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Word count: 2171
POV: Hoseok
FREYA SIGNED EVERY single document that was thrown her way. She didn't seem to mind one bit that she was being asked to keep everything secret. Every time Namjoon politely apologized, she waved it off in understanding. Once she had finished signing the last document, she glanced at all of them.
Hobi was on the more hesitant side. He had experienced ten years of people pretending to be his soul mate. Each time they turned out to be lying, it was a stab to the heart. There were only so many jabs somebody could take.
However, he had broken up with Hettie because he was certain he'd finally meet his soul mate. He owed it to Hettie to actually try.
Sejin cleared his throat, "Well, I guess we should ask Freya how she can bring her cousin here."
Freya sighed, "Madeline can be quite stubborn. If she doesn't want to go somewhere, she will refuse. She knows something's up so she won't come here. Perhaps it would be better if we went to my house. I can invite her over?" She suggested, uncertainly.
Hobi noticed she didn't seem as confident asking this. He figured she didn't want to make them uncomfortable.
"Do you live with anyone else?" Sejin asked her in English. Namjoon was quietly translating for them.
"I live with my soul mate, Della. She works every day from twelve to eight." Freya told them, unconsciously touching her soul mark. "She would never reveal who you are. She'll happily sign the NDA as well."
Sejin hummed. Hobi turned to Namjoon and Yoongi who both had pensive expressions on their faces.
Just as they were about to reply, a loud ringtone sounded. Hobi didn't recognize it—he knew all of his brother's ringtones.
A slight blush coated Freya's cheeks as she realized it was coming from her phone. She apologized and pulled her phone out. Hobi watched her expression. A small crease formed between her thin and dark eyebrows.
"It's an unknown number." She murmured, choosing to not accept it.
"Okay, then perhaps we should discuss the logistics of this. We would have to have bodyguards surrounding your place." Sejin started planning it in his head, assuming BTS was on board with this plan. It seemed quite unconventional to do but if Madeline wouldn't come to the hotel, then they'd have to go to her. "Do you have any side doors? A way they can get in without being seen?"
"I live on the bottom floor so I have a back door. You can park around the back of the block. Not many people go that wa—" Freya was interrupted by her ringtone.
A frown appeared on her face. She took her phone out of her pocket and read the screen.
"I'm really sorry. I should take this." She apologized, rising from her seat. Hobi's eyes followed her as she answered the phone in a hushed tone. She left the room quietly, leaving them confused.
"Does anybody else feel like there's something off?" Jin asked the group, scratching the back of his neck.
"I was just about to say the same thing," Jimin mumbled, mashing his lips together.
Hobi felt an awful feeling stir inside of him. He felt like he was about to puke or faint. Casting a quick glance around the room, he noticed his bandmates all had ashen faces. Were they all coming down with something?
He didn't feel ill. It wasn't his body that was ill but something else.
"I feel si—"
Before Taehyung could finish speaking, the double doors were thrown open to reveal a distraught Freya. Without realizing it, Hobi had jumped to his feet.
"What's...wrong?" He asked in broken English, frantically examining Freya from head to toe.
Freya burst into sobs, her knees unbuckling. None of them knew what to do. They were confused about this situation and worried. The heavy, painful feeling worsened. It felt akin to a stone being lodged in his throat.
Sejin—the only person not affected by the strange feeling—approached Freya. He knelt down beside her and gently patted her back, waiting for her to calm down before he questioned her.
All that could be heard in the room was the sound of her agonizing cries. Hobi clutched his chest painfully, alarmed by his racing heart. What was happening?
It took a few minutes for Freya to become coherent. Hesitantly, she lifted her head. Strands of her onyx hair were plastered to her wet, flushed face but she didn't care. Her dark orbs were puffy and sad.
Sejin assisted her to her feet and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to keep her upright. She sniffled again and wiped her snotty nose.
"I—I just got a call from my cousin."
Sejin quickly translated her words, his eyes snapping to them. They all assumed she was referring to Madeline.
"N—not Madeline but her half-brother, Creed. H—he said she's in..." She swallowed harshly, her voice cracking. Hobi was even more concerned now. What had Madeline's brother said to Freya to cause such a reaction? "Hosptial."
Hobi stumbled back. Thankfully, Jungkook was directly behind him. He easily caught hold of Hobi's shoulders, keeping him stable. In any normal situation, he'd thank the maknae. But right now, his thoughts were in overdrive.
Whilst Hobi couldn't understand everything Freya was saying, he knew what the word hospital meant. Madeline was in hospital.
"I don't know a lot. He...he's distraught. She won't wake up," Freya rushed out the rest of the words, crying again.
Sejin recited her words in Korean, his face expressing his devastation.
"H—hospital?" Jimin echoed in English, his eyes wide and shocked. Jimin then turned to Namjoon, swaying from side to side. "What does he mean by that? Why...why would she be in hospital?" He queried in Korean, struggling to comprehend what was happening.
Namjoon encircled his long arm around Jimin's shoulders for support. "I—I don't know."
Their leader—the one who had all the answers—was just as puzzled as them. Hobi hated the situation.
