Y/N POV:
I stuck my phone in my pocket, a smile on my face as I thought back to Jungkook's messages. He loved to send me photos of what he was seeing, places he was going and it melted my heart. It showed me that he wanted to share those parts of his life with me, that he wanted me to see the things he saw, even when I couldn't be near him. It was sweet and caring and something that told me this bond was going to work, that it was going to be something strong and beautiful.
As I headed out of the lounge and back into the ER, I could feel a sense of excitement. My soulmates were currently finishing up their series of concerts in Japan, their last leg of the tour before heading back to Korea in just two days. I would be leaving the US in just a week to join them and the anxiety of moving to an entirely new country was starting to sink in, to terrify me, but I knew this was what I wanted, to be with the men I had fallen so completely for, the ones who owned my heart.
Pulling out my phone again, I focused again on one of the messages from Jungkook. He had typed something in Hangul, something I couldn't understand and when I asked him what it meant, he told me he would tell me when I arrived, that it was something he wanted me to know. I did wonder what the message said since I felt like I had seen it before, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Part of me wanted to ask Namjoon, but if Jungkook wanted me to wait then I would. Namjoon had been teaching me Korean during our video chats and I had secretly been taking an independent course at the local community college, something that I didn't share with my soulmates. I wanted to surprise them when I arrived. I was nowhere near fluent or even close to being fluent, but I could pick out words here and there, even speak a few sentences.
When I had gone to visit my old biology professor, Dr. Amanda Beals, at the college, the one who had encouraged me to go into nursing, I had told her about my soulmates. She had put me in contact with a friend of hers that was born and raised in Korea, one that was currently living in the US to teach college. Dr. Hyun Seon was a sweet older woman and when Dr. Beals let her know I was going to be moving to Korea to be with my soulmates, Dr. Hyun had offered to teach me Korean. I had jumped at the chance, wanting any opportunity to be able to communicate with my soulmates and their families.
Although I was excited to join my soulmates, I was feeling a little melancholy about it all. This was my last night at the hospital and part of me hated leaving Arely, leaving the one who had been by my side for so long. She was my best friend and I knew she was still a little sad about not having a soulmate. I wish I could bring her with me, that she would find someone in Korea, but I knew she loved working at the hospital, loved being here with our patients, loved being around the people we had worked with for so long.
I headed into the ER and Dr. Alex Carrizales gave me a wave. Even though he was a pediatric doctor, he would be working in the ER tonight since the on call doctor had fell and broke her arm when she was roller skating with her daughters. Annamaria Munoz was a sweetheart and one of the nicest ER doctors I had the pleasure of working with and I was bummed that I wouldn't see her again before I left. I returned Alex's wave, but I could see there was something off about him tonight. He seemed a little distracted, but I didn't want to overstep a line and bring up something that could potentially be hurtful.
A sudden commotion at the door grabbed my attention and my heart dropped when I saw a woman rush in, one I recognized. The girl in her arms was unconscious and I wanted to cry, but I managed to pull myself together. I hurried over, already yanking my stethoscope out of my pocket. "Mrs. Anderson? What... what happened?"
Alisha Anderson, Tammy's mother, looked at me in panic, her eyes wild. "We... we were heading back from dinner. She was sitting in the backseat and she... she suddenly stopped responding so we hurried her here." Alex rushed over to my side, calling for a stretcher and when it arrived Alisha laid her down on it. "What's going on Dr. Carrizales?"
Shaking his head, I could see the worry in Alex's eyes. "I'm not sure, but we're going... going to find out. I promise you that." I could hear the determination in his voice and knew he would do whatever necessary to figure out what was going on with the little girl in front of us, the one who had stolen all of our hearts.
***
Two hours later, I heaved out a sigh of relief. Although my mind had come up with worst-case scenarios about what was going on with Tammy, we had learned after some blood tests that it was a problem with her new medication. Fainting was one of the obscure side effects, one of the ones that occurred rarely, and it made the pain that was threatening to overwhelmed me recede.
"You okay amiga?" Arely's voice was concerned as she slung an arm around my shoulders.
Leaning my head on her, I gave a small nod. "Yeah. That... that was scary. I know... I know we're not supposed to get too attached to patients, but Tammy... she's special."
"Aww carina, I know." Arely squeezed me tightly then released me, turning me to face her. "It's okay that you are feeling this way. It's the thing that makes you a good nurse. It is okay to feel compassion and sorrow, to feel sad when someone that you care about is ill or injured. The moment you stop caring is the moment you've become numb to all of this. Once someone becomes numb, it is time to leave. Then it becomes more about the dinero than the worry for patients. Don't ever let yourself get to that point."
