“Hey, you’d love this meme.” Yerim excitedly throws herself onto the chair next to Saeron’s bed. “It cracked me up real good earlier.”

The girl whose complexion brightens a lot compared to last week softly chuckles, whereas her chest heaves with her words. Guess the surgery did work. “Hm, I wonder if that means someone was not paying attention in class earlier.”

“I didn’t skip school or any class or whatever! I was just trying to make use of my time as best as I could. Classes could be boring I have to say.” She puts her phone away and gently taps her girlfriend’s arm in protest.

Much to the other girl’s dismay, Saeron just won’t give in to such debatable display of cuteness. “I’m not interested in memes. Tell me what happened to them today.”

Upset by the cold shoulder given, Yerim decides to play dumb, “Them? Who?”

“Those girls.” Saeron pokes her cheek in return, eyes smiling. “Those girls who you said are one of us. I want to know.”

“Okay. But on one condition.” Yerim’s smirk spells trouble.

“Yeah?”
 

“Watch Pokémon XY with me over the weekend.” Damn her instinct.

“You mean re-watch?”
 

“I’ll take it as a yes?”

“A very unwilling yes.” Not that she'd actually mind though.

-

 

Where have you been? I had been tossing and tumbling until you came. I don’t know where the unrest waters will take me if you won’t hold me.
 

Just another bad day for Jung Eunha.

Eyeing that rubbish bin filled with crumbled paper, she slumps further into her seat and heaves another sigh. The classroom is so empty that she thought she was deaf for a moment.

“Should I just tell her?”

With the thought of a certain towering bullhead, the short-haired brunette tears another page off from her notebook puffing her cheeks. Such misery for being paired up with such towering bullhead who cannot get a single hint or probably comprehend that thing people called, “fate”.

But Eunha is the romantic type.

Well that doubles the misery, doesn’t it?

It could be that long bottled up exasperation, Eunha’s hands act on their own instead of listening to that fired-up brain— she just makes a paper plane and throws it out from the window as hard as she can.

If you ask her, she might say that she would like to have her stupid soulmate thrown away like that paper plane and exchange for a new one. But, you know girls— they’d never admit it right away when they are truly in love.  

“Ow.”

And clearly, there happens to be a victim to Eunha’s little venting time.

“Wait, what is…… this?”

The perpetrator peeks from the window frame and spots the person she has been wanting to see right away (or, not wanting to see if you asked her), holding her head and bending down to pick up the paper plane from the ground.

Sowon the head prefect doesn’t fail to notice her name scribbled all over the paper as she unfolds it. It is not the first time. 

Squinting, she scans through the hallway upstairs for any suspect.

Gasping, Eunha ducks just in time and she can almost feel the taste of a heart attack.
 

“Again?!” She can’t help wondering out loud. How on earth it manages to hit no one other than the giant with dozens of students passing through again and the giant herself isn’t supposed to be here at this time, not once but twice?

Did she mix up Sowon’s schedule with Yerin’s?

No way. She curses the stars above for holding everything against her so far. She isn’t ready. She isn’t going to take the risk before she makes sure of something first.

But too bad she misses the sight of how Sowon carefully folds the paper into a tiny square before placing it in her pocket.

Too bad she doesn’t know tides are drawing her to where she belongs, very slowly, but surely.

Sowon smiles at herself as she carries on.

Taking a detour isn’t such a bad idea after all.
 

It has to be her.
 

She will tell her when she is ready.

And she doesn’t mind waiting a little more.

-

 

“Yo!”

A blonde girl, with a smiley face, waves at her the second she steps in.

Chaeyoung has to admit how she always admires how Lisa can holler at people in such a cool way anytime anywhere.

“Cut the crap.” Still, she remains standing expressionlessly while Lisa dips a chip into the pool of salsa sauce. “I need to know the things I need to know.”

The younger giggles at the quick slur and poor combination of words, “Unnie, calm down. Take a breather. I’m not going anymore. Neither does your soulmate.”

