So upon rereading this story, I realize that a lot needs to be changed lmao. This story will be unpublished and rewritten slightly, I hope you guys can bear with me, I'm just getting this urge to edit every single stories of mine these days.

"Today there was a new criminal attack against a school. The magic user forced a spell on the children to make them attempt a group suicide. Teachers were able to stop him and call the police before things were taken too far and there was thankfully no victims. The attacker was taken away and will be handled as the law requires. He won't be allowed to use his magic anymore-".

I turn off the TV and sigh. Those are the people that make wearing this collar so dangerous, I think to myself as I bring a hand to my neck where the leather item rests against my skin.

I am dangerous, yes, but I'm not a criminal who loves trying to kill children. Or anyone for that matter.

Shaking my head since I know there's no point thinking about this anymore, I grab my bag, phone and keys and make my way outside to get to work for hopefully the last day in a while.

As soon as I reach the sidewalk, I notice the eyes falling on my neck, on my collar, eyes that show disgust, fear.

What would I do to them if I didn't have it? What kind of magic does it block? How would I try to hurt them if I could? Would I enjoy seeing the pain on their face? Those are all questions I see flashing in their eyes.

Most of them simply walk to the other side of the street, hoping to put as much distance between us while others don't hesitate bumping into me, knowing full well that there's nothing I can do in face of their aggressiveness.

I can't blame them. This world is messed up.

Everyday, there's someone attempting to harm innocent people and when they're stopped, they end up with the same collar as mine, one that makes them unable to use their magic anymore as long as they wear it.

Depending on the circumstances, the only time it can be allowed off our skin is when we're at home but for some people? It's on until the day they die.

Obviously, people would expect the same story from me, some sickening glow in their eyes that wants to believe that I really deserve this collar, that it can justify the way they treat me.

If only they knew that my backstory is much worse than anything they could think of.

My phone dings and I stare down at the screen to see a message from Bo-young asking if I could get her a coffee before coming to work, something about her forgetting while on the road and now desperately regretting it.

I sigh and respond with an affirmative before changing my trajectory to head to the usual café place we go to, a little jewel with wonderful owners.

I try to get my heart to calm down because of who I'm about to see, its beating on a tantrum, but I already know it's a useless fight. They don't even know who I am to them, I'm the only one finding these meetings hard to go through.

I don't know if it's a blessing or simply torture.

The closer I get to the building, the itchier my collar feels, heavy and hot on my skin, my brain begging for me to get rid of it, to throw it to the ground and never pick it up again as I feel their magic unconsciously wrap around me like a sweet invitation, a welcome back home that they're not even aware of because my own magic doesn't respond to it.

It breaks my heart, but it's better that way, they wouldn't be able to handle me, to handle what comes with me. I wouldn't want that for them.

I get inside the homey building and take a much needed breath to withstand the painful contact of their magic against my skin, one I so dearly want to respond to, but cannot, and walk towards the counter where I see Hoseok happily chatting with Jimin until they both turn to me with a warm smile when they notice me.

A smile you have for a good friend, for someone you're excited to see.

How much I long for love to also show in their eyes, to see the hearts that appear when they look at each other be for me as well, a dream I can never see happening, no matter how hard it is to resist.

I smile back and stop by Jimin before looking up at the menu, as if I didn't already know what I'll take. I just need to focus on something else to help me keep my composure, just for a moment.

"We thought we wouldn't be seeing you at all this week, it's such a nice surprise to have you here this morning! How are you doing, Y/N?" Hoseok asks with a friendly voice and I hum with a shrug, not feeling particularly any different from usual.

The pain, the longing, you get used to it when there's no other alternative.

"Fine I guess? The news this morning about what happened at the school did make walking out of home more uncomfortable than usual, but nothing I couldn't handle" I mumble, notice their eyes falling to my collar as I speak, concern in their pretty eyes.

"They didn't bully you or say anything mean, did they?" Jimin asks, a protectiveness coming from him that warms my heart as much as it hurts it.

I shake my head with a small huff. "They wouldn't dare. I might just snap and get rid of my collar and do goodness knows what to them" I joke but I know my eyes don't show playfulness, no matter how much I try.

