Attraction

Part Seventeen

***italics means it's Korean**

The mood had become almost non-breathable.

The guys ushered the girls back to the table where they told them to gather their things to leave. They were not going to stay in a place where one of their friends had just been disrespected. Or before one of them goes back and punches the asshole in the face.

"I'm really ok Namjoon. We don't have to leave," Aila said as the fresh air finally engulfed her body, ears ringing from the loud music.

"Aila, that fucking asshole thought he could just rub up you. That's disgusting. He needs to be kicked out." Nyala hugged Aila as she also approved of Namjoon's decision to leave.

It wasn't a big deal, yet Aila was thankful they wanted to leave. She could still feel the lingering effects of the guy's touch.

"Let's just... all calm down. I'm ok, yes it took me off guard but I would had said something. I'm fine." She smile, feeling her chest heavy at the lie.

"You are not fine, I can see it. Let's leave, please." Brian went up to her and whispered, holding her close to him. She stared at him, feeling the gazes of the others. Her eyes watered as she nodded, finally letting herself feel how scary and ugly it had been, trusting in the people in front of her to not make her feel ashamed of reacting to such a minuscule event.

"Don't do that. That asshole didn't have the right and your reaction is valid." Brian leaned more as he kissed her forehead, feeling the need to protect her take over.

She nodded and looked around, the frustration eminent on the groups of soulmates. Brian stood by her side, keeping close to her. The girls had all taken turns to make sure she was good and the asshole hadn't done more than what they saw.

"I can't believe there are still fuckers that don't understand." Jimin spoke in Korean. The rest didn't understand but his anger was more than noticeable.

"Fuck! I want to go back inside and pulverize that bastard!"

"Guys, please calm down. I know, believe me, we all saw what happened. It shouldn't have happen. Never. But Jungkook you did great in taking care of Aila." Yoongi spoke.

"It just... it fucking makes me mad knowing. I keep on replaying the images and my anger just multiplies."

"And it's understandable Kookie. But she's ok. Let's try to calm down babe." Taehyung went up to the young and rubbed his back as Jungkook took deep breaths. Jungkook leaned into Taehyung, finding his presence calming.

"Is everything okay?" Maria asked as he looked around for an explanation of what they had conversed.

Namjoon decided to give a brief synopsis of why the situation seemed to aggravate them so much, "It was worse. Years ago, women used to get abused or assaulted in clubs. Even when it was bad and very real, people never took the allegations seriously and even when the police would get called, they wouldn't care. It got better over time but it looks like they are still men who can't understand what it means to be a decent human being."

"So it's like this?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Many men just go up to women and touch them, grab them without their permission."

Namjoon looked almost sick, so did the rest of the guys.

"And it was ok?" Maria couldn't believe what Namjoon was saying.

"It was never ok. Our society was even more patriarchal. There used to be no anti-discriminatory laws. A lot of things were not ok."

No one said anything as Namjoon's words settled.

The wind picked up as they stood in a circle, in the same spot where they had previously met. The street was busier, having more people walking around the buildings. The night only seemed to have come more alive under the neon lights.

Nothing seemed to changed. People kept going about their business, moving around as their feet took them to the places they needed to be.

But Aila noticed the stares. They felt heavier tonight.

The glances were more, or maybe they had always been the same, but it was the first time Aila cared about them.

There was just something about the famous group of soulmates that stood out. Their sole energy demanded attention, add on top of that the achievements and talent all of them possessed, it was only natural the attention they seemed to demand whenever they went.

But she had never cared enough to feel the gazes.

She knew why she accepted their suggestion of having out with them in the first place, no questions asked. She looked down at her right hand, ring missing. She had taken it off for tonight. She huffed at how pathetic it was. She said yes to opening a wound.

Her mind had somehow convinced her that spending time with strangers was normal because he cared for them. He liked them. He had introduced them to her.

So if she got to experience BTS then somehow she would be closer to him, her mind making excuses for the real excuse.

Of course it was beyond crazy. Spending time with them. Yet her mind had made up a way of searching for her love in BTS. Maybe they would remind her of him. Maybe they would laugh like he does, or make she feel special like he did.

And now she had been called their slut. It was only matter of time before she or any of the people she cared about would get attacked by the crazy fans.

She dragged everyone because of how selfish she had been.

She would have to talk to Namjoon and apologized but it hurt her heart to walk away. They have been nothing but kind to her. To her kids. To the most important people in her life.

They opened the doors to their home, welcomed them in. Offered nothing but true genuine love and kindness. They weren't strangers anymore. They weren't people she used for her own pleasure, for her own sanity.

"I almost felt bad for the guy. Jungkook would have beat him to the ground." Aila broke the silence and smiled towards Jungkook. He hadn't smiled one bit as they walked out the club. His face maintained a stern look of madness and annoyance.

"Yeah, good thing Joonie moved so quick." Hoseok hugged his Joonie, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Namjoon visibly gushed at the praise and the kiss. Aila looked at the sweet scene in front of of her, somehow loving their affection for one another.

"How about we just head over to our place and drink? These places are not good enough for my presence anyways."

Yes Aila had agreed to met up with them to see if she could find something that reminded her of her husband. If he liked them so much, there must have been at least one thing in common between all of them.

Yet she couldn't help the smile she felt appear on her face at the suggestion.

She couldn't deny now she was feeling the real reason as to why she stayed.