She woke up one morning feeling it. Like tiny dots and spaces slipping through her fingers. She can’t make it out and have tried countless of times to get a gist of what is actually going on. Her friends had told her,

“Maybe your soulmate’s job involves touching dots?” which was ultimately weird if you ask her. Because what kind of job involves that? Her soulmate must also be weird.

Yes. Soulmate. Because in this twisted world of theirs, when fate finally decided to grace your presence, you get to feel what your soulmate is feeling, be it physically or emotionally. And here she was, having no idea whatsoever what her other half was touching.

She entered her workplace---a pet adoption center---and was greeted with her co-worker Krystal who quickly handed her the key to the back door. It was her duty to make sure the cages are clean and the pets are fed and well taken care of. Once she was through with that, she usually sits beside the dogs and let them cuddle her.

She closes her eyes and her fingers twitch with the now familiar feeling of dots and spaces before smooth ceramic. It was a scheduled thing that her soulmate usually does around this time. She can feel the content filling her from inside and she smiled. It was nice to know that her other half was happy somewhere around the world.

“Hey, Seul.” Krystal called out from the door leading to the front counter, bringing her back to reality, “the new batch of pups will arrive later this afternoon.”

“Hmm, I’ll check on them and start training them tomorrow.” she gave her workmate a smile and a thumbs up because their pet adoption center also caters to everyone’s needs including the pwds. This center is the one they go to not only for pets but also for service dogs and it makes her feel proud knowing that.

She noticed that her soulmate seemed to have a schedule because she can only feel the familiar touches at certain times. The cold ceramics in the morning, something hard and spiney--probably a book-- around the afternoon, and again the cold ceramics in the evening. But the dots and spaces are a constant.

“What are you doing?” her friend, Joy, asked one day as her finger twitched and her hand shook while she was trying to sketch, resulting in a very wiggly image of their friend Irene. “We want Irene to look pretty in this sketch, not look like she’s made of jello with tons of wrinkles. She’s not that old you know.” She scrunched her eyebrows--the one where she looks confused about life--and dropped her pencil.

“It..It’s not me...” she paused, trying to stop the shaking from her hands. Joy looked at her with worry and panic while she tried her best to calm herself. It took her quite some time, with fear suddenly lingering from inside her, but she had calmed both of them down nonetheless.

“I’m fine now.” She grinned at her friend who looked at her with skepticism.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeap!” She held up her now steady hands as proof. “Let me fix this sketch for a bit and we can talk flowers.” she grabbed her eraser and started fixing the drawing, her mind quickly drifting off to the fear she felt. Her soulmate must’ve been scared about something earlier. She tried her best to feel secure and safe the whole day in hopes that it’ll get through her other half.

Papers were flying everywhere when she came out of the back door after training the new puppies. She was stunned for a moment before quickly trying to help get the papers. Once the floor was clean, she looked down at the papers in her hands and noticed it was blank except for some embossed designs on them.

“Thanks, Seul!” her friend got the papers back before she could ponder on the design. She cocked her head to the side, finally realizing who she’s looking at.

“Irene? What are you doing here?”

“I thought Joy told you I’d drop by today?”

“...no..?” Here friend huffed, mumbling something about stupidity before looking back at her.

“You look tired.” She is. Her body feels heavy for some reason but she’s not ill or anything. Just really. Really. Tired. She shrugged as an answer and Irene just rose an eyebrow at her before continuing, “Anyway, I need a dog.”

“Okay? You finally decided to own one, huh?” she said, starting to lead Irene towards the back door where the dogs are. The older one shook her head.

“It’s not for me. It’s a gift for my friend.”

“Oh? Who?”

“She just moved back. She’ll also be performing on saturday...” Irene paused, looking at her carefully, “....you’ll be watching...right?” She laughed.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world! Or Joy might kill me.” they both laughed at that before she motioned to the dogs. “Go ahead and pick.” Irene looked unsure.

“Uhmm… are these dogs... trained?”

“Don’t worry, they’re very good dogs. People dogs.” She said proudly.

“...where are the...trained dogs?”

“What do you mean?”

“I need one where it’s already trained...”

“.....trained….?” Irene looked around before pointing at a certain poster.

“Like that.”

“Oh.” they stared at each other blankly for a moment. “Do you need it now?” Irene shook her head.

“Saturday?”

“Okay. I can bring you a puppy on Sat.” Irene’s eyes lit up.

“Great! I don’t know how to pick a dog so I’ll just leave that to you. I trust you since you’re the expert here.” She laughed at that.

“Okay, Irene. I’ll see you on saturday then.”

“See you then. I have to go, I still need to meet with Taeyeon and Seohyun to make sure the music piece is perfect.”

“Say hi to them for me!”

“I will. Byeeee~”

She’s been standing in front of the building where Irene and their other friends will be performing and have been arguing with the guard for ten minutes now about the fact that the dog she brought is allowed inside because it’s a service dog. She even brought the papers that prove it. She’s getting really pissed and the nerves she’d been feeling since this morning is not helping her at all.

“Seulgi!” A frantic face appeared behind the guard. “What’s happening?”

“Miss Choi, this kid here is trying to get in with the dog and--”

“It’s a service dog, mister.” her jaw tightened.

“Dogs are not allowed, kid.”