Hoseok sighs and pats my hand resting on the counter, my soul screaming at me to hold it back, even if it feels like splitting in half, but I ignore it.

"You're fine, we've known you for a year now, you're not scary nor are you dangerous. Your magic might be, but not you" he says, to which Jimin nods quickly, the both of them so sure of that claim.

Jimin adds his hand to ours with his adorable smile and I have to scrunch my nose to avoid the blush that threatens to spread to my cheeks at having them both gaze at me like that.

"He's right, we know you well, as far as what our meetings here allow, I know that you don't deserve the way they treat you so don't let it get to you" he adds with conviction, his eyes ready to convince me if he has to.

I look down at their hands covering mine and smile, a warmth reaching my heart through the pain.

"Thank you, the both of you, that means a lot. Now, as much as I would love nothing more than to stay and talk with you two, I need to bring Bo-young her coffee before she falls asleep on the job and today is not a day to be falling asleep" I say, hand slowly sliding away from theirs to get rid of the increasingly painful feeling swarming me from the inside and attempting to burst out.

I have to remind myself of what my magic can do to fight the longing that rushes in, fingers clenching at my side as I try to breathe. I need to endure this just some more before I'm leaving the place.

It's like seeing a beautiful rose and attempting to get a hold of it, but the rose has thorns so long and thick that you can't even reach the stem. You can only watch from afar and hope that one day, the thorns will allow you a safe passage.

"Right, same as usual?" Hoseok asks with a chuckle and I snort, a smile playing on my lips as I stare back at him.

"You know it. It would be a crime to come here without my dear coffee, I need it too" I let out, hear Jimin's giggle as he turns around to take care of the order.

While waiting, I look up at the TV in the corner of the room to see another case about an attack made against an old man living alone, some of his precious belongings stolen after ravaging his house.

I sigh and shake my head, which causes Jimin to follow my gaze to the screen.

"There's so much trouble happening because of this stupid magic, sometimes I wonder if the world would be better without all that shit" I mumble, more for myself than for him but he still hums in contemplation.

"I don't think it would be better, the problem isn't magic itself but the people using it. At least with magic, as much as there are people bringing about destruction, there are also those bringing healing, protection, happiness. It links us to our soulmate and allows us to feel such a strong connection with them and I wouldn't give that away for anything in the world. I'm guessing you haven't found yours yet, give it some time, magic can also be beautiful, you just haven't experienced it yet" he muses, creased eyes falling on me with a bright smile, his words truly coming from his heart.

Yet it's something I can't respond to.

To me, magic isn't good. It's not something beautiful. It's something scary, terrifying and absolutely dangerous.

Most of all, I can't be a soulmate to my soulmates. As long as I wear my collar, they can never find out about me and I sure intend to keep things that way for as long as I can. That is the sad reality of my life.

Hoseok turns around to stare at his soulmate with wide eyes, guilt flashing in his orbs at what was said. "Jiminie, love...".

I give them both a tight smile and watch as realization flashes across Jimin's face when his eyes fall on my collar. "Oh... I'm so sorry, I-I didn't think... Oh I'm such an awful friend" he stutters out apologetically but I wave a dismissive hand as I try to fight against the burning feeling covering all of my chest.

"It's fine, it's better that way. I would only bring pain to my soulmates, this is also to protect them" I say as I accept the cup holder from Hoseok, eyes ignoring theirs on purpose, not willing to deal with the pity I could see in them.

I take my card out to pay, ready to leave now to avoid further awkwardness but Hoseok shakes his head. "It's on us, as an apology".

I freeze for a short moment, wondering if I should insist to pay or just let them have this one, but when I see the guilt in their eyes, strong and overflowing out of them in strong waves, I sigh and nod, card back in my wallet before I make my way to the door.

"Have a good day, Y/N, I hope to see you again soon" Jimin says, voice weak from imagining the pain he must have caused me, but there's nothing I can do, nothing I can say, because what he imagines is indeed real.

I nod at them both as I push the door open. "Have a good day you two, don't worry too much about this, I'm fine" I say before closing the door behind me.

I walk towards a nearby alley and lean my back against the cold brick wall, a hand over my heart as I try to breathe in and out slowly to get the pain to fade.

