A/N: Please read important note at the bottom! Now read on.

Over her lifetime, Lee Jiwon found that she only needed herself; because she learned to become self-sufficient. She had created a stronghold of sorts, only to be broken down by a knight in shining armour.

Things changed. She neglected nights out with friends in favour of a quiet night in with her favourite hand to hold as the TV plays, followed by late night dessert runs to whatever was open at the time. Even an individual as against PDA as she usually was, she gladly gives Taehyung that freedom to hug her and peck her on the cheeks as he pleases. It even satisfies her to know that he does it often. As much as he loves her, she may even love him back. Things were perfect.

Nevertheless, she would doubt it all sometimes— wonder if these memories had been real or just a sick illusion. Because in this world, the chances of making it work with someone who isn't your soulmate is almost zilch, so slim that most people just avoid attempting it. Jiwon is probably insane for letting it all happen when she could have easily said 'no' all those months ago.

"Hey, what's the rush? I'm seeing you tomorrow anyway, right?" Yoonseo asks, seating herself in the opposite seat.

It's about three in the afternoon on a weekday, so it's not surprising the cafe is bustling with customers enjoying their much-needed dosages of caffeine. When she settles, Yoonseo takes note of Jiwon's silence. "What's wrong? Did Taehyung do something?"

Jiwon curls a finger in the ends of her hair. She finds herself speechless because Yoonseo, despite being blunt and noisy is actually a prime example of a proper young lady and not knowing what her reaction will be starts a panic.

It's then that a waiter stops at their table. While her friend places her drink order, Jiwon has some time to think to herself, to line up the words in her head and to prepare for the worst.

When he leaves, Yoonseo cringes at Jiwon's blank expression. There is nothing but empathy in her voice. "Was it bad? Should I go smack him across the head for you?"

"No, no— don't do that. Tae treats me like a princess."

"Then what's the problem? You guys are so cute together! I'm so jealous that you found your—"

"—Don't!" Jiwon shouts, eyes scrunched shut, the sheer volume of her voice frightening the customers seated nearby. In the centre of the cafe, an elderly man spills coffee onto his table. "Just don't say that— that word, please." 

"What word? 'Soulmate'?" Yoonseo leans in with an uncharacteristic frown and the other gulps involuntarily. "Alright, what the hell happened?" 

The words take some time to form.

"Ok, I haven't exactly been... truthful," Jiwon finally says mirroring what Taehyung had said to her 6 months earlier.

"About what? You're driving me mad. Spit it out."

"Taehyung isn't my soulmate."

There it is, all out in the open, but as expected, it is no relief.

"Wha— why? Didn't he say you were his? So..."

"He did. But my soulmate is... is actually some guy named 'Rap Monster', not 'Kim Taehyung'. And if Tae's telling the truth, his soulmate must be someone else with my name."

Yoonseo's eyebrows are furrowed and her lips parted. She becomes silent for some time, as if trying to digest the new information. But the name, 'Rap Monster'? Yoonseo is still too perplexed to laugh at that. The girl on the other end of the table just waits for the imminent lash out, because afterwards Yoonseo always gives good advice... right?

"Oh my God, Jiwon, what have you done? Why in the world would you date someone that's not your soulmate? You know that relationships like that never work out, you knew it goddamnit, you knew it." Yoonseo is already angrily half-yelling, only remembering to keep her volume down for the sake of the other customers. "You've been lying your whole life then!" 

"I know. Trust me, I know," Jiwon's body is sunken into her seat. Her fingers are cold and so she seeks warmth from the mug of coffee on the table. "I just thought that maybe I could prove everybody wrong, you know? Like your parents, they're not soulmates... right?"

"Right, they're not. But you know what else, Jiwon?" Her voice is raised. "They also fight every night. About the stupidest things. It drives me up the freaking wall! If you guys ever have kids, you're just gonna drive them crazy too."

"I really like him, Yoonseo," she declares. Jiwon feels like a ball of tangled yarn; the mess feels endless. "It'll work. I promise I can make it work." 

"You can't— you cannot make it work, why the hell don't you understand that?"

"What can't work? Something broken?" Says a voice from behind and Jiwon immediately recognises it to be her boyfriend's. At once, they note that Taehyung's hair is newly dyed to a chestnut brown, dark and lustrous.

"Oh, your hair..." Jiwon points. Yoonseo is also wide-eyed and staring; the natural look fits him like a glove.

"Does it look good?" Taehyung asks, straightening his bangs. He shuffles his weight between his two feet. "I've been thinking that I stand out too much when I'm with Jiwon, so yeah."

Yoonseo shoots said girl with a quick glance. The boy is really way too sweet for his own good. But she knows better than to interfere, so she puts on her best face.

"You're here early," Jiwon comments, neither frowning nor smiling and still adapting to her boyfriend's 'normal' hair colour.

"Hm? No, I said I'd pick you up at 3:30, right?" A glance down at his wristwatch tells him it's already 3:45 in the afternoon. "I'm a little late, actually. So what's broken?" 

