The reawakened soul link

Chapter 32

yoongi took Chanyeol to the studio so we could talk as I walked into the living room, where Stacy had made herself comfortable, a smug expression plastered on her face. I sat across from her, not bothering to hide my annoyance anymore.

She crossed her arms, rolling her eyes like she had already won whatever unspoken battle was happening between us.

"Let's talk" I said, my voice firm, cutting through the silence like a knife.

Stacy's lips curled into a mocking smile. "About what?" she asked, her tone dripping with false sweetness.

"We need to figure out how to coexist" I stated plainly, locking eyes with her. "Because if we don't, no one is going to have any peace."

She let out a scoff, clearly amused by my attempt at diplomacy. "Coexist? With you? Why should I" she sneered. "You're the problem here."

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my temper in check. "What exactly did I do to become such a problem for you?"

She leaned forward, her eyes flashing with anger. "First, you waltz into the apartment like you own the place. You were so rude and arrogant and don't even get me started on the way you flirt with my boyfriend."

I could see the boys shifting uncomfortably, ready to jump in, but I stopped them with a glance. "This is between us" I said, keeping my voice steady.

"Alright, let's break this down" I began, trying to remain calm despite the rising tension. "I stayed at the apartment so it was my home. I never once asked you for anything and I kept to myself. If you felt like I was ignoring you, it's because I was busy. I didn't even know my own soulmates were in the room half the time if they didn't make contact with me."

"Exactly!" she snapped, her voice rising. "You never once acknowledged me when I walked into a room. Not a single greeting, nothing!"

"Neither did you" I countered, genuinely baffled by her reasoning. "I was focused on my work. I didn't see you half the time. How was I supposed to greet you when I didnt know you were even there? Why didn't you greet me?"

"Because it's the culture!" she shot back, looking around the room for support. "In Korea, you're supposed to greet your elders when they walk into a room!"

It took a moment for her words to sink in. "So, you demand respect for the culture's sake?" I said slowly, "But you refuse to learn the language? Why should I show you respect if you won't even do the bare minimum?"

Her face flushed with anger, and she stammered, "T-that's not the point! The point is, everything was fine until you showed up. Everyone was nice to me and then you come in and turn everyone against me!"

It wasn't just about cultural differences. This was about jealousy, insecurity and the fear of losing what she thought was hers.

"Stacy" I began, keeping my voice steady "I'm not here to take anything away from you. They are not yours to c-"

But she cut me off, her voice sharp and filled with venom. "Its your fault!" she spat, her eyes narrowing into slits of resentment. "You come in here and suddenly everything revolves around you. I've seen the way they all look at you—especially Jin." She threw the words out like they were accusations, each one more bitter than the last.

Everyone in the room froze, taken aback by the intensity of her outburst. Jin, who had always treated me with nothing but brotherly affection, looked genuinely confused. The warmth and care he had always shown me were suddenly being twisted into something ugly by Stacy's jealousy.