a/n: this one turned out longer than I expected...oops...but here it is, the last installment of the collection in all its 6.5k words of angsty glory. get comfy. (this is the angsty one! you’ve been warned)

It could extend for hundreds of thousands of kilometers – or just one, maybe even less if luck is on one’s side.

The red string of fate that connects kindred spirits together; it seems nonsensical and outrageous (or simply too good to be true for the romantics out there). It’s a myth, a legend, a story tale to most. But to a few chosen in the world, it’s not just a fable.

Contrary to the widespread belief with origins that trace back centuries into history, certain aspects of the tale differ from reality and perhaps during all this time, the gods have been laughing at all the humans who have so well constructed their own fantasy about the red string.

Mortal’s delusion number one: it’s invisible. Well, in most humans’ defence, this is true; it is invisible. But it’s not invisible to everyone. Not to Observers.

Mortal’s delusion number two: it’s unbreakable. Unfortunately, this is the biggest misconception.

~ ~ ~

Im Nayoung strolls through the courtyard of the office building, eyes trained on her phone. In her other hand is a half-empty paper cup filled with coffee that once probably tasted like caffeine heaven, but after drinking it every day for the past four years, her tongue has grown bored with the taste.

And yet she doesn’t stop drinking it because there’s nothing else to drink and besides, it’s part of her routine. Her prosaic and mundane routine.

‘Are we still on for Thursday night?’ the text on her screen reads.

Nayoung purses her lips as she types a reply with one thumb. ‘Sorry, I’ve got an important meeting on Friday morning.’ Send.

A minute passes before her phone vibrates for a new message. ‘Oh…Thursday is my last day in the city. Not even a proper goodbye? :(’

Bringing the paper cup to her lips, Nayoung stops pacing to glare at the screen. She bites on the edge of the cup as her eyes travel to the red knot she sees around her pinky. After a hasty reflection, she types, ‘Sorry.’ Send. The other woman is practically a stranger and they had only spent two nights together anyways. Nayoung puts her phone on silent and stuffs it back in her pocket. 

That’s another fling to add to the list and yet another possible ‘what are we?’ avoided. 

~ ~ ~

It’s late afternoon when Nayoung’s phone rings, seizing her attention away from a rerun of a show from the 90s on the TV.

“Hello?” Nayoung answers.

“Hey,” the voice on the other line greets, “Do you have time to meet up right now?”

“Yeah. Why?” Nayoung replies as she lowers the volume on the TV.

“We need to talk to you."

Nayoung quirks an eyebrow. “We?”

“Me and another person. I think you’ll know her. Just come to the café, the one we always go to. It’s important.”

The person on the other line hangs up before Nayoung could answer. She sighs as she pulls herself up from the couch, grumbling under her breath. She turns off the television before heading out the door, her red string trailing closely behind her.

~ ~ ~

 “We need your help,” Yeonjung says. It had only been about three seconds since Nayoung took a seat in front of the two women.

The café is relatively empty, save for a few people on the other side of the room. Usually, it’s teeming with coffee-drinkers and college students, but at this awkward time of day, the café is void of its usual sounds of small talk. 

Nayoung narrows her eyes at Yeonjung. “Do I know you?”

“Yeah, we’ve met like once or maybe twice before,” replies Yeonjung. Her companion turns to her, eyebrows furrowed and mouth slightly open in surprise.

“Once or twice? You told me you’ve met her tons of times!” exclaims Chungha. She hits Yeonjung on the shoulder, who then winces in pain.

“Once or twice or tons of times, it doesn’t matter. We know each other,” assures Yeonjung. Chungha switches her attention to the onlooker on the opposite side of their booth. Nayoung stares at them, blank-faced. Typical.

“Do you know Yeonjung? Have you ever met her?” asks Chungha.

Nayoung glances at Yeonjung before shrugging. “Once or maybe twice before sounds about right.” Yeonjung nudges Chungha, muttering a ‘told you so…’ under her breath. Nayoung continues, “What do you need my help with?”

Chungha looks at her with a sudden change of expression. She holds up her own pinky in front of her face, her red string budging in the air at the slight movement. Nayoung glances at the neat knot on Chungha’s pinky – it’s a pretty knot, like the gods took their time tying it, fitting its respective and equally dainty possessor. It’s quite in contrast to Nayoung’s own impetuous knot.

