He stepped closer to her, sniggering as he looped an arm across her waist, his hands resting at her hips. He was warm and Amber couldn't help but stiffen at his touch. She was suddenly very aware of his hands pressed to her hips.
"The fans like it when we're overly touchy." He soothed, giving her an open invitation to wrap her arms around him.
The screams of fans were growing louder and louder with his every move.
Amber's breath caught in her throat but she resolved to listen to him. She angled her body to accept the half hug. She aimed to rest her hand gently on his hips but missed, brushing her fingers against his bare wrist.
Electricity.
That very same jolt of energy that had run through her skin when she touched Sieon. It was flowing between them now and she shuddered, eyes growing wide with her shock. Her mouth went dry as her heart lurched in her chest.
MinJae seemed to have felt absolutely nothing because his expression did not change at all. She swore that his body had clamped a little and his lips had trembled slightly, but Amber was not sure.
MinJae continued to talk to Ezra, shrugging as they discussed their options as if they were talking about cakes. All she could do was stare at him as she tried her best to hide the tremble of her skin from his embrace. Her soul was burning from the touch of his skin. Please. Please don't react male signalling-pole of disaster.
"Are you okay? JieMi's soulmate?"
MinJae had turned his large, dewy eyes on her and he was smiling adorably. Amber turned to meet his gaze. That was when her heart practically stopped for a full second and her lips quivered. It took all her willpower to not let her jaw drop in absolute bewilderment and awe.
An otherworldly being stood before her.
Flowers.
It was like a filter, a Snapchat filter, only a hundred per cent more realistic and a thousand times more beautiful. They blossomed in his hair like a huge flower crown, spilling from the sides of his head to dangle in a pretty arrangement. It was not an ugly lump of cheap plastic crap. It was aesthetically placed. Each blossom and individual petal was a pretty pastel. It was as if a renowned flower arranger had just styled his hair.
Light blue roses blossomed from the depths of tiny pink, purple and white lilacs. They appeared slightly translucent with a shimmery gossamer-like quality that reminded her of insect wings. These were all supplemented by tiny sprigs of baby breaths and sprigs of green.
On a closer look, there were even little beads of dew on each petal. The killing blow would be the fireflies. They were more like little spots of light that danced amid these steadily blossoming flowers, flickering and illuminating his beautiful face.
They were beautiful.
He looked like a fairy prince that had emerged from the woods to greet his willing victim. For dramatic effect, petals that had dislodged from the crown drifted down and disappeared into nothingness on reaching the floor.
He was a walking piece of artwork.
She watched as he ran his fingers through blonde locks and the flowers that he touched melted into oblivion before blooming again. It was like virtual objects in a game. Virtual objects that respawned endlessly. This was...She swallowed as her mind started to draw links. She was giddy with her realisation.
Flower Crown of the Soul: In which a similar flower crown will appear on each soulmate's head.
But, it didn't make any sense? Amber's mind spiralled through her database of soulmate knowledge. Flower Crown of the Soul bloomed when one touched one's soulmate. It was usually visible to all and physical to the touch. One could even pluck the thing and display it for weeks.
She'd been to the home of her mother's best friend and had seen huge vases of the most beautiful sunflowers she'd ever seen in her life. Her mother had one in their home, a gift from her BFF.
It was a great honour to be given one. It represented trust and love.
How was it not physical? Was it because she was in JieMi's body? It should be visible to everyone. Not just her. Her head hurt. Her heart hurt. Was he not...hers? Hold on, didn't she already have a soulmate? Her mouth dried as MinJae knotted his fingers in her shirt. He was so close to her that her heart stuttered in her chest from the proximity.
"The person is in shock. Stop touching him, MinJae!" Ezra chided. "This is not JieMi!"
"Ah, sorry."
MinJae slipped out of her grasp and Amber watched as the flowers continued to shimmer on his head. Was this a false alarm? Just her soul going crazy? Maybe JieMi was just too close to these people and so his body started to go funky? Maybe she was turning crazy?
"Hey, it's fine. We'll protect you okay?" Amber's eyes snapped up to meet that of a glowing star's.
Ezra glowed. With the three of them in the area, it seemed that the tech team had decided to use a different kind of spotlight over their heads, something that wasn't as bright and as dazzling as the ones they used before.
This was a soft wash of yellow light that allowed her to see the steady glow emitting from his skin. He shone. His skin shimmering with tiny streaks of soft light. It was not the eye blinding sparkle of diamonds, nor was it the flash of a torch that assaulted your retinas.
It was the soft glow of fireflies in the dark; the flicker of a candle's edge; the shimmer of a star in the night sky. It was the reflection of the moon on a lake, a glimmer of light on the waves; the pool of gold when the sun met the horizon at dawn.
Soul Beam: In which the more time one spent with their soulmate, the brighter one glowed.
Ezra smiled, revealing glimmering teeth and Amber was dazzled. Dazzled. Like the glow of the rising sun, she could just sit there and watch him for days. Maybe even weeks. Oh no.
He clearly didn't see it on her. Soul beam was only visible to the two recipients, if she was seeing it he should see it. But just like MinJae's soul bond he couldn't see it. Amber paled and someone tapped her on her shoulder. She turned her eyes meeting that of Oliver's.
Oliver. Oh God.
"You okay?"
Her mind swam. Everything dulled down into a soft hum as she stared at the sunny boy before her. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were pressed into a soft pout, but she was not interested in that. She was looking at the beaming sign that floated above his head.
There was a cute little neon arrow pointing at him. It bounced over his head repeatedly. Just like the signboards in Tokyo, it was glaring in the spotlight. The colour bled outwards, illuminating his soft hair in a neon pink and blue light.
Her breath hitched as squiggly lines in her messy handwriting streaked over his head. She almost wanted to die when the words flashed messages that only she would see and understand.
Property of Amber! Keep Out! NO TOUCHING!
Amber inhaled sharply. The words moved again, flickering as it changed.
Sunshine, Nipple-Virginity-Stealing Cutie is right here waiting to be kissed! Profess your Undying Love, before he leaves!
What? She swallowed thickly, squinting at the words.
Dumb bitch, why don't you just make out with him, who cares if it's MaleXMale? The fans will love it, you will love it. He will love it. So, just do it!
Were soul bonds supposed to be so demanding?
Words of Love: Plays one's innermost thoughts of one's soulmate above one's soulmate's head.