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For everyone in Seoul, or anywhere else in the world, for that matter, it’s normal to walk down the busy streets and see an elderly man with a sparrow perched on his shoulder, a young woman sitting at a café with a fox curled around her feet, or a child with a bear-cub playing on the playground. It‘s normal to talk to a shop owner while a stag is curled together on the floor behind the counter, or to pass by a man whose panther walks silently by his side, tail flickering at anyone who stares too long.
Soul animals are everywhere. They are a part of everyday life, so wherever one isn’t hovering nearby, the world almost feels empty. Everyone can see them, admire them, fear them, or envy them. But only one person can touch them or speak to them, hear their voice in a secret language that is unique to every animal.
Your soul animal is yours alone. It's your heart, it's your soul, and it's your very own being.
Every animal is a reflection of their own human: a dog for someone loyal, a songbird for dreamers, a mouse for someone gentle and quiet. Sometimes they contrast and rival their humans completely; a shy poet with a snarling wolf, or a happy-go-lucky person with a black cat.
Whatever the pairing, soul animals react to the world before their humans do. You can lie to the people around you, but your soul animal will know even before the lie leaves your lips. They are just as much a part of you as you are of them. So, as they can feel your every feeling, you can feel theirs. They feel sadness, they feel scared, they feel kindness, they feel love. And, especially, when love is near, only two words may echo.
Soulmate resonance.
For some, it’s a myth, for others, it's superstition. But everyone has claimed to know someone who has seen it happen or experienced it themself. But to put it simply, it is said to happen when two soul animals meet for the first time, eyes locked, and something within them would recognise it immediately. It is also said to be different each time, how the soul animal reacts depending on their unique personality, just like humans. And their humans are said to feel a deep, warm tug within their chest.
But people with supposed soulmates rarely talk about their experiences, keeping the details to themself. Very few people even claim to have met their soulmate, and many people lie about the experiences for clout and their 15 seconds of fame.
Soulmate resonance is rare enough that many people live their whole lives without ever witnessing it, let alone experiencing it themselves. Most soul animals never react strongly enough when love happens for it to be soulmate resonance. Most stay politely curious, or mildly indifferent, or some even openly unimpressed.
But one thing some people who have supposedly experienced the soulmate resonance say is that when the bond is fully formed, your soulmate can hear, touch, and speak to your soul animal, something entirely unheard of.
Soul animals can not be touched or heard by anyone but their human.
Both Minho and Jisung know this is common knowledge. But what they don’t know is that one fated moment is about to change their whole perspective on what soulmate resonance means to them.
✨🐇🐿️✨
Minho’s morning always seems to start the same way: early, not so quiet, and Bunny standing above him, yelling in his ear to get up.
“Wake up!” the little white bunny screams, his face right beside Minho’s head. “Minho! Lee Minho! You’re gonna be late again.”
“That was one time. I’m not going to be late,” Minho mutters into his pillow. “Go away.”
“If you don’t wake now, you don’t wanna know what I’m gonna do,” Bunny says warningly.
Minho opens one eye, looking at Bunny out of the corner of his eye. Bunny is standing on the pillow at Minho’s side, his form small, round, and glowing faintly like moonlight in his fur. His ears are twitching, his nose scrunching, and his little paw tapping lightly, barely containing his energy. He always has too much energy in the morning for Minho’s likeness.
Minho groans, turning his head into his pillow again. He mumbles as he says, “What are you going to do? Jump on me?”
“Don’t tempt me,” Bunny says warningly, but his tone is still sweet as always. “But, wake up, Min. You’re gonna be late.”
Minho rolls his eyes behind his closed eyes. “Why do you even care? You’re not the one going to university.”
“I do, emotionally,” Bunny declares. “I’m mentally invested.”
Minho snorts, but nonetheless, he turns onto his back and bunny hops onto his chest. The bunny is warm and soft, as Minho runs a hand through his fur. This is the only thing Minho would ever admit to enjoying in the morning: Bunny curling close, his tiny heartbeat thumbing away, a ball full of fluff.
“For someone who says they are mentally invested,” Minho says, “you really don’t seem to know the concept of sleep.”
“I fully understand the importance,” Bunny replies. “You’re just using it as a coping mechanism.”
“And there it is,” Minho sighs. “The morning lecture.”
Bunny unwills from his position on Minho’s chest, its paws stamping again. “Mihno, I’m only saying this because I care, and can feel your emotions, but you’re lonely.”
“I’m not lonely, I’m busy. There is a difference.” Minho sits up, placing Bunny on his lap instead. He reaches for his glasses on the bedside table and puts them on.
“You’re lonely,” Bunny insists, stamping a little harder. “And busy. They are not mutually exclusive.”
Minho doesn’t answer. He doesn’t have to. Bunny already knows the truth as well as he does. Between dance classes, normal lectures, and a part-time barista job, Minho doesn’t exactly have room for anything, or anyone, else.
People used to ask why he never dated, and Minho always says he’s focusing on his career. But the reality is much simpler, and a bit sadder.
He simply does not think it is going to happen for him.
Meeting your soulmate is rare, and only a few people are said to ever experience it. Minho has seen how his friends’ soul animals have reacted to crushes, strangers, or potential partners. They flicker their tail or flutter their wings. Minho has had crushes before, but Bunny has never reacted the same way as the other soul animals.
“Maybe I’m just not meant to have one,” Minho mutters to himself, but he knows Bunny can hear him. He can understand him better than anyone else.
