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“Hey, Dam. You think my soulmate has already died or something?” Junkyu asked out of the blue while lying down on the sofa and playing games on his mobile phone. His long legs were on top of Yedam’s lap.
Yedam, already used to his hyung’s nonsense, just ignored him and continued to watch the soccer game on television while eating his popcorn.
Junkyu pouted and suddenly sat up straight, “What if my soulmate died in a war or disease! And I’m not there!” he gasped.
Then sighed, “That would be so lonely.”
Yedam already had enough of Junkyu’s blabbering so he finally turned his head to him, looking unamused, and shoved popcorn in his mouth so he would stop talking, “Shut up and wait, hyung. You’ll find him at the right time.”
Junkyu only stopped for a minute though, chewing all the popcorn on his mouth first before he started talking again, “You won’t understand my feelings. You didn’t even wait for your soulmate. I’m not like you and Doyoung, who are literally childhood friends!”
And just when Yedam was about to retaliate, Yedam’s phone rang. “Yes, my prince?”
Junkyu rolled his eyes and acted like puking at the cheesiness of the lovers. He really couldn’t get used to their callsign no matter how much he heard it. And it, coming from Yedam, felt even more greasy. Thank God he couldn’t hear Doyoung from the other line or he was sure he’d have all the hairs on his skin standing up because of the cringe.
“Huh? Basketball? I don’t know, it’s not my thing. What? You want Junkyu-hyung to join too? Are you sure?”
Junkyu’s ears perked up when he heard his name and Yedam seemed like he was already judging both Doyoung and him from his glare.
“Doyoung said they needed more members in their basketball team today. He said their opponent was pretty tough. Want to join?” Yedam asked Junkyu.
“But I don’t know basketball and I don’t feel like going out today.”
“Right? I’ll tell him you can’t,” Yedam was so enthusiastic when Junkyu rejected the offer that he felt a bit insulted. He wanted to argue that he was good at sports too, mobile games were a sport too!
But Yedam suddenly sighed while talking over the phone, “Okay, okay. I’ll tell him.”
“He said he’ll treat you to garlic chicken after the game if you join. It didn’t matter if they won or lost. They just needed more people right now, especially tall members, to intimidate their opponent.”
“Did you say chicken?! Yes! Yes! I’ll go!” Junkyu was already salivating at the thought of eating chicken. Chicken was love and he would do anything for chicken.
Yedam shook his head while observing Junkyu getting excited over eating out, “This is why you still couldn’t find your soulmate, you know.”
But Junkyu’s thoughts were already up in the clouds with his chicken fantasy and didn’t hear Yedam.
Yedam gave up on Junkyu and just said,“Start preparing, hyung. We’ll go out in a bit.”
***
They came just in time to the basketball court. Jihoon and Haruto were already there with Doyoung. Did Doyoung just choose his teammates based on height? Well, Yedam was an exception because he was Doyoung’s boyfriend and an ace, so it actually made sense he was included. Junkyu glanced at their opponent and he instantly understood why Doyoung kept on insisting for him to come even when he didn’t really know how to play. The opposing team players, on average, were, for a lack of a better term, short, or at least shorter than them. But Junkyu must admit that even when the game had not started yet, their stance and confidence looked intimidating - especially that cute guy with a toothy smile and purple hair. He’d very much love to hear his giggles up close.
Junkyu breathed in and breathed out, trying to calm himself. They were now doing a jump ball and Junkyu had to do the stealing against the cute purple hair guy whose surname, he just learned from his jersey, was Takata.
“It’s my first time seeing Junkyu-hyung looking so serious,” Yedam whispered to Doyoung while they were waiting for the tip-off.
Doyoung agreed and nodded, “We might win this.”
What they didn’t know was that Junkyu’s thoughts were full of, “ What the hell is this guy’s name? I need to know this guy’s name, and maybe his number included, too. But how am I supposed to do that?”
They said there would be a spark when you finally meet the one and Junkyu didn’t know it would happen quite literally, when his fingers brushed the other while he was trying to steal the ball.
Right after he and the Takata guy landed, Junkyu quickly approached, pretending to guard him from shooting the ball on the basket, “Hey, did you just feel that too?”
“Feel what?” The other replied, dribbling the ball so coolly, not even looking at Junkyu’s eyes because he was concentrating on the game and figuring out how to escape from Junkyu’s long arm span.
