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Soulmates: Ateez
Soulmates: Seonghwa’s Memory
Soulmates. The one person who is guaranteed to be with you until your last breath or their last breath. The person that everyone wants to find. Not all soulmates are romantic, but all soulmates complete each other. They naturally call out to each other through dreams, memories, and everyday life. When their eyes meet, soulmates just know that they’re meant for each other. Fate pushes them to find each other. However, not everyone gets the privilege of meeting their soulmate. Not all soulmates get to enjoy their lives together. Although difficult, it is possible to change fate. The consequences for changing fate are not something that most humans could bear to face.
(<>)
The sound of the city filled his ears as his eyes slowly opened. He sat up from his bed that felt far too big for just himself. He had that dream again. He couldn’t be sure, but he was almost positive that it was a memory.
Seonghwa’s dream always started out the same. He was running late to school because he had missed the bus. He had run to try and catch it. He passes by a girl and the scent of clean lavender passes through him, but he doesn’t stop. Even with the sound of his bracelet crashing to the ground, he doesn’t stop. He keeps running toward the bus. He manages to catch it and the bus driver opens the door. It's then that he realizes the scent of lavender is still invading his senses, but before he can question it the bus leaves. Then he wakes up.
Seonghwa manages to pull himself out of bed and get ready for another long day of university. He wondered why he decided that he wanted to go to university. His days seemed to be getting longer and longer, but at the same time they felt empty. He was overwhelmed with different readings and projects.
He left his apartment and headed for the bus stop. He couldn’t keep his eyes from darting around the streets as he walked to the bus stop. Breathing deeply, hoping that he might catch the scent of lavender one more time. However, like every day for the past three months there was no scent of lavender.
(<>)
Seonghwa had always prided himself on his independence. It was something his parents had noticed from a very young age. The people in his hometown had also noticed it. He had been able to take care of himself and function on his own for a long time.
Even when he had moved to Seoul for university he had known he was going to be just fine on his own. He could already do basic household chores and although his parents had offered to send him money, he knew he could find a part-time job somewhere. When he got to Seoul it had taken him all of about a week to find a part-time job that could help him at the time. He had saved up and moved from the dorms to a decent-sized apartment at the start of his second year of university. He was doing just fine on his own.
However, Seonghwa hadn’t made a lot of friends in university. He hadn’t felt the need to attend any extra events. He still appeared and was friendly at the required events. He had made friends at them, but eventually they just couldn’t deal with his busy schedule or just his personality in general. He was too meticulous and worried too much about others. He worried to the point where they would say he was being condescending. Then they just stopped contacting him.
Everyone left, only her scent remains. He had no name or address. It was as if he was going to be left dreaming within his own dream. Until it would all fade away. The scent of lavender and the memory of the girl. That’s just how it was for him, everyone left.
Maybe that was why now he found it so hard to consider that he may have met his soulmate. Not only that, he may have accidentally rejected his soulmate by walking away. Maybe he was just thinking too much about it. There was no guarantee that his soulmate wouldn’t leave him like everyone else.
Seonghwa would be just fine on his own like he always had been.
(<>)
“Good work! Get home safe,” his coworker called out as Seonghwa left the convenience store that he worked at.
Seonghwa exited and let out a groan as he stretched out his back. It was a nice day and he was just two bus stops away from his apartment, so he could walk home. He had premade food, so dinner was also easy. He could use the night to study a bit before relaxing and going to bed.
It would have been just like any other night if he hadn’t caught it. The scent of lavender floating through the air. He couldn’t help it as his body froze.
What should he do?
Seonghwa could try to follow the scent to see if he could find the person it belonged to, but would they want to see him? He had run right past them before; maybe they didn’t want to see him. Maybe they were happy that he ran past them.
Seonghwa felt his stomach knot at the thought that even his soulmate might not want him. He felt utterly ashamed at the thought that he might not be good enough. That he might not be what they wanted. He could almost laugh at himself for being so stupid. It shouldn’t matter to him. Everyone would leave and he would survive on his own, just like he always had.
It couldn’t hurt to try though, right?
If it wasn’t meant to be then they wouldn’t meet each other. That was how fate worked, right?
He found himself inhaling deep as he searched through the streets for the source of the lavender scent. The sun was beginning to set as he continued to search for it, his legs carrying him faster and faster as the scent got stronger and stronger. He was sure that his soulmate was just around the next bend.
When Seonghwa rounded the corner he felt his heart plummet at the sight before him. There was no person to be found. Just something he knew he had lost sitting on the ground. He would have missed it if the sun hadn’t reflected off it. It was the bracelet that he had dropped that day on the way to the bus. It was just carelessly sitting all alone on the street like someone had discarded it without a thought. The scent of lavender still lingering on it.
Seonghwa walked over to it and picked it off the ground. He should have known better to expect anything else.
“Excuse me!” a voice called.
Seonghwa turned to see a girl that had called out to him. She was bent over panting to try and catch her breath. Her appearance was disheveled and it was obvious that she had been running around.
It was then that his senses suddenly filled with the calming scent of lavender as their eyes met for the first time. It was like he felt all of his worries and self-doubt fly away.
“That’s your bracelet, right?” she asked.
“Yeah…” he responded. He was still too awestruck to really respond.
Had she been carrying this bracelet around for months hoping she could find him?
“I don’t really know what to say,” she said. She let out a nervous laugh that he couldn’t help but find impossibly cute. “I know you might not have wanted to meet me, but I at least hoped we could meet one more time.”
“Me too,” he said.
Seonghwa watched as she was shocked for one second before the most beautiful smile crossed her face.
It was at that moment when he decided that he wasn’t going to let his soulmate become just a memory. She was going to be his best dream for the rest of his life.
