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Jeongin has always been able to see it — that so-called red string of fate.
His earliest memory of it was back when he was 5. He was out on a walk with his parents, holding his mother's hand, when it caught his eyes, tied around her pinkie, bright red and thin. It glinted in the sun and fluttered when the wind blew. And when his eyes traced its length, he found its other end wrapped around his father's thumb.
It was an “ability” from his mother's family, passed down from one generation to the next. Before him was his aunt and before her was his grandfather. There's no pattern to who would be able to see — the red string simply chooses the person whom it will show itself to.
Some people had it around their ring finger, some around their thumb, their index. Some people don’t have any at all. It can stretch, retract, and tangle, but it can never break. Unless it chooses to untie of its own accord.
At first he thought it was amusing, to be privy of whom people are fated to. But he quickly got tired of it, just as he got tired of hearing the words fate, destiny, and soulmates from his aunt who tried teaching him about it. He still didn’t know whether two people tied by it should be called soulmates or fated lovers or whatever, but he frankly didn’t care anymore. The sea of red strings that’s constantly before him became nothing but an annoyance as he grew older.
That was until he met Jisung.
It was his first day in high school when he first saw the older boy. The sight of him shocked Jeongin so much that all he could do was stare at him, mouth gaping, right in the middle of their school grounds. He’s seen people whose string has looped around their hand and even their arms, but he’s never seen someone practically covered in it.
The string started from Jisung’s left thumb. It looped around his palm then his arm, creating countless circles up around his shoulder before snaking across his chest and weaving around his torso once, twice, thrice, he couldn’t count how many times.
Why is his red sting so intricately weaved like that? Jeongin was dying of curiosity. He had so many questions he wanted to ask Jisung. Has he met his partner yet? When? How? But those aren’t exactly things you’d ask a random stranger, so he just tried to brush off his burning curiosity that day.
It was in the second semester of that school year when Jeongin and Jisung became friends. It had seemed very unlikely for them to get acquainted, so Jeongin could only chalk it up to fate when a mutual friend of theirs introduced them to each other. His aunt once said that there's another string of a different color that connects people to others that would become an important part of their life. Perhaps Jisung and him were connected by that string.
To his surprise, they hit it off quite well. Despite being in different grades, they would sometimes meet up during breaktime to eat lunch, and every time they were together, he couldn’t help but observe the way the red string moved around the older boy.
Sometimes it would tighten up, as if the other person was nearby and it’s pulling Jisung closer. Sometimes it just hangs calmly, waiting, trusting that it’ll eventually find its other end in the right time.
🍒🍒🍒
It was a year into their friendship when Jeongin first mentioned his ability to Jisung.
They were sprawled on the school’s rooftop, immersed in each of their comics. The sun was bright, he could hear the cacophony of voices from the classrooms below, and the breeze felt cool on his skin. “Hyung,” he nudged the older. “Do you believe in fate? Soulmates?”
“Yes to all of those,” Jisung answered without hesitation as he brought a piece of potato chip to his mouth. “Some coincidences are just too strange, don’t you think?”
“What about the red string of fate? Have you heard of it?”
“Of course!” Jisung nodded enthusiastically. “I saw something like that in one of the animated films I watched.”
“Hmm, of course you did.” Jeongin’s thankful that Jisung’s penchant for fantasy and romance somehow desensitized him to topics that most people would usually roll their eyes at. He flipped to the next page of his comic book and noncommittally asked, “What if I tell you that I can see that red string, would you believe me?”
Jisung gave him a funny look; he probably thought Jeongin was joking, which of course wasn’t surprising. “Yeah, sure. It’s not like I have anything to lose if I believe you, right?” he answered after a beat.
“Yeah, well… it’s the truth.” Jeongin shrugged.
“Just don’t tell me who my soulmate is if you see them,” Jisung added, chuckling, to which Jeongin just grunted in response, and that was the end of it.
Jeongin bets his entire lunch money that Jisung didn’t fully understand what he had just confided.
🍒🍒🍒
He kind of regretted that he didn’t actually make that bet with Jisung when the older boy proved him right a year after.
It was Jisung’s last year in high school when he found the person he claims to be his first love: Hyunjin, a boy from another class. But if you ask Jeongin, he thinks it’s just a crush and Jisung’s just getting ahead of himself. Of course, he didn’t stop Jisung when said he wanted to confess because it was his last chance to do something with his feelings—Jeongin thought that would be amusing.
