Most people regardless of social and environmental factors strive to find love and acceptance. Love is a beautiful, powerful emotion but such an abstract ideal. Unless you have found your soulmate. Finding your soulmate is the embodiment of what pure, decadent love is supposed to be, which is why when soulmates first touch, it generates miracles that are tactile representations of their love.

 

Jin was twenty-five years old and has witnessed the wonder of soulmates first hand, at least twice and each time his heart breaks a little more. He is always happy when two people who were meant for each other find their way into each other live, but he was starting to wonder when his own love would surface. He keeps telling himself that it’s okay and it doesn’t bother him but now that his younger brother has found his soulmate, he’s finding it harder to keep pretending.

 

When Jin’s best friend Yoongi found his soulmate on a random day in the park, he was there to witness the beauty of destined love finding its home. Yoongi had been walking his dog Holly when a loud, screeching stranger had bumped into him and knocked him to the ground. With a broad heart-shaped grin on his face, the stranger had offered his hand to help Yoongi up, and when their fingers touched it happened. Jin, having never witnessed a soulmate miracle stared in awe as warm light wrapped around the two, floating, and caressing both their frames. The light became a spinning orb that dove into the ground at their feet.

 

The earth gave way and from it formed an oak tree. Oak trees are strong, and resilient able to face harsh conditions and still strive and grow tall in the light of the sun. The perfect example of Hoseok and Yoongi’s love.

 

Now, Jin is watching again as the spinning orb of light once again manifests a living representation of love, but once again it’s not for him. His brother Taehyung is standing staring into the eyes of his new soulmate as flowers formed around them tiny buds opening each with its own tiny bee inside. Each bee soars into the air and disappears out of sight as it freed from the petals. The meaning is clear, at least to Jin. As beautiful as the flowers are they can’t grow and spread without tiny bee’s spreading their pollen and the bees need the flowers for honey for their hive. A love that is equal and supportive; each person needing what the other lacks. A precious harmony that only true love can bring.

 

Jin sighed and walked away allowing his brother to have his moment with his new soulmate. Who was he to intrude on their love? He wandered aimlessly until his stomach gave notice of his rising hunger. His stomach warbled and groaned at its emptiness, so Seokjin ducked into the first restaurant he came across.

 

With the ringing of a bell, when he entered, a tall blond man popped up from the counter. Jin smiled at the clerk and approached the counter taking in his appearance. The man was handsome, two dimples so deep one’s fingers could get lost in them, a bright smile, and warm aura.

 

“Hello! Welcome to Sip A Celeb Cafe! What can I get for you?”

 

Jin hadn’t taken notice of what type of establishment he was in and the name was of no help. He gave the place a quick look around only to find it looked like a regular cafe. Jin brought his gaze to the still smiling clerk.

 

“What do you recommend. I have never been here before.”

 

They smiled, clearly seeing an opportunity to impress and motioned to the menu next to him.

 

“Well, are you hungry or simply here for some quiet brooding and contemplation time.”

 

Jin giggles a bit at the clerk's forward attitude.

 

“A little of both honestly. What is up with these names? Just give me whatever is the most popular. I am Jin by the way.”

 

“Namjoon, nice to meet you! I recommend the Kathy Griffin and the Brokeback Mountain. They are my favorites.”

 

Seokjin quirked an eyebrow at Namjoon, waiting for an explanation of what the hell he was being offered.

 

“Kathy Griffin is a double shot strawberry espresso topped with whip cream. It looks bright and smells sweet but is dark and bitter underneath all the fluff. And the Brokeback Mountain is a hotlink and a smoked sausage wrapped together in a croissant they are topped with melted queso Blanco. It’s delicious.”

 

Seokjin couldn’t help but laugh at the names and description of the food and drink.

 

“How did you come up with this place?”

 

Namjoon just smiled and swatted the air as if he could brush away the comment.

 

“This was my younger cousin’s idea. He started it right after he left high school but lacked the business knowledge to get it running properly so he asked me to be his partner and help him run it while he went back to school for his degree.”

 

Jin was impressed just from hearing the description of Namjoon’s cousin's tenacity. Jin was twenty-five and still trying to decide if being a therapist was what he wanted to do with his front. He must have drifted in his thoughts because suddenly there were finger’s snapping in front of his face.