“It’s allowed.” Miss Choi rolled her eyes at the guard, “It’s a service dog as you can see. Those type of dogs are allowed. It helps people.”

“But M-miss… the rule book says--”

“I WROTE THOSE GODDAMN RULES AND I SAY SERVICE DOGS ARE ALLOWED. SEUL C’MON OR ELSE SUNNY AND IRENE’S GONNA KILL ME.” she got pulled by her friend and they had quickly went inside, the puppy obediently following them.

“Thanks, Sooyoung.”

“No, problem. I need to see that stupid rule book later.” Sooyoung grumbled, sitting at the reserved seat at the front.

“Olaf, sit.” She ordered the puppy and she heard Sooyoung cackle beside her.

“You named that dog after the annoying snowman?”

“Well he looks like he’s made of snow! And everyone loves Olaf!” she defended.

“yeah, okay, if you say so~~” she rolled her eye at that before noticing the empty seat beside the taller girl.

“Where’s Joy?”

“Backstage with Irene. She’s trying to calm her down… you know how she is before performing.” She nodded because she knows how Irene is. She’d been training with her since she was small. Ballet was their forte. But she can only do so much with that.

“When is she going to perform?”

“She’s second.”

“Who’s first?” Before her friend can answer, the lights dimmed and a single spotlight focused on the certain stage and everyone’s attention were on it. The feeling of nervousness she had earlier came barging in twenty times over and she felt like her heart is going to combust. The stage opened a hole and up came the performer, sitting in front of a marvelous white piano. Her breath hitched, fingers twitched, she can feel smooth ceramic beneath it.The girl began playing and with every note clicked, she can feel the pressure on her fingertips and the nerves slowly diminishing.

‘No way’ she thought, eyes trained on the ethereal figure of the girl performing. Every beat played pulled her in and she felt like she was also playing the same melody. She was high on the emotions that Sooyoung had to shake her a couple of times to get her out of her stupor and she was confused that the event was over.

“You okay, Seul?”

“W-what?” Sooyoung smirked.

“The performances were that  good, huh?”

“Uhm.. y-yeah. G-good.” she stuttered out and the older one chuckled at her before patting her shoulder and motioning for her to get up.

“C’mon, the others are waiting for us. Irene’s been gushing to her friend about a surprise...which..I guess… is that pup you brought?” she slowly looked back at the puppy who was looking back at them expectantly.

She blinked.

The dog blinked.

Sooyoung blinked. Then groaned before pulling her towards the backstage, the puppy following obediently walking behind them.

A wind blew through her face, the lights became a bit dimmer, she can smell lilies and roses in the air, everyone moved in slow motion, the room became quiet, then a single spotlight appeared above the girl wearing white, talking to someone she thinks she knows but she can’t think about anyone right now, had her attention.

A hard pat on her back that made her stumble forward brought her out of apparently her drooling face.

“Seul you look stupid….like more stupid than your usual stupid.” Joy, who by the way was the one who pushed her, looked at her disgustedly. Sooyoung and the others chuckled except for the girl she was drooling at. Nope. That girl is wearing a nice and confused smile and staring blankly at them.

“Oh, hey, Seulgi this is my friend Wendy. Wendy this is Seulgi.” Irene introduced excitedly and she quickly held her hand out. Three ticks from the nonexistent clock inside her brain rang and it’s like Irene finally got it because her eyes became circular in shock and she whispered an ‘Oh!’ before holding Wendy’s wrist gently and moving it toward her still held out hand.

Their palms touched and it’s like the world dropped around them. Wendy gave her a wide but shy smile.

“Hi, nice to meet you.”

“Hi, you’re pretty” she sighed and giggled idiotically.

“Wow, smooth.” Sooyoung commented, chuckling like an idiot along with Joy.

“Wendy, Seulgi here brought my gift for you~” Irene said excitedly.

“What is it?”

“If you kneel down, I can help you feel it.” Wendy nodded and knelt slowly, fixing her white dress a bit. Irene knelt beside her and took her wrist again before leading them towards the puppy sitting quietly and obediently in front of Seulgi.

She felt softness from her fingertips--fur to be exact--and she just gaped at what she was feeling.

“Wendy’s blind as you can tell.” Joy whispered in her ear, getting her out of her trance. They can hear Wendy giggle as the pup her hands.

“His name is Olaf. He’s a white German shepherd. He’s a great guide. I trained him. Top of his puppy class.” She said a bit nervously. Wendy looked at her direction--but not really seeing--and flashed her a smile that can possibly cure cancer and end world hunger.

“You work with dogs?”

“Yes. Uhmm, I work at an adoption center and also train service dogs.”

“You like to let them cuddle you afterwards.” It was a statement. She can feel excitement, nervousness, and hope(?) filling her up and it’s not just her but also her soulmate’s.

“Yes. And you play the piano in the morning and night.” She stated. Wendy gave her a big grin before nodding.

“I’ve been practicing a lot lately.”

“I know.” she paused, “You were magical.”

“Thank you. I’m glad to finally meet you.”

“I’m lucky to finally have met you.” The two of them just smiled at each other before someone cleared their throat and handed Wendy a card. The pianist smiled, opening the card and touching it. Seulgi felt the dots and spaces and grinned.

“So that’s what it was.”