Nayoung’s eyes flicker to Yeonjung before she looks back at Chungha hesitantly. The latter, noticing the doubtful look on Nayoung’s face, assures her, “It’s okay. She can see the strings like you and I can.”

Nayoung’s shoulders relax in relief at the revelation that Yeonjung is also an Observer. She and Chungha have always tried to avoid talking about the strings in public, steering clear of skeptical eyes and passing ears of oblivious bystanders (or mortals, as the gods would call them). Nayoung finds it annoying having to deal with preconceptions that they’re crazy. They’re just a little more special than others.

“Help us defy the laws of the universe,” Yeonjung says, her voice laced with juvenile excitement like a little kid feeling the thrill of mischief. Nayoung narrows her eyes.

“Your string,” Chungha adds, eyeing the tangled knot on Nayoung’s pinky. Her voice is much calmer than Yeonjung’s; tentative and evidently more cautious.

Nayoung shoots her own string a quick glance. “What about it?”

Chungha and Yeonjung exchange looks; one is hesitant and the other is giddy, but neither of them take the initiative to answer Nayoung.

The taller girl sighs. “I don’t have all day-”

“We want you to cut it.”

Nayoung is taken aback by Chungha’s abrupt proposition. She lets out a scoff in disbelief at what she has just heard.

“Excuse me?” Nayoung utters incredulously.

Chungha shrinks into her seat as she looks at Yeonjung in a silent plea for assistance. The latter, unfazed by the stony Nayoung and still clearly excited by the whole ordeal, holds up two fingers to mimic scissors.

“We need you to cut your string,” says Yeonjung.

Nayoung sneers at the two before shooting a glare at her friend. “Is this what you called me here for? If this is a joke, it’s not funny.”

Chungha keeps her gaze down at the table. She avoids eye contact with Nayoung, but knows full well that the other woman’s words are directed right at her.  She remains tight-lipped, seemingly in discomfort with the whole situation.

“We’re serious,” Yeonjung interjects, slicing through the palpable tension building in the air. Her excitement has died down, but she is still presumptuous.

“Absolutely not,” Nayoung says, her head shaking in astonishment. “Chungha, are you kidding me?”

When Chungha averts her eyes and refuses to answer, Nayoung scoffs and gets ready to leave. After a nudge from Yeonjung, Chungha finally speaks up just as Nayoung is about to slip out of the booth.

“Nayoung, hear us out,” she begs. “Please.”

“Hear you out on what? You just told me that you want me to cut my string,” Nayoung replies. Despite her words, she sounds even-tempered and composed, but Chungha remains nervous about the situation.

“This was Yeonjung's idea. She had her reasons and I was hesitant at first, but I agreed to it,” answers Chungha, “And you know I wouldn’t have agreed if I didn’t find good to come out of it.”

Nayoung sighs. Chungha is one of the few people in her life whom she can’t easily get angered or annoyed by. Although she’s still in disbelief, Nayoung finds herself sitting back down at Chungha’s reassuring words.

“Fine. I'll hear you out. Why do you want me to cut my string?”

Chungha takes in a deep breath and fiddles with the hem of her shirt. Although she’s apprehensive, she keeps her eyes on Nayoung, knowing that what she’s about to say must be said clearly. “So we can tie Jieqiong to Chaeyeon.”

Nayoung winces at the names she hears and when she feels a slight pang from within, she desperately tries to keep it from showing on the exterior. 

After a brief moment of deafening silence, Nayoung speaks up. “What, you guys want to play cupid or something?”

“Kind of,” Yeonjung answers. Chungha shoots her a look, but doesn’t deny it either. Nayoung scoffs; she asked the question as a joke and yet they answered it seriously.

“Being able to see the strings doesn’t give you the right to play around with it. Observers aren’t supposed to mess with the universe. Just because you can cut it, it doesn’t mean you should,” Nayoung answers before glancing at Chungha. “Chungha, I thought you knew better.”

 “I know it’s an unspoken rule among us not to alter soulmate laws,” Chungha replies, “but some people still do it.”

“And you want to be one of them?” Nayoung asks.

Chungha frowns, fully aware at the tinge of disappointment and feeling of betrayal in Nayoung’s voice. Needless to say, she expected it. She knows Nayoung isn’t too fond of people who take advantage of their ability to see the strings.

Whether being able to see them is a blessing or a curse is a particular topic of debate amongst Observers.

But they all know one accepted fact: the universe has trusted them with too much power. Being able to see the strings doesn’t necessarily come with some kind of special duty (many wonder, 'what's the point?') but of course, with every right comes a responsibility.

