A soulmark. It all came down to that mark on the inside of his wrists at the end of the day. Mark had seen it in movies and in dramas his sisters would force him to watch. Back when they lived in Los Angeles with their father. He was so young back then, his youngest sibling, Joey only a small infant at the time. He remembered the day they sent Joey to Korea to stay with their mother since he was so young. Mark remembers missing his sharp cries at night and his father trying to calm him as best as a father could.It took too much out of their father with two girls, Mark, and a baby. When Mark’s parents decided to live in different countries, Mark was confused. They were so in love when he had seen them before, but one day his mother refused to stay in LA anymore. Their father cried many nights, he begged her to stay but she rejected him and took the next flight to Seoul. Mark remembers everything, he remembers learning about the world in geography during school, wondering why his parents decided to live so far apart. Though he never brought it up, Mark remembers.

Mark remembers the dramas about those marks that had shown lovers from far and wide trying to find each other anywhere they went. One in particular, about a boy who had found his lover in France expecting it to be a women, but found a guy just shy of his age. He was devastated and rejected him instantly. The boy was ashamed of himself and tried to seek love in a women rather than his soulmate. It was called ‘Our Love Lost In France’, Mark didn’t know why it was even created.

That’s when Mark decided those soulmarks were bull. His love would not be determined or measured by them if he could so easily be rejected like the boy in the drama. Growing up around his father meant they spent little to no time even talking about the small marks on boy his wrists. It’s was an easy topic to avoid, until he was sent to Korea on his 18th birthday.

“Mark, I just want to see them.” His mother pesters him again.

He sighs shoving his arms onto the counter limply for her to exam. She gently pushes up his sleeves looking onto his skin revealing the small characters scribbled in black ink.

“Oh sweetheart! They’re Korean!” She beams excited since the marks have chosen closer to home.

The soulmarks were all printed in different areas of the body in small writing. They always gave the name of your soulmate but it was printed in their native language. Many people hired translators to read the print on their skin and traveled far to meet each other.

Mark could only smile weakly in response pulling his sleeves down. Mark didn’t care what they were, he didn’t care that they had picked Korea. It didn’t matter what the Korean characters meant, because Mark was going to fall in love with whom he wanted to.

Mark seemed to come alive when his younger brother walked unto the room. His beloved brother who he loved unconditionally. Mark had missed most of his childhood since he lived in LA but they tried to call often and even took trips to Korea to visit him and his mother.

“Mark hyung, can we eat outside tonight?” Joey sits next to his older brother at the counter.

Mark had promised Joey food tonight since they ate ramen yesterday.

“Sure, get your coat.” Mark hops off his stool slowly looking for his wallet.

“Mom, we’ll be back!” Mark shouts before locking their front door and making his way to the street with his brother.

//

 “Hyung, I think my mark showed up.” Joey smiles at Mark whose eyes widened in shock.

“Joey, are you kidding me? Where?” He says in a soft voice brows furrowing in confusion. Why hadn’t he told him sooner? What if his soulmate was continents away? Mark didn’t want his brother traveling or even searching when he was so young.

Joey chuckles a bit showing Mark his print on his left forearm. Mark let out a sigh of relief seeing the Korean printed on his skin.

“She’s my best friend, hyung.” He smiles spooning rice into his mouth as Mark nodded smile fondly at his brother.

“That’s so great Joey, you have to introduce us sometime.” Mark patted his younger brother’s shoulder as he shoveled a spoonful of soup into his mouth. The warmth calming him as he smiled into the bowl.

Mark felt alright, his brother found love, he was here to watch his brother find love and his mother would be elated. Everyone wins.

Except Mark when he starts feeling the small itching on his wrists. At first, he’d ignored it as he watched his brother eat. Then, it slowly grew painful as he the print searing in his skin. His heart started racing in his chest.

“Hyung? You don’t look too good.” Joey slowly rubs his brothers back as his face grows pale.

“I’m just tired, Joey. Let’s continue.” He smiled picking up his spoon but quickly dropping it as another wave of pain raced through his wrists.

Mark shakes his head in disbelief as he hears a small “Holy ” across the room.

His soulmate is there.