Arely's words touched my heart and I had to smile. It was such a different tone than the one that she normally used, the one loaded with sarcasm and amusement, but I knew that her compassion and kindness ran deep. "Thanks Arely. You're... I'm going to miss you."
Arely shook her head, tapping my finger with her nose then picked at the bandage covering the burn from her curling iron on her wrist. "Nope. Don't think about that. You're my best friend carina. We're still going to see each other. Plus you're going to be so busy with your soulmates and their sexiness that you're not going to have a chance to miss me."
Rolling my eyes, I shoved her shoulder. "You're so silly." Arely raised an eyebrow at me and I shrugged. "But you're probably not wrong. Their sexiness really is distracting." We sat there for a few more minutes and when the timer on my phone dinged, I stood up, knowing my break was almost over. "I'm going to run to the bathroom before I head back. Enjoy your fifteen minutes of silence lucky goose."
Arely laughed and I headed out of the lounge and down the hall towards the staff bathroom. After taking care of business, I stood at the sink to wash my hands when my vision blurred. Feeling a shiver of excitement, I knew it was going to be a vision that Jimin was seeing.
I was standing in front of a display case, looking at rings and earrings. "What do you think, hyung? Think Y/N would like these?" Jimin's voice was sweet in my ears and he held up a pair of pretty pink earrings fashioned after cherry blossoms and I couldn't help but smile in my head.
Hoseok's face appeared at my side and he grinned. "Yeah. Those are pretty. They even have a matching necklace."
"I think I'm going to get her both. A welcome home present for her." Jimin's voice was determined and he called out to the shopkeeper as my vision cleared.
As I found myself back in the staff bathroom, I couldn't stop the little flutter in my chest. My soulmates were out shopping and they were looking for something for me, something to welcome me to Korea and the realization of that made me realize just how lucky I was, just how happy I was to be going to Korea.
Quickly drying my hands, I left the bathroom. At the sound of my name, I turned to see Dr. Dan Delaney waving at me. "Y/N? Can you stop in the storage room and grab an extra prescription pad? I'm on my last one."
"Of course." I nodded my head and headed towards the storage room. Opening the door, I didn't miss the quick shuffle of sound, a voice I recognized. Taking hesitant steps, I rounded the corner to see Arely and Alex. From the flush on their cheeks, I could instantly see something was up. "Arely? What's... what's going on?"
Arely turned towards Alex and he nodded. "Go ahead and tell her honey. She needs to know."
Honey????
"Um... so carina. I may have... well... no... I actually did lie to you. I didn't... didn't burn my wrist." With nervous hands, Arely unwrapped the bandage and my mouth dropped open when I saw the purple heart on her wrist, the one that matched Alex's.
"Alex is your soulmate?" Arely nodded and I yanked her towards me, wrapping her in a hug. "Oh my god. I'm so fucking happy for you. This is so awesome! I knew the two of you would be perfect for each other." Arely was silent through my rant and I leaned back to look at her. "Are... are you alright?"
Arely let out a sound of relief and grinned. "Yes. I thought... I thought you were going to be upset with me for keeping it from you. Lo siento carina. I'm so sorry but I... I didn't know what to say."
Shaking my head, I pulled her close again. "Don't apologize. Please don't apologize. You would have told me when you were ready so don't even worry about it. Not at all."
An awkward cough behind us had us both turning to see Alex watching us in amusement, his arms crossed. "Um... not going to ask how I feel about it all?"
Giving him a regal bow, I folded my hands in front of me. "Forgive me sir doctor, but how are you feeling about having this stunning woman for a soulmate?"
Alex laughed and moved towards Arely, his eyes on her face, so full of adoration that I almost felt like I was intruding on a private moment. "Remember when I said I hoped that someone would be my soulmate?" I nodded, remembering the conversation. "I... I wanted it to be her so badly." Leaning down he kissed her nose and my heart wanted to burst out of my chest, so full of happiness for my best friend.
Arely blushed at his words and I had to hold in a laugh, seeing my bold confident friend so shy all of a sudden. From the looks on their faces, I could see that they were already lost in each other so with a smile to myself, I grabbed the prescription pad and let myself out of the storage closet. Seeing the happiness on her face, the clear adoration on Alex's, I knew Arely was going to be okay, that she was in good hands. It helped diminish the last of my worries and I unexpectedly felt a flurry of excitement about my move to Korea. In just a few days, I would be going home.