“Can you tell me if my string is connected to Hyunjin?” Jisung suddenly asked him while they were watching the said boy’s class play on the football field.
Jeongin looked at him, raising a brow. “I thought you didn’t want me to tell you that?”
“So, what you’re telling me is that Hyunjin is my soulmate?”
“Sorry to burst your bubble bro, but no.” He snorted at how Jisung’s hopeful expression fell. “He’s connected to Felix- you know that cute transferee in our class.” Felix was the same age as Jisung and Hyunjin, but he apparently got held back a year when he transferred. Jeongin could remember how bright he looked when he first introduced himself, and how his red string was delicately tied around his small pinkie finger.
“Felix?” Jisung turned to him in disbelief. “Wh- How? They don’t even talk to each other!”
“Just because you haven’t seen them talking to each other yet doesn’t mean they haven't or won’t talk to each other ever,” Jeongin pointed out. “Maybe they’ll hit it off after Hyunjin graduates, or maybe in a year? 10 years? Who knows?” he shrugged.
Jisung was skeptical, and he still pushed through with his confession. Jeongin was actually rooting for him because he wanted to see if Jisung could change his fate despite his thread being so deeply tied to a different person.
Hyunjin turned him down, though, and it was after graduation when he revealed that he’d been dating Felix for half a year already and they even planned to move in together for college.
Jisung came to Jeongin’s house that day, yelling out his name when he burst through his bedroom door, wide-eyed and out of breath. “You were right about Hyunjin!" he announced.
Jeongin just snorted and smugly said, "I told you so."
🍒🍒🍒
He thought the next time he’d meet another person like Jisung would be when the older himself introduces his partner to Jeongin. He definitely didn’t expect to meet another person covered in red string on his own, in his room at a boarding house in Seoul owned by his aunt.
And again, he stood there in stunned silence, not-so-subtly staring at back of the man—his roommate—sitting across the room and the only thing running through his mind was “is he Jisung’s soulmate?”
Even sitting down like that, Jeongin could trace the bright red thread that encircled the man’s upper back, almost covering the expanse of the exposed skin around his shoulders that’s peeking out from the muscle tee that he’s wearing. It snakes up and around his neck and then his head. He was staring at the way the string faded into nothing right outside the window when he realized that the man had sensed his presence and was now facing him. Jeongin turned to look at him, and a fresh wave of shock rendered him speechless again.
Damn, he thought. He knew the string doesn’t affect the person physically, but this man’s string looked so… tight around his neck that he couldn’t help but wonder if he could still breathe.
And he wondered out loud, apparently, because the man raised a brow at him before answering, “Who? Me?” he pointed to himself. “Uhh, yeah, I can still breathe," he chuckled. "And I’m Minho, by the way.”
He offered his right hand, which Jeongin took. With fervor. Of course, he did. And it took him all his willpower not to ogle at this new person's hand and the way the red string weaved alternately through each digit starting from his ring finger, as if it was in a playful mood when it decided to tie itself around him.
“Uhm, I’m Jeongin,” he replied a little too late.
If Minho thought Jeongin was being absolutely weird, he didn’t say anything. “What year are you in?” he asked instead.
“I’m a freshman, majoring in Computer Science.”
Apparently, that’s his major too. ”I’m a sophomore, so that makes you my hoobae then.” Minho looked glad at the thought for some reason. Jeongin already expected him to be older—his hair was cut really short, so he must’ve been discharged from his military service not too long ago. But that’s about the only thing he could clearly make out of Minho’s face, because almost half of it is covered in red.
He tried his best to listen to him explaining their house rules, but he kept being distracted by how the string loosely looped around the lower half of Minho’s face, covering most of his lips; he suddenly realized just how much he lip-reads because he somehow can’t make out most of what the older one was saying just because he couldn’t see the way his lips were moving. The string wound until the tip of Minho’s nose before finally looping loosely once right above his eyes.
In all honesty, Jeongin thought it looked creepy and disturbing, and maybe just a tad bit fascinating.
🍒🍒🍒
Jeongin tried to move the loops of string on Minho’s face one time when he caught him napping on his desk—a habit he has after studying in the afternoon—but, as expected, they didn’t budge. It’s a good thing he’s gotten pretty used to the sight of them, even though he still found it hard to tell Minho’s expressions sometimes.