“There’s static,” Junkyu answered. Uh huh. Static. So unromantic, right? Yep, Junkyu knew it too. Because Junkyu was a nerd and the first thing he could think of was the physics behind the spark, when electrons jump from one side to the other. A spark of love? Nah, that’s not in Junkyu’s vocabulary and Junkyu just wanted to face-palm himself real hard for letting his chance to flirt slip.
“Oh, maybe,” the other guy smiled, catching Junkyu off guard. Who wouldn’t? When you see that gorgeous smile along with his big twinkling eyes? Junkyu was KO-ed at once and unintentionally lowered his defense.
Takata saw the chance to escape, and he grabbed it.
Thump.
He pushed Junkyu using his whole body by crashing his back close to Junkyu’s chest. Then he made a clean three-point in the basket.
“Nice one, Mashi!” the green-haired one shouted and gave a high-five.
“Good job, Mashiho!” the other orange haired one cheered.
Okay, why do all the players of the opposing team have brightly dyed hair? But that’s not important at all because all of Junkyu’s attention was on the cute purple haired guy and how he finally learned his name.
“Mashiho, Takata Mashiho, Mashi” Junkyu muttered.
Even his name is cute , he thought. He pursed his lips, trying hard not to smile when the opponent team just scored because it would be weird if his teammates saw him smiling so brightly even after losing a point.
Junkyu held his chest. The thump did not stop even after the impact of Mashiho’s body crashing on him. He still felt the thumping - repeating, getting faster, louder. Then he realized the thump was coming from inside his chest, from his heart. He was not sure if it was just because he had been running inside the court or he felt that Mashiho’s small body frame would fit so perfectly inside his embrace.
“Give that Takata guy to me,” Junkyu gave a heads up to his teammates and they all thought it was to “give” as in having him “guard” Mashiho during defense, so they all agreed. It was not wrong though, but of course, Junkyu also meant the literal meaning, calling dibs on Mashiho.
The game continued and Mashiho was too good at basketball - dribbling, passing, assisting, shooting - he could do it all perfectly. Junkyu already knew that a beginner like him didn’t have a chance to win. But that’s not why he was agonizing. He was having an inner struggle, trying hard to prevent himself from the urge of hugging that lump of adorableness.
It was finally half-time break. Their points were not too far from each other. He rested immediately on the bench and asked for a bottle of water, “Doyoung-ah, I don’t think I can do this for another round.”
“You’re doing a good job guarding their ace, hyung! We’re almost there! Don’t quit!”
Now, how was he going to say to Doyoung that he might lose his control anytime in the middle of the game and just hug Mashiho out of nowhere? He’s just...just...so squishy.
Of course, he didn’t say anything.
He pushed hard, playing in the second half too, until he lost his concentration. It only returned when he heard the whistle of the acting referee, asking him to pull away. Mashiho was already trapped in his embrace.
“I — I’m sorry!” Junkyu panicked and tried to let go, but his arms were stuck around Mashiho’s body.
Uh oh.
“You can let go of me now.”
“I- I can’t.”
“Wh- what?”
Okay, he was not joking when he said he’s stuck on Mashiho. There was only one explanation for this phenomenon.
Mashiho was his soulmate.
They said soulmates would know each other because there would be an attraction right from the moment your eyes met. Now that Junkyu thought about it, he’s attracted to Mashiho right from the moment he saw him and as someone who mostly didn’t care about people, that was totally strange. Check.
They said the gravitational pull towards your soulmate was proportional to the time they didn’t spend together, making up for the missing time they were apart. The longer you were apart, the greater the physical pull towards each other. Junkyu was already 22 years old, and he was meeting his soulmate for the first time today. This extreme effect might be the result of this. Check.
But that was not all. The forced gravitational attraction, like north and south poles of a magnet, would activate only if there was a great imbalance in the affection of one soulmate to the other. In other words, when the other desired his soulmate so much, but the soulmate didn’t feel the same, as if nature was trying to compensate for the missing affection. Seeing how he was already head over heels on Mashiho, Mashiho was clearly not feeling the same, especially right at this moment, in their situation right now. He could feel Mashiho throwing daggers from his eyes. Check.
