Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Beams of sunshine enter the large room, passing through the almost-transparent curtains bordering the window. The area outside of the apartment complex seems similar to those shown in movies, movement prominent and remnants of snow gathered on the hundreds of buildings around the city center.

Clusters of mugs remain on the counter, rims stained from coffee dregs and crimson lipstick. The lingering smell of espresso permeates the kitchen, dishes stacked in the sink and crumbs smeared around the place. Some bowls remain empty on the counter, their stomachs full and minds happy.

The thousands of streamers sway along with the melodic tunes of the music, someone’s phone almost dead because of the amount of time it's been on. Soonyoung and his roommate seem almost completely unconcerned about the noise made, and Jisoo hopes they don’t receive a complaint tomorrow. When he mentions this, Soonyoung merely sends him a shrug and turns to murmur something in his soulmate’s ear.

Jihoon’s hand remains tucked into Soonyoung’s arm, and they resume their talk with Seokmin. The man’s wallet remains in hand, and he nears the door. He must be leaving sometime soon. Soonyoung must have convinced Jihoon to stay, neither man ready to separate after meeting a couple of hours ago.

Soonyoung messes with a patch of his soulmate’s hair, combing through the numerous strands. Jihoon moves his head onto Soonyoung’s shoulder, and the man beams. The rumble of their voices must make its way to the clump of men across the room because Seungkwan glances up the moment that Seokmin tells them goodbye. He excuses himself from the conversation he was having and walks over to them.

“Give Sol and I a second. We’ll come with you,” Seungkwan says. He checks the time on his phone. “I hadn’t realized how late it was. I hate having to drive home in the dark. Junnie, are you staying the night?”

Junhui stands from his perch on the couch and meanders over to Jeonghan’s side. “Long as Hannie and Soonie don’t mind, I might spend the night here. I can’t leave Hannie alone with them, can I?” Junhui points at Soonyoung and Jihoon, a teasing smile on his face.

“Oh, please don’t use Jihoon and I as your excuse,” Soonyoung groans. “You just don’t want to drive home this late.” Beside him, a crimson hue colors Jihoon’s cheeks from embarrassment. He must know exactly what Junhui’s referring to. Jisoo shudders, imagining them together in the silence of the early morning.

At the accusations, Junhui shrugs. There’s a faint smile on his lips as he struts over to Jeonghan’s side. Jisoo notes the lack of shame present in his expression as he slings an arm around the man’s shoulders, and he assumes the teasing is normal for them.

Jeonghan shakes his head. “Fine, but if you’re going to stay, you have to help clean up.” He snorts at Junhui’s wide eyes and open mouth, hand clutched to his chest in mock offense.

Despite his numerous complaints, he shuffles into the kitchen and waves at Seungkwan, who has gathered his things. Hansol trails behind him, hands full of the leftovers that Jeonghan demanded they take home.

“Ah, we should get going. I hate driving home in the dark,” Seungkwan announces to the room. He spares a glance at Seokmin, trying to gauge if he’s ready to leave.

Beams of sunlight seem to curl around them, dust motes caught in the rays. With Seungkwan’s phone gone, the apartment remains quiet. Jisoo hums and moves to stand. He clears his throat. “I should probably go, too. Thank you for inviting me, and congrats to you both.”

He ignores the pout on Soonyoung’s face, part of him expecting a complaint. The man merely hugs Jisoo and returns his arm to its perch on Jihoon’s shoulders. Jihoon sends him a small smile, not seeming to mind the near-constant contact.

The men standing around the door wait for him, and he ambles over to them. He waves at the others, almost sad about leaving. Seungkwan pushes his bag further up his arm so he can grab the door handle.

As the four emerge from the apartment, the decadent hall greets them. Sconces in floral shapes lead them to the gleaming elevator. Hansol pokes the ‘down’ button with his knuckle. The chime alerts them of the machine’s arrival, and Jisoo steps aside, allowing the others to enter before him.

The ambiance in the elevator is composed of muted conversation and the rustling of the bags against their clothes. Jisoo pushes the button for the lobby and moves to the side. Seungkwan clears his throat.

“Wasn’t this your first time meeting our entire group, Jisoo? I hope we weren’t too loud. Some of us can be, um, a bit much sometimes.” He shares a knowing glance with Hansol.

“Just a bit?” Seokmin laughs at the sentiment. “He met Soonie first, though, so there should be no surprise there.”

