1400+ words

"Jongin, what time is it?"

"I don't know."

Sehun frowned. "Well could you check?"

Luhan touched his boyfriend's arm and smiled gently. "Leave him alone, Sehun-ah. Can't you see he's on edge?"

Jongin ignored them and continued to blindly walk forward through the mall. Of course he was on edge. He'd been a complete wreck since the beginning of the week. Being with Sehun and Luhan- those who had been through this before- was supposed to help calm his nerves, but it really did nothing. Jongin was losing his sanity as each second ticked by.

This was it. Today was the day he had been waiting for since he got his TiMER installed. Jongin caught a glimps of himself in one of the stores' glass windows. He slowed his steps to put his styled hair back into place, but then stopped entirely when he wasn't happy with the results.

"We're stopping again?" Sehun whined.

"I look like crap," Jongin groaned. "How could I have let myself leave the house looking like this?"

The youngest rolled his eyes and glared at him through the glass. "You're wearing jeans and a T-shirt. It's simple. It's perfect."

Luhan grabbed Jongin's shoulder and forced him to turn around. "Would you stop fussing over yourself? You're meeting your soul mate. Your other half."

"You think I don't know that?" Jongin whimpered helplessly.

Luhan huffed a sigh. "What I'm trying to say is that, you're meant to be. Whoever he is was made for you, and you were made for him. He's going to love you, even if you have- no." He flicked a stray hair out of Jongin's face. "He's going to love you because of your flaws. That's what true love's all about, isn't it?"

He stole a glance toward Sehun who immediately ducked his head to hide a small grin. Luhan took his hand and interlocked fingers with him, beaming like a drop of sun.

Jongin lowered his eyes to their matching TiMERs. Both had stopped counting down for a little over a year but the couple refused to have the devices removed. It was like their small way of showing the world that they had found their life-long happiness, even at such a young age. It was ridiculously annoying.

"Jongin."

He looked up, unaware that Sehun had been trying to talk to him this entire time.

"Jongin, I've noticed that you haven't checked your TiMER since," Sehun stuck his unoccupied hand in his pocket. "Well, since yesterday."

He stared down at his laces, unable to meet his friend's curious gaze. "I... Well I just..." He kicked at the white tiles. "I thought maybe if I stopped looking at it, it wouldn't bother me as much."

There was silence, and then Luhan scoffed. "And how's that working out for you?"

Jongin didn't answer.

"Just look at it already.

Begrudgingly, he touched the smooth plastic strip on his left wrist, covering the numbers until he turned it up right. He took in a breath and peeked behind his fingers.

0000d 00h 05m 37s

"F-five minutes," Jongin half whispered and looked up to his friends. "In five minutes I'm gonna meet- I- I don't know if I can do thi-"

His eyes suddenly went out of focus and he felt everything around him slow in a hazy blur. A small coffee shop came into view across from him. Its warm, caffeinated aroma took over Jongin's senses, pulling him toward the entrance without his control.

"Jongin? Jongin, where are you going?"

"Shh, it's happening," Luhan gushed excitedly. "He's being lead to his soul mate!"

They followed him into the café. The golden lights cast an inviting glow against the brown sugar walls. It was comfortably quiet- easy music lilted softly in the background, a low murmur came from college students who sat at the windows sipping their coffee, and everyone else either had their nose in a book or were typing away on their Macs.

Jongin checked his TiMER.

0000d 00h 05m 012s

"I don't understand," he said turning to Luhan and Sehun. "I'm supposed to be here. I can feel it. But I still have five minutes left."

"Maybe your soul mate isn't here yet," Sehun proposed. "I guess this is the place but not the time."

Jongin scanned the small amount of people there. "But what if he is here?" No one looked up at him.

"It doesn't matter." Luhan explained. "The TiMER is always accurate. You will meet him when the TiMER hits zero."

Jongin growled under his breath. Suddenly he wasn't scared anymore. He wanted to meet this person and he wanted to meet him now.

"Fine. I guess I'll get something to help the wait," he grumbled, heading toward the counter.

The three boys ordered their drinks and stood by the door since there were no seats available to them. Luhan stayed at the counter to chat with the apparently Chinese born barista, Yixing. Jongin stared out at the passing people, following every person with a pathetic gaze.

"You look like an abandoned puppy," Sehun teased. Jongin shot him a menacing glare but the younger just laughed. 

0000d 00h 01m 018s

Jongin stared at his TiMER, shaking with each breath he took. He looked up to see Luhan returning with two tuxedo coffees.

"Wish they had boba, but I suppose it's good to have variety," he said handing Sehun his drink.

"Was mine up there?" Jongin asked.

Luhan seemed to have just realized that his friend was empty-handed. "Oh. Maybe he forgot. Just remind him of your order," he said, taking a sip.

If this were any other time, Jongin would have probably accused him of making the barista forget because he was flirting with him. Today, he thought it was best to just go along with whatever was happening. He wasn't sure if you could mess up fate, but Jongin knew he didn't want to find out.

"Excuse me," he said approaching the counter. The boy looked a bit frazzled, which was understandable considering he was the only one working and there was a bit of a line queuing up.

"Ah, one second Sir." He gave Jongin a quick smile and went back to carefully pouring the hot cofee for another customer.

Jongin turned his wrist over.

0000d 00h 00m 45s

"Oh my god." His heart jumped in his chest in surprise. He looked toward Luhan and Sehun at the door, but they were too absorbed in conversation.

"Junmyeon?" The barista called out, breaking Jongin's thoughts. A customer approached the counter and took the drink with a small thank you.

0000d 00h 00m 23s

"Sorry for the wait. What can I do for you Sir?"

"I..." Jongin's heart was beating erratically and he was having difficulty processing his thoughts. "I ordered a latte some time ago. I haven't heard my name called yet."

0000d 00h 00m 15s

"A latte?" the boy asked. He looked at the line of cups by the coffee.

0000d 00h 00m 9s

"Huh, I swear I just made one."

Jongin stared at his TiMER as it ticked down slowly.

This was it.

0000d 00h 00m 05s

The barista e of the cups around to check the order he wrote on it.

This was really happening.

0000d 00h 00m 04s

"I'm sorry, Sir. What was your name again?"

No turning back now.

0000d 00h 00m 03s

He opened his mouth to speak.

0000d 00h 00m 02s

"Jongin?"

But it was not his voice that he heard.

0000d 00h 00m 01s

Jongin turned around and was met with two chocolate brown eyes. His heart melted under the stranger's anticipated gaze.

0000d 00h 00m 00s

A soft beeping trilled from both his TiMER and the strangers', but they didn't even hear it. It wasn't needed anymore.

"Hi," Jongin breathed.

The boy was small in stature and still retained the face of a child. In Jongin's eyes, he resembled far too much like a cherubim. A bashful yet excited smile spread onto the boy's lips. "Hello." His cheeks tinted a rosy pink. It was the most adorable thing Jongin had ever seen.

"How do you know my name?"

With a quiet laugh, the stranger showed him the coffee in his hands, turning it to show Jongin's name scrawled on the side. "I picked this up by mistake. I thought it was mine. I'm sorry." He smiled timidly, making his eyes grow larger in shyness. Jongin wanted to keep him forever.

"Oh, and I'm Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo."

He reached for the drink, brushing fingers lightly with his new found soul mate. "Do Kyungsoo." It was the prettiest name to grace his lips. "My name's Kim Jongin... I've been waiting for you my entire life."