“Seriously, this guy has no morals.”

Dowoon listens in amusement to the usual complaints as he returns his empty lunch box back into his backpack. The classroom is empty since all students went to the cafeteria for lunch, save for him, Sungjin, and the new transfer student Jaehyung. 

“What did he do again?” Jaehyung asks timidly. He’s been listening silently for too long, but since all Sungjin do in his free time is rant about his soulmate, he’s finally given in for his curiosity.

“He’s been cheating on his exams!” Sungjin exclaims appalled, exposing his left forearm for extra dramatic effects, “I mean who still cheats this way anyways? How doesn’t he get caught?”

Dowoon rolls his eyes at his friend’s exaggeration, “What’s new about it? The guy is pro at cheating. It’s time you get over it.”

Sulking, Sungjin sits back while crossing his arms. His posture, however, doesn’t stop Jae’s curiosity.

“Sungjin, how did you know he’s a ‘he’?”

The question causes a mocking snort from Dowoon, so his friend shoots him a dirty look. Poor Jae is confused until Sungjin stops pouting and gives him a reply, “He drew me a on the first day. It has to be a he.” 

Jaehyung takes a moment before he starts laughing uncontrollably, finally letting go of his awkwardness. Even Dowoon can’t help it and joins him. He’ll always find the contrast between Sungjin and his soulmate entertaining. 

His friend gives him a betrayed look and pouts, “Keep laughing. It must be nice to have an artistic soulmate.”

The mention of his significant other turns his ears red right away. Jae sends him a curious look, so he spares him the effort of asking and bares his left arm for him. His face gets shades darker when the other’s eyes widen in amazement as he grabs his arm to get a better look. 

“This is so beautiful,” he breaths, and Dowoon’s heart flutter, because that’s what he thinks every time he looks at his arms. He’s been blessed to have such a talented soulmate. He has a different drawing every day, all so breathtaking. 

Today, there’s a colorful dreamcatcher on top of his right forearm, while the rest is covered by multiple fallen feathers and a small ‘Good morning’ by his wrest. The masterpiece took about two hours to be completed, and Dowoon, as usual, couldn’t tear his gaze away for the whole time.

“Did you meet them yet?” 

He shakes his head, bummed out that that day has yet to come. Dowoon has always wondered what kind of person his soulmate is and has had all kind of questions about him. He really can’t wait to finally meet him and get to know him in person. As for now, he tries to make the best of the hours he spends everyday watching patterns appear over his skin. It’s then when he feels really connected to his soulmate.

“What about you?” Sungjin directs the question to Jae, who’s yet to talk about his soulmate. All he gets back is a concerning silence. 

Jae sighs deeply before he clarifies, “He lives far away. In another continent. We literally need to cross oceans to meet.”

Dowoon gives him a sympathetic smile, “I’m sure you’ll meet soon.”

“Thanks. It’s okay though. We talk on daily basis so it’s kind of better than nothing,” Jae reassures them. Still, Dowoon still feel sorry for him. He also can’t help but wonder, what if his soulmate is far away as well? What if they won’t be able to meet because of distance or other barriers? 

He really hopes for his soulmate to be close by so that he can meet him as soon as possible. No. Dowoon is certain his soulmate is somewhere near and the days till they meet are very few. He can feel it.    

It must be.

-

“Another date?” 

Wonpil jumps in his spot, startled by the voice that came from behind, “Jesus Younghyun! you could’ve made some noise!” 

“I knocked,” Younghyun says, but he doesn’t believe him. Or maybe he did while Wonpil was zoning out, busy staring at his arm so he didn’t hear him. 

“Your soulmate has to be the most forgetful person on earth.”

His friend comments, like he always does whenever he sees the dates and small notes littering the skin of his arm, so he rolls his eyes, “Says the one how writes all the syllabus on his hands before every exam. Someone is ought to tell the teachers the secret behind your almost perfect grades one of these days and they won’t like it.”

Younghyun shrugs, “Not if I tell him that my soulmate wrote them. I can’t get punished over that.”

Wonpil shakes his head in disbelief, “No wonder your soulmate is still ignoring you.” 

“He’s not ignoring me!!” his friend objects, offended.

“He is. And you can’t deny it.”

“Okay he is,” Younghyun gives in, knowing very well that Wonpil is right, “But not all the time. Sometimes he gets really sweet. I might actually get his name very soon. What about yours, still too shy?”

