Soojin didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to go meet up with the boy because truthfully, the whole thing was ridiculous. Fate? She didn’t believe in it. She only believed in the hard work one puts in himself. She just couldn’t believe that something so abstract could possibly predestine one’s life. It just didn’t make sense.

Plus, she was angry at him for making her late to class. If she wasn’t stopped by him, she would have made to class on time.

But on the other hand, she was curious. She was curious on what he had to say and why he wanted to help. The boy was lucky when he assumed she didn’t have another class after this, but she still hadn’t decided what she wanted to do.

“Forget it,” she thought. “It’s not worth it.” She grabbed her backpack of the bench she was sitting on and headed off into the direction opposite of the clock tower.

However, there she was, sitting on the steps that led down to the clock tower. Why she was there instead of heading to her car to go home, she still truly didn’t understand. But she did realize that she did indeed want to say something. She wanted to make several points clear to this boy, or else she would have become troubled about leaving things as so. So, there she was there, waiting.

She stared at the string, questions still roamed in her head. Now that she knew what it meant and the basis of why it was there, she still didn’t know why she was the only one who could see it.

She grumbled, thinking of how much trouble this little piece of string had caused and probably will cause. She sank her face into her hands which were propped on her knees. She stayed there for a few minutes before she noticed a shadow that suddenly covered her. She looked up and in front of her was the boy, her soulmate, smiling widely. She frowned in response.

“I really thought you weren’t going to come,” he grinned.

“Surprise,” she said unenthusiastically waving her hands lightly in mock amusement. “I don’t even know why I’m here.”

“You’re here because you want answers,” he said sitting down dangerously close to her. She shifted the slightest over as he continued, “And I’m here because I want to help with your interesting problem.”

“Interesting, right,” she sighed. “I’m so glad you find this captivating, but first I wanted to make sure you didn’t think I was confessing to you this morning,” she stated.

“What? Oh, ohhh, of course not,” he replied smirking a little. “Because I distinctly remember you saying to ‘forget what happened’,” using little quote marks to emphasize his point.

She rolled her eyes, “I’m so delighted you remembered, but obviously that’s not the case anymore since we’re both here.”

He laughed, “Of course. But I have to say Sungjong was a little out of line there. Can’t blame him though. I rather do get a lot of confessions lately. He must have assumed you were another one. He really liked you though. He kept telling me how much…”

Soojin put her hand over her ears. “Stop. I didn’t come here to hear you brag.”

“Oh, my apologies then,” he laughed. “So, why did you come?”

She ruffled her hair a little before replying, “I needed to tell you some personal opinions that affect both of us.”

He eyes twinkled, “But first, tell me about this little problem of yours.”

“Little?” she huffed, “Little? This is not little; it’s a huge problem. Because it involves you, me, and fate.”

His eyes glimmered with even more excitement and curiosity. “Fate? Well, this is getting more interesting.”

She looked at him exasperation and couldn’t believe that he only interested in this circumstances because the whole situation was so fascinating to him. “Unfortunately for you, I don’t believe in fate.”

“No?” he said surprised. He frowned, and then smiled, “Then tell me about this red string.”

“I’m assuming you know about the history behind it?”

He nodded, “Sungjong briefed me about it when you left.”

Soojin assumed that this "Sungjong" person was the one who rudely thought she was confessing.

“And you know what it means?”

He grinned widely, “That the two ends that connect each person means they are destined lovers?”    

She stared angrily at the ground before turning to him. “I don't know why you even asked me that question when it's obvious you alreadly know about it." She sighed. "But you're right. And there’s a red little string connecting from my finger,” she said as she pointed to it, “to yours.” She pointed to his.

“So, you’re saying that we’re soulmates,” he asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

“No, that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is what I see and I don’t even trust myself,” she said exasperatedly. “Anyways, the point is I don’t need your help or whatever it is that you want to do.”

“What happened to the girl who desperately asked me to help her?”

“That was when I thought you knew what was going on and could give me some answers. Obviously, that’s not the case.”

“So what are you going to do about it?” he asked, sincerely curious.

“I’m going to ignore it,” she declared.

“What?” he asked, surprised at her claim.

“That’s why I want to tell you one thing,” she said standing up, ignoring his exclaim. “I don’t know why I’m the only one who can see this string, but I know that I definitely don’t believe in this “soulmate” crap. I don’t care if fate dictates that the love of my life is you; I don’t believe it. If I fall in love, I want it to be because I actually did fall in love, not because fate told it’d be so.”

After her spiel of words, she took a deep breath.

He looked at her thoughtfully, “I see. That’s too bad. I was really planning on helping, you know.”

“Like I said, I don’t need it. I don't even know what you could help with. And that’s what I wanted to make sure you knew. I don’t plan on getting to know you better. I hope we never have to associate like this again. I hope we can go back to being strangers.” She nodded, “Thank you and good-bye.”

And with that, she turned around to leave and started to walk away.

“Wait!” she heard him call. She ignored him because in her head, he was just a stranger.

“Wait, will you!” he called again.

She sighed, feeling the stares on her and turned around. “What?” she grumbled.

He ran up to her and grinned. “Well, can you at least tell me your name?”

“I thought I said I wanted to be strangers? Usually if you’re strangers with someone, you don’t know their name,” she scoffed.

“Can you tell me for curiosity’s sake?” he smiled pleadingly.

She hesitated. She weighed the consequences in her head. If she told him, it would give him the opportunity to call out her name whenever he saw her. That didn’t go well with her “let’s be strangers only” plan. On the other hand, he seemed to respect her decision about it, and looked like he was willingly to go along with it as well even though she did reject his help. Perhaps, she would give him just this. And even though he knew her name, she didn’t know his and she wanted to keep it that way. He would always be a stranger to her.

“It’s… it’s Cho Soojin,” she finally managed to say, looking a way to escape so there wouldn’t be any further conversation.

“I see,” he nodded, musing it over. He brightened up, “Well, my name is…” he started to say.

“Wait! Wait! I don’t want to know!” she exclaimed as she put her hands up, trying to interrupt him before he finished his sentence.

“…Kim Myungsoo,” he finished with a smile on his face.

She groaned internally. Now that she knew his name, he was no longer a stranger. The face had a name. He was now Kim Myungsoo. A boy who fate claimed as her destined lover and a boy who seemed a little too interested about it.

She sighed, not saying anything because she didn’t know what to do anymore. All she could do now was to try and never meet this man again.

“You know what Cho Soojin? I, myself, believe in fate. And if fate decides to put off together, we can’t fight it. I think we’ll meet each other again. I think it will bring us together,” he smiled and disappeared.

When he left, she wrinkled her face and said, “And I hope to God that doesn’t happen.”

A/N:So she finds out his name even though she doesn’t want to.

Once again, thanks for reading. And I hope you continue to enjoy this story.