In which people stop aging when they turn 18 till they find their soulmate so that they can grow old together.

Yerin took a deep breath, letting the cold winter air fill her lungs. She was finally back in Seoul after 5 years. To her, it felt like only 5 months had passed. After all, she was almost equivalent to that of an immortal. What were 5 years compared to the centuries that she had lived for?

Just then, a familiar black Honda Civic pulled up in front of her. The driver’s door opened and a lanky girl, or rather lady, stepped out.

“Yerin! I hope I’m not late. The traffic outside is a little… messy.” The lady said with a smile. Yerin shook her head and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around the lady’s form. She took in the scent of her best friend and a smile spread across her lips.

“I’ve missed you, Sojung.” Yerin smiled. She took a good look at Sojung’s face and noticed the slight crinkles that were beginning to appear by the side of her eyes. Her dear friend had aged slightly since the last time she saw her 5 years ago.

“I could say the same for you. Come on, let’s go home.” Sojung said and took Yerin’s luggage, dragging it to the back of her car. She opened the trunk and was about to lift the luggage when Yerin stopped her.

“I’ll do it. Wouldn’t want you to hurt your old joints now.” Yerin teased and Sojung rolled her eyes.

“It’s only been 5 years, Yerin. Not 5 decades.” She sighed but stepped aside for Yerin to handle her own baggage anyway. They shut the trunk and got into the car.

“How have you and Eunha been?” Yerin asked.

“Same old, same old. She was going to come with me to pick you up but she decided to stay home to prepare a little surprise.” Sojung chuckled as they cruised down the highway.

“Ah, she didn’t have to.” she sighed and rested her head against the window. “It’s not like I was away for a long time. It’s just 5 years.”

“5 years is a long time for her. Just appreciate it will you?” Sojung frowned playfully and Yerin laughed.

“Alright alright, stop frowning or you’ll age faster.” She teased once more and the taller lady almost smacked Yerin.

“10 minutes and I’ve already received 2 comments about my age. I’m starting to regret picking you up. Should have just let you catch a cab home.” She grumbled.

“You wouldn’t bear to though.” Yerin sniggered as her best friend sighed.

“Jung Yerin… What will I do with you.” Sojung shook her head with a slight smile. The drive back to their apartment seemed to be a speedy one considering how Yerin was occupied with the sight of the city outside. They took the elevator up to their combined units on the 18^th floor. Sojung scanned her key card on the reader and both girls were greeted by whoops and cheers.

“Welcome back Yerin-unnie!” the girls yelled in unison and tugged on the strings of their party poppers, sending paper-mache strips into the air and onto Yerin and Sojung who had just stepped through the door.

“Thank you, kids. You really didn’t have to, but thank you.” Yerin said with a cheeky smile as she pulled the strings of confetti off her head.

“You don’t look a day over 18, unnie.” Yewon sniggered as she walked over to grab Yerin’s luggage.

“You don’t look a day over 23 either.” Yerin smiled playfully and ruffled the girl’s hair. “I feel like a mother watching her children grow up.”

“A really old mom then.” Yuna piped in. “How old are you again? Turning… 200?”

“I honestly lost count.” The girl scratched her head.

“You said you were born in 1796 so that makes you… 222 this year.” Yewon said with a raised index finger and Yerin sighed.

“Way to go… Making me feel old even though my health says I’m not.” Yerin mocked a sigh and rubbed her forehead.

“How have you not managed to find your soulmate yet?” Eunha asked and Sojung pursed her lips.

“Enough now, let’s not forget why we’re all here again, shall we?” she said as she tried to herd the girls to the dining table but Yerin chuckled lightly.

“It’s alright. Maybe I’m just some chosen one. Fated to be alone for the rest of time while I watch you guys grow old and die, then watch your children grow up and make sure they don’t get hurt. An… Eternal caregiver.” Yerin jested and Sojung slapped her arm.

“Don’t say that. When the time is right, your destined one will appear. Now, let’s eat. The food is getting cold.” Sojung said and the girls cheered.

“Tell us all about your time in Europe!” Yewon beamed and Yerin nodded with an equally huge grin, waving her hand to settle them down.

