Chapter Text
It’s still a mystery how he ended up with the ability.No explainable reasons nor causes that his family could give to him.Not even a made up story or the clichè ,“You were gifted” to make him feel at ease.Soonyoung found out about it when he was 6.His uncle and his (now divorced) wife had visited their house during the holidays.They were supposed to read him a bedtime story and of course ,out of all the possible things they could have talked about,they chose to tell him about the red string of fate.
A sharp noise of a book shut closed echoed through his room.
“And that,Soonyoungie ,is what a red string of fate is. So if your string is tied to another person, that special person is your soulmate!”
Soonyoung stared at his uncle dead in the eyes.He then averted his gaze towards his uncle’s wife and with no emotion whatsoever, said with a flat tone ,pointing his plump finger to her pinky,
“Then why is your string not tied to Auntie’s?”
Boom.
The sound of the thick book hitting the nightstand broke the silence.The next few moments, filled with fake awkward chuckles and laughs and a few lines of “Silly kid,you don’t even know what you’re talking about.” and “Of course, it’s tied, we love each other.”
Or loved?
Sure enough,a year after that , they broke their ties completely and divorced each other mutually.Simply, along the reason of “We fell out of love.”
Of course, being only a kid,it had traumatised Soonyoung.He had blamed himself and had apologised with tears in his eyes to his uncle.His uncle,being an angel that he is, simply hugged the fragile being and embraced him ,telling him it’s not his fault.
Fast forward to 21, Soonyoung is an average college student in Seoul.Sure, it felt nice to leave Namyangju and move to Busan during his early high school years.That is until certain rumours started to evolve around him again at school about him being a psychic and a relationship breaker. A lot of “strong couples” had broken up due to Soonyoung’s mere attitude of saying
“ I Don’t Give A Fuck About Your Love Life, Oh Look,Your Red String Of Fate Is Tied To Someone Else.”
So much for true loves.
Some students even went to him for advices like ; “Should I date her?” and “Whose string is tied to mine?”. It annoyed him so much that he’d rather stay in hell.Not to mention the amount of shit he got for accidentally causing his P.E teacher to break up with his beloved fiancé.Though,he was supposed to be thanked by his teacher. Had he not spilled the situation about the red string, his teacher wouldn’t have caught his fiancé cheating on him.
The only good things that came out of his high school life are probably his excellency in both studying and dancing and meeting his life-long best friend, Lee Jihoon. The only kid who also “Gives No Single Fuck About Love And Is Just Here To Learn.”
Ah,the joy he felt when fate has made him sat next to Jihoon during his second year of high school.
Finally,someone who started a conversation with a brief, “Hey, is the history teacher always this annoying?” and not with a, “So,I’ve heard that you got some supernatural powers.”
The duo worked hard in high school and have both been accepted in their first choice of university,together.Soonyoung majoring in Engineering and Jihoon pursuing his dream of becoming a music composer.
It was in university, that they have added a few new friends to their small circle.Junhui and Minghao, the international students from China, whose personalities are total opposites,yet are still close like brothers.Joshua, the Korean-American boy who came to Korea because he wanted to learn more about Korea and Mingyu, the self-proclaimed “I Can Do Anything.” man,though he is clumsy as hell,he could even snap a piece of titanium in half even if he’s merely touching it.
It was a bright day indeed.Someone would have thought it was summer but no,it’s a long way from summer.Spring.Ugh. The season of falling in love and dating in the flower blossoms and being lovey-dovey and gross and blegh.
Just thinking about going out made Soonyoung shuddered in disgust.He wore a dark facade early in the morning when a couple sat next to his table at the cafe and started doing coupley things.
“It’s way too early for this shit.”He glances over at them, “They’re not even connected,what a joke.”
“Hey.” Soonyoung snaps his attention to Jihoon.
“8.24 am and we’re already dissing couples,Soonyoung?”
Minghao arches his eyebrow,eyes still focusing at his book.