“SO IT’S TRUE? OH MY GOD! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. MY SOULMATE. FINALLY.” She however isn’t even close to anything that defines calm.

For a moment, there is a sense of shame and guilt and regret surging from the inside of her chest. Then, followed by noises mixed with chattering and upbeat music, there is just no way for her brain to go back online.

Her soulmate is there. She hears what she is hearing.

“Hey, look. I’m happy for you.” Lisa wipes the crumbs with a napkin in an utterly elegant way. “But freaking out isn’t helpful at all. You wouldn’t want your soulmate to leave a bad first impression of you.”

Then, something finally hit the back of Chaeyoung’s mind and it successfully reboots her sane self.

“What if I don’t like my soulmate?” She stares right into her best friend’s eyes and it looks a bit menacing, to be honest. Chaeyoung might pass as a cute hamster but when she gets serious, she could be a little bit intimidating.

Yes, Lisa would second this motion. Don’t mess with a hamster. Never. Just feed it, with love. And food of course.

“Nonsense.” Lisa shakes it off coolly and offers her unnie a chip even though the latter seems to be in her own bubble. “Everybody knows how it works. You’re just too paranoid right now pal.”

Gulping, Chaeyoung is trying hard to make sense of the situation she is in. An idea creeps up to her at such an unexpected time.

“Show me your time.”

The younger complies in a heartbeat. With a swift move, she has her inner forearm shoved right at Chaeyoung’s face. 

“Here.”

“Are you…… You aren’t kidding right?”

“Do I look like I am, girl?”

“Okay. No more question asked.”
 

They look at each other for a while. Today is one special day for sure. As if the Sun just rose from the West this morning. Nothing will make sense until the right piece of the puzzle comes waltzing in at the most unexpected timing. 

They both let out a breath they have been holding for god knows how long.

“Let’s just focus on you now,” Lisa speaks up first as she is ready to get to business. “So whe-”

“Excuse me!” A shadow barges in and cuts her off.

Chaeyoung turns her head and is caught up by the look of the newcomer’s face.

A strange familiarity warms her up like the warmest stream squirming in the bottom of your stomach.

-

 

Yoojung swore she was going to smack Doyeon in the head even when it was not quite possible for her to do so.

How could this giant just chickened out and disappeared into thin air just like that?

It was halfway to the audition and she had not come back yet. And Choi Yoojung knew Doyeon’s soulmate was just right there, in the same room with them. She was not going to let this person slip away so easily.

Dialing the number while tiptoeing to look around, Yoojung shimmered through the horde of bystanders waiting outside the studio.

Great, she was not answering her phone too.

And so, she turned another corner just to see Doyeon, who then looked better than ever, was seemingly flirting with another girl.

How? What? Why?

Something took over Yoojung (or shall I name it, great courage and bravery? ) when she did a very athletic run-up getting ready for a very professional inverted face-lock backbreaker on Doyeon who was still merrily sending the girl off after their little chat.

“You brick!”

“Wha- Yoojung wait-”

Without a doubt, the attack was waylaid due to the ungodly height difference of the two and the ungodly quick reflexes of the taller. It simply ended with Doyeon choke-slamming her shortie friend who was swinging her tiny fists merely a few centimeters away from her face.

“Did you just try to kill me?”

“You ungrateful brat!”

“Wait, what did I do?”

“You know what you did.”

Doyeon gave up as Yoojung looked away like a child throwing tantrum. She gently patted the crown of her head testing the water. “I just wanted to get some fresh air. Why would I run away and miss my best buddy’s audition?”

“Hmph.” The notable shorter crossed her arms, somehow looking more adorable than ever. “You were gone for so long. We all thought you aren’t coming back.”

“We?” She widened her already huge eyes. A wide amused Charmander.

She just shrugged, “Yeah. I made some new friends when you dumped me aka your bestest friend for some girl.”

