The A-Z of Love

Turbulence

Zoey woke up to the sound of hushed voices and the delicious smell of breakfast wafting through the apartment. After getting dressed, she went to the kitchen where she found Wooyoung and Seonghwa cooking. Yunho and Jungho were sitting at the table.

Hongjoong walked in behind her and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder as he leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"Good morning, Zoey."

"Morning. Cooking?"

The leader chuckled.

"We noticed that someone did some cleaning yesterday. This is to say thank you."

"Oh, that's okay. I just -"

"Couldn't bear the mess anymore? That is our fault. Sorry."

Wooyoung turned around.

"Zoey, sit down. I feed you."

She sat down at the table next to Jongho and Wooyoung put down a plate in front of her. It looked like a traditional Western breakfast: sausages, bacon, eggs, and toast.

"Thank you."

Hongjoong sat down too.

"We have a surprise for you today."

"Surprise?"

Seonghwa smiled as he put down plates in front of Hongjoong and Jongho.

"We take you to our company. Where we work."

"Really?!"

After breakfast, they all headed out. As they pulled up to the company's building, Zoey couldn't help but feel a mix of nerves and excitement.

Inside, they were greeted warmly by the staff. The building was bustling with activity.

First, they led Zoey to the dance studio.

Wooyoung grabbed her hand.

"Come on, Zoey! Dance with me!"

Zoey hesitated, feeling a bit shy.

"I'm not sure, Wooyoung. I'm not a great dancer."

He grinned as he shook his head at her.

"Nonsense! I teach you. Just follow my lead."

Despite her initial reluctance, Wooyoung's infectious energy and gentle encouragement slowly eased her nerves. He spun her around, making her giggle, and soon she was moving to the beat, albeit awkwardly. The others watched, cheering them on and clapping to the rhythm.

After the impromptu dance session, Hongjoong took Zoey to the studio where he spent a lot of his time writing songs and making music.

"Do you want to hear what I am working on?"

Zoey's eyes widened in excitement.

"Really?!"

Hongjoong smiled and nodded. He moved a spare chair next to his desk and motioned for her to sit in it. Then he sat in his desk chair and fiddled on his computer. Bringing up a file, he plays a bit of the last song he was working on. The melody was captivating, and Zoey found herself nodding along to the music.

"Wow, that's awesome, Joong!"

He studied her as he smiled. There was something about seeing her vibing with his music that made him feel warm inside.

"Thank you, Zoey. I'm glad you like it."

Hongjoong showed her a few other things, guides for past songs, and what programs he uses. A while later, he turned to her to have a more serious conversation.

"Zoey, I saw you looked at schools here, in Seoul."

Zoey was taken aback, unsure of how to respond. She hesitated, but Hongjoong's encouraging gaze reassured her.

"I was thinking about leaving next week and coming back in the summer and leaving again... and I had this idea. If I go to university here, we can be together."

Her soulmate reached out his hand to cover hers in a comforting gesture.

"If you want to do that, we will be very happy, but you don't have to do it for us. We can make things work long distance."

Zoey looked down at her lap and stared at their joined hands. Talking about being apart from her soulmates was making her sad again.

"But I don't know if I'm good enough to get into a university here."

"Don't let that stop you from trying. It is up to you, but we will support you."

Zoey felt a surge of gratitude and a bit of hope.

"Thank you."

Hongjoong's phone pinged.

"The others are leaving now. You can go with them."

"Can I stay?"

"I have to work. Sorry."

"That's okay. I can just sit here. I won't disturb you."

The leader realised that his new soulmate just wanted to spend time with him, to be near him, in whatever form that took. It hurt his heart a little that he obviously hadn't been spending enough time with her while she was here.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Of course you can."

Zoey sat in Hongjoong's studio with him for the rest of the day. They paused for lunch and chatted about little things, such as their likes and dislikes. She watched him work, played on her phone, and daydreamed the afternoon away, but she was happy. Just being near him brought her a sense of peace and she enjoyed seeing his world, his every day. When she went back home she would be able to picture him clearly whenever she knew he was working.

At some point she must have dozed off because she woke up to the sound of Hongjoong calling her name. It was time to head home. He held her hand as they walked through the building to the car, and she tried not to pout when he let go so they could get in.

The others were waiting for them and amongst the hello's Wooyoung called out.

"Zoey so cute when sleeping!"

Zoey just looked confused, but Hongjoong frowned at Wooyoung and then at the rest of his soulmates. Yeosang held his hands up.

"I swear I didn't show it to him, Hyung."