They’ve been sharing the room for about four months and have gotten pretty close. Minho’s a chill guy; he’s funny and he cooks well. Everyone at the boarding house, especially Jeongin’s aunt, loves him because he always volunteers to cook their meals. Minho’s also very diligent. His classes start and end earlier than his, and after a bit of studying in their room, he goes to his part-time job. But despite his packed schedule, he still manages to tidy up their room.
Jeongin thinks a roommate like Minho would be perfect for Jisung, who might have cleaning at the bottom of his daily priorities. He once visited Jisung’s college dorm before the older one got conscripted, and the pile of water bottles and empty bags of chips beside his bed were absolutely appalling. Not that Minho’s the type of person who’d clean up Jisung’s mess, but he could probably drill some sense into him if they were rooming together.
The thought that Minho might be Jisung’s soulmate still piqued his curiosity sometimes, but he couldn’t really confirm it because Jisung was still in the military. He considered inviting him over during one of his time-off and introducing them to each other, but he decided it would be better if he didn’t meddle with how they’d meet.
Maybe they have another mutual friend that’s not him that will introduce them to each other. Maybe they’ll run into each other in a café or accidentally meet in a movie theater because they both like watching movies. The thought of how they’ll meet without his involvement is entertaining to think about. Of course, the possibility that they’re not a fated pair and won’t meet at all has crossed his mind—and made him a little impatient—but he stuck to his resolve not to get involved and leave it up to fate.
🍒🍒🍒
And they really did meet without his meddling. Well… sort of.
It was Jeongin’ turn to enlist when it happened. He thought he had taken care of everything he needed to before going to the military—he had packed his bags early, made sure he packed everything he needed, tidied up his side of the room, which his aunt agreed to save for him so he has somewhere to stay in once he comes back, and gave all his snacks to Minho so they wouldn’t just expire in his snack drawer. It was only when his first two weeks in the military passed that he realized he forgot to do his laundry. The thought of his dirty laundry sitting in the hamper for almost two years, waiting to welcome him back, was horrifying.
Asking Minho to do his laundry was out of the question. He would probably do it, but that’s like giving him ammunition to tease Jeongin with. He could ask his aunt, but he was too shy to do so. So when his older brother told him he’ll be visiting Seoul for some reason, he bribed him to do his laundry and keep quiet about it to his parents.
But, as Jisung once told him, some coincidences are just too strange.
Jisung and him don't really message each other regularly; they send each other memes and YouTube videos that neither of them really watches, but that’s about it. So when the first thing that greeted him when he opened his phone was 26 messages and 3 missed calls from Jisung, he knew right away something was up.
Jisung-hyung [02/27/20xx 3:52 PM]
yo
i’m at ur boarding hose
house*
ur brother has a date today, so he told me to do ur laundry
u know i won’t usually do this
but he gave me 20k won ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
tell me where i can find it once u get ur phone
Jisung-hyung [02/27/20xx 4:23 PM]
ayo baby bro
your aunt let me in your room
im just chilling on ur bed
she told ur mom im here, so ur mom called me
i told her im here to do the laundry you forgot abt
lmao she’s gonna chew ur ear off
where r your dirty clothes tho
Jisung-hyung [02/27/20xx 5:28 PM]
I FELL ASLEEP
and when i woke up THERE’S ANOTHER GUY IN THE ROOM
he’s not facing me, he’s studying i think
now im scared to make a noise, what do i do
his back is handsome tho
Jisung-hyung [02/27/20xx 6:02 PM]
SHIT I SNEEZED
I THINK HE HEARD ME
I THINK HE’S WALKING TOWARD ME
NOOOOIOO
JEONGIN WHER R U HELP ME
[You missed a call from Jisung-hyung]
[You missed a call from Jisung-hyung]
[You missed a video chat from Jisung-hyung]
Jisung-hyung [02/27/20xx 6:11 PM]
nvm we’re friends now
so this is the minho u told me abt
After catching up with Jisung’s comical tirade, Jeongin's first thought was how dare these two meet without me— fondly though. He’s been waiting to see them both in the same room for so long, and even though it was his choice not to get involved, he still felt cheated, like a child told not to watch his most awaited cartoon show.
You [02/27/20xx 6:19 PM]
hyung
‘baby bro’ ????
anyway, what happened
are you still in my room?