You are simply just an Observer, do not do whatever you wish, do not be a delinquent, do not be selfish.... No one is sure how such unsaid tacit principles came to be; it’s not like a god manifests in front of their eyes and tells them these rules. Nevertheless, they’re just simply understood and respected by most Observers, including Nayoung and Chungha. 

But still, there are some that like to have too much fun (they are special after all). The universe usually chooses the right people to give this ability to, but even gods can make wrong judgements of character sometimes.

“Look, I know what you’re thinking,” says Yeonjung, “but altering laws can be justified in certain circumstances, like if you know that it’s the right thing to do.”

“Who are we to decide what the right thing to do is,” murmurs Nayoung. She has sunk into her seat, fiddling with her fingers and eyeing her slack red string.

“Nayoung, you know it’s the right thing to do,” answers Chungha. She leans forward and looks at Nayoung with worried, but sympathetic, eyes. “To cut your string and to tie Jieqiong and Chaeyeon together.”

“You know Jieqiong loves her more than anyone. She’d give Chaeyeon the world. And Chaeyeon would do the same,” says Yeonjung.

Nayoung shoots her a glare. “Stop throwing words around so carelessly. You don’t know me and you don’t know Jieqiong either.”

 “Yeah, you’re right, but do you know who’s on the other end of this?” Yeonjung mutters as she holds up her pinky, displaying the visibly loose knot around it, barely attached. Nayoung figures she must’ve toyed with it a lot. “Chaeyeon.”

Nayoung’s countenance shifts from offence to astonishment. Yeonjung continues, “Because I’m an Observer, I can literally feel her love for Jieqiong. It’s overwhelming; how can someone love that much? I don’t get it.” Nayoung keeps her eyes down because she knows the exact feeling. She can feel Jieqiong’s love for Chaeyeon too and it only adds salt to her wound. Being an Observer has its downsides. 

“I want our string cut. We barely know each other. Chaeyeon and I don’t match anyways. I will never get together with her. Ever,” says Yeonjung.

“What are you getting out of this? Satisfaction from defying the rules?” asks Nayoung.

 “God, it’s crystal clear that she’s madly, deeply, incredibly in love with Jieqiong. You of all people should know that!” says Yeonjung. Nayoung grits her teeth and Chungha nudges Yeonjung when she notices the latter’s voice getting louder in increased exasperation. “And I’m not just doing this for the hell of it.”

“Why, then? What’s in it for you, huh? What are you going to do with your string after you’ve cut it?” Nayoung pries.

Yeonjung narrows her eyes, aware that the older girl is trying to get a rise out of her. “I’m going to tie my string to the pinky of another person.”

 “What, you’re gonna see if one person can have two soulmates?” Nayoung scoffs. “Well aren’t you an ambitious one. And if it doesn’t work?”

“Then I’ll tie my string to my other pinky. All I need is me, myself, and I anyways,” Yeonjung replies, giving Nayoung a smile that calls for a punch.

Nayoung crosses her arms. “Do you think what you’re doing is okay just because you’ll find a replacement soulmate for Chaeyeon? Just because you don’t plan on leaving her string cut, that doesn’t make you any different from all the other self-serving delinquents who abandon their soulmates because they want someone else.”

Yeonjung huffs. “Don’t treat me like I’m some irresponsible jackass. I’m not here to listen to you lecture me.”

“You are an irresponsible jackass. You’re just playing cupid to justify your own incredibly selfish motive.”

“Listen,” Yeonjung says, struggling to remain calm, “whatever my ‘motive’ is doesn’t matter. You can call it ‘playing cupid’ all you want, but it’s the best solution for everyone involved. You know it is. Why are you so goddamn stubborn?”

Nayoung, defeated and at a loss for words, glares at her and sinks back into her seat. As much as she wants to fight back, she knows it would be futile. Everything Yeonjung is saying is true.

The café is now even emptier than before. Despite the close calls, the three have managed not to draw too much attention to themselves. They sit in silence for a few minutes. Yeonjung is growing visibly impatient, but remains quiet. And although Chungha hasn’t spoken much and refuses to participate in their conflict, both Nayoung and Yeonjung are thankful for her presence.

Finally, Nayoung breaks the silence and looks towards Chungha. Her eyes have softened and the fire in them from before has ceased. “Say I agree to this. What are we doing with my string?”

