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Baekhyun had absolutely no intention of buying anything that day. He was just there for the vibes on a lazy afternoon stroll through a flea market, overpriced vintage vinyls, and the sweet smell of roasted chestnuts in the air. That was all.
Then he saw them: a pair of a mix of black and silver bracelets sitting in a dusty wooden box marked "For Lovers (Or Fools)".
That should’ve been his first warning. But Baekhyun, being both romantic and a menace, thought: How funny would it be to prank Kyungsoo with these?
The vendor— a hunched elderly woman with twinkly eyes and exactly three teeth, watched him with unsettling delight as he paid, “They’re cursed, you know,” she said with a smile showing her three teeth.
Baekhyun laughed. “So is my sense of humor.” He then wink.
That same evening, he caught Kyungsoo after he just got back from classes and handed him the bracelet.
“For you,” Baekhyun said, dramatically clasping the silver band around Kyungsoo’s wrist. “To commemorate our eternal best, bestest friend bond.”
Kyungsoo blinked at him, “Is this a dare or?”
“Neither,” Baekhyun grinned. “It’s just a normal couple friendship bracelet with a little twist of joke.” Baekhyun said, eyes twinkling with unspoken mischief.
Kyungsoo grunted but didn’t take it off. Baekhyun slipped on the matching one on him, “Look at us. Disgustingly cute with this couple friendship bracelets.”
To their better judgement, the curse took hold almost immediately.
Baekhyun woke up the next morning with a strange hollowness in his chest. Not his own. He realize then it's Kyungsoo’s. He blinked at the ceiling, then turned dramatically onto his side with the biggest shit eating grin.
“Oh my god,” he whispered into his pillow. “It works.”
Ten minutes later, his phone buzzed.
Kyungsoo [7:26am]:
What did you do!?
I can feel things that are obviously not mine.
Baekhyun [7:26am]:
LMAO
It’s the bracelets, Soo.
Was told cursed, apparently ┐( ∵ )┌
Kyungsoo [7:30am]:
I hate you.
Baekhyun [7:30am]:
U love me and I will know the truth exactly sooner or later (｡・//ε//・｡)
The next few days were chaotic for Kyungsoo.
He was so used to controlling his emotions, he didn’t do public displays. Never. He didn’t even react to teasing. He especially didn’t cry watching movies.
Baekhyun, on the other hand, was an ocean.
A dramatic, unpredictable emotional whirlwind with no filter. And Kyungsoo? He had to feel every bits of it all.
The first time it happened, Kyungsoo thought he was dying.
He was at the gym when it hit— an overwhelming swell of sadness in his chest. His throat tightened. His vision blurred. His chest physically ached. He staggered off the treadmill, gripping the treadmill handles.
Then his phone pinged.
Baekhyun [2:04pm]:
Just saw that shampoo ad where the girl cuts her hair and her mom braids it into a wig for her little sister :ﾟ(;´∩`;)ﾟ:｡
Kyungsooooooooooo
I'm unwell
I'm sobbing (｡ﾉω＼｡)
The sisters had matching bangs at the end (༎ຶ ෴ ༎ຶ)
Why do they do this to me ಥ╭╮ಥ WHYYYYY (-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩___-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩)
Kyungsoo nearly dropped his phone.
“What the actual fuc —”
He texted back with shaking fingers:
Kyungsoo [2:05pm]:
are you crying over a shampoo commercial?
Baekhyun [2:06pm]:
IT HAD A STORYLINE, KYUNGSOO!!!
THEY WERE SISTERS ( T_T)＼(T_T )
Unfortunately for Kyungsoo, that was only the beginning of it.
By day three, Kyungsoo had experienced:
•Joy was so intense he almost wept because Baekhyun found socks with little blushing toast faces on them.
•Existential dread at 3am because Baekhyun saw a Twitter thread about aging.
•The fluttery, high-speed heartbeat Baekhyun got every time he stood close to Kyungsoo in the kitchen and pretended it was casual.
Kyungsoo was honestly at the brink of losing his mind.
“You’re so dramatic,” he groaned one night, holding his chest.
Baekhyun sniffled from the couch. “Why do they make shampoo commercials like that?! It’s unfair! It's criminal!” Baekhyun screams.
Kyungsoo groan. “Baekhyun. You’re the criminal for putting this on me.” Kyungsoo said as he shove the hands he has that bracelet on right in Baekhyun's face.
Baekhyun wiped his nose and muttered, “It’s not like I want to fall apart watching conditioner ads.” Baekhyun mutters quietly, but Kyungsoo still hears it anyway.
“But you do! Daily!” Kyungsoo groans.
Baekhyun paused. “Wait. Do you feel… that?" Baekhyun asked, a little panic, and maybe a little treading. "What I meant is like, did you feel everything?”
Kyungsoo turned slightly red.
Baekhyun narrowed his eyes, shocked, embarrassed but also smug. “Even when I think about your hands while I’m washing dishes?”
Kyungsoo's face twitched. “God please don’t start.”
“Even when I imagine kissing your jawline while you’re talking?”
“Baekhyun—”
“Even when I’m sad you’re not looking at me, so I pick fights just to make you feel something back? Just to have you look at me?”
Silence...
“Oh lord,” Kyungsoo muttered as he palm his eyes with both hands.
“Oh my God,” Baekhyun whispered, eyes wide. Hands immediately close his mouth in surprise.
“You did know… You felt all of it.” He continued.
“I did,” Kyungsoo groans. “And I’m still feeling it.”
The air turned heavy.
Baekhyun swallowed. “Then why haven’t you said something? Or— or just anything?”
Kyungsoo finally turned to face him. “Because it’s terrifying. I feel everything you feel—and it’s loud and messy and overwhelming. But it’s real. It's your feelings that I felt.”
Baekhyun blinked.
Kyungsoo looked tired, even so, he continued to say, “Baek, I felt your emotional breakdown over me handing you the wrong mug this morning.”
Baekhyun blush crimson. “It was the dog mug, Kyungsoo. You know that one means something.”
Kyungsoo just sigh as he rubs his temple.
Baekhyun hesitated. “You could have just taken it off, you know.” He said a little later.
“I tried,” Kyungsoo sighs. “But unfortunately I couldn’t. And even if I could, I didn’t want to miss anything — even the dumb stuff. And that includes the dumb shampoo commercial tears.”
Baekhyun stares, then a smile creeps into his face, “You’re obsessed with me,” he finally said, softly. “Oh, you are so incredibly obsessed with me.” He said again, like taunting kind of way.
Kyungsoo smile faintly, “You would wish that wouldn't you.”
Baekhyun leaned into him, heart pounding, the bracelets glowing faintly silver between them, not like either of them notice it.
“Well,” he whispered, “get ready for more commercials then.”