Soulmates: Yunho’s Brother
Soulmates. The one person who is guaranteed to be with you until your last breath or their last breath. The person that everyone wants to find. Not all soulmates are romantic, but all soulmates complete each other. They naturally call out to each other through dreams, memories, and everyday life. When their eyes meet, soulmates just know that they’re meant for each other. Fate pushes them to find each other. However, not everyone gets the privilege of meeting their soulmate. Not all soulmates get to enjoy their lives together. Although difficult, it is possible to change fate. The consequences for changing fate are not something that most humans could bear to face.
(<>)
Yunho was lucky. He was constantly told how blessed he was. Yunho had met his soulmate before he even started Kindergarten. Some people could search their entire lives and never find their soulmates, but at barely four years old Yunho had met his.
Yunho’s family had decided to move to a slightly larger apartment because he was going to get a little brother. He had been upset at first because he had liked the old apartment. However, after they had finished moving all the boxes into the apartment their neighbors had come to greet them.
It was then that he met Seungmin, his soulmate. The two boys had blinked not quite knowing what to do with each other at first. That only lasted about five minutes though. Soon they were the best of friends, despite Seungbin being a year older than him.
From that day on they did everything they could together. They were soulmates and they were brothers.
(<>)
“Yo, Yunho!” one of his friends called out. “I heard you and Seungmin are headed up to Seoul for an audition.”
“Yeah, I finally convinced him that we should just go for it together,” Yunho responded. “We’re leaving later tonight.”
Yunho couldn’t help but feel excitement flowing through his veins. Ever since the two of them were young they had wanted to audition together. It had been Seungmin’s idea first, but now he really wanted to as well. They loved performing together and had been putting on mini concerts for their parents for years. This was just the next step at making their dreams come true.'
“You know any company would be stupid to turn the two of you away. You’re both good looking, talented, and soulmates. So no chances of any scandals happening. They’ll be super excited about that.”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself there, but thanks. I’m not sure if I’ll make it, but it’s worth a shot, right? Anyway, see you next week!”
Yunho waved to his friend before leaving school to head home. He was in his third year of high school now and Seungmin had just started his first year of university. They were both a little late to try and get into the entertainment business, but both boys had always wanted to try. However, Seungmin insisted on waiting a bit to make sure that Yunho still got a chance to get through most of school. It made their chances of anyone accepting them a lot lower, but both boys had been training for this for years.
Their parents had also been relatively supportive of the idea of the two boys going to Seoul to audition on their own. It was probably because they knew that the two boys would always take care of each other. That’s what soulmates did after all.
“Hey mom, I’m home,” Yunho called. He took off his shoes and walked into the apartment.
“Do you have time to eat something before you go meet Seungmin at the bus station?” she asked.
“Yeah I’ve got time,” he said, sitting down at the table.
“You’ve packed everything, right?”
“Of course.”
“And you know that your father and I are only a phone call away if you need us.”
“Yeah mom, don’t worry. It’s only a first round audition. If they want us to come back then they’ll let us know and we can make a family trip out of it.”
“Ah a little trip up to Seoul would be nice. Lately, all your brother does is play those computer games of his.”
“Let him have fun before he has to go to high school and everything gets all serious,” Yunho said.
His mother scoffed at him and rolled her eyes, but there was a loving smile on her face.
“No matter what happens we’re proud of you.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. I also know that you love me.”
“Good, then we’re doing our job right as your parents. Now, eat up before you leave.”
(<>)
Yunho got to the bus station about half an hour before their bus for Seoul was supposed to leave. He messaged Seungmin where he was and decided to wait for him. He felt uneasy though. Normally, Seungmin got to places before him. Seungmin had been coming directly from university, so they had agreed to meet at the bus station instead of going together. Seungmin was never late though and always responded to him quickly.
Time passed and it was five minutes until their bus from Seoul was supposed to leave. His message was still unread. He felt uneasy. This wasn’t like Seungmin. He had never been late. He always showed up when he said he was going to. He had never broken a promise with Yunho.
He felt his phone vibrate and his heart dropped into his stomach at what he read. His suitcase forgotten, he was sprinting to the location that was in the text message.
Yunho wasn’t the most athletic person out there, but when he needed to he could run as fast as he could. He hailed a taxi and instructed the driver to quickly drive him to the hospital.
The driver dropped him off across the street from the hospital and Yunho ran through the intersection as soon as the light was green and to the hospital reception desk. He frantically told the nurse who he was looking for and she brought him back.
Yunho couldn’t help it when he walked into the room and saw Seungmin sitting up and talking to a nurse his legs gave out from under him in relief. Everyone looked at him as he knelt on the ground and couldn’t help it as tears started to spill from his eyes.
“Yunho, what are you doing here?” Seungmin asked. “You should be on a bus to Seoul by now.”
“How am I supposed to be on a bus to Seoul when you got hit by a car!” Yunho yelled. “I thought you were going to die!”
“You didn’t read my next message, did you,” Seungmin said. He let out a scoff. “You’re still such a crybaby.”
Yunho glanced at his phone and noticed that he had in fact gotten a second message from Seungmin. One saying that besides a broken ankle, he was going to be just fine. He felt his heart drop when he read the last part of the message though. Seungmin had wanted him to audition without him.
“You wanted me to leave without you…” he said quietly. “This started with you, but it’s also my dream now. But without my brother, there’s no meaning to this dream. What am I supposed to do if you disappear? I was so scared.”
“Yunho, if I disappear suddenly you keep going,” Seungmin stated. “You keep going for me and for you. Look bro, we’re soulmates and nothing will ever change that. Nothing will ever change that my happiness is your happiness. Yeah this really sucks right now, but I need you to go to Seoul and do your best at that audition. For the both of us and because I know it will make you happy.”