“We can tie it with another person’s,” answers Chungha hesitantly. “Whether they were abandoned or if some stupid Observer cut their string for no reason, there are plenty of people in this world with cut strings.”

Nayoung blinks at her. “So first you guys want to play cupid and now you want to play god. You guys want me to put my fate in your hands?” Nayoung asks, her eyes flickering to Yeonjung.

“In Chungha’s hands. I have no involvement in this part of the plan. It doesn’t look like you want me involved anyways,” grumbles Yeonjung. “Don’t you trust Chungha? And it’s better than depressingly wandering around with your cut string dragging behind you. You’ll be able to see it too. Some people are lucky that they’re not Observers. I pity them, you know. Especially the ones who believe in soulmates and don't know that they don’t have one anymore because some idiot thought it’d be funny to cut their string. I’m not one of those idiots.”

Nayoung exchanges a brief look with Chungha before averting her eyes down to the table.

“Nayoung, you need to get over Jieqiong,” Chungha says, her voice compassionate and considerate. “Are you really okay with living the rest of your life like this? Seeing your string attached to a person who doesn’t love you the way you love her?”

Nayoung winces, more visibly this time, though only to observant eyes. The words Chungha says are words she knows so well like they’re written on the back of her hand, words she has taught herself to be invulnerable against, and yet here they are effortlessly knocking down the wall she has spent years building.

When Nayoung remains quiet, Yeonjung sighs and turns to Chungha. “This isn’t going to work. Let's just go with my original plan. Cut my string and tie Chaeyeon to Jieqiong. Give the girl two soulmates and let her choose. She’ll choose Chaeyeon anyways.”  

Before Nayoung could protest, Chungha speaks up first, “No. We don’t even know if that’s going to work with you. It’s unpredictable and something that messes with the laws much more than just cutting strings. We already agreed not to drag Nayoung, Jieqiong, and Chaeyeon into your experiment.”

“You’ve dragged us in enough already,” mumbles Nayoung as Yeonjung sighs.

“We don’t have to figure this out right now. Yeonjung, be more understanding and let’s give her more time,” says Chungha before turning to the older girl, “Please think about this, Nayoung.”

And Nayoung does. She thinks about it as she leaves the café, as she walks home, and as she is lying in her bed that night staring up at the ceiling. All the while keeping her eyes away from the messy red knot around her pinky. For the first time in years, she wishes it was invisible.

~ ~ ~

Nayoung crashes into the sentiment of nostalgia when she sees the ice cream truck parked at the end of the plaza. She eyes the woman standing by the truck’s window as she is engulfed in wistful recollections, like an unwelcomed sudden hurricane sweeping through land.

To most, a decade is far too long of a period to remember, but to someone like Nayoung who can recall even the most trivial of memories, years seem like weeks and months seem like days.

Nayoung feels like it was just last week when her social studies teacher introduced her to the new Chinese student she will be tutoring.

And Nayoung feels like it was just yesterday when the teacher left the room one December afternoon and Nayoung leaned in to kiss the other girl in an unexpected spur of courage - and when Jieqiong kissed back, their harmless platonic relationship took a whirlwind turn into something more.

~

Every adolescent relationship has its ups and downs and Nayoung and Jieqiong went through it all. They trudged through valleys and hiked over peaks. They frequented in uncharted territory; Nayoung took her to faraway lands, to altitudes that neither of them had ever been to before. Nayoung experienced feelings she had never felt before in her life. She felt like she was on top of the world.

But they fell as quickly as they ascended. Nayoung isn’t too sure where it all went wrong, but she knew it was her fault. Perhaps she was too ambitious, so bold that she failed to perceive the limits. Maybe she was too reckless, too devil-may-care that it blinded her to the vulnerability of the other. 

Jieqiong left and they drifted apart. For a while after their falling-out, Nayoung was confused and bitter. She blamed Jieqiong for breaking her heart, but realized after that it was the other way around. Nayoung had been walking on air all by herself. From that point on, she swore to never let her feet off the ground. 

~

Fast-forward to their early twenties. Nayoung feels like it was just last week when she saw the familiar Chinese girl walking into the convenience store Nayoung worked part-time at.

And Nayoung feels like it was just yesterday when Jieqiong forgave her. Their relationship has never returned to what it was like during their tumultuous high school years, but Nayoung was still relieved and grateful to have rekindled their friendship, even if it’s nothing more than that.

