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Myth: Soulmates are with opposite sex.
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Whispers.
All Daun can hear are the whispers and the deafening loudness of her beating heart as she and Seokjin hand in hand walk through the large stadium and towards the waiting room. She can hear the staffs' great surprise of their presence, especially the foreign ones that are also seemed to be her soulmates' fans. She couldn't mistake it with their twinkling eyes as they see the man beside her, but morphs to something sinister as they look at her from head to toe. Their lips twinge with disgust and immediately whispers unnecessary assumptions that are a bit loud for her to hear. However, none of the things that they are saying hurts her that much.
She is somehow used on it already. That was how the staffs in Hybe used to react, especially when they knew that she alone is the soulmate of Bangtan. But at least, they were never vile. Some are happy with that fact while the others are just quite about it. After all, they couldn't afford to lose their job if they are caught sneering about any other's soulmates. Would it be to whom Fate had destined to BTS or to any other artists under the company. Basically, even to any of their fellow employees' fated mate. They are all tied with the company's policy of equality and mutual respect.
Daun perfectly understands how the foreign staffs can be disapproving of her presence with their idol. She is not living under a rock. She knows how other fans, males or females alike are possessive to her seven. Others are might just be parents at heart who treasures them dearly while the others are overly zealous of them and thinks of them as their lovers or perhaps as their gods. She is just thankful that whatever they are whispering are in a language that Seokjin is not expert of.
She doesn't want them to affect him or anything.
The man is practically beaming as he greets everyone, always so polite as he is parading her around the place. He constantly grips her hands tighter and pulls her to his sides as he walks with pride. It's as if he's telling all of the people that there within his arms is his soulmate. Like a king to his queen, he is gallantly showing her to the world. If he could only shout the obvious, he perhaps had done it already.
Daun blushes profusely. She doesn't know how to behave with how the eldest acts. Her introvert self is somehow a little bit bothered with the number of people around. Although their original staffs, who knows her, are just smiling and welcoming, she can't wait to finally reach their destination.
She sighs in relief when finally, the two of them steps inside the room with only her other soulmates inside, resting at the sofa, patiently waiting for them.
"Baby."
"Babe!"
"Sweetheart!"
The maknaes welcome her with bright smiles. Their eyes are twinkling in delight as they hug her and smooches kisses on her face... Jungkook at her cheeks, Taehyung at her nose, and Jimin at her lips... purposely disregarding the pouting Seokjin at the sides. There is a comical twinge on the eldest's brow that makes everything so funny and homey. It's like finally being in the comfort of home after trudging through the hallways with green judging eyes.
"Yahh... you're hogging her too much. Shoo." Jin annoyingly pulls Daun to his chest, shielding her away from the overbearing three.
"You look great love. I'm happy you come with Jin-hyung." Namjoon gingerly says as he amusingly looks at her glowing skin as she sits on the couch together with Jin.
"I thought the two of you won't be out from the bed." Yoongi playfully smirks.
"Yoonie..." She whines as she blushes. Her palms hide away her cheeks from her men who laughs with her endearing shyness.
It was actually already late when they arrived. She knew something was up when someone kept on calling Seokjin. The two had to stop their sweet afternoon as the eldest sighed and asked her if she would be okay and comfortable to be with them as they rehearsed. Apparently, the eldest couldn't ditch it especially when they have a new choreography to do. Hoseok insisted it for there is a forecast of rain for tomorrow. They decided to change some dances and rehearse for safety. Of course, she was given the choice to stay alone in their rented home, but she opts to be with them. She can't just loose the opportunity to be with her soulmates.
Jin's ears also redden with the second eldest's comment. "Shut up, Yoongi." He scolds but with a boyish grin.
"Did Jin-hyung take care of you?" Jungkook sits beside her and immediately hugs her, intentionally placing his chin on her shoulders. She knows too well that the man is secretly sniffing his favorite scent on her.
"Ohhh..." Jin amusedly mumbles as he cups her right cheek and gently caressing them with his thumb. His eyes are equally gentle but hooded with the memory of their day. "I was very gentle. Tell them darling." He coaxes.
"She would be lying then, hyung." Yoongi responds instead. He knows what happened. Even without his soul hear, it shows on her fluttering lashes and her furrowed brows. Her smile is wider. Her dimples seems to be deeper. Not to mention how adorably she is morphing into a total ripened tomato. She is an open book to them.
"You can't tease her like that Yoongi-hyung." Jungkook moans as he feels her stiffen.
