(Y/N) POV:

The next day greets me with the loud chiming of messages from my phone and Gyeomie's loud withdrawn groan from next to me, as he shoves his head under a pillow and pulls mine out from under my head- rudely awakening me as he shoves on top of the one he's already under.

"Make it stop (Y/N). 's annoying." He whines childishly, head poking out from under the pillows to shoot me an offended look- but given that he's still half-asleep, it appears adorably rumpled and makes me lean over and pinch his cheek.

"Sorry Gyeomie." I whisper, pecking his forehead before sliding out of bed.

I grab a change of clothes before stepping into the shower, sluicing away the last dredges of sleep and as tempting as it is to stand under the warm spray, I have to step out eventually- to make it on time to my morning lessons.

I wrap a scarf around my neck, hiding the bottom half of my face in the thick warm fabric before stepping out into the cold morning.

But it turns out when I start walking to campus, I've still got some time and in my haste to leave, I had forgone breakfast- so I allow my feet to carry me to the café near campus site- stepping into the warmth and being immediately surrounded by the smell of freshly baked goods and the mingling scent of coffee and chocolate.

I step into line, waiting for the two people in front of me to be served as I dithered what it was that I was going to order. My eyes caught on the freshly baked cookies being placed behind the glass-display, stirring my need to snag one. Or maybe two.

When the cashier smiles at me, I smile back- ordering a hot chocolate and two chunky chocolate chip cookies to go, but then added some more snacks to take out- if my gut told me right, Eunwoo would like some too, god knows he always eyed my food and more than often ran away with them- leaving me behind and unable to catch him with his gifted bonus of speed as a vampire.

I turned with my hot chocolate warming one of my hands and a paper bag clutched in the other but before I could leave- my eyes catch onto the obvious disdain and hatred an early twenties year old figure is shooting a guy sitting in the corner going through the menu.

I can sense the altercation before it happens and just as I'm thinking that, the twenty-something year old man steps forward with a snarl twisting his face, and stalks over to where the guy is sitting.

"You're one of those freaks, aren't you?" he spits venomously, loud yell drawing the attention of the two people behind the counter. The café is empty save for the five of us and I can feel the tension rising and rising, threatening to crest and break like a torrid wave of venom.

The guy seems startled, large brown eyes widening slightly before they flash with a quick tinge of red, fading back into his normal colour. I see his back press against the chair he's sitting on, see his fists bunch up as he looks up- face blank.

His body becomes poised- unconsciously shifting into a state of fight or flight. But he doesn't say anything- and honestly, I can't decide if I can applaud him for remaining impassive, not when it angers the man.

His face twists to our direction and he storms forward- brushing past me as he makes his way to the counter.

"Why aren't you getting rid of him?" he says vehemently pointing to the guy.

The staff look slightly nervous but their voices remain calm.

"I'm sorry sir but we welcome both vampires and humans in our cafes. We don't condone discrimination." The young man speaks up, voice cool as he looks the enraged customer in the eye.

But the effect is akin to showing the colour red to a bull.

He bristles, eyes darkening with anger.

"How dare you? Where is your manager?" he screeches, unnecessarily shouting.

The man remains calm.

"That'll be me. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You're causing public disturbance." He says, politely gesturing to the door.

I can see his anger bubbling, overflowing like a torrent of lava and he's storming back, towards the guy. The younger guy stands up, standing tall and firm as he looks at the approaching figure who storms towards him.

My body acts almost unconsciously, feet moving rapidly to hurry and place myself between them just as the man reaches the guy, arms thrown out. He doesn't have time to stop the force of his movement, and the full strength in his arms send me toppling violently into a table, hip colliding painfully, the air punched out of my lungs as I go crashing to the ground, hand burning with the sensation of my hot drink spilling over it. I lay on the floor winded, trying to breathe shallowly through the pain shooting up my side and the whimper that leaves when the burning sensation registers fully.

"Hiding behind a human. Pathetic." The man spits, and I can see his feet turn as he throws the door open and leaves- a cold gust of wind signalling his exit, angrily complaining about how he'll never visit again.

There's two pair of hands that help me up, the two workers as they look at me with both sympathy and worry.

"Are you okay Miss?" the young woman asks, hold on me gentle as she and the manager steady me when the movement sends pain to dart across my hip.

"I'm fine." I wave them away, looking morosely at the wasted snacks and beverage which now lie messily across the floor.

"He was trying to instigate a fight." I say, brushing down my clothes even though they've mercifully remained intact.

As I straighten my backpack, I catch sight of the time- now alarmingly close to the beginning of lessons.

The workers bow and apologise, the young woman looks close to tears when she catches my wince but I manage to dredge up a smile, hoping it shows through the scarf bundled around my neck.

My eyes rise to meet the guy who'd been hurtfully attacked with words, see the stillness to his frame, even as brown doe-eyes nervously scan me, gingerly taking a step back- posture screaming that he's uncomfortable around my presence. His body language is curved away from me, fearful of coming near me. A human, I realise with a sinking feeling. His eyes flash red with a look of hatred before he schools it away, twisting his face away so he doesn't have to look at me.

And with slow limping steps step back out to the cold air, wind biting more sharply against my skin, as I recall the flash of disdain that had entered the vampire's eyes before he'd schooled it away.

At the apparent revulsion he'd shown.

Towards me. A mortal foe, in his eyes.

KOOKIE POV:

I let out a breath, the action habitual more than necessary, because there's no air that rushes out of my lungs. The café's warm atmosphere now seems stifling and compressing, the air still tainted with the vicious emotions of the man and the hurt of the young girl who'd just stepped out. The workers are swimming with emotions of worry. The emotions become a jumbled mess in the air and makes my nose scrunch at the concoction it makes.

