SOUL BONDS ( Under revision )

Chapter 16

They had been working nonstop. The final practice pushed everyone to their limits—hours of repetition, corrections, sweat clinging to their skin, and muscles burning with every move. The concert was tomorrow, and everything had to be perfect. Everyone was exhausted, but Naomi was unraveling.

She tried to hide it, but the nervous energy clung to her like a second skin. Her thoughts wouldn't slow down, her chest felt tight, and every "what if" replayed over and over again in her mind. The boys had noticed immediately. They checked on her constantly—soft touches, quiet questions, lingering glances. It should have overwhelmed her, but instead, it grounded her. It reminded her she wasn't alone.

"Princess."

Her head snapped up, eyes slightly wide as she looked at Namjoon. "Huh?"

He chuckled, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "You coming? Or are you planning to spend the night in the studio?"

Her cheeks warmed. "I'm coming," she mumbled quickly, rushing to gather her things as the others began filing out. The studio emptied quickly, laughter and chatter echoing down the hallway. Naomi followed behind, her mind still spinning, her focus slipping.

And that's when she walked straight into someone.

The impact wasn't hard, but it was enough.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Naomi said immediately, bowing her head without looking up.

Silence followed.

Then a slow, mocking exhale.

"You should be."

Naomi froze. There was something in that tone—sharp, venomous. Slowly, she lifted her head, and her stomach dropped.

Min stood in front of her, arms crossed, eyes dark and locked onto her like she had been waiting for this moment.

Naomi's expression shifted instantly, her apology gone. "What do you want?" she asked flatly, her voice losing all warmth.

Min tilted her head, a small, unsettling smile creeping onto her lips. "Funny," she said softly. "You didn't even ask if I was okay."

Naomi let out a dry laugh. "Because you are. So skip the act."

The smile on Min's face widened. "I've been watching you," she said, her voice dropping lower. "You cling to them like you'll fall apart without them. It's... pathetic."

Naomi's jaw tightened. "You don't know me," she replied calmly, though her fingers curled slightly at her sides.

"Oh, but I do," Min whispered, stepping closer. "I know the way you look at them... like they're your whole world." Her eyes flickered with something darker. "And I know they used to look at me like that."

Naomi stilled.

Min leaned in just enough for her words to feel personal. "They were mine first."

A pause.

Then Naomi laughed—loud, sharp, cutting through the tension. "You're delusional," she said, shaking her head. "They're not objects. You don't 'own' them."

Min's expression cracked for a split second, revealing something deeper—something obsessive. "I don't have to own them," she snapped. "I just have to remind them."

Naomi's eyes hardened. "Remind them of what? Someone they clearly left behind?"

That hit.

Min's face twisted, anger flashing across her features. "You think this is over?" she hissed. "You think they won't get tired of you? Of your issues? Of your constant need for attention?"

Naomi stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "Say what you really mean," she said coldly. "You're mad because they chose me."

Min's eyes darkened further. "I'm going to take them back," she whispered, her voice eerily calm. "Piece by piece. And when I do... I want you to remember this moment. The moment you thought you had something permanent."

Naomi didn't hesitate. She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping into something quiet and dangerous. "Try it."

Then she stepped past her, deliberately bumping her shoulder hard enough to send a message. "Stay out of my way," Naomi muttered before walking off without looking back.

By the time she reached the car, her face was neutral—but her mind wasn't.

"What took you so long, kitten?" Jimin asked, pulling her into his lap the second she got in.

She exhaled softly, letting herself sink into him. "Min."

That was all it took.

The atmosphere in the car shifted instantly.

"What did she say?" Yoongi asked, his voice low.

Naomi rolled her eyes, trying to brush it off. "The usual. Talking about how she's going to 'take you back' like you're some kind of prize."

Jungkook's jaw tightened. "She said that?"

"Yeah," Naomi shrugged, though there was tension in her shoulders. "She's obsessed. It's honestly getting old."

Namjoon glanced at her through the mirror. "Did she touch you?"

Naomi shook her head. "No. Just ran her mouth."

Jimin's arms tightened slightly around her. "She shouldn't even be near you."

"She won't be," Jin said firmly from the front. His tone was calm, but there was an edge beneath it that made Naomi straighten slightly.

She didn't respond right away. Instead, she leaned back into Jimin, letting his presence calm her down.

"She can't take us," Jimin murmured softly near her ear. "We're not going anywhere."

"Damn right," Taehyung added.

Naomi smiled faintly. They always knew what to say.

When they got home, the tension hadn't fully disappeared, but it had settled into something quieter. As Naomi stepped out of the car, Jin's voice stopped her.

"Naomi."

She turned.

"Come with me."

Her heartbeat picked up slightly, but she nodded and followed him inside. Upstairs, his room felt quieter than the rest of the house—more private, more controlled. He closed the door behind them and turned to face her.

"Look at me," he said.

She did.

"You don't brush things like that off," he continued, his voice steady but firm. "If someone threatens you—even indirectly—you tell us."

"I didn't want to make it a big deal," she admitted softly.

"It is a big deal," he replied immediately. "You are a big deal."

That made her pause.

His expression softened slightly as he stepped closer. "You don't have to handle everything on your own."

Naomi swallowed, her walls lowering just a little. "She just... got in my head for a second."

Jin reached out, gently lifting her chin. "And that's exactly why we don't ignore it."

There was a quiet moment between them before he pulled her into his arms—not tight, not urgent, just steady.

"You're safe here," he murmured.

Naomi exhaled slowly, her body finally relaxing.

And for the first time since the encounter... she wasn't thinking about Min.