Parting from them is always the worst. It's like leaving a piece of myself behind every single time and I wonder just how much longer I can keep going like that, how much I can leave before I end up with nothing but an empty shell.

I've tried so many times to just head to a new place, to get the damn coffee from somewhere else but I always end up back here, as if my soul can't handle being away for too long. It's a sadistic game that my magic tries to play on me even while being confined within me, trapped under my skin for far too long now.

Once I feel better, the tightness in my chest finally gone, the pull begging for me to get back to them now a low thrum, I start walking to reach my previous destination, the work office where my best friend is most definitely struggling to organize her plan of the day.

I try to let my brain focus on all the designs I need to complete, myself not in an easy situation today, an attempt to dismiss the glares and bumps I get because it's not like it's going to change anytime soon, nor do I expect it to.

I should try to avoid going back to their café for a while though, I don't think it would be good for me to expose myself to a soul pain again, there's only so much I can take before falling sick and I wouldn't be able to get them to make it better, that's something I need to avoid as much as possible.

Once in front of the building where I work, I get inside and make my way through the small room and to Bo-young's desk where she's currently snoring.

I sigh and set the cup in front of her before flicking her forehead lightly, watch as she sits up quickly with a whine, her hands flying to her head with a pout while I make my way to my own desk.

"You didn't need to do that just to wake me up, Y/N-ie, I was just resting my eyes, I swear" she says in a whiny voice and I scoff.

"I didn't know resting your eyes included snoring, is that a new resting technique? A special breathing method?" I counter and she closes her mouth before shooting me a silly grin.

"I love you, thank you for the coffee" she chirps instead before taking a sip and I shake my head with a smile.

I sit down on my chair and start sipping on my own coffee, a sigh leaving my mouth once the warmth start spreading through my chest.

As much as I should avoid going there, their coffees are simply too good to stay away from. That's certainly going to be the cause of my death one day, quite literally.

"Oh yeah" Bo-young suddenly hits her desk and I startle, eyes falling on her in confusion only to find her wide eyes on me.

"Did you see the news this morning? About that guy trying to get kids to commit a group suicide? That's disgusting, he's going to deserve that collar so much! I can't believe people could do that!" she exclaims angrily, a frown on her face as she starts telling me what happened with too much energy, her own research beyond what was provided in the news giving me new information that I don't need, don't know what to do with.

I nod, silently agreeing with her words, not knowing what else to do. When she's done, I hum, another sip before I'm putting the cup in front of me "I'm glad nothing happened in the end, it would've been a tragedy, these children don't need something like that happening" I tell her and she nods her head energetically.

"Right? Apparently, he was really high on drug when it happened. He even tried to claim being victim himself, something about how he wasn't even aware of his actions but I don't think it's going to change much, the fact is that he's the one who almost committed the crime, not anyone else. So many children could've died because of him" she continues, apparently not done as I thought while I start up my computer to open my recent files.

"I mean, everyone would pretend not having done what they did to try and save their face! You don't want to be dangerous? Then don't make choices that make you dangerous! As if taking such a big amount of drug would help avoid that" she exclaims, the children-loving woman that she is finding this absolutely revolting.

I sigh and let her continue talking alone while I focus on my work, needing to send the final drafts as soon as possible so I can know if my designs are going to be accepted for the new collection of clothes we're about to release.

I can't say I was too comfortable with this one since I had to create scenarios involving magic being awesome using only dark and white artworks, so no flashy color, no text.

What was requested from the first meeting was basically positive images of people saving others, soothing glow of healing magic, exotic animals relaxing besides someone who clearly has an affinity with them, things of the kind.

Bo-young saw my designs and said that they're really great, that she would totally wear them if it was her actual style of fashion and usually, when she says that, she really means it so I'm hopeful that this is going to be accepted.

I get a few hours of work to finalize them before sending them to my supervisor and sigh once done, eyes gazing around me to take in the emptiness of the room.

Everyone else is currently working on making the collection happen in the studios so Bo-young and I are the only ones staying behind to finish up the crucial part, the missing elements, the small adjustment, things of the kind.