“Don't say that! You know that’s not true,” Bunny replies, his voice much gentler now. “Whether it's a soulmate or a normal partner, they don’t show up on a schedule. They never show up when you expect them to. They just… appear.”
Minho pushes Bunny to the side, off of him, and gets out of bed. If he doesn’t get a move on, he will definitely be late. He walks towards his closet in his one-room apartment, reaching for the clothes he hung up the night before to make his morning easier. As he takes on his clothes, he thinks of what Bunny said. Maybe his soulmate will just… appear. Minho highly doubt it, though.
As he turns to go get a banana from his fruit basket, a nutritious breakfast, he responds to Bunny, “If that ever happens, I will also wake up the next day with a fox soul animal instead.” He shrugs on his backpack, packed and ready for the day. “I’m not waiting for something that probably isn’t even real.”
“It is real,” Bunny says, jumping up on the counter by the door, where Minho’s keys are placed.
Minho rolls his eyes at Bunny, reaching for his keys. “Let’s just go. I have a class at eight, and then a shift right after, where at least two customers will think I’m deliberately ruining their day because we don’t have any more oat milk left.”
“Now you’re just deflecting.”
“I’m being realistic, Bunny.”
Bunny sighs dramatically, which is impressive because he is a literal bunny-shaped soul. “One day, you’re gonna meet someone who will change your mind.”
Minho opens his backpack a bit, hinting at Bunny to jump in. “Sure, and maybe today is the day.”
Bunny perks up instantly. “Really?”
“No,” Minho says in a flat tone.
Bunny sinks in on himself, a disapproving look on his bunny face. He jumps into Minho’s backpack, his head sticking out of the top as if he’s a dog. Minho opens his door and steps out, closing and locking it behind him, before he gets going towards his university.
✨🐇🐿️✨
Jisung wakes up face down in his notebook. He is currently in one of the university’s recording studios, surprised that no one has kicked him out yet. If the watch on his wrist is accurate, it’s 11 in the morning, and Jsiung has spent the whole night writing for his lyricism class.
As he wakes, he is met with a row of three acorns placed on the table in front of him. He knows who has put them there, but he doesn’t know how they got them here.
“Squirrel,” Jisung says into the paper, voice muffled. “Why…”
“Because you’ve been working hard,” the small rodent replies from somewhere in the room. “And you deserve a present!”
Jisung pushes himself upright, and the acorns rock back and forth from the momentum of Jisung pushing off the table. Squirrel jumps onto the table, moving to stabilise the acorns, so they don't fall; his tail flickers in a bit of annoyance.
“Squirrel, it’s too early for this,” Jisung groans.
“It’s a quarter past 11 in the morning?” Squirrel says in genuine confusion. He lets go of the acorns and moves to sit in front of Jisung. “And, by the way, you were mumbling about soulmates again in your sleep.”
Jisung feels like dying. “Oh God, what did I say?” he asks in horror.
“You talked about how you hoped that they would like your music. And that they don’t mind that you like to sleep long. And that you hope they are really cute.”
Jisung slaps a hand over his face. “I absolutely did not say that.”
“You sure did. I even wrote it down,” Squirrel grins, pointing to one of the open notebooks beside Jisung. Jisung looks, and on the pages of a red notebook, there are scribbles and lines from a pencil that lies beside it. Nothing readable and clearly done by someone who doesn’t know what the alphabet is.
Jisung sighs. He loves having Squirrel by his side, having a constant companion that will stay with him for the rest of his life, but sometimes it's like living with a furry, glowing embodiment of chaos. I would never wish for Squirrel to go away, but something he wishes he were a little… less.
As Jisung goes to pack his backpack, thinking he definitely needs to go home and get a shower and some food before meeting with the guys later, Squirrel scatters onto his shoulder, holding on to his hair, which is slightly painful.
“Today is going to be a good day. I can feel it,” Squirrel says, holding onto Jisung a little tighter as Jisung stand up and swings his backpack over his other shoulder.
“You said the same thing yesterday.”
“And I was right! We found that great coffee shop with actual good matcha,” Squirrel argues.
“Only because that one girl from class recommended it. That doesn’t make it destiny,” Jisung grins, opening the door to the studio and walking out. The music department of the university is heavily underfunded, like all arts programs, so the other few studio in the same hall is already occupied.
“It was matcha, Jisung. Good matcha.”
Jisung laughs, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he pulls his headphones out of his pocket, the cords fully tangled, and Jisung doesn’t feel like untangling them. No music for him right now, he thinks.
“But you know what destiny is? Soulmates,” Squirrel says, way too excited. Jisung is happy that no one else can understand his soul animal right now.
“I just… don’t want to be weird when I meet them,” Jisung responds, walking out onto the street, heading towards home. “What if I don’t realise it’s them? What if you react, and I’m too occupied with, I don't know, looking at a butterfly or something?”
“First of all,” Squirrel states, “butterflies are very pretty and distracting, so, understandable.” Squirrel deliberately pulls on Jisung’s hair. “Second of all, you won’t miss it.”
“You don’t know that,” Jisung mutters.
“I do! Soulmate resonance is so obvious! I’ll basically implode,” Squirrel says rather dramatically.
“Please don't implode.”
“Not physically, idiot. Emotionally,” Squirrel clarifies. “Metaphorically implode. Like a star! Boom!”
“I don’t think things that implode go ‘Boom!’” Jisung says, lifting an eyebrow in Squirrel’s direction.
“My star does!”
