A/N: Flashbacks are in italic. Good read!

The brown haired woman looked down on her own mediocre sketch, her left hand rubbing her forehead where a headache resided for the last three days. It was probably karma acting upon her for being such a bad girlfriend.

Talk about what happened and be there for each other would have been the right thing, yet she had felt so overwhelmed and scared that she had shut down every single try Minkyung made. Hiding away in her office under the excuse she had to finish a new chapter of her webtoon. Sungyeon called early morning on Monday asking if she had things prepared since the deadline was close, and only then, the tall girl realized that she had been too distracted with her issues with Minkyung to pay attention to her work obligations. She still had a couple of days to go, although there was so much to do and all the thoughts running through her head were making it hard for her to get anything done.

She barely made any progress, not only in her work, but also in dealing with her emotions. She would spend the whole day locked on her studio, going late to bed and waking up only after Kim had left for work. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to see or be with the girl, it was the complete opposite.

Kyungwon had learnt a lot about herself in a short span of time and she wasn’t happy with what she discovered.

She knew that the situation wasn’t Minkyung’s or anyone else’s fault. However, it didn’t prevent her of feeling awful and angry about everything. By hiding away she was, somehow, protecting Minky as well. The last thing she wanted was to snap at her because she was unable to control her emotions. Kyungwon supposed she would be a little more mature and selfless by now, still, ever since Minkyung told her about that damned soul mark she couldn’t help it but curse destiny for their bad luck and think of ways to keep Kim as far as possible of her soulmate.

A part of her was telling her to cling onto Minky forever because she couldn’t picture a life without her. This part, proved to be much bigger than she ever thought possible. Kang lost track of the number of times she grabbed the little velvet box in the drawer, her instincts telling her to act as fast as she could and make sure Minky was hers for good, so like this they could leave to a place where the other Kang wouldn’t ever be able to find them – this kind of thought made her feel like horrible.

The ring inside that box was supposed to be a symbol of love and affection and she has planned so much about the right moment to give it, the right words to say to make the moment perfect like her girlfriend deserved. To use the ring as a way to keep Minkyung tied up to her would not only be selfish, it would be utterly cowardly. No matter how impulsive she was or how much this whole situation was pushing her to the edge, Kyungwon would never be capable of going so far. Proposing now would only make them both miserable and ruin the small chances they had of a happy future together.

Even if Minkyung indeed agreed on getting married for the right reasons, it wouldn’t change the fact that somewhere in the she still had a soulmate that she never had the chance of knowing and it would weight down on their relationship, a constant menace. Live like this couldn’t possibly be considered a happy ending.

She ended up burying the box under a bunch of her old sketches, back inside the drawer.

The other side of her, the more logical and selfless one, was more subtle. It left a permanent message on the corner of her mind, a simple reminder: Minkyung’s happiness should come first. Always.

Soulmates were called like this for a reason, two people who belong together as one. Couples united by the marks were always happy, no matter what they would stick together and lead a good life. She knew it, her own parents and siblings had it. The same could be said about the Kims and so many others. It was a bond like no other, something that she would ever be able to replicate.

How could she get in the way of Minkyung’s happiness? And what about the other girl, didn’t she also deserved a chance?

Perhaps the old say was right and to love was to let go, and if she really loved Minky she would let her live her fated destiny.

Sighing, Kyungwon shook her head. She was sick and tired of her inner battle. She was only human, not a selfish jerk with no consideration for others feelings, nor she was a noble knight in shiny armor. And as a human, she was insecure and unsure, trying her best to avoid the unavoidable.

After hours and hours of unfruitful work and the same thoughts running through her mind, she finally reached a conclusion.

She was acting like a fool. The most important decision was not up to her, although she had her own choices to make, ultimately Minkyung would have the final say on it. For now, all she could do was to provide her all the support the woman needed and make it clear that she had the freedom to act. Whether it was the last thing she would ever do for them as a couple, or only another obstacle in the way, she would make it wholehearted.

There was a silence dominating their house.

The silence in their house had always been a comfortable kind. There was silence when Minkyung had to finish some important work related documents or when she was writing, just like the silence would reign when Kyungwon had to meet a deadline soon and only the sound of her pen against the tablet could be heard. However, those moments were very different from now. Back then, she would still hear Kyungwon’s footsteps as the woman sneaked in to grab food that she would always end up bringing the Kim some as well, claiming they needed a break once in a while; Or when Minky would guess they had done enough and would insist on calling it a day and drag Kyungwon to the kitchen so they could make dinner together while chatting about the progress they had made so far. They both were concentrated in their own assignments, despite it, they always found time, even if only a couple of minutes, to dedicate to check on the other and these little pauses would be enough to reenergize them.

However, the silence in their usually cozy place was different that day. A quietness so heavy, that it felt like a thick layer of mist covered it all, making the air dense and hard to breath. She couldn’t recall a moment like this before, a moment where even her quick breathes seem to hitch high echoing against the walls so loudly that it almost made her feel guilty for having to fill her lungs.