It feels weird to be stuck in the silence like that, but it's also kind of nice.

I take a look at Bo-young's face as she focuses on her own work. She needs to do the socks, which I'm really glad to have avoided. I hate socks with drawings on them with all of my being while that's all she wears.

She once bought me one pair with cute little cats on it but when I finally found an opportunity to wear it, the cats ended up looking like terrifying monsters with wide eyes and since then, it's been a big no no for me.

"What do you think of those?" she asks and I resist saying something inappropriate as I stand up to walk around the cluster of desks to reach her station but at seeing the creative designs, I sigh and close my eyes before smiling.

"Those look great, Bommie" I tell her but she turns around and shakes her head with disappointed eyes.

"You're a bad liar, Y/N-ie, you really are. Still, I don't see too much disgust in your eyes so I know that means they're actually pretty great. I'll send them over to the supervisor. If he accepts our work, we're officially free for a week before having to join the others at the studio! I hope it's all going to work out well!" she chirps and I shrug as I make my way back to my desk.

I don't really know what I would do for a week to be honest. Sung-kyung would probably offer me to come with her on her patrols while her partner is still away to be with his newborn baby and wife and knowing Bo-young, she'll want to do movie nights or go shopping around the whole town, something that would kill me.

While we wait for a response to our work, I start readjusting some designs, just in case. Things I could do differently, maybe better but my inspiration has really hit rock bottom. The things I managed to come up with are actually mostly all thanks to Bo-young, I owe her a lot for this one, it was not my comfort zone.

A sudden email received from my end has me hurrying to click it open and I sigh in relief when I see that they are approved. Thank goodness. I really didn't want to have to work on this any longer. Bo-young suddenly chirps happily and jumps to her feet.

"Freedom! Are you good to go too? Do you need to stay?" she asks quickly and when I shake my head and throw my bag over my shoulder, she screams even louder before running to the door.

"Turn off your computer before leaving!" I warn her, a giggle leaving my lips when she gasps and comes back just as fast to close everything. I do the same with mine and once that small task done, we make our way outside before she locks the door.

I stare at the time on my phone, notice how it's now lunch time. That explains why I'm getting so hungry.

Sung-kyung takes that time to call me and I accept it right away before bringing my phone to my ear.

'Hey, are you two free? Can we meet up for lunch? I'm exhausted and I could use some time with my besties to rest' she says as greetings and I smile, watch as Bo-young steps closer in curiosity.

"I don't mind, I'm sure Bommie will agree too, where should we go?" I ask, a nod to my best friend next to me when she mouths if if's our girl.

'Great, how about the coffee shop that Bo-young always talks about? You two like this place' she offers and I feel all my energy drain out of my system at the idea of having to go through this again.

"Erm... can we go somewhere else? I... eating something different for once would be great" I say and she hums, not seeming too bothered by that.

'Fair enough, anywhere's fine with me. Are you still at work? I can come pick you up since I'm already on the road and we can search a place together" she offers and I give my agreement after asking Bo-young for her opinion, one that is just like mine.

While we wait for our friend to get here, we decide to take a seat on a nearby bench under a tree, the shade bringing some relief under this heat. It shouldn't take too long anyway, the station she works at isn't too far from here.

"I think she might have had to deal with this morning's event, she sounded tired" I tell Bo-young after a while of silence. She turns to me with contemplative eyes.

"You think so? I wouldn't be surprised, her barrier makes her a great asset as a police officer, I hope she's not overdoing it" she mumbles, now worried for our dear friend.

Silence comes back, although not uncomfortable, until a stranger's voice speaks from behind us.

"Lady... are you sure it's safe to hang out with a dangerous person? Didn't you see the collar on her neck? You should stay away from them, don't make your parents worry for your safety".

We both turn around to see an old lady staring warily at me, concern for the young girl by my side flagrant on her face.

My heart clenches at the thought that someone could think her in danger with me but Bo-young quickly shakes her head with a bright smile before hugging me close and I swallow the sneaky tears trying to get out.

"Don't worry, ma'am! She's my best friend, I trust her with my life, this collar doesn't scare me" she says easily, no hesitation in her voice and I can only hug her back and rest my head on her shoulder while the old woman leaves us behind, a warning that she shouldn't trust us so easily before disappearing.

