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"What is happening here? Can somebody explain please?" Hoseok crosses his arms. "Hyung?"

Jin sighs and looks at Jungkook who's staring back at him in disbelief. The woman clears her throat, "Umm, I am here to meet Kim Taehyung? Oh no, not meet— Seojun sent me, his mother's Kimchi, here for all of you." she says, lifting the box in her hand.

Jungkook's heart is somersaulting at her voice. It's not sweet, it's not fruity but it's soothing. A little grave. He thinks he would love to hear it all the time.

Namjoon takes the box from her, thanking her and letting her in. Jin elbows Jungkook to move so that she can walk inside.

"Oh no, I think I should leave..." she says, smiling but looking at Jungkook. Jungkook's ears perk up at that, his soulmate wants to leave.

"Jungkook, you're being extremely rude now," Hoseok says sternly. Jungkook parts his lips and turns to his Hyung, "These tattoos, Hyung..." he points at his face and Hoseok shakes his eyes to stop him. There's no need to discuss it in front of a stranger.

Namjoon however, raises an eyebrow, encouraging Jungkook to continue. "They are from my soulmate—I mean, I think they are."

The woman sighs. "And I think she...is my soulmate," Jungkook mumbles, looking at her before looking back at Namjoon.

"How do you know that?" Jimin gasps. Namjoon gently places a hand on his back, "We should give them space."

The rest nod, Jin pats Jungkook's back and then go upstairs, leaving the living room silent with the woman staring at Jungkook.

Jungkook thinks and thinks. If others can see scars why can I see flowers? Can she see the same? What kind of bond is this?

Scars. Hollow of dead skin painted across her jawline and neck. A clean-cut through her left eyebrow. That's what is there on her face. No tattoos.

If Jungkook can't see them, that means it's not only her who sees a rose on his cheek. It is weird because everyone knows, she's seen it before too that Jeon Jungkook of BTS doesn't have a rose on his cheek.

It's a scar.

But she wouldn't call it one, based on her memory. That scar enhances his beauty, makes him look real and has become his characteristic. 

But her scars?

They are ugly.

"Umm...?" Jungkook says, awkwardly standing in his place, looking at the empty place beside where she's seated. The woman scoots slightly more, to give him space to sit and Jungkook quietly does.

"Yerin," the woman says, "Lee Yerin. Please address me with my first name." 

Jungkook nods, exhaling. He's too nervous. The room is silent. Extremely silent and uncomfortable. It gets worse when Yerin's eyes scan his side profile.

She's ugly. Who cares. That's what Yerin used to think. She has an able body that can be put to good use. And that is enough. So why would someone sane expect a world-famous idol to have her as a soulmate? 

For his sake, she hoped her hunch was wrong. Whatever this connection or urge she feels in between them, felt that day when she had seen her across the camp boundaries— hoped those were lies and he can find someone worth, someone, who can stay beside him.

That doesn't seem to be the case though. She knew a day would come where she would face him, he'll find her but she didn't expect it to be so soon. 

"When did you get these?" she asks. Her hands are itching are to touch his skin but she is strong, she can overcome the urge.

Jungkook looks flustered by the question but answers, "That day when I had seen you at the camp...the next morning I woke up with them."

Yerin nods, "I got mine that day too, the next day after I saw you. I thought I was seeing things though," she awkwardly laughs, "Who expects to see an idol at a training camp if not for their military term."

"Well..." Jungkook chuckles but then realises what she said. "Wait, so you do have tattoos—"

"Tattoo." She corrects him, smiling. "I have only one..."

Jungkook parts his lips, nodding. She points at his cheek, sheepishly smiling. "A withered rose, exactly where your scar is...I see a withered rose on your cheek too."

"But I see too many tattoos..." he mumbles. 

Yerin gives him a tight-lipped smile. Ofcourse, she has too many scars. "What are you going to do about those?"

Jungkook shrugs. "They are all over my body, haven't figured out anything yet."

Yerin sighs. Somewhere inside she feels guilty. In the end, she is the reason he has the ink on his skin and she feels sorry about it. After all, his career is at stake.

On the other hand, she finds it unfair. Did she choose to do that to him? It was not under her control, it is a thing decided already and it just happens. She couldn't do anything about it.

Jungkook wants to talk more. He wants to ask if she wants to kiss him, touch him, smile at him, tell everyone that he is her soulmate, the way he wants to. To submit to the urge. But he does not. He does not know anything about the woman in front of him and he does not want to go overboard at their first meeting. He doesn't want to put a bad impression.

"Maybe I should go...I don't want to take too much of your time. I had just come to give the Kimchi anyway, I need to go meet my parents."

"Are you on a vacation?" Jungkook carefully asks. Yerin nods. "Can you give me your number....if it's okay?"

Yerin smiles, taking the phone he was holding out to her. She chuckles slightly, making Jungkook flush red in embarrassment. He hides his face with his hands, "Please don't laugh. I had to tape it because it cracked."

Yerin finds herself smiling as well. She knows, if it weren't for her thoughts that were all over her place, she would have given in to those urges and touched him. She clears her throat, types in her phone number and gives it back to Jungkook.

He immediately dials, Yerin looks at him, confused. The younger sheepishly smiles, "We both have each other's phone numbers now."

Does he have to be so adorable?

Yerin stands up and not understanding what to do, she slightly bows at him. Jungkook gets flustered and bows back, making sure it's low enough. Yerin is out of the door before she looks back to say goodbye.

Jungkook smiles, leaning on the door frame when something pokes him. He hisses, rubbing his arm—only to see a nail on the doorframe that had poked him. Yerin notices, coming closer to him while mumbling 'oh my god, are you alright'. Jungkook smiles, then assures her that he is alright. 

She glares at the nail, making Jungkook laugh. Without thinking much, she starts twisting the nail to take it out. "Someone else could get hurt too."

"But you will get hurt, it's probably stuck—" Jungkook stops when she manages to pull out the nail and hold it up in front of his face. Damn, he wonders who would win if they ever arm wrestle. Yerin turns to walk away again and Jungkook watches her until she's out of his sight.

He sighs, walking back inside the house while staring at the contact she saved.

"What's this?" he laughs, reading the name. "Major Lee Yerin, Unit 432? Are you kidding me? Am I her fellow soldier or what?" 

He pokes his tongue out, thinking hard about a name to change it as. He grins when something clicks in his mind and he types,  "My little flower."

Yerin is sitting in the cab when she gets a message.

+82 3221 2332 11: 

[img]

Yerin licks her lips when she sees the image attached, a screenshot of her contact saved in his phone. She smiles, saving his number as 'My little bunny' and sends a screenshot back. Feeling a sting in her arm, she lowers her jacket to see— a shining silver line etching a small lily in her arm.

There is no other proof needed to prove that Jungkook indeed is his soulmate.

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