Jisung-hyung [02/27/20xx 6:33 PM]
no
im doing your laundry
these r dirty, u should be ashamed of urself
anyway, minho is helping me heh
You [02/27/20xx 6:34 PM]
k, thanks~
u better share that 20k with minho-hyung
The entire thing was ridiculous, but Jeongin thinks it felt “right” that Minho and Jisung were getting along with each other. They’re similar, but different. He can’t really explain it, but he just knows they’d match each other well. Even though there’s still the possibility that they’re not soulmates, he would still like to give fate a pat on the back for making them meet. And if it’s true that there’s a string tying people to those that would be a special part of their life, then he has no doubt the three of them are connected by that, too.
🍒
Months pass, seasons pass, and Jeongin’s chats with Minho and Jisung has now become noisier than it has ever been. They even have a group chat that the other two would spam with blurred photos. And oftentimes, it’s just Minho and Jisung informing him about whatever they’re doing together.
Jisung’s own dorm was three bus stops away from their boarding house, and even though that’s relatively close, Jisung’s a homebody, so he’s surprised that Minho can pull him out from the comfort of his bed long enough to do stuff outside his precious room. Minho usually opens with “we’re going to watch a movie.” And Jisung would either rave or rant about it a couple hours after. Sometimes, they tell him they’re going to a cafe, or enjoying a meal at a restaurant, or taking a walk along the Han river. And several times now, Minho has sent a photo of Jisung sleeping— drooling— on Jeongin’s bed, with a promise of “don’t worry, I’ll wash it for you.”
Their schedules don’t really match whenever he’s on vacation, so he hasn’t had the chance to meet them personally, but he could see just how close they’ve gotten, and sometimes he feels left out. He appreciates them keeping him in the loop even though they don’t really have to. Fear-of-missing-out aside, he’s happy that two of his closest friends are getting along so well.
🍒🍒🍒
“It shouldn’t have been surprising, but it still is.” Jeongin thought as he sat in front of Minho and Jisung, watching them pick out dishes from the menu, the bright red string of fate that connects them fluttering calmly in the small distance between their bodies. The string around Jisung’s torso loosened enough for him to see that his friend’s biceps look good; it made him feel competitive about his own muscles. The loops around Minho’s head have also loosened enough to give Jeongin a glimpse of the lower half of his face, and wow, since when did he have a mole on the tip of his nose?
“-ngin.” He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn’t even realize both of them were looking at him expectantly. “Are you okay?” Jisung scrunched his brows together in worry.
“Oh, yeah, I’m okay!” Jeongin reassured them. “Just a little tired.” That may have been an excuse, but he really was exhausted. He spent the entire day registering for college again, and the process sucked.
“Do you want to just order a takeout?” Minho suggested. “We can eat it in our room, then you can rest afterward.”
“No! I’m okay, hyung. Don’t worry! I just spaced out a little.” He smiled at the server beside him and pointed to an item on the menu. He didn’t know what dish it was; he just caught a glimpse that it was under the chicken section. He’s not really picky, so it doesn’t matter.
“I feel you. I’ve been there.” Jisung chimed once the server left to ring up their food. “It was hell when I returned to college after completing my military service.”
“Are you sure that’s not just because you’re lazy?” Minho teased.
“Lazy?!” Jisung blurted incredulously. “I can be diligent if the need calls for it. Right, Jeonginnie? Isn't your Jisung-hyungie such a hard-working student back in high school?” They both knew that was a lie, so he didn't even bother to answer and just rolled his eyes at Jisung’s attempt to look cute.
“Besides, hyung, you can’t call me lazy after I helped you scoop your cats’ litter.” Jisung glared at Minho.
Oh. That was news to Jeongin. “You helped Minho-hyung scooped his cats’ litter?”
“Yeah-”
“That was a one-time occurrence and you didn’t help me again.” Minho cut him off.
What? Does that mean Jisung had other chances to help Minho scoop litter? “When did that happen?” Jeongin was so confused. Why are they even talking about cat litter so loudly in the middle of a restaurant?
“Oh, yeah. Jisung’s been coming over to our house whenever I visit, so he’s met my cats-”
“And your friends.” Jisung supplied.
“And my friends.” Minho repeated nonchalantly, as if that was a normal everyday occurrence, nothing out of the ordinary. Well… maybe it was. For them.
Jisung already knows Minho’s hometown friends? Probably his parents, too. Jeongin, meanwhile, hasn’t even thought about meeting his cats in person.
