Yoonji's pov

"Thank you" I thanked the cashier.

I searched through the bag for a scrooba bar. Why'd we get so much stuff?

"Sorry. I-" the guy I bumped into started to apologize profusely and began to pick up some of the snacks I had in the bag that were now on the floor.

I reached for the scrooba bar that I was searching oh so hardly for. He was about to grab it too but he touched my hand and immediately pulled away. It was like a sort of zap but it turn into a warm feeling.

He smelled of soft vanilla. It was like the scent itself was wafting over my body like a warm blanket. Eventhough, he wasn't that close to us.

'MATE' Yejoon and I simultaneously thought. I apologized once more. He was about to touch me again but I quickly picked up the rest of my snacks and ran out of the store.

Yejoon went on and on about my running away until we got home.

I hurriedly tapped in the code to my apartment.

'You seriously need to calm down.' Yejoon said and rolled his eyes after we separated.

"How am I supposed to calm down? We just met our mate. You want me to pretend everything's gonna be okay? You know we cant be with him."

"He's our mate, why cant we be with him?" I could feel his desperation, his anger, his frustration.

It was adding to my own. It's like fire feeding fire at this point. Of course I want to be with him. I would do anything. But things weren't really going well to begin with.

"You are aware that Korea's military are being trained to kill people like us? Guess who just came back from the military?" It was a rhetorical question but still.

We understood the dangers of living here. At least being in korea is better than America.

They have tests and scanners everywhere in America. They regularly check homes too. You're either put in a facility where they use you as a weapon and for experiments or you're killed on sight. Depends on how they feel.

At least in korea we're a bit safer. As long as we aren't causing trouble or killing anyone, we are free to do anything a regular human would.

"We have to do something. We'll die in a week if we don't have some sort of physical contact with him." Yejoon's eyes teared up a bit as he looked down as a weak attempt to hide it. Like I couldn't feel his emotions. Then he suddenly jumped uprite after a bit.

"We start our job as straykids' interpreter tomorrow." Yejoon begin to wiggle around in his seat from excitement.

"Joonie, we have a interview for it tomorrow. We don't actually have the job." For whatever reason that made him even more excited.

"I'm sure whoever's going to be interviewing us knows what we are. He wouldn't just put their lives in danger. I'm guessing he also wants someone to protect them." I sighed. I knew he wasn't just gonna give up. It's our mate after all.

"What are we going to do? Go to the interview and tell them that we're Minho's mates? They'll never let us near them." I shook my head. I couldn't help but to think of all the possible ways of this could go badly.

"That's exactly what we'll do. But it's quite the opposite really. That's why we'd be able to get the job. We're his mates-" he smiled and gave me a 'matter a fact' kinda look.

"And our species are known for protecting our mates, no matter what. All the while soulmates are widely accepted. " I kissed his forehead and hugged him.

"You think so positively under pressure. I envy you sometimes. I love you Joonie."

"I am you yoonie and I love you too." Joon traced our shared soulmark and grimaced a bit at seeing that the second tattoo in our soulmark turned a sickly grayish color.

"Soulmates are widly accepted yet our species are the most hated. How ironic." I dragged my fingers through his hair. He leaned into my touch.

"Everything'll work out" he simply stated as he kissed my palm and got up to walk to the fridge.

Joon turned around eyes all wide as if he saw a ghost. Good thing those don't exist...right?

"Yoonie, soulmates are widely accepted." I watched as he jumped from excitement.

"So? Where are you going with this?"

"Everyone has soulmarks, yoonie..." he gave me a deadpanned expression. I just know he's calling me an idiot without having to read his thoughts.

"He knows were his mates- oh shit. He might be looking for us now."

"We also have 8 soulmarks" He shook his head.

"Why'd it take you so long" he laughed and shook his head once more.

"Wasnt really thinking about it Joonie. I can't believe we just met our mate. All of it just seems so unreal." He hugged me and then continued to look through the fridge and started to make us food from the things he grabbed.

We continued to talk about our mates as well as the job while we ate.

We might get to meet them tomorrow. I just can't believe it.

I'm Straykids' soulmate.

We're Straykids' soulmate.