ᴍɪɴᴇ | ʙᴛs ʜʏʙʀɪᴅ ғғ

༻ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ x༺

sᴜɴʜᴇᴇ's ᴘᴏᴠ

The moment that van drove off, I swear I heard my heart shattering into a million minuscule pieces. Fingers clutched the shopping bags tightly, my jaw clenched as I forcefully ripped my gaze away from the vehicle and onto Hobi. 

He warmly smiled down at me, not wasting a second taking the bags from my hands and stealing another quick kiss—I loved this man too much to be healthy. It was just the simple things that really boosted my shitty mood.

You'll see them later. It's not the end of the world.

I kept repeating that mantra, finally focusing on reality. A human male—likely Sejin—had just exited the entrance of this medium-sized studio, not appearing as anything special. Though, everything was well kept—from the neatly trimmed bushes, the smooth gravel void of litter, and the freshly cleaned windows that sparkled from beneath the sun rays.

"Everything will be fine, alright?" Hobi had leaned down to whisper in my ear, using his free hand to comfortingly rub at my lower back, the tension easing out in seconds. I nodded, sending him a smile in return before we were focusing back on the man who had stopped in front of us.

"Ms. Lee and her soulmate I presume?" He asked with a tiny smile, nothing ill-intended behind it. I visibly relaxed more at his milder scent, not smelling of heavy cologne or anything problematic to the nose.

"That's us. Are you Sejin?" I asked carefully, unconsciously flickering my eyes around the surrounding area, wondering if we're supposed to be more thoroughly hidden. 

"That's me. Wonderful!" He clasped his hands together before they were soon digging in his pants pocket, pulling out two lanyards with laminated cards dangling from them. "I'll give you both a quick rundown before we go inside." His demeanor soon shifted into that of a serious one, keeping the kindness in his voice. 

Holding up the lanyards, we both took them. On closer inspection, the word 'guest' was written in big bold letters. "These will give you access to freely watch the shoot, but considering not many have these, try not to draw too much attention towards yourselves. Those with these cards are either family members of staff or interns for the photographer. If someone asks, just say I'm your... distant uncle?" He chuckled a bit at his last words, causing the two of us to join in.

"Alright uncle. Anything else?" I kidded, grinning when he started to smile wider at my words. I quite liked this human.

"Yes actually. The shoot is scheduled to last two hours max, but that could vary depending on a few things. After it's over, I'll come get you and we'll head straight to the company with the boys." He paused, seeming hesitant to say this next part. My eyes narrowed on him, anxious to know what he'd have to say next. "I'm so very sorry about this, but the company has required you to wear... this choker." His lips pursed as he pulled out the object from his other pocket.

"Are you serious?" It came to my surprise when a baffled scoff sounded from Hobi, scowling at the item in his hand. I visibly saw his jaw harden, that cinnamon increasing in large quantities as it started to smell spicier compared to its mellowness. "She's not an animal." A growl slipped from his lips, standing in front of me protectively.

I had to stop myself from swooning over him, focusing on the problem at hand. My lips pulled down into a frown, ultimately realizing why they wanted me to wear this. 

My marks. 

I remained silent as Sejin quickly explained. "No no you've mistaken me. They want her to wear it to cover her marks, regrettably, since some may connect the dots upon seeing them." He sighed with a grim smile, peeking around Hobi's shoulder to look at me. "I do apologize for this, they wanted to be extra cautious."