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Noone really remembered what came before a transparent soul. It was rumored that when they turn purple, the universe would tell them. But all the purples turn to humans and they don’t remember their time as transparent souls.
Today, it was his turn to wake up. He stumbled out of his flower bed, unsure how to work his little body but eventually got the hang of it. He looked around and found himself in the middle of hundreds of transparent souls who, like him, had just woken up.
He got on his feet and started stretching. The other transparent souls stayed still where they woke up but not him. He wandered out the little garden where they bloomed, and ventured into a large, empty, and very imposing hallway.
“I’m lost!” He said to no one with a bright smile. It was his first day being alive! Everything was an adventure, including being lost. So he walked around, ran around, jumped around, and danced around.
“Hi there, little soul. Are you lost?” Someone asked him.
He looked up to find a peculiar looking soul. He was taller and bigger. He looked just like him but also different.
“Yes I am!” He said proudly.
The soul chuckled. “Well, it’s a good thing that I found you. I’ve been looking for you but you weren’t in the garden.”
“I got bored.”
The taller soul raised his brow. “Is that so?” He nodded. “Then, would you like to go on an adventure with me?”
“An adventure?!” He asked with so much excitement that he started jumping around again.
“Yep. My name is Yoongi. I am your white soul. I’ll be guiding you until you become purple.”
“White soul? Purple? What’s that?”
“Follow me and I will show you.”
The soul that asked to be called Yoongi took him to another garden. This one was much smaller than the one where he bloomed, and instead of transparent souls, there were dozens of purple souls with white souls just like Yoongi.
“They look like you!” He pointed out as he pulled Yoongi’s coat tails that reminded him of flower petals.
“Yes. They are white souls like me. Like I said, it’s our job to help you turn purple.”
“What happens when I am purple?”
“Follow me,”
Yoongi led him to what looked like a waterfall. He looked back at him and stretched out his hand. “You’ll love this part,” he said with a smile. He didn’t hesitate to take his hand. Yoongi lifted him and carried him in his arms. “We’re jumping in three, two, one!” And they jumped.
He squealed in delight. The wind on his face felt so nice!
“Again! Again!” He said when they finally landed.
“Next time. Right now, I’m here to show you something.”
He was a bit disappointed but intrigued by whatever Yoongi wanted to show him.
There was a wailing in the room that caught his attention. He turned and saw people who looked like Yoongi but not really. There were many of them, and one of them held a little person. The little person was the one who was crying.
“What’s that?” he asked Yoongi.
“A human. A baby,” Yoongi answered. “That’s what happens when you turn purple.”
He scrunched his nose, not exactly impressed with the revelation. “It doesn’t sound fun.”
Yoongi chuckled again. “Well, this is just the beginning. Do you want to see what they do?”
He shrugged. “Okay.”
“What’s this?” He asked again when they arrived to a new place. “What are those?” he asked, pointing at the colorful things on the floor.
“This is a home. And those are toys for the baby.”
“What do you do with those?”
Yoongi shrugged. “Anything they want.”
Just then, someone came in through the door. “Honey, I’m home!” The man who was taller than Yoongi said.
Someone else from the house came out, holding a baby. “Hello love, how was your day?” A woman, slightly smaller than the other, asked. The two put their faces together and…
“What’s that thing they did?”
“Oh, that was a kiss. Sometimes humans show their love like that.”
How fascinating, he thought.
“Hello, love! How was your day, little guy!” The man asked the baby in a funny voice. The baby smiled and laughed.
“Ready for your next stop?”
He nodded, unsure what he was supposed to see in this place anyway.
“What’s a home, Yoongi?”
“It’s where people live and grow up. They make memories there, both good and bad.”
“Why would they make bad memories?”
“That’s just how life is,” Yoongi answered.
“What’s this place?” He asked. There were so many little humans running around. Some smaller, some taller than others.
“This is a playground. Kids love to play here.”
He was jumping in excitement, “Can I play too?!”
“Sure. But humans can’t see or touch you so don’t be upset if they can’t talk to you, okay?”