Kyungwon was back in her office, the door closed just like she seemed to be closing herself up the world. The night Minky had revealed her soul mark, they went back home and didn’t talk at all. Kyungwon just hugged her tight until they eventually fell asleep. It wasn’t a simple thing to accept or deal with, therefore she didn’t push for a conversation that would only harm them both even further. Nevertheless, now she realized that maybe she should have. They hadn’t talk much lately, Kyungwon just brushing it off whenever Minkyung demonstrated any kind of worry, and focusing most of her time on her work.

It was like they had switched roles. Kyungwon became quiet and reserved, while Minkyung felt completely lost regarding what to do next.

She was all too aware of the fact that the longer they spent in that situation, the worst their relationship would get and it was the thing she feared the most all along. And as if it wasn’t enough, the feeling of guilty still haunted whenever she lays her eyes on her hand where the mark was still there as a reminder that she also owned someone else explanations too.

Closing the lid of her laptop after finishing yet another report that her boss would probably never read, she put the object aside and gathered courage to try reach her girlfriend. Unconsciously she pulled the sleeves of her sweater, covering her palm before knocking lightly on the door of the artist workplace. “Kyungwon, may I come in?”

She was expecting a gentle rejection, an excuse to not allow her to come in, for her surprise Kyungwon’s tired voice rose up to answer quickly. “Minkyungie, just a moment.” The tone was almost like the one she would usually use, warm and loving, what didn’t fail on making a smile appear on the taller girl’s face.

Minkyung knew she shouldn’t expect anything, albeit she couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved when Kang opened the door, stepping out of the studio to give her a small smile. Dark circles adorned  the skin bellow her eyes, betraying the fact that the girl had very little sleep in the past two nights. Minky noticed how her hands were a bit swollen, crayon coloring her fingers a dark shade of grey, indicating she hadn’t been working on the webtoon, probably sketching something else instead.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Kim reached out to touch the said hands. Kyungwon didn’t allow Minkyung to properly touch her, bringing her hand closer to her body.

“I’ll wash up first. I was just trying to make the sketch I promised the two Yewons. Apparently I overestimated my skills.” The brown haired girl said with an airy chuckle that didn’t sound sincere. They both knew she was a good artist, talent wasn’t the thing disturbing her work. “I’m feeling tired, so I would like to go bed early today.” She moved, starting to make her way back to their bedroom.

The taller woman nodded, following. The silence had been broken, why Minkyung could still feel the coldness wrapping itself around them? The tension was still there. Kyungwon was just being Kyungwon and trying to protect her by putting up a facade and pretending it was all fine, although it wasn’t helping neither of them.

Sighing, Minky allowed her gaze to fall on the slightly shorter girl as they walked. She knew every detail about Kyungwon, even the way her head would shift slightly to the left as she took a hand to rub the back of her neck to relieve the tension there. Before Sungyeon accepted working with her and they had an official agreement about the webtoon, Kyungwon used to do that gesture quite often, feeling burdened by all the work she was doing as an assistant at an animation company while juggling her time to create her own series. At the time, Kim was there to help and cheer the girl up. To know that now she the cause of Kang’s distress was almost unbearable.

She sat on the bed, waiting for Kyungwon to finish washing up.

Albeit their unstable situation, their room still remained the same giving her a certain sense of normality. Although Kyungwon was the artist between the two of them, Minkyung had taken upon to herself the task of decorating the house with some eventual help of her girlfriend. That room, in specific, was decorated in tones of blue and white, colors that she always found comforting and calming, it was supposed to make the experience of waking up every day there pleasant. It was organized – Kyungwon used to be a mess, with time and the constant nagging of the taller girl, she learned to keep her mess restricted to her office. Minkyung regretted being so tough on her, if she hadn’t insisted so much on keeping everything perfect, she would still be able to detected the traces of Kang, instead of having to rely on the one picture of the two of them on the nightstand.

The picture was old and starting to get yellowish, what was no surprise since they had gotten it from a photo booth on Minkyung’s sixteen birthday. They weren’t a couple yet, just really close friends. In the pictures, they were smiling and making dumb faces, showing their mark-less palms to the lens.

Perhaps that day was the beginning of their relationship, even if she didn’t realize it yet.

“Make a wish!” Kyungwon said, sitting beside the older girl on the bench.

“Didn’t you say you would make me a cake?” Minkyung said raising an eyebrow to her best friend as the girl placed an overly frosted cupcake on the table. It was lunch time and they were supposed to be eating proper food, but Kyungwon somehow had managed to sneak in the sweet. “Did you burn the rest of it?”

“Shut up!” Kang protested, shoving her by the arm. “I tried, okay? This is the best thing I ever made after ramen.” And it might as well be the only thing, the girl was never much of a cook. It somehow made the gesture even more meaningful.

Minkyung giggled, taking the cupcake into her hand to observe it closer. It wasn’t picture perfect like the ones in pastry shops, yet she had to admit that it looked good, especially for a first try. The sky blue candle on top of it was already lit and waiting impatiently for her.

