Chapter Text
Soulmate marks used to be special.
Back before the technological revolution the ability to write directly to someone in real time no matter where they were was a gift. Now with smartphones and unlimited texts it was much easier just to text than find a pen. More private too.
Idols didn't get much privacy and with soulmate marks that was no exception. Their skin was scrutinised at every moment by hungry fans looking for any sign that they were the one. Or that another idol was the one. That was always the worse.
Some companies claimed to treat their idols with a lotion that prevented marks being drawn. Whether it was true was irrelevant. As long as their skin stayed clear it kept the fantasies alive, kept the money flowing in.
Other companies embraced it, playing into popular ships with stray doodles that could easily have been drawn twice by a stylist. Never confirmed, never denied. That brought the money too.
A few idols had been caught out with what appeared to be real soulmate marks. That always sparked media frenzy. Is it platonic? Is it romantic? How does this affect your group dynamic? When did the marks start to appear? And then there was the ugly side. Is this just for attention? Can you not get enough with your voices and your dancing? How could you betray X like that? Is it even real? Prove it. Show us everything.
That almost never went well. Most groups ended up disbanded or with lost members, unable to handle that kind of attack on their personal life. Those that stayed always kept a solid wall up. There was no other way to do it. Stop feeding the monster you created and maybe you can control it long enough to rule the world.
And then of course, as love dies and friendships fade, some bonds broke. The magic ends in an instant, destroyed by the consequences of its own making.
Hyunjin didn't want that. He didn't want any of that. He just wanted to debut with his group and live his dream. Of course, the life of an idol is never that simple.
They had had a massive fight, the eight of them. It slowly escalated on their walk home and exploded the second the front door to their dorm shut. Yelling and throwing shit across the room. Hyunjin broke at least two glasses and cried the entire time. Eventually they wore themselves out and reached a conclusion.
***
"We're going to be ok, Jinnie," Seungmin soothed, stroking Hyunjin's hair as the boy hiccuped by his side.
"You, don't, know, that" Hyunjin said shakily.
"We'll be ok," Seungmin repeated as he wiped the final tears from Hyunjin's cheeks.
Jeongin came over with a cloth that smelled horrible and carefully wiped down their arms, removing any last trace of their mark. Seungmin thanked him quietly and Jeongin offered them a sad smile before moving on.
Hyunjin felt awful. He was sitting here crying into Seungmin's shoulder like a baby when he had no right to be upset. Seungmin whispered soothing words to calm Hyunjin down, stepping into the role of a groupmate far older than he was while their eldest two were occupied.
Hyunjin hadn't wanted a soulmate with all seven of his band mates and his screaming had got him that. Or as close to that as he could get to that without breaking hearts.
They had agreed not to use the mark. It was too risky with a growing fanbase and with so many members it was impossible to guarantee all eight of them would be out of sight of prying eyes until it was washed off.
However, they still had to take precautions against fans or even staff marking them where it would show up on the others. Changbin, Felix and Seungmin had been all for telling management everything but others were more hesitant.
Chan, for one, didn't trust that their mark wouldn't be used as a promotion device and he didn't want the younger boys under such scrutiny by the public. Chan did the same thing he always did and took the extra pressure on himself. Hyunjin loved him and hated him for it.
***
"Tomorrow at 11am, Minho," Chan said quietly, touching the boy on the arm to get his attention as he re-entered the room. Minho had been quietly talking Jisung through breathing exercises. Six pairs of eyes followed the interaction closely.
Minho nodded, smiling at Chan. It didn't reach his eyes. "With JYP PD-nim?"
"The boss man himself," Chan confirmed.
"You really are his favourite," Minho teased.
"Let's hope it stays that way," Chan breathed out, slumping down next to them.
One by one the other boys gathered, crowding onto the couch and sitting on pillows and laps alike. Jeongin didn't like physical contact when he was upset but he sat at their feet and slung one of Hyunjin's long legs over his shoulder. His tight grip on Hyunjin's ankle was warm and grounding like Seungmin's hand in his and Changbin's head on his thigh.
“Can we order takeout?” Felix piped up after not even thirty seconds of companionable silence.
“I want chinese food,” Minho agreed and sparked an onslaught of mouth-watering suggestions.
Changbin lost rock paper scissors to make the phone call, and everyone’s orders mixed together into perfectly reasonable dishes in the effort to be heard first. It didn’t help that Jisung changed his mind at least three times.
“Stop. Stoooop!" Changbin yelled over them. “ I need to write this down or I’ll get it wrong.”
‘1 chicken chow mein, 1 prawn crackers’ appeared in a crowded letters on his outstretched arm.
Hyunjin whirled around. “Who the fuck is using me as a notepad?”
Jeongin’s ears reddened and he ducked his head, subconsciously hiding behind Chan. “I thought it would be helpful,” he whispered.
Hyunjin’s anger immediately deflated. No matter how scared this made him Jeongin didn’t deserve that. “It’s fine, Innie,” Hyunjin sighed. “As long as everyone washes it off as soon as we’re done.”
Though he couldn’t feel the pressure of them writing, watching words appear still made him skin crawl and Hyunjin turned his face up to the ceiling to ignore it all.
“You’re doing well Hyunjinnie,” Chan said, ruffling his hair. “Do you want me to add your order for you?”
“Just add a tally to whatever,” Hyunjin still didn’t look down. “I don’t want more marks.”
“All done,” Chan assured him. “Just give Binnie a minute to put the order in and we can wash it off again.”
Hyunjin let Changbin’s rasping voice wash over him as Jeongin traced circles on his ankle. It brought his attention away from his wrist long enough for the marks to be erased again but his mind still drifted to the future ink that would appear. From now until forever it would never be just him. That thought terrified him in ways he couldn’t express.