Wonpil sighs in response, although he’s filled with warmness. So like Younghyun just said, his soulmate is awfully shy. It took him days to reply to the simple ‘hi’ Wonpil wrote on the back of his hand. Afterwards, they’ve barely exchanged any words, and he started to think that maybe his soulmate didn’t want him. But the small ‘good mornings’, ‘good nights’, and emojis said otherwise. 

His soulmate really wanted to take things super slow. He’d ask him some simple questions sometimes, like what’s his favorite color or food, one time he was bold enough to ask about his age, but they’re yet to exchange names. Wonpil doesn’t actually mind. He likes the pace they’re going at, it’s kind of thrilling. He’s always thought that soulmates who meet as soon as they’re connected kill the spirit of the chase. 

The dates were another surprise. At first, they puzzled him, made him question their meanings, and his soulmate must’ve sensed that, so he started adding small notes next to each, ‘homework’, ‘dentist’, ‘exam’, ‘drum lesson’, etc. Sometimes he’d write complete to-do lists, and start crossing each task he’s finished, and Wonpil must be crazy to find that cute and endearing. 

Since he’s totally a sap, he started carrying around a small notebook where he copies all the dates, just to keep up with his soulmate’s schedule. One time he’s wrote ‘the new house password’, and Wonpil was kind of shocked that there are people who actually could forget such important details. Turns out that his soulmate is an extreme case, as a week later, a question appears on his palm, ‘do you remember my house password? I’m stuck outside :3’. After long minutes of laughing his off out of amazement, Wonpil checks his notebook and writes the password under the question, getting a happy ‘thank you!!’ in return. Ever since, his soulmate started using him to remember things, and he couldn’t be any happier about it.

He really can’t wait to meet the other to about his forgetfulness.

-

It’s said that when your soulmate is having intense emotions -mostly sad-, you can actually feel it, as your soul yearn for its other half and attempt to comfort it. People usually realize this through different symptoms, like a severe itching over the soulmate’s writings or a restless heart, and very rarely daydreams and shared vision.

But Wonpil’s symptoms are different. It comes in bursts of motivation to draw. Whenever his soulmate is having a hard time, he gets a very weird urge to draw something grandiose and colorful. One time he woke up in the middle of the night and stayed awake till sunrise just to draw a colorful galaxy for him, the next morning he woke up to a timid ‘thank you’ on his palm. 

His soulmate as well could sense his distress, and would comfort him in the cutest ways. Sometimes he’d doodle something really cute or would write some lame pun for him, and that’s more than enough to lift Wonpil’s mood for the rest of the day. 

However, the motivation that hits Wonpil today is different. He feels happy, his heart is literally fluttering in his chest and his fingers are having a mind of their own. He’s been sitting in the same position for hours, drawing line after line, his collection of colorful pens laying on his desk as he uses them one by one. 

Today’s masterpiece is a whole garden -the stem of a vine snaking around his forearm with flowers of all sizes and colors blooming from it, and butterflies flying around. It’s probably the most perfect and beautiful thing he’s ever drawn. He really doesn’t know what’s got into him, his only guess is that his soulmate is in a very good mood. 

He watches with pride the final picture, still disappointed that he won’t witness his soulmate’s reaction when he sees it. However, Wonpil still hopes that his drawings are enough to convey his feelings to the other. 

The sudden vibration of his phone is what breaks his trance. His father is calling so he picks up right away, “Hey dad!”

“Wonpil!” his father’s panicked voice comes from the other end, alarming him, “I’m stuck in traffic right now and your mother have a class, can you watch the 3pm class for me until I come? I’ll be fifteen minutes late at most.”

“Oh, of course, don’t worry I’ll take care of them,” he reassures his father, already used to this kind of request. 

“Thanks son!”

The academy is just next to their house and Wonpil walks inside as if he owns the place. Oh wait, that’s almost true, because his parents own it and he’s been practically raised there, between the music instruments, the instructors, and the music classes. Almost all of the old and new students know him, since he’s always strolling around and sometimes attending lessons with them, or giving the youngest ones classes himself. It’s too bad he’s been too busy with his studies that he barely gets time to visit now. 

Wonpil passes by a classroom where he’s sure a drum lesson is taking place -judging by the loud beats coming from inside. And while he’s never been really interested in drums, since he’s always been more of a piano guy, he finds himself walking backwards to steal a look inside through the glass window. His curiosity about the instrument has peaked lately because his soulmate is obviously a drummer himself. 

Inside, he sees two guys and the drum’s instructor standing at one side, watching a guy behind a drum set going wild. Wonpil is as impressed as them by his playing, so he tiptoes to get a better view of the guy, only to fail. All he can see is franticly moving strong arms and a board shoulder, the rest is hidden behind the tall cabinet. 