It sure felt great to be home.

════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════

Yerin hung the last of her shirt back into the closet before easing herself down on the edge of her bed. She stared at her carrier which was still open on the ground. It was mostly emptied except for the snacks and souvenirs that she had brought back from her stay in Europe. She picked up the little ornaments and walked over to the wall-mounted shelves, placing them alongside with the other souvenirs she had bought back in 1898.

Being over a century old had its boons and banes. As an optimistic person, she preferred looking on the bright side of things. Over the decades, she had travelled to almost every country she could dream of, studied the wide variety of stuff she was interested in – architecture, philanthropy, creative writing, film production, medicine, world history, law – and of course, build herself a well-decorated profile. To her, every day was a surprise and every day, there was something new to learn. She loved learning.

Yerin was also able to see the wold change throughout the times. She saw the construction and completion of famous landmarks today like the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Empire State Building and so many more. She also managed to meet composers such as Beethoven and Haydn and even the artist Van Gogh. There were so many things and people she met in the past that were no longer on earth that she was quite literally, a part of history itself. Which may also explain why she sometimes felt irritated whenever historians make a mistake since she was there to see it for herself.

However, living this long also meant she had her fair share of war experience. It was sad to see the human race tear themselves apart over land, money and resources but it was inevitable. It was also because of this and another event that led Yerin to realize she was special. She was different than that of a regular human being. She discovered that she couldn’t die. Literally. Whilst others could still be subject to physical injuries even though they have yet to find their soulmate, Yerin realized that she couldn’t.

She only fully realized this special trait in her after a suicide attempt. It was decades ago when she decided that she had seen enough human brutality and the fact that all her friends seemed to be able to find their soulmate within years made her feel even worst. After the last of her best friends had passed along with their loved ones, she decided that enough was enough. With a knife in hand, she pursed her lips at the polished blade that glinted in the dim lighting of her small apartment. This will be quick and painless, she thought to herself as she positioned the tip of the knife at the back of the head just below the skull.

Using her body weight, she let herself fall back onto the floor to drive the blade into her brain. She had expected to black out instantly but instead, she felt pain. It wasn’t the pain from the blade that pierced her brain; it was pain from knocking the back of her head on the hard parquet floor.

“Ow.” She said as she sat up. Her head throbbed and the room felt like it was spinning but she was very sure she was still in her own house. She clutched the back of her head and rubbed it to ease the pain as she looked around. She saw the knife that she had tried to stab herself with a meter away. Upon closer inspection, the tip was slightly bent and there was no blood to be seen anywhere.

Yerin, being Yerin, picked the knife up and tried to stab herself once again in the chest. Rather than piercing through her flesh and ribs, the knife only ricocheted off her chest and caused her hand to rebound. She was in shock but she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the fact that she couldn’t even die when she wanted to. Maybe it’s just a sign that she should treasure life more and wait for her soulmate to come along.

The black-haired girl snapped out of her daze and walked back to her bed. Flopping down onto the soft mattress, she grabbed her phone from the pillow and unlocked it, scrolling through her social media accounts to entertain herself before bed.

════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════

“So how were things after I left? How was college?” Yerin asked over breakfast.

“It wasn’t too bad. College was great.” Yewon replied with a smile.

“That’s an understatement. Our maknae here had several sleepless nights in the first few weeks you were gone. She was also super stressed during every single assessment period even though she managed to ace everything. I think you can guess her GPA when she graduated.” Sojung chuckled.

“What? A 4.1?” Yerin sniggered.

“The highest is 4, unnie.”

“I know. But you’re just so smart that you broke the system and are on another level.” Yerin teased and Yewon sighed.

“I agree with that completely.” Yuna chimed in which made Yewon blush.

“How about you? How have my favourite lovebirds been doing?” Yerin smiled at Eunha who looked at Sojung. Sojung was younger than Yerin by a hundred years but they only met in the late 1970s. Since then, they had lived in each other’s company. When the older girl found out that Sojung had met her soulmate, she couldn’t feel more ecstatic. She was excited to meet Eunha and they clicked almost instantly.