This was why Junkyu was so jealous of Doyoung and Yedam who met back when they were children. They didn’t have this problem because their attraction for each other was almost similar and since they were together most of the time, there was no such thing as “compensation for the lost time”. Although they did have problems confirming if they were really soulmates but that was a story for another day.
“I’m sorry Mashiho but I think we’re soulmates.”
“I know.” Mashiho didn’t try to argue. The evidence was there right before their eyes. Junkyu thought Mashiho was being calm about it and didn’t notice immediately how Mashiho’s ears were already turning red. ” But can you do something about your hands? They’re kind of holding my butt right now.”
“Oh, my god!” Junkyu exclaimed, “I’m really sorry and please know that I want to cry already but I really can’t move my hands at this moment.”
It’s true. He swore it was. It’s not because Mashiho’s butt was so firm and so soft to touch that he couldn’t move his hand voluntarily. It was that thing about soulmates’ fault, as if there was a magnetic force pulling him in.
“Well, this is getting embarrassing.”
Mashiho’s blush already crept until Mashiho’s porcelain white neck, turning it into a soft color of rosy pink. He found it really cute... and sexy — with Mashiho’s beads of sweat rolling down from his face.
Ahh. That nape right before his eyes looked so seductive, and he couldn’t help but plant his lips on them.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t know! I’m sorry, okay? I can’t control myself either.” Junkyu said after kissing Mashiho’s nape. He was also getting confused now if it was his own will who was doing it or because they were soulmates.
“Hyung!” He heard Yedam shout, which made Junkyu remember they were still in the middle of the game and many people surrounded them.
“Dammie, save us!” Junkyu cried for help.
“I can’t do anything about that, hyung. I think you’d be stuck like that for at least a day. I read it’s an hour for every year you were apart with your soulmate. With your age right now, it would be 21-22 hours? Can’t help it. You only found your soulmate now after so many years, after all.”
“Dammie, I’m not asking for an explanation,” Junkyu sighed, “at least help me get my hand off of Mashi...I mean, Mashiho.”
“Mashi’s fine,” Mashiho interjected and Junkyu glared at him, “And you, stop being attractive for a minute. We have to get out of this predicament.”
Mashiho snickered at him. Maybe because of his unexpected cheesy line, even Junkyu didn’t expect he could do it. But it was fine because he could finally hear Mashiho’s giggle, the giggle he so wanted to hear since earlier, and it did not disappoint. It sounded like music to his ears, which just raced his heart even more. Tch. He just warned him not to be attractive and there he was, doing it again.
“Just wait it out hyung. It will be okay after some time.” Yedam said, but got ignored.
Doyoung nudged Yedam and whispered, “I think Junkyu-hyung forgot about you already. Look at him, only stare at Mashiho.”
“I know, right. Should we just leave them here?”
“Should we? The game couldn’t continue anymore anyway since we both lost a player.”
All players stealthily walked away and left the court to give them some “privacy”.
“Hey. They’re going,” Mashiho pointed out.
“Those guys were really so heartless,” Junkyu commented and was surprised when he could finally move his hand. Yedam was right, he just needed time for the force to decrease. He immediately pulled his hand away from Mashiho’s bum and tried to follow Yedam and Doyoung but his relief was short-lived when they were pulled towards each other again the moment they walked even a step farther from each other. Looks like they wouldn’t be able to move unless a part of their skin was touching, so they held hands instead. That was the safest and easiest option.
“Looks like we’re stuck together for at least 21 hours. What should we do?” Mashiho finally accepted the situation they were in. At least Junkyu was only touching his hand now not his butt.
Before Junkyu could answer, his stomach growled, “Doyoung actually promised garlic chicken to me, but he tried to escape. Want to eat out?”
“Hmm.”
Seeing hesitation from Mashiho’s eyes, Junkyu added, “It’s my treat.”
Mashiho’s eyes widened then smiled after, “I won’t reject free food.”
“Oh. We have something in common,” Junkyu laughed.
Now that they were not rivals on court, it looked like Mashiho was finally loosening up and he got even cuter in Junkyu’s eyes. He’d lose twice of his pocket money today instead of getting free food, but he didn’t care because he finally met his soulmate.
They ate at a sushi restaurant and they had to help feed each other because their other hands were tied.
“What the hell, Kim Junkyu.”