"He is right, though." Daun admits with a sweet smile, causing Jin to smirk mischievously. There is nothing to hide with them. It shows so much how Jin treated her. The staffs could even tell if they think much more about it as she was trying hard not to show her slight limp. Perhaps, it was one of the reasons why they were side-eyeing her. She was walking a bit funny.
The eldest was a rough lover. He enjoys the way her legs shake as an aftermath of her every orgasm. Once was not even enough for him, not even twice nor thrice. If Jungkook was like a horny rabbit, she doesn't even know what would perfectly describe Jin. His vigor was huge. His stamina is bottomless. To think of it, she is grateful with Namjoon's phone call. She wouldn't know when Jin would have his fill if the man were not forced to stop. She couldn't even have the will to stop him for their souls were constantly firing them up with a new kind of need and lust every time. She was undeniably a willing partner of all the things he wanted. Even until now, her body is still pulsating and tingling with the desire for the man and for the others as well. It seems that her energy has been boosted instead of feeling the fatigue from their activity.
"I think we just interrupted something phenomenal." Yoongi's serious voice interrupts her musings. His eyes sticky and bearing a promise that runs a chill to her spine. She has to rub her thighs together to keep herself from throbbing with such heat within his eyes. She can feel a new lust vibrating out of her. Good thing, her mind is only an open book for Yoongi... or she thought as Jungkook just suddenly happily hums and kisses her neck as if warning her body to behave or he would willingly continue what she and Jin had stopped.
"Sorry for ruining your afternoon, sweetheart." Hoseok approaches her and kisses her head. "We'll make up for it." He winks.
"You didn't ruin it." She smiles.
"Yeah... they did." Jin casually responds and kisses her cheeks.
"So... can we have the rehearsal now? We can't be late for dinner." Namjoon claps for their undivided attention and bounces up from the couch.
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"Look at her." One of the three women at the front row slightly closer to the center aisle says in English as she side- eyes Daun. "Can't believe that Jin is tied to her. Poor him. She is not even that beautiful!" She adds.
Daun stiffens. She couldn't believe that the woman would slander her loudly. She is familiar with the woman. She is not a staff. She is one of the models who would pose and dance with one or two of BTS's songs. She is currently wearing a 90's-vibe magenta dress that perfectly hugs her hourglass form. It's descent but looks stunning for her, the same with the other two. All of the three of them are exceptionally pretty. One that she would want to paint if she would start having muses other than her soulmates. Meanwhile, Daun is just wearing a pair of blue tattered jeans with a light blue sweatshirt, resembling what is Jin's currently wearing. It is designed for couples that Jin had intended to gift her whenever they come home. It resembles so much of Jin's taste in clothes... comfortable and youthful. However, it made her look more like a lost teen in comparison to them.
"Hush it... she might hear you." A lady says concerned albeit snickering towards her.
"I bet, she's a dumb Korean who doesn't even know English."
Daun breathes deeply to calm her heart and gazes to three's direction. They notice it and just grimace. They are not even trying to be friendly. They can't even have a pretentious smile. Daun doesn't have a heart to confront such character and so just sweetly smiles back to them... as if she didn't hear... as if she didn't understand everything they had said.
"See? So stupid." The woman in magenta dress says as she rolls her eyes.
"I heard she is not just Jin's soulmate." The woman in blue silk dress talks again, no longer bothered to whisper as BTS starts singing for another song. The three women are practically yelling at their ears just to hear each other.
'They really think I could not understand.' Daun bites her lips into a thin line of disappointment as she is distracted with their chat. Her men's winks and flirty gazes towards her from time to time are not even seeping through her brain with how loud the women are. Good thing her seven are all so focused with their rehearsal that they don't notice her awkward posture. Good thing, the other staffs are a bit far, busy with their individual tasks.
"What? It doesn't make sense." The woman in yellow silk dress gasps.
"Remember when Jimin had a wardrobe malfunction and accidentally flashed his ribcage live and it was not the usual "Nevermind" tattoo that we thought we knew of? It resembled Jungkook's tattoo on his right arm." The woman in blue continued.
"Uhuh..." The woman in magenta says nonchalantly. "JiKook is real. They are soulmates. There is no way that the two of them are also soulmates with that bitch. They can't be that dumb too." She retorts as she scoffs at Daun's direction.
"Well... apparently... someone said that during one of their music video shooting, our Taehyung was seen with the same tattoo on his left shoulder." The woman says. Daun is no longer trying to know who says what. She is now overly sensitive to what they are saying. She doesn't like how they are talking about her soulmates.
"I didn't know that one."
"What if all of the three of them are soulmates?"
"They are men."
