It was the smell that hit her first. It was warm, salty and thick, with the coiling mix of scented perfume and body odour. That was not what bothered her. What bothered her was the masculine scent that permeated the air. It was musky and sweet. The spicy burn of pears, the tang of vanilla and the refreshing tinge of the sea.
Amber knew she would regret opening her eyes but they popped open at their own accord to a sight that would scar her for the rest of her life.
The light in the hotel room had been turned off, and the only source of light was the lamp that sat on the bed stand. The light from the lamp cut across the room, illuminating the features of the people on the bed. It was enough light for her to decipher the scene before her, aided by the crude sound that echoed across the quiet room.
She was met with the sight of a man thrusting his cock repeatedly into a screaming woman, whose voice was rising to an annoying pitch. His hips were snapping back and forth erratically, his fingers digging into her thin bony hips as he pounded into her in an animalistic manner. His abdominal muscles rippled as he curled his hips, again and again. Each thrust resulted in the taut dip of the muscles on his ass and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh.
Amber wished she had looked away, but she just couldn't. It was rough and primitive, like hard-core pornography but at the same time...Beautiful.
Fuck.
"I love you," JieMi moaned, a soft yet sweet sound that was somehow still capable of lighting a fire deep within her lower abdomen. His body was curling, abdominal muscles clenching as his entire being hummed with his pleasure. She watched, enraptured as he chased his climax, slamming his way towards an orgasm.
Fuck.
Even like this, he was beautiful. He was so so beautiful. His skin glistened, dewy and slightly wet with sweat. The moisture glimmered from the soft glow of the lamp, causing his body to illuminate. His lips were parted in his pleasure, moist and swollen red.
His eyelashes were fluttering like the soft wispy wings of fuzzy moths and then they were opening, revealing glazed dark orbs with dilated pupils from pleasure.
They shifted lazily and—Amber was bolting, scrambling to the corner beside the wardrobe. She made herself as small as possible, hiding in the darkness. Body flicker.
Body Flicker: In which one soulmate teleports to the other.
Body fucking flicker. How? Why?
Then she remembered.
Side effect 4: The manifestation of the Gen Z soul bond. In other words, one might receive multiple new soul bonds, to rectify the loss. Soul bonds may react erratically.
Holy fucking hell.
Amber trembled, pressing her fingers together, interlacing them in silent prayer. Fear was hammering through her frame as she shook within the confines of the small space, swallowing back bitter tears and the memory replayed in her mind.
Somehow it sent a burst of fresh tears that coated the surface of her pupils and collected at the corners of her eyes. Feelings that she didn't understand tore through her as she replayed the scene in her mind, again and again, like a broken record.
Amber wanted to be an artist. She wanted to make works of art all day, in a nice little house in the countryside with a dog or a cat, maybe both. She wanted a soulmate who would love her and support her dreams.
She was now hiding from her soulmate because not only would he assume that she was a crazy fan who had sneaked into his hotel room. He would no doubt throw her out even if she were his soulmate because he was in love with some other girl who was so much prettier than her.
He was supposed to be hers. She argued in her mind. He was her soulmate, her destined lover, her fated one. The other half of her. The one that should complete her. He was hers!
But he was not.
Because the boy that was supposed to be her soulmate was in love with someone else.
She was very alert, so the frantic soft whispers from the room made her body stiffen from fear. From the shadows of the wardrobe, she heard the footsteps of the girl leaving the room and the sound of JieMi whispering his goodbyes. Someone flung open the door and stormed into the room, his footsteps loud and thunderous despite the carpeted rug.
"What the fuck man? Why the hell are you still seeing her?" The raspy growl was familiar.
Ezra.
JieMi's reply was mumbled.
"Kid, goddamnit. This is not a game." Ezra's voice was loud with his panic. It was as if he were afraid for JieMi. Afraid that JieMi's soulmate would find out. Afraid that she would find out.
"I'm sorry...I love Ha-Eun and I chose her, nothing can change that. I'm sorry."
"Are you mocking us? You fucker."
Ezra must have raised his fist because the third person stepped in to stop him. His voice was soft and solemn, heavy with his bitterness.
MinJae.
"Ezra...It's okay. I shouldn't have waited too. I should have just screwed with this whole bullshit."
His words were like daggers that stabbed her repeatedly in the heart. It hurt her and she didn't know it could hurt so much. It broke something inside her, something that had been holding her up this entire time. Something that had convinced her that without the flowers on her head, MinJae would still love her for who she was.
"MinJae, please. JieMi's just being stupid."
"He's smarter than me. I don't want a soulmate. I don't want her."
His words were poison forced down her gullet. Words that reflected that of the crazy fan. Amber had only been strong because she believed that her soulmate would say the exact opposite of what they had said. Now, she was not sure anymore. Her body felt cold and empty, but the tears continued to trickle down from her cheeks, streaking across her skin and dripping onto the floor.
"MinJae..."
"Don't say it, don't. Do whatever the fuck you want, JieMi. Fuck that girl until your soulmate finds out. I don't care."
The usually soft boy stormed out of the room and slammed the door, the loud bang reverberating across the room. It conveyed the anger and frustration that he felt. The silence that followed was deafening and loud, and Amber could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
"I'm sorry," JieMi sighed. "Love is a choice. I just...I'm not going to be the one controlled in this game of life. I'm going to be the one to hold the reins."
"Then, what are you going to do when your soulmate finds out?"
"I'll just tell her that I don't want her. That I'll marry Ha-Eun, the girl I love and the girl that I chose."
JieMi was an asshole.
"You stupid shit, you better not say it like that. That's the most toxic way to tell her."
"I won't. I won't, I promise."
You did. Amber sniffed, her eyes were leaking but she didn't know why.