One strand of hair comes loose, and Jisoo tucks it behind his ear. “Don’t worry, everyone was amazing. It definitely has been a while since I’ve had such entertaining company,” he says. “So much happened today. I’m so glad that Soons found his soulmate.”

Seungkwan nods, a broad smile on his face. He seems genuinely happy for them. “I know. I’ve waited for him to meet his soulmate for years. Never imagined that a coworker of mine would be the one.”

The chime from the elevator causes them to pause. The doors open and the men step out, into the lobby. Upon Hansol’s request, they stop at a table near the entrance. He attempts to fish his keys out of his pocket.

“Jeonghan did, though. He won the bet that you two made, didn’t he?” Seokmin asks.

“I have no clue how he guessed it was Jihoon based on a name.” Seungkwan groans and places his bag on the table. “There are thousands of people named Jihoon in this country, and the one I’m friends with just so happens to be him?”

Hansol moves some of the leftovers to his other hand, using his free one to brush his soulmate’s wrist. “I do feel bad for him, though. Jeonghan, I mean. He’s the only one of you four that hasn’t found his soulmate,” he murmurs, not wanting to disturb the strangers around them.

Jisoo’s eyebrows raise at this. “The only one? I thought Junhui hadn’t met his soulmate either.” The end of that sentence almost curls up, tone more curious than anything.

Seungkwan shakes his head. “Oh, Junnie found his soulmate years ago, around when he started working at the corner store,” Seungkwan says. “They agreed that they’d be better off as platonic soulmates rather than romantic ones, but Jeonghan is the only one who hasn’t met his soulmate yet.”

Jisoo nods, mouth remaining open as he absorbs the information. “Must be hard for him, then.”

“Oh, definitely. I still don’t understand how he figured out who Soonyoung’s soulmate was from a name.” Seungkwan looks into the window, fixing his hair. “I thought he was joking when he proposed a bet. I mean, his own soulmate’s name is similar to Jihoon. If you aren’t paying attention, Jisoo sounds the same.”

Seungkwan stretches his shoulder, almost completely unaware of the crisis he just put Jisoo through. He becomes cold, most of the color draining from his face. “What did you just say?”

Seungkwan glances at him. “There’s so many people named–”

“No, when you said Jeonghan’s soulmate’s name. Can you repeat it?” Jisoo’s heart pounds against his chest, a dizzying sensation coming over him.

“Jisoo? Yeah, it sounds super close to Jihoon, doesn’t it? ”

Jisoo’s almost sure there was more to that sentence, but he doesn’t hear much after Seungkwan says his name. A ringing sound seems to drown out the other noises, and a thousand thoughts are crowding his head. One remains more prominent than the others.

How didn’t he notice? The paintings he encountered upon entering Jeonghan’s studio seemed familiar to him because they are his memories. The lush scenery around them, fields of crops and the lake, their lake, should have made him curious. He thought the man with the blonde curls had similar features as his soulmate, but he never considered it might be his soulmate.

Jisoo grabs onto the chair nearest him, tremors running through him. Yoon Jeonghan, Soonyoung’s roommate and best friend, is his soulmate.

“Holy fuck,” he murmurs.

Before the others can respond, taking a moment to process his outburst, Jisoo runs to the elevator. He refrains from prying the doors apart, instead choosing to spam the buttons.

The lobby of the apartment complex spins around him. The circular movement is almost nauseating, and he clasps his hands together to steady himself. Crescent marks litter his palms from his nails.

He can feel his friends’ confused stares on him, and the elevator seems to be moving slower than normal, leaving him desperate in his time of need. The stream of mechanical noises inside come to a crescendo alongside his heart.

As the doors creak open, a hand clamps down on his shoulder. He turns around, coming face to face with Hansol. An unclear jumble of sounds meets Jisoo’s ears as the man speaks. He must appear pale, color drained from his features.

The elevator doors start to close, and Jisoo shoves his hand between them. He brushes Hansol off, mumbling something incoherent in an attempt to placate him. By the look of surprise on the man’s face, he assumes his response prompted more questions than answers.

He steps inside and the doors shut. He selects the button for floor number ten. As the elevator ascends, his eyes latch onto the lights that depict what floor he’s on.

There’s a chance he could be wrong about Jeonghan being his soulmate. He might embarrass himself in doing this, but something inside of him is encouraging him to return to the apartment.