Nayoung remembers exactly when she started seeing the red strings. It was the day after she had gotten her first and current full-time job. It’s a typical desk job, but it pays enough and Nayoung figures it fits well with her gray tedious life anyways.

The strings appeared gradually. First, she saw the strings of strangers and then of acquaintances, friends and family and, lastly, she saw her own.

And Nayoung feels like it was just yesterday when she went to the karaoke bar with friends one night and noticed who was on the other end of her string; Jieqiong, laughing heartily and singing some Chinese song at the top of her lungs.

~

Initially, it puzzled Nayoung. For weeks, she tried to wrap her head around it. She avoided Jieqiong, afraid of what feelings will come over her. Nayoung was scared to fall back into old habits, relapse into the person she was in high school and make the same mistakes, hurt Jieqiong again and break the bond they had spent years rebuilding.

So eventually, she was able to shake her head of these wandering thoughts. She had herself convinced that whatever she felt was just part of the deep bond of their friendship. ‘I love her, but not that kind of love,’ she’d say to herself.

Nayoung even introduced Jieqiong to her co-worker. Jung Chaeyeon was (is) mesmerizing. If Nayoung hadn’t found the woman much too far out of her league, perhaps she’d be the one in love right now.

Chaeyeon was (is) nice and had just gotten out of a nasty relationship. To help her mend her broken heart, Nayoung figured that Chaeyeon needed someone as equally magnificent and beautiful in all sense and interpretations of the words. Nayoung could only think of one person: Jieqiong.

~

Nayoung doesn’t remember when she let her feet off the ground. This is where her memory gets fuzzy. She can’t recall why she let her guard down and how she started cracking and letting her veneer fall apart. Perhaps it was the red string that she keeps on seeing.

Nayoung doesn’t remember when she started falling in love.

All over again.

With the same person she swore to never fall for ever again.

Nayoung has realized now that those faint recollections from before everything came crashing down were the happiest times of her life. Unfortunately, by the time she realized, it was already too late. She took far too long and Jieqiong has already moved on to far better things.

Unrequited love is the nastiest of its kind.

~ ~ ~

Nayoung lets her red string lead her like she’s a dog on a leash towards the two women standing by the ice cream truck.

Chaeyeon holds up a spoonful of ice cream to Jieqiong. The younger girl pouts when she gets ice cream on her nose. The two of them share warm smiles as Chaeyeon wipes the ice cream off of Jieqiong’s nose with a gentle finger.

Nayoung doesn’t want to interrupt (mostly for her own sake), but forces herself to walk up to the other two anyways.

“Nayoung!” Jieqiong greets and Nayoung can’t help but smile at how her name sounds when it rolls off the tip of Jieqiong’s tongue. She has heard it being said numerous times before in every way possible and all ways imaginable; whispered, shouted, muttered, moaned… Nayoung thinks she will never get tired of hearing it.

“Hey,” Nayoung says, offering the pair a genuine smile. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“Not at all,” Chaeyeon answers before turning towards Jieqiong. “I’ll get going then. Don’t give Nayoung a hard time!”

Jieqiong feigns a dramatic gasp as she clutches her chest. “I would never!” The two women break into laughter and Nayoung lets herself join them.

“If she pesters you, let me know, okay?” Chaeyeon says to Nayoung, a finger pointed at her jokingly like a mother talking to a babysitter about her youngest child. “Don’t get into trouble, Jieqiong!”

“Stop treating me like a child, we’re not in our early twenties anymore,” whines Jieqiong.

Nayoung chuckles before giving Chaeyeon a joking wink. “I’ll take care of her, don’t worry.”

She says it teasingly and to Chaeyeon, to Jieqiong, and to everyone else, it’s a light remark that passes as ordinarily as a conversation about the weather. But to Nayoung, it’s much more. It’s an established promise and a principle she has lived by ever since Jieqiong walked back into her life: Take care of Jieqiong. (Don’t hurt her. Not again.)

“I’ll leave you two alone then. Have fun on your little catch-up session,” Chaeyeon says to the both of them, “I’ll get the paperwork on your desk by tomorrow morning–” she says this to Nayoung– “and I’ll see you tonight. If you get home before me, don’t lock the door twice! I forgot the key for the top lock again.” She says this to Jieqiong with a pout.

Jieqiong gives her an okay sign and a reassuring nod of the head. “I won’t, babe, don’t worry!”