“It’s not that bad. Actually, it’s kind cute.” With a smile plastered on her face, she looked over to meet Kyungwon’s expecting gaze. “Won’t you sing happy birthday for me first, though?”

Kang snorted. “Go fast. You know your parents have a party ready for later.”

“Shiu! I’m making a wish now.” Minkyung said, bumping her shoulder into the girl’s playfully before focusing once more on the cupcake.

Stealing a glance at her own palm, making sure it was clear of any marks, she joined her hands and closed her eyes. She already knew what she wanted.

Blowing the candle in a single breath, she heard as Kyungwon clapped in approval.

Minky gave the girl a smile before taking the candle out of the small cake to cut it in two. She gave a piece to Kyungwon and took a bite on hers, letting a content sigh when she felt the taste of strawberry. She wondered how long it took Kyungwon to make it, shouldn’t have been easy.

“So, nothing new yet?” Her friend asked, gesturing her left hand.

Minkyung raised her hand, checking again if anything had changed before showing it to the brown haired girl. “I think it will take a bit more time.” She said with a smile that was both hopeful and excited. She knew it wasn’t a good idea to try to guess who her soulmate was, after all fate was unpredictable, however she had a really good feeling about it.

“Hm.” Kyungwon looked at her hand for a brief moment, before averting her gaze. A smile that she couldn’t hide was on her face as she munched on the cupcake. “I still have a couple of months to go. Maybe I will find out before you do?” She teased, standing up and offering a hand for the birthday girl to do the same.

Minkyung’s smile grew wider. “I don’t think it will be the case.”

And it wasn’t. However, not in the way she thought. Had she know would things be different, would they still have tried? Would she even risk it? She lowered her gaze to her hands with a deep sigh.

The door cracked open, Kyungwon stepping out with the same tired smile she sported earlier. She had changed into more comfortable after showering, it looked like she was ready to sleep. Minkyung shook her head, noticing only now how distracted she had been with all the memories that she hadn’t even heard the sound of the shower.

The older girl tried to return the smile, feeling anxious to face the dark and intense look in her girlfriend’s eyes. Kyungwon looked determined.

Kang sat down, keeping a comfortable distance between them – not too far to be considered a rejection, but definitely not as close as it used to be. Her hands, now free of crayon, were gripping tightly the hem of her pajama shirt.

“You know, I’m pretty childish most of the time. So of course the first thing I thought about when you told me about…It,” She eyed Minkyung’s hand for a quick moment, before raiding her eyes back to the girl’s face. “Was that I should just ask you to ignore it, to pretend it never happened and we could be happy together again.  Although, I knew it wouldn’t work out. We still could run into your soulmate and it would be awful every time, so I thought maybe I should ask you to move overseas with me where we could be safe…If it is the right word. I just wanted to be with you like it has always been.” She said with fond smile, gaining a shaky one in return. Minkyung tried to say something, but the other girl just shook her head in a negative.

“It was naïve and dumb. Here, or anywhere else, we would never be able to ignore it totally and pretend it didn’t happen. I don’t want us to live with the fear that you will stumble onto this woman someday and everything will crumble.” Her smile turned into a tight line. Kyungwon stopped to take a deep breath and the Kim felt her heart breaking a little at the sight. Her girlfriend was a strong person, with a loyal and brave spirit, yet even she had her limits.

She wanted to hug her and apologize again, but all she could do was to grab her hands into hers. “Kyungwon, I…”

“You should go and see her.” Kyungwon said finally, her tone was almost emotionless, not matching her eyes that displayed a set of conflicting emotions.

Minkyung shook her head, strongly denying. “And do what? No! I don’t want to-“

“To what, Minky? Why are you so afraid of going there?” Her voice was calm, a bit too calm to fit Kyungwon’s usual loud personality. She didn’t try to free herself of Kim’s grip, instead she caressed her hands, slowly turning her left one to take a good look at the soulmate mark in the palm. As expected, it was there, perfect red lines that almost glow against Minkyung’s pale skin. Kyungwon’s thumb touched right above it and Minky could feel the warmth it was emitting. She didn’t touch the tattoo, though.

Kim deviated her gaze, trying her best to not close her hand and deny her girlfriend the access to the little thing that was breaking their relationship. What was she really afraid? She didn’t want to think about it. They both knew the answer. She feared that being close to Yaebin would change the way she felt about Kyungwon. That it would make her fall for the other girl. That it would make her break all their promises and ruin their future together. She didn’t want someone new, she didn’t want Kyungwon out of her life.

It was even making her question whether her actions were guided by her love for Kyungwon or the simple fear of change – she liked to think it wasn’t the latter.

“I don’t want to go.” Minkyung repeated, lowering her head so she didn’t have to face the brunette.

