(Y/N) POV

Just as the nurse went to lift my hoodie, my hands reached out and grabbed at her. She startled, looking at me with confusion.

"Before you check, I want you to promise the patient confidentiality I'm entitled to." I nervously stated.

The look of concern on her face deepened but she nodded.

"Of course. You have the right to your privacy." She reassured me and I hesitantly removed my hands from the firm grip I had held onto the hoodie with.

She helped me out of the hoodie, wincing as she saw the coffee stains. She rushed to get a cooling gel, some gauze, ice water and a towel.

She returned; I moved my hands to unbutton my shirt exposing my burnt skin to her. I winced myself looking down at the angry red splotches on my skin. My hand was protectively cupping my mark, I wasn't ready to bare it for her to see.

She silently got to work soaking a towel in the basin of cold water before pressing it to my heated skin. She gently kept her hands holding the towel across my midriff for ten minutes before removing it. The stinging sensation hadn't faded, and I guessed it was because of the time we took to get here, it should've been treated immediately.

The nurse put on some gloves, carefully spreading the cooling gel onto my skin, it started to numb after a while, before she carefully dressed it with gauze making sure to keep it lightly applied so it didn't directly make contact with the burns.

She gestured towards my side. I slowly and reluctantly removed my hands from my side, exposing my mark to her view. Her eyes widened but she didn't comment, instead she shot me a small comforting smile before treating my right side in the same way. I whimpered when her hands came in contact with my mark, because I hadn't bonded it was becoming increasingly sensitive and in general marks didn't respond to a foreign touch, it repelled it violently when it didn't register the touch as one of my soulmates.

The marks were starting to take on a vicious red tinge, making it look like the marks had been carved into my skin forcefully. It felt like that anyways. That the universe had forcefully pushed this burden onto me and embedded it deep into my skin.

I gingerly buttoned up my shirt again, throwing on the hoodie. It covered me from seeing the reminder of the accident that had occurred. I left the room with a bandaged body, palm stinging dully and into the awaiting arms of Eunwoo who bolted up when he saw me.

"Let's get you home." He said not asking for answers though I knew he was bursting with questions; I was grateful for his decision.

We walked home in silence; I was lost in plans of how to successfully avoid the Bangtan Boys. It was such a stressful start to the semester; fate really wasn't on my side. Eunwoo dropped me off at my dorm, kissing my cheek before walking away, waving goodbye to me before he turned around the corner to the lift.

I entered my dorm, my dormmates bustling about getting ready for dinner. I dragged myself to the kitchen, exhausted more by the events and run-ins than I was with the work shift.

"(Y/N)-ah! You're home! How was work?" Seo-yeon unnie called brandishing a large ladle as she turned away from the stove before she took in my appearance.

Her eyes scanned me before they fell on my bandaged hand and she dropped the ladle to the side hurrying forward.

"What happened? Whose hoodie are you wearing?" she asked in a flurry.

"Just a small accident at work unnie, I fell whilst carrying a tray of lattes, but I'm fine." I rushed to reassure her as her face whitened in shock.

She hurried to pull my hoodie off, pushing me to sit into a chair at the dinner table. She took in my ruined uniform.

"Are you hurt?" she inquired.

"I'm fine unnie. I'll go get changed." I said tiredly, getting up to go change as unnie unwillingly let me go. Soo Jin was lounging on her bed, scrolling through her phone when I entered. I walked over to pull a pair of pyjamas out, changing quickly and dropping my uniform into the laundry basket. I walked over and dropped myself over her carefully, snuggling into her.

She yelped at the sudden weight before relaxing again.

"(Y/N)-ah you're back! Your editor called on the house phone, she said the next episode will be out tomorrow." She informed me. I hummed, before Soo Jin suddenly rolled to the side making me drop down next to her.

I glared at her half-heartedly.

"Aigoo...our maknae is upset. I'll give you cuddles. Wanna sleep in my bed tonight? She offered.