Wonpil loses track of time listening to the loud, yet rhythmic drum beats. When the bell rings, he jumps in both surprise and panic. He then runs to catch the class, disappointed that he couldn’t watch the performance till the end or even get to know who the talented guy was. 

The class Wonpil has to take care of is, fortunately, a kids class. They’re all under ten and hyperactive, but he’s used to them and their excitement. So when they beg him to play something for them, he does so with a big smile. 

-

Dowoon is glad he’s joined the same academy as his friends. The instructor is so encouraging and experienced and allows them to fool around sometimes, which has ended in each of them learning new crazy tricks and improve significantly. 

Today in particular, Dowoon has been in his best condition, playing like he’s never done before. He’s not even sure what came over him or what possessed him. He just snapped, throwing all of his shyness, hesitance, and insecurities away. All he can say is that it has to do with his soulmate. The latter must be in really good mood and it’s affecting him.

Jaehyun jumps on him as soon as they get their break, “You were awesome today dude!”

“Something good happened? huh?” Hajoon asks teasingly, “Are you hiding it from us?” 

Then, they’re both on him, one holding him in a headlock and messing his hair while the other is tickling him. 

Or maybe Dowoon shouldn’t have joined the same academy as his friends after all. Those bastards enjoy teasing him too much, knowing how shy he can be. He finally survives their attack and decides to excuse himself to the restroom before he gets killed for ‘being too cute’- at least that’s the excuse Jaehyun uses to annoy him. 

He spends his trip to the restroom staring at his left arm in awe. His soulmate has really outdone himself this time. The drawing took four hours to be completed, setting a new record. Not that Dowoon is complaining though. He could stay forever staring at the lines forming on his arms without getting bored. It’s basically the best part of his days and his motivation through everything. He can’t even start to imagine how beautiful the person behind such artistic drawings is.  

Alas, Dowoon gets too distracted by thoughts of his soulmate that he gets lost in the corridors of the academy.

‘Is it possible for me to get stupider?’ he wonders as he keeps trying to find his classroom, but all hallways are looking the same at the moment. He can’t even remember the way he walked through earlier. 

Somehow, he ends up in a part of the academy that he’s never passed by before -the doors have different colors that’s how he’s noticed it- so he starts searching for someone to save him. 

However, all the classrooms in the area are empty and there’s no one around. He only sighs in relief when he hears a piano’s sound coming from an open classroom. Dowoon rushes there, ready to knock, but stops last second. How could he interrupt such a sight after all?  

In the middle of the classroom stands a grand black piano with a guy playing the softest of melodies. Dowoon has never seen someone as beautiful or as pure as this guy, with his eyes closed, a content smile on his lips and the sunshine caressing his skin and giving him an ethereal effect. The guy’s beauty itself is ethereal. out of this world. An angel, for sure.   

Dowoon stands still like a statue, afraid that the simplest move or sound he makes will ruin the scene and mood, or wake him up from his dream- because he’s starting to think that he’s actually daydreaming, otherwise where will he ever meet someone as angelical as this guy. 

His eyes are hungry to take in as much details as possible so that he can engrave this scene in his memory, for forever if possible. He almost forces his gaze to move from the guy’s face to his moving fingers over the piano, and as expected, the sight is no less enchanting. 

Dowoon’s reverie must be getting to a whole new level because now he’s starting to see things. When his eyes glance a little higher, he thinks he sees glimpses of a familiar drawing on one of the pianist’s revealed forearms. A familiar drawing identical to the one currently on Dowoon’s left forearm. 

No. Dowoon must be dreaming, or hallucinating. This guy, who’s an embodiment of perfection, the closest a human can ever get to being an angel, can’t be his soulmate. Dowoon is never that lucky. He must be either delirious, or has eaten something funny earlier. 

Hanging between a beautiful trance and a dilemma, Dowoon doesn’t realize it when the piece comes to an end. The loud excited cheers and clapping makes him notice the bunch of kids sitting on the ground around the piano -where did they even come from?- and he’s suddenly aware of his surroundings. 

Panicking, he looks back to the pianist’s face, hoping the guy hasn’t noticed his presence yet so he can flight. It seems that he’s asking for too much, as he ends up locking gaze with a pair of the most captivating dark orbs he’s ever seen. 

It seems that Dowoon is not the only one immobilized by the eye contact, as the guy himself is staring at him with too much intensity that he’s red all over, not to mention how his heart has finally restored its ability to beat and it’s going wild. 