There are only so many coincidences possible before something must be true. Jeonghan’s soulmate’s name matching his own is the icing on the cake. The comparisons made between the paintings and Jisoo’s memories are enough to convince him.

The numbers on the screen have crept up to eight, and Jisoo silently urges them to move faster. The moment the doors open, Jisoo rushes out. He retraces his steps and manages to find the apartment again.

He raises a hand, almost ready to knock, when a sense of hesitancy comes over him. This must be what Soonyoung felt mere hours earlier, before he met his soulmate.

Inside, music drowns out most sounds of cleaning. The men must be speaking, and Jisoo can’t help but wonder about the reactions to his proclamation.

The chime of the elevator brings him out of his thoughts, and he knocks. In the moment it takes Soonyoung to unlock the door, a clamor rises from the hall.

Jisoo turns around, meeting the eyes of the men he left in the lobby. Seungkwan’s mouth opens, his concern evident from the furrow in his brows.

Before he can say something, the apartment door swings in. Soonyoung stands there in pajama pants; he must’ve changed after they left. Some semblance of confusion muddles his expression. “Hi again,” he says. “Did you guys forget something?”

Jisoo doesn’t answer him, eyes latching on Jeonghan’s figure at the back of the apartment. He’s hunched over the table, damp rag in hand as he scrubs at a stain. With the mask and pieces of hair that obscured his features gone, Jisoo recognizes him the moment he looks up.

For a few seconds, no one says anything. Then, Jisoo murmurs, “It really is you.”

Everyone, Jeonghan included, remains confused. Jisoo wonders why his soulmate seems not to recognize him until he remembers what Junhui said earlier: Jeonghan can’t remember his soulmate’s face.

He steps around Soonyoung, focused on the man across the room. Music continues to play in the background, and he raises his voice to be heard over it.

“In the lobby, Seungkwan told us that your soulmate’s name is Jisoo,” he says. “I’ve had problems misremembering my soulmate’s name since I had my first memory. Each time Soonyoung mentioned you in conversation, I felt something dizzying.

“He sent me to grab tape from your studio when we were preparing to decorate, and I saw the paintings. It wasn’t until Seungkwan mentioned your soulmate’s name, which is also my Korean name, that I realized they match up almost exactly with my memories.”

Jeonghan’s eyes become wide as he understands what Jisoo is saying. He straightens, leaving the rag draped on the table as he comes closer.

His steps are unsure, almost as if he’s scared this is a dream. “Jisoo? You’re really him?” he murmurs.

“I think you’re my soulmate, Jeonghan.”

In a moment, tears gather in Jeonghan’s eyes, and he runs into Jisoo’s open arms. Their souls seem to connect, some sort of spark moving through them. Cheers emerge from their friends, smiles lit by the many lamps spread throughout the apartment.

He holds Jeonghan closer to him. The man, his soulmate, trembles as releases bursts of disbelieving laughter. Hands grasp arms and shoulders, reassuring themselves that this moment is real.

Jeonghan pulls back and studies him at arm’s length. From his auburn hair to the mark near his nose, he attempts to commit his features to memory. This is the first time he’s seen his soulmate’s face, Jisoo reminds himself, because of his misremembrance.

Soon, the atmosphere morphs into one of celebration. Jisoo glances around, and something just feels right about this. His eyes find the teary ones of Soonyoung from across the room, and he smiles.

Some months ago, if someone had told him that he and one of his dearest friends would meet their soulmates on the same day, he would’ve thought them mad. Jisoo from last year wouldn’t even have got his hopes up, stuck in hour long consultations about his condition.

Oh, he needs to email Wonwoo about this; his therapist will be elated to hear he found his soulmate despite his misremembering. He should also message Doctor Kim out of courtesy. Some part of him wonders if he’s going to miss the appointments or perhaps just the personnel present during them.

For all his complaints, Jisoo supposes he’ll miss Doctor Kim a bit. Maybe he should buy him an appreciation gift and drop it by his office. Wonwoo will continue to be his therapist for quite some time. There’s so many changes happening, with Soonyoung finding his soulmate and Jisoo, just a couple hours later, meeting his own.

Caught in his thoughts, he doesn’t notice Jeonghan move until he clears his throat.

“I never imagined I would find my soulmate, nevermind that it’d be someone so close to my roommate,” Jeonghan says. “I’ve seen pictures of you before, on Soonie’s phone. With the misremembrance, I never thought it would be you.”