Hoseok POV:
"What do you think of this one?" I held up a white gold cherry blossom charm for Jimin and Jungkook's approval, wanting to get their opinion on it. We were currently standing in the Cartier store at Ginza, the major shopping complex in Tokyo. Jimin had chosen a pair of pretty earrings and a necklace at a local shop and I wanted to find something to add to her charm bracelet that we had gotten Y/N in Paris. The cherry blossom was delicate and pretty, with hints of pink along the edges, something that I thought she would like, something I hoped she would like.
"That's pretty hyung." Jungkook gave me a thumbs up and I looked back towards the charm. Jimin grinned and I knew he liked it too.
Gesturing towards the cashier, I purchased the charm, watching as she packed it up into a crimson bag. As I waited, I thought about the morning. I had fun spending time with my younger members, but I do wish there were times we could all go out together. Unfortunately, with the fame and how well known we were, it never worked out nicely. We were usually always recognized and depending on the place we were, privacy was never an option. When we went out, we had to don hats and sunglasses, sometimes masks, anything to help fans from recognizing us or paparazzi spotting us. It wouldn't be terrible if they would smile and wave and go about their business, but that wasn't the case, but I knew it was the downside to being a world famous celebrity.
After leaving Cartier, we stopped in an Armani store, wanting to check out their newest clothing line. They had a nice selection of shirts and sweaters, things I knew would be nice in Korea in the cooler months. Jimin wandered over by the accessories, making me laugh and making him roll his eyes at me. I stopped at the sweaters, picking up a simple blue one with silver threads. It was incredibly soft and it made me wonder if Y/N was a snuggler. Draping the sweater over my arm, I continued to browse.
After a while, Jimin and Jungkook rejoined me. Jimin had a new belt and a pair of sunglasses, along with a silver pair of earrings. Jungkook had picked up a pretty silk scarf with a pattern that reminded me of our Love Yourself: Tear album and when I commented on how pretty it was, he bashfully admitted it wasn't for him, but for Y/N. I laughed at his cute little reaction, grinning when I realized how often our pretty soulmate was in our thoughts.
As we left Armani, we headed over to Ukyo. It was a Fusion restaurant, a combination of Japanese and French food, one I had been looking forward to trying out. After we were seated at corner outdoor table, we ordered drinks, along with things we wanted to try, including crab-cream coquettes, uni shumai dumplings, and egg rice. Whenever we visited a country, we always made sure to try some of the local cuisine and visit the recommended restaurants. ARMY was really great about giving suggestions and this was one they had been suggesting we try since before the pandemic started. The waiter who served us didn't seem to know who we were and I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, knowing we would get a little bit of privacy. At least for now.
As we waited for our food, we made small talk, keeping our conversations low as to not attract too much attention to ourselves. A girl over at the table next to us, one that seemed to be about 15 or 16, kept looking over at us. From the way her cheeks would turn pink when she caught my eye, I could tell we had been recognized. I was curious to see what she would do, whether she would say something or if she would pretend she didn't see us.
Our food arrived and my attention was drawn to it and away from the girl. As I dug in, I let out a pleased sound. The choices we had made were perfect, even though Jimin made a face when he tried the crab. He would eat seafood if necessary, but it wasn't really his favorite. The dumplings were my favorite and when Jungkook went to take the last one, I smacked him with my spoon, making him squeak out in protest.
A sound from the next table caught my attention and I looked up to see the girl and the older couple with her leaving. As she passed by, she gave us a small smile and a quick bow of her head, acknowledging us, but refusing to intrude on our privacy. I grinned at her, giving her a thumbs up when I spotted the bag she was carrying, one I had designed during our merch release back in early 2022. She blushed at my smile and hurried after the couple, turning one last time to give us a wave.
"Aww that was sweet. She knew who we were, but she didn't stop to say anything." Jimin's voice was impressed. "Japanese ARMY are so polite. I love it here."
Jungkook and I nodded in agreement. Tokyo was one of the nicest places we had visited before the pandemic. The fans had been so respectful and kind that it made me wish they were like that all over the world. The rest of the meal passed quickly and soon we were heading out and back towards the hotel. The day had passed quicker than I thought and I was ready for a rest before meeting up with the rest of the members tonight. We had one more day in Tokyo before flying back to Korea tomorrow night and I was more than ready to go home, more than ready to get back to my country.
