Chapter Text
October 12. 11:59 PM
Jimin painfully groaned as he glanced at the clock, few seconds before finally repeating October 13 again.
The loop always starts at 11:59 midnight of October 12 and ends October 13 of the same time. Jimin have finally accepted the fact that maybe he'll spend the rest of his life repeating the same 24 hours until he dies.
And then the clock finally strikes at 12.
Jimin sighed.
Here we go again.
Despite the ungodly hour, Jimin always stays awake when the loop starts again. He propped himself off his bed and went straight to his study table. The bulletin board above the table littered tons of push pins, some scrap papers, strings connecting some ideas from post-its to another and couple of red X marks that covered the ideas that doesn't lead him to his soulmate.
It is as if Jimin is cracking a murder case and it feels like a murder case because as much as Jimin tries a lot of things differently every time, he still ends up waking up at 11:59 of October 12.
For the second time around, Jimin tries not to wail in frustration.
Birthdays are fun in Jimin's opinion. Birthdays were fun before he was supposed to turn 21.
He remembered how he giddily jumps for joy when people greets him and pampered him with love on his day. It was fun being the most important person on the day you were born but turning 21 on your birthday isn't.
Jimin doesn't know coming of age would be difficult. It should be easy turning 21 and enjoy the rest of your day, but no. Being 21 means finding your soulmate soon as possible if you don't want the day to repeat again and again.
Everyone have been advised to meet their significant others before coming of age. Jimin was too busy to find his and he honestly didn't think having your birthday repeat itself would be that bad.
Until he experienced it himself.
Jimin thought it'll be okay at first. He loved the attention every damn time but as it repeats 5 times until it reached 10 times, 15 times and still counting, it gets frustrating.
So when October 13 came again and again, Jimin knew he should've made time to meet other people in the hopes of finding his soulmate on the first time loop of his birthday.
He did try to start finding for his soulmate after the 3rd time but Jimin didn't know it will took him forever just to find the person that will stop his time loop that have been repeating for more than 50 times that Jimin decided to stop counting after that.
Jimin stopped thinking about what will he do today to possibly meet that one person that will end his misery when the sunlight starts peeking through his windows.
Jimin tries his best to keep that smile on his face and practiced his expression before going out of his room because at this point he memorized the whole scene of every minute of this painstakingly never-ending day which includes his hyungs surprising him outside of his room with a cake and party poppers greeting him in the morning.
"Act surprised, make it genuine," Jimin reminds himself before turning the knob open.
"Happy birthday, Jimin!"
"Happy birthday, Jimin!" Jin enthusiastically greeted along with Hoseok holding the cake and Namjoon in charged with the party popper.
Jimin quite managed to look genuine as if he didn't know they were there to surprise him. He didn't want to burst his hyungs' happiness just because he have experienced it a lot of times now. Every time the day starts with them greeting him, he's still grateful for his friends even if it's getting exhausting, hearing the same greetings over and over again.
"Make a wish!"
"Make a wish!" Hoseok urged Jimin as he gave Jimin his cake and every time Jimin smiles and whispers for the same wish.
I wish to finally meet my soulmate and stop this time loop once and for all.
Jin hyung would ask me how will I spend my day again, Jimin reminisced the sequence of events happening every time of the morning.
"So how are you gonna spend your day, birthday boy?" Jin asked when they settled in the dining area having the cake as their breakfast.
Jimin have put so much thought and planned out every day for his next step every time loop.
Before, Jimin spent the day by himself wandering around but that didn't help. After some tries he spent some days with Hoseok, letting him decide what to do for the day in hopes of finding his soulmate but to no avail he never found his significant other on Hoseok's routes even after 10 tries.
For the next 10 possible routes on Jin's birthday plans for Jimin turned the same as Hoseok even if Jin tried to get him to party at bars, travel around, and all things that made Jimin meet new people.
And now Jimin have been trying on Namjoon's plans for him. For now he still haven't found his soulmate but celebrating birthday with Namjoon at the library one time and had a deep conversation with him when Namjoon was slightly drunk, Jimin found out that there are more than just soulmates.
"I wonder what Namjoon hyung will do for me in my birthday." Jimin replies smiling and Namjoon looked surprised like every time.
It's nice that Jimin's birthday landed on a Saturday because that makes it easier for him to find his soulmate and it gives him more time to try new routes that could lead him to his other half.
"I seriously don't know why you picked me but I hope you'll enjoy the sea today." Namjoon comments by the passenger's seat, tone very evident of uncertainty. The four of them went to celebrate Jimin's day at Naksan beach with Jin being the driver and Hoseok joining in the backseat.