“Wait. Who are your new friends?” Doyeon frowned a little. “Are they nice? Which class are they in? Where are they from?”

“NO. IT’S YOUR TURN TO ANSWER.” Raising her voice, Yoojung looked up to meet Doyeon’s eyes. “WHO IS THAT GIRL? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING TO HER WHILE YOUR SOULMATE IS CLEARLY IN THE STUDIO!”
 

Choi Yoojung is a soft person. She is a girl made of tears, and perhaps of cotton candy too. And Doyeon knows that. 

But what Doyeon doesn’t know is that how Choi Yoojung always longs to meet her soulmate. She would not know how she stares at her timer with wishful eyes— the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.

Simply because Doyeon did not have a timer herself until less than half an hour ago. Kim Doyeon has spent 16 years of her life assuming that she would be not one of those “luckier” ones who does not have to go through heartbreaks and regrets just to find their other halves. 

She just doesn’t know how to handle all these. No. She could toss and catch a human from mid-air, but she could not face the possibility of meeting her other half - the person who she is destined to be with for life.

And Doyeon is precious to Yoojung. She would not trade this for anything else. Yet, Doyeon isn’t her soulmate. It’s different. The timer on Yoojung’s wrist is ticking off so slowly and steadily. If Doyeon’s soulmate is just right around the corner, where is hers?

“Choi Yoojung, listen. I-”

“No, you listen to me.”

Doyeon was taken aback by how her best friend was acting so different right now. It used to work, it used to be able to calm the fluffy human bean with soft voices and sincere eyes. So she kept shut as she saw the look in Yoojung’s eyes changed.

A look she had never seen.

“Go in there. Don’t wait. Don’t make them wait.” The messy bangs of hers shielded her eyes perfectly when she ducked her head. Doyeon didn’t understand still. What crafted her best friend’s sorrowful eyes which she didn’t want her to see?

“I won’t. And I’m coming with you, now.” Doyeon tugged the hem of Yoojung’s shirt and flashes her a small smile. “I really needed some fresh air and then a girl came to ask me the fastest way to the cafeteria. I didn’t mean to run away.”

“For real?” 

“When did I ever lie to you?” Doyeon laughed since Yoojung laughed too.

-

“Unnie, you okay?” Seulgi notices the grimace on Irene’s face. “Should we take a break or something?”

“Hm, I-I’m fine.” The captain huffs and puffs, for no reason. It feels like she has run for a thousand miles in a desert but apparently, she has not. “But I guess a break won’t hurt. Gimme 5 minutes?”

Seulgi nods and proceeds to announce it’s the break time. She turns and sees Irene remaining in her seat in deep thought. It is not a rare sight but Irene is not really being herself today. Like, she is distracted by something? As the considerate friend she is, she chooses not to ask for now. She has her assumptions but it might not be the best time to spoil it.

On the other side of the room, a tall girl from the back finally gets to join her friends.

“I thought you are dead.”

“I thought you left.”
 

Siyeon and Yebin greet her simultaneously, both smiling but carrying vastly different vibes though.

Kyla narrates with a rather nonchalant voice, “There are two types of people.”
 

The cold mask on Kyungwon’s face falls as she cackles loudly, “Yeah, I miss you es too.”

“Those are not very nice words to say.” Nayoung, the leader of their “pack”, interrupts with a new girl standing behind her. “Even when they are indeed pretty dumb.”
 

That’s when her eyes are drawn to the new girl. Amused by how she manages to get the infamous stone warmed up to her, the tall girl puts on a really nice smile. “Hi, name’s Kyungwon. And you?"

The new girl peeks from Nayoung’s shoulder, with Eunwoo hyping her up and saying how they would make great friends on the sideline, “I’m Joo Kyulkyung and I’m from China.”
 

“Woah. Nihao (Hello)!” Kyungwon beams greeting the beautiful girl who has just joined their crew.

“Yes! Wo hen pao leng (I’m so beautiful)! Yo!” Eunwoo shouts at the back the only line Kyulkyung taught her a few moments ago before anyone could react.
 

