SOUL BONDS ( Under revision )

Chapter 23

Naomi woke up feeling unusually warm—too warm. Her brows furrowed slightly as she shifted, only to realize she couldn't actually move. Something heavy was pinning her down... multiple somethings, actually. Her eyes slowly opened, blinking against the soft morning light filtering through the curtains, and it took her a second to process what she was seeing—and feeling. All of them were in her bed.

Jungkook's arm was draped over her waist, Jimin's leg thrown across hers, Taehyung curled up at her side, and—of course—Namjoon and Jin were practically on top of her. She let out a quiet groan, her head falling back against the pillow. "Why... are we all in my bed?" she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep.

She tried to move again, but Namjoon only shifted slightly, tightening his hold around her. "Joon... baby," she groaned, struggling beneath his weight. "Can you please get up? I have to meet Jackson in like half an hour."

"Mmm..." he murmured, his voice low and rough with sleep. "I'm coming too."

Naomi froze for a split second at the sound of his voice. Even half-asleep, it affected her more than she wanted to admit. She squeezed her eyes shut briefly before shaking her head. "No, baby," she said a little firmer, gently pushing at his shoulder. "You're not. I'm going by myself. You can stay here and sleep."

It took some effort, but she finally managed to slip out from under all of them, carefully untangling herself without waking the others too much. Once she was free, she stretched lightly, rolling her shoulders. "Big babies," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head with a small smile.

She headed to the bathroom and started her routine. The hot shower helped wake her up fully, washing away the lingering sleepiness. Afterward, she went through her skincare routine, taking her time before moisturizing and braiding her hair back neatly. Once that was done, she put on her wig, making sure everything was laid perfectly.

Stepping into her closet, she dropped her towel and began getting dressed. Since the weather was nice, she chose something light—a sleeveless sundress paired with heels. She added a few simple pieces of jewelry, keeping the look soft but put together.

"Where are you going, princess?"

She turned slightly at the sound of Jin's voice, seeing him leaning against the doorway, still looking half-asleep. "Good morning, baby," she said softly, adjusting her dress. "I'm going to meet someone at a café downtown."

Jin walked over slowly, his eyes scanning her outfit before gently fixing a small crease in her dress. "I didn't know you had friends here already," he said. "What's her name? I might know her."

Naomi hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with her bracelet as she looked down. "It's not a girl," she admitted quietly. "It's... a guy. His name is Jackson Wang."

Jin paused for a brief moment before lifting her chin gently, making her look at him. "Princess," he said softly, a small smile forming, "it's okay. I'm not jealous. You don't have to look so nervous."

She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, her shoulders relaxing. "Want me to drop you off?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah... thank you. And do you guys have work today?"

"Yeah," he replied, heading into the bathroom. "In a few hours. We've got to finish recording, then we're finally on break."

Naomi smiled softly to herself, stepping out of the closet and heading back into the room. One by one, she leaned down and pressed soft kisses to each of their heads. "Sleep well," she whispered quietly before grabbing her purse and heading downstairs.

A few minutes later, Jin joined her, and they headed out together. The car ride was calm, the quiet of the morning settling around them as the city slowly came to life. When they arrived at the café, Jin pulled up to the curb.

"Text me when you're done," he said, glancing at her.

"I will," she nodded, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping out.

Inside, Naomi found a seat and waited, scrolling through her phone as time passed. About five minutes later, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She looked up to see Jackson standing there.

"Hi, Naomi," he said with a small smile, taking the seat across from her. "Sorry I'm late. Something came up."

"It's okay," she said with a soft chuckle. "I was early anyway."

He rubbed the back of his neck slightly. "And... I'm really sorry again about yesterday. I seriously need to start paying attention to where I'm going."

Naomi shook her head. "You're fine, really. It wasn't a big deal."

They ordered drinks and started talking, the conversation flowing more easily than she expected. Jackson seemed a bit nervous at first, but he relaxed as time passed. As they talked, she learned that he was 27, which surprised her, and that he worked in music as a rapper. It explained the mask, the guarded behavior, and the way he carried himself.

Still, Naomi stayed observant. She laughed and engaged in the conversation, but part of her remained cautious. There was something about him she couldn't quite place—not necessarily bad, just... hidden.

After a while, she leaned back slightly, studying him as he spoke. He felt familiar in a strange way—comfortable, almost like an older brother figure. But she didn't let that feeling settle completely.

Because if there was one thing Naomi understood, it was that not everyone who seemed safe actually was—and she wasn't the type to let her guard down too quickly.