“With how much Soons talks about you, I’m surprised I didn’t realize earlier.” Jisoo takes a small step back, but his hand remains twined in Jeonghan’s. Some music still echoes around the room, almost fading into the background.

Someone laughs behind him, and Jisoo turns to find Junhui standing there. “There’s been so much excitement these past hours. First Soonyoung and Jihoon, now you and Jeonghan,” he says, brushing loose strands of hair from his forehead.

Jihoon nods. “Don’t forget about Jeonghan winning that art contest and the call from his agent. That happened tonight, too.”

He meant the statement to be praise, but Jisoo turns in time to catch the smile falling from Jeonghan’s face. His soulmate brings a hand to his forehead, eyes scrunched tightly and mouth contorted in a grimace.

“I forgot about the contest. I’m supposed to move across the world; that’s the only way I’m able to claim the prize. Should I call and reject the offer?” Jeonghan sounds hesitant, caught between following his dreams and staying with his soulmate.

Their friends are silent, and Jihoon seems to regret bringing up the contest in the first place. Soonyoung runs a hand along his arm to comfort him, reassuring him that it’s not his fault.

Jisoo looks around him, eyes wandering over the anxious forms of the others. They must be nervous for the both of them, an epidemic of uncomfortable shifting coming over them. The silence stretches on.

After a moment, Jisoo’s gaze lands on Jeonghan. His soulmate’s shoulders are hunched, hands messing with a loose string on his clothes. He avoids looking at Jisoo. Jisoo knows that Jeonghan would decline the prize for him, but he can’t let him give up on his dreams.

“What if I go with you?”

Jeonghan’s head snaps up, hand nearly covering his mouth. “You’d go with me?”

“If you’re alright with that, of course. I wouldn’t mind.” Jisoo clears his throat. “I don’t want you to give up on your dreams to stay here.” The moment he finishes speaking, a smile blooms on Jeonghan’s face.

There’s a collective sigh of relief once he nods, placing a hand on Jisoo’s cheek. “I’d love to have you there with me, but what about your dreams? You shouldn’t give up on them for me,” Jeonghan murmurs.

“My dreams can be achieved in Paris. Don’t worry about that.” Jisoo pulls him closer and slings an arm around his shoulders. “At the moment, yours cannot be completed anywhere beside Paris. I promise, as long as you’re alright with it, I’ll go with you.”

The warm glow from the lamps around them casts shadows over his soulmate’s features as he laughs. The jumble of sounds from outside competes with the soothing melodies of the music within, but neither holds Jisoo’s attention. His focus remains on his soulmate’s airy voice.

“You really must be my soulmate,” Jeonghan says. “You sound just like him, my Jisoo.”

Something about him saying that, my Jisoo, made his heart pound. There’s such a fond tone present in his voice as he speaks about his memories. This must be the same passion incorporated into his paintings, in each brush stroke and miniature detail in the scenery.

“Of course I do,” Jisoo hums. “Your Jisoo must’ve sounded very handsome, then. Maybe a hint of cool in there somewhere, hm?”

A laugh bubbles from both of them, and from his peripherals, he catches Seungkwan’s attempt to hide his grimace behind his hand.

“Oh, you’re exactly like my Jisoo,” Jeonghan laughs. “At least one of us has our roommate situation solved.”

The last part is aimed at Soonyoung, who stands almost across the room. He still has an arm around Jihoon, a grin beginning to spread on his lips. Soonyoung glances down, watching as a red flush decorates Jihoon’s cheeks.

He turns to face the room at large and takes a deep breath. “Hoonie and I have been talking, and he’s going to move in with me after Hannie leaves for Paris,” he says. There’s a hint of shyness in his voice.

Jihoon nods and reaches up to grasp the hand perched on his shoulder. He seems more comfortable around them than he was mere hours ago, when he first entered Jeonghan and Soonyoung’s apartment, but his apprehension remains evident.

Jeonghan squeals and rushes over to Soonyoung. The roommates grab each other’s hands, jumping up and down in excitement. Jisoo and Jihoon’s eyes meet. As their soulmates hug, they share a fond smile.

Jeonghan pulls away first, beaming from ear to ear. The crimson flush decorating his face gives away his happiness. He sighs, the sound muddled with content.

