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"You're trying to say that everyone has met their soulmates?" Bang PD inquires, sighing. Namjoon shrugs, "Well Taehyung, Jimin, Jungkook and Hobi have. But looking at the pattern, the rest of us would meet ours soon too..."

or have already met them.

Bang PD sighs. "So, do you want to post a message of indefinite hiatus or do you want to tell the public about your soulmates?" he then leans forward, hesitating, "I wouldn't prefer telling people, no. But honestly, I don't see any other option. I have tried talking to so many people, none of them have heard about such vague bonds....if Taehyung and Jungkook can't somehow undo their bond, I am afraid they'll have to either continue this way...or you guys..."

Namjoon immediately shakes his head, "No, we're fine. Everything will fall into place, it always has. I will talk to everyone about what they decide to do, I have been meaning to anyway. We can't just sit and wait around for things to get better, people are getting curious."

"Alright, tell everyone to stay away from SNS too."

. . .

Namjoon sends a message on their group chat for an impromptu meeting at the dorm during dinner. He also asks if it would be possible for their soulmates to be here since they have an equal say in the decision.

Hayoung 

Hi

Namjoon wants us all to
be at the dorm during
dinner, today...
do you think you can make it?

us all? me too?

He said us, and our soulmates

oh, so?

why should i be there?

yoongi doesn't seem to know

that i am his soulmate

the security guard will let you in

____

My little flower

Hiiiii

Namjoon hyung has called
everyone and their soulmates
for dinner at the dorm today...
do you think you'll be

able to make it?
[read 12:02 pm]

should I pick you up?

[read 14:30]

will you be able to join us?
are you busy?

[read 17:09]

I am at the gate

[read 19:37]

. . .

Jungkook lights up as soon as he sees the message and rushes downstairs, almost falling and getting scolded by Hoseok for running in the house. 

He's put on his best smile and best clothes to greet Yerin but as soon as he opens the door, a body falls on him. Yoongi groans, balancing himself. "I was trying to remember the new passcode while leaning on the door..."

Jungkook chuckles, holding his hyung's shoulders, "It's been the same passcode for a year now..."

Yoongi dismisses Jungkook with a shake of his hand and the younger turns to look at Yerin who's smiling softly at them. She bows at him and Jungkook forces himself to bow too. If anything, he wants to pick her up and kiss her. Nothing else.

Yerin seems to be trying to hold her laugh inside for some reason. It's not until Jin who walks out of his room and wipes something on Jungkook's cheek so nonchalantly while greeting Yerin, does the younger realise. "Yoongi hyung, why did you touch me with your greasy hands!"

The latter sheepishly smiles, mumbling something about repairing his car.

Jungkook huffs, seeing Yerin laugh silently and leans down, startling her as he seems to challenge her to laugh more at him. Yerin's laughter dies down as she stares at him, eyes scanning every feature on his face and she can see his eyes flash with desire.

How he wants to push the hair strands behind her ear and cup her flower-painted face. Jungkook finds pride in seeing something so beautiful that no one else can.

"Are you going to keep staring at her and not call her in?" Jin says, sitting on the couch.

Jungkook shakes his head before standing aside to allow Yerin to enter. Jungkook looks around, the members are busy in their own stuff and it will probably take time for others to come. He's been pondering on this certain idea he got when he had seen Namjoon's message and it doesn't seem like a bad time to put it in use now. He holds Yerin by her arms, making her freeze in her tracks and steps forward, leaning down to place his lips near her ear.

"Would you like to see my room?"

Yerin's heart skips a beat and she tries hard to not curl into the warmth of his chest that she feels lingering on her back. She can probably melt in his hold and it scares her because she has never felt so attracted to someone, let alone someone who was younger and so beautiful.

Being someone who's always focused on her goal of serving the country, on making her place in the middle of men-dominated military troops ever since she was a teen— it is so strange to her that she suddenly she is so drawn to this young man, who just executes warmth and love in anything he does.

Yet she questions it. Does she feel that way just because he is her soulmate?

She does not want that. She cannot do this to him. She wants it to be real. She wants to feel for him, if she is, from her heart. She wants to feel for him, if she is, for the person he is.

And that cannot be hindered by some ties or bonds. 

"Hey, are you okay?" she flinches when his hands touch her arm again. Jungkook immediately retracts his touch from her, thinking he overstepped some boundary. 

She nods before stepping ahead and creating some distance between them. She turns to him and smiles, "Will that be okay?"

"I would love to show you, come with me." He puts forth his hand so casually as if it was something they do on a daily basis. Yerin's gaze wavers as she looks at his hand and then looks around the room.

She can see how Jin is side-eyeing them from the dining table, Yoongi seems to be spaced out but his body keeps leaning towards them which means he was listening to them and Hoseok keeps peeking up from his phone all the time. They are trying to be subtle about it and Yerin's slightly grateful.