Yewon was Eunha’s friend since high school and Yuna was the last to join the group after meeting Yewon in college. Now, Yerin was the only one left that had yet to find her soulmate. She had to admit, she felt sad when her friends started to age. She felt bitter and jealous even. When was hers going to turn up? Seeing all the friends she had over the years slowly age and pass on made Yerin feel terrible. She felt like an outcast, someone who wasn’t wanted. It was part of the reason why she decided to leave for Europe in the first place. With 2 couples around, she felt bad if she were to join in on their double dates. It would seem almost like one of them was taking their kid out. She would rather explore a new country than to act as a lamppost to the lovebirds.

“Not too bad I guess? Eunha will be turning 27 soon, I hope you remember. We’re gonna throw her a big party!” Sojung said excitedly as she squeezed Eunha’s hand that was resting on the table.

“Aw, such an oldie.” Yerin teased and Eunha frowned.

“Says the immortal.” The girl fired back and stuck her tongue out in a childish manner.

“I’m actually genuinely curious how you’ve yet to meet your soulmate yet. After travelling the world and staying at each place for a couple years, I would think you’re bound to meet someone at least.” Yuna said thoughtfully but Yerin simply shrugged.

“Maybe I was at the right place but wrong time. Or the wrong place at the right time. Who knows? At this point, I can’t really bother anymore. The longer I live, the more I get to learn and watch the world evolve. I’ve stopped thinking about it for over a century now so I’ve pretty much accepted my fate. Maybe I could be a god that was reborn. You’d never know.” Yerin mused.

“Or maybe that person will only appear in another century,” Eunha suggested. “I’ve read stories about people whose soulmates are in another time period but they seldom wait long, which is understandable. They usually end up killing themselves but well, you can’t because you’re clearly invincible so you’ll just have to wait then. There’s no telling how long more. Could be today, tomorrow, next week, next month… Maybe even another century.”

“Wow, it’s almost as if unnie’s life isn’t depressing enough,” Yewon said sarcastically as she forked a square of pancake into .

“I’m just saying.” The short-haired girl rolled her eyes.

“It’s true. Don’t worry, I’ve learnt to embrace… Whatever this is. Better late than never, right?” Yerin smiled and looked at her friends who seemed to have similar expressions of mild pity and concern.

“But… We might not meet your soulmate…” Yuna said softly and set her fork down. The girls realized with ease what Yuna meant. They were all aging but Yerin was still 18. Eventually, they’ll grow old and die and Yerin will have to go through the same thing that she’s been going through for the past 2 centuries; watching her closest friends pass on.

“Oh come on you guys. Don’t you think I’ve grown used to it? I’ve known so many people and they’re all happy even though they’re mostly up there by now. What matters most to me is your happiness. If you guys are happy, I will be happy. Don’t make breakfast of all things so sad. The day just started and you’re really gonna act like all of you are dying tomorrow?” Yerin chided and clapped Sojung and Yewon on the back.

“Right, sorry.” Yewon grinned sheepishly.

“Alright, finish up your breakfast, I’m going for a drive. It’s been a while.” Yerin said and ruffled Eunha’s hair as she walked around the table to her room. “See ya.”

════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════

Seoul did change a little, but to Yerin who lived in a European environment for 5 years, the switch back to the Asian landscape still gave her a tad of a culture shock despite it being a country she called home. Since she lived farther from the metropolitan area of Munich in a humble abode, the sudden sight of skyscrapers at every corner was a little unusual.

Yerin parked the Civic which she not so subtly ‘stole’ from Sojung outside a café and walked in to order a cup of coffee. She had somehow become a little too dependent on coffee over the years but that’s alright, she wouldn’t feel the side effects of it anyway.

The café was quiet since it wasn’t lunch hour and Yerin walked up to the counter where a girl behind the counter was poking at the machine. She instantly got to work when she noticed that a customer had entered.

“Good morning! What can I get for you?” she asked and flashed her pearly whites at Yerin.

“Good morning, could I get a… Iced Americano please?” Yerin asked and the girl tapped on the screen with a nod.