 “I don’t know who she is, nor how she feels about it or even how you will feel when you see her…I don’t want it haunting us forever.” Kyungwon left out a deep sigh. She reached out to touch Minkyung’s face, forcing the girl to look at her. “I thought ‘what about if it was the opposite? What if it was me, not Minkyung?’ and I realized that in this case you would do the same for me. You would tell me to be brave and face things, just like you always did.”

“What?” She couldn’t even imagine how she would feel if she was in Kyungwon’s shoes, however she was sure that she would be an even bigger crying mess than she already was being. Minkyung felt tears burning in the back of her eyes, hating herself for have become such a crybaby in the last couple of weeks. She manage to contain the sobs, letting out a weak, humorless chuckle. “I wouldn’t. I would really run away with you. You were always the noble idiot here, not the other way around.” She tried to nag, the mix of emotions showing itself in her voice, ruining her act.

Would have she really? How do you know when you should put other happiness before yours and how do you know it will indeed guarantee them a happy ending? It wasn’t a simple choice. None of them could predict the future and even if she could, would it still affect her decisions?

“I’m not as brave as you are.” Kim whispered, knowing that the other woman would be able to understand even if she hadn’t vocalized it. Her favorite eyes, Kyungwon’s warm and kind dark brown ones, were still on her and she could feel comforted by the simple fact that there was love in there.

“If I was so brave it wouldn’t have taken me three days and many ruined sketches to face you.” Kang admitted, brushing her thumb on Minky’s cheek. “You tried so hard for us. You are still trying. If this is not being brave I don’t know what it is.” The small smile that appeared on her face was genuine this time.

Nodding, Minkyung covered Kyungwon’s hand with her own, resting her cheek against it. Kang was right, they couldn’t run away of it forever. “I’ll try to go.”

Kang’s smile grew a bit wider, it was almost proud. “Just think about it. If in a week, you still want to run away, we will. I don’t mind hiding in that hotel for dog owners I told you about, I bet no one could find us there.” Typical Kyungwon, trying to joke around to light up the mood – and it worked as Minkyung smiled back.

The taller woman leaned in for a hug that was promptly accepted, the brown haired girl’s arms involving her torso in a tight embrace.

Even if she had known about the future, she was sure she wouldn’t have changed things. Kyungwon would never be a mistake in her life, whether or not she was a permanent part of it.

Wednesday afternoon was going smoothly at the bookstore. Only a couple of school kids reading comic books and some of her usual customers checking the new releases. Kyla was chatting with a classmate in a corner, while Yooa tended to a client at the register.

Having finished her paperwork, Kang just walked around the place for, in case anyone needed her. She helped an old lady who forgot her glasses to pick a corny romance, and after that she sat down on one of the comfortable armchairs, allowing herself to relax a bit.

Her brown eyes wandered through the place, a small, proud smile on her face as she noticed how similar it was to what it used to be when her dad ran the place. Of course she had to make some changes here and there, however its classic charm was still there and Yaebin liked to think her dad would love the place if he could see it, just like she loved it now. After so many years working, the bookstore became less of an obligation, and more like a place she felt safe and comfortable in.

Grabbing one of the books some careless customer left on the table, she inspected the volume and soon was engulfed by the nice reading.

Yaebin’s week had been surprisingly uneventful. No phone calls from her mom with problems, no troublesome customers trying to shoplift – it still amazes her that people were capable of doing it even with books –, no unpleasant surprises with the store’s balance…and no mysterious soulmate girl in sight.

The fact that she hadn’t seen Minkyung ever since that fateful night was both annoying and relieving. For the first few days she would expect to see the taller woman every day, just to be disappointed because the girl never showed up. Kim hadn’t even emailed her about work as she was supposed to. Therefore she could only presume the girl was avoiding her.

Eunwoo insisted on digging into her soulmate’s life to find out what she was up to, Yaebin declined every offer. What was the point of it? Even if they succeed, what use would this information have? It wasn’t like Yaebin was planning on walking to Minkyung’s house, knock at her door and possibly become a home wrecker.

Maybe it was better to just pretend that night never happened, that the mark on her palm wasn’t there, and keep living like she always had...At least she would like to try doing so.

Clearly fate had other plans for her.

Later that afternoon, just before the sun set, the customers had one by one left, leaving only her sleepy employers talking between themselves. Yaebin, put the book aside, standing up to go get herself a cup of hot coffee, although she didn’t get to do so.

The small Kang’s peripheral vision noticed the moment a tall, elegant silhouette, stepped into the place, slowly making its way to her. Her vision was pretty great, and even if it wasn’t, the warm feeling the soul mark was giving, was enough for her to know who it was.

The younger woman took a deep breath, turning to face the taller brunette.

“Kim Minkyung.”

“Hi…” Kim gave her a small, unsure smile. By the way the woman switched the weight from one leg to the other, one hand running through her hair as her gaze looked anywhere except Yaebin, to say she was uncomfortable was an understatement. “May we talk, please?”

Yaebin crossed her arms over her chest, adopting a protective posture. The situation was already bad, why Minkyung had to tower over her like that? Fate was really making a joke out of her with this whole soulmate thing, even their heights were awkwardly funny.