“I can’t without you! It’s our dream not just mine.”
“It’s still our dream, just because I’m not next to you every step of the way doesn’t mean I’m not there with you in spirit. Please Yunho, go get on that bus to Seoul and ace that audition for me.”
“You’re unbelievable,” Yunho said. At this point he wasn’t quite sure if he was laughing at the situation or crying still.
“Nah, I’m your soulmate, you brat. Besides, it’s going to look so cool to everyone if my soulmate becomes a big star, talk about bragging rights. Now go and message me when you get there.”
Yunho ran up to Seungmin, engulfing him in a hug before pulling away.
“You’re really sure?” Yunho asked.
“Yes, now go before I give you something else to cry about.”
This time Yunho did laugh as he waved goodbye to Seungmin before heading back to the bus station.
Luckily for him someone had turned his suitcase into lost and found. And lucky for him, the next day he passed his audition. Then again, Yunho had always been lucky and that started with meeting Seungmin.
Soulmates: Yeosang’s Time
Soulmates. The one person who is guaranteed to be with you until your last breath or their last breath. The person that everyone wants to find. Not all soulmates are romantic, but all soulmates complete each other. They naturally call out to each other through dreams, memories, and everyday life. When their eyes meet, soulmates just know that they’re meant for each other. Fate pushes them to find each other. However, not everyone gets the privilege of meeting their soulmate. Not all soulmates get to enjoy their lives together. Although difficult, it is possible to change fate. The consequences for changing fate are not something that most humans could bear to face.
(<>)
Yeosang had always prided himself on being a level-headed, but empathetic person. His parents had raised him to be polite and kind. However, he could still stick up for himself and for others. Which made him quite popular with all his classmates throughout school. He was truly someone who could see the beauty in everything and take the time to appreciate the little things.
That was something that didn’t change even as he entered university. He was quickly popular among his seniors and classmates. It certainly didn’t hurt that he was handsome and gaining a lot of popularity through different social media sites.
It had been just another day when he met her. Yeosang could count the number of times that he was shocked into silence on one hand. This had been one of those times.
He would never forget the way in which the girl had just stood there as the ones around her teased her and made fun of her. Pointing out her looks, her style, and even digging into how awful her personality was. Meanwhile, she had stood there and listened to every word they were saying. When they had finally finished she let out a sigh.
“Are you finished?” she asked. “You can be mad all you want about me taking your names off this experiment, but I was the one to do all the calculations and write up the reports. None of you even bothered to show up to our lab times. If you wanted me to put your names on the project you should have done something. You can throw petty insults at me all you want, however, it doesn’t change that you have no one to blame but yourselves. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have better things to do.”
Yeosang had felt his heart thump frantically in his chest as he watched her leave. He recognized one of the students as an upperclassman, so he guessed that she must be one as well.
He was absolutely plotting how to make her first encounter with him as romantic as possible.
(<>)
“Huh, so you’re my soulmate huh?” she said. She scanned Yeosang up and down as she seemed to be thinking about what to say. A sly smile passed over her lips when she finished. “You’re certainly more attractive than I expected you would be.”
Yeosang couldn’t help the blush that crept onto his cheeks at her words. He had been planning for weeks on a big romantic gesture, but she had ruined it all by just walking up to him while he was eating lunch. He had to admit he was strangely happy about it.
(<>)
If Yeosang was good with emotions and empathy, his soulmate was good with logic and reasoning. Yeosang could create poems about anything and make the smallest things into a romantic gesture. However, those usually flew right over his soulmate’s head.
For their one year anniversary he had brought her out to a picnic under the stars and she was ruining it.
“I mean if you think about it, stars are just helium and hydrogen having a nuclear reaction and giving off a bunch of light. Not really all that impressive.”
“You’re killing me here,” Yeosang said with a laugh. “Okay, I want you to shut that big brain of yours off for a second and close your eyes. I’m going to tell you a story.”
“Yes, teacher,” she said. Yeosang didn’t need to look at her to know that she was grinning at him. He wasn’t a teacher yet, but she liked to remind him that he would be soon.
“When I was younger I really loved to look up at the stars,” he started. “My parents would take me out just to look up at them. My mom told me that when one soulmate dies they go into the sky and shine as brightly as they can, so that their soulmate can come find them later. All the stars really close together are soulmates that found each other and created a new home in the sky together.”
“So when I look up at the sky, I’m seeing our future home together. I like that more than just helium and hydrogen.”
“I like the sound of us having a home together too,” he replied.
“I mean in this economy there is no way we’ll ever own our own home, so at least we can look forward to this.”
“You’re impossible.”
“But I’m your impossible soulmate.”
The words couldn’t have made him happier as they looked at the stars in the sky together, just taking the time to enjoy being with each other.
(<>)
It didn’t last though. Unfortunately for Yeosang and for his soulmate, time wasn’t something in their favor. About two months later she got sick, really sick. It took maybe three months and she was almost unrecognizable. All the fight was slowly draining from her body as she was forced to lay in a hospital bed.
Yeosang was always there. How could he not be there for her? He wanted to spend every moment of time he could with her. At first everyone thought she would pull through and beat it. She didn’t. She left him all too soon.
He hadn’t been able to leave his house for days. He couldn’t stomach food and could barely function. He had missed her funeral. Everyone had been understanding about it, but somehow that just fueled his hatred for himself even more.
It was months later when he finally brought himself to be able to visit her grave. He had been surprised when he located it. He had suddenly felt all his emotions rise to the surface again as he found himself sobbing.
