SOUL BONDS ( Under revision )

Chapter 17

"Ughhhhh, go awayyyy, Jinnnnnnn..." Naomi groaned, burying her face deeper into the pillow as she blindly shoved at him. "Don't you have something better to do?" she whined, half-asleep and completely unwilling to move. Jin chuckled softly, leaning down so his lips brushed against her ear. "You know you have to get up, princess. We have a lot to do today." She groaned louder. "But it's five in the morning." "It's concert day," he reminded her calmly. "Exactly... I need my beauty sleep." Jin sighed, clearly amused. "Alright. Since you don't want to get up, we'll do this the hard way." Before she could react, the warm covers were ripped off her body, and she was thrown over his shoulder. "JIN—PUT ME DOWNNNNN!" she shrieked, kicking her legs uselessly. Smack. Naomi froze. "Did you just—" she gasped. Jin smirked. "Yup." "My ass is already sore!" she complained. "Should've thought about that before," he shot back, completely unbothered. "You're sick," she muttered as he carried her into the bathroom and set her down. "Get ready," he said simply before walking out.

Naomi stood there for a second, blinking in disbelief. "Why do I have to get up so damn early..." she grumbled, dragging herself to the sink. She brushed her teeth slowly, yawning every few seconds before stepping into a hot shower. The warmth helped ease her sore muscles, and she stayed in longer than she probably should have, letting the steam calm her nerves. After about thirty minutes, she stepped out, wrapped a towel around herself, and went through her skincare routine carefully. Once she was done, she walked to her room, humming softly as she searched through her closet. After a good ten minutes of debating, she settled on a jean jumpsuit, pairing it with green and white Nikes and her red-and-yellow Chanel purse. She installed her long wig, laid her edges neatly, and kept her makeup light.

When she walked into the kitchen, she spotted Namjoon immediately. "Hey, babydoll," he greeted, reaching over to kiss her forehead. "You ready for today?" She sat beside him, exhaling softly. "As ready as I'll ever be." He studied her face. "Nervous?" "A little," she admitted. Namjoon smiled gently. "No need to be. We'll all be right there with you." She glanced at him and smiled faintly. "You better be." "Oh, we will," he said confidently. Just then, Taehyung walked in dramatically. "Are we hyping Naomi without me?" "Yes," Namjoon replied. "Rude," Tae gasped, walking over. "Naomi, you're going to be amazing. I might faint watching you." She laughed. "Please don't faint mid-performance." "No promises." Jungkook walked in next, hair messy. "If he faints, I'm leaving him there." "You wouldn't dare," Tae scoffed. "I absolutely would," Jungkook shrugged, grabbing a drink. Naomi giggled, her nerves easing slightly. "Alright, let me go get ready," Namjoon said, standing. "Don't go anywhere." "No promises," she teased.

Later, during practice, Naomi realized she couldn't rehearse in her outfit and ended up digging through Jungkook's clothes. "Don't stretch my hoodies out," he called. "I am not that big," she shot back. "I didn't say you were," he smirked. Rolling her eyes, she bent down to grab a shirt—but froze when a shadow loomed over her. Min. Naomi didn't even look up at first. "What do you want?" she muttered. Min leaned closer, her voice low and sharp. "Just wanted to remind you... this won't last." Naomi scoffed. "Go die." Min smirked. "Oh, and tell Jimin I said break a leg," she added sweetly before walking away. Naomi straightened slowly, her brows furrowing. "What the hell does that mean..." she muttered under her breath. "Princess, come on!" Namjoon called. "Coming!" she yelled back, shaking it off for now.

They ran through the routine three times, the energy high despite the early hour. By the end, everyone was sweaty but satisfied. "Not bad," Yoongi muttered. "Not bad?" Jimin scoffed. "We killed that." "Relax," Yoongi replied. "Save that energy for the stage." Soon, it was time to head to the venue. Naomi changed back into her clothes and walked outside, spotting Yoongi by his car. "Riding with me?" he asked. "Obviously," she smiled, sliding into the passenger seat. As he started driving, he reached over and took her hand. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly. She glanced at him. "Nervous... again." He brought her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it. "You'll be okay." She smiled faintly. "You always say that." "And I'm always right," he replied calmly. A familiar song started playing—Sweater Weather. Naomi smiled wider. "You did that on purpose." "Maybe." "You're so predictable." "And you love it." "...I do."