“Can you believe this?” Jeonghan asks Soonyoung, eyes wandering around their eloquent apartment. “We met our soulmates on the same day, Jisoo and I are moving to Paris, and you’re rooming with Jihoon. This is amazing. I never imagined I would find my soulmate, and now my entire life is changing.” His eyes are brimmed with tears by the end of the sentence.

Seungkwan surges forward and throws his arms around the men. His nose is red, and his voice starts to waver as he speaks. “I love you guys so much. I can’t believe Hannie’s moving away. Seems like just a couple months ago when we met for the first time.”

“It was just a couple months ago when Jihoon started working at the corner store,” Junhui says as he comes closer to them. “That means Soonyoung had a crush on his soulmate for that long before talking to him.”

In the dim lighting, Jisoo can barely see Jihoon’s fond smile as his soulmate swats at Junhui. He’s blushing furiously, launching a string of complaints about being embarrassed. Junhui shrugs, a wide smirk on his face until Soonyoung opens his mouth again.

“At least I’m not crushing on my manager,” he taunts. There’s a pout on his lips, but the gleam in his eyes brightens as his friend becomes flustered.

“I told you that in confidence! It’s not my fault he’s cute and single,” Junhui whines. “Plus, he has a platonic soulmate. Seungcheol was made for me.” Some bouts of laughter travel through the room, the emotional moment gone in seconds.

As the group continues making fun of Junhui, Jisoo stares at his soulmate. This is the same man that donated his spare coins to children and shoved him into lakes in their past lives. The same one that he proposed to under the hues of the sun.

Someone puts a hand on his shoulder from behind. Jisoo glances back at them and finds Hansol standing there. The man has a smile on his face as he looks at them.

“It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?” Hansol says. “I remember when I met Seungkwan, I couldn’t even fall asleep that night. We were so young that we had barely started having memories, but I recognized him anyway.”

“I can’t stop thinking about him. Almost six years of being told I’d never find my soulmate unless I had multiple rounds of surgery, and I met him at a friend’s party.” Jisoo restrains a groan. “I didn’t even see him at first. I recognized him from the paintings.”

Hansol winces, and Jisoo figures that he must hear similar stories from Soonyoung and Jeonghan all the time. “Sounds about right for a soulmate clinic. At least you don’t have any more appointments there.” He gives Jisoo one last pat on the shoulder before he glances over at the group. Hansol beams. “Soulmate incoming. I’m wishing you both the best.” Hansol walks away, and Jeonghan comes closer.

He has a wide smile blooming at the sight of Jisoo. Jeonghan looks as perfect as he does in Jisoo’s memories, if not more beautiful. As he reaches to grab Jisoo’s hand, Jisoo returns his smile.

“How’re you feeling? It’s been a long day for sure,” Jisoo murmurs so no one can hear him but his soulmate. The shadows around them accentuate Jeonghan’s features.

He hides a laugh behind his hand. “Oh, I’m doing amazing. I apologize, we haven’t had much of a chance to talk one on one yet,” Jeonghan says, a red hue spreading across his cheeks.

Jeonghan glances around, and a smirk comes onto his face. He pulls Jisoo into a vacant corner, giving them a semblance of privacy. The lamp lights reflect in their eyes as he stares up at Jisoo gaze full of wonder. From their proximity, Jisoo can feel the warmth of Jeonghan’s breath fanning his face.

“I can’t believe this is happening. Part of me thinks this is a dream that I’m going to wake from any moment,” Jisoo mumbles. He reaches up and brushes a piece of hair away from his soulmate’s face.

“It’s the same for me,” Jeonghan hums. “I just met you, but it seems like I already know everything about you. Now we’re moving to another country together.”

There’s a lull in the conversations around them. Someone must’ve turned the music down, the noises in the apartment seeming to filter into the background. The incoming quiet prompts them to look around at their friends.

Seungkwan and Seokmin are laughing with Soonyoung. Jihoon stands to the side with Hansol, bright smiles on their faces. Junhui has returned to cleaning, singing to himself under his breath.

Next to him, Jeonghan releases a fond sigh. He rests his head on Jisoo’s shoulder, hair tangling in the buttons of his cardigan. “I couldn’t ask for a better life,” Jeonghan murmurs.

Jisoo glances down and presses a kiss to his hair. “Yeah,” he says, eyes trained on Jeonghan. “This one’s pretty amazing.”