I dragged her over to eat dinner so I could cuddle with her afterwards, shouting out a goodnight to the dorm before pulling her into bed next to me.

As I lay in bed with her, I told Soo Jin about what had happened this entire day, she listened in silence her hold on me tightening at the mention of the boys. When I'd finished, not having left out a single detail she sighed and turned to face me.

"(Y/N)-ah, you don't deserve this at all. But I'll be here for you. Sleep." She said, her words softly lulling me to a comfortable state as sleep started to pull at me.

I burrowed into her embrace, listening to the steady thudding of her heart.

---

JIN POV:

I hurried back home to find the rest of my soulmates huddled around a distraught Jimin as they tried to soothe him. So, the pangs of guilt and sorrow I had been feeling on my way back home hadn't entirely been my own but Jimin's which transferred through our bond. I hurried to them, kneeling down in front of him, cupping his cheek in my hand. He leaned into the gesture and even with his eyes closed, his face spoke of the large pain he was harbouring inside.

"Jimin-ah, what is it? What happened with (Y/N)?" I asked gently.

His eyes shot open and the rest of my soulmates turned to stare at me in shock. His eyes looked confused as did the rest of them so I hastened to explain.

"I just (Y/N) and Eunwoo enter the medicbay as I was getting off my shift...."

And then a barrage of questions.

"(Y/N)?!"

"Eunwoo?!"

"Medicbay?"

I felt a surge of panic through the bond as well as Kookie's confusion filtering in and Tae's curiosity.

"Her and Eunwoo seem really close, he was practically bearing all her weight on his side when he bought her in. Really protective too. He didn't seem too pleased to see me. And then he mentioned you Jimin-ah when I asked what had happened. He said you could tell me..." I added.

Jimin's eyes held anguish.

"When you guys texted, me we were going to have dinner together. I got really excited and like I texted I was running out of the café when I went crashing into (Y/N) who was carrying a tray full of lattes..." he whispered, guilt making his voice crack.

"And she got burnt and cut from the looks of it." I added remembering the bloody palm and the small droplets of blood falling onto the floor.

"Was she badly hurt? Did you treat her?" Jiminie asked frantically.

"She specifically requested for a female to treat her, and for a private room." I recalled.

His face fell.

I couldn't bear the pangs of sorrow which were souring the usual contentment, fizzing feeling that filled our bond and so we all crowded around him, reaching out to touch him in some way. Hands made their way around his waist, a couple on his thighs, lips pressing forward onto his forehead, his nape, cheeks, collarbone, and the side of his neck. We would do anything to make each other feel happy, it was an accident and Jimin was berating himself so much over it. He didn't deserve to, he was too harsh on himself.

"Jimin-ah don't worry. It was an accident. And accidents happen." I whispered onto his skin before pressing my lips to his, kissing away his worries and feelings of self-depreciation.

----

(Y/N) POV:

I woke up to alarm blaring and Soo Jin's groans as she tried to burrow into me and away from the source of sound. I smiled sleepily at her trying to meld herself with me and digging deeper into the blankets, moaning about the blasted alarm and how she was going to smash it into bits. I leaned across her to turn it off.

"I'll get going, I have a morning practical lesson slotted." I whispered, slipping out of bed, smiling as Soo Jin whined at the loss of her body pillow.

I grabbed a change of clothes, slipping into the bathroom. The dorm was fairly quiet, from the sounds I'd guess only unnie was up and about in the kitchen cooking breakfast. She insisted if she didn't do it then no-one would.

I carefully showered, using a washcloth to gently clean the skin that was still an angry red, hissing slightly when I accidentally applied too much pressure. I stepped out and dressed before walking over to unnie hugging her from behind.

"Morning unnie!" as she tilted her head to me. I gave her a peck on the cheek, letting go when she kissed the tip of my nose.

"Unnie I'm not a baby!" I protested.

"Sit down maknae. After breakfast I'm changing the dressings." She stated bringing round a plate of waffles topped with chocolate and sliced fruit.