"It's fine, hyung. I'll surely need the serenity of the sea right now."
Jimin surely needs peace after all.
With the amount of times he tries to break the time loop, it caused him more stress, frustration, annoyance and at some point he actually want to give up.
The time when Jimin went to the library with Namjoon, he mostly read about soulmates and Namjoon feeds him more information about the topic that made him look at it in a new light, in a far more serious light.
"Some soulmates ends up ending themselves because the time loop had been unbearable for them." Namjoon said after glacing at what Jimin was reading about.
"What about those who doesn't have soulmates or what if they're dead already?"
"The loop still doesn't end. It's either you want to live on that time loop forever or just be with your soulmate in another life."
Whatever happens, ending oneself is the only way to stop the loop when your significant other was gone already.
What if mine is already... dead?, Jimin thought.
"The maximum time loop that someone have endured was 100 times before they decided that they will never meet their soulmate ever again." Namjoon added and Jimin tries his best not to let his hyung see the pain that's slowly seeping in him.
And Jimin doesn't like that to happen. Even though he actually think sometimes (most of the time) that his soulmate might be dead is a possibility, Jimin always keeps his mind positive.
His soulmate might not be here right now but Jimin will surely find him before his hundredth tries.
"We're here!" Hoseok beamed as they all looked at the view in sight. Jimin also diverted his gaze outside the window.
The 3 hours long of travel was worth it. It did give Jimin the peace that he need for so long he might cry now.
Jin immediately parks the car and run towards the shore and haphazardly throw his sandals, feeling the sand beneath his feet. Hoseok followed afterwards and started splashing the salt water to the eldest, now bickering like 5 year old kids.
Jimin enjoyed the view as much as he can take. The pristine blue sea that spreads so long till it meets the calm blue sky slightly covered by fluffy white clouds. The air smells salty at the same time it's cool. This sight will be one of the memories from this repeated time that Jimin will treasure so much.
"For someone who's celebrating his birthday today, you look like it's the last day there is." Namjoon interrupts Jimin's lone time and stood beside him.
Jimin looked at his hyung.
"I might say this to you today but you'll eventually forget about it tomorrow." Jimin sighed, he needed someone to hear him out this time.
"I've been thinking my soulmate might be halfway around the world that's why we never got a chance to meet and thought to the point that they might be dead already and I'm just drifting into this endless time loop with no chances at all."
His hyung patiently and earnestly hears his frustrations out. All Jimin need right now are ears to listen to him, someone who he can vent out to because being on the same situation 50 more times without telling anyone about it is slowly eating Jimin inside. He can't bare the silence any longer.
"Are you thinking of giving up? How long have you been in the loop?"
"56? 57? I don't know. I stopped counting when it reached 50."
Jimin heard Namjoon sighed as he fondly gaze at the two on the shore, now collecting shells and rocks. There's something in Namjoon's eyes that says so much.
"You might not believe it but Jin had experienced the same."
And Jimin was surprised and also looked at his Jin hyung by the shore. He never knew that. Jimin never thought there's someone who can relate to him.
"He was stuck for almost 70 times but he said to me he never gave up because he knows he'll meet me. And he did." the smile on Namjoon's lip stretched automatically when they heard Jin's laugh.
"I know for the past time loops you tried a lot to find your soulmate. I know you'll find yours too. Don't give up, you'll never know how worthy it is to finally find your other half."
And Jimin sees a new light and hope in Namjoon's words.
"Thank you, hyung."
After some hours at the beach they all decided to roam around Naksan and make the most out of the trip before heading back to Seoul.
By the time their eyes were full of the new surroundings from the mini trip and feet sore from all the walking, they decided to call it a day and went back to Seoul.
"By the way, my brother said he's going to perform at a place nearby." Namjoon suddenly announces as he checked a text message on his phone.
"We should see him it's been a while. Let's fetch Yoongi first, the guy needs some socialization sometimes." Hoseok retorts, directing Jin of Yoongi's address before they went to see Namjoon's brother.
This is actually a new route in Namjoon's plans for Jimin. For the past few days Jimin had hanged out with Namjoon, it's either he called it a day or ignored the same text message he got every time in this hour. And today with his friends' decision as well, Namjoon decided to finally go.
When they've arrive at a huge bar in the heart of the city, it was already packed and the live band had started already.
"I never thought Taehyung's band will be this known." Yoongi comments as the audience lively screamed when the second song started.
"Add the fact that Jungkook and Tae's vocals harmonizing is heaven sent and those mad guitar skills, it's bound to get known." Jin comments back.