Jisung rolls his eyes at the rodent. “You’re not helping.”
Jisung can feel Squirrel’s tail swishing back and forth over his ear. “Listen. When you meet your soulmate, I will know. And I’ll make sure you know too. I will scream if I have to.”
“You always scream,” Jisung says.
This time, Squirrel pulls his hair tightly, making Jisung mutter a quiet “Ow.”
“This will be a special scream, I promise you, you will know.”
Jisung bites back a smile, walking down the street, watching everyone else with their soul animal. Jisung has always dreamed of meeting his soulmate, the thought of having someone to be you better half. Your soul animal is a great addition, but Jisung dreams of real love. He wants to see his Squirrel run into the arms of someone else’s soul animal; he wants to experience the feeling that comes with that.
But he also knows himself. He is a scatterbrained, introverted, easily overwhelmed person with social anxiety. What if he misses his moment, and he can't ever get that back? What if his soulmate does not want him? What if everything slips between his fingers?
He knows that Squirrel can feel his emotions, so it isn’t surprising when he places a small paw on Jisung’s cheek. “You’ll find them,” he says softly.
Jsiugn nods, but the worry still lingers.
✨🐇🐿️✨
The afternoon time at The Thunderous Café is the only time Minho doesn’t mind noise. The espresso machine is hissing, students are chattering, and his co-workers are shouting over the clinking of cups. It's chaotic, but predictable. And Minho likes predictability.
Bunny is lying in his designated area of the counter, his paws tucked beneath his body like a polite little loaf. He is technically not supposed to be on the counter, but no one can touch him anyway, so Minho doesn’t see the point in making him move.
Minho drew the short end of the stick when he arrived at work and got the cashier job. Now he has to interact with customers for his whole shift; smiling politely, apologising when the coffee isn’t hot enough, or the milk is steamed incorrectly.
The café isn’t too busy currently, giving Minho a short break in between having to deal with customers.
“Today feels special,” Buddy says, throwing Minho a bit off guard. The little bunny hasn’t said anything while Minho has been working.
“What makes you say that?” Minho asks.
Bunny twitches his nose af if he is smelling the air. “I can just feel it.”
Minho rolls his eyes at his soul animal. “If you say so.”
The bell above the door jingles, and a few people walk in. One is a mother and her smaller child, followed by an elderly lady and a young man who is holding the door open for the woman. Gentleman, Minho thinks, as he watches their interaction. He’s a sucker for a gentle soul.
As he watches the young man, a guy with slightly curled, dark brown hair, the sweetest eyes, and such a pretty smile, Minho doesn’t notice how Bunny freezes, his ears standing straight up.
“Minho! Minho!” Bunny whispers and shouts at the same time, getting Minho’s attention.
“What?” Mihno asks half-interested, too occupied with watching the gorgeous man still politely talking to the old lady.
“I don’t know, but… something! Something big!”
Minho doesn’t get to respond before the pretty man walks up to the cashier, right in front of Minho. His hoodie is half-zipped, his hair fluffy as if he has run his hand through it multiple times, and his eyes are bright and soft.
This is possibly the most beautiful man he has ever seen, Minho thinks.
The man, that Minho really wants to know the name of, pulls out his wallet with all the grace of someone who is trying to juggle too many thoughts at once.
“Hi,” the man stutters. “One iced matcha latte, please.”
He sounds out of breath, like he has just been running, clearly nervous with the way he is playing with his card.
Minho punches in the order. “Name for the cup?”
“Jisung.”
A pretty name for a pretty man, Minho thinks.
As Minho takes a cup and writes the name and order on it, he sees out of his eye how Bunny is basically vibrating.
Minho frowns. What is wrong with you? he wants to ask his soul animal.
“The total is 13.600 won,” Minho says instead.
Jisung smiles at Minho and gives him a nod, and a small, almost soundless “thank you” before going to wait for his drink to be made.
Minho takes a second look at Bunny, watching him, watching the cute man. Maybe he’s just as captivated by Jisung as Minho is. Shaking the thought off, he goes to his co-worker, Jeongin.
“I’ll make this drink,” Minho says, fanning the cup in his hand in front of the younger man.
“Aren’t you on cashier duties, hyung?” Jeongin asks, looking up from his phone, that he definitely should not be on in front of the customers.
“Yes, but you’ll see the next customers while I make this drink,” Minho says matter-of-factly. Jeongin raises his eyebrow at his tone.
“There’s a cute guy, isn't there, hyung?” Jeongin grins after a few seconds, as if he is connecting the imaginary dots.
“Just take care of the cashier, Ayen-ah.”
Jeongin makes a salut with his hand, but keeps the smug smile on his face.
Minho starts making the drink, keeping an eye out for Jisung. He is standing by the handout area, playing with his phone, pretending not to look up at Minho from time to time, but Minho catches his eye a few times. Jisung’s face goes red as he looks away the second their eyes meet. Minho can’t help but smile.
As the drink is made, Minho goes to the handout counter and calls Jisung’s name. The man looks up from his phone and fumbles with putting it away. He comes closer, and Minho hands Jisung his matcha.
Jisung reaches out for the drink, steps on absolutely nothing, and the entire cup of matcha launches itself down the front of Minho’s shirt and apron.
The liquid hits him cold, green, and humiliating.