"Eat up!" she said beginning to cut into them, handing me a fork so we could both eat. Everyone else in the dorm started late today.

"Mmmm..." I hummed around my mouthful, as delicious as it was, I was only able to get through a bit before unnie brought up yesterday. Instantly, the food turned to sawdust in my mouth, my chewing lagging as I tried to swallow my mouthful through the lump in my throat.

Yesterday. I don't know why I was running into them more often than not. I had tried so hard to stay under the radar last semester, so what had suddenly changed?

"Park Jimin." Was all I uttered, and I saw the understanding flash across her face, then guilt.

She squeezed my knee gently, the touch grounding me. She didn't need to say anything, neither did I. Her touch told me everything, she knew and understood and wouldn't press it further.

My appetite faded and I waited for unnie to finish eating before I nudged at her gently.

"The dressings..." I said, and she jumped to action. Unnie was my go-to medic, she was studying medicine and I always sought her out whenever I had an accident or was suffering from really bad cramps.

I lifted my sweater as she bustled about, getting the first aid kit and applying the ointment and then a dressing over it. Her eyes were clouded with sympathy as she looked at my mark. She knew how much of a burden it was to me, I had cried in her arms or woken screaming from nightmares enough times. She had seen me vulnerable. And she tried her best to shield me from them.

I got up, dragging my feet, and trying to prolong me leaving. I didn't even know who was going to be in my culinary class, the groups changed each semester but there was no way fate was this cruel, I couldn't possibly run into any more members today, could I?

I dragged myself to the door pulling on my sneakers and calling out a goodbye to unnie. When I made my way to my culinary class, taking a deep breath before swinging the door open, eyes jammed shut in fearful anticipation as to who I'd fine. Please let there be someone I know. Please let it be someone I know. I peeked through one eye but I couldn't see a familiar face, sighing I opened my eyes and trudged in, shoulders slumped.

I scanned the kitchen groups' list; every kitchen was to be shared by four people. My eyes narrowed as they roved up and down the list, why couldn't I find my name? Where was it, where was it? Aha. Got it.

Group 2:

Jaehyun

Seokjin

(Y/N)

Jaebum

My eyes blew open. Seokjin?! Please let this be a coincidence, someone who happens to share the same name as one of the Bangtan Boys. Please. Please. My hands were clutched together tightly, eyes screwed shut as I begged, prayed, and pleaded to God. I heard the clearing of a throat, low and gruff. 100% masculine.

I didn't want to turn.

A tentative voice sounded.

"Uh, excuse me?" and then long fingertips came to tap at my shoulder, I jerked and spun around, almost losing my balance if I hadn't managed to grasp the edge of the table.

My body sagged with relief when I realised it was Jaehyun. I hadn't had the chance to speak with him much outside of lessons, but I occasionally saw him seated not too far from me in the lecture halls.

He smiled at me, eyes crinkling slightly.

"Oh, it is you! How've you been (Y/N)?" he grinned at me, pearly teeth on display.

"Jaehyun-ah, is it okay if I call you that? I'm glad I'll have someone I can trust on my group this semester. Not to mention, your cooking always looks so delicious!" I chirped, grateful for a familiar face.

An arm wrapped around me from behind, pulling me into a firm body as the person backhugged me. I recognised the scent and familiar touch, leaning into it, tilting my head up to smile at JB oppa. He smiled at me, tilting his head down to kiss my forehead.

"Morning (Y/N)-ah, I'm glad to see you too. And don't even think of hiding from me, we'll have a lovely chat later." Seemingly having a one-sided conversation and if it hadn't been for the fact, we knew he could read thoughts, I'd genuinely be concerned. I nodded in response, resigning myself to an overprotective mother bear hovering over me for the next few hours.

Just then the room erupted into whispers, giggles, and excited murmurs. Striding through the door, figure clad in jeans and a sweater was the campus heartthrob. One Kim Seokjin, present. My thoughts soured, I cursed fate inside my head, glaring upwards as though someone was truly looking down on me. I imagined they were laughing at me, smirking as they watched my plight.