Jimin didn't understand anything about the conversation they all have but at least they now finally had their seats and Jimin will drink his woes away and think of some plans for tomorrow.
He didn't pay much attention to his friend's chattering and engulf himself with the live music. He's not really fond of pop rock but he's honestly enjoying this one.
And honestly speaking Jimin entered this bar in hopes of finally finding his soulmate. There's a huge crowd and who knows maybe one of them is finally the one who will save Jimin. But the night is drifting too fast, it's starting to get late and few hours from now Jimin's mishaps will start again.
With that thought, Jimin casually downed the glass of liquor like plain water, ignoring the burning sensation that spreads from his throat across his chest but he doesn't ignore the hurt that's resurfacing along with the thought of another day of uncertainty.
He let the tiny bit of alcohol kick in him, enjoyed the last of the day and engulf himself with his friends along with Yoongi who rarely joins them if not for Hoseok's constant pleas.
An hour turned to two till four and five hours passed, there's still no signs of Jimin's soulmate.
October 13 11:00 PM, was displayed when Jimin's phone lit up.
Let's call it a day. Jimin sadly got up his seat and wryly smiled as he emptied another glass.
"Are you leaving already, Jimin?" Yoongi suddenly diverted his gaze to Jimin from their intense talk with Hoseok.
"Yep. Thank you all for treating me on my birthday and celebrating it with me, hyung."
"The night is just starting, Jiminie!" Hoseok cutely pouted and Jimin just hugged him and said his farewell.
"I'll drive you home, Jimin—"
"It's okay, Jin hyung. Enjoy the rest of the night, it'll be fine without me." Jimin refuses as he hugged his hyung goodbye.
"I was supposed to introduce you to my brother but take care on your way, Jimin. Happy birthday." Jimin hugged Namjoon next and thanked him so much for a better birthday today.
Jimin said all his farewells again and again as his hyungs countered him with endless sweet reminds and greetings of a happy birthday. This might be the happiest birthday he ever had but it's just that same birthday that sends him back to the same day.
Jimin painfully turned his back and finally waved his hand to his friends and walk towards the sea of hyped audience of the band still playing on the stage.
59 minutes left before everything starts again.
For a second, Jimin wanted to spend the remaining minutes here in the middle of the raging people excitedly singing along with the vocalist in front.
He had a really great voice as if he's already a recording artist himself, but the lead guitarist beside him caught Jimin's full attention. Even if he's just there on the side, playing the guitar so skillfully, fingers shifting so fast from frets to another— he draws so much attention from Jimin.
And after the song, the lead guitarist that Jimin kept eyeing went near the mic stand as the vocalist urged him to sing the next song.
His boxy smile appears as he swept his mint green hair off his sweaty forehead. And Jimin doesn't know why his heart is actually starting to erratically beat. It's a new kind of feeling across his chest, the pain was long forgotten. There's something that Jimin can't explain but he kept his eyes on the lead guitarist.
"Jungkook's just using me to rest his voice but anyway, this will be the last song. Enjoy the rest of the night." he smiled yet again and Jimin tries to stop his heart.
The song started off mellow, Jimin knew the song. And it actually hurts him how the song reminds him of his life right now.
"Come up to meet you
Tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are
I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart"
The audience were still and heartily hums along the calming baritone voice of the guitarist as he glanced at the audience, smile slowly spreading as he's contented with the crowd's reaction.
Jimin doesn't know when or how they seemingly found to stare at each other but soon as the guitarist locked his gaze at him, tears start to roll down on Jimin's eyes. Warmth lathered across his body with a new feeling he can't describe. He can't point out what it is but it's warm, it feels nostalgic but feels new and at the same time he's happy but the tears won't stop from falling.
The guitarist seemed to be baffled a bit but tried to sing as Jimin endlessly wipes his tears away until he can't stop it.
"Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard,"
The latter never left Jimin's gaze up until second verse but Jimin doesn't know what's wrong with him so he run away and decided to go home.
Maybe the song just transcends to me so much I cried.
But maybe it's something else.
Jimin thinks he should just sleep it off. Tomorrow's another birthday, another day to find his soulmate.
He glanced at the clock on his phone, 11:59 PM October 13. In a few seconds it's going to repeat all over again.
Jimin sighed, breathed deep as he closed his eyes and prayed for the same prayers, for the same wish, for the same person.
When Jimin opened his eyes, tears start to fall down again. An endless pool of tears escaped his eyes as he glanced back at the clock.
This can’t be true.
Jimin looked at the clock intently and at the time it displayed over again.
"October 14 12:00 AM"