“All the adults say to look up at the stars in the night sky. But now the stars don’t shine anymore in the sky I’m looking at. I just continue to stare at the ground and try to move forward. Without you it’s so hard. I miss you so much.”
Yeosang looked down at the ground. There was a small envelope that he picked up. When he turned it over he saw his name printed on the front of it. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he slowly opened it.
As he unfolded the paper he couldn’t help as he felt his heart clench with pain. He was holding a certificate to a star. Not just any star, but a star named Our Home. With it was a small note telling him to take his time and that she would always be there waiting for him to come home. Until then he had to use his time wisely and make sure he gathered plenty of stories to tell her later.
No matter how busy Yeosang was after that, he made time to look up at the night sky.
Soulmates: San’s Resolution
Soulmates. The one person who is guaranteed to be with you until your last breath or their last breath. The person that everyone wants to find. Not all soulmates are romantic, but all soulmates complete each other. They naturally call out to each other through dreams, memories, and everyday life. When their eyes meet, soulmates just know that they’re meant for each other. Fate pushes them to find each other. However, not everyone gets the privilege of meeting their soulmate. Not all soulmates get to enjoy their lives together. Although difficult, it is possible to change fate. The consequences for changing fate are not something that most humans could bear to face.
(<>)
There was nothing that San loved more than his family. They had raised him well. Taught him to pursue his dreams and sacrificed so much that he had a chance at achieving those dreams. He loved them with all his heart and he knew they loved him as well. Which is why he was currently shocked.
“Get married?” he asked. His grandmother just laughed at his confusion.
“Not get married, get engaged hopefully,” she corrected him. “Your grandfather and I met this nice couple and their daughter is absolutely lovely. We know you’ll just love her.”
“Grandma… I haven’t met my soulmate yet. What if I meet my soulmate and want to marry them?” he asked.
“What if you meet your soulmate and don’t want to marry them?” she challenged. “Not all soulmates are romantic.”
San couldn’t fight her on that. Plenty of his friends had already met their soulmates and about half of them had platonic soulmates. So his grandma was right, there was a chance he could meet his soulmate and want nothing to do with them.
He guessed he could go to the meeting. What was the worst that could happen?
(<>)
San wouldn’t say that the girl his parents wanted him to meet was bad. She just wasn’t what he wanted in a partner. However, the feeling wasn’t mutual. After the first meeting she had kept contacting him, wanting to meet up as regularly as possible and suddenly he was moving to Seoul because his grandparents thought he should be closer to her before the wedding.
He had blinked and his entire life was changing. He was moving away from the island and people he loved in order to be closer to some girl he didn’t really like. However, his grandparents adored her. They loved her so much and they seemed so happy to be welcoming her as part of the family that he didn’t know what to do.
San had tried breaching the subject with them multiple times, but he just didn’t have the heart to voice his feelings to them when they smiled whenever she was mentioned.
He felt trapped. There was no more escape.
“Oh I’m so excited for the two of you,” his grandmother gushed to him.
He had just loaded the last of his boxes into the truck to move to Seoul. She had just sat there talking with his grandma and not even trying to help him. Truthfully, she hated anything work related. She worked in a comfortable office job that she had got through connections from her university. There was nothing wrong with that, but it just didn’t sit well with him.
He had been helping his grandparents out for years and the fact that she didn’t seem to want to help anyone wore on his nerves. Now he had to move across the country for her because she wanted him closer, but what about his family?
When they got into the car to make the drive to Seoul he started out driving, but they agreed they would switch when they got closer to Seoul. She had instantly launched into all the wedding preparations that needed to be made and San just felt empty. Before he could help it he found himself asking her a question.
“Have you met your soulmate?” he asked.
“What’s this suddenly? Afraid I’m going to leave you?” she teased. “No, I haven’t but that doesn’t really matter to me. I just need to marry someone my parents approve of and that’s you.”
“I don’t understand what’s the rush. You’re still young.”
“You wouldn’t because you didn’t go to university. No one cares what you accomplish if you’re not the first one to do it. I got into a company first and now I want to get married first. It’s just what people want from me.”
“But what about what you want?”
“I want to be able to relax and after this marriage I will be able to.”
The conversation ended as she patted his arm. He guessed she was trying to comfort him, but the touch felt empty. It just didn’t feel right coming from her.
Eventually it was her turn to drive and they had switched right before they got to Seoul. He felt overwhelmed. Of course he had been to Seoul before. He knew it was a city full of constant motion. San just suddenly felt completely alone in this huge city with millions of other people.
“Oh, I need you to come out to dinner with me and my friends tonight. I know you’re probably tired but—”
“I can’t do this. I’m sorry I just can’t. I can’t change my entire life for you and move to Seoul. I get that my grandparents like you, but who is going to take care of them now? I’m going back. I’m sorry.”
San was sick of his life. When the moving car stopped for a moment, he jumped out of the car. The first call he made was to his grandfather. He explained to him clearly what was happening and that he was coming back. His grandfather had listened and only said that he was more than happy that he was coming home. That no matter what he did or who he married they would both still love him. Those words had caused a sense of relief to flood over him. He and his family were going to be just fine.
San had stood firm in his resolution to take back control of his life. He had changed what would have been his fate to enter a loveless marriage. He had returned home to his grandparents and eventually the three of them had set up a small cafe, where they had frequent visitors. Enough visitors where none of them ever wanted anyone more added to their family.
He didn’t meet his soulmate until years later. When he watched them squinting to read the Korean off the menu. They eventually ordered in a small voice and the second their eyes met they knew. After that day his family grew and so did his love for them. His resolution had brought him happiness.