"Are you okay sir?" the manager asks, his eyes flashing with a soft red.

I stiffly nod, bowing my head at them before I too step out, heading over to my morning art class.

Stepping into the large workroom lifts a weight off my shoulders. The smell of paint, thick and heavy in the air, the sight of the paint-stained aprons, the wooden tables, easels and chairs and walls which lay splayed with artwork are a familiar reassuring sight. One that lifts the niggling ugly feeling of the incident earlier on.

The man had come in intentionally wanting to start a fight- the sourness of his mood already giving away that he needed to vent somehow and I had been the target he'd chosen.

It had been so hard to control, control. To urge the overwhelming need to defend myself to settle, to go against the instincts roaring at me to attack, fangs threatening to slip out of my gums with the sheer animosity the man radiated. I was just about to leave too. It had left a bitter taste in my mouth.

The image of the girl suddenly throwing herself in between, body making a loud painful thump against the table before she crashed onto the ground, the sound of her body colliding with the floor- painful to recollect. Or the small whimper that trembled in the air.

I shake my head, forcefully trying to dislodge the memory from my head, to stop it from playing on an incessant loop. Tried to ignore the way her big eyes had looked at me with worry and concern- but I instinctively reacted with a shudder of disgust at the human.

I sit on my regular seat, a little corner seat in a nook where people couldn't forcefully try to sit near me or slide their chairs close. Nor come into close proximity where I fight the revulsion that scuttles across my skin from their presence- their mortal presence.

The mingling sounds of heartbeats as everyone gets to work- each immersed into their own pieces, is both reassuring and unsettling. The sound is constant, a never-ending mix of hearts thumping- a bittersweet reminder of what it felt like to be alive, a reminder of mortality.

But I will away all those thoughts to the back of my mind, instead picking up my pencil to continue making the sketch that will lie under the layers of paint- the skeleton that'll be clothed and hidden from sight.

----

When the hours have somehow wiled away, I pull myself out of my trance-like state when the professor calls out to announce that the lesson is ending. I stare at the picture- already envisioning the way the colours will highlight and accentuate the lethal grace and beauty in my soulmates.

My eyes try to scan Eunwoo amidst the students that bustle around, loud carefree chatter as they walk, move their equipment, set easels down reverently into a safe space. But when they land on his usual seat- it's vacant. But his bag still sits at the foot of his chair.

I get up, slowly walking to go put away my own canvas, sliding it into my drawer before I spot Eunwoo- eyes catching the familiar dark mop of hair against his pale skin. I increase my pace- reaching him easily but still when I spot him talking to one of the students- choosing to keep a safe distance away from them.

The girl he's talking to has her hair tied up and out of the way but he reaches over to toy with one of the strands that have loosened at some pain. The paint-stained apron covering her clothes, face shining as she looked up at him.

Eunwoo is laughing and talking away, all genuine and natural around her as they chatted, drawing out giggles and easy light teasing remarks out of her. Just then Eunwoo moves- the movement too quick to be noticed by the human eye before he dabs a paint smear across her cheek, her mouth falling open in surprise before she tries to do the same but he's too quick, already on his feet and rushing away from her.

He spots me, lips melting into an easy grin as he walks over, throwing an arm around my shoulder.

"Hey Jungkook-ah! How've you been?" he asks voice warm. But there's something different about his scent. A subtle shift that's not always present but occasionally brushes past me like a soft breeze. It's odd...I don't know what it is, it's something pleasant and yet unrecognisable. I just can't put my finger on what it is.

"Huh. Oh I've been good. You?" I ask, words coming out slightly stilted.

"Good good. Same old really." He sighs as we begin walking, his hand darting out to snag his bag as we make our way back to the corner I was at.

As we walk out the room, I can't help but recall the girl he'd been chatting to earlier.

"Who was that?" I ask, and Eunwoo's face lights up- both with recognition and something else.

"In class? That's (Y/N)." is all he offers but I can hear the softness in his voice, the love in it.

Huh.

"...and?" I prompt.

"And...she's really special to me. That's all you're getting out of me Kook!" he says, shooting me a sly glance.

But before I can press further, know what exactly he feels for- mere curiosity of course, my phone chimes and all my thoughts and questions are wiped away and replaced with a giddiness instead.

My hyungs are here.

"Got to go Eunwoo, let's catch up though, yeah?" I say, already hurrying forward.

His amused yell of 'ok' laced with understanding reaches me even as I step out of the building.

But that's swept out of my mind when I come face to face with my soulmates. And allow myself to get lose in the sensation of warmth and love when Hobi hyung sweeps me into a hug- bond settling now that I'm with all of them.

What else do I really need?

(WELL TBH HE NEEDS THEIR FINAL SOULMATE BUT YOU KNOW THEY'RE KINDA IGNORANT ATM...HOW WAS IT? LET ME KNOW LOVELIES! ANY THEORIES, IDEAS ABOUT WHO SHE SHOULD MEET NEXT? HOW DID YOU FIND THE WHOLE CHAPTER OVERALL? ANYWAYS...YOU'LL SEE SLOWLY THAT THE GUYS SLOWLY FIND SOME PULL, SOME 'CURIOSITY' TOWARDS THIS GIRL, BUT WHO KNOWS WHAT'LL HAPPEN NEXT? LET'S SEE...STAY SAFE!)

The air we breathe, the ground our feet walk on, the sun we see, and the sky we look upto- they are all connected, we all are. So never feel that you're alone because at the end of the day, someone somewhere is seeing what you see- be comforted by the thought that we all are bound together by the world we live in.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3