 

“I lost you there for a minute. I tend to ramble according to my wife Ami. If you want to have a seat, I will bring you your food in a few minutes.”

 

Jin nodded and settled into an overstuffed chair near the window. He watched the sunset behind the clouds suddenly realizing he wandered longer than he had expected. Refusing to let his mind wander to sorrow filled thought of his lack of a soulmate Jin rifled through the flier and brochures on the table.

 

It was mostly advertisements for getaways and retreats for soulmates. Each sporting beautiful happy couples in a variety of activities that only emphasized his lack of companionship. Sighing he pushed them away only to take notice of a flier. It was promoting a meet and greet for people searching for their soulmates and it was happening tonight on the beach front. The premise was simple, come meet new people, buy some drinks, shake hands, and with any luck, you left with a life partner destined to love you forever. The cover charge was a bit steep but Seokjin had nothing to lose at this point. After twenty-five years of life and skinship with thousands of people, he still had not found his soulmate.

 

He was so far into pondering whether to go that he barely noticed when Namjoon placed his order in front of him. He mumbled an absentminded thank you and ate while debating how pathetic he would feel if he were the oldest person to go to a gathering of people searching for their soulmates. He paid for his food and left a generous tip for Namjoon.

 

He left the cafe with no destination in mind but was not surprised when he found his way to the beach came. He stood outside the cordoned off ticket area afraid to enter. There was a magnitude of people milling around talking and pretending to casual shake hands. Their fingers often linger a bit too long in hopes of finally feeling the long-awaited spark. Seokjin suddenly felt self-conscious. He couldn’t do it. He could spend an evening of casually touching strangers searching for his other half only to go home alone and more depressed when he came. He sighed and watched the scene for a few minutes longer taking note of several orbs of light that were flashing and spinning in the crowd. Seokjin felt jealousy creep in and take root in his chest.

 

“Well, good for them! I hope you all find your stupid soulmates!”

 

“Bitter much?”

 

Jin startled at the sound of the voice and turned to meet the gaze of an amused young man behind him. Jin blushed a furious shade of red and turned his back to the scene on the beach front. That left him staring at the handsome man in front of him. He had dark hair and pretty wide eyes. His mouth was parted in a wide smile that displayed a slight bunny toothed overbite. Seokjin felt his insides melt a little by simply looking at the boy, but not enough to forgive him for trespassing on his private emotional tantrum.

 

“I am not bitter. I am just tired of waiting for a soulmate that I may never find.”

 

The young man tilted his head and gave him a long look of curiosity.

 

“What do you mean never find? Everyone has a soulmate. It’s the way the world works.”

 

Jin rolled his eyes and brushed past the guy to take a seat on a bench nearby. He decided the kid was too young to understand that heartache of watching everyone around you find their happiness and despite being the oldest get left behind. Before he could stop them tears were forming and making tracks down his cheeks.

 

He heard someone sit down next to him and he didn’t bother to look up, ashamed of the tears of self-pity sliding down his face.

 

“Maybe it just isn’t time for you to find that person yet.”

 

Seokjin hastily wiped his face with his sleeve before looking up to see the bunny boy again staring at him. He was becoming irritated.

 

“Do you often interrupt a stranger’s moment of weakness with unwanted conversation.”

 

Seokjin had said this with contempt and vexation dripping from every word, but bunny boy didn’t seem to understand. The young man just smiled and shrugged sheepishly.

 

“If I did what was expected or normal I wouldn’t own my business at age twenty now would I?”

 

Jin was amazed at how cheeky this boy was being with him.

 

“Yah! Good for you! It must be nice to have your life so put together! You have a business so now all you need is a soulmate and you can ride off into the sunset. Why are you sitting here bothering me instead of going down to the party and touching people? You’re handsome, I am sure you will have a never-ending conveyor belt of people wanting to shake your hand.”

 

Jin stood angrily and stalked off towards the street only to hear someone running behind him. He tried to run to avoid his pursuer, who undoubtedly, was the unnamed bunny boy. But, Seokjin for all his charms was completely lacked grace. His feet tangled together in the first few strides and he felt himself falling. He cried out as his knees made contact with the pavement and his hands that had gone out to buffer his fall slid and scraped across the ground. Hot tears were already falling like a spring rain from his eyes as he gingerly turned to face the one that followed him.

