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Done. Donghyuck is finally done. It had been a hard ritual, but he did everything as written in that old spell book he had found in the library. It had really drained him, because it was a long ritual which needed much of his strength and concentration, but it was worth the result.
Now he would finally find out who his soulmate was.
Soulmates was still a concept magic community couldn't quite grasp or describe. Didn't know how it was possible to link two souls together like this, they didn't know how it was decided who was your soulmate, just that they existed.
Everyone had one, so it was said, it would be someone you would immediately click with. And if they ever stepped into your life they wouldn't leave again. It was something romantic and at the same time a scarred and strong bound. Nothing ever being able to break it.
It is such a strong bound that when two soulmates performed spells together, they would be much easier, didn't take as much energy and also the spell itself being stronger. It was something every young magician would still dream of. Find your designated other and nothing ever could part you.
But it wasn't as easy to detect who was your soulmate. It could be someone that was with you since you were still a kid, someone you met when you grew up, or someone you randomly met but instantly formed a bound with, or the last possibility that you are still supposed meet them in the future. There were so many possibilities.
There were also tests if you found your soulmate yet. They made one in charm class when they were teached about soulmates. And ever since the topic just didn't let Donghyuck go.
The small white paper had looked so unspectacular when it had laid on his desk in front of him. It definitely didn't look like it would hold any magic at all. But wasn't that the case with most charmed things? They looked so plain and normal, too normal for anyone to expect them being magical.
They were told to take the paper and then close their eyes and focus some of their magic on this little piece in their hold. It was really easy and when Donghyuck opened his eyes again he was met with a dark violet paper instead of the former white one.
Dark violet. Dark violet was actually the color he had hoped for. While green would mean you still had to meet them in the far future and blue that you just met them or will meet your soulmate soon, violet meant that you already knew him. Meaning Donghyuck already knew his soulmate, which made his heart jump. It also meant his soulmate was already around him. He existed and was near enough for Donghyuck to find out who it was.
But after the first rush had faded, he started to think. Sadly that little paper had only told him he had met his soulmate, but no name, not even a hint who it could be. He couldn't help but eye all of his friends for the following week. Everyone of them could be it. But who?
He would like if it was Jaemin. He had such a fun personality, his smile always lifting Donghyuck's mood and Donghyuck couldn't imagine anyone with a more similar personality like his.
On the other hand there was Renjun. When they had met in High school, they both had immediately clicked. Although Renjun was normally more laid back, when they were together it was like a switch and they both had the weirdest ideas, even understanding each other without words, finishing some sentences. They would make such a great soulmate pair in Donghyuck’s opinion.
But then there was also Jeno. The older more laid back, but that didn't have to mean anything. They still worked with each other well. Jeno always listening to Donghyuck's problems, helping him. He was so caring and still always up to do something fun.
In conclusion all of them would make good soulmates. And in the end Donghyuck was so desperate to know who of them it was, that he started searching for spells. Spells on how to find your soulmate. They all weren't easy and there weren't many too, but still Donghyuck thankfully found one he deemed suited. ‘To make your soulmate see you’, it said, but at this point Donghyuck didn't really care anymore. It didn't sound so bad and also doable so why not try. What could possibly go wrong?
Much, but not everything, he had to learn.
When after hours of doing that ritual, he steps out of his room, nothing seems to be different at first. Renjun and Jaemin are lounging on the couch, while Mark sits at the kitchen table doing what seems like homework.
"Hey guys, one of you up to have a movie night?" Donghyuck asks directed at the two boys laying on the sofa, but they don't even move an inch after he spoke.
"Hey I am speaking to you!" He whines a little. But they still don’t show any reaction at all. "You can even pick the movie, Renjun."
Still none of them moves, but slowly it's getting weird. Sure they ignore Donghyuck from time to time, because they can’t handle his happy and outgoing personality, but they would mostly give up after some whining of Donghyuck.
"Hey, that's not funny, guys. I don't even know what I did wrong this time, but could you at least shortly look at me?" He whines harder now, desperate to get their attention already, even going to the extent and using his, according to his dormmates, very annoying aegyo voice, while pouting and crossing his arms in front of his chest.
From the corner of his eyes he sees Mark look up from his homework and smile while shaking his head at their antics. That's the last straw. Donghyuck feels the anger slowly creeping up inside of him. How can these two just ignore him and Mark has even the audacity to laugh!
Angered he stomps out of the flat, throwing the door after him loudly. If Jaemin and Renjun don't wanna do anything with him, he is sure Lucas and Jeno will. The two of them currently at the café to study. Usually Donghyuck would have joined them, but today the ritual was more important.
So he makes his way to their usual meeting place. It really isn't that far away, easy to reach by feet. It's only a little Café, a little hard to see from the sidewalk, but that makes the atmosphere to study so much better.
Donghyuck is just about to take a step into the café when a customer leaves, brushing by Donghyuck while walking out. Not even bothering to apologize or take a second look at Donghyuck. The boy not stopping the door from closing right in front of Donghyuck's nose either.
"Impolite, much?" Donghyuck mumbles under his breath while stepping inside, already automatically nodding and smiling in the direction where the barista stands behind the counter, but he gets no greeting back.
Slowly he starts to think if maybe it is a "be mean to Donghyuck"-day he doesn't know anything about.
Inside it's quiet except for some customers mumbling in their booths. He spots Lucas and Jeno almost immediately at their regular spot on the far end corner. Some papers messily spread out around them.
