Chapter Text
Are soulmates real?
This question has been asked ever since the concept of soulmates was first mentioned. Could you really be made for someone else? Made to stay by their side no matter what?
Red strings, tattoos, colorless worlds, writing on skin. There have been many different stories created about how you could find your soulmate
They were just stories though, right?
There isn’t a red string attached to you, connecting you to the soul that you were supposedly destined for. There were no matching tattoos or symbols that you and your soulmate would both bare at birth. The world wasn’t black and white until you looked in their eyes, suddenly able to see every color you were once blind to. Writing on your skin wouldn’t magically appear on theirs
There was no proof that soulmates were real or that they weren’t
Two people who are the complete opposite of each other can live together in perfect harmony, their differences drawing them to each other. Could that be proof that soulmates are real?
But two people who fall deeply in love with each other can fall back out of love seemingly just as easily. Is that proof that soulmates aren’t real?
For some people the concept of soulmates sparked so many questions that they just couldn’t answer
Can a soulmate connection be formed between more than two people? If soulmates were separated from each other what would happen? Could soulmates find each other no matter how far apart they are? If soulmates were real and you truly had your soul connected to someone else’s, would it hurt to suddenly be ripped away from them?
Among these people a few of them decided that they wanted to conduct a test to answer their questions
Finding their subjects wouldn’t be much of a challenge
This small group, brought together by their need to answer their burning questions, had another shared interest in the form of 8 young men
8 young men that met randomly 4 years ago. 8 young men that stayed beside each other no matter what was thrown their way. 8 young men who were so different in so many ways but could still live together happily
Chan kept a close eye on the others as they walked back to their cars. The group had went out to eat during one of their free days, deciding that they needed a day to themselves to just relax
Jisung was happily talking to Felix at the front of the group. The two males were still bursting with energy, excited to be spending time together without the stress that came with countless hours of work
Minho and Changbin were behind them, occasionally talking to each other or the two males in front of them. When they were silent they were keeping an eye on the two in front of them, making sure that they didn’t accidentally endanger themselves
Hyunjin was talking to Seungmin and Jeongin in front of Chan, happily asking the two youngest members about a new game that they had brought up being interested in
Chan smiled as he watched them all, content to stay quiet and take everything in. These were his favorite moments. When they could just be free for a day and spend time together, relaxing in each others company
The younger members split from the older members when they got to the cars. The Hyung line was taking one car and the Maknae line would take the other. They would have a movie night once they all got back home
Hyunjin and Minho got into their car first. Changbin stood at the door to the backseat, looking over at the youngest four. “Call us if you need anything or if something happens on the way home, okay?” he says, waiting until the other four nod to get into the car and close the door
Chan opened the passenger door, watching as Felix climbed into the back of their car with Seungmin and Jeongin while Jisung got in the front. As soon as the doors to the car closed and it pulled away he finally sat down, closing his door
He didn’t pay the driver much attention, simply wanting to go home and spend time with the others in private as quickly as possible before they would return to their schedules the next day, becoming busy once more
“There’s some water in the cup holders for you” The driver says as they pull out and follow the other car
The members looked up as the driver spoke before looking for the water bottles that they mentioned. Each of them said a small thank you as they opened the bottles, drinking from them quietly as they drove
Minho was the first to start feeling tired, capping the water bottle so it wouldn’t spill as he leaned his head on the window and fell asleep
Hyunjin fell asleep after him, Changbin following. Chan had looked back at the others, surprised to find them asleep. They hadn’t seem tired when they left the restaurant
He soon found himself growing tired as well, fighting to stay awake as he looked out the window. He got concerned when he noticed that the driver had brought them to a street that was nowhere near their house
“Excuse me, I think you went the wrong way,” Chan says as he looks at the driver, still fighting to stay conscious. He was met with silence as the driver continued down the unfamiliar street, following the car that held the other four members
“Our house isn’t this way. Where are we going?” Chan asks as he turns to look at the driver again. He was still met with silence, trying to make sense of the situation as his body fought with him to sleep
He tried to ask the driver where they were going again but he couldn’t get any words out before his vision finally went black and he lost consciousness
When Chan woke up the first thing he noticed was the pain surging through his entire body. He groaned softly as he sat up, waiting for the wave of dizziness that hit him to pass before he looked around
He was in the middle of a race track that he vaguely recognized from their Lonely St. music video
How had he gotten here and where were the others?