The smartest choice would be to tell the woman off, burying this part of her life.

“Okay. Follow me.”

Apparently Yaebin wasn’t the best at making love choices.

Right now Kyungwon had a bunch of unfinished sketches that didn’t look terrible, although they weren’t anywhere near her usual style. Her current story, a sci-fi comedy with some underlying tones, didn’t match the overly serious traces and dark style that her hands insisted on drawing. Her conflicted emotions were quite insistent on taking part in the works, and Kang was unable to prevent it.

There was no way she would be able to finish it in time, at least not in a way that wouldn’t ruin the years of work she had been putting on that webtoon. Therefore, she tried to at least recall everything she had planned for that chapter, writing any details that she hadn’t previously take note.

Kyungwon needed help and she knew exactly where to find it.

She left home heading to the subway station, taking with her the notebook with the basic information she needed to explain how the story should go on.

The college campus, the same one that her and Minkyung frequented years ago, was her destination. Kang took her usual spot under the shade of a large tree, resting her back against its trunk. Even there she could see cherry blossoms here and there, and the sight gave her a bittersweet feeling. The flowers were beautiful, though now they also reminded her of that night.

“What’s up with the frown, unnie?” Siyeon said, sitting in front of her and giving her an inquisitive look.

 Kyungwon blinked, averting her eyes from the cherry blossoms to her friend. Siyeon was also an artist, although the younger girl was still finishing college. They met some years ago when Kyungwon was already a senior and the raven just a freshman, and clicked right away. Park was a nice company, candid and fun, and also a very talented kid.

“Park Ddiddi, don’t you ever go to class?” Kyungwon asked noticing that the girl’s backpack was nowhere to be seen, as usual. Sometimes she wondered how that kid even managed to stay in college with a carefree attitude like that.

“I already passed my exams. What’s the point of having perfect attendance when it won’t give me any extra credits?” Siyeon shrugged. “Besides, weren’t you the one that called me here?” Direct as usual, her gaze was still examining the senior with curiosity.

Kyungwon nodded, remembering what she was supposed to do there. “Are you free this week?”

“I’m always free, boss. Remember you are supposed to be the one giving me a job after graduation?”

The older woman rolled her eyes. “I already told you to look for something better. You should try for a big company, it would help you learn a lot.”

“And become a slave that only serves coffee and is screamed at?” Siyeon snorted, shaking her hands in a strong negative. “No thank you, I don’t wish to be the sub-assistant of the assistant of some snob art director.”

Well, Kyungwon couldn’t blame her. Having herself spent some time working for people like this and getting near to no recognition for her work, she knew how frustrating it could be. However, she wasn’t sure following her around was the best thing for someone as talented as Park. “You know you are welcome to help me and I’ll support you in doing your own thing, too. But don’t complain about the payment.”

Siyeon only smiled in return. “So, you came just to check on me? Unnie, aren’t you the sweetest?” Her mocking tone would usually earn her a glare, yet Kang only handed her the notebook.

“I need your help. A lot of help.” The taller said, adopting her business tone. The webtoon was very important for her. “You know how the next chapter goes and you can find everything else you need to know here.” Siyeon had been helping her for over a year now, mostly just helping her to think about new twists and help to finish the drawings. “I want you to draw it.”

The raven haired girl furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, accepting the notebook with certain hesitation. She didn’t open it, instead her gaze met Kyungwon’s once more. “Are you serious? This is huge! You don’t even let me do a page on my own, and now you want me to do a whole chapter?”

Kang grimaced. She knew it was a bit too much to ask of a friend, especially in such short time, nevertheless she couldn’t rely on her own talent this time and asking an extension in her deadline was not a possibility unless she wanted to ruin the confidence the publishing company was putting on her. The first printed volume would be out in a couple of weeks, a huge step for any author, she had to present the best image she could, or else she could be risking the future of the series.

“I’d be around helping out and such. I just…I’m having a hard time drawing lately and I don’t want to screw things up.” She confessed, crossing her arms in front of herself, as if like this she could shield herself from Siyeon’s sharp stare.

Park was usually an easy type to deal with, and sometimes this astute, weirdly alluring glint would appear in her eyes making her look wise beyond her years. The glint was there again, not matching the unsure expression in her face. “You would trust me with something so important?”

“It’s weird, but yes, I would. I will.” She returned the gaze, her dark brown eyes not leaving the other girl’s face. “Will be good for you too. You can put your name out there and get bragging rights on saving me from getting mobbed by the fans.”

Kyungwon expected a laugh, not that persistent look that was making Park look less like a reckless college student and more like a concerned parent.

The girl shook her head, her long black hair waving over her shoulders. “No. I will help you, but you can do it on your own, Kyungwon.” The lack of honorifics surprised the older girl, however it was Siyeon’s resolute tone that convinced her of how serious the college student really was. “And, of course, I hope you are ready to pay me generously.” The last phrase was delivered in a much lighter tone, Siyeon’s usual smirk was back in her face as well.