Soulmates: Mingi’s Diary
Soulmates. The one person who is guaranteed to be with you until your last breath or their last breath. The person that everyone wants to find. Not all soulmates are romantic, but all soulmates complete each other. They naturally call out to each other through dreams, memories, and everyday life. When their eyes meet, soulmates just know that they’re meant for each other. Fate pushes them to find each other. However, not everyone gets the privilege of meeting their soulmate. Not all soulmates get to enjoy their lives together. Although difficult, it is possible to change fate. The consequences for changing fate are not something that most humans could bear to face.
(<>)
When Mingi had first entered school he hadn’t known that he was different from any of the other kids. He hadn’t known that their family had less money than everyone else’s. He hadn’t known that he wasn’t as naturally gifted as some of the kids. Most importantly, he hadn’t known that he didn’t have a soulmate. He had always felt odd and a bit lost in the world, but he had thought that was normal for kids his age.
It wasn’t until the fourth grade when he noticed something about him was different. All of his friends were growing and so was he. They often went to school in new clothes, but Mingi went to school in pants that he had outgrown and shirts that looked worn. At first he seemed to be the only one to notice, but slowly the other kids noticed. Suddenly he felt like he was the center of attention as the kids chose to ridicule him constantly. It eventually led to him crying to his mom. She had stroked his hair and apologized, saying that she couldn’t get new clothes for him. As she hugged him close Mingi had realized that she was crying as well. Mingi never asked his mom for new clothes again because he didn’t want to see her cry.
It wasn’t until his first year in high school that he realized he was different once again. It had been during class when they were talking about soulmates. There had been a few people in school who had already found their soulmates, but Mingi hadn’t been one of them. He hadn’t thought anything of it until the teacher had talked about how people find their soulmates. How sometimes people will do things just because they feel a force pushing them to do so. Some people dream of their soulmate. Others find themselves drawn to a particular scent. Others just know that their soulmate is out there.
Mingi then knew that the emptiness that he felt was the lack of a soulmate. He told the only person he knew would listen to him, his mom. He watched as she cried and told him that it would be all right. That she and his father would love him enough in place of a soulmate. It helped, but he still felt empty.
The next day Mingi went out and bought a diary. He decided that he would write down everything that he would want to tell his soulmate.
(<>)
Years passed and Mingi graduated from high school. Many of his classmates had done exceptionally well on exams thanks to extra classes and tutors that they had paid for. Mingi’s family hadn’t been able to afford that, so his exam results hadn’t been great. He had decided to go straight to military service. After he came back he got as many part-time jobs as he could in order to help out his family.
It’s funny, by now he had done a variety of different jobs. Everything from hard labor to retail. Nothing out of the ordinary though. It was also somehow ironic that he ended up working as a cleaner for a private academy. It was even one of the dance academies that he wanted to go to, but didn’t have the money to attend. They paid well though, so had gotten over it pretty quickly.
He let some of the staff that were still working there know that he was leaving for the night once he finished cleaning. It was when he was halfway home when he realized it was missing. His diary was missing. Everything for his soulmate was gone.
He found himself turning around and running back to the academy. When he got there a few lights were still on. He found himself going to the last practice room to search for if it had fallen out.
How could he lose the one thing so important to him? What was he going to do?
“Living without dreaming is normal for a guy like me. Dreams are too lavish for the poor,” a voice read.
Mingi felt rage fill him as he turned to the voice who had read to him. How dare they read something so private. How dare they read something that was only meant for a soulmate, even if he didn’t have one. That diary held his deepest thoughts and feelings. His unspoken desires filled that page and for someone to read it, was an invasion of his privacy. It was like they were taking him apart piece by piece.
Mingi felt the rage leave him though as he looked at who was standing by the door. He had met her before. She was one of the youngest instructors at the academy. She was known for being cheerful and popular amongst everyone in the academy. However, right now her eyes were red and puffy. He could tell that her makeup had been ruined. She had clearly cried a lot.
“Sorry, at first I only opened it to figure out who it belonged to, but somehow I just sort of got sucked into reading it,” she stated. She walked over to him and held out his diary. “As awful as it sounds at least there’s someone out there more miserable than me.”
“It’s not nice to compare your misery to others,” he stated, snatching the diary out of her hands. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“As someone who was just told to never approach her soulmate again, I know a thing or two about misery.”
“What did you do?”
“Love them. That’s it, but turns out what feels like a romantic soulmate connection to me feels platonic to them. They asked me to stay away so I don’t interfere with their love life. I feel like I’ll never be whole again.”
“I don’t have a soulmate,” Mingi blurted.
That was the first time he had said it out loud since the day he found out. He had just blurted it with no reason to, but it felt like the right thing to say. It felt good to say it.
“How do you know you just haven’t met them yet?” she asked.
“How did you know that you met your soulmate?” She seemed to nod her head at those words. She seemed to understand what he was trying to say.“You just know.”
She let out a deep sigh as she moved to leave.
“I’m jealous of you,” she stated. “I’ll never be whole again, but you were born whole.”
She left Mingi behind with those words and his diary. Perhaps she was right. Mingi may not have a soulmate, but that didn’t make him incomplete. He might not be as poor as he thought. Maybe he did have the ability to change dreams and change fate. That was certainly what he was going to be trying to do from now on.
Soulmates: Wooyoung’s Choice
Soulmates. The one person who is guaranteed to be with you until your last breath or their last breath. The person that everyone wants to find. Not all soulmates are romantic, but all soulmates complete each other. They naturally call out to each other through dreams, memories, and everyday life. When their eyes meet, soulmates just know that they’re meant for each other. Fate pushes them to find each other. However, not everyone gets the privilege of meeting their soulmate. Not all soulmates get to enjoy their lives together. Although difficult, it is possible to change fate. The consequences for changing fate are not something that most humans could bear to face.
