Soulmate

Eight: Jin

May 13, 2019
New York City, New York

"We're hoooooooome!" Jungkook shouts through the large hotel room in English.

It's late, nearly midnight, and Jungkook and a few of the managers just returned from picking up Hope at the airport.

"My Hope!" Hoseok cries, always being the first to react to Hope's arrivals. Or second, after Jungkook.

The two Hopes run to each other, meeting halfway in a tight hug as they laugh gleefully.

"Hi, guys!" Hope laughs. Jungkook leans against my shoulder, a sweet smile gracing his thin lips.

I find myself unable to keep my sour mood when Hope comes to hug me tightly. Her arms squeeze around my neck and her cheek rests on my shoulder as she holds my tightly.

"I missed you, Jinnie," she says softly.

She melts my tough façade and I squeeze her back. "I miss you too, Hope."

We pull away, her arms returning to around Jungkook's and Hoseok's waists.

"What are the plans for tomorrow?" she asks Namjoon.

The leader shrugs, a smile playing on his lips. "It's a free day tomorrow. The GMA performance and Stephen Colbert show are both the fifteenth, and the sixteenth is a free day, too."

Hope smiles brightly at Jungkook, finally releasing Hoseok and giving him a peck on the lips.

"Date tomorrow," he says to her and I roll my eyes when he drops his head to take her lips into a deeper kiss.

"Okay, okay, enough," Namjoon teases. "It's late. We just wanted to say hi, so go to bed," he tells them. "See you guys in the morning," he says to the rest of us in Korean.

I do have to say, as I go back to my own room, I've never been more relieved that Jungkook has his own room tonight.

—

New York City, New York
May 14, 2019

"Hyung, can you take this photo of me?"

"Oh that's a nice bench! Hyung, take my phone real quick."

"Hyung, that's terrible! Take another one!"

"Hyung!"

"Hyung!"

"Hyung!"

Had I known wandering through New York City with Namjoon would have been so much work, I would've gone with Yoongi.

I swear, at every corner he wants me to take some sort of photo. Whether it's for posting, showing the guys, keeping for himself, sending to his family, or to Moni, Kim Namjoon can't get enough of the photos.

"Namjoon ah," I whine after taking probably the five hundredth photo of the day. "Will you ever take a photo of me?"

The younger ignores me and continues walking down the street. I whine at him again, still getting no reaction.

"It's a good thing you're a millionaire, Namjoon," I say. "you have to buy new phone storage every single day!"

"Would you stop bitching at me? Do you want food or something?"

I gasp at his comment. Mostly because I swear I've heard him say the same line to Yeontan when Taehyung's out of the house. Is he equating me to the dog that almost peed on Jungkook's leg two months ago?

"Yes, I want food! Get your hyung something nice." I cross my arms and puff out my lips into a pout. "It's the least you could do for dragging me all over creation taking photos of you. Maybe you should take notes from Hobi and Jimin. They take Taehyung everywhere. He actually enjoys these kinds of things."

Namjoon sighs and looks up to the sky. "Alright, Jin hyung, I'm sorry. You're right, I have made you take more photos than usual. New York is my mom's favorite city, she asked for lots of photos of me this time."

"Don't forget to post some," I instruct, ignoring his apology. "If the ARMYs find out you took a trillion photos and didn't post any, they'll have a fit. And rightly so!"

He smiles, the kind of smile where his larger bottom lips nearly covers his top lip and his eyes and nose scrunch up tightly. I gaze at my younger member, one of my dearest friends, and admire him.

At just twenty-four years old, Kim Namjoon has accomplished more in his life for himself, his friends, family, and his country than most people do in their entire lifetime.

I'm proud of him. No matter how annoying he is, I'm so proud of him.

"Where's your soulmate, Namjoon ah?" I ask softly.

He takes a deep breath, eyes scanning over the fluffy clouds and dropping his phone into his pocket.

"Your guess is as good as mine, hyung," he says with a soft smile. "Come one." He gestures for me to follow him and I do, the two of us walking side-by-side down the surprisingly empty sidewalk in New York City.

"Where are we going?"

"To feed you. My hyung has raised me, he's put up with me today. I have to repay him somehow."

"And you're trying with food?"

"Would you prefer something else?" He turns to me and raises a questioning brow.

I shake my head quickly. "No, no, I'd have it no other way. In fact, let's hurry. I'm so hungry I could eat a pigeon, feathers and all."

He laughs at that and I pull him by the sleeve. Our roles in ages seem to have switched as I lead him down the street quickly.

We turn the corner quickly and in my haste to find a place to eat, I run firmly into a strong woman with all the strength in my shoulders.

"Oh, my god!" I say in surprise.

The woman screeches and falls onto the ground, causing my eyes to widen and apologies to flood out of my mouth.

"Oh, my god, I am so, so sorry," I spit in quick Korean, not even thinking about being in America. "Are you alright?"

I reach my hand down to help her up and she takes it. Her skin is warm in my hand, her short dark hair blocks her face from my eyes, her hand is small against mine. I pull her up from the ground gently as she reassures me that she's alright.

"Yes, yes, thank you," she says in soft, but perfect, Korean. "I'm fine, thank you."

Our eyes meet and her eyes widen. Her hand, still in mine, tightens its grip around my fingers and I feel confused. She must be a fan. My heart sinks without thinking about it. I was hoping to have a day without photos and autographs.

"Oh my god," she whispers. "You're..."

I nod with a soft smile on my face. "Yes, I'm Kim Seokjin, hello."

However the smaller woman shakes her head vigorously, her limp hand moving to cover her mouth as her eyes fill with tears. "No, no, I meant you're my soulmate."

My vision tunnels and suddenly, I forget Namjoon is even in the same universe as me. It's just us now. Just me and her, hand in hand, in an empty street in the middle of America.

"What...what did you say?" My voice is barely audible as I try to speak past my shock and fail miserably. It can't be. Only days after Taehyung...could it? Please, God, let it be.

Without a word, she raises her fingers to the collar of her shirt and pulls down the fabric just enough for me to see it.

The dots of Orion litter her pale skin like beautiful ash across the sky after a fire. It's too good to be true.

"I...I'm Kim Seokjin," I say breathlessly.

She laughs through the tears and my eyes open to see just how beautiful she truly is. How gentle she must be, how kind, loving, beautiful, graceful, unique, genuine, perfect, blameless, wonderful...how she's mine.

"I'm Choi Min-hee."

—

wait a minute...

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