“That’ll be 2700₩.” The girl said. Yerin pulled her wallet out of her back pocket and opens it only to smack herself in the face. Maybe her age is slowly catching up to her memory.

“Is everything okay?” the girl at the counter asked and Yerin snapped her head up, nodding as she pulled her credit card out and handed it to her.

“Yeah, silly me just forgot to change my currency back to Korean won.” Yerin chuckled at her blunder as the girl tapped the card against the reader.

“Just came back from a holiday?” she asked as she tore the receipt, handing it along with the card back to Yerin.

“Yeah, quite a long one for that matter. Thank you.”

“Welcome, your drink will be ready in a minute.” She smiled and got to work. Yerin didn’t have to wait long for her drink and she was out of the café in less than 10 minutes. Just as she stepped out of the door, she instantly collided with someone. Thankfully the drink in her hand was unharmed. Rather than worrying about wasting the drink or her money, she was more relieved that it didn’t splash all over because she was wearing a white top and so was the stranger that had collided into her.

“Gosh, I’m so sorry. That didn’t spill, did it? And are you alright?” the stranger asked and Yerin shook her head gently.

“It’s okay, no harm done. Both the drink and I are safe.” Yerin chuckled slightly at the girl who sighed in relief.

“Sorry again, I should have watched where I was going.” She said with a bow but Yerin waved at her, signalling that it was no big deal.

“It’s really not an issue. Don’t sweat it.” The black-haired girl smiled. The girl who she bumped into gave Yerin another apologetic smile before entering the café. The latter smiled at the back view of the girl who was placing her order before walking back to her car only to kick something that was on the ground. Yerin looked down to see that it was a wallet. She picked it up and turned around to see the girl patting herself down in front of the counter.

“I think you dropped this outside,” Yerin said as she walked towards the girl who whipped around. A big smile spread across her face when her eyes landed on the object in Yerin’s hand and Yerin handed it to her with a smile. She quickly paid the cashier before moving aside to wait for her drink.

“Thank you so much. I think I owe you a lot, for bumping into you and to thank you for picking this up.” The girl said, wagging her wallet in the air with a slight smile before keeping it in her back pocket.

“Nah, don’t mention it. Really, it’s alright.” Yerin smiled and leaned against the pillar, taking a sip of her drink.

“Where are my manners.” The girl lightly slapped her head and extended a hand towards Yerin. “Hwang Eunbi.”

“Jung Yerin.” The black-haired girl introduced and shook the girl’s hand firmly. “So, uh… are you rushing off somewhere?”

“Nope,” Eunbi replied and collected her drink. “Thanks, Juhyun.” She smiled and the barista winked.

“I guess you’re gonna go off now?” Yerin asked as she held the door open for Eunbi.

“Yeah. But uh… If you don’t mind me asking, do you have anything on right now?” she asked as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

“Nope, I’m planning to just… Sightsee for today. Why?” Yerin asked, looking at Eunbi.

“Okay, you might find this weird or think I’m a creep, but I have this inexplicable urge to just… get to know you better. It’s just a gut feeling of mine.” The girl chuckled. “But sightseeing? You’re not Korean?”

“I see, you want to come along with me? I’m Korean but I’ve been abroad for 5 years so yeah. Trying to get used to the environment again.” Yerin explained.

“Can I? Come along with you I mean.”

“Sure, I don’t see why not. But we’ll have to drop by an ATM first. I only have euros on me.” Yerin scratched her head and Eunbi laughed.

“Alright.”

“Let’s go then. That’s my friend’s car over there.” Yerin said and led the girl over to the Civic. They got in and buckled up.

“This is really funny for some reason.” Eunbi chuckled as Yerin pulled out of the lot.

“Why?” the girl asked as she looked out for traffic before turning onto the main road.

“We just met like 10 minutes ago and here I am, sitting in your car and about to go on a city tour.” Eunbi cackled.

“That’s one way to make friends these days huh?” Yerin chuckled. “So how old are you?”

“I’m forever 18.” The girl replied and the black-haired girl snorted. “Alright, seriously, I’m 20.”