(<>)
Wooyoung wouldn’t necessarily say that he grew up spoiled, but he definitely tended to get what he wanted. His parents had both held steady jobs when he was growing up, so he knew there would always be food on the table. He had enough money to go out and do things with his friends whenever he wanted to and he was secure. He was comfortable and he wouldn’t exactly call being comfortable spoiled.
Some people had disagreed with him growing up, often calling him selfish. Every now and then his parents would mention it too when he refused to do something they asked of him. So what if he wanted to go to his friend’s birthday party instead of going to see his grandparents? His friend only had one birthday a year, but he saw his grandparents all the time. So what if he thought he deserved more time to himself? So what if he wanted to live his life the way he wanted to? There was no one that could stop him or tell him no. It wasn’t like he was doing things that hurt anyone.
Wooyoung was in his last year of high school when it first happened. He had his first soulmate dream. It had all felt so weird to him. He had realized that he was in a dance studio on a university campus he had never been to before. Yet somehow, he just knew that was exactly where he was. He was staring at an older version of himself in a mirror. However, he knew that this wasn’t where he was supposed to be. He was supposed to be somewhere else. Somewhere else to meet his soulmate, but if he did that he would be missing out on his performance. The performance he had been dreaming of. The performance that he and his friends had been putting together for months, hoping to impress talent scouts in the audience. He chose the performance and his friends in that dream. He rejected his soulmate and never saw them again. He chose his friends and his own happiness over that of his soulmate every dream after that.
(<>)
Wooyoung felt his stomach get knotted. He was used to performing at this point, but he still got a little nervous before he had to perform. His nerves didn’t stem from the performance itself or the audience watching him. They came entirely because he was never sure when it was going to be the performance he chose over his soulmate.
At this point in his university career he had put together countless performances with his friends. He had lost track at this point. He was sure that he would put together the next one with his friends too. It was just how things worked at this university. He also had been to the room where his dream always happened. He had almost felt sick to his stomach when he realized that his first dance class would take place in the same place where he chose to reject his soulmate. It was nerve wracking knowing that it was going to happen at some point, but not knowing when.
He still didn’t know what he wanted to do. He was getting closer and closer to achieving his dream. Closer to the career he always wanted as he was starting to get a reputation for putting on captivating performances. Which would lead to him having an easier time getting a job after he graduated soon. It’s what he had always wanted.
“Yo, you ready for tonight?” his friend asked.
“Always ready to outshine you,” he joked. A grin crossing over his features.
“Man you’re lucky you’re a good dancer or I would have gotten a new friend ages ago.”
“You know you love me.”
His friend just laughed. They both knew Wooyoung was right. Just because he was somewhat selfish didn’t mean that he wasn’t nice or well liked. His group of friends were solid and comfortable with each other. He could rely on them for anything and they knew despite everything they could rely on him. He was comfortable with them.
(<>)
It was when he woke up that the next day he knew. The dream had changed. The dream that had been the same for years changed. He met them. He met his soulmate in it. He left with them. He lost everything when he left with them to build a new life. He stopped dancing. He worked odd jobs to make ends meet because no one would hire him in a full time position. They were struggling. The one thing Wooyoung couldn’t remember was if he had been happy. If all the struggling was worth it.
Seeing his soulmate vaguely in his dream had made him feel numb. He didn’t feel the sense of longing he was expecting or relief at meeting them. He felt nothing.
He went about his day and he got ready for the performance as usual. He surrounded himself with his friends and danced harder than he ever had before. Never had he given such a beautiful performance. It was the best one of his life.
At the end he had been given a few business cards from possible companies to work with. Something that had never happened to him before. He accepted them and thanked them for considering him.
They didn’t want just him either they wanted him and his friends. They appreciated all of their hard work and there was something that was immensely satisfying at having their work recognized.
There was something familiar about it. The feeling of being surrounded and supported by his friends. It was the feeling he had always thought he would get being around his soulmate.
He hadn’t realized it, but his legs had carried him to the dance classroom. The sun was setting and he approached the mirror that for so long had haunted his dreams. He looked at his reflection and knew. He knew that he should be angry or disgusted with himself. He knew that he had made the wrong decision, but it was too late.
“I gave up on the easy way out to be with my friends,” he said staring into the eyes of reflection. “But we’re wrong. I’m only going to think about one thing now. I’m sorry that one thing isn’t you, but it’s my dream. I don’t know why, but I just can’t leave it behind.”
Wooyoung knew he was selfish. He knew that when he eventually told the people around him what he had done they might hate him. Who wouldn’t hate someone selfish enough to turn their back on their soulmate? Finding his soulmate and being with them just didn’t seem right for him. It wasn’t what he wanted. It didn’t feel like what he needed.
Maybe he was selfish, but maybe just maybe he wouldn’t have been happy with his soulmate anyway.
Soulmates: Jongho’s Wanderings
Soulmates. The one person who is guaranteed to be with you until your last breath or their last breath. The person that everyone wants to find. Not all soulmates are romantic, but all soulmates complete each other. They naturally call out to each other through dreams, memories, and everyday life. When their eyes meet, soulmates just know that they’re meant for each other. Fate pushes them to find each other. However, not everyone gets the privilege of meeting their soulmate. Not all soulmates get to enjoy their lives together. Although difficult, it is possible to change fate. The consequences for changing fate are not something that most humans could bear to face.
(<>)
Jongho was strong. It was truthfully his best trait. He was strong enough to help his dad by the time he was in elementary school. He was energetic and despite not being very affectionate, he was loved by those around him. He had more energy than most children his age and as such he got involved in all sorts of things. Music, sports, art classes, anything he could make time for he would try.
