Chapter Text
Soulmate (n. m.\ˈsəʊl.ˌmeɪt\) A person with whom you have an immediate connection the moment you meet -- a connection so strong that you are drawn to them in a way you have never experienced before.
At the age of 20, a name appears on your body--your soulmate's name with their own handwriting. It happens for people to get a name in a language they don't know about, it also happen for some people to be unable to read the name because of a messy handwriting. The soulmate system simply exists to make it easier for everyone to meet the person they are meant to be with, avoiding unnecessary pain.
The whole system actually works. It is statically proven that 97% of couples who date their destined partner actually ends up staying together. The other 3% consists on rare cases when a person dies before meeting their lifelong partner, or if they date someone else who isn't supposed to be theirs in the first place, or (in even more rare cases) people whom never got a name on their skin.
Im Jaebum is 19 years old, about to turn 20 in four months and in all honesty he couldn't care less about it. Now, don't get him wrong. He is no pessimist, and it's not because his heart has been broken, or because he doesn't believe in love. He does believe in love, in genuine love where you meet someone and it just clicks with them. What bothers him is the fact that you have to accept your soulmate, and you have to love them, because that's just how it has to be, how it's supposed to be.
His parents have someone else's name, and yet Jaebum is pretty sure he's never seen two people as in love with each other as they are, or as happy as they are and they've been together for more than 20 years already.
So if you asked Jaebum if he believes in soulmates, he'd say no.
"Tomorrow's my 20th birthday" Mark says as he sits besides Jaebum in the practice room.
Mark has been Jaebum's best friend since the day they met back in 2010--which was actually surprising because everyone thought Jaebum was too cold and Mark was way too quiet. Back when he and Jinyoung were on JJP, Jaebum mentioned loads of times that Mark-hyung was his best friend, which made Jinyoung a little upset because he's some kind of protective and jealous lad. Mark is probably the only person--beside Jinyoung of course--who knows about his parents, or about his scepticism about this whole soulmate thing. "Is that so" he says as he takes a long sip of water.
"Wow, JB. Don't be too exited" Mark says as he hits the younger's shoulder. "Aren't you curious?"
"Well, yes. I'm curious about the poor soul who will end up with you" Jaebum chuckles as he sees Mark's eyes narrowing.
"Maybe it's you" Mark says with a crooked smile, "Wouldn't it be nice? I could bother you for the rest of your life."
"Well, I would almost--almost--be glad if it was you" Jaebum chuckles as he rests his head on the boy's shoulder for a second before removing it slowly. "You're not that bad."
"Of course I'm not that bad" Mark says as he rolls his eyes playfully, "But I would feel horrible as you keep saying you don't believe on this stuff. Plus, I'm pretty sure your soulmate is Junior."
And at that, Jaebum can't help but laugh out loud because "No, never, ever, nope. Jinyoung and I can't ever date, I lived with him and nope."
"Isn't he your best friend? How rude" Mark chuckles.
"He is. And you are, too."
They stay silent for a while, Jaebum finding some kind of odd comfort with Mark's silence. If someone asked him to choose his soulmate, he would probably pick Mark. They just fit oddly well--oddly because no one actually understands why Mark likes to hang around JB when the latter has such a bad temper, and no one understand how Jaebum can hang out with someone who seems on mute 24/7. The thing is, Mark talks. A lot. He can be loud, and laugh, and talk, and Jaebum likes it a lot.
"So, not Junior?" Mark asks quietly, almost like a whisper and Jaebum decides to fully rest his head over the older's shoulder as he shakes his head. "Then maybe your soulmate is Jackson?"
"Jackson?" Jaebum asks because, well. He does like him, but. But. "I hope it's not him." Mark's shoulders start shaking a little, and Jaebum knows he's laughing silently. "Why are you laughing? It wasn't rude or anything!"
"I thought you liked him" Mark says with a small chuckle, "you two work out together, he's always cheering on you, or asking for you. We haven't even debuted and he's already half in love with you."
