The soulmate specialist was not what Joshua had been expecting. He'd expected a middle aged woman who'd been spurned by love, resulting in her turning to the science of love and soulmates to try explain why her relationship hadn't worked. OK, maybe not really that, but he certainly hadn't expected the bubbly, hopeless romantic man in his early thirties, either.

Soulmate specialists weren't ever bubbly or hopeless romantics in the movies. They were always cold and analytical. And hardly ever men.

The process was also a lot easier than Joshua had expected. The specialist had Joshua press his right thumb onto an inkpad, then press his thumb onto a clear panel on the machine. Then, while Junghan was doing that, Joshua took off his shoe and sock so the specialist could put some kind of powder on the mark on his heel. The specialist placed a sheet of slightly sticky translucent paper over it, and instructed Joshua to hold it there for twenty seconds. Once both young men had done that, the specialist took the eces of translucten paper and placed them on the machine, too. The specialist pressed a button and the room was filled with the buzzing of a working machine.

After only a couple of seconds, the machine beeped.

"Ok, time for the results," the specialist chuckled as he looked at the small machine.

Joshua felt sick. His stomach felt heavy, and his head felt strange -- a little light, kind of like his brain wasn't in his head, sort of sore -- and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the results.

Junghan looked excited. He flashed Joshua a nervous grin, and the feeling was gone.

The specialist's face lit up. "Soulmates! Congratulations." The specialist passed Junghan a small file. "Here are some pages on information on soulmates, how they work, what they are, that type of thing. Basic, what you're taught on middle school. There's also the thirty six questions to make you fall in love, which don't actually make you fall in love but you'll get to know each other very well if you answer them together." The specialist finally took a breath.

"Oh! Finally, did you two want an analysis of whether you're platonic or romantic soulmates? That'll only be an extra fifty thousand won."

Joshua looked to Junghan. He just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible so they could get to know each other properly.

Junghan shook his head and smiled politely, "No, thank you. We have prior commitments."

The specialist nodded understandingly. "Yes of course! If you ever do wish to, you know where to find me!"

Junghan stood up, took Joshua's hand, and dragged him out of the room. Junghan's smile settled into a grimace once he'd closed the door behind them. Joshua heard him mutter something about swindlers.

"I thought he seemed nice," Joshua shrugged, following behind as Junghan led him to the reception room to pay for their appointment.

"Most like him are. He tried to charge us fifty thousand won for something that doesn't even cost half that!" They'd reached the reception desk by now, so Junghan settled the fee and paid. Conversation started back up once they left the hospital and were walking to a bus stop.

"Why would he try rip us off?" Joshua asked. The man had been wearing a nice suit, had nice things in his office.

Junghan chuckled bitterly. "Are you really that sheltered? Most people will try squeeze any extra money out of you that they can."

"I know that, I haven't been that sheltered my entire life, but why did he think he could trick us?"

Junghan snorted, and grabbed Joshua's hand. "Get ready, we're going to cross the street," he announced before pulling Joshua across it. "He thought he could rip us off because most people don't know how much things cost unless the price is stated -- especially not a uni student and a foreigner."

"He could tell I didn't grow up in Korea?" Joshua wasn't sure how, he'd understood everything and spoken well, and he'd used his manners.

Junghan nodded as he grabbed hold of Josh's hand and darted across the road again, dodging cars. "You've got an American accent when you speak, unless you really focus on your pronunciation, and you can take a little long to formulate a sentence."

Joshua was glad he was with Junghan, otherwise he was sure he'd be dead. These cars didn't always stop at traffic lights, and it amazed him Junghan could hold a conversation and assess the traffic properly.

"So I just have to practise speaking more?"

Junghan turned a corner, and they arrived at a bus stop. "Yeah, I guess."

They sat to wait for the bus, and Joshua took the time to let it soak in that he'd met one of his soulmates. It was a big thing, definitely not what he'd expected to happen less than three days into being in Seoul. And there was so much to worry about; he and Junghan grew up on opposite sides of the world.

What would happen in when Joshua finished studying? All his friends and family were in America, would Junghan expect him to stay in Korea? Would Junghan move to America with him? Or would they split their time between the two countries?

The bus arrived, and Junghan shook Joshua out of his thoughts. "Where are we going, anyway?" Joshua asked once they'd boarded, payed the fare, and were sat down.

Junghan shrugged. "I dunno, I thought we could just go on an adventure -- see where the day takes us."