When he got to middle school and had to pick a club to join. He had struggled to make a decision. There were just too many to choose from. He eventually ended up choosing basketball. Truthfully, he hadn’t been able to tell anyone why he wanted to join the basketball club. About a week after he joined the club, they got a new transfer student who had wandered into the club. When he saw him, Jongho had suddenly realized why he had felt compelled to join the basketball club. The boy was his soulmate.
His soulmate had boldly strolled into the gym like he owned the place, despite saying that he was actually lost. He was much taller than the other boys and he looked stronger too. He was perfect for the basketball team. The second their eyes met, both boys grinned at each other. It seemed like they both knew they were going to be lifelong friends.
Thanks to the two of them their team became unbeatable. With Jongho’s power and boundless stamina and his soulmate’s raw talent and speed they dominated the games in the area. They were excelling at anything and everything with an effortless grace.
Jongho’s soulmate in particular had stood out on the court. However, it’s kind of hard not to stand out when someone practically towers over everyone. His soulmate only kept improving too. Jongho improved too, but not as much as his soulmate. It just seemed that his soulmate had a natural affinity for the sport.
It led to his soulmate deciding to go to a sports high school in the area to practice more. He had told Jongho at the park where the two of them often played one-on-one matches and of course Jongho was supportive. His soulmate loved basketball and knew it would make his soulmate happy if he got to play it more.
“You’re really not mad that I’m going to go to a different high school?” he asked. The two of them were currently taking a break. They had been playing for hours despite it being a rare day off from school and practice.
“How could I be mad at you?” Jongho asked. “Honestly, it’s pretty cool to think about you turning basketball into an actual career.”
“Thanks. I was worried you would try to stop me.”
“Nah, you know that’s not really my style. Shall we go for another round and call it day?”
“I thought you would never ask.” His soulmate got up and grabbed the basketball before walking back on the court.
It truly wasn’t Jongho’s style to try and restrain anyone, even his soulmate.
(<>)
High school passed them by without incident and then they started university together. They had both actually chosen to go to the same university even though they belonged to completely different departments. Something Jongho was excited about. He thought he was going to get to see his friend more now.
Something changed in university though. Jongho could feel his soulmate drifting away from him. Something seemed to be tugging him farther away and his soulmate didn’t seem to care. They slowly stopped hanging out with each other and he rarely got messages from him now.
Then one day he got a message and felt his heart leap into his throat. It was from his soulmate, asking him to meet him at the court where they used to play basketball together. He just knew that this was a bad sign. He still went.
Jongho had worn sports clothes just in case his soulmate had wanted to play like they used to, but when he got there his soulmate was dressed in jeans and a button down. He looked mildly annoyed that Jongho had decided to show up at all. His body was radiating negative energy and it just served to make Jongho more nervous.
“I’m leaving,” he stated.
“Oh when are you coming back?” Jongho asked.
“I’m leaving for Canada and I don’t think I’ll be coming back,” he stated. “I met a representative from one of the basketball teams out there and they said I would make a good addition to the team.”
“Oh well obviously I need to finish school and I’ll brush up on English. I could probably join you—”
“Jongho, I’m not asking you to come with me. I want to do this on my own.”
Jongho felt his heart sink at his best friend’s words. At the words of his soulmate.
“I’m your soulmate, of course I’ll go with you.”
His soulmate let out a groan of frustration.
“I’m telling you I don’t want you to come with me. I don’t understand what the point would be. We hardly talk now anyway so it makes no difference whether you’re there or not. I’ll be just fine on my own. What happened to not restraining people?”
“We’re soulmates though and you’re my best friend. How could I just be okay with you moving to the otherside of the planet without me?”
“I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to deal with it. You’d be unhappy being with a soulmate who didn’t want you. I’m sorry.”
Before he could even let the harsh words sink in, his soulmate was gone, leaving him alone and lost on the court. Jongho knew exactly where he was but he felt utterly lost.
(<>)
Years later Jongho still visited that court regularly. It was the source of so much pain and yet held so many happy memories of his soulmate from when they were younger.
Everyone around him had instantly begun to pity him the second they found out that his soulmate had chosen basketball over him. Even his parents didn’t look at him the same way anymore. He couldn’t look at himself anymore without feeling like he was drowning in sorrow. He lost what could have been a lifelong partnership. He lost his soulmate.
Jongho had of course kept up with what his soulmate had been doing. His team in Canada hadn’t been the best, but they also weren’t the worst. He played regularly, but he wasn’t in the starting line-up. He probably never would be. In his last game he suffered what would most likely be a career-ending injury. In just three short years his soulmate’s basketball career was over. He gave up his soulmate for just three more years of basketball. Honestly Jongho was at a loss of what to do.
At the time he had been too young to reach out to his longtime friend. But, where should he go now? What should he do now? Jongho felt more lost than he ever had before. Could he welcome back his soulmate? Would his soulmate even come back to him? Did he want his soulmate to come back? He didn’t know. He felt like he was wandering around aimlessly searching for answers. Even in this familiar place, he still felt lost.
Soulmates: The man with the Black Fedora
Soulmates. The one person who is guaranteed to be with you until your last breath or their last breath. The person that everyone wants to find. Not all soulmates are romantic, but all soulmates complete each other. They naturally call out to each other through dreams, memories, and everyday life. When their eyes meet, soulmates just know that they’re meant for each other. Fate pushes them to find each other. However, not everyone gets the privilege of meeting their soulmate. Not all soulmates get to enjoy their lives together. Although difficult, it is possible to change fate. The consequences for changing fate are not something that most humans could bear to face.
(<>)
He was failing them all. He had one purpose in this lifetime and he was failing all of them. He was supposed to make sure they were happy. Some were happy, but others were being torn apart from the inside out by their soulmates. He had failed them in this dimension.