“Oh shit! Oh no, oh no, no, no, no,” Jisung gasps, hand flailing in the air. “I’m so sorry, I’m so friking sorry! I swear I’m usually like this… Okay, that's not true, I’m not usually coordinated, but I promise you this is a new low…”
Minho should have been annoyed. Or embarrassed. But he isn’t. Because when Jisung looks up, his eyes wide and horrified, they lock eyes for real this time. Neither looking away.
And something in Minho’s chest warms, and his heartbeat picks up.
The feeling is warm and unexpected, but it’s the best feeling he has ever had.
And the second, they are just looking at each other, another chaos ensues.
Bunny has made his way over to the handout counter without Minho seeing him, and he launches off the counter towards Jisung.
“Hey!” Minho tries to grab him, but he is a second too late to notice him. Bunny sails through the air towards Jisung, or so Minho thinks. But as Bunny reaches the other man, Minho sees that the bunny soul is not reaching for Jisung, but a brown creature sitting on Jisung’s shoulder that Minho hasn’t seen before now.
The little brown squirrel squeaks so excitedly that it sounds like a cartoon character. Jisung’s soul animal.
The two souls intertwine and fall off Jisung’s shoulder, landing on the ground by his feet. The squirrel is happily chirping away, while Bunny lets out a few too many excited ‘hi!’s.
Minho stares. Bunny has never acted like that before. Never been that excited. Never said hi to Minho like that.
Minho doesn’t understand what the squirrel soul is saying, but clearly, Bunny does.
Minho can’t keep his gaze from Bunny and the squirrel at Jisung’s feet. They are happily talking to each other.
“Bunny… what the hell?” Minho asks, his jaw dropping.
Bunny either ignores him or doesn’t hear him. He is too busy circling the squirrel in a cute, small hop-dance of delight.
Jisung blinks at the two souls, looking between them and Minho. Minho looks up at him.
“Um,” Jisung says, his face flushed a bit. “Sorry about the matcha… and, apparently, Squirrel losing his mind?”
“Well… your soul animal isn’t the only one acting insane,” Minho says weakly. “Mine is too.”
As Minho is looking at Jisung, he hears Bunny say something quickly and breathlessly that suspiciously sounds like “I found him! I found him!”
Minho’s stomach flips. Is it possible? I can't be, right?
He has never seen Bunny react to anyone like this before. Not once. Not ever.
Minho’s eyes widen as he looks at Jisung, the possible realisation coming to him. Soulmates?
Jisung doesn’t seem to have connected the dots yet by his pure look, still confused as to why his soul animal is reacting like he is. That is what Minho thinks, until Jisung asks, “so… uh… do you, maybe, want to hang out sometime? I mean, since our souls are… vibing?”
Minho should say no. This isn’t him. He doesn’t jump into situations. He keeps to his schedule. He doesn’t believe in soulmates. But yet, he finds himself hesitating.
He looks at Bunny, at how happy he is. Bunny looks at him too and says happily, “Say yes! Please, please, please!”
“I… guess,” Minho says before he can do anything else. The pure, excited look on Bunny’s face when he says the words is the second-best thing he has felt all day. “I mean, yeah, sure.”
Jisung’s face lights up beautifully. His squirrel squeaks, and Bunny makes a sound that Minho can only describe as a delighted shriek.
“I’m Minho, by the way,” he says to Jisung, who looks back at him with a gummy smile. “And that is Bunny.”
“Nice to meet you, Minho. And Bunny.”
✨🐇🐿️✨
Jisung can’t believe that he has just drenched the cute barista in matcha.
What he really can’t believe is that the cute barista, Minho, has agreed to go get coffee with him after doing that.
“Seriously,” Jisung says for the hundredth time as they make their way out of The Thounderus Café. “I’m so sorry. I swear I’m not that clumsy.”
When Minho agreed on going to go get a coffee with him as an apology, they had agreed on the day after, when Minho had a short shift, and they could go after. So, here Jisung is, walking out of the café with the cute barista by his side. Squirrel hasn’t stopped talking about Bunny since they met, and Jisung wasn’t any better about Minho.
Minho raises one eyebrow. “You sure about that? You literally tripped on air, Jisung.”
“Okay, I am usually clumsy, but that doesn’t usually involve other people! You’re like… a special occasion,” Jisung jokes.
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” Minho says, but his tone is light and joking.
This still makes Jisung groan into his hands.
Bunny is sitting in Minho’s backpack while Squirrel is perched on Jisung’s shoulder. They are also happily talking to each other. While Jisung can only understand Squirrel, he can hear the happy sounds coming from Bunny.
Squirrel turns to Jisung and says, “this is going great!” Jisung smiles at the happy tone of the squirrel.
Minho glances at the soul animal on Jisung’s shoulder. “He seems… energetic.”
“That is one word for it,” Jisung mutters. But he can’t stop the happy smile that forms on his lips as he listens to Squirrel and Bunny’s happy sounds.
They walk down a few streets looking for a café that isn’t Minho’s workplace. They talk about everything and nothing. One thing they talk excitedly about is the names of their soul animals.
“You also just call your soul animal for what they are?” Minho asks.
“Yeah, always have. My mom says that the first word I said wasn’t mom or dad, but squirrel. And whenever I would refer to Squirrel, I would just say that, so that name just stuck, I guess.” Jisung laughs at the memory.
“That’s… cute,” Minho says quietly, smiling at Jisung's story. “I didn’t give Bunny a name because I thought it would be funnier to just refer to him as Bunny. My friends always say I'm weird for that,” Minho explains.
“Well, if that's weird, then I’m weird, too.”
Minho smiles, and Jisung sees the blush creep up his cheeks as he says, “I guess we can just be weird together.”