“I just don’t get why you still have that lock when we have a keyless entry system now,” Chaeyeon says with a huff.

“I’ll get it out, I promise. Then you won’t need to worry about keys anymore and all you’ll ever have to remember is the passcode,” answers Jieqiong as she shoots Chaeyeon a playful wink. Nayoung shuffles uncomfortably on her feet as she tries to avert her attention elsewhere. “Now go. You’ll be late,” continues Jieqiong. She places a chaste peck on Chaeyeon’s lips before urging her to get going.

When Chaeyeon has left, Jieqiong turns to Nayoung with a bright smile. “Let’s go inside!” she exclaims as she links an arm with the older girl.

Nayoung lets Jieqiong pull her towards the café, turning her eyes away from the short red string between them as it bounces in the air with Jieqiong’s cheery steps.

~ ~ ~

“So, you guys live together now?” Nayoung asks as she takes a sip from her coffee. It tastes strange, but she keeps drinking it anyways because Jieqiong chose it for her. She thought the younger girl remembered what kind of coffee she liked, but it seems Jieqiong has long forgotten. Nayoung can’t blame her so all she can do is sip and pretend it’s good.  

“Kind of– not really– I don’t know,” Jieqiong answers hesitantly. “She stays the night a lot, but sometimes she goes back to her own place. She has her own section in the closet. She has a lot of her stuff lying around the apartment. She cooks me meals. And stuff.” Jieqiong pauses to her head before sending Nayoung a curious look. “Does it sound like Chaeyeon and I live together?”

“Yeah, it kinda does,” Nayoung answers, though it sounds more like she’s saying it to herself.

Jieqiong smiles in satisfaction. “I’ll have this conversation with her later,” she adds with a chuckle. Nayoung pulls out a laugh from for the sake of keeping up with the atmosphere. She has to try. 

“Seems like you two are still going well,” notes Nayoung as she takes another sip.

“We’re doing great,” answers Jieqiong enthusiastically. “Stronger than ever. She’s still really good to me, like always.”

Nayoung smiles. It’s sincere and Jieqiong knows. “That’s good to hear. If it’s not going well after all these years, I’d be surprised.”

“You know I’m forever grateful towards you for introducing her to me, right?”

“Yes, you tell me that every time we meet up. You’re welcome,” answers Nayoung with a chuckle.

“I think this is the longest relationship I’ve ever been in,” says Jieqiong, “it’s only been a couple of years, but it feels like I’ve been with Chaeyeon forever.”

“I know that feeling,” murmurs Nayoung. She notices Jieqiong looking at her steaming cup of coffee with a warm countenance. Nayoung knows she’s reminiscing and she also knows it’s not about their memories together. “You really like her, huh?”

Jieqiong looks up and meets Nayoung’s eyes. There is a familiar look in her face, a definite twinkle in her eyes, an appearance all too familiar to Nayoung because it’s the same kind of expression that would be on her own face whenever she thought about Jieqiong. She knows what it means. Nayoung almost wants to avoid her gaze and look elsewhere.

 “I think I love her, Nayoung,” says Jieqiong. She says it so naturally and so genuinely that Nayoung can feel a sting from within her. But Nayoung doesn’t let her heart sink into her stomach because she knows it’s selfish. “I really do. I think I can say it confidently now and without hesitation.”

“She takes care of you really well,” says Nayoung. Her voice is quiet like she’s talking to herself, but it’s loud enough for Jieqiong to hear every word. “Better than I ever did.”

The last part slips out unintentionally and Nayoung forces out a chuckle when she realizes the risk of disrupting the light atmosphere.

Jieqiong glances at her. “Stop beating yourself up over something that happened in the past. I don’t want to see you hurt any more. I told you a long time ago that I’m okay now,” she murmurs and Nayoung feels a tug on her heartstrings.

Jieqiong’s voice drips with compassion and comfort and sympathy and every attribute that Nayoung adores. She's looking at Nayoung in a way she hasn’t looked at her in years. The older girl averts her eyes, worried she’ll take the words to heart and fall even further than she already has. This can’t happen; not now.

“The past is the past! Just forget about it like I did. That’s what you told me yourself. Let bygones be bygones,” says Jieqiong. “Just forget about it all. We started over, remember?” She gives Nayoung a reassuring smile.

The older girl glances at her for a moment. She notices two things: one, that Jieqiong is breathtakingly beautiful and two, that her words sting like no other.