The Chinese can’t help but giggles, “You guys are fun.”

“Anyway,” Yewon emerges between the twin towers and directs her question to Kyungwon. “Where’s BaeSoong? Wasn’t she with you at the Music Department earlier?”

“She’s on her way.” Kyungwon checks her phone instead of entertaining the shorter girl’s curiosity. “She said she has a friend to meet first.”
 

Nayoung sees everything but says nothing.

Yebin jabs Eunwoo right in the ribs just in time to stop the latter’s blabbermouth, “So, yeah. It’s Kyla’s turn soon after the break. Tell Sungyeon to hurry.”

Kyungwon hums in reply and resumes typing on her phone.

Minkyung feels her phone in her back pocket vibrating but she ignores it. She knows Kyungwon is waiting for her reply but she ignores it.

Siyeon, the streetsmart one, breaks the silence and flings an arm around Kyungwon’s neck. “Aye, shall we head out to grab some drinks for everybody?”

“Sungyeon’s meeting me outside.” Kyungwon softly taps the younger’s hand. “I’ll go.”

 

Watching the tall girl disappear by the door, Eunwoo blurs as Kyulkyung is trying to get a grasp of the dynamics within the group. "She’s particularly weird today.”

Yebin sighs before pinching Eunwoo’s lips and cheeks. “I think you have talked enough for today.”

Nayoung side-eyes Minkyung, yet the other girl is still buffering.

Kyulkyung looks around the room and wonders if the world could be simpler even just for one day.

-

“I refuse to talk to you ever again.”

“But it’s you who dragged me here.”
 

Jisoo has the urge to slam her head on the cubicle wall but Jennie would just laugh it off.

She actually just passed her audition and she earned a big round of applause. Still, Jennie just won’t stop talking about the proud motherly smile on Irene’s face.

“How’d people think of me? A copycat who tries to be her?” Jisoo whines and her human Psyduck form threatens to take over again. “What if they are actually laughing at me? What if they are cheering for her because they think I’m her little sister or something? How about-“

“Shut it.” Jennie flicks her forehead earning an “ouch” in an instant. “I don’t have the time to deal with your brain vomit right now. I think Irene and Seulgi see your potential. Not to mention it makes our plan smoother with you in the team as well.”
 

The human Psyduck tilts her head, “Our plan? Since when we have a plan? For what?”

“Oh god, you’re still as dumb as I ever know.” The chic-looking girl is slowly losing her patience. “Don’t you have the slightest clue of what is happening to you?”
 

“Apart from being admitted to the dance team of our school?”

“Aren’t you hearing voices and feeling things that you aren’t supposed to?”

Jennie stares at Jisoo who looks like her blood has been drained from her body, paler than ever. Then she thinks maybe her buddy got the wrong idea.
 

“Hey, I am not-”

“Are you sending me to the asylum?”

Jennie blinks.

And Jisoo follows suit.

“I am not. It’s not what I meant.”

“But aren’t you implying I’m crazy?”

“Come on. You have been insane since the first day we met. It’s nothing new.”

“How could you be so heartless!? You’re still teasing me?!”

Jennie takes a deep breath.

And somehow Jisoo, again, parrots it.
 

“Take off your jacket.”

“What are you trying to do now? Oh my god, you are the real psychopath here.”

“Take. It. Off. Now. Show. Me.”

“MOMMMMMMMMM!”

Jisoo knocks Jennie over and rushes out from the washroom in top speed.  

Maybe not today. Jennie sighs.

-

“Hey.” Seungwan carefully approaches the two girls who are about to bore holes on her face. “You must be Rosé, right?”

Lisa points at the said girl, mouth agape.

Whilst a complicated look looms on Chaeyoung’s face, “Y-yeah. That’s me.”

The contours of her face stir something up from the pit of her stomach. It’s her. The way Seungwan’s eyes reflect the awfully cold-tone lighting of the cafeteria is so warm however.