Chan’s eyes widened when he remembered the car ride that was meant to lead to them watching a movie at home. The driver had been unfamiliar to him but he didn’t think much of it. They had new drivers show up sometimes so it wasn’t that odd
It wasn’t odd when the driver told them that there were water bottles in the car for them. The company kept water bottles in the cars for the boys so that they could stay hydrated on their way home from dance practices
The other members falling asleep in the car wouldn’t have been odd either if they had seemed tired after going to the restaurant. They had all seemed energized, even more so after they ate, and Chan hadn’t been tired when they had gotten to the cars
He hadn’t been tired until after he had drank the water provided to them. The realization hit him hard and he started to panic a bit. The water must of been spiked with something for them to all pass out after drinking it and if the water in their car was spiked then he could only guess that the same thing had happened to the younger four in the other car
They had been drugged and now he had no idea where the other members were or if they were safe
Chan quickly looks around again, spotting a piece of paper on the ground beside him and quickly picking it up
Welcome to the soulmate test Bang Chan.
I’m sure you have some questions about what’s going on. Hopefully they’ll be answered in time
We’ll start with the ones that I can answer right now
You’re partaking in a test run by myself and my group. I can’t tell you who we are but I can tell you what we want
The goal of this test is to see if soulmates are real. Your task is relatively simple. Find the other members with the help of a single clue
We think that soulmates are drawn to each other, that they can feel where the other person is. We want to prove this and you and your members are going to help us
Goodluck
Your clue: Road, YJ
Chan groans as he puts the paper down, running a hand through his hair before looking back to the clue. The initials were Jeongin’s but the clue made no sense as Chan read it a few more times
He carefully folds the piece of paper before slipping it into his pocket as he slowly got up
Minho was pissed
He had woken up in an abandoned parking lot that he vaguely recognized, his entire body in pain. It had taken him a few minutes to remember what happened
He had passed out in the car after drinking from one of the water bottles that the driver provided. It didn’t take him long to realize that he had been drugged and separated from the others
Minho slowly moved to sit up, groaning as the pain in his body got worse at the movement. He took a few seconds to let the pain dull before he got up fully, stumbling a bit as he walked before quickly finding his balance once more
He slowly walks around, trying to see if there's anybody nearby. A small piece of paper catches his eye so he quickly walks over and grabs it
Welcome to the soulmate test Lee Minho.
I’m sure you have some questions about what’s going on. Hopefully they’ll be answered in time
We’ll start with the ones that I can answer right now
You’re partaking in a test run by myself and my group. I can’t tell you who we are but I can tell you what we want
The goal of this test is to see if soulmates are real. Your task is relatively simple. Find the other members with the help of a single clue
We think that soulmates are drawn to each other, that they can feel where the other person is. We want to prove this and you and your members are going to help us
Goodluck
Your clue: Street, KS
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me” Minho mumbles as he folds the paper back up, stuffing it in his pocket before looking at his surroundings
He recognized the lot he was in from the Lonely St. video but he couldn’t remember how to get out of it. The clue on the paper made no sense either. The initials were Seungmin’s but Minho didn’t know anything about a street he would be on
Minho groans as he starts to walk around slowly, looking for anything he could use to help him find the way out or the other members. The people that kidnapped him had sense enough to steal his phone and he assumed that they had taken the other members phones as well
Changbin was not having fun, at all
Waking up in a strange location after being drugged and separated from your boyfriends wasn’t good
He faintly recognized the seats that were surrounding him but he didn’t pay it much mind as he got up, ignoring the pain that shot through his body in response. He slowly walked out of the row of seats he was in, reaching the isle and walking down to the railing
There was a note stuck to the metal bars, Changbin letting out an annoyed groan as he reached forwards and grabbed it
Welcome to the soulmate test Seo Changbin.
I’m sure you have some questions about what’s going on. Hopefully they’ll be answered in time
We’ll start with the ones that I can answer right now
You’re partaking in a test run by myself and my group. I can’t tell you who we are but I can tell you what we want
The goal of this test is to see if soulmates are real. Your task is relatively simple. Find the other members with the help of a single clue
We think that soulmates are drawn to each other, that they can feel where the other person is. We want to prove this and you and your members are going to help us
Goodluck
Your clue: Run, BC
Changbin wanted to punch something. Some sick group of people had kidnapped him and the others for some type of stupid test? It felt more like a game that they were playing
He looked around for a moment, taking note of his surroundings. It was one of the locations of the Lonely St. video. He looked back at the paper, rereading the clue
Run, BC
Changbin took a minute to think the clue over before getting an idea. If he had been dropped where he had filmed his parts for Lonely St, then maybe Chan had been as well, and Changbin knew how to get to the race track they filmed at from here
Changbin stuffs the piece of paper in his pocket before starting towards the exit, jumping the small gate that had been padlocked closed
Cold
Hyunjin felt cold as soon as he woke up
It took him a few seconds to be able to open his eyes and he immediately wished that he didn’t. He was trapped in a small box like area, mirrors reflecting his panicked expression back to him
Hyunjin immediately gets up, groaning in pain and placing his hand on one of the mirrored walls to keep his balance. His hand came in contact with something, it making a noise as he moved a bit
It was a small piece of paper taped to one of the mirrors
Welcome to the soulmate test Hwang Hyunjin.