"Hey, what's up?", he greets them skipping over and stopping in front of their table, but none of his two friends moves.
"Can I sit here?" He points to a spot where seemingly less papers are placed, right next to Jeno, but he still gets no reaction.
"Hey guy everything alright? I am right here, do you see me?" He waves his hand in front of their eyes, but they look right through it, as if it isn't even there. That's really weird. He is sure they don't ignore him. Lucas would way too easily start laughing and Jeno is not mean enough and would feel bad after the first three seconds already, but even after Donghyuck's countless questions they still stare directly on their papers.
So included what happened when he entered the café he reaches the conclusion that the people around him really can't see him. Just like he isn't there. But why?
Suddenly it hits him. It must have something to do with the spell he performed. Although he was sure that he did everything right, something had gone wrong obviously. It did say something about being seen and not about being invisible. He didn’t want that at all, so he has to go back right now and find a solution. He wouldn’t survive if his friends, wouldn’t be able to see him ever again. What is he even supposed to do then, when he can’t annoy the living hell out off them.
He rushes out of the cafe not bothering with greetings because no one can see him anyways. He just throws the door of his dorm open rushes through the living room into his own. Both doors closing loudly behind him, but he doesn't bother in his rush. He barely even noted that Mark isn't sitting at the kitchen table anymore, while Jaemin and Renjun are still in the same position like when he left.
Immediately after he arrived in his room he opens the old spellbook. Dust and the smell of slowly rotting paper wafting over from it. He scrunches his nose, whoever said magicians will get used to that smell because it would be all around them too often to still care after years, was wrong. This smell is still disgusting after years.
Hastily he searches for the page he needs and reads again: "Spell to make your soulmate see you…" till then everything sounds fine, that's exactly what Donghyuck wanted to achieve.
He reads more, but he knows everything already. Which substances were needed, which cycles he had to draw, which herbs he had to own. Nothing new. He read all of that already. It's when he reaches the end if the page that he notes up:
"Attention: Your soulmate only can see you."
This sentence is also nothing new. But when Donghyuck reads it again now he notices something special about it. There are two ways of understanding it.
First way was how Donghyuck originally thought it worked: That you alone were the only person visible for your soulmate.
But now upon reading it again, he realizes the other meaning two. This way his soulmate would be the only one seeing Donghyuck.
But when he thinks about it now there was no one that reacted this way. There was no one that even moved an inch when Donghyuck had spoken to him. All ignored him, no one really looked at him.
No one really looked at him? Was that even right? No that he thought more about it, he was very positive that Mark had smiled at him after he had tried to talk to Jaemin and Renjun. He had smiled and shook his head probably because he heard their conversation or Donghyuck’s monolog to be more precise. He had reacted to what Donghyuck did, meaning he could see him, right? Is he probably Donghyuck's soulmate?
His wild racing thoughts are interrupted by some loud knocks on his door. "Hey, Donghyuck. You in there?" It is Mark's voice. Obviously it is Marks voice no one else can see him or even notices he exits, right?
Like a flash he is at the door, wanting to find out the truth, but still opening it a bit hesitant. "Mark, oh Mark! Do you see me? Please tell me you see me. Please don't ignore me too." Donghyuck is practically crying by now. He just wants someone to finally notice him, he really hates getting no attention.
"Of course I see you, what's that of a question. By the way I…" Mark couldn't finish his sentence because suddenly the younger throws himself at Mark, startling him. His face buried in Mark neck sobbing out in relief.
"God bless, I thought I messed up and no one would ever be able to see me again. Thank you."
"Hey, it's all fine Hyuckie. You know you shouldn't be so upset. Especially Jaemin likes teasing, they didn't want to hurt you it was just friendly teasing, don't worry about it." Mark tries to soothe him clearly not grasping that this isn’t what Donghyuck talked about.
"No that's exactly what I wanted." Donghyuck looks up right at the moment to still catch Marks bewildered gaze. "I performed a spell so that only my soulmate could see me, but it really worked and now no one could see me for real except of you." He trails off still leaving the 'You are my soulmate' unspoken.
"You wanted this? How did you even get that dumb idea? And soulmates… Oh, oh!“ Mark says getting quieter till the end, till his words are more like short breaths of air.
"Yeah, soulmates, Mark. We are soulmates." Donghyuck cuddles the older some more.
"Oh okay. And what about the spell now? It obviously didn't wear off when I first looked at you in the living room or just right now."
"Oh I just read, but let me reread real quick: So yeah here is definitely written that you have to stay connected to your soulmate in one way or another for one whole day." Donghyuck reads aloud.
"So basically 24 hours of cuddling."
"Yep", Donghyuck nods, not showing a single ounce of guilt for what he did. "That was actually my favorite part of the spell. You know I am always in for cuddling." Donghyuck winks at his soulmate!!!
A blush creps up Marks cheeks and it looks really cute, the younger has to admit.
"Why me?" The boy that is still in Donghyuck’s grasp pouts adorably. After a judging gaze from Donghyuck the older corrects himself: "I didn't mean it like that!” A short silence follows, where none of them says a word and Mark slowly realizes there is nothing he can say to save this situation. So he just smoothly switches topics, to food. Of course to food, because is there anything that would catch Donghyuck’s attention better than food?
”Anyways I brought sweets and chips. Still up for a movie night?"
That night when Donghyuck falls asleep curled into Marks chest, he wonders how he could have ever doubted that Mark is his soulmate. The two of them being a perfect match made in heaven, fitting each other so well.