Archive of Our Own ^beta

It happens for the first time when Kiyoko is handing the customer his items, pale arm outstretched through the white uniform when small black marks start making their way up the length of her arm. The customer takes the plastic bag, pausing in surprise for a moment. Kiyoko hurriedly clasps her palm to the back of her wrist, sending an apologetic smile to the customer. When she removes her hand, she sees a spiral of flowers along swirling from her elbows to the tip of her middle finger. It's in black ink and obviously bleeding through the microscopic folds of skin.

The day has finally come

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Yachi regrets using this pen. It bleeds a little, but enough to blur the nice pattern she'd drawn. It's the third pen she's tried this week. Well, it started with her friends liking her drawings and drawing on each other's arms with adorable patterns and cute quotes, but she hasn't found a pen that could stay within its lines on skin. 

After all, she wants to give her first message in the prettiest way possible.

She is cancelling out number 11 off her list of pens to try, when neat, slightly calligraphic characters appear on her wrist. The ruler in her hand falls and hits the ground but she can't really care as she stares at the hello, nice to meet you appearing on her arm.

Why did I not start trying pens earlier? 

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Everyone has wondered about soulmates, over-romanticising everything. Kiyoko doesn't engage in those conversations with her friends. It'll only get your hopes up, anyway, she thinks, as they giggle and tease. They spend years, ever since puberty hit, to plan out and fantasize about their first messages. They wonder and daydream about their other halves, yearning for nothing else but to meet them. What's the purpose of thinking so much if reality always crashes your dreams and pulls you from the false reality that you create and not want to leave? She doesn't say it out loud, of course. Her friends just assume that she's more mature than the rest, more realistic.

They just don't know that Kiyoko is afraid.

She is afraid of finding that boy whom she will be oh-so-disappointed by, and who she will disappoint. Everyone has crushes, often wishing that it is their handwriting that will appear on their own skin on some random day. Kiyoko doesn't. She doesn't have crushes on anyone, rather, any guy. She just can't, no matter how good-looking, charismatic, or funny the guy is. She looks at girls and catch herself wondering how their chapstick would taste, how their hair would feel between her fingers. She stares at hiked skirts and exposed skin, and she knows that she can't ever feel this way for boys.

Which is exactly why her heart is pounding hard right now. Would a boy draw flowers down his arm? Could it even be that her soulmate was a girl? She grabs a ballpoint pen and hastily scribbles on her wrist.

Nothing happens for five minutes.

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For five minutes Yachi is stunned before she grabs the nearest pen available.

Hi! Sorry to have kept you waiting! I'm so sorry you saw that doodle! I wasn't supposed to be using that pen. (I've been trying out pens for two years to find one that doesn't bleed, you know?) By the way what pen are you using? It looks like a ballpoint pen. Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I must be ruining your hand right now! Am I inconveniencing you by anyway? Oh wait, I just wrote some more stuff! I'm so, so sorry! Okay I'll stop now!

Blue characters appear in a neat line after hers within seconds.

Are you a boy or a girl?

Huh, that's a weird question.

I'm a girl, you? 

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Kiyoko's heart flutters for a bit. But before she can reply, a customer is making his way to the cashier. 

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There is no answer to her question, so Yachi packs up her bag and leave school. After all, it was getting dark and Yachi hated the dark. Long shadows are forming and she thinks she can hear footsteps behind her. She doesn't dare turn around, but when she quickens her pace, they hurry behind her. Am I going to die on the day I finally talk to my soulmate? She's afraid of slowing down, but she can't increase her pace anymore. There is a convenience store around the corner and she decides to go off course for a bit to rest and call her mother.

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Kiyoko doesn't dare to reply. What if she didn't like girls? Now Kiyoko would be the disappointment. She'll reply later. It's alright, she's busy now. 

A short blonde girl enters the store, seeming strangely frantic. Kiyoko watches as the girl ducks into the aisles in the middle of the store and squats down to open her bag to pull out her phone. She dials someone, biting on her thumb, brows knitting tighter and tighter until she puts it down and redials. After a few minutes, it's apparent that whoever she's calling isn't picking up. Kiyoko isn't sure but she can see the fluorescent lights reflecting off her eyes, and they were getting a bit red. 

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Why wasn't her mum picking up? Did she have a meeting today? Yachi can't stop shaking, as she scrolls through her contacts. All of her friends live too far away and surely no one could come save her from the man outside. She doesn't dare to look but she assumes he'd still be there. She sees the black markings on her arm and an idea comes to her. It's probably the only option she's got left. 

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Help. 

It appears on the back of Kiyoko's hand, as Kiyoko sees the girl take out a pen to write on her skin. She must be writing to her soulmate.

When Kiyoko looks down to tidy the counter, she sees the word and something in her clicks.

Can you come to XX convenience store now? Are you in the area? Please, help me. It says.

Kiyoko grabs the pen and scribbles. 

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