I’m sure you have some questions about what’s going on. Hopefully they’ll be answered in time
We’ll start with the ones that I can answer right now
You’re partaking in a test run by myself and my group. I can’t tell you who we are but I can tell you what we want
The goal of this test is to see if soulmates are real. Your task is relatively simple. Find the other members with the help of a single clue
We think that soulmates are drawn to each other, that they can feel where the other person is. We want to prove this and you and your members are going to help us
Goodluck
Your clue: Smoke, HJ
Hyunjin looks around quickly, pulling his jacket tighter against his body to try and stay warm. He recognized the box he was in now. It was the same one from the Lonely St. music video
Hyunjin moved and tried to open the door, groaning in frustration when he found it locked. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy to get out of here
Hyunjin looks back to the note, rereading the words a few times
Smoke, HJ
Jisung. The clue was for him. But why smoke?
Hyunjin leans against the wall as he tries to think of what the clue meant and how he got here. The last thing that he remembered was driving home with the rest of the Hyung line before falling asleep after drinking the water that the driver provided them
Hyunjin groans as he realizes that the water was spiked. Of course it was. Their one day off and they all get drugged and kidnapped
Hyunjin looks back to the note, rereading the clue again. Jisung and smoke
Jisung’s set for the music video was a smoke filled room, he might be there. How was Hyunjin supposed to get out to get to him though?
Jisung first noticed the burning in his lungs when he woke up, coughing only to inhale more smoke
Smoke? Jisung quickly sat up, groaning in pain before coughing more. Once he had stopped coughing as badly he looked around, eyes wide in panic
He was in a room that looked identical to the set for Lonely St. but they had destroyed the set already. So where was he?
Jisung looks around as he carefully stands up, trying to ignore the pain that shoots through his body as he does so. The room was dark other than the small lights around him that reached from the floor to the ceiling. They didn’t provide much illumination though
Beside one of the lights a string hung from the ceiling, a piece of paper hanging down from it
Jisung carefully walks to it and pulls the paper down, stepping closer to the light to read it
Welcome to the soulmate test Han Jisung.
I’m sure you have some questions about what’s going on. Hopefully they’ll be answered in time
We’ll start with the ones that I can answer right now
You’re partaking in a test run by myself and my group. I can’t tell you who we are but I can tell you what we want
The goal of this test is to see if soulmates are real. Your task is relatively simple. Find the other members with the help of a single clue
We think that soulmates are drawn to each other, that they can feel where the other person is. We want to prove this and you and your members are going to help us
Goodluck
Your clue: Roof, LF
Jisung looks around the room again before looking back to the paper. They were in some kind of test? Why did it have to be them?
All he wanted to do was spend the day with his boyfriends, not whatever this was. The last thing he remembered was passing out in the car after being given some snacks by the driver
Of course they had been drugged on their one day out without security. Jisung knew he should of listened to his gut and asked to bring at least two guards but he had just chalked the feeling up to his anxiety
Roof, LF
Felix. Jisung hoped that the other male was safe and that he would find him and the rest of the Maknae line soon
Felix groaned as he woke up. He was cold and whatever was under his back was hard and uncomfortable. Why was he on his back? He sleeps on his side. Why was he asleep? Hadn’t he just been in the car with the rest of the Maknae line?
Felix slowly opens his eyes, looking up at the dark sky above him before slowly sitting up, letting out a sharp breath at the pain that shoots through his body with the movement
Once the pain settled and he was sitting up fully he looked around to try and figure out where he was. He slowly moves to get up before walking to the edge of the platform he was on. He was on the roof of a building with no way down
Felix tries to check his pockets for his phone, finding a folded up piece of paper instead. He carefully unfolds it, something metal dropping out onto the roof in front of him. He carefully bends down to pick it up, trying to ignore the pain that the action caused
Once he was standing back up he slipped the object, a key, into his front pocket before reading the paper
Welcome to the soulmate test Lee Felix.