Jisung smiles. “Yes, I guess we can.”
After half an hour of walking, they finally decide on a café. Jisung remembered it as one of the good places for café latte and pastries. It's a little more hidden than The Thounderous Café, so it’s also quieter. It has warm, soft lighting and is filled with hanging plants and dark wooden decorations.
They go to order their food and drinks; Jisung gets an iced americano and a piece of cheesecake, while Minho gets a warm café latte and a danish pastry.
They take a seat at a small table by the window.
Jisung picks at the cheesecake, taking a small bite. “So, you dance?” Jisung asks as he remembers Minho mentioning that he had a dance class at university later that evening.
Minho nods. “Yeah, I major in it.”
“That’s so cool. I tried dancing once. Like, if Just Dance counts? I got a good amount of perfects.”
Minho laughs, a little too loudly. Jisung thinks he has a great laugh.
Squirrel is sitting on the table beside Bunny, talking to each other. Squirrel has basically been screaming at him since they met Minho and Bunny, “we found him! He is the one!” Now he is screaming at him, “why aren’t you taking his hand?”
Jisung can’t stop the laugh that falls from his lips.
Meanwhile, Bunny tumps onto the table, making Minho flick his gaze down to the bunny in surprise.
“He likes your laugh,” Minho says quietly.
Jisung blinks. “He does?”
Bunny stumps again.
“Oh,” Jisung says, shyly, as if he understands what Bunny is trying to say.
That makes Minho smile. It's gentle and warm, making something funny run through Jisung’s body. At the same time, Squirrel pretends to swoon and faint, flopping down on the table.
“Minho startles. “Is he okay?”
“I don’t think he ever is,” Jisung says. “But, yes.”
Squirrel sits back up, turning to Jisung. “He’s so pretty! What the fuck!”
“Stop talking like that,” Jisung reprimands Squirrel.
Minho snorts. “Do you always talk to him like that?”
“Only when he deserves it.”
“How often is that?” Minho laughs.
“All. The. Time.”
The conversation between them continues nicely. It scares Jisung a bit how natural their conversations flow, and he hasn’t felt this comfortable with someone he has known the name of for less than 24 hours, and talked to for less than a couple of hours in total. He knows he shouldn’t want to keep the soft smile on Minho’s face. He shouldn’t feel Squirrel vibrate with that much excitement.
He shouldn’t feel like this is so right.
But he does.
As their conversation continues, he learns a few things about Minho:
He hates mornings. Something they have in common.
He loves cooking.
He pretends like he doesn’t care about things, but his eyes always betray him.
Jisung also talks about himself:
He tells Minho about how he loves to write and produce music.
How he talks too fast when he is excited.
How he has a passion for everything sweet.
How, sometimes, anxiety is like a second soul animal.
The whole time while they are talking, Bunny and Squirrel are sitting on the table, mirroring each other's movements. Is a flicker of a tail here, and a tilt of the head there. Their movements synchronised. Jisung doesn’t miss it.
It’s eerie. It's adorable. It’s… telling.
While Minho goes to the bathroom for a few minutes, Jisung leans in to whisper to Squirrel. “Buddy, is this…?”
“Yes!” Squirrel instantly says before Jisung can finish his sentence. “A thousand times, yes! This is him! This is them!”
Shit.
When Minho comes back, Squirrel is chipping happily and excitedly. “Everything okay?”
“Yep!” Jisung squeaks, not expecting Minho back. “Just… Squirrel stuff.”
Minho nods slowly like he understands. Maybe he does.
The air between them pulses with something warm and unsaid, maybe a little frightening.
Jisung knows he feels it. And he thinks Minho feels it too.
But neither of them says anything, and it hangs in the air between them.
Soulmates.
Jisung doesn’t dare voice it out loud. Not yet, at least.
✨🐇🐿️✨
Two weeks.
That is how long it takes for Jiung to become a fixture in Mihno’s life. Fitting in like a puzzle piece, he didn’t know he was missing. They fall into a laughter-filled rhythm: late-night coffees, shared playlists, and casual brushing of fingers that feel like something electric.
Too electric, Minho thinks as he is sitting on his couch one late evening after Jisung has just left.
Because this kind of closeness wasn’t supposed to happen so fast. And it scares him.
He never intended for it to become as familiar as breathing. He never meant for it to become this normal to be with Jisung. So right.
And that is exactly why Minho panics and does what he does next.
It happens on a Tuesday night. They are walking home from a restaurant they both really wanted to try. Jisung is talking excitedly about a new melody and lyrics he made the night before, together with his friends. Squirrel is chattering something along with Jisung, which Minho doesn’t understand. Bunny is a bit more subdued, understanding what Minho is about to do.
Jisung nudges him. “Hey, you okay? You’re quieter than usual. Am I talking too much?”
Minho just shrugs. “I’m just tired.”
“You’ve been more tired lately,” Jisung laughs quietly. “It's me, right? I’m talking too much, right? I’ll talk less…”
Minho cuts in. “No, it’s not that.”
“Oh, okay,” Jisung says, clearly understanding something is wrong. “Then what is it?”
“I just… think we should slow down a bit,” Minho answers.
Jisung blinks. “Slow down?”
“Yeah. This, all of it, is moving a bit fast,” Minho says, keeping his gaze forward. “Maybe too fast.”
Something in Jisung’s expression crumples, just a little, and that is enough for Minho to feel his inside break.