She slips her hand in his and Jungkook as if on auto-pilot starts walking up to his room. She can hear Jungkook mumble something along the lines of 'you will scare her away idiot', 'don't mess it up' and 'she won't like you'.

Yerin smiles to herself. Jungkook's always so adorable and thoughtful of what he does, it also makes her want to soothe him because he always seems to be uncomfortable and worried around her. She wishes he can let loose slightly.

"Why were you and Yoongi hyung together?" Jungkook asks, opening the door to his room. Yerin takes it all— the neatness, the music equipment, the smell.

Yerin looks back at him and replies, "I met him outside the gate, the security was going to call you to ask but then he came and recognised me saying I am with him."

"He recognised you?" Jungkook tilts his head and sits down on the bed.

Yerin nods, "I was shocked too, I never met him before but he was like 'You are Jungkook's soulmate, Yerin, right?' and I nodded."

"How does he know that it was you?"

Yerin shrugs. She sits beside Jungkook, shifting away from his figure to make sure to keep some distance from him. Jungkook is almost going crazy as her presence becomes evident around him— the warmth, the smell— he shakes his head. He is surprised and amused at her strict control because unlike him, who is forced to tuck his hands in pockets whenever she is around to control his hands from touching her, she never seems to take any initiative to touch him or even get close to him.

"Noona.." Jungkook calls out. Yerin widens her eyes before shaking her head, taken aback" Just..stick to Yerin,"

"Yerin," he corrects. Yerin's looking around his room when he asks, " Do you not believe in soulmates?"

Surprised, Yerin chuckles, "I do, why?"

Jungkook doesn't speak but his lips part. She can see the hesitance in him and she smiles, softly to comfort him. "If I did not, I wouldn't be here, right?" Jungkook nods, unsure. "But why do you ask?"

Jungkook shrugs. Yerin wants to insist but she knows better. "Are you worried about...this?" she waves her hand in the space between them.

Jungkook licks his lips and looks away. That's the only confirmation she needs.

"Jungkook, do you know how many couples, even though soulmates, split? They stop living together or meeting each other since they are incompatible." 

Jungkook presses his lips tight, listening while his eyes get blown wide.

"Soulmate bonds by which people are bound only tie people romantically or platonic but in reality, it is more than that. Soulmates aren't only involved romantically or platonically but in so many aspects....so in our case," she says and points at him and then herself," or in every case, we need to find out in what way do we get involved."

Jungkook looks at her, processing her words. Is she asking if he does actually feel for her? If she were not his soulmate, would he still feel the same?

"You and I are similar in so many ways. We both have commitments and priorities to our job; our jobs come first and we hardly take a day off, we work hard, give our blood, sweat and tears to get the job done..." she smiles, "We both know this. But if we are bound to each other, fated to each other, then no matter what – we will end up together, you need not worry."

Jungkook doesn't look away, doesn't move. He realises it's the first time he's brought a woman to his room (Well after Arin, she doesn't count. That gremlin.) and he thinks he has gotten another thing to add in his list of reasons to fall in love with Yerin because she's absolutely beautiful in the way she speaks too. Oh, he is a goner, isn't he?

However, a thought passes his mind and his worries resurface. What am I supposed to do now? Just walk out or stay here? Hug her? Kiss her? What if she thinks that I am trying to get her into a room with a king-size bed on purpose?

"Jungkook?" Yerin snaps a finger in front of his eyes and he rapidly blinks before looking at her, who has leaned towards him. "Are you okay? You zoned out,"

Jungkook's words get stuck in his throat. What am I supposed to say?

There have been moments in the past week where Jungkook would zone out and think of how he would invite Yerin over and show her his room, his studio and what not.

He even thought Yerin would melt away seeing how neat his room is, and how he especially prepared himself for today – wearing more than just his normal home clothes and cologne when he prefers the natural scent of fabric softener, just like how the young ARMYs do when he meets them, even Arin did.

But that doesn't seem to be the case. He rubs his clammy hands on his thighs to wipe away the sweat. He immediately stops when he notices her observing him and then darting her eyes away, observing the whole room. What if she thinks I am rubbing my thighs purposely? Stop messing up Jungkook!

Jungkook shudders, "Do you feel the urges too?"

Yerin clears her throat, nodding. 

"Will you hate me if I ever give into the urges?" 

Yerin hates how small Jungkook sounds. She could never hate him. Jungkook leans closer to her, his breath fanning on her face, fluttering her heart. "Will it be okay if I...?"

"Jungkookie!" 

Jungkook whines when he hears Arin singsong his name downstairs, groaning as he falls back on his bed. Yerin breathes out, laughing at him before she stands up to walk downstairs. Jungkook sighs, following her down and flicking Arin's forehead for successfully cockblocking his fantasies.

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