He sauntered over, hands tucked into his pocket, bag slung across his body, and he briefly scanned the list before reaching us. The hand around me tightened and I felt a brief kiss press to the back of my head as JB oppa expressed his silent support.

His arm around me tightened fractionally.

Seokjin flashed a disarming smile, thick lips parting as he looked at us all. It seemed genuine; his brown eyes twinkled but a part of me couldn't help but recoil at the ease of his friendly appearance. I couldn't let my barriers fall just because he was friendly. I also couldn't stop the flash of pain that seared across my heart as I looked at him, he was so close but for me it would've felt the same if he had been miles away. I could feel the distance between us, a barrier between our two worlds. And I had no intention of letting it disintegrate.

"Annyeong!" he chirped, hand giving a half wave as he looked at us all.

"Annyeonghaseyo Seokjin-ssi!" Jaehyun replied, JB oppa calling out 'hyung', I bowed my head in greeting, mumbling a quiet hello.

He waved his hands at us, flapping them as he shooed away the formality.

"Aigoo...don't make me feel so old. Call me hyung, and that's oppa for you." He said directing the second half to me.

I fiddled with my hands not nodding along.

"Ah hyung! Don't bother her please, I already told you in the café..." JB oppa tailed off shooting a meaningful look at Seokjin.

"Well I'm sure we won't be strangers for long (Y/N)-ah, I can call you that right? After all we'll be working together this entire semester." He voiced, the question sounding more like a statement, there was no room for disagreement, and I doubted he'd listen anyways.

The professor entered, a lovely sweet soul she was. She took half of our practical lessons. She beamed at us as she clapped her hands calling for our attention.

"You are not new to this at all. Please come collect your recipes for today and get started." She directed, I darted away at the opportunity rushing to collect the recipe sheets for my group. I returned handing one to both Jaehyun and JB oppa, I slid Seokjin's over to him not risking making accidental contact. I tied my hair up, getting ready to cook and pushed up my sleeves. I knew this was going to be a long three hours.

I was right.

Whilst we were cooking I felt the burning stares of Seokjin pierce the back of my head, the glaring reminder of his physical presence when we huddled together to divide up the roles, the moments my heart nearly wrenched itself out of my chest when his elbow brushed against my back when he moved to get something. My heart was thudding furiously. I didn't know how I was going to survive these lessons.

Jaehyun and JB oppa acted as friendly around me as they always had. I didn't reject their friendliness, they weren't threats, they weren't soulmates. I found myself growing closer to Jaehyun as he cracked jokes or helped me clear up my workspace. I found myself loosening up around him really quickly which was just as well, he was going to be working with me for the rest of the academic year.

I huffed as a strand of hair dangled on the side of my face, obscuring my view slightly. I glared at it, as though my intense stare would somehow make it meekly retreat back into my low bun. I twisted my face away from it but it stubbornly stayed put, returning to hang in front of my left eye.

I heard a chuckle before Jaehyun's hand reached out tucking it gently behind my ear.

"Stop glaring at your poor hair." He laughed before removing his hand, pinching my cheek.

"Your cheeks are so...they're just marshmallows.  They've always got a light blush now that I notice it...oh they're just so biteable!" he teased.

I laughed at his blatant flirty personality bumping my hip towards him.

"Yah! Let me finish cutting in piece. It's meant to be incredibly precise and exact in size." I retorted. He raised his hands up in surrender moving away slowly.

I went back to chopping, slicing the vegetables with careful precision and exact symmetry, my chopping board steadily filling with a rainbow of colours. I carefully tip them in into the wok stir-frying them, adding them in according to their cooking time. Vegetables with a high-water content take longer to cook. I seasoned the vegetables once they were all in, cooking them briefly before turning the gas off.

I seemed to be operating robotically, I forced my brain not to dwell on the fact that Seokjin would be one of my partners for this semester, if I did dwell on it, the food would burn and my mask would shatter. It was a thought for a time when I was alone, but for now the smile wasn't allowed to fall off my face.