“Oh,” he says, again, much quieter this time. “Okay.”
Bunny buries his body further into his backpack, showing his clear disagreement with what Mihno is doing. His feelings are pure outrage.
Squirrel makes a tiny wounded noise and vanishes out of Minho’s sight and into the kangaroo pouch on Jisung’s jumper.
The silence that follows is thick and uncomfortable. Wrong. So wrong.
They don't talk for the rest of the way until they part ways at the train station. Muttering a small goodbye to each other.
When Minho reaches his home, Bunny explodes.
“You absolute fool!”
Minho drops his bag on the ground and moves towards his bed. “Not now.”
“Why did you push him away?” Bunny asks as he hops after Minho.
“I didn’t push him away. I just said it was moving too fast.”
“You’re just scared,” Bunny snaps, bouncing angrily. “You’re a coward.”
“Wow, thanks. Always know I have you to have my back,” Minho says sarcastically.
Bunny hops onto the bed, as Minho falls onto it, face-first. “Minho, you felt it, too. I know you did. Still do.”
Minho doesn’t look at Bunny.
“He made you happy. You’ve smiled more in the last two weeks than in the last two years,” Bunny says, voice now soft and somewhat understanding.
“That is exactly the problem,” Minho mutters.
“Why would that be the problem? Your happiness is a problem?”
“Yes,” Minho says into his pillow, “because happiness ends.”
“Oh,” Bunny says, and Minho knows his expression is heartbreakingly tender.
Minho sinks further into the bed, turning to look at Bunny. “ You know I don’t… do soulmates. Or whatever this is.”
“You’re allowed to be loved, Minho.”
Minho swallows hard. “I’m not so sure.”
Bunny steps into his lap, nudging Minho’s cheeks with his head. “You pushing him away won’t stop this. It’ll only ruin it.”
“I just need some… time.”
Bunny sighs, long and soft, but defeated. “I hope you know what you're risking.”
Minho doesn’t answer. He already knows.
Days pass without a text or call from Jisung.
Minho doesn’t get to hear Jisung rambling about song ideas or see Squirrel pop out of nowhere to show Minho a shiny object he found.
Minho tells himself that it’s for the best. Both his chest and Bunny disagree.
He goes through his days with routines: dance classes, barista shifts, and coursework. The first couple of days, he checked his phone every ten minutes; now he tells himself that he doesn’t do that. He still does.
Bunny also grows restless, more moody, and less energetic. He doesn’t find cute remarks to throw back at Minho when I tease him, or wake him up in the morning with a happy face. Instead, he paces the apartment when they are home, staring at the door like he expects Squirrel to burst through any moment.
One night, when Minho is studying, Bunny jumps onto his lap and curls up. He whispers softly, “I miss him.”
Minho closes his eyes. “Me too.”
He knows what he did was not the right thing, but he is unsure how to right his wrongs, if Jisung would ever listen to him. And that scares him even more.
✨🐇🐿️✨
Jisung has been in a good mood all day.
It’s the kind of mood that makes Squirrel flicker his tail like a metronome. It’s the kind of mood that makes Jisung hum a love song while setting up the studio microphone, his cheeks warm from just the thought of Minho.
It has been two weeks so far.
He has only known Minho for 14 days, but it feels like a lifetime. He knows it isn’t long. That he probably shouldn't feel so… full. So safe. But everything with Minho is easy; their conversations flow like there is no tomorrow. But things like this don’t happen so easily for Jisung. It usually takes Jisung months to open up and feel comfortable with someone, but with Minho, it just feels natural.
Squirrel even told him this is something big, that Minho is someone special. And Jisung knows it. He can feel it in his chest. But he doesn’t dare to say it out loud. Not yet. He’s still trying not to be too hopeful too loudly.
As Jisung finishes setting up the microphone, Chan walks in, a bottle of water in his hand and a stack of paper and notebooks in the other. Chan’s soul animal is a large wolf that walks in behind him, heading straight to lie beside the couch. Jisung has always found Chan’s soul animal a little scary.
Squirrel is dragging a guitar pick across the floor when Chan walks in, which makes him laugh.
“You two seem lively today.”
Jisung grins. “Just a… good day, I guess.”
“Let me guess,” Chan teases as he puts down the thing in his hands on the table. “You’ve been hanging out with your barista guy again?”
“He’s not my… I mean, we’re just…” Jisung stutters, blushing instantly.
Chan holds up his hand in mock surprise. “Hey, no judgment. I think it’s really cute. I'm just surprised, connections like that are rare.”
“Rare?” Jisung questions, knowing that Minho being his possible soulmate is rare, but hearing it from Chan makes it seem impossible.
“You know, like… once-in-a-lifetime rare,” Chan says casually, leaning over the mixer. “Most people never get to experience anything close to that. You’re honestly lucky if you meet your soulmate, let alone date them.”
Squirrel freezes by the guitar, where he had dragged the pick to.
Chan keeps talking, oblivious to Jisung's inner turmoil that he has started. “I’m just saying, don’t get your hopes up too much. Sometimes chemistry is just confused with destiny.
Jisung tries to laugh it off weakly, but it has started a mean spiral of thoughts and doubt in his head. “Yeah, I’ll remember that, hyung.”
The mean spiral of thought in Jisung’s head runs on and on. What if he is confusing things? What if he is making something out of nothing? Maybe he just imagined things? Like the warmth that blossoms in his chest whenever Minho is near, or the way Bunny and Squirrel had practically vibrated with delight when they met. What if Minho is just being kind, rather than it being soul resonance?