She looks at her just like a long-lost friend.
 

No one really notices the guitar bag on Seungwan’s hand. Since Chaeyoung could only feel her blood piping through the veins of her body. Lisa is too busy trying to absorb the moment.

Seungwan tightens her hold as she does not know the words.

But something isn’t right.

The bubbly Thai makes her attempt to help and sneaks a peek at their wrists. It takes her a few seconds to register the situation but how the two girls have the same flushed cheeks makes her want to laugh.

Meanwhile, the two lone wandering souls wander even further away.

It was silent. It was warm. It was salty. Like the tears falling from her eyes in the middle of the night. The sea that gives her hope and drowns her right afterward.

“Stop right there.” 

Her bangs are messy like untamed beasts ready to pounce on their prey, not that she actually cares right now. Although that pretty much ruins the beautiful image of Kim Minkyung.

Her eyes are glossed by something that is never seen from her before. Penitent but afire. Minkyung is known for being all loving and cuddly. She has never looked at someone like how she is looking at Kang Kyungwon.

The Kyungwon who now stops in her track, just a few strides away from the vending machine.

“Look at me.” She has never sounded demanding and pleading at the same time. So full of binary oppositions, so torn. “I’m here now, so look at me.”

Kyungwon just fiddles with the coins in her palms. The clinking and jingling sound almost drown her voice, so awash like a seashell within the tides. “I didn’t ask you to come.”

Minkyung quits playing nice and almost throws her phone at her head, “You want an answer and I’m trying to give you one here.”

“I know what you’re going to say.” She runs her slender fingers through her shoulder-length locks. “I know you, Minky. I know what it means, especially when you don’t say anything. So you don’t have to say anything. I don’t need it.”
 

Minkyung hates it when Kyungwon drops her playful self and lets her deep thoughts occupy her brain, she hates when Kyungwon does not want to look at her even just for a second. “I’m sorry. I-“

“Don’t.” A dime slips through her palm and a silvery noise cuts her sentence short. “Sungyeon will be here any minute. I don’t want her to see me like that. Please.”
 

Kang Kyungwon is, or was, a happy-go-lucky kid with deep thoughts. She likes to have something to hold onto, something to anchor her down. She has long deemed her thoughts dangerous. And Minkyung knows that.

When she met Minkyung, something changed. She thought nothing would raise a storm in her mind ever again. But still, she chose to stay quiet about it.  

Even when she is constantly reminded the day she lost hope for the first time. Sometimes, it keeps her awake like the worst nightmare. The feeling of being abandoned by the skies, the Moon and the stars. It is just too scary.

Something keeps pulling her to Minkyung. And she quietly hopes Minkyung will catch and keep her.
 

Can I call it hope? Like, if you hold it close enough, no one, nothing could take it away, right? 

So yes, it might be hope. But I can’t see it at all. Only the sea. Am I trapped?

It just slipped away. Like the dime. Her prayers and pleads were of no use. Her heart was just a pebble left by the shore.  

She did not know how smiles could be salty, tears bitter, words sour. It is just a heartbreak away, the cobweb of her lingering thoughts.
 

Love is just a word which bears too much weight, which makes our smiles brief and weak, eyes coy yet longing, words oblique and disheartened.

“I loved you so much.” said Kyungwon. She did not make them stay.
 

Maybe she will love someone and someone will love her like a never-ending dream.

Kyungwon hoped so, really.

It was before she met Minkyung.
 

“I just don’t understand.” The tip of Kyungwon’s Vans touches the dime. “I just wish I could have a soulmate, whom I would meet and fall in love with eventually. Someone who would stay without me asking. Minkyung, just tell me—haven’t you thought of that too?”

“Every single day, Kyungwon.” Minkyung wants to cover her ears because every inch of Kyungwon’s voice, which used to be all sweet and endearing, is now laced with numbed pain. She looks away from the thin back which might just vanish again anytime. “And I was too scared, I got carried away.”