“Ah… how young.” Yerin nodded her head slowly.

“Why? How old are you then?” Eunbi asked, looking curiously at Yerin.

“I’m…” the latter trailed off. Should she tell the girl her real age? Would Eunbi laugh at her for being a loner all these years? The girl looks pretty chill but Yerin learnt that you should never judge a book by its cover.

You know what? To hell with it, she thought. It wasn’t like she couldn’t take a salty remark anyway.

“I’m 222.”

“Woah, really?” Eunbi gasped in fascination and surprise. “That’s so cool! I always wondered how it would be to be a part of history myself.”

“You don’t think I’m some loner?” Yerin raised an eyebrow.

“Nah. I mean, it’s really up to fate. Besides, it’s better to let stuff like this take its time. No point in rushing anyway since you’ll just end up dying sooner. Why not live a little longer to experience and learn more things? Like you, I think you’re really knowledgeable.” Eunbi shrugged.

“Are you sure you’re 20 and not 220 like me?” Yerin laughed.

“Why?”

“It was a very mature answer.” Yerin smiled.

“Thanks, I guess?” the younger girl chortled and look at Yerin who had a small smile on her lips. Eunbi smiled.

════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════

Yerin smiled when a notification popped up on her screen and she excitedly tapped on it. Her smile grew even wider as she typed up a reply.

“What’s got you so happy in the morning? Or should I say, who?” Sojung asked with a smile as she sat down on the couch beside Yerin.

“Ah, it’s just this girl I bumped into yesterday while I was at the café,” Yerin replied without taking her eyes off her phone. Sojung leaned closer towards Yerin to catch a glance of who she was texting.

“Hwang Eunbi? You’re really something, Yerin. Getting girls the moment you return to Korea and even getting her number just by bumping into her.” Sojung chuckled and leaned back in her seat.

“She’s just a friend, Sojung,” Yerin replied and rolled her eyes but the smile on her face remained.

“A friend that makes you smile so creepily like a serial killer in the morning? Sure.” Sojung teased and Yerin half-heartedly elbowed the taller girl. They remained silent for a moment with Sojung watching Yerin tap away at her phone screen before she spoke again. “She might be the one, Rin.”

This caught Yerin’s attention and she looked up, “What do you mean?”

“She might be your soulmate.”

“That’s crazy. There are many people over the centuries that have made me smile and touch my heart but neither of them turned out to be ‘the one’.” Yerin shook her head and turned back to her phone.

“I’m just saying. We’ll never know till you start to feel like you’re aging.” Sojung said softly as she watched her friend. I just want you to find happiness, Yerin.

════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════

“Hey, sorry, practice ended a little late,” Eunbi said as she walked up to Yerin who was leaning against a pillar outside the studio.

“That’s alright. Let’s go then, you must be starving.” The black-haired girl smiled. They proceeded to a Japanese restaurant that was located just 2 floors below the studio and took a seat inside.

“So why haven’t you met your soulmate yet? I’m surprised that someone like you hasn’t got together with anyone yet.” Eunbi said after they placed their orders.

“Maybe you should ask fate instead of me.” Yerin chuckled. “Not the right time I guess?”

“You’ve been waiting over 200 years, unnie. If not now, when?” Eunbi asked and rested her head on her hand.

“Who knows? Life is just like that I guess. I’m probably destined to wait indefinitely.” Yerin smiled. She could see that Eunbi’s gaze had a tinge of sadness to them. “Don’t look at me like that. I know you care, my friends care too but it’s not like any of us can do anything about it. Just leave it.”

“I’m sorry.” Eunbi lowered her gaze.

“It’s alright. I’m not angry, I just wish that people will stop pitying because I’ve already gotten over it.” Yerin said with a warm smile.

“Alright then.” Eunbi smiled.

“How about you? Do you think you’ll meet yours soon?” Yerin asked and Eunbi shrugged.

“Who am I to say? I might end up waiting as long as you.” She said and stuck her tongue out.

“This kid…” Yerin shook her head with a laugh. “My friends have been teasing me about you. I simply told them I bumped into you and now they’re all crazy about it.”