It felt so surreal that he knew them even before they knew each other, but now their friendship was on a different level after just less than two years of knowing each other. Jisung already knows much more about Minho than him. And soon, Minho will probably know more about Jisung than he will ever do. It shouldn’t feel bizarre—after all, it’s normal for people to have varying levels of closeness to their friends, not to mention that Minho and Jisung are literally soulmates—but it still does.
🍒🍒🍒
It’s fascinating to watch things between Minho and Jisung unfold right before his eyes. Little by little, every day, without them even realizing.
It’s in the smallest, seemingly insignificant things. Like the way Jisung acts more maturely around Minho, and how he’s able to keep up with the older’s sometimes-questionable humor. How he’s able to comfortably treat Minho like a same-aged friend despite their two-year age gap. And more surprisingly, Minho just lets it slide—and even lets Jisung baby him from time to time.
They have inside jokes and call each other cute names. They’re practically glued at the hip. And he finds it funny how blatantly Minho seeks out Jisung whenever they’re in the same room together, despite the older trying not to be obvious about it. Even his aunt made a note of it one time Minho asked Changbin, another renter at the boarding house, to switch seats with him because he was sitting beside Jisung during breakfast.
Jisung hangs out so often at their room that his aunt even offered to let him rent even though they’re already full. He thinks that’s just her way of trying to get him to stop mooching off them, but she’s become quite fond of him and so she just lets him be nowadays. Oftentimes, the three of them would watch a movie or play a game. But sometimes, Jeongin would do his own thing at his side of the room and they just leave him be. They’re great at going along with whatever mood he’s in. And during comfortable silences, their presence was comforting to him.
He worried that once he claimed back his bed at his and Minho’s shared room, Jisung would sleep over less frequently, but he still spends time there like he’s also paying a part of the rent. He’s welcome to sleep in Minho’s bed anyway; not that Jeongin ever kicked him out of his. Jisung chose to sleep in Minho’s cramped bed on his own.
It was a routine for Minho to act like Jisung was such a nuisance before scooting over and making room for him. They would sometimes chat until after midnight. And when they think Jeongin has fallen asleep, they’d lower their voices and whisper to each other. They remind him of buzzing bees, but he’s gotten so used to their hushed voices that it now helps him fall asleep, like static noise from a TV.
The only time their voices had kept him awake was when he heard Minho silently pour out his worries to Jisung. It was after a particularly rough day at uni; he failed a test, he had so many projects, and his group mates in one of his classes were all lower years who didn't care about their grades because, unlike Minho, their graduation wasn't on the line yet. And to top it all off, a customer yelled at him at the convenience store he's working part-time in and then his mother called in the evening to tell him one of his cats wasn’t feeling well.
Their room was quiet after he told him and Jisung all that had happened that day. Minho usually sleeps away his problems, so when he suddenly heard his quiet sobs and Jisung's hushed words of comfort, he was shocked. Minho didn’t really seem like the type to cry; he's always had a resilient mindset. Of course, that doesn't make him immune to pain. Jeongin just never thought he'd break down in front of someone.
Even the way Jisung was comforting Minho was new to him. He’s always wanted Jeongin to lean on him more because he says he’s older, even if only for five months. He phrased it like a joke most of the time, but Jeongin knew he was being serious. And he knew Jisung is thoughtful and has proven himself to be a good confidant, but knowing him throughout their immature high school days have given him that lasting impression of Jisung. He knew he was wrong, that’s why hearing him comfort Minho made Jeongin see him in a whole new light.
He felt like he was eavesdropping on a very intimate moment. Should he go out and give them room? No… that would probably be more awkward. Should he just continue to pretend like he was sleeping even though he couldn’t force himself to fall asleep? The realization that these were sides of them they have shown each other but not Jeongin made him realize just how far their relationship has come. Is he bothered by it? The question nagged at him.
When Minho’s quiet sniffling died down, he heard Jisung telling him to go to sleep. The duvet on their bed rustled softly as they comfortably settled into the mattress, and then a few moments after, Jisung’s soft humming filled the room. And that’s when Jeongin realized that no—he wasn’t bothered by his friends’ closeness. In fact, he felt relieved that Minho finally has someone he can lean on. And that Jisung finally has someone who leans on him.
🍒🍒🍒
It was so obvious to Jeongin when Minho and Jisung’s relationship progressed from friendship to something more. He couldn’t help noticing it when the two of them were always around him.