As if on cue, Kyungwon finally turns around and looks at Minkyung. It is confusing. She is too sorry for someone who is just going to leave her alone again.  “What’re you trying to say?”

“I used to think it’s better off being just friends. I was scared of failing and starting all over again. I was scared of making things weird between us, and with the other girls.” Minkyung’s breath hitches at the sight of Kyungwon’s shoes facing her. “But then I found something scarier.”

“What is it?”

“You leaving. You getting less sleep because of your thoughts, you smiling less.”
 

Kyungwon stands there like a beacon overlooking a calm shoreline. Minkyung finds her anchor as she sees the resolute beam of light from those eyes.

“I was wrong. There’s no ‘just friends’, Kyungwon.” She shakes her head, lips tugged in a pleasant-looking angle. “You have every right to be mad at me. I’m so stupid.”
 

Kyungwon breaks a small smile. “I can’t really be mad at you, you know.” Her fingers brush pass the auburn bangs before gently tugging a naughty strand behind her ear. “Even if you won’t stay.”

“I will.” Minkyung gives an instant reply this time, for she is determined to give her her answer. “I told them.”
 

“You told them what?” Her hand rests at where her neck meets her shoulder.

She, out of habit, takes her hand. An exchange of gestures which is something way past platonic shared between them since the very beginning. “That I’m your soulmate, even when we don’t have a timer or anything. I know you just as well. We don’t have those magical shared senses but it doesn’t change anything. We will take small steps instead.”

“I love you so much, Kyungwon.” 

“Told you they are adorable together.” Sungyeon jumps merrily to Nayoung’s side. Nayoung, as a caring mother figure for them, has been watching over them for the past few minutes.

To be frank, Nayoung is probably the happiest to hear Minkyung’s outburst aka sudden confession to the group. She couldn’t bear seeing two of her dearest friends being tortured by each other like that. 

But everything is fine now. Everyone is happy.

Although Eunwoo would be so upset for losing the bet with Siyeon about who is going to confess first.

“Let’s head to the studio now. Let the lovebirds have their moment.”

-

 

Yerim places a paper plane on Saeron’s palm, “Sowon-unnie told me something interesting today.”

“Interesting as in?” Saeron sometimes wonders if Kim Yerim literally knows everyone in her school.

“She’ll tell Eunha-unnie if her paper plane hits her head for the third time.” She giggles at the memory. “If Minkyung-unnie and Kyungwon-unnie can end up together, she and Eunha-unnie certainly can as well. They are our kind of ‘soulmates’ after all.”

“Third time’s a charm, huh?” Her smile reaches her eyes. “That’s amazing.”
 

“Say Saeron,” Yerim leans back onto her chair. “Did you just know it as soon as you first saw me or did you wait enough to confirm everything like the timer and such?”

Humming a soft melody, Saeron carefully puts the paper plane on her lap. “I just knew it that instant. But I waited for you to know it too.”
 

“Did I take too long?”

“It doesn’t matter now.”

Don’t you know? Lovers who are destined to be together would always find each other no wonder how far they have been separated. That’s why I could find you right away.

Hey, I'm back! Did you guys miss me?

First of all, pardon me with the line spacing in this chapter. It has been a long time since I last uploaded/edited a chapter so the controls are a little wonky (and I can't really get it right). It looks a little off compared to the previous chapters. But I hope it's still reader-friendly :)

And, 2 new side-pairings are being introduced in this chapter!! Yay!! *throws confetti* I'm also taking suggestions for side-pairings (which will probably make a cameo) although I can't guarantee anything.

Anyway, I'm so happy that Pristin finally debuted!!! Wee woo wee woo weeeeeeee~

Also, don't worry I'll surely complete this story (and my other stories!!!!) eventually. I have the whole thing planned and partly drafted. But since I got a day job, I'm still kinda in a hiatus right now.

Hope you guys have fun reading this.

xo