Joshua didn't quite like that idea; he wasn't fond of not having a plan or a vague outline. But, he trusted Junghan.

It turned out Junghan couldn't be trusted. He'd told Joshua to get off the bus in a shady neighbourhood, not realising it was shady until they'd gotten two blocks away from the bus stop. So, they walked back and waited in the safety of the bus stop shelter for the next bus. Junghan got them lost the next place they stopped, and didn't seem to care that the woman he asked for directions was trying to preposition him.

Eventually, Junghan led him to a convenience store and told Joshua he could gave whatever he wanted, on him. Joshua had picked a bar of chocolate and a bottle of soft drink. At the checkout, Junghan discovered he didn't have enough money, so he (somehow, all he really did was push his hair back and smile) convinced the man at the checkout to give it to him for five thousand won less.

And that was just the first hour. Junghan dragged Joshua across Seoul for another four hours, taking him into little alleyways with good street food at the end, or getting him to try on clothes he'd probably never be able to afford, and even tried to get Joshua to start a street dance battle with a couple b-boys when he found Josh knew a few moves.

When Junghan dropped Joshua off at the Chois' house at a little past three in the afternoon, Joshua wanted to curl up and hibernate for the next three weeks.

Instead, he powered up his laptop. His mother deserved to know he'd found one of his soulmates.

Fri, 25 September 2015

Hey Mom,

Yes, I miss your cooking, and yes I miss you looking after me. I'm sure I can manage in Korea without you -- the Chois are really nice, and Mrs Choi cooks every night. So don't worry, I'm eating well.

You'll never guess what happened -- I met one of my soulmates today! He's one of Vernon's friends, and he's got such long, pretty hair. And when he smiles his whole face lights up, and he's a little sly but in a good way, and he talked his way out paying full price for something. He didn't even really flirt -- just smiled and brushed his hair out of his face. I'm rambling, aren't I?

I think you'll like him, he's charming.

Yes, a daily message is too often. I'll message you whenever I can, not making any promises. I think I'll be busy -- the whole meeting my soulmate thing.

I miss you

- Joshua

Message sent

It was only after the message was sent that Joshua rembered about the dance showcase he was going to the next day with Vernon and his friends. He shrugged to himself, it was too late to mention it to his mother, now.

He thought of a list of things he should do, which included messaging his friends back in Los Angeles, tidying up the little things in his new room, and making sure he understood everything in his textbooks. (His mother had insisted he take the classes in Korean, since he spoke the language and it'd make her proud to know she'd brought up her only child to speak Korean well enough to take classes in Korean. So, being the loving son he was, he'd agreed.)

He shot off a few quick messages to his friends, telling them he was settling in well and enjoying South Korea. He wasn't sure whether to mention that he'd met one of his soulmates or not. Most of his friends probably wouldn't believe him, so he told the few that would.

Then, he had to choose between tidying his room or skimming his textbooks. He decided on the latter because as long as his room wasn't a pigsty the Chois shouldn't mind too much, right?

The next day Joshua emerged from his room fifteen minutes before Mrs Choi was set to drop him and Vernon off at the dance showcase venue. The flyer Vernon had been sent a picture of had said the event's dress code was smart casual. So, Joshua was wearing a pair of navy blue jeans and a pink dress shirt.

When they got there and were all settled in their seats (Joshua couldn't sit next to Junghan because Dokyeom had taken it) there was a small amount of confusion. None of the boys could see their friend's name on the programme.

"I'll go ask someone, I'm the only one who bothered with a dress shirt," Joshua volunteered, standing up

Vernon shrugged Seungkwan off him and stood up, too. "I'm the one that got given the tickets, I'll come to."

Joshua paused. "Your jeans have holes in them and you're wearing a black t-shirt. No." There was no way he'd get answers from anyone if Vernon came with him.

"I bought them with the holes. At least I'm not wearing a tacky shirt with a tux printed on." Vernon and Joshua turned pointedly to Dokyeom.

"The flyer Vernon got sent a picture of said smart casual! And my jeans are black!" the boy in the seat that should've been Joshua's protested.

Joshua sighed. "That isn't what smart casual means, Dokyeom." He turned and started walking through the row of chairs to the aisle, shaking his head and wondering how Junghan had become friends with the fool. Joshua heard Vernon call out for him to wait.

"I'll tell them I was given tickets from a friend and wanted to make sure we had the right place and time," Vernon reasoned.