“Kyungwon unnie.” Kang corrected with a small smile. “Thank you, Siyeon. I’ll make sure to give you the double the amount of food coupons than the usual. Fair enough?” She teased – albeit the younger girl was never one to refuse any free food ever.

 Of course Park argued and the friendly banter was good to distract Kang from her problems for a little while. Nevertheless, they still had much work to do and soon both girls were focused on planning their schedule for the next days and how they would work to make sure they could deliver the chapter within the deadline – ideally, before Sungyeon decided to come over to watch over them and nag nonstop about how lazy her friends were.

By the end of the morning they had everything set up. Normally, Siyeon would follow her back home and they would work together at her house, still she didn’t feel comfortable bringing the girl to her place now. Siyeon was too clever, she would noticed that something was off the moment she sees Minkyung. Instead, Kang decided that they would work better at Siyeon’s apartment inside the campus. If it was needed, later she could bring some of equipment over. For now it would have to be enough.

The younger girl’s place was quiet, after all Siyeon lived alone – it was also impressively messy, what was no surprise. Kyungwon took a look around, noticing that the apartment was much like the one she used once. Siyeon clearly wasn’t the type that enjoys decorating, keeping the place just like it originally was.

“Siyeon, you didn’t get your mark yet, did you?” She asked in an impulse. Park was one of the only people that she knew that hadn’t been given a mark yet, or at least she thought so, the girl wasn’t much of a talker when it comes down to this subject.

“Why the sudden interest?” The raven asked raising her eyebrows, before elbowing Kyungwon in a playful way. “Unnie, I’m flattered, but Minkyung doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment.”

“As if.” Kyungwon left out a light chuckle. “I never see you with anyone, I was just wondering.”

Park made a funny face, scrunching her nose as if she had smelled something unpleasant. “I don’t care about this whole soulmate thing.”

Kyungwon couldn’t hide a smile at the girl’s exaggerated expressions. “How come? We don’t really get a say on it, someday just happens…” Her smile slowly faded away as she spoke. ”For most people.”

“Well, you can’t control the marks, but you can still choose to follow it or not, right?” Park argued, too busy starting to set up her stuff for work to care to look at Kang, for what the latter was glad since like this she didn’t need to try and hide her emotions.

“Hm, yeah, I suppose. It’s not something people really want to fight, though.” For most, to ignore the soul mark was the same as ignore the universe conspiring in your favor, most people wouldn’t even consider such thing.

“Everyone wants to be happy and this is fine. However, have you ever thought about what these things really are? What does a soul mark really means?” The raven’s voice was light, almost like she was enjoying discussing the topic – Kyungwon couldn’t say the same, therefore she just shrugged, answering in a lifeless tone.

“Means you are fated to be together. Simple as this.”

The raven clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Isn’t it too simple? Humans are entitled of making their own decisions. What if the marks are only a possibility? Maybe destiny is telling you that if you work hard you can be happy with that person, or with anyone else as long as you do your best.”

“I…Never thought about it like this.” Having a soulmate mark was one of the only things that people could rely. It didn’t sounds like a choice, only a concrete fact.

“Life is not static. People change things all the time, sometimes even without realizing it.” That unusual glint was shining in Siyeon’s again, matching the subtle smile on her lips. “I think it’s the same for fate.”

The idea of being able to interfere and build their own destiny was something so out dated that it reminded her of old movies and books, things from before the soulmate marks were a thing and nothing was certain. She found some comfort on it.

Kyungwon mirrored the smile of the younger girl. “This means you are not expecting to find your soulmate?”

“It means that if someday I feel like I need one, I’ll go and get it myself!”

Minkyung stole a glance of the shorter girl, soon turning her gaze back to the blue cup from where tiny clouds of steam were coming out. From all things she thought on the way there, drinking coffee with Yaebin while watching the passerby come and go on the streets, was not one of them – not that she could complain about it.

Yaebin was too nice, nicer than she deserved to be treated. The younger woman invited her for coffee with a polite smile, giving her the time she needed to open up. Just like last time, Minky felt weirdly comfortable around her. Yaebin still smells like plumeria what was rather pleasant, her hair was down today, falling graciously over her shoulders in a dark curtain that was almost black. She looked a little bit paler than next time, less natural and friendly, but undeniably charming in her own way. Minkyung also knew she was smart and talented, gentle and thoughtful, she could tell just by their little interactions so far.

Kim barely knew the woman and could already name so many qualities. Kang Yaebin was a pretty great person, the type of person people wish to have as a soulmate.

Still, she wasn’t Kyungwon.

The soulmate thing was probably wrong, she refused to believe otherwise, nevertheless she got to admit that the small Kang wasn’t someone bad to have as pair. It was more like the other way around.

She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee.

“I’m sorry for have just run away that day. I know it was…”

“Weird? Offensive? A bit mean? Kind of funny?” Yaebin complemented with a soft chuckle. Her tone was light, more like a friendly banter than an actual complain.