At first, they were just flirting. They thought they were being subtle with it whenever Jeongin wasn’t looking. Like how Minho covertly intertwined his hand with Jisung’s while they were grocery shopping and Jeongin was busy choosing between two brands of cup ramen behind them.
Or how Jisung whispered flirtily to Minho while Jeongin had his back turned to them, doing his homework. But he had a built-in mirror on his desk and he could see all the cringey stuff they were up to. He tried not to look, of course, but he couldn’t help catching a glimpse every once in a while. And then one time he made the mistake of glancing at it just as Jisung was rubbing Minho’s chin like he was a cat before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. He wanted to gouge his eyes out, but he decided to just leave the room instead with the excuse of asking Changbin for help with his homework.
“You got sexiled, huh?” Changbin had teased the moment he walked into his room.
“No. Not yet. But maybe soon.” Jeongin rolled his eyes..
Thankfully, he didn’t have to be “sexiled” anymore because the two have found a new favorite hang out spot: Jisung’s room. Jisung kept saying it was because he bought himself a larger TV so it’s better to hang out and watch movies there, and although that may be partly true, Jeongin also knows they both just want privacy.
The bite marks and hickies on Minho’s neck the third time he slept over at Jisung’s confirmed his suspicion. Minho tried his best to hide them, so he pretended not to notice. He couldn’t stop Changbin from commenting on it that morning though. “You know, hickies I can understand, But bite marks?” He sniggered. “Damn, that’s wild.”
If Minho’s glare could kill, Changbin would’ve been foaming at the mouth.
🍒🍒🍒
They know Jeongin knows what’s up, but none of them ever really talk about it. Whatever was happening between his friends wasn’t his business anyway, so he never really pried.
It was Minho who first brought it up.
It was one of those unusual nights that he wasn’t with Jisung, because the latter had a project to work on. They were both lying on their bed, browsing through their phones while waiting for sleep, when Minho spoke up. “I think I’ve fallen in love with Jisung.”
A few beats of silence passed and Jeongin could only stare at him in shock. He wasn’t expecting Minho to be so straightforward about it. What does one say in a situation like this? Would a simple “oh, okay” cut it?
“I just thought you should know.” Minho added reluctantly.
“Yeah, I kind of caught on. Well, as long as you’re both happy, I’ll support you two, hyung.” And Jeongin meant that with his whole heart. Saying it out loud made him all the more certain about it.
“Thanks, Jeongin-ah.” Minho chuckled. “Sorry if it’s awkward sometimes.”
“It’s okay. I’m used to it,” he joked. “So uhm … if you don’t mind me asking, are you two dating?” Jeongin felt so nosy for asking, but he really wanted to know.
“No, I don’t mind.” Minho turned and smiled at him. “And no, we’re not dating.”
“Why not?!” Jeongin wanted to burst out, but Minho looked like he had more to say so he held his tongue.
“We just haven’t talked about it yet.” The older man explained simply. “Jisung always talks about how he wants to be with his soulmate. Could I be that for him? I don’t even think about things like that, so… nothing serious for now, I guess.” he trailed off.
“If being soulmates was something you have to live up to, then I’m pretty sure the two of you are already doing that without even realizing it.” He pondered. “ You both just… click. And you said you don’t believe in that anyway, so why don’t you just give it a try?”
Minho hummed in thought. “Maybe you’re right.” Then his expression switched up and he’s suddenly grinning at him. “Gosh, when did our baby Jeonginnie become so mature?”
Jeongin snorted. “You two are perfect for each other. Trust me."
Sometimes, Jeongin considers telling Minho about his ability to see the red string of fate and revealing to them that they’re tied to each other, but that could wait. Besides, Jisung hasn’t asked him whether his string is connected to Minho. He also didn’t want the knowledge of it to affect the way his friends’ relationship would progress. They’re (usually) reasonable people, and he knows they can figure things out by themselves naturally… hopefully.
Or at least that’s what he tries to tell himself every time those two come up with a completely unnecessary complication. Like when Jisung got jealous of Minho’s classmate and acted so clingy for an entire week that it was almost sickening (to him; Minho loved the attention though). Or when Minho got all pouty because Jisung didn't want to come over to their room anymore—turns out the idiot was just busy marathoning a movie series that Minho wasn’t interested in. They’re ridiculous, and sometimes he just wants to tell at them to get it over with and just date already. The universe is literally telling them to.
🍒🍒🍒
Jisung-hyung [10/15/20xx 10:33 AM]
heyyy
i heard u got urself a gf 😜😜😜
wanna grab lunch with me later?