Bo-young ticks her tongue and rubs my arm soothingly while her other arm holds me tight.

"Don't let their words get to you, Sung-kyung and I know you better than they do, they're just ignorant" she reassures me and I nod as I inhale slowly to try and calm myself, her soft magic reaching out to me, familiar and comforting, healing.

I hate hearing that I could be a danger to my two best friends. They're everything to me and I would give my life away if doing so could keep them safe, so to hear people believe that I could harm them? I really hate that.

"Is everything okay? Did something happen?" we suddenly hear Sung-kyung's voice ask as a door closes and I look up to see her making her way to us quickly, eyes looking around in search of a threat when she notices the glassy look to my eyes.

I try to smile and shake my head but Bo-young doesn't allow me to lie, nothing to be hidden between the three of us.

"An old woman stopped and warned me to stay away from her because of her collar, as if she knew Y/N better than us! I swear, Sungnie, if I hear that one more time, I'm going to break fingers and I won't even heal them back into place after!" she exclaims, badly restrained anger but her words make me chuckle, a stray tear managing to flee down my cheek before I wipe it away.

Sung-kyung sighs and sits down on the bench besides me before hugging me, her warmth making me relax even more, now squeezed between the two of them.

"It's okay, they don't know what they're saying, today has everyone on edge. I'm sure you got some awful glares, hm?" she asks with the voice you use when a child is crying and as childish as it makes me feel, it actually makes me tear up even more.

I sniffle and try to keep myself from losing face. I've been in this situation for thirteen years now, I should be used to it by now and I am, but whenever something like this happens that includes my loved ones, it makes me feel like shit.

I'm not even allowed to have friends without having a society behind me telling them to be careful. We can't even spend time together and just have fun, they have to endure judgement as well, all because I'm wearing a collar, because I'm not allowed to hide it.

"Come on, let's not stay here any longer, I feel like throwing everyone that's staring at us into a cell at the station and I don't think the others would like that" she says as a mean to lift up the mood and I let out a small laugh, unable to not imagine fifty people screaming in a single cell just because they looked at me weirdly.

"I'm actually curious to see that happen so why don't we stay a little longer?" Bo-young tries but Sung-kyung rolls her eyes and pulls the both of up up to our feet and to her car.

"Y/N sits at the front, I don't want people thinking that I'm arresting her" she says before unlocking the doors and Bo-young chirps happily.

"I don't mind, it's fun being at the back! It makes me feel like a villain!".

We chuckle at that and I sit inside feeling better. I have amazing friends, that's for sure.

As we get on the road, no destination in mind just yet, the police officer starts telling us about the case from this morning in more details and even though the subject is starting to annoy me, teeth biting on my tongue to keep myself from sighing loudly, I listen to her with my mouth shut.

"The guy was sputtering nonsense when we arrived on site, one of the teachers had managed to restrain the man and tied him on a chair for good measure. He was visibly heavily drugged and when Yoongi tested him, the percentage went through the roof, I swear the machine nearly broke down" she says and Bo-young frowns worriedly.

"I heard that he denied his role in the situation, that he wasn't aware of what he had almost done, is that true?" she asks and Sung-kyung purses her lips, something that obviously bothers her about the man.

"Well he kept saying something along the lines of 'If I don't kill these children, I'll be the one burning to death' , it wasn't really easy to understand because he kept slurring as if his tongue wasn't working. When Seokjin used his ability to knock him out, it was like his body was finally letting go of so much tension, as if someone had cut a doll's strings and made it unable to stand anymore. We had to send him under observations to find out what happened because that clearly wasn't normal. Please don't repeat that to anyone, we don't know just yet what exactly is going on".

Bo-young hisses. "So when he said that it really wasn't his fault, it might be true? Who could force anyone to do something as cruel as killing children?" she asks but Sung-kyung shrugs.

"I don't know, we'll let the investigators handle that one until they need our help again, we can only wait for their diagnostic".

I stare outside as buildings pass by us. So many people living their life without a single worry while others have to struggle their whole life just to stay clear of danger. Such is our world.