Yoongi let him play for a while and he had so much fun! He wanted to play again but Yoongi said they had to leave. “When you become purple, you’ll play in a place like this again.”
“Okay!”
“What’s this place?” He asked again. It was just like the playground, but the kids were bigger and they could talk!
“This is a school. This is where you go to learn and make new friends.”
“What are they doing?” he asked as he watched the children put something in their mouth.
“They’re eating. It’s how humans get their sustenance.”
“Can I try some?”
Yoongi shrugged and said, “Sure.” He produced a box-shaped thing in his hand, and then took the little thin thing attached to it and then poked it into the box.
“This is called Banana Milk. It will be good for your body.”
“Do I bite it?”
“No. You can sip through the straw. The thin thing poking on top.”
“Ok!” His eyes widened again when the taste reached his tongue. “Wow! That’s amazing! Can I keep it?”
“Of course you can.”
He was a bit disappointed when it ran out and Yoongi wouldn’t give him another. But it was fine because Yoongi said he’d drink a lot of it once he turned into a purple soul. He couldn’t wait!
“What are those?” He asked, pointing at the things the children were bringing to a place Yoongi called a library.
“Those are books. They have stories there, and pictures, and other things you can learn.” Yoongi explained.
“Can I see?”
“Of course,” Yoongi said again. He took a book from one of the shelves and then opened it for him. “This is a picture book, since you can’t read just yet.”
He turned the pages one by one, eyes wide in wonder as he looked at the pictures in it. “This is amazing!”
“You’ll get to read more of these when you go to school.”
“When I become a purple soul?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“What are they doing?” He asked, pointing to two girls holding hands and giggling.
“This is called a date. A lot of people do this before they get together.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means they like each other.”
“Oh!” Then he noticed something else. “Look! They have different colored flames!”
“That’s right. One is red and one is blue,” Yoongi said. “When you grow up to be human, you either become a red or a blue flame. And then when you meet your special someone, you can create a purple soul.”
“But aren’t purple souls already created? I am transparent and I will be purple soon. Do I need a red and blue flame?”
“If you want to be born a human, then yes. If not, you can be just like me, a white soul who guides transparent souls.” Yoongi explained. “Now it’s time to return home.”
“Oh,” he said, disappointed.
“It’s okay. We’ll be back again. We just need to finish your lessons for today.”
“Oh!” He said with more joy and excitement. “Okay!”
They returned to the garden with purple souls. He watched as one of them waved to the rest, and the others bid farewell. The purple soul jumped into a lake, disappearing while the other purples cheered. Then another did the same thing.
“What happened? Why did they jump?” He asked.
“Well, that purple soul picked their red and blue flames. It’s time for him to be born human.”
“Oh! We have to pick?”
Yoongi nodded. “That’s why I said we’ll be back.”
“Okay!”
“So, do you want to be purple or do you want to be white?”
“I still haven’t seen what you do though.” He tilted his head, looking up at Yoongi.
Yoongi smiled. “What do you mean? I was with you the entire time, you saw what I do.”
“Oh!”
“That’s right. So, purple or white?”
He took a moment to think about it. “I’m sure what you do is fun but I really want to be purple.”
“That’s okay. I’m very excited for you. Tomorrow we can start looking for your flames, but today. you should go and rest.” said Yoongi. “Follow me. I will lead you to your garden.”
“I can’t return to the one I bloomed in?”
Yoongi shook his head. “That’s just where you are born. After that you go to a different garden.”
“Ok!”
There were already other transparent souls sleeping in flower beds when he arrived. Yoongi led him to his bed and then lifted him up to tuck him in.
“Yoongi?”
“Yes?”
“Do I have a name?” Yoongi explained to him earlier what a name is. Yoongi’s name was Yoongi. But he didn’t know if he had one.
“Well, when you are born, your parents will give you one.”
“I hope they give me a good one like yours,” he said with a yawn.
“Goodnight little one. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good morning, little one. Ready for another adventure?” Yoongi asked him as they got ready to jump into the waterfall once more.
He nodded his head eagerly. “I can’t wait to find my parents, Yoongi! We have to go now!”
Yoongi laughed, “Of course. Hold on tight.”