“That’s right,” mutters Nayoung. She returns Jieqiong’s smile but quickly looks down again, taking a sip from her coffee to draw attention away from her quivering lips. She lets her heart sink into her stomach.

Jieqiong is right. Nayoung should forget – she needs to forget. Forgetting everything means forgetting the bad and the ugly.

But forgetting everything also means forgetting the good and the wonderful, the ups and the highs.

Nayoung wonders if it was easy for Jieqiong to forget everything. For the sake of alleviating her own heartache, she hopes it wasn’t.

~ ~ ~

The two sit quietly for a couple of minutes as they let themselves drown in the murmur of the café. Jieqiong is the first to break the silence.

“I don’t know if I believe in soulmates, but Chaeyeon sure feels like one,” she says. Nayoung nods as she lets her hand fall to her lap, the red string disappearing under the table. Out of sight, out of mind. Nayoung has always been good at hiding her feelings. “But enough about me. What about you? How have you been?”

“I’ve been good,” answers Nayoung as she takes another sip. “I’m busy with work.”

“Have you gone on dates and stuff?”

“Yeah. Blind dates, believe it or not,” says Nayoung with a chuckle. “But nothing serious. Typical liaisons you can expect from any other twenty-something.”

“What, like hookups? One night stands?” Jieqiong says with a frown. “You seem a lot more reckless than usual nowadays.”

Nayoung lets out a scoff. For the past almost-decade, she’s been trying to avoid being reckless and now here’s Jieqiong, of all people, telling her that she seems ‘a lot more reckless than usual’.

“Hey, you’d be doing the exact same thing if you weren’t so madly in love with Chaeyeon”.

 Jieqiong purses her lips, muttering a ‘true…’ under her breath as they both chuckle.

Nayoung wonders what’s wrong with being able to separate the physical from the emotional. What’s wrong with wanting to avoid getting hurt? What’s wrong with avoiding the possibility of hurting another?  For years, she’s been truncating; slipping out quietly and leaving first in the morning, one-word replies to texts, and white lies about her work schedule in order to avoid more dates. For years, Nayoung has been trying hard not to care and treat every night like there isn’t a tomorrow.

Keep it shallow. Keep it casual. No strings attached – literally.

To Nayoung, it’s all just a band aid (‘it’s harmful to put your heart on the line’, she tells herself) or a distraction (‘get over her, it’s been years.’).

“All these flings. Think your soulmate could be one of them?” Jieqiong muses out loud with a curious look on her face.

Nayoung simply shrugs as she looks down. No matter how hard she tries to ignore it, the red string around her pinky always catches her eye. It appears even looser than before, but Nayoung doesn’t bother tightening the knot.  Her eyes follow the string to Jieqiong’s pinky - a short distance - and she casts a quick glance at the younger girl.

She’s as oblivious as ever. For the first time in years, Nayoung wishes that the string wasn’t invisible to Jieqiong.

But it’s a selfish thought and Nayoung hates herself for even letting it wander into her mind. After all, she knows it’s best if Jieqiong remains unaware of who’s on the other end of her string.

~ ~ ~

Nayoung and Jieqiong fall deep into conversation about everything and all things. They have a fun time together, chatting and laughing like old friends when the topic of conversation has finally moved away from their love life. Nayoung had been so lost that she had forgotten how enjoyable Jieqiong’s company was.

Nayoung isn’t surprised at how happy Jieqiong makes her, nor is she surprised at how happy she gets seeing Jieqiong grin from ear to ear, even if the reasons behind her smile are things that take a stab at Nayoung’s heart.

Envy is a dirty sin. Rather than jealousy, Nayoung is regretful. She blames herself, even if it's been years and Jieqiong insists that she's okay now. Her previous questions about the red string (‘what’s my duty?’, ‘why me?’) seem so arbitrary when she thinks about the real question: why did the string appear at the time that it did?

Nayoung can’t help but think that the ability came to her at such an inconvenient time. If only she started seeing the red string before everything came crashing down. Maybe then, she would’ve been able to keep what she and Jieqiong had.

~ ~ ~

Nayoung puts her phone to her ear and this time, she’s the one waiting for the other end to pick up.

Within seconds, the ringback tone is interrupted by a familiar voice. “Hey.”

“Chungha, let’s meet up,” says Nayoung, “and bring that punk with you.” She hears Chungha laugh from the other end and they agree to meet at the café.