“I swear to god,Soonyoung,as someone who has been friends with Jihoon since forever,you’re actually a bright kid.Until, someone mention ‘love’ and all I see is two Jihoon being grumpy.” Junhui takes a bite in his cheesecake,shoving the fork in front of Soonyoung,trying to get his point crossed.
“Thanks,I take that as a compliment.”
“So,” Minghao closed his book,places it on the table and takes a sip of his coffee.
“So?”
“About the photography club,” Soonyoung rolls his eyes with a hushed grunt. Here we go again.
He thought as Minghao casually proceeds.
“You up to it? I really need you to join us.As a model. You don’t even have to do anything. Just strike a few poses and you’ll get student credits for that.Don’t even have to take photos.Easy?”
“I told you so many times that I am already a member of the dance club.Ask Junhui,instead.Or your boyfie,Mingyu.They’re clearly fit for it seeing as their bodies are perfect.”
It’s funny how they met Mingyu,Minghao and Junhui for the first time in their class.Soonyoung noticed how despite Minghao and Mingyu being connected with a string,they try to keep it down a notch and not let the world know that they’re a couple.He decided that they’re not that bad after all.
“And I told you as many that we’re allowed to join two clubs at the same time.Hence, why I am undeniably the member of both photography and dance club.Most of us thought you have the perfect height and body proportion.Also,Junhui and Mingyu work part time at a local convenience store so they’re unavailable almost all the time.”
“Jihoon?”
“I’m fucking short,asshole.”
“Exactly.”
Soonyoung was about to open his mouth to argue when Minghao,hand clasped together, pleads with bribery ,
“I’ll buy you ice cream for as long as you want me to.”
Shit.No way.That’s way too good.How can he even refuse that.He’s way to good at bribing.
Nah,it’s all bluff.
“I said No.”
“You know,a birdie told me that your beloved hoobae is actually a member of photography club.” Junhui says,wiggling his eyebrows.
Soonyoung looked at him confused.Beloved hoobae? Who..? Wait.
“Shit,for real ,Minghao?”
Now,Minghao stares at him confused.He switches his gaze to Junhui and finally gets what he meant.
“Ah,you mean Nagisa?Yeah,she’s a member.Always there at the club room.”
Minghao takes another sip of his coffee.
“And you didn’t even think about telling me? You know how much I adore her.” Soonyoung frowns his face.Nagisa, or as Soonyoung likes to call her ,Nagisa-chan, is an international student from Japan.According to Soonyoung, she is the “Kindest,most gentlest girl I have ever met.She’s also cute so that’s a bonus.”
If there’s one thing he knows about red string of fate,it’s that no one is tied to the other person right at the outset or as soon as they were born.The timing of the connection differs from person to person.That’s why he hates it when people ask him who their soulmate is.Like,how the hell is he supposed to know?
However,looking at the bright side,Nagisa-chan’s string is not connected to anyone near her,meaning he does have a chance.Sometimes,it takes time for the red string to finally properly connect with others.He has lived for 21 years and yet he still haven’t found who his string is tied to.
He likes to think that maybe his string would one day connect with Nagisa-chan’s.
Minghao shrugged,taking out a poster from his bag and gave it to Soonyoung.It’s a poster about joining the photography club as a model that Soonyoung had seen too many times.He then points his index finger to the name in the bottom of the poster,right next to the club’s president name.
Vice President : Nagisa Takahashi.
Soonyoung forms an ‘o’ with his mouth and smiles sheepishly.
“It’s because you never read,Soonyoung.”
Soonyoung let out a laugh and continues to look at Minghao with sparkly eyes.
“Okay, I’ll join you.”
Minghao put down his cup vigorously on the table,looking at Soonyoung with total disbelief.
That’s all it fucking takes to make him join?Just tell him Nagisa is a member and he straight up sign for it?He’s totally whipped.
“Okay ,so I assume you can come tomorrow? I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
“Cool,and I’m still up for the ice cream.”
Minghao sighs and nods lazily while Soonyoung looks at the poster giddily.
Yup,he’s whipped.