He met a lot of couples that day, and also some flames that were entangled at one point but not a couple.
“How do I pick one, Yoongi?”
“However you want to pick. Some souls pick couples who are rich, or loving, or good looking, or smart. It’s up to you.”
He groaned. “This isn’t very easy,” he said with a whine.
“I know. And that’s okay if you can’t pick anyone yet.”
He sighed. “Can we play in the playground before we go home?”
“Of course we can.”
“Can you give me banana milk.”
“...Sure.”
“And a book?”
“Okay,” Yoongi said with a chuckle.
Yoongi carried him back to the sleeping gardens because he was too tired to walk.
“I’m sad that I didn’t get to pick today, Yoongi,” he said sleepily.
“That’s okay. You don’t have to rush.”
“Yeah. And I get to play with you more and that’s fun too!”
“I’m glad you think that,” Yoongi said with a smile. “I’ll see you again tomorrow, little one. Good night.”
“Good night, Yoongi.”
They had no luck the following day either. This time, they met flames who always fought and were not happy with each other.
“Why are they still together then?”
Yoongi sighed. “Because people are stubborn sometimes,” he said.
“What happens if I don’t pick one?” he asked, worried, when Yoongi tucked him in for the night.
“Well, after some time, you become white like me.”
“But what if I become white and then I find the people I want to be my parents.”
“Then you turn purple,” Yoongi said. “You can take as much time as you need, little one. No one is rushing you.”
“Do you want to be purple someday?”
Yoongi shrugged. “Sure, if I find the right people.”
“Maybe we could meet someday then.”
“Maybe,” Yoongi smiled. “Go to sleep, little one. Good night.”
“Good night, Yoongi.”
The next day was no different. The couples he met did not feel right. He felt sad once more at the thought of not finding the people he wanted to be his parents.
They were on the way home when he met a very peculiar person. His flame was not quite red. His partner’s flame was very blue though. “Why is his color like that?”
“We don’t know,” Yoongi said, looking at the person he was pointing at. “His flame has been like this for as long as we can remember. We don’t think he will ever turn red. No souls would pick them because of his color. It’s sad because they’ve been trying for years.”
“Does that mean he can never have a child?”
“Well, no one wants to pick them.” Yoongi said. “It’s very difficult to make purple out of pink and blue.”
At first he thought nothing of it. It was a sad story. They seemed very nice and happy. Too bad his soul was never going to be red. He could feel like they would be wonderful parents.
“What are you thinking about, little one?” Yoongi asked as he tucked him in his flower bed.
“I’m just sad about the pink flame.”
“It’s pretty sad, isn’t it?” Yoongi asked. “But sometimes, some things aren’t meant to be.”
“Yoongi?” He called out. It was another day without any success. But he wanted to do something.
“Yes, little one?”
“Can we see the pink soul again?”
Yoongi looked surprised. “Of course,” he said with a wide smile.
Yoongi and him sat on the sofa of the couple’s home. The pink flame’s name was Seokjin, he learned. And his blue partner was Namjoon.
Namjoon hugged Seokjin from behind as the other wiped his tears away.
He felt so sad watching the scene. He wanted to come up to them and give them a hug.
“It’s fine. We still have another embryo. We can try again,” Namjoon reassured Seokjin even with his voice shaking.
“What if we don’t succeed? This is our last one,” Seokjin asked, still in tears. He held his lower stomach, “I’m sorry, Joon. I’m sorry you had to be stuck with someone defective like me.”
“Don’t be sorry. I don’t regret anything,” Namjoon said, hugging him closer. “There are other ways. There are always other ways.”
Suddenly, he felt something wet flow down his cheeks.
Yoongi wiped them away, “You’re crying.”
“What’s that?”
“People cry for many reasons. Sometimes they’re happy, but a lot of times they’re sad.”
“I’m very sad, Yoongi.”
“I know, little one.”
“Do you want to come see them tomorrow?” Yoongi asked, wiping his tears once more.
He didn’t know why but when they got home he couldn’t stop crying. Yoongi held him in his arms until he calmed down.
“Can we?”
“Of course, we can.”