I’m sure you have some questions about what’s going on. Hopefully they’ll be answered in time
We’ll start with the ones that I can answer right now
You’re partaking in a test run by myself and my group. I can’t tell you who we are but I can tell you what we want
The goal of this test is to see if soulmates are real. Your task is relatively simple. Find the other members with the help of a single clue
We think that soulmates are drawn to each other, that they can feel where the other person is. We want to prove this and you and your members are going to help us
Goodluck
Your clue: Reflections, HH (Don’t lose the key, it’s important)
Felix takes the key back out of his pocket, looking at it closely. It looked like the one for the glass box that Hyunjin was put into for the Lonely St. video
HH, Hwang Hyunjin. Reflections. The box was mirrored on the inside. Felix’s eyes widen as he looks around again quickly. Hyunjin was locked in that box somewhere and Felix had the key to help him. He just didn’t know where he was or where Hyunjin was
They had taken down most of the sets from the music video that they had built and the box had been put in storage somewhere along with the key
Felix moved back to the edge, trying to find any identifying marks for the building he was on. It seemed to be abandoned though so there was nothing and he had no idea how to get down to get to Hyunjin
He didn’t even know how he got here. One minute he was eating snacks with the Maknaes that the driver had provided and the next he was on the roof, waking up. He didn’t remember falling asleep at all
Seungmin groaned in pain as he rolled onto his back, his hand hitting the concrete harshly and sending another jolt of pain through his body
Seungmin sits up carefully, looking down at his hand to find a bloody bandage. How had he gotten hurt? Better question, where was he? A large concrete wall met him on one side as he slowly looked around before getting up. He placed his good hand on the wall to steady himself as pain shot through his body again, almost knocking him back down
When he didn’t feel like collapsing to the floor again he slowly looked around at where he was. It looked like an abandoned side street, a large wall of concrete separating him from the other side
“Hey! Is anyone there!” Seungmin calls, looking towards the concrete wall. There was a large bridge on his other side that he had recognized from the Lonely St. music video but he had no other idea where he was
“Anybody! Help!” Seungmin tried yelling again, hoping that someone could hear him. He was met with silence, looking around frantically. He stops when he sees a piece of paper attached to the concrete wall, immediately going and grabbing it
Welcome to the soulmate test Kim Seungmin.
I’m sure you have some questions about what’s going on. Hopefully they’ll be answered in time
We’ll start with the ones that I can answer right now
You’re partaking in a test run by myself and my group. I can’t tell you who we are but I can tell you what we want
The goal of this test is to see if soulmates are real. Your task is relatively simple. Find the other members with the help of a single clue
We think that soulmates are drawn to each other, that they can feel where the other person is. We want to prove this and you and your members are going to help us
Goodluck
Your clue: Seats, SC
Seungmin looks around as he stuffs the paper into his pocket. There was nobody around at all. How had he gotten here? He had been in the car with the others, eating snacks and joking around happily. Jisung had passed out first. Then Felix just a few seconds later. Jeongin passed out next after pointing out that they were on a different road than the one that led home
Seungmin had tried to get the drivers attention and ask them where they were going, asking them to stop the car so he could get the Hyung’s attention, asking him to take them to a hospital for medical help, but each time he spoke he was met with silence
He tried to stay awake when he started to feel tired but it didn’t work and he soon passed out
He now realized why the snacks tasted weird. They had melatonin in them. It had been used to drug them and make them pass out
Jeongin wanted to cry
He didn’t cry easily. He was normally really good at controlling his emotions. But right now, he definitely wanted to cry
He was alone in the middle of nowhere after passing out in the car. Jisung and Felix had passed out first and a few seconds later Jeongin noticed their car turn onto a unfamiliar street, alerting Seungmin to this before he started to feel dizzy, passing out as well
Now he had no idea where he was, he was in so much pain and on top of that he couldn’t see any of the others near him. He was completely alone and he was terrified
What if he got hurt or he couldn’t find his way home? What if the others never found him? What if the others were hurt?
Jeongin looks around quickly, paranoid of any little sound he hears. He looked to his right side, seeing the road beside him reaching upwards. If he got to higher ground then maybe he would be safer
Jeongin groans as he gets up, trying not to collapse again as pain shoots through his entire body once more
Once he was able to move relatively easily he started to slowly and carefully climb up the slanted road. It reminded him of when they filmed Lonely St. The rocks crumbled beneath his feet, Jeongin being extremely cautious so that he wouldn’t fall
Once he reached the top of the road he froze. He could see a bridge in the distance that he definitely recognized from the Lonely St. filming
At least now he somewhat knew where he was. Jeongin looks around carefully before spotting a box of matches laying on top of a piece of paper
He walks over and carefully picks the matches up, slipping them into his pocket before unfolding the note to read it
Welcome to the soulmate test Yang Jeongin.
I’m sure you have some questions about what’s going on. Hopefully they’ll be answered in time
We’ll start with the ones that I can answer right now
You’re partaking in a test run by myself and my group. I can’t tell you who we are but I can tell you what we want
The goal of this test is to see if soulmates are real. Your task is relatively simple. Find the other members with the help of a single clue
We think that soulmates are drawn to each other, that they can feel where the other person is. We want to prove this and you and your members are going to help us
Goodluck
Your clue: Bridge, LM
Bridge. Jeongin quickly looked over at the structure in the distance. The initials on the note were Minho’s. Jeongin tried to think about what the clue meant and why it was the bridge before he remembered the empty parking lot located close to the bridge that they shot Minho’s scenes at
At least now he knew where one of his Hyung’s were. He just needed to get to him