“I-I-…” Dowoon tries to speak, but he’s never been the most eloquent even in the most normal situations, let alone now. 

His gaze strays around, in attempt to sort his thoughts and calm his heart- which he won’t be able to do if he keeps looking in the guy’s eyes. 

The kids are giving them funny, confused looks, which is kind of amusing. Some courageous boy tugs at the pianist’s jeans, “Hyung, who’s that guy?” 

The pianist finally tears his gaze from Dowoon to smile to the kid and answer his question, “I’m about to find out.” 

Poor Dowoon feels the rate of his heart picking up again. First, he’s finally got to hear his soulmate’s voice, and second, said soulmate is walking towards him. 

He stops walking when he’s just a few steps away, “Hi,” he grins oh so breathtakingly, “Can I know your name?” 

Dowoon blinks in surprise, but then drops his head and stammers, “D-Dowoon.”

“Dowoon,” he repeats melodically, he then smiles again, “I’m Wonpil.”

And this is his turn to do the same. Dowoon unconsciously echoes it back, liking how it rolls so easily off his tongue. 

“Hey Dowoon,” Wonpil calls so casually, as if they’ve known each other their entire lives, “There’s something that I need to check, is it okay?” he questions, hesitant. 

And even though it lacks a long explanation, Dowoon agrees in a heartbeat with a sure nod. He really hopes they’re sharing the same thoughts. 

Wonpil slowly takes a step closer to him, then ever so shyly takes his hand in his, the touch sending shivers down his spines. Dowoon tries to gulp all of the emotions climbing up his throat one by one but it’s impossible, there’s too much of them. 

There’s a heavy tension in the air as Wonpil nervously lifts the sleeve of his right arm. But then, his eyes widen in both surprise and relief at the sight of Dowoon's daily planner, happiness rolling off him in waves, engulfing Dowoon by consequence- or maybe it’s just coming from inside of him. Suddenly, everything around them is suffocatingly sweet. 

“It’s you,” Wonpil inhales deeply, gaze alternation from the scribbles on Dowoon’s skin to Dowoon’s face. He cups his cheeks and presses their foreheads together while giggling and repeating the words, “It’s really you!” over and over again. He then jumps on him, hugging him tightly, steady strong arms encircling around him immediately. 

So that’s really what people meant by knowing your soulmate right away, and feeling complete for the first time ever. No words could’ve prepared them for such a moment or such emotions. It’s their moment, their precious memory that will forever be engraved in their memory, the turning point in their lives, the day their souls reunited and they became one. 

One soul. Forever.

-

“Jae still not back?” 

Dowoon asks as soon as he sits next to Sungjin. Said guy has flown a week ago to meet his soulmate and is yet to come back. He sounded so happy on the phone the other day that Dowoon started doubting he’ll never come back. 

“Don’t get me started,” Sungjin frowns in annoyance, “He called yesterday, kept going for hours about how perfect his soulmate is. I might have puked a couple of times,” he makes a disgusted face before continuing, “His flight is next Monday. Can’t wait to have him here. For the whole day.”  

Dowoon doesn’t blame his friend for being sarcastic. They’ll have to endure weeks or months of Jae alternating between gushing about his soulmate and crying because he misses him, until they get to meet again.  

“Well, I can’t really blame him,” he says truthfully, “I’d do the same if I’d have to face the same destiny with Wonpil.”

“Oh please! You’re already like that,” Sungjin points out, to which Dowoon grins sheepishly. It’s really hard not to talk about Wonpil all the time and not to miss him every single minute of the day. 

To further annoy Sungjin, Dowoon mischievously asks, “So how’s Younghyun doing?”

As expected, a scowl settles on his friend’s face instantly at the mention of the guy. It’s been a great surprise for all of them when Sungjin and Wonpil’s friend turned out to be soulmates. Sungjin has been playing hard to get just to give his soulmate a lesson, but that didn’t discourage Younghyun from constantly flirting with him. Dowoon still finds the contradiction in their personalities amusing. 

“Still an , still cheating on his exams,” Sungjin replies, even though his lips slightly turns upward. 

Dowoon shakes his head. Poor Younghyun. He is facing the hardest of challenges: getting Sungjin’s heart. May God help him and bless his soul. 

He looks at his arm when he feels the familiar tickling, and under the small drawing of a rose, a new scribble appears. ‘I miss you’, it reads. Although his fluttering heart and blush, Dowoon doesn’t take long to recover and write his reply.

‘I miss you more ♡’