Squirrel comes over to Jisung, pulling on his pants leg until Jisung takes him up and places him on his shoulder. Squirrel snuggles up to Jisung, playing a paw on his cheek.
“Don’t listen to Chan, he doesn’t know Minho like we do,” Squirrel tries to reassure Jisung. “Minho likes us.”
Jsiung tries to believe it, but the seed of doubt has already taken root.
As the day goes on, Jisung’s thoughts keep playing on a loop. He tries everything that he can to dig up the seed of doubt that has been planted, but the roots are too strong, and they are only reinforced by Minho later in the day.
As Minho and Jisung walk out of the restaurant, they both have been wanting to try. Minho has been quieter all dinner. His answers were short, and his smile never reached his eyes. Jisung tries to be the one talking, japing about every topic he can think of.
But when Minho doesn’t answer him for the 6th time since they left the restaurant, Jisung finally asks if he is okay. That is when Minho says he thinks they should slow down, that everything is moving too fast. And Jisung's heart breaks just a little more.
“Oh,” he says, trying to keep his expression together. “Okay.”
Squirrel doesn’t hold back his heartbreak either; he makes small, wounded noises that Jisung has never heard him do before, and crawls into Jisung’s kangaroo pouch, out of sight for Minho and Bunny.
Their walk to the train station is done in silence, and all Jisung wants to do is ask, “why, hyung? What did I do wrong?”
The upcoming days are awful for Jisung.
Life moves on like normal: homework, producing demos, and grabbing meals with Chan and Changbin between sessions. But without Minho, everything just feels muted for Jisung.
Jisung keeps checking his phone, hoping Minho would text or call him, tell him he’s sorry and that he didn’t mean it. That he still wants to see Jisung. But he never does.
Squirrel keeps sitting by the door when they are home, like he is expecting Bunny and Minho to walk through the door any minute. They never do.
Squirrel also keeps insisting that Minho still wants them, that he will come around sooner or later. Jisung pretends like nothing of what they did or said to each other ever mattered.
“Maybe he was never into me,” Jisung whispers to no one in particular one late night when he can’t sleep. His thoughts are running a thousand kilometres an hour. He is curled up on his bed with Squirrel pressed against his chest.
“Wrong,” Squirrel says immediately. “Have you seen the way that Bunny looks at me? That white ball of fur is in love.”
“Squirrel,” Jisung starts, but gets interrupted.
“And Minho cares about you, too. Have you seen how he smiles when he is with you?”
“He pushed me away.” Jisung sighs, pulling Squirrel a little closer.
“He’s just scared,” Squirrel says simply.
Jisung closes his eyes. “How do you know?”
“Because Bunny once told me,” Squirrel says, snuggling more into Jisung. “He said that Minho doesn’t think he deserves nice things.”
“Oh,” Jisung says, his heart clenching.
“I told you, he cares,” Squirrels says matter-of-factly. “He’s just bad at letting himself be cared for.” Squirrel wiggles out of Jisung's grasp, and Jisung turns to lie on his back, looking at the ceiling.
Jisung thinks for a second, running his hands over his face. “I don’t want to pressure him into something he’s not ready for.”
“I don’t think you are,” the little rodent says. “Currently, you’re doing the opposite. You’re giving him space. But you’re also hurting yourself by pretending you don’t miss him.”
Jisung doesn’t deny it. Not his time. Because he does miss Minho. A lot.
Squirrel jumps onto Jisung’s chest and curls up on it. “I miss Bunny… a lot.”
Jisung swallows around the tears that form behind his eyes. “Yeah, me too.”
✨🐇🐿️✨
Minho wakes up to silence, which wouldn’t concern most people. But for Minho, it means trouble. He blinks the sleep out of his eyes and sits up in his bed. The morning sun is shining through the curtains, and Minho look over everything in his apartment.
“...Bunny?”
No one answers.
He looks to the kitchen. He looks to the door. He looks at the couch.
Panic tightens in his chest.
“Bunny! This isn’t funny! Where did you?” he stops himself when his eyes fall on the window. It is open, just slightly, but enough for a small, determined bunny to slip through.
Minho’s stomach drops. “You got to be fucking kidding me.”
Minho jumps out of his bed and pulls on the same clothes from last night, not caring if they're dirty. He grabs his keys, not caring for his wallet or anything else, as he sprints out of the apartment. He doesn’t lock the door behind him, but he doesn’t care.
He probably looks like a mess, his hair unkempt, half-dressed without a jacket, shoes untied. And with no plan whatsoever.
As he walks down the street, his eyes scan over every little nook and cranny, under every car and between every building.
“Bunny!” He shouts. “Where are you?”
People who walk past him look at him weirdly, either because he looks like a lunatic, screaming on the top of his lungs, or because he's a human without his soul animal.
But he can’t find Bunny. That is when he stops for a second and thinks: where would bunny go? And then he knows.
Minho starts walking faster, heading towards his workplace. The only place Bunny would probably know the direction to.
And that is when he sees the little ball of white fur, jumping through the streets, the fastest he can. And Minho walks a bit faster. Bunny hops around a corner, and Minho follows close behind, yelling, “Bunny!” only to be abruptly stopped as he crashes into someone coming the other way.
There is a yelp, a tangle of limbs, and Minho finds himself on top of no one other than Jisung. Because of course he does. The universe really has a sick sense of humour.
“Sorry,” Jisung sputters, trying to untangle himself. That is when he finally looks up at him. “Minho? What are you…? Are you okay?”