“Really?” Eunbi laughed as an insuppressible grin spread across her face.

“Yeah. They’ve all met theirs and it’s just me left so I look like their little sister or something.” Yerin sighed as she thought about the girls.

“They sound like an interesting bunch from the stories that you’ve told me.” Eunbi giggled.

“Oh trust me, they’re more entertaining in real life.” Yerin laughed. Their food was served shortly and they tucked in.

"B, I think you've met your soulmate." Yerin sniggered as she poked the younger girl's head.

"Huh?"

"There's a strand of white hair right here," Yerin said as she combed through the girl's dark brown locks to pull out the single strand of platinum white hair.

“Woah wait, for real?” Eunbi asked as Yerin brought the strand of hair to the front.

“Have you found out who it is yet?” Yerin asked as the girl gingerly took the strand of hair and stared at it, seemingly entranced.

“I… I don’t know,” Eunbi replied distractedly.

It was a blatant lie. Eunbi knew exactly who it was but she was afraid to tell Yerin. It had been almost a year since she first bumped into Yerin outside that fateful café on that fateful day. Other than the fact that she had been secretly in love with the older girl for the past 6 months, Eunbi knew it had to be Yerin because the people that were around her were the same couple of people she had been around for at least 3 years.

She only found out a couple weeks ago that she had started to age after seeing the exact strand of white hair that Yerin had discovered. She felt like beating herself up more than usual now that she knew because she had to tell Yerin soon. It bugged her that her hesitance and timidness was preventing Yerin from rejoicing in the fact that she no longer had to wait for her soulmate. She had to do it and maybe now is the time.

“Okay, maybe I do know who it is.” Eunbi started and swallowed her saliva. Yerin was looking at her expectantly and she felt even more nervous than before. She swore her stomach was performing all sorts of acrobatic flips in there.

“Who?” Yerin asked, leaning forward. Their close proximity caused Eunbi’s heart to start palpitating and her hands were starting to get clammy.

“Uhm…”

“Have I heard of him before? Or her?” Yerin asked and wiggled her eyebrows.

“You… have. You know her.” Eunbi replied and twiddled her fingers. She could see the excitement twinkling in Yerin’s brown orbs.

“Who is she? Tell me~” Yerin whined.

“She’s really nice. She’s wise and entertaining. Not that young but she sure acts like one. She’s pretty too and really charming. She has many stories to share too." Eunbi said and smiled at Yerin who seemed stunned. "I'm convinced it's her because I've never met anyone new recently and the people I've been around have been my friends for years. I'm also more convinced it's her because... Well... I'm in love. I've been in love for half a year. I feel bad if I continue to keep mum about it because I don't want you to wait any longer and uh... I want to start spending time together with you. As your soulmate."

"You're serious right now?" Yerin asked breathily and Eunbi nodded.

"I've never been more serious in my life. It's okay that you're ancient too. That's one of the things I love about you." Eunbi said and Yerin snorted.

"I'm not that ancient." she scoffed.

"My point is, I love you, Jung Yerin. So do you love me or not?" Eunbi laughed but deep down she was worried. Just because they were soulmates, it doesn't mean that they had to fall in love. There were people who fell in love even if they aren't soulmates and they continued to live happily for quite literally eternity. There were also people who detested their soulmates or had purely platonic feelings for them. 

"I love you too. Really. You're hard to not adore, B. Everything about you is lovable." Yerin smiled.

"I guess we'll be spending the rest of our lives together then?" Eunbi asked and Yerin nodded.

"About time I stop playing and settle down."

"After 2 centuries and 2 decades?" Eunbi sniggered.

"Well... Better late than never, right?" Yerin grinned sheepishly and the brunette shook her head with an endearing smile on her face.

"What will I do with you, Yerin..." Eunbi sighed in a mock hopeless tone.

"Love me?" Yerin replied and poked her tongue out.

"I guess since that's the thing I'm best at," Eunbi said and Yerin couldn't help but chuckle.

[A/N] Here's another soulmate AU~ It took a while since I was working on Contract Killer II but it's finally up! ^^  Enjoy~