“I was going for ‘inappropriate’. I guess it wasn’t the right word.” Minkyung gave her a yellow smile. “I freaked out. It wasn’t something I was expecting or…Or even wishing for.” She sighed. “I want to be honest with you.”

Kim fingers instinctively reached out to touch the ring on her left hand, feeling the small nuances of the intricate pattern, in the hopes it would help to ease her nerves. She managed to face Yaebin this time, her eyes fixed on the girl’s.

“I already have someone in my life. Someone who is really important to me.”

“Yeah, I figured.” Yaebin nodded, her eyes still on Minky’s. There was no anger, sadness or judgment on them, just something that was closer to disappointment. “The way you just left and then you never came back…It wasn’t so hard to understand what is going on.”

It was Minkyung’s turn to nod slightly, feeling the burden of guilt on her shoulders again. She was so focused on her own pain, that she didn’t think much about how Yaebin must’ve felt.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you right away.” Just like she shouldn’t have hidden it of her girlfriend for so long, although the mark seem to have come accompanied by a lot of bad decisions as well. “I don’t want you to misunderstand. I didn’t think you would ever appear. For the first years after my sixteen birthday I waited and waited, and I thought maybe you just weren’t out there.”

Yaebin blinked a bit surprised with the sudden turn of subjects. She was expecting to her about Minkyung’s girlfriend (or boyfriend), not an apology for her ‘betrayal’. How could she even blame the older girl for that? She used to think the same.

“I don’t. Even if you hadn’t wait, what difference would it make now? We are like, ten years late on this? I was as much shocked as you when this appeared.” Kang spoke, showing her palm were the bright red mark was. Back in the days, she would have been so happy to receive a soul mark. Now, it was more of burden than anything else. “I won’t lie, it was pretty disappointing to not meet you when my birthday came, and well all the others for some years.” She left out a small giggle, finding in humor her escape route. “I used to think all my problems would disappear if my soulmate was by my side, that you would be some sort of magical being or whatever.”

It was incredible naïve, but which sixteen year old girl isn’t? Her family situation couldn’t be worse at the time and all she wanted was a source of comfort, she found it in the thoughts about her soulmate. With time, and the lack of the said soulmate in her life, she had become more cynical and start to be thankful to the fact that she didn’t have anyone else to worry about when. Then Kim Minkyung happened, and although it wasn’t as magical as she supposed it would be, she still found herself caring for the other woman.

“I think I would have done the same if I had the opportunity.” Yaebin shrugged, holding the white cup behind her hands a little tighter. Perhaps she should feel glad Minkyung had better luck then herself. She wasn’t that noble. “I wish I had.”

Minkyung sighed and it was the only sound for a moment. None of them knew what to say, or even if they were supposed to say anything.

“Where were you all along?”

“Why I never saw you before?”

They asked at the same time, sharing a soft laugh at their bad timing.

Minkyung took the lead, answering the small Kang question. “I’m always busy with work. I passed by here a couple of times, but never got the chance of coming inside before. It’s weird, since we live so close by.”

“So you live here as well? Fate is really a funny thing.” Yaebin said in a low voice. The irony was killing her, it was hilarious and insulting at the same time. “I live here since I graduated from college. But I spent some time in the countryside when I was back in high school.”

“During high school?” Minkyung furrowed her eyebrows, her quick brain noticing something. She had met Kyungwon a year before high school, the brown haired girl had transferred from Gwangju to Seoul, meanwhile with Yaebin it seemed like the opposite. “You mean you used to live here? So we probably would have frequented the same school?”

Yaebin’s eyes grew a bit wider as the realization also hit her. “Probably?” She said, trying to recall the name of the school she was supposed to enroll before moving away. The name came easily as she remembered seeing it in the uniform of the kids that visited the store earlier, so she told it to Minkyung. “You went there?”

Kim looked perturbed by the idea, her answering coming in the form of a light nod. She was supposed to meet Yaebin at the school, instead she spent all her years there with Kyungwon by her side. She wondered how it would have been if the smaller Kang appeared during her second year there. Would she like her even before the mark signalized they were a perfect match? Would she love her? Would it have changed her relationship with Kyungwon? All questions running through her mind were enough to give her a headache.

Yaebin didn’t say anything for a while, similar questions filling her head. Her dad passing away had affect her family and her own life greatly, but she never thought it could also be the reason why she didn’t met her soulmate before. As if she needed any more reasons to hate the date.

“You are really pretty.” The younger brunette broke the silence after a couple of minutes where they both just focused on finishing their coffees, using it as an excuse to gain time to organize their erratic thoughts.

Minkyung narrowed her beautifully shaped eyes in confusion, making her look even more with a fox than usual. Her soft features coming together nicely, matching perfectly the calm and easy going personality she had demonstrated so far.

Kang smiled, shaking her head. “You are pretty. And tall. And smart and all that.” She gesture towards the girl with a smile. She just wanted to light up the mood, and her way of doing so was to say whatever was on her mind. “My teenager self would have fangirlied so hard seeing you, that I’m almost glad we didn’t meet before or you would remember me as the embarrassing kid at school.”