Joshua couldn't argue with him, he was the reason they were all there. "But you're ruining the aesthetic!" he found himself groan.

Vernon just rolled his eyes and pushed his way in front of Joshua. They went back to the venue entrance, and Joshua politely asked the young men who were checking tickets and admitting people.

"Yeah, it's the right place and time," one of them shrugged.

"Everyone at the studio just goes by stage names for showcases and public performances," the other supplied with a bright smile. "You sure you got given those tickets if you don't know that?" he teased.

Vernon blushed and stammered out that his seatmate had asked him to come along and bring some friends so it wasn't just his parents in the audience for him.

The two men chuckled. "So you must be Vernon," the first who'd spoken said, "little Channie's always going on about the boy that sits next to him in class. He reckons you're nice."

The smiley one spoke up again. "Little over ten minutes until the dancers start, better get back to to your seats."

Joshua thanked the men for their time and answers and started back to their seats.

"I have to use the restroom," Vernon mentioned when they passed it, slipping inside.

"It's the right place, everyone just has stage names," Joshua announced when he reached his seat. There was some ruckus and indignant shouts when Vernon returned, and Joshua just wanted to sink back into his chair and pretend he didn't know any of them. Didn't Vernon, Seungkwan, and Mingyu realise they were being glared at?

Not quickly enough, the lights dimmed and a blonde man appeared on stage. He introduced himself as Hoshi, and shared that he'd choreographed all the dances the audience would see over the next half hour.

Joshua was amazed by the dancing. He'd expected something that was obviously put together in a day and practised for half that, so the dance studio the dancers belonged to could get a quick buck by having people pay for tickets to a show.

What the dancers were doing on stage was crisp. It was clear the dancers had put at least a few days of nonstop practise in. They were perfectly synchronised, their movements were precise, and nothing looked sloppy or lazy.

It was captivating.

All too soon Joshua was blinking owlishly as the room brightened, the showcase over. Vernon mentioned something about going to see his friend.

Joshua stayed seated to wait for everyone else to file out, but his plan to avoid the rush of impatient people being made to walk single file was ruined when Junghan pulled him up and forced him to walk to the lobby with him.

Of course I get an impatient soulmate, he sulked to himself.

Once in the lobby, Junghan kissed him on the cheek and shoved a piece of paper into Joshua's back pocket. "That's my number, text me later?"

Joshua nodded and pressed a kiss to Junghan's cheek. "Of course."

Junghan grinned. "You better, because I'll miss you. I missed you last night."

Josh wasn't sure if that was even possibe, but didn't want to say it. Some people were probably just affected by the soulmate bond differently.

"Goodbye, Junghan. I'll text you when I get home," Joshua assured his soulmate, giving him another peck on the cheek.

Junghan laughed, and Dokyeom came over to pull him away. When they were halfway across the lobby, Junghan turned around and blew Joshua a kiss."See ya, Shua!"

Joshua heard a dreamy sigh from his left. "I hope I can be like that one day."

Joshua turned to see Vernon's friends, Seungkwan and Mingyu. So Seungkwan wanted to be cute and do PDA, while Vernon didn't? He found himself chuckling. "He'll come around."

"I hope so." Seungkwan let out a dejected puff of air. He was elbowed by Mingyu, and cleared his throat. "We aren't together," Seungkwan amended.

Joshua quirked an eyebrow. So he and Vernon think they're keeping their relationship on the down low? he thought. Did they realise how obvious they were? Joshua decided to ask Mrs Choi about it sometime.

"I didn't mention anyone in particular. I just meant, well - you're gay, right?" Seungkwan nodded, and Joshua was glad the kid could admit it freely. "Whoever it is, he'll come around, is what I meant."

Mingyu sat down on the floor against the nearest wall, and Joshua decided go and lean against it. His legs were getting tired supporting his weight for so long. Seungkwan sat down next to Mingyu, looking like he was pondering something.

"So, did you get the marks looked at by a specialist? Are you and Junghan soulmates?" Mingyu asked.

"Yeah, we're soulmates. We had them looked at and they match perfectly." He heard Seungkwan sigh again, a little more disappointed this time, and hoped Seungkwan and Vernon could get their relationship out in the open sometime soon.

=============

A/N:

So there are a couple chapters later on that I definitely want to write from Junghan's and Seungcheol's POV, but I was wondering if you guys wanted chapters from their POVs fairly regularly -- like I did in Apple Initials where every fourth chapter was Seungkwan's POV. Yes or no?