'To every agents near the mall, we received a report of a possible criminal explosion that has yet to blow, please go on site and secure the area while we investigate further, let us know if you find anything, keep the civilians away from the source. Be safe' a voice says through the car's radio and Sung-kyung swears before shooting us both an apologetic look.

"Sorry girls, we're right by the mall, I can't ignore this, our lunch will have to wait" she says before changing the course of direction, sirens now activated to get a free access to the road.

I shrug. "It's okay, your job first. But how can you guys know that there will be an explosion before it even happens? It's not like a bomb condenses magic, the sensors can't catch it" I ask, curious while Bo-young roars at the growing speed of the car.

"Sometimes, it's as simple as a google research, there are particular key words that ring our system so we can take a look. Most of the time, it's just a kid overly curious but it does happen that sometimes we end up stopping someone in the middle of making a bomb so no matter the source of the signal, we try to react as fast as we can" she explains as if this is no big deal, she must deal with these kind of situations so often.

"So this time might be the same? It could be just a false alert?" Bo-young asks, to which the police officer nods.

"Absolutely, this might end up being a prank but it's better to not jump to conclusions. I think the guys I worked with earlier went to eat near the mall so they should be there already. You two are coming with me now but as soon as we get there, I want you to step away and keep a distance, okay? It probably won't be too long until we figure out what is really happening but I don't want you getting hurt".

We both nod and remain silent as communication starts on the radio, information about what the agents on place have noticed while securing the area, no more civilians within the limits, things of the kind.

I don't understand everything, but Sung-kyung nods every once in a while as we get nearer to the destination that gets shared a few times.

She said the officers she worked with this morning would probably be there too, what were their names already? Seokjin... and Yoongi?

Why do these names feel familiar? I feel like I heard them somewhere before and that wasn't from Sung-kyung... I tilt my head in thoughts before looking outside when the car suddenly stops.

Two men turn towards us when we step out of the car and I freeze when I feel their magic reach out to me, pleading for a response that I can't give.

My heart starts beating in my throat and I have to use every last bit of strength I have left to not fall down on the ground at the sheer strength of their combined magic, two completely new ones to me.

Of course I would have to meet two more soulmates here of all places. That's where I heard their names, Jimin and Hoseok talked about them once before. Soulmates I had yet to meet.

"Sung-kyung-ah, I bet you didn't even have time to eat huh? Make sure your friends stay away, there's a strong gas leak happening inside this building and the explosion could be massive if there's the smallest spark so be careful" the tallest of the two men explains after shooting Bo-young and I a small smile before turning back to our friend.

We both watch as they all get closer to the building while still keeping a good distance, one that is clearly signaled as dangerous with all the flashy cones and straps surrounding it.

Having my soulmates walk away from me feels like a stab in my heart and through my soul, something indescribable that tears me apart. I want to reach out to them so bad, the first meeting always the worst, always the hardest to resist and to have two of them happen at the same time? My locked magic doesn't make this easy for me.

I clench my jaw and turn my attention to the building, try to focus on anything, anything at all that could help me resist the pull and endure the pain.

I focus on every bricks, every windows, every face-

I freeze.

Wait a damn minute.

There's someone inside.

Our eyes meet for the briefest moment and... he's... smiling?

I look down at Sung-kyung, at the men who are too close, not enough time for them to get away even if I were to call for them.

My heart starts beating erratically in my chest and I start running towards the building.

No, no no no. This can't be happening.

"Y/N?! Come back here, we're not supposed to get closer!" Bo-young shouts, her hands attempting to grab me but I slip out of her reach and run even faster, her screams getting the three officers' attention as I hurry past them without a sound.

Please make it in time, please, please, I plead to myself, adrenaline making my heart pump faster and stronger, eyes noticing that the face is now gone and the ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach increases.

As I reach the bottom of the building, the smell of gas is strong, powerful and toxic and I hear Sung-kyung scream behind me, too far to reach me just as the grumbling sound of an explosion resounds around us, the ground shaking as the air reacts to the spark that lights it up.

Knowing what's about to happen if I don't act now, I remove my collar and throw it to the ground.

Hehehehe new story, I'm pretty excited about it! What do you all think?