glowing string wrapped around her wrist like a bracelet. 

The rest of them too have their jaws slacked. Eunbee who was downright annoyed now has her attention drawn at that. The girl seems defensive of the string by the way she pulls her hand away from him, eyebrows furrowed. "What are you doing?"

Jimin glares at her but yanks her hands back to him before tucking out one of the ends that were loosely looped under the other loops. The girl tries to pry away once but gives up when Jimin doesn't let go.  "How do you do this?"

"Do what?"

"This— how can you untie this string from your finger— or wherever it was tied?"

"Huh? What?"

Meanwhile, Eunbee takes the string from Jimin to inspect it. It was glowing but very faint as compared to the string around her neck. Also, it did not form a knot, didn't burn her and it wasn't just red. 

Taehyung leans forward to see the string as well. "Jimin, I think it is just an ordinary string, not the string you think it is."

"Can someone explain what is happening here? Who is this girl and what are you talking about? And do you have any idea what have you just done?" Jin crosses his arms, glaring at Jimin and Taehyung.

Jimin hisses. He should have thought this better. What if this girl opens her mouth about Taehyung or any of this? It would be a mess. Namjoon seems to be torn, talking to the manager in whispers.

"Jimin Hyung saw her yesterday when she was at the store, eating ramen–"

"It was Udon, I am health conscious."

"Yes noodles," Jungkook emphasises, glaring at the girl. "And like you could see now, she can untie that string which looks similar to a string of fate."

Meanwhile, Jimin keeps darting his gaze in every direction to avoid the soft, admiring eyes of the girl that's been fixed on him. He is getting this weird feeling inside as if he wants to puke, or maybe he is hungry, he thinks the next moment. God, he just wants to sleep. 

"What is your name?" Eunbee asks, and the girl turns to see someone besides the members sitting in their car and snatches the string from her. "Lee Arin," she says, proudly.

"So Arin, how did you untie this string?" Jimin asks, tone softer this time. It's all settling inside him, he realises he doesn't know why was he annoyed with her before.

"Just the way you did."

"Just like that?" Yoongi raises his eyebrows. Arin nods.

"Look Arin," Eunbee says. Yoongi almost snorts at how sweet she sounds. She wouldn't speak a word before but now seeing the hope of getting away from this bond, she is ready to push every attitude of hers aside to get the work done. "We aren't going to do something to you.."

"Oh, I know! They could never." Arin points vaguely at the members, making Jin smile.

"We just need your help, here," Eunbee says and Taehyung notices the strain in it. "I and Taehyung have been tied with this string around our necks...if you can tell us how to untie or if even untie this for us...it would be of great help...don't worry–"

"Is this how a soulmate string looks like in real life!?"Arin muses, leaning closer to the string after cutting off Eunbee's sentence. Then she looks up, scrunching her nose. "It is sad to see you tied to Taehyung though."

Taehyung actually wants to laugh at that. He is sad too, but for different reasons. Eunbee exhales but tries to be patient and calm. "So do yourself a favour and get this off for me, please."

Jimin is about to stop Arin from touching Eunbee, Taehyung and Jungkook parting their lips to say something while the Hyungs have no idea of what's going on but Arin's quick to brush the string with her fingertips. 

Arin flinches, hissing at the burning sensation of her fingertips. Eunbee is coughing again, gasping for air as she clutches Taehyung's hand who immediately hooks two fingers in the string around her neck to create space between her skin and the string. Thankfully, he can touch the string.

Jungkook offers some water to her with a sigh of relief, looking at Taehyung who gives him a nod. "Are you okay?" Namjoon asks Arin who's staring at her fingers then the woman sitting beside her.  What just happened? She barely touched it right? Did she do something for her to become like that—

He asks the manager to stop in the corner, who protests that it is a busy street and they probably shouldn't but Jimin seems adamant. Once the car stops, Eunbee is breathing back and the tension in the air settles back— Jimin pulls Arin out of the car.

"Why would you just touch the string!?"

Arin scoffs, "Well, she asked me to help her untie it. How would I know she's calling for death through me?"

Jimin's face hardens, "Look, you don't realise it probably but this is a serious matter and we don't go around experimenting our non-existent 'superhero' powers on everyone. Not when someone's life is at risk!"

"Why are you talking like I deliberately decided to choke her or something."

"You shouldn't have touched if you weren't sure! We just wanted you to tell us how you untied that string, that is it, nothing more."

"So I told you!" Arin whines.

"Not lies!"

Arin pouts. She hates that one of the people she looks up to doesn't believe her. "Those aren't lies. I don't understand why are you all creating fuss over a string that I found lying on my campus floor—"

"What? Wait. " Jimin drops his mouth open, pointing at the string in her hand. "That string isn't a string of fate?"

"No! Why would it be? Do you see it tied to someone else?" Arin aggressively shakes her string in the air to show how 'free and untied' it is.

"Then why did you not say that?"

"You never asked," she deadpans. "Maybe consider speaking to people before you pull them inside a random car!

"You!"Jimin yells, "You wasted our time!"

"I should say that! I had a class but I missed it because of you and now you are accusing me of things I did not do. You were the one who pulled me inside the car without a word, assumed my string was your soulmate shit and I could help your friend. She asks me to touch her string and I am the one who's getting yelled at!" Arin says in one breath, her chest heaving up and down. 

The manager blows the horn, trying to show that it is probably crowded and they shouldn't create a scene. Jimin shuts his mouth, trying to regain his composure.

Arin looks up to the sky, "Dear author, am I the bitch here? Or a heartbroken girl? Why couldn't you make me the Y/N?"

Jimin hisses, "You are completely crazy."

Her eyes widen at the familiar words. She scoffs, cursing under her breath. "Why did it have to be you? Why this way?"

She breathes deeply before saying, "Why is it you?"

And turns around to walk away, leaving Jimin to stare at his wrist.

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I am sorry for changing a few things, but they make more sense now. hopefully.