Junkyu was already clumsy even with both of his hands, but now that he only had one hand to use, he was even clumsier and kept on spilling the soup on Mashiho.
“I’m older than you, you know.”
“But you act like a baby, see? There’s a lot of crumbs here. You kept on spilling the soup too,” Mashiho nagged while wiping his own shirt. He also naturally moved to wipe the stains on Junkyu’s face and shirt.
Junkyu paused and only stared at Mashiho as he took care of him. Mashiho was even sweeter than he expected. How can he get even more perfect than he already was?
Mashiho, feeling the burden of his stares, finally asked, “What?”
“I love you.”
Junkyu didn’t plan to say it out loud, but it was the first thing he thought of while drowning in the ocean of Mashiho’s brown eyes.
Mashiho turned his eyes away and just continued wiping Junkyu clean. “Stop. We just met today. That was just the side effect of us being soulmates.”
“Nope, I love you.”
Junkyu was stubborn in the weirdest things and this was one of them, when he was so sure that he was correct. He had been thinking about it since earlier, ever since he suddenly kissed Mashiho’s nape. If he only felt an attraction because they were soulmates or he had genuinely fallen for Mashiho, judging rationally, very rationally.. All he concluded was yes, he was in love with him. He was someone he wouldn’t mind waking up in the morning, someone he wouldn’t be content if they were just friends, someone that could hurt him with his cold words and glares. It may have happened faster than anyone, but his feelings were not any less genuine. The moment he laid eyes on Mashiho, he thought of not letting him go.
Like now.
Mashiho paused, sighed, “You’ll realize it soon enough that you were not. Maybe you’ll realize it even before the time limit of us being stuck with each other is over.”
Junkyu pouted and frowned, “I’m telling you I’m in love with you.”
Mashiho just ignored his stubbornness and changed their topic, “So where do we go next?”
Junkyu’s house was near, but he remembered he hadn’t cleaned it up and it was all a mess. He didn’t want Mashiho’s impression of him to plummet even more. “I- I was living with a roommate so we couldn’t go there.”
“I’m living alone. We can go to my place.”
***
Mashiho’s place was a little far, so they got there when it was already evening. Junkyu was impressed when he first stepped inside because the house was so clean and organized, not like his that had clothes flung everywhere.
“What do you want to do? Sleep? Eat dinner? Take a bath?”
“T- take a bath?” Junkyu’s eyes widened and looked at Mashiho from head to toe.
“Ya! You!” Mashiho immediately covered his chest with both his hands, “Did you just have lewd thoughts!?”
Junkyu cleared his throat to pretend he was calm but his stuttering gave him away, “I- I don’t. A- and you might want to get your hands away from your chest. You kinda dragged my hand with it. My hand is blushing already from touching your chest. I think you forgot we’re still holding hands.”
“Ya!” Mashiho panicked and immediately threw his hand away only to grab it again. Maybe he’s afraid to have Junkyu “accidentally” touch his butt again if he didn’t.
Junkyu laughed, finding his reaction cute, “Don’t worry, I don’t bite.”
“You just bit me earlier...on my neck.” Mashiho said as a matter-of-fact while dragging Junkyu inside his house by the hand and Junkyu obediently followed him.
“That wasn’t a bite! That’s a kiss!”
“Yeah, yeah…”
Junkyu bit his lips while looking at Mashiho from behind and noticed Mashiho’s nape turning rosy pink again. He was restraining himself from smiling really widely. He was new to this feeling, he kept on having flutters even just seeing Mashiho’s reaction from his teasing, “Where are we going?”
“To the bathroom.”
“I thought you didn’t want to? Do I already stink?” Junkyu smelled himself and made a face.
“You don’t. But we just perspired so much during the game and I hate feeling sticky.”
Junkyu’s eyes glinted and smirked with Mashiho’s comment, “Oh? You know I don’t stink? You’ve been smelling me?”
“That’s not the point, Kim Junkyu.”
“Hehe,” Junkyu playfully giggled, “You know you always call my full name when you’re irritated at me? I like it. It’s cute.”
Mashiho just kept quiet and handed him a towel. “Close your eyes while I wash. I’ll close my eyes when you wash too.”
“Can’t we just both have our eyes open and bathe together? That’s easier.” Junkyu pleaded but Mashiho gave him a firm “No.”.