"Soulmates are sometimes gay okay. I told you. They are real."
Daun almost snorts at that. However, she understands that BTS's great comfort with each other would be mistaken by others as more than the bond of brotherhood. It's a first for her to hear the theory... or she just didn't bother to watch more on those ship videos about her soulmates.
"And take note... the bitch has the same one."
Automatically, Daun bows her head in uneasiness.
"What? Do you mean they are multiples and that ugly woman is their soulmate? No way! That would be so cruel." The annoying tone flares aloud.
"BTS and her? What? This is a total dumb and dumber scenario." Daun really wants to confront them with how they view her soulmates. She doesn't care how they are referring her as ugly or what... after all, beauty is on the eye of the beholder. These women are beyond unbelievable. If they see her seven as dumb, how are they so obviously antagonizing her? Their jealousy is so palpable.
"She must be faking it. A saesang... or a gold digger." Their chat continues. Her voice loudening more in each word she speaks.
"I bet she is." One of them mocks.
"She is a fucking slut! She is not just fucking two men... she is fucking seven?" The woman in magenta dress looks at Daun so brazenly and heatedly. "She's a whore... a cum dump... a fucking ho." She bursts. The words are so loud and clear.
The stadium suddenly silences the moment the woman exclaims the words. The song ends conveniently for the intended VCR and everyone in their area hears the callous words. All heads snap to where the woman is menacingly staring at... to Daun.
Daun flinches as she habitually hugs herself when she is hurt. The words that seemed to have overpowered by the love of her seven comes crashing to her heart with its new found force. It calls for all the attention inside the stadium. Even the music and stage directors are looking at her. She doesn't want anything else but to evaporate from where she stands or perhaps open the floor and swallow her whole.
"We wouldn't want to work with people who doesn't even know what respect and propriety is." Yoongi's voice growls. The words rumble through the stadium, loud and clear with his microphone on.
The three women then stiffens with the anger that Yoongi's voice bears. The pure rage in his voice makes them realize what they had just done. They are caught belittling their rumored soulmate in 4K. It's clear on Yoongi's face as it is shown in the big screen. His pale face is dead serious. He looks murderous.
"Find another three who could fill in their places." The second eldest points them out one by one. "If you couldn't, they are not a loss for the concert." Yoongi angrily continues as he slowly walks down the stage and approaches Daun. The others follows, finally understanding Yoongi's outburst with the obvious panic and embarrassment on Daun's face.
Daun wants to be swallowed whole right now. Her eyes are downcast as she feels all the staffs are openly looking at her. Some are looking at her pitifully... some are in jealousy... some are in apology. Murmurs are louder than ever. Her body is shaking. Her heart is pained more than ashamed. She wants to cry. However, she cant. She has to be strong... for her seven and for herself.
"I-I..." The woman in magenta squeaks in panic as the seven of them comes nearer to her place only to pass her like she's nothing.
"You, slandering our soulmate is just the same as slandering us-" Jimin grits in his deep Busan dialect.
Seokjin hurriedly hushes the latter with his index finger on the lips.
"We'll have a break." Namjoon immediately informs on the mic for the stage directors before anything more will be said with the loud speakers. The directors then turn off all their microphones.
"You should not be ashamed, sweetheart." Taehyung gently takes her fidgeting hands to his warmth as he sits beside her while Jungkook places his hands on her shoulders for a comforting squeeze.
"I-I didn't-" The woman stutters. "W-we were just talking among o-ourselves..." She tries to act fine and smiles so sweetly.
Namjoon immediately shuts her up with his gaze. His aura oozing with death, if that is not an exaggeration.
"Don't you have something more to say?" The leader asks as he gazes the three paling women, intending them to come on their senses and apologize on their own.
"Joonie~, I didn't say anything. Why is Yoon~ including me? I-I was just listening." The woman in blue complains to the leader as if they are close friends.
"Please escort them out." Jin instructs one of their trusted Korean guards, not a bit interested on hearing them.
"Jinnie... you are not serious right?" The woman in magenta who seemingly understand their language asks with an obvious sweat on her forehead.
"Did I stutter?" Jin asks in a raised brow. His aura too is deadly. His face is devoid of emotion.
The security is taking their arms to escort them away when Jungkook corrects them in a fluent English. "You should use our names properly. You are not ARMY and above all not our soulmate to call us in nicknames. Understand?" He grits his teeth as he did so. His arm muscles are flinching in anger. His hands firm on Daun's shoulders, as if controlling himself from bursting out.
The three are then taken out of the stadium.
Daun deflates on her seat.