You [10/15/20xx 10:35 AM]
can you stop using those emojis pls
and sure, im free later
Jisung-hyung [10/15/20xx 10:36 AM]
see you 👻👅🤪
You [10/15/20xx 10:36 AM]
OH MY GOD HYUNG
STOP.
Jisung pestered him about his girlfriend–what her name is (Soeun), where they met (in class), how long it took for them to start dating (about four months), have they gone on their first date yet? (yes) Have they kissed? (He refused to answer that.) Jeongin was right not to introduce his girlfriend to him or Minho yet. He loves them, but they can be embarrassing sometimes.
“Is your red thread connected to her?” Jisung asked hesitantly.
“Oh, I can’t really see mine, so I don’t know.”
“What? Since when?!”
“Since forever,” he answered. “I thought I already told you about that.”
“No, you didn’t.” Jisung rolled his eyes at him. “But what about hers?”
“I’m not sure if she doesn’t have one, or if I just can’t see it because she’s my soulmate.” Jeongin paused and laughed at how astonished Jisung looked. “Those of us who could see the red thread in our family aren't able to see our fated pairs. That’s how it works.”
“Oh, okay…” Jisung mumbled as he processed the information while nibbling on the spoon of melting ice cream.
“Hey, hyung. Can I ask the questions now?” Jisung looked at him apprehensively, like he already knew what was coming, but he nodded nonetheless. “Why are you not asking me about your string or Minho-hyung’s?”
It took him a while before he answered. “Hmm… at first I was scared. What if you tell me our strings aren’t connected? What do I do then?” There was a look of hurt that passed across his eyes, like the mere thought of letting Minho go pained him, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, and his eyes lit up as he smiled. “But now I already know he’s my soulmate. I don’t have to ask.”
“Then why are you two not dating yet?”
“We just haven’t found the right timing yet, I guess.” He shrugged. “You know what I realized? Being fated doesn’t really matter. It’s just something that gives you those extra perks, like a higher chance of meeting romantically or being in weird coincidences that would bring you closer to each other. But if you don't act upon those moments, it won’t really affect how you'll feel about a person, right? You love who you love. It’s your choice, not fate's.”
“Wow, hyung,” Jeongin breathed in amazement. “You really have matured, haven’t you?”
Jisung spread his arms and grinned at him smugly. “Of course. Come to me if you need love advice, my dongsaengie.”
[Arikkarihan Group Chat]
Innie [10/15/20xx 7:18 PM]
“You love who you love. It’s your choice, not fate’s.”
-Han Jisung, 20xx
LMH25 [10/15/20xx 7:20 PM]
thats kinda cringe
but since jisung said it, i’ll have to agree
what’s that about tho?
J-One [10/15/20xx 7:21 PM]
jeongin shut up you brat
It was Minho’s birthday when they finally got together. At a seaside cafe in Jeju.
Jeongin knew all about it because he had to help Jisung prepare for the surprise celebration, and that somehow ended with him third-wheeling them. He’s not sure how romantic it was to have him there like a chaperone for what apparently was their first date, but they seemed like they had fun, so he did too.
He’s truly happy for them. And maybe now that that’s resolved, he can finally find some peace of mind.
🍒🍒🍒
[Arikkarihan Group Chat]
J-One [01/01/20xx 12:00 AM]
HAPPY NEW YEAR 🎉🥳
Innie [01/01/20xx 12:00 AM]
Happy New Year, Minho-hyung, Jisung-hyung!!!
LMH25 [01/01/20xx 12:00 AM]
happy new year!
J-One [01/01/20xx 12:01 AM]
I LOVE YOU MINHO
LMH25 [01/01/20xx 12:01 AM]
lol i love you too
Innie [01/01/20xx 12:02 AM]
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
J-One [01/01/20xx 12:03 AM]
WE LOVE YOU OUR DONGSAENGIE
LMH25 [01/01/20xx 12:03 AM]
😽
“What’s got you grinning so widely at your phone, Jeongin?” His grandfather asked, turning slowly in his seat to look at him with a kind smile.
“Just my friends,” he answered, and then as an afterthought he asked, “Grandpa, what does it mean when two people are so intricately tied to each other by their red string?”
“I’ve never seen anyone like that; those people are rare.” He chuckled, pausing to take a sip of his coffee. “That means they're soulmates—destined to find each other—in every universe, in every lifetime.”