Like always, Yoonseo is quick to think of an excuse. "Ah, my alarm clock just broke in the morning. Jiwon keeps telling me to fix it, but I think I should just buy a new one. What do you think, Tae?" 

"Hm," he pulls up a seat from another table, lowering himself into it. Jiwon etches his next words into her brain because they're words to live by. "In that case, I think you should just do whatever makes you happy, don't think too much. If you wanna fix it, then fix it. If you wanna buy a new one, go ahead."

"But what would you do?"

"Me?" He props his chin on his hand, thinking harder with more brainpower than the actual question intended.  "I'd fix the clock. Ah— before we leave, I'll go to the bathroom."

When Taehyung is just out of ear's reach, Yoonseo heaves a heavy sigh like she finds difficulty in her next words. "Jiwon... I want you to understand that no matter your decision, I'll support you, ok?"

Jiwon doesn't bother hiding the shock on her face. "You want me to fix the clock?"

"Just do what makes you happy. The last thing I want is for you to cry. I'll trust your instincts." She stands to her feet, adjusting the sweater over her shoulders. Jiwon can tell at a glance she's not entirely comfortable with the idea. "This one's on me. Tell Taehyung I said bye, alright? See you Saturday!"

"Sure… thanks, Yoonseo."

The couple are once again met up with the others at Namjoon's humble abode, this time for dinner. His parents don't appear to be home this time either. The boy of the house doesn't say much when she walks in, even when she greets him amiably. If she did know any better, she would've thought he wasn't overly fond of her.

"Hey baby, I'll go help out Jin in the kitchen, ok?"

Taehyung seems to hesitate a little. "Alright, I'll join the others then."

In the open-plan kitchen, Seokjin is spotted slicing and dicing pork with a practiced hand. "What's for dinner tonight, Jin? Should I help?"

"Oh yeah," the knife-wielding boy sighs with an air of relief. "I'm feeling pork fried rice and barbeque for tonight. The boys are too busy arguing about which album to play next."  

Skool Luv Affair, Hwayangyeonhwa Parts 1 and 2 as well as Dark&Wild from a group called BTS are the main contenders. But as she picks up a cleaver, crushing a garlic clove to a pulp, something else piques her attention.

"Are you guys kidding?" Jimin asks. "Did you forget RM came up with a new album?"

"Ya. I haven't released it yet." Jiwon barely processes the rapper's soft words.

"Come on, you're the 'Rap Monster'! I'm sure you can show us."

The knife comes down.

'Rap Monster'? Did he—... Kim Namjoon is Rap Monster? Holy sh—

"Oh my god, Jiwon! Stop! STOP!" Seokjin's shrill shrieks ring out and she drops her head to see red hot blood, pooling on the counter. It runs in scarlet rivers down her finger, the knife still stuck deep in the raw, weeping flesh. One thing was for sure, it was going to be a to clean.

"Crap, Joon! Where's your first-aid kit?" Taehyung shouts when he also lays eyes on the gory mess, gripping the knuckle of her first finger to help stop the leak. "Baby, does it hurt?" 

For some reason, the pain isn't there, as if her wound had already been numbed. She shakes her head quickly.

When the wound is nicely patched up, courtesy of Hoseok, she is pushed up and out of the kitchen, possibly banned forever. Guiding her by the arm and with a hand on her waist, Taehyung nudges her into an empty spot on the black leather sofa in between himself and Jungkook.

Namjoon, who is sitting idly in an armchair on the other side, eyes her cautiously. When the chosen album finally plays, the conversation switches to one about last night's basketball game. Naturally, she tunes out. Jiwon pulls out her phone, furiously tapping at the screen with her free hand while Taehyung lovingly holds the injured one in place on his lap. There is one thing she's dying to confirm. Rap Monster... Rap Monster... Oh, here it is!

"Born on 12 September, Rap Monster AKA Kim Namjoon..." 

She parts her lips, but any words to come out become stuck in . And with his debut date only a few months ago, it's no wonder he was non-existent on the internet previously. This begs another question: am I Namjoon's soulmate? No way. But she has to be, judging by the evidence. Loudly, the thought trundles through her brain like a freight train and her face drops faster than a bag of cement.

Jiwon bites down on her lip when she steals a glance at her boyfriend also appearing to be zoning out on the conversation. His gaze is stilled on the floor. Veins pop up along the length of his neck as he does so, but the hold on her hand is as gentle as the tickle of a feather. She can't bring herself to smile; in fact, she can feel tears already welling up, but she fights them back well.

"Guys," Taehyung suddenly announces. "Jiwon's feeling a bit ill, so I'll take her home."

"But I'm ok."

"No, you're not," his word is final, surprising even his friends. "I'm walking you home."

"Oh, ok. Take care, Jiwon. Rest up!" The boys bid farewell, exchanging uneasy glances amongst themselves as the couple leave.