"That's the thing though" Jaebum smirks, "He seems half in love with everyone, and everyone is completely in love with him. I'm kind of possessive so Jackson is a no no" he says making the older laugh even more. "You know, it can also be a girl."
"Not to sound rude, but you look oblivious to girls in general."
"Fuck off. I'm not calling you hyung if you keep on saying rude things." They both laugh, knowing perfectly well that Mark doesn't really care about honorifics anyway. "Do you want to go eat something as we wait for midnight and see whose name you get?"
Mark nods.
Jaebum doesn't need to read the name--He recognizes the writing on Mark's tanned skin.
Park Jin-Young is inked near Mark's cage. "Okay, this is surprising. JYP? Our boss? "
"Idiot" Jaebum laughs.
"So, Junior. This is still surprising."
"I'm almost disappointed that my name isn't there" Jaebum sighs dramatically as Mark hits his shoulder with a chuckle.
-
They'll debute soon, really soon. And Jaebum's birthday is soon as well, which is an actual pain because apparently everyone wants to see whose name will be on his skin. And no, Jaebum is not exited about it.
"Aren't you curious?" Jackson asks as he lies on Jaebum's bed because they've become friendly enough for the Chinese boy to sneak into his bed when he can't sleep. "What if it's one of our name? What if it's Youngjae's, or Bambam's?"
And teasing Jaebum might just be Jackson's favourite hobby, because since the day they met Jackson hasn't stopped being friendly with him, hugging him, calling him pet names and insisting that he was handsome.
(Jaebum doesn't have a low self-estime. He doesn't think highly of himself, but it is not due to a lack of self-awareness. He's simply not blind--with members as gorgeous as Mark Tuan or Jackson Wang, Jaebum simply doesn't stand out that much. The first time he told Jackson about it, the younger seemed half upset, and insisted that "Im Jaebum you are handsome, cool, chic and sexy~ stop saying you're not". Which was almost--almost--sweet. But whatever.)
"I hope not" Jaebum says as he lies beside Jackson. He should want to be on his own, with no one lying on his bed right beside him but Jackson acts like that 50% of the time. That must be why he doesn't really care if the younger has no conception of personal space, and touches Jaebum more often than anyone else has ever done so in his entire life.
(Also, Jackson is cute. Jaebum is weak when people are cute.)
"Do you..." Jackson starts, and he seems pretty concentrated judging by the way he bites his lower lip. "Do you want Junior's name to--"
"Oh my God" Jaebum chuckles because why do people simply assume he and Jinyoung are meant to end up together? "Hell no, Jackson. Anyway, I want to be the one to chose my partner. Regardless of the name that will appear."
"What if it's me?" Jackson teases as he leans closer into Jaebum's space, "Wouldn't it be handy?"
"How could it be handy?" Jaebum scoffs.
"We're in the same group, I'm handsome and adorable so it would be easy for you to fall for me" Jackson grins and laughs loudly when he sees Jaebum rolling his eyes. "Shall we already decide our pet names? I like 'honey'. Should I call you that?"
"Shut up, princess" Jaebum says as he pushes him out of the bed.
"See, you already found one for me~" Jackson giggles and honestly? Jaebum is so done.
(And if he spends the night with Jackson, it's only because he's too tired to kick him out of the room.)
-
Chinese characters.
A handwriting he really likes, which is a mixture of neat and messy. The writing is smaller than what he thought it'd be, smaller than his friends' or anyone he's met.
The tattoo is pretty.
On January 6th 2014, Wang Jia Er appears on Jaebum's pale wrist and because Jaebum doesn't believe in soulmates, and because they don't fit or anything, he decides to hide the tattoo with his watch and lies about who's name it is.
"So it wasn't my name, huh" Jackson asks and for a second, just a second Jaebum thinks he sees a glimpse of disappointment in Jackson's eyes. The latter sighs deeply, "Here I was, ready to be spoiled by our sexy leader."
"Shut up" Jaebum chuckles and gosh he feels like a fraud right now.