"Are you okay?"
"I am." She whispers as she looks up to the concerned faces of her seven. "I think I should wait for you at your room." She shakenly says while sporting a brave smile.
"Daun-ah... Kitten... You don't deserve to hear all that." Yoongi kindly says. His eyes are no longer raging.
"I know." She mutters. She knows that Yoongi hears her pained thoughts and the urge to cry. But she doesn't want to break apart in front of them. She doesn't want to show to the people around that she is weak. And so, she looks at the second eldest with pleading eyes. "Please continue with your rehearsal. Don't mind me." She whispers to the them.
"I just can't let them treat you like that. I heard everything from your perspective. I'm sorry..." Yoongi gingerly answers as he cups her cheeks.
"Please." She begs weakly. She now feels total fatigue. Her soul wilting with the women's words, because however false they are, they still bear fangs that punctured her pride.
Yoongi sighs, unable to argue anymore. He then requests their trusted long-time manager to lead her back to their waiting room. The walk through the halls is so silent. She can't help but walk with her head bowed down. Her eyes on her feet as she takes her steps. Her only concern is how what happened would affect their moods. She worries how they would continue their rehearsal.
Once she arrives, she sits on the couch as she watches their professionalism on the screen. Yet, she can still see the annoyance on their crossed brows and annoyed half smile. They even refuse to rehearse their ending speeches and proceeds to sing the last songs.
"It's a first to see them fuming with anger." The manager breaks her long silence.
"Hmn?" She looks at him, not knowing what to reply.
"I have been with them for how many years now. They have been jolly and kind even with the staffs." The man continues.
"I am so sorry." She apologetically looks at the man who she knows means so much to her seven. He had been serving them loyally and had always been there in the ups and downs of their journeys as idols.
"There is no need to be sorry. You should chin up. Be proud. Your soulmates love you so much for you to cower and be affected by those strangers." The man chuckles. He had told her before that he is thankful that she had arrived in their lives. He is indeed like an older brother to her seven. He looks out for them a lot. "Whatever they say... they don't mean a thing. Just always listen to your heart and to your soulmates'." He continues.
Before she could reply, the door burst open and then his seven spills in the room. The man then winks at her as he excuses himself to give them privacy.
"Babe." Jimin whines and hugs her with all his sweat. "I am so sorry for that."
"It's okay." She says with a bright smile. Their manager is right. Whatever the others say... they are not important. All she has to do is look at them with unfiltered eyes... without the unnecessary words of the people who don't even know her.
"Are you sure you are, okay?" Namjoon peers through her glistening orbs.
"Yes... I am sure." She sweetly replies.
"But why are you crying?" Hoseok melts into her.
"Oh." She gasps as she wipes her tears that she unknowingly sheds.
"I'm sorry if you are hurt with what they said. We asked the other staff near you and you don't deserve whatever they are saying." Jungkook sweetly says with his eyes mirroring Daun's.
"You can cry if you want to. Don't hide it." Yoongi gently coaxes her.
"I... I was not hurt about that." She had internalized already why it affected her that much. It's not just because of how they see her. Gone are the repeated words of discrimination with her papa's haunting voice. It was more of what the women refer her soulmates as. She didn't like their disdainful tone as they talk about her seven. Those women see them as dumb. They see them as nothing like a human being that have feelings. Her heart aches for her seven who always do their best to make everyone happy... who puts their all for their fans... and yet they are still people who belittles them.
"I just didn't like what they say about you." She sniffs.
They coo, understanding so well how she feels. The maknaes are literally melting in front of her and the hyungs are gingerly caressing her back and the top of her head. The actions make her melt as well.
"Let's not ruin this precious day with what happened." Jin says.
"Tell us if you are still feel upset... okay?" Jimin nuzzles her nose as he looks though her eyes.
"Hmn." She hums gratefully. Her love for them is in full bloom. It's making her speechless. She won't let it ruin the entire day... nor the days that will follow.
Author's Note:
Hello dear readers!
I am so happy that you have been reading and voting for this story. It has reached 200k reads and 10k votes already! Thank you...thank you so much!
It's not easy to read a story with so many chapters and with grammatical errors and or misspellings. Actually, I am aware of them and had been edited some. Unfortunately, there are still some errors here and there. That is why I am twice grateful for those who comments about some of these.
Know that I welcome polite criticisms and corrections. I only don't like insults and questionable hate.
By the way... Do you happen to read my other story? I hope you can love "Innocence in Lust" as well. It is also a mature OT7 story.
Thank you again for your votes and comments! I hope your interest never wilts.
- Gigi