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"Come on! You are the only one of us that hasn't taken a picture with the statue yet!" Chris pleaded with his annoyingly tempting puppy eyes.
Jisung rolled his own as he glanced around at his friends before questioning, "What is the point of this again?"
"I told you he wasn't listening," Seungmin muttered in a not-so-subtle volume to Jeongin, who grinned impishly as he nodded.
"The point of this is the legend that goes with the sculpture," Felix pipes up as he gestures at the statue. "Look at his hand. Do you see how it's been rubbed gold? The rumor is that whenever his soulmate holds his hand, he'll become human."
Jisung's eyebrows shot up at that. "Who came up with a stupid idea like that?"
"I think it's kind of romantic," Hyunjin remarks as he takes the statue's hand and gazes into his admittedly handsome face. "Could you imagine what he's been through? Hoping that each person that takes his hand might be the one? Not only would he receive freedom, but he would also find his true love."
"Not all soulmates have to be romantic," Changbin points out, and Hyunjin sticks his tongue out at him, muttering about him ruining the fun.
Tired of the silly discussion, Jisung approaches the statue mumbling, "All of this for a dumb photo op."
The rest of his friends were gleeful about his change of heart and swiftly began making suggestions to 'improve the picture.'
"You should pose like it's a prom photo!" Chris called out with a laugh as he got his own phone ready.
"I didn't even go to prom, so how am I supposed to know how to do that?" Jisung asked as he stood next to the podium the statue perched on.
Taking a quick scan of the figure's features, he had to admit that whoever he was modeled after must have been a gorgeous person. Delicate facial features, intense eyes, and a body that could rival the Greeks.
"Oh! You could give it a kiss on the cheek!" Jeongin suggested with a bright laugh.
"I am not kissing something that birds might have pooped on!"
"Just take the picture! I'm starving, and my feet hurt!"
"You act like this is a life or death thing," Jisung gripped as he lifted his phone to get him and the bust in the frame and reached for its hand.
He momentarily glanced down to ensure he had ahold of the figure and then turned his eyes back to take the shot, only to have a heavy body collapse against his. Jisung's phone clatters out of his hands as he barely catches a stunning man in his arms. The stranger's dark brown eyes blink up at him, looking just as shocked and confused as Jisung felt.
"You have to be kidding me. This is a prank, right?" Hyunjin demands as he turns to Felix.
"It's not! That statue has been in this park since I was little! I used to run by it all the time! It's the same one!"
"Then how the hell is this possible? Are we supposed to believe that the legend is actually true?" Changbin butts in, sounding frustrated and astonished all at once.
Despite the chaos around them, Jisung focused on the person he was still holding onto. "Are you alright?"
Considering what might have happened, the question almost felt too simple, but he felt the need to ask.
"I-I'm fine," The beautiful stranger replied as he straightened himself up in Jisung's hold but made no move to escape it. "What's your name?"
"Han Jisung."
"Ah, well, I'm Lee Minho. Thank you for saving me."
"Guys! It's actually legit!" Chris shouted with a strangled sort of laugh. "Look at this! I caught it on video!"
That was all the confirmation that Jisung needed. He currently had his soulmate in his arms. The sound of his six moronic friends' screams was just a bonus.
He felt that Minho probably would like to sit after standing for god knows how long, so he gently guided the other man towards a bench to the left as he asked, "So, how did this happen to you?"
"It's kind of a ridiculous story."
"More so than being turned into bronze?"
He sighed as the tips of his ears gained a pink tint. "I made a deal to get out of an arranged marriage. I was to give the witch my wealth and title in exchange for the chance to find my soulmate. I was convinced that marriage should be about love and finding someone that made you complete. I remember saying that getting married shouldn't make a person feel like they are being trapped and kept like a piece of fine art."
Jisung couldn't stop himself from chuckling at the last part. "That witch took your words a little too literally, huh?"
Instead of appearing insulted, Minho smirked at the brunette. "You're telling me, he had a twisted sense of humor."
"But you're free now! Can't you just go back home?" Even as he asked this, in the back of his mind, Jisung dreaded the idea of parting ways.
He knew that he was ridiculous to feel that way, considering that they'd known each other for like five seconds, but maybe Jisung was more of a romantic than he'd thought. It would be a cold day in hell before anyone else found out, though, for example, his friends, who were now eerily silent.
"Um, well," Minho cleared his throat as he glanced at their audience. "I have a feeling that since I've been trapped here for nearly 300 years, I don't have a home to go to anymore, sadly."
"You can come stay with us!" Chris instantly volunteers, locking into 'dad-mode' like he tended to do the second someone appeared to need help. "We have a spare room we use for guests that you're more than welcome to!"
Minho glanced from the rest of Jisung's group back to him. "Would you be alright with that?"
The other man could only blink at him for a second. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because we just met, and there's still the entire soulmate issue to discuss? You might want some alone time to sort your thoughts out."
"What sort of soulmate would I be if I kicked you out into the street?"
"Aw, they're both blushing now," Felix whispered unsuccessfully, thanks to his deep voice, which had the other snickering as Jisung watched the redness in Minho's ears darken and travel down to his neck.
Even embarrassed, he was one of the most stunning people Jisung had ever seen. How had he gotten so lucky? Choking slightly from the mortifying thought, Jisung continued, "You're welcome to stay with us if you want to."
His smile was just as heart-shattering as the rest of him as Minho nodded, "I think I'd like that."