 

“Why are you bothering me dammit? Just go away! Go back to that stupid mixer and find your perfect soulmate and live a perfect life at just twenty years old! I am so tired of being alone and I don’t need anyone to mock me!”

 

The bunny boy seemed shocked by Seokjin’s outburst. He stared at the older boy with apologetic eyes and held out his hand to help the crying older man from the ground.

 

“Um, Hyung I wasn’t mocking you. It’s, just you said I was handsome and then ran off like it was nothing. I just wanted to at least get your name.”

 

Jin stared at the young man in front of him tears still flowing from his eyes.

 

“You chased me because I said you were handsome? Are you crazy? Do you want me to believe that with a face like yours it's something rare for you to hear?”

 

Jin snorted and tried to get up but the pain in his knees prevented it from happening. With a loud, slightly unmanly yelp he crumpled back to the ground the action dragging a pained groan from his lips. That’s when he noticed the bunny boy was still standing there with his hand out a faint blush on his handsome face.

 

“Hyung let me help you up. I’ll take you to a clinic to get checked out.”

 

Jin let his eyes meet the young man’s in front of him searching for signs of ill intent and found none. He extended his hand but stopped a hair’s breadth away from touching the other.

 

“My name is Seokjin, most people call me Jin.”

 

The bunny boy’s smiled even wider his eyes collapsing into half moons and his nose crinkling adorably.

 

“Jungkook”

 

Jin nodded and placed his fingers on Jungkook’s and felt the world stop and turn upside down on itself. A soft light pulsed to life where their fingers were joined and spiraled out. The light carried a sun-kissed warmth with it as it around their bodies and formed into a dancing ball of light. Jungkook and Jin watched frozen as the ball of light began rising, spinning happily. It rose higher and higher until it was past the barely there clouds in the dark sky where it the light became blindly bright and shattered leaving a single new star in its place.

 

Jin stared open mouth at the star. They had created a star. Stars are beautiful, wondrous, and rare soulmate miracles. Jin was frozen on the ground staring at the twinkling of the newly birthed star. He was so lost in his amazement he had forgotten that his hand was still lingering in Jungkook’s until he felt a soft brush against his fingers. Turning to face his new soulmate Jin met Jungkook’s wide eyes hesitantly.

 

“Let’s get you fixed up soulmate. My shop isn't far from here and I live in the apartment above the store. I can patch you up there.”

 

Jin nodded slowly and allowed Jungkook to help him from the ground. He awkwardly tried to walk without putting too much weight on Jungkook. Jin must have failed at hiding his injury because he was suddenly scooped up bridal style into Jungkook’s arms. Blushing fire engine red, Jin wrapped his arms around Jungkook and held tight as he was carried to a car.

 

Jungkook helped him into the car and buckled his seatbelt before walking around to the driver’s side. They rode in silence but there was no awkwardness. When they pulled in front of Jungkook shop Jin’s eyes went wide as he turned to face Jungkook.

 

“You own Sip A Celeb?”

 

Jungkook gave him an odd look before nodding.

 

“Have you been here before?”

 

Jin nodded as he answered.

 

“Today actually was my first time coming here. I found it by accident to honest. The only reason I came to that mixer was that I found the flier on the table.”

 

Jungkook smiled and unbuckled his seatbelt.

 

“Come on soulmate, we have lots to talk about.”

 

4 years later:

 

Jin watched the stars twinkle into view as the night sky darkened and sighed.

 

“What are you sighing about?”

 

Jungkook wrapped his arms around his husband and hung his chin over Jin’s shoulder, following Jin’s eye line. He smiled when he saw what Jin was staring at and kissed him on the cheek.

 

“I always sigh when I see our star. It reminds me that tomorrow I will wake up and you will still be by my side. I feel secure when I see it hanging in the sky over our home.”

 

Jungkook simply hummed a response and tighten his hold on Jin’s waist.

 

After four years together they knew each other well. There had been fights, and disagreement but most of all there has been love. A love just like their star, steadfast, bright and full warmth that always led them back to each other’s arms