The rest of the lesson crossed by in a daze, time didn't speed nor did it seemed to have slowed down but I was grateful when the lesson ended, and the class began filing out.

Jaehyun waved to me as he left, I smiled at him waving my own hand back now drowned in swathes of my sweater.

"You're like a living plushie doll (Y/N)-ah, aigoo I just want to swaddle you up in blankets and hide you from everyone." JB oppa dramatically complained, hands and face expressing mock horror. My hands reached up to cover my mouth as I laughed. He clutched his heart dramatically. He moved over to return the recipe sheets and mark them as completed for our group. JB oppa walked off and the space in front of me was suddenly filled with Seokjin's tall frame.

I gulped nervously. Did I do something wrong? Did he need something? What was it? My head running though thousands of worst-case scenarios and a sickening feeling taking over me.

"(Y/N)-ah, how are you feeling?" he asked. Huh, what?

"I'm not sure I follow Kim Seokjin-ssi." I responded; head tilted sideways as I looked up at him.

"You got injured at the café yesterday, and you came to the medicbay in the evening..." he responded with an unreadable look in his eyes.

Realisation dawned on me. Park Jimin. I sighed, breathing deeply.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to say this sooner, please pass on my apologies to Park Jimin-ssi, but I don't hold him accountable. If anything, it's my fault, I should have been walking anticipating customers coming in and out." I replied. Even to my own ears my voice sounded cold, distant and kinda fake. But I was getting sick of fate playing cruel tricks on me. Why on earth was I meeting them so often?

"Ah no, I wasn't trying to get you to apologise. Jimin-ah is very upset that he caused your injuries, I just wandered if you were okay (Y/N)-ah." He tried to explain.

I couldn't help but notice the way my name rolled off his tongue so smoothly, but what right did he have to assume such closeness existed between us. It made me uneasy.

Something on my face must've shown, because suddenly Seokjin's hand was reaching out and on instinct my body recoiled away from his impeding touch, fear flashing across my face, my feet backtracking as I tried to move away from him.

He froze, hand outstretched,

"Please don't come closer Kim Seokjin-ssi, I think it's better off if we stay as strangers and simply groupmates this semester." I whispered, the act of physically and emotionally distancing myself from my soulmate draining me. My soul and mark were screaming and yearning for me to close our distance, but I steeled my mind against the inner pleas of my heart and turned around to hurry out the door.

As I closed the door, a flash of pain seared across my side as my mark burned, I had been so close to my soulmate, but I had pulled away. I didn't realise the mark was subconsciously pulling Seokjin forward. But I did know I had to get away. So, I turned on my heels, walking away mentally deciding to skip visiting the cafeteria today. And with each step I took, another part of my heart silently shattered.

(I'M SAD AND MY HEART ACHES NOW. KINDA HATE MYSELF FOR IT BUT NOT REALLY. IT HAS TO BE DONE, THE BAD HAS GOTTA PASS FOR THE GOOD TO COME...LIKE IT, DON'T. LET ME KNOW! I CAN ONLY WRITE 'GOOD' IF I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING IS EITHER COMING ACROSS AS INTERESTING OR NOT...OH MY GOSH. I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW YOU GUYS ARE GONNA REACT WHEN THE NEXT CHAPTER COMES OUT, WELL...MAYBE YOU'LL BE LIKE ME AND WANNA CRY AND SCREAM AT ME! AND THROTTLE ME TOO. HMMM...WHAT'VE I GOT TO SAY? SOON I'LL BE ADDING IN SMALL DETAILS AND HINTS WHY (Y/N) REJECTS THE IDEA OF HAVING 7 BEAUTIFUL KIND SOULS AS HER SOULMATES BUT MAYBE YOU WON'T LIKE WHAT YOU FIND.... I KNOW I WON'T!!)

I hope you're all healthy, happy, and raring to get through the angst coming...spirits high, strong resolve!

FIGHTING! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3