When he had left his own dimension for this one, he thought he could be the one to make sure they were finally happy. All of them could have been happy if they found their soulmates. He had tried to make sure all of them were able to meet their soulmates this time, but fate had other plans.
He had led that girl back to Seonghwa, so he wouldn’t live with regret for the rest of his life. He had given his friend the chance to meet and live with his soulmate. It wasn’t a chance that he had previously.
He had managed to push Yunho’s soulmate out of the way of an oncoming car, saving him from a life of having known and lost his soulmate. Yunho had been able to go on and achieve his dreams because of him.
He had talked to Yeonsang’s soulmate. Who had been less than thrilled with his presence being next to her deathbed, but she had still listened to him. He had gotten her to leave something behind for Yeosang, so he could eventually come to terms with the loss of his soulmate and move on. Although his life would never carry on with the same amount of happiness as before, it would carry on.
He had talked to San’s grandfather about the consequences of not allowing him to come back home after breaking off his engagement. Making sure that the older man would understand the amount of agony that his grandson would experience being away from them. He had even led San’s soulmate right to his doorstep eventually, so that the two could live happily together.
Mingi had been the hardest one to deal with. In this world only one in every million people were born without a soulmate. Mingi had just happened to be that one person. He had tried his best to give him closure and acceptance. Eventually, Mingi had learned to accept himself, but he wasn’t happy.
Wooyoung had been an interesting case. He had tried so hard to get Wooyoung to meet his soulmate, but Wooyoung had chosen his friends over his soulmate. It also seemed that Wooyoung hadn’t been able to forget his past life in another dimension. He had shown signs of still remembering what they all used to be and the importance friendship had held for all of them.
He had let Jongho down the most. He had tried his best to make Jongho’s soulmate stay, but he had still left. He had left Jongho, leaving him all alone and now Jongho was sad because the man in the fedora had failed to do his job.
He failed them all.
There was a time where they were all happy together in a different dimension. In a dimension where it was easy to find your soulmate or in their case, their soulmates. They had worked hard to achieve their dreams together, but the world had shunned them as tragedy began to split them apart.
Fate had given them another chance at happiness. Fate had given them this hour glass and granted the one who held the hour glass the ability to pass through dimensions.
The man had been foolish enough to believe that he had been the member in their group that could change things. That he could be the one who would finally make it so they could be happy and achieve their dreams.
He had been so wrong. There was just one chance left. He could travel to the next world and pass the hour glass to one of his former soulmates. The process of seeking happiness would start all over again.
But who could he choose?
He decided that he would choose him. The one that the only thing he had been able to do was lead the man to the grave of a soulmate that he had never met. The one who had felt the most pain and loss. The one who had truly felt empty at the lack of their presence around him. The one who had missed them all the most.
Surely he would be able to bring them all happiness.
Soulmates: Hongjoong’s Dream
I lived an ordinary life. Nothing about my life was spectacular nor was anything in it awful. It was just life. My life had ups and downs just like anyone else’s. At the moment I was just another university student studying to try and pass my final exams when something happened that changed the way I looked at the world.
I had a dream. Not just any dream, a life changing dream.
A dream where I had not only one friend, but seven friends I could rely on for everything. The eight of us, working toward our dreams together. Just as we were about to achieve everything we had hoped for the world ripped us apart and sent us spiraling to new dimensions.
A dimension where we were all separated. A dimension where we were all trying to find our soulmates and a place where we belonged. A dimension where some of us were fortunate enough to chase after our dreams, but others were left lost without any direction. The concept of soulmates had always seemed so beautiful to me, but seeing that dimension made me reconsider as I watched us all experience unhappiness. It wasn’t kind to those who lost soulmates or never had one to begin with.
Then I noticed him. The man in the black fedora. There was something warm and familiar about the man. In all honesty, I should have been afraid of him since he was covered from head to toe in black with only his eyes visible. Somehow I just knew though. Perhaps in another dimension he had been one of my soulmates.
I watched as he struggled to change our fates in that dimension. Only mildly succeeding in the task. He just wanted all of us to be happy like before. However, fate in that dimension seemed to be stacked against us. He seemed to realize that when it was too late.
He seemed hesitant to approach me in the dream, but he slowly made his way toward me. He almost seemed afraid of me. Afraid that he had failed in bringing me happiness and that I would be angry with him.
“There are countless dimensions in the world,” he stated. “Every dimension has its own system of connecting soulmates. And some, like yours, don't have a way for soulmates to find each other and recognize each other. But I am going to entrust you to connect us again. I showed you who you need to find. Please make sure we can all be happy again. It’s all we’ve ever wanted.”
The man’s voice almost sounded broken and his head tipped down so that his eyes were covered. If I had to take a guess he was crying. I felt my heart breaking at the thought.
“You’ve done well,” I said. “Thank you for all your hard work.”
The man looked up again and his eyes widened. There were faint traces of tears along his cheeks. He had in fact, been crying. He also seemed to be particularly hard on himself.
“I’m sorry, Hongjoong. I failed you,” he replied.
“You didn’t. You did your best and now I will. I’ll make sure we’re together again and happy. Trust me.”
“Thank you.”
(<>)
The man in the fedora said, “there are countless dimensions in the world.” When I opened my eyes, it was a dream. Next to me was an hourglass I saw for the first time, and the sand in the hour glass began to flow back from bottom to top.
I quickly moved down to write all I could remember about my dream. The names I had heard and what each person looked like.The details I could remember about all of them and the man in the black fedora. I didn’t want to waste this chance that we had been given for finding happiness.
Time was resetting itself. It was going to give us a chance to find our happiness. A chance to achieve our dreams together.