The rows of shops are now replaced by rows of sky-scraping apartment buildings. As Taehyung and Jiwon walk hand-in-hand, she no longer recognises the street names. "Where are we going, Tae? I thought we were going to my place."

"To a dark alleyway."

Jiwon can only hope this is another one of his jokes. "You're kidding... right?"

"Of course I'm kidding, baby." Taehyung stops briefly, turning to squeeze her cheeks gently between his fingers. "Did I scare you?"

Jiwon swats away his fingers. "Pfft, no. Where are we going then?"

"My place."

"Your place?" Her eyes bulge out of her skull and she yanks back on his hand. "Baby, I know we've been dating a while, but I'm not sure that I'm ready to meet your parents yet..."

"It's ok, they're not home," is his simple response.

Soon, they arrive at the wooden doors of a grand residence, set far back from the curb. With an enormous brick exterior and large arched windows metres high draped with soft-looking grey curtains, the home is a substantial size for a family of 5.

Inside, not a peep is heard. Not even the typical sounds that houses make; not the constant humming of the refrigerator, not even the squeaking of the floorboards beneath the soles of their feet.

"Are your brother and sister not home either?"

Taehyung exhales in relief upon crashing upon the couch in the spacious living room. "Nope. It's rare for them to be home on a Saturday; probably out with their soulmates."

"Oh, they've already found their soulmates?" 

"Yeah, even earlier than their eldest brother," Taehyung rolls his eyes, extending a hand to her when he stands. The grip on her hands is tight. "Here, come upstairs with me."

"Wait— what if your parents come home?"

"Why're you worried about that, baby? You're gonna be meeting them anyway, right?" Taehyung says carefully taking note of her wandering pupils. She appears unsure, but he can only hope he's overthinking. "They'll be more than happy to meet you, you know."

Taehyung's comment makes her squirm in her socks. "Because... I'm your soulmate?"

"Of course, now come on! I'll show you the room I grew up in."

Jiwon finds herself in a clean moderately-sized room; its walls painted a pale grey shade. Within it sits a double bed and above it a little window with a view of the city lights popping up as it becomes increasingly dark. It's exactly how she imagined her boyfriend's room to be.

Taehyung strolls over to the edge of the bed, stripping himself of his down jacket and sneakers before stretching out on the mattress. He pats the surface just as she did all those months ago. "Come lie down with me."

And she does so, wordlessly. For some time, they lay together on their backs in the stillness; neither one of them speaking a word, but it's not an uncomfortable silence.

"Can I ask you a question?" Taehyung nudges her sides, ensuring that his girlfriend hasn't fallen asleep.

"Mhm," Jiwon replies, keeping her eyes on the plain ceiling.

"Do you feel comfortable with me?"

There's a certain answer already on the tip of her tongue. Jiwon turns her head to the side to stare into glossy, longing eyes already gazing back. Her voice softens a tad. "Of course, you're my boyfriend. I feel the most comfortable with you."

"Really?" Taehyung's eyes light up against the dimly lit room. "Like really really?"

"Really really."

And on the bed, he pulls her body close with both arms, nuzzling the crown of her head. Jiwon rests her head on his shoulder comfortably as if his curves and dips were especially contoured just for her. With one arm, he encloses her hips and with his free hand, he softly rubs at the scalp beneath her fragrant hair, running his fingers through them like a waterfall. He leaves a series of gentle pecks at the top of her head, prompting her to wake from her little daze. Lifting the arm on her hip, he uses this hand to cup her cheeks. It's not a physical force that brings them together, instead it's the sheer magnetism that always lingers around them like a thick fog.

Legs become entangled, hands roam and lips caress each other like two delicate pink roses and move in a way that brings a true high. The kiss is passionate and calculated, until their lungs scream in unison. But the kiss only deepens, becoming more desperate with each of the tongue and with each strained moan. Taehyung's kisses soon become Jiwon's salvation. She had expected goose bumps and tingles, but is pleasantly surprised when she receives magical fireworks instead, bright sparks flying in every direction.

"Your lips are so... perfect," he grumbles between kisses. By now she's completely forgotten her one true soulmate.

Taehyung doesn't dwell on the fact that his moves may be too intimate because what he wants is only one thing. And so he finally pulls away from her lips, only to reach out again for a tight hug. This time he holds on for dear life, readying himself for his next words, because to him, they carry the mass of a million stars.

Despite the lack of oxygen, she manages to squeak out a few words. "Are you ok—"

"—I need you, Jiwon."

We can definitely make it work. I can fix the clock.

 A/N:

Heya guys! H here!

First of all, a huge thanks to everyone following the unraveling of my story.

This may be my last chapter for a few months because I have other commitments :(

There's so much to prepare and so little time, so I've found it difficult to sit for long periods and write like I have been. So instead, I'll find time to write bits at a time, so it makes sense that posting chapters will take a little more time...

I definitely have more ideas in store for this story, so please don't tune out! In the meantime, check out my other stories!

Thanks everybody!

PS. Lemme know what you think about the story in the comments! I'll be replying, won't completely disappear from the community!