Y/N would be arriving in Korea a week from tomorrow and I was beyond excited. We had a nice long extended break coming up, about five weeks, and it would give us time to spend getting our new apartment ready for us to all live in, along with setting up Y/N's room. When she arrived, we would have four weeks of uninterrupted time with her, time that I was ecstatic to have. Before we had left London, I had called my parents and told them about Y/N, unable to keep it in any longer. I had been nervous that they would not be okay with it since she was soulmate to six of us, but my mom claimed that as long as I was happy then so was she.
I had also been messaging back and forth with Dawon, who was almost as excited as I was. She was thrilled that she was going to get a sister, something that she insisted on calling Y/N. I was a little worried about Dawon meeting Y/N, worried about the stories she would tell my soulmate about me, but I wanted Y/N and her to be close since my sister was so important to me.
As we made our way back to the hotel, a tiny giggle sounded in my ears. For a moment, I thought it was Jimin, but when it grew, I knew right away that it was my soulmate. The sound was so full of cheerfulness and delight that it made me grin, knowing my soulmate was so happy about something, that she was experiencing something that would put that smile on her face and that beautiful sound in my head.
"Hoseokie-hyung? Are you okay?" Jimin's words were concerned and I turned to look at him. "You started smiling all weirdly."
Ruffling his hair, I grinned when he swatted my hand away. "Yes. Of course. I can... I can hear Y/N laughing. She sounds... sounds so happy!" I didn't know how to explain how special these moments were to me, especially when I had heard her cry before, a sound that shattered my heart and made my stomach clench in pain, a sound I never wanted to hear again.
"I wonder what's making her so happy." Jungkook's voice was curious and for a moment I could see the doubt in his eyes.
"Stop. Don't even think about it." Jungkook went to protest, but I held up a hand. "No. I can see it in your eyes. She wouldn't do something like that to us. I can feel it."
Jungkook's lips turned down in a frown and I could tell he was feeling guilty for having doubted our soulmate, but Jimin looped an arm around his shoulders. "Why don't you text her and see what's going on? She'll probably tell you." Jimin's words were encouraging and Jungkook hurriedly pulled out his phone. He typed onto it, sending a message and within seconds, it was dinging with a response and the guilty look returned to his eyes as he showed us the message from Y/N, a message so full of happiness it was practically radiating from the screen.
"Arely found her soulmate?" My words were filled with shock as I read the message. The next message came in and I couldn't help but feel happy for my soulmate's best friend, the one she had been worried about. Apparently the doctor Y/N had worked for was Arely's soulmate. It instantly explained the happiness I could hear in her voice.
"See Jungkookie?" Jimin's voice was gentle as he spoke. "Our soulmate is trustworthy. She's kind and caring. I trust her completely and I truly believe she would never do something to hurt us, at least not on purpose."
Jungkook ducked his head and I could see the residual remorse in his face, in the sheen of tears in his eyes, in the downturn of his lips. "I... I'm just worried. I've... I've fallen for her so fast and it scares me."
"It's okay to be scared, to be nervous. It's perfectly normal, but you have to have trust. That's the most important part of any relationship." I squeezed his shoulders, a silent sign for him to not let it bother him too much. "Just trust her and everything else will fall into place."
***
"Man. I think this is one of my favorite places to stay here." The rest of the members and I were currently seated on the rooftop patio of the Palace Hotel. We were enjoying our last dinner in Tokyo before getting on a plane tomorrow evening. We had ordered dinner in: ramen, tonkatsu, and rice. I had to laugh at Jimin's excited little wiggle as he saw the tonkatsu, especially since the pork cutlets were one of his favorite meals.
As we loaded our plates, we talked about our days. Yoongi and Taehyung had gone for a tour of the Imperial Palace grounds, a beautiful location we could see from the balcony of our rooms. They couldn't stop talking about how beautiful it was and how stunning the architecture was and I couldn't help but think about bringing Y/N back here one day for vacation. It was funny how often my thoughts went to my soulmate, went to the woman who had stolen my heart completely.
Namjoon and Jin had gone to Ghibli National Museum. It was one of the most well known places for Japanese animation. They kept laughing as they talked about a couple from Germany who had come strictly for the museum, but couldn't read any of the signs since they were all in Japanese. After watching them for a few minutes, Namjoon had taken pity on them and translated the signs for them, grateful that they spoke English as well as German. They hadn't recognized either Jin or Namjoon so the two had been able to remain anonymous.
The time with my members was fun and entertaining as we shared stories of our day, the things we planned for the next day and when we arrived back in Korea. I could see the sadness in Jin's eyes anytime the conversation turned to Y/N, but I didn't know what to do about it, what to say. I wanted to help my brother, but unless he wanted to help himself, there was nothing I could do.