“Squirrel!” a tiny voice shrieks.
Both Jisung and Minho look to the side.
Bunny and Squirrel immediately jump into each other, squealing in happiness. The two balls of fur collide in a flurry of chirps and frantic cuddling. Squirrel wraps his tiny paws around Bunny’s neck, and Bunny snuggles into Squirrel’s fur.
Minho’s heart clenches and beats a bit faster.
Jisung’s breath hitches beside him.
Because their soul animals start to glow. A faint pink and green light illuminates the two animals. It's faint, and no one else walking past seems to be able to see it, but it's unmistakably there.
Minho exhales shakily. “Oh…”
Jisung whispers, “So it… really is…”
After what feels like a few minutes, but is probably closer to a few seconds, Minho untangles himself from Jisung, sitting up slowly. They are both still looking at their soul animals, but neither is disturbing them.
“So, I’m guessing, Bunny ran away…? To find Squirrel…?” Jisung asks as they are watching their souls happily snuggle up together.
“Yeah,” Minho says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess he couldn’t live without him anymore.”
Squirrel is happily squeaking at Bunny, yelling, “I knew he missed me!”
Minho ignores the fact that he can understand the small rodent, instead giving Jisung his full attention. Minho stand up and reaches out a hand to pull Jisung up, too. He takes it.
Minho swallows hard before he says, “I’m sorry, Jisung.”
Jisung blinks at him. “For…?”
“For everything. For pulling away,” Minho says quietly. “For telling you we were moving too fast. For making you think that I don’t care. I was just…”
Minho hesitates before finishing his sentence. “Scared.”
Jisung looks at him with such care and warmth, his expression soft. “Scared of what?”
Minho takes a deep breath. “Of falling too fast. Of how much I care about you.”
Jisung’s laugh is small and unsure. “Minho hyung… I thought you didn’t want me.”
Minho feels something in his chest crack, and he quickly replies. “No! God, no. I just…” He gestures wildly, trying to find the words. “You came into my life and made everything better, so much easier, and that made me freak out. I’m not used to having someone care for me as you did.”
Squirrel yells at both of them, now sitting by their feet together with Bunny. “He suffered! I suffered! We all suffered!”
Bunny has a fond tone when he speaks, but still swats at Squirrel with his paw. “You talk too much. As usual.”
“Did I just understand what Bunny said?” Jisung asks, clearly feaking out a bit.
“Yeah, I can hear Squirrel, too,” Minho replies a little more calmly. “Maybe we should find somewhere to go instead of talking on the street.”
“Good idea,” Jisung agrees. “Maybe my place? It’s close by.”
“Sure,” Minho says, gesturing for Jisung to lead the way. And Jisung does, but not before taking Minho’s hand and intertwinning their fingers.
They go to Jisung's place, hand in hand, with Bunny and Squirrel jumping behind them, talking in rushed voices as if to catch up with all the time they have lost by being away from each other.
When they reach Jisung's place, they take a seat on the couch, Squirrel and Bunny curled up together in the middle of them.
Minho is the first one to speak. “Jisungie… I can’t promise I won't freak out sometimes.”
Jisung smiles, it's soft and understanding. “And I can’t promise I won’t overthink.”
Minho inhales, smiling softly. “But I can promise that I want to try. With you.”
Jisung’s cheeks flush red. “Me too”
Minho is the one to take Jisung’s hand now, squishing it a bit as he leans his head on the backrest of the couch, admiring the man in front of him.
Bunny and Squirrel nuzzle a bit closer together between them.
✨🐇🐿️✨
Jisung never thought that falling in love could feel like taking on your favourite sweater. Comfortable. Warm. Soft around the edges.
But with Minho, it just happens so naturally. Effortlessly.
The days they spend together are Jisung’s and Squirrel’s favourite. It’s in the small things, like walking Minho home after late-night practices. Minho shows up at the studio with matcha and food when Jisung forgets to take care of himself. When Jisung takes pictures of Minho’s foam art when he visits at work, because “he really worked hard today.” Or when their hand are brushing, and Minho finally gets enough and just takes Jisung’s hand in his.
Every time his chest feels just a bit warmer, he sees Squirrel vibrating with smug happiness in the background.
But Squirrel is not better himself. Bunny and he are inseparable now.
If Jisung is sitting on Minho’s couch, Squirrel would stretch dramatically across Bunny as he owns him. And if Minho tries to cuddle Jisung in bed, or anywhere, Bunny would do the same thing to Squirrel, who would vibrate with content.
They are happy. So obviously happy that it makes Jisung’s chest tighten every time they do something remotely cute.
Sometimes, he even catches Minho watching them with a soft, private smile that he only really shows to Jisung. And each time, Jisung falls a little harder.
Minho has also begun teasing him. He rolls his eyes and pokes Jisung’s cheek when Jisung’s thoughts derail mid-sentence. He keeps Jisung more focused, but without changing who he is. Minho, now being able to understand Squirrel, has also begun scolding him when the little rodent tries to steal objects at The Thunderous Café.
But Minho has also begun to show his vulnerable side to Jisung. He leans into him on the subway, taking his hand in his without caring who will see. He has whispered to Jisung, on the late nights they are tucked into bed together, “I missed you today”, like it isn’t something that is terrifying to admit.
Jisung tells him that he missed him, too. The warm feeling in his chest multiplies each time. It’s like a steady flame that just burns a little brighter every time they are together.