Junkyu washed first, and he kept glancing at Mashiho as if he would open his eyes, but he didn’t. He realized Mashiho had an unyielding personality too, and he found it endearing. Really, he couldn’t do anything about his adoration for him. Far from getting disappointed in Mashiho’s new sides that he discovered, he kept on loving Mashiho even more.
When it was Mashiho’s turn to bathe, Junkyu’s heart was pounding fast, imagining Mashiho washing his skin while he had his eyes closed. He thought he wouldn’t be able to endure jumping on him, but Mashiho had been washing himself for a really long time and Junkyu got so tired from playing earlier that he fell asleep while waiting.
The next time he opened his eyes, he was lying on the bed with Mashiho next to him. He was surprised to see Mashiho looking directly into his eyes, making him think Mashiho had been watching him sleep.
“You’re heavy. Do you know?”
“Did you carry me to bed?”
Mashiho nodded, “You fell asleep while I was taking a bath.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“Do you want to eat dinner now?”
“I’m not hungry. I think I could sleep some more. Are you hungry?”
“No, I’m not hungry but I’m not sleepy either.”
“So, did you really just watch me while I’m sleeping?” Junkyu turned his body to face Mashiho.
But Mashiho twisted his body, as if he was avoiding his gaze, and laid flat on the bed, “Maybe.”
“Mashi, can I ask something?”
Mashiho hummed.
“Why are you so adamant on not believing that I love you?”
Mashiho paused, lifted their interlaced hands and looked at it with wonder, “My parents. They were soulmates.”
“Oh!” Junkyu exclaimed, eyes widened and getting interested in Mashiho’s story.
Mashiho turned his head to Junkyu and smiled gingerly, “They’re divorced now.”
“Oh. I’m sorry,” Junkyu felt Mashiho’s sorrow from his eyes, so he released Mashiho’s hand from his hold and patted his head gently,
Mashiho just let Junkyu pat his head and closed his eyes. Then, he opened it again really slowly and continued, “When they argue, they curse at each other, at being soulmates, saying it was not what they really wanted. That they were forced because nature dictated that you should be together with your soulmate. They said there was no love anymore. I haven’t believed in soulmates since then. I thought it would be better if I couldn’t find my soulmate ever, but now you are here, telling me you love me.”
Junkyu moved closer and hugged Mashiho really close, “I’m sorry I came late. I should’ve been there when you were lonely. You don’t have to believe in soulmates. You can even think I’m not your soulmate. You can just think I’m a normal guy who fell in love with you at first sight. Because this Takata Mashiho I’m holding right now was the coolest person I ever met. You can just believe in the fast beating of my heart.You can just believe in my love.”
Mashiho got comforted in Junkyu’s embrace and hugged him back. For the first time in his life, he didn’t think of a soulmate as shackles to hold him back but a hand that would walk beside him until he’s old and he was thankful that someone was Junkyu.
***
When morning came, Junkyu got disappointed when he woke up alone in bed. The adverse side effects must have already subsided and they could already stay away from each other without a part of their skin touching each other. He wouldn’t have any excuse to hold hands with Mashiho anymore, and it made him sad.
He heard a knock, and it was Mashiho in his flower apron checking him up. “You’re already awake? Come on, let’s eat breakfast.”
Junkyu was surprised. His eyes went wide with the welcomed visual then he pouted immediately after realizing this would be the last time he would see this cute image of Mashiho in his apron. He was hesitating to stand up because he was so sure he’d be kicked from Mashiho’s house after he ate breakfast. He stood up and walked really slowly, trying to buy every minute with Mashiho.
But Mashiho got annoyed at his sluggish walk and put his hand on his waist, to Junkyu’s surprise, “Come on, hurry up.”
“You’re holding me…”
“Yes, and?”
“Didn’t you not like it when we’re stuck together?”
“Why would I? We’re soulmates after all,” Mashiho smiled and pushed him to make him walk faster.
Oh. my. God. He loves him. Junkyu wanted to thank all the Gods for having Mashiho as his soulmate. He hugged him really tightly and answered, or more like threatened, “I won’t let go of you.”
“So do I.” Mashiho replied and kissed his cheek.
Okay. It’s final. He’ll really won’t let go of him.