~ ~ ~

“Have you made up your mind yet? Look, I’m really sorry to rush you, but it’s been a couple of days already and that’s a couple of days too many,” says Yeonjung, restless as ever.

“Impatience is a vice,” replies Nayoung.

“It’s not one of the seven deadly sins. Will you cut it or not?”

When Nayoung looks at her hesitantly, Yeonjung exhales a long tired breath. That was not the response she was waiting for. “Why did you want to meet with us then?”

Nayoung shrugs. Truthfully, she knows what she must do, but can’t quite bring herself to do it yet. She hoped that Chungha and Yeonjung would be able to convince her or find a way to force her to do it. Nayoung initially figured she just needed a little push, but it turns out she may need a rougher shove instead. This is turning out a lot more difficult than she wants it to be.

“Why is this so hard for you? It’s been years since you two broke up. Why is it taking you so goddamn long?” spits Yeonjung and her voice is laced with poisonous venom.

“You don’t understand,” Nayoung promptly replies. “Why are you in such a rush?”

“Nayoung, this is my last resort. If I don’t do anything now, I’m going to lose her,” she says with a sigh. Yeonjung sounds different – desperate may be too harsh of a word, but there’s a tinge of it – and differs from what she was like during their first meeting. Where did that brash ‘all I need is me, myself, and I’ girl go?

Nayoung doesn’t bother asking about the ‘her’ that Yeonjung fears losing, figuring that it’s the other woman’s business and she shouldn’t be too intrusive. She has her own problems to deal with.

“Is cutting my string that important?”

“When I cut my string with Chaeyeon, I don’t want to leave her untied – especially when Jieqiong is right there in front of her. You need to let Jieqiong go,” explains Yeonjung. “Please.”

“She’s all I have,” mutters Nayoung. It comes out as a whisper, like a furtive thought that accidentally escaped and slipped out of .

“She isn’t!” It’s Chungha’s voice this time. “You gotta realize that your days of ‘Nayoung and Jieqiong versus The World’ are long over. You have other people. Like me, your parents, your friends. All you’re doing is torturing yourself.”

Nayoung sighs. She feels like she’s part of an intervention and it’s exhausting.

“How long will you keep trying to fix things? Can’t you accept the way things are now? It’s as repaired as it can be and there isn’t much else you can do,” says Chungha.

“And you said I was the selfish one,” grumbles Yeonjung. “I don’t know how to convince you nicely, but just look past your tunnel vision and have some consideration for Jieqiong. Do you think you’re some saint, always playing by the rules and thinking everything you do is the best thing that can be done?”

Nayoung puts her elbows on the table and buries her head in her hands. Yeonjung’s words sting and they burn inside her, but Nayoung can’t deny any of it. The fact that it’s all true just adds salt to the wounds she has inflicted on herself. She has to deal with it.

~ ~ ~

“Don’t you see how happy Chaeyeon and Jieqiong make each other?”

Nayoung doesn’t remember who says this; it could’ve been Yeonjung or Chungha or perhaps it was her to herself. Regardless, it doesn’t matter.

'Jieqiong is happier with Chaeyeon'. Nayoung repeats it in her head like a proverb. 'Chaeyeon is good to her. Chaeyeon is the only person who can treat Jieqiong the way she deserves to be treated.' 

What else is she going to do? She has thought about telling Jieqiong how she feels, but knows that confessing will just ruin everything and drag unwelcomed chaos back into their lives.

'Don’t be a homewrecker, don’t everything up'. Simple words that seem so much wiser than anything Nayoung has ever learned from anybody else.

All that should matter is that Jieqiong is happy – even if it’s at Nayoung’s expense because sometimes, people have to make sacrifices. It’s the truth and it took Nayoung nearly a decade (a decade far, far too long) to face it.

It’s her turn to move on.

With a heavy heart, but Jieqiong’s best interest in mind, Nayoung cuts the string. 

a/n: the end. i know that was a long one, sorry, but i'm really glad you finished it. and it's a happy ending if you think about it, right? the ending best for all the characters. but i do have the urge to write napink fluff already ;_; (next month tho lol june is a busy month) 

thanks for all the subscribers, upvotes, & especially the comments. I had a lot of fun writing this collection so I hope you guys enjoyed reading the stories just as much!! :) 

p.s. for anyone who reads off the deep end (my swim team au), sorry about the serious lack of updates (it’s severe). i’m suffering with writer’s block for that one :(( hopefully when i have more time on my hands, i can continue~!