“This is the very last one,” the guy in a white coat (a doctor, as Yoongi told him) said to Seokjin and Namjoon. “And your body hasn’t reacted well to the last few ones. Are you sure you want to do this again?”
“Yes,” Seokjin answered. “If it doesn’t work then it doesn’t work. But we have one more chance to try again so why not do it?”
The doctor nodded. “Then, I’ll schedule you so we can run the tests again. I’m sure you’re already familiar with what to do, correct?”
“Unfortunately,” Namjoon said with a sad smile. “But I feel different this time. This time feels right.”
Seokjin squeezed Namjoon’s hand and smiled. “This time it will happen, right?”
“Yes. I know it will.”
Everyday since then, Yoongi would bring him to see the couple. They stopped looking for other flames but that was fine. He didn’t feel like looking yet. Maybe soon but he wanted to see Seokjin and Namjoon right now.
“I hope someone picks them,” he said with a yawn. “Good night, Yoongi.”
“Good night, little one.”
“How is it?” Another white soul asked Yoongi. Her name was Seulgi. She, just like Yoongi, turned white after not being able to pick. “Are we getting a new white soul?”
Yoongi shook his head. “No. My little one has already chosen.”
“Really? That’s amazing! So he turned purple today?”
“No,” he chuckled. “He hasn’t realized that he found them already.”
Seulgi’s eyes widened. “Oh! How fun!”
He didn’t know how long it had been since he started watching Seokjin and Namjoon. It didn’t feel long enough though.
Today, the two were watching a movie at home. Seokjin was sick because of all the medicine and so Namjoon took care of him.
The movie was funny. He laughed and giggled along with the couple. Yoongi let him sit in between them on the bed. He looked over at Yoongi who was smiling back at him.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join?” He asked but Yoongi shook his head.
“It’s time to go home,” Yoongi said. “We stayed a little too late.”
His yawns were evidence of that. Before leaving though, he laid on Seokjin’s stomach. “I don’t know if someone’s in there but you better make them smile all the time okay?” he said.
He watched other people do it. When someone is pregnant, they would talk to their stomach like they would understand. He found it silly, but today he wished someone was listening.
“In two days, if we don’t pick we become white,” the transparent soul who slept beside him said.
“Just two days?” His eyes widened in panic. Yoongi didn’t tell him that. So he jumped off his flower bed and ran.
He didn’t know where he was going though.
“I’m lost,” he said to no one. His lips were quivering, and his tears were flowing down. He wiped them off and proceeded to walk.
“Did you get lost again?” He heard Yoongi ask.
“Yoongi!” He ran towards him, still crying.
“What’s wrong?” Yoongi crouched down and asked, worried.
“The soul beside me said that I only have two days to pick before I turn white!”
“Ah. That is true. If you don’t pick one in two days then you turn white like me. But like I said, you can take your time.”
“But I don’t want to. I want to choose now!” He said, crying.
“Then you can choose now.”
“But I haven’t found anyone yet,” he cried harder.
“Yes, you have.”
He stopped crying, or at least he tried. He hiccupped once in a while but when he finally found his voice he asked, “What do you mean?”
“You already picked.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Yes, you have.”
“No, I haven’t!”
Yoongi only laughed at his frustration. “Yes, you have. You just don’t realize it.”
“Well, who are they?”
“Who else but Seokjin and Namjoon?”
He stopped. It was a big realization. Of course! Of course, he picked already! Of course, it was Seokjin and Namjoon! No wonder he felt connected to them. No wonder he wanted to always be with them. They were his parents.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was waiting for you to realize.”
“So it’s me? I’m the one in his stomach right now?”
“That’s right.”
“Oh. Then when can I go?”
“When do you want to go?”
“I want to go now but I’m not purple yet.”
Yoongi chuckled. “Look at your hands.”
His eyes widened when he looked at his hands. “Yoongi! They’re purple!”
“I know!”
“I’m purple, Yoongi!”
“You are!”
“Can I go now?”
“Of course. Do you want me to lead the way?”
“Yes!”
He almost ran to the place where the purples went to be born but Yoongi lifted him up and carried him there instead. Suddenly, there was another realization that made him sad.