Freya wiped her eyes vigorously and combed her messy hair into a bun. "I'm going to head there now. You..." She stopped, flickering her gaze to them. "If you are her soul mate, please help her. She probably needs you now more than ever."
Sejin translated her words to them.
Hobi suddenly stepped forward, his body working on autopilot. "We'll be there. Tell us where we have to go."
Freya listened to Sejin tell her what he said in English. Freya nodded her head, her eyes swimming with gratitude.
After jotting down the hospital and instructions on where to go, she dashed out of the room, her footsteps thundering on the marble floor.
A lone tear fell from Hobi's eye. Even if Madeline wasn't his soul mate, he felt for her. She was ill—gravely ill. Freya looked tormented by the news.
"What are you guys waiting for? Let's get you to the hospital." Sejin commanded, clapping his hands loudly.
As if their trance was broken, they all jolted into action, grabbing their jackets and racing after their manager.
Hobi was anxious to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. He wanted to see Madeline and find out if she was their soul mate. If she was, he was going to make sure she woke up. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her.
***
THE HORRIBLE STENCH of disinfectant irritated his nose. Adjusting his black mask, he avoided all unfamiliar people and stuck close to the rest of his group. Sejin was leading them down a white, busy hall. Their manager had kindly asked the receptionist where Madeline was. She had given him helpful instructions, oblivious to the seven men behind him, eagerly trying to decipher her words.
His heart was hammering in his chest. The closer he got to Madeline, the harder it felt to breathe. He couldn't tell if it was because he was nervous or if it was the soul mate bond.
Sejin abruptly came to a halt outside a door. He smiled half-heartedly at them. "This is the room."
Gingerly, he knocked on the door and waited patiently for somebody to answer. Hobi desperately wanted to throw the door open and see who was inside. He wanted to know if Madeline was his soul mate.
Roughly ten seconds later, the door partly opened and a small head popped out. Freya. Her eyes circled around the group and landed on Sejin. Hobi didn't miss the flash of surprise that shone in her dark orbs. She didn't think they would come.
"I—uh, she's inside. The doctor said that unless you're her soul mates, no more than two people can be in the room."
Namjoon whispered everything she said to the rest of them. Hobi wanted to groan at the logic. They didn't know if she was their soul mate yet. They had to get inside to figure it out.
Sejin pinched his lips together, "Ah, I see. Well, why don't one of them go inside? If they are soul mates, then the rest of them should be allowed to enter." He suggested.
Freya contemplated it for a second. "Okay." She sighed. "I'll just tell Creed the news."
The moment Namjoon told them what Freya had said, he sprung forward. Unfortunately, so did the rest of them. They all wanted to go inside and find out. This was the moment they had been waiting for.
Normally, in situations like this, they would play rock, paper, scissors to decide. But that felt wrong for this.
Namjoon let out a long breath, "Okay, how should we decide this?"
As much as Hobi wanted to go inside and find out, he knew that they would never decide if none of them backed down. It pained him to know he might not be the first person to meet their soul mate but for his brothers, he would make that sacrifice.
"I don't want to argue about this. I'll stay here." Hobi spoke before the others could butt in. Whilst Namjoon's eyes softened in appreciation, the others all threw him surprised looks.
"I'll do the same," Namjoon added, hiding his disappointment well. Namjoon knew that as the leader if he stepped down, the others would be more likely to do so.
"I think Jimin should go in," Yoongi proposed, firmly.
"What?" Jungkook and Taehyung both asked in unison.
"I know you also never gave up but Jimin has been the one holding out the most hope. He has been trying to convince us—to keep our faith in the bond. If anybody should go in first, it's him." Yoongi explained.
He was right. Jimin was the first to console the others to not give up. Taehyung didn't date anyone but he also struggled to hold out hope constantly. Jimin never doubted. He knew they would meet their soul mate.
It only seemed right Jimin should go inside. He deserved to.
"I agree with Yoongi," Hobi backed his hyung.
"I do too," Jin said straight after.
"Me three," Jungkook also piped up.
All eyes fell on Taehyung. He bounced his gaze from the room to Jimin. "You should go in, Jimin. They're right. You've been strong for so long."
Jimin's eyes pooled with tears. "Thank you."
Hobi's heart melted. They could all hear the sincerity in his voice.
Just then, the door whooshed open but not wide enough to let them get a glance inside. Two forms stepped out with their heads hanging low. One was Freya and the other was a tall stranger.
He scanned the others but said nothing. An air of sorrow circled around him. Hobi had never seen someone look so hopeless.
"Whoever is going in can now," Freya muttered to Sejin.
Sejin bobbed his head up and down and looked at Jimin. Inhaling a shaky breath, Jimin stepped forward and wrapped his fingers around the door handle. Before he entered, he took one last look at his brothers. Once he left that room, he would have to tell them whether Madeline was their soul mate or not. It was a big deal.
"It'll all be okay," Jin assured in a soothing voice. They all knew that he couldn't be certain of that but were thankful for his support.
With that, Jimin opened the door and strolled inside. The door shut with a click behind him, leaving them in the hall, waiting to find out.
Hobi found himself repeating Jin's words in his own head. It'll all be okay. He hoped more than anything that it would turn out true.
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