The confused expression, gave place to a big smile that soon reached Minky’s eyes turning them into crescents that were almost as big as her sister’s, Yewon. A compliment was the last thing she expected in that moment, albeit she was glad Yaebin was able to break down the tension.

“I hate to ruin your illusions, but I was a pretty awkward kid back then. You know those kids that are only legs and arms? That was me.” It was a bit of exaggeration, of course. However, she had a hard time adjusting to her own body after her grown spurt. “Besides, you are really pretty yourself. I doubt anyone would ever complain about having you infatuated of them.”

“Hm, maybe? I have to have some confidence sometimes.” It was Yaebin’s turn to laugh.

This time, the silence that proceeded was a comfortable one. Everything about the soul mark had been so dramatic and negative so far, that thinking about a better scenario was a good way of getting them to relax and enjoy a bit each other’s company.

“I know this may sound weird, but I just wanted to get to know you a little more. Maybe like this we could understand why we got these things.” Minkyung said, referring to the marks. Yaebin noticed the way the girl never looked in the direction of her own soulmate mark, instead she would touch the ring on her hand – Minkyung might want her friendship, however there was no doubt to whom she was still loyal to. Despite her reasons, she had a good point.

“Yes, Minkyung. I would like that.”

“Where were we? Oh yeah, the time travel! I think we need to increase the contrast of the colors, it doesn’t look good yet.” Siyeon said, still focused on the work even after all these hours.

“I agree. But leave it for now. Tomorrow we will finish it.” Kyungwon yawned, adjusting her bag over her shoulders. It had been a very long day of work, and thanks to Siyeon’s help they had advanced the project. If they kept this pace, they would be able to deliver the chapter even before the deadline. Maybe it was because she was in a different place that didn’t constantly reminded her of unpleasant things, but she even manage to draw somethings on her own.

The moon was up in the sky already and she should get going. Although Park insisted on saying that they could put up an all nighter, Kyungwon knew better than put her friend in such a terrible working situation that wouldn’t be good neither for them, nor the quality of the work.

Now she was ready to go, making her way towards the exit when her eye caught something.

“Is this the new volume? I thought it would be out only next week?” She asked, noticing the comic book laying on the coffee table near Park’s laptop. Kyungwon didn’t like those, but Minkyung had every single volume.

“It’s a special edition. Didn’t you know?” Siyeon replied, using a hand to cover her own yawn. Clearly that stubborn kid also needed some rest.

“No, I think I forgot about it…” Perhaps she should pay a visit to the bookstore near her neighborhood and get one for her girlfriend. Maybe this kind of small gesture would make things feel a bit normal again.

“Now just rest, okay?” She reached out to ruffle younger girl’s dark hair in an affectionate way. “Thanks for today, Ddiddi.”

“If you were really thankful you wouldn’t do that!” The raven protested, trying to fix her hair back in place. Kyungwon left out a small laugh.

“I’ll bring lunch tomorrow, so wait for me!” She waved goodbye and soon she was on the move.

It didn’t take long to go from the campus to her quiet neighborhood. Luckily at that time most people had already gone back home so there was little traffic and the subway barely had people filling the carts. As soon as she left the station, she made sure to check her wristwatch, confirming that it was almost time for the bookstore to close, therefore she would need to hurry up.

Thanks to her long legs and stubborn nature, she was able to reach the place while the doors were still open and the bright yellow sign was still on. A little smile appeared on her face as she breathed in relief, her steps becoming slower to allow her to catch her breath properly.

Her steps soon came to a stop as she looked through the store’s window, noticing a very familiar figure sitting beside the bookstore’s owner. There was a smile on Minkyung’s face, one that she hadn’t seen in weeks, and it was directed to the other woman.

Kyungwon had told her to go after her soulmate. Could it be…?

In the day of the concert she wasn’t able to see the girl properly, still she remembered one of them having very dark hair, pale skin and small stature…The description was a perfect fit. Kyungwon had visited the place several times to get Minkyung her favorite comic books. She started doing it when Minky got too busy with work and Kyungwon figured leaving her little gifts would be a good solution to make her days at work better.

How ironic.

The bookstore girl also had a smile on her face, her pretty face free of worries, just like Minkyung in the moment.

They looked good together. She wasn’t ready to see it yet, maybe she would never be.

Kyungwon made a turn, making her way back home. Perhaps she would need to pull an all nighter after all. Not for work, for her own sanity.

A/N: Better later than never, I suppose? I’ve been busy with college, but I hope you guys are enjoying my one shots meanwhile.

Things will take a turn from here, and as I said long ago I’ll allow you all to help me decide, so please do vote on the poll, it will decide how things will end up. Please, choose wisely since it will define wether we have a 2kyung or Minkyebin end game. I know the choices aren't clear, but I wanted to give both ships an equal chance.

Thank you for reading, commenting and subscribing (we are almost at 100, thank you!). I apologize for all the mistakes.