“What’s the matter, little one?” Yoongi asked.
“I’m gonna miss you.”
He saw Yoongi’s eyes glisten with unshed tears. “I will miss you too. But don’t worry. We’ll meet soon.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think I found my parents too. But I want to be sure.”
“Really?! That’s amazing!”
“I’ll come find you, okay? Don’t forget about me.”
“I won’t!”
The other purple souls looked at him funny when he got there. It was because his shade of purple was a bit different from theirs. It was a little lighter and softer. It was more subtle but he thought it was prettier and he liked it better.
When it was his turn to jump, he suddenly felt nervous. He felt Yoongi squeeze his hand so he looked up to him. “I’m scared, Yoongi.”
“I know. But you’ll love it there. You’ll love Seokjin and Namjoon.”
“I already love them.”
“Then you’re all good,” Yoongi said. He placed a light kiss on his forehead. “I’ll see you very soon, okay?”
“Okay,” he then turned to the other purples. “Bye everyone! I’m going now!” Everyone cheered for him, making him giggle. “Yoongi, I wish one of us would be red and the other would be blue so we can be together like Seokjin and Namjoon,” he said. “Bye bye, Yoongi!”
“Bye, little one.”
“He seems smitten,” Seulgi teased, making Yoongi blush. “What’s the plan now?”
“I think I found my parents,” he told her with a smile.
It’s been three months. Today, Seokjin and Namjoon would know if the procedure was successful. It was around this time that Seokjin’s body would reject the embryo and he would miscarry. It was their very last chance of having a biological baby. But of course, if it doesn’t work, adoption was an option.
The two of them whipped their heads to the door when it opened. It was the doctor, looking down at the results with a very serious expression. Seokjin’s heart broke before the doctor even spoke.
“Doctor? What’s wrong? Please tell us,” he pleaded.
“Seokjin, Namjoon,” the doctor started. “Your baby is very healthy. Congratulations.” The doctor broke into a wide smile.
Seokjin burst into tears, but this time of happiness instead of heartbreak.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Namjoon said to the doctor, also crying out of happiness.
It was another very long 6 months. They were careful, sometimes a little too cautious but it paid off. Seokjin gave birth to a wonderful baby boy who had Seokjin’s eyes and Namjoon’s nose. He cried more when his baby smiled and laughed instead of crying.
“Do you have a name for him?” The nurse asked when they were settled in their room.
“Yes. Jungkook. His name is Jungkook.”
Jungkook grew up very loved. Being the only child, and a child that they prayed for, he was spoiled to the bone. But he was polite, kind, loving, and so smart. “He’s perfect,” Seokjin said to Namjoon as they watched their toddler sleep.
“He fell asleep fast,” Namjoon commented.
“First day of kindergarten is always exhausting,” Seokjin said, smiling. “I’m glad he had so much fun.”
“I know. I could barely keep up with his stories,” Namjoon said adoringly.
“I’m so happy, Namjoon. I have everything I need and more,” Seokjin told him. “I’m so glad we tried one more time.”
“I know,” Namjoon said, tears threatening to come out. It was always like this. He remembered how much they struggled to have a baby. Jungkook was their miracle, and watching him grow up felt so surreal. “I wouldn’t give this up for the world.”
Jungkook cursed as he found himself in the middle of a very large, empty, and imposing hallway. “I’m lost.” He was looking for a book but the library was massive, with four different floors. None of that mattered if he couldn’t even find the entrance though.
“Hi there. Are you lost?” He heard someone ask.
“Yes, I–” he stopped in his tracks when he saw the person. “Hi.” Something about this man was familiar.
“Hi. Have we met before?” The man asked. He looked at him as if trying to remember where he saw him from.
“Uh. Maybe? You look familiar,” Jungkook said. “My name’s Jungkook.”
“Huh. Doesn’t ring a bell,” the man said. “I’m Yoongi. Do you need help?”
“Oh! Yes, I’m lost. I’m trying to look for the entrance?”
“Ah. I see. Well, you wouldn’t be the first one,” he chuckled. “Follow me and I’ll show you, little one.”