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The Red StringAfter Hyojung felt her thread squeeze her pinkie, she practically sprinted home. She couldn't contain her excitement at the thought of her soulmate being near her. Her toothy grin was widespread and her eyes were full of delight. Once she arrived at her house, she fished through her backpack for her keys and opened the door.
"ANNYEONG! I'M HOME!" Hyojung yelled. A man in his mid-fourties sauntered into the living room.
"Hi, sweetie," Hyojung's father said. "You're more hyper than usual. What's the occasion?"
"Oh, nothing much, father. Just that my string pulsed today." Hyojung's father looked at Hyojung with confusion.
"Pulsed?"
"Yeah! I was just walking home from school and all of a sudden, I felt the thread tighten around my pinkie. It felt like a really big heart beat."
"And what do you think it means?"
"It means that my soulmate could be near! Eeeeee!" Hyojung squealed, causing her father to cover his ears.
"Calm down, Hyojung. My hearing isn't as tolerable as it used to be."
"Sorry. I didn't know where it came from, but, at least I know I might meet him or her soon." Her father smiled. Even though her daughter was beaming over someone she doesn't know, he's happy that she's happy. He lovingly rubbed her head, ultimately messing up her hair.
"I know you will, sweetie. Now go start on your homework," her father said and patted Hyojung's shoulder.
"Okay!" Hyojung smiled with her eyes and mouth and nodded, heading up to her room. She opened her bedroom door and breathed in the familiar smell. She jumped on her bed and texted Hyejin about what happened. Once she sent the message, she looked at her string and smiled brightly.
"I hope to meet you soon, soulmate~" Flexing and unflexing her pinkie, Hyojung giggled to herself.
...
Jiho and her mother were quietly eating dinner, as per usual. Mrs. Kim kept glancing over at her daughter, hoping she'd talk about how her day went, or anything in general. Jiho was too busy staring at her pinkie to anything. Why did it pulse? Jiho asked herself.
"Ahem." Jiho perked her head up at the sound of her name. "You mentioned that you made a friend today?"
"Um, well, not really," Jiho replied. "She came over insisting that I sit with her friends, and when I refused, she decided to sit next to me. I had no say in the matter." Her mother rolled her eyes.
"At least someone became friends with you. That's all that matters." Jiho looked over and gave a small smile to her mother. Everything went silent, other than the clinking of utensils on plates.
"Listen," her mother started. Jiho looked up, worry on her face. "I know things have been difficult the last couple of years, but in order for us humans to stay alive, we continue forward." Her mother reached out and held Jiho's hand. "You know I love you, right, Jiho?"
"I know, umma. I love you too." Jiho looked at her mother's left pinkie. Her red string was lax, looking like it hadn't been pulled for a while. Jiho sighed.
"Things will look up. I just know it." Jiho smiled genuinely at her mother. She quickly glanced at her pinkie.
It's probably nothing.
Next day
Jiho walked through the halls heading toward her locker. She dug out the piece of paper containing her locker number and combination.
"326, 326, 326..." Jiho mumbled to herself searching for her locker. "Ah!" The dark blue locker had a little silver plate with "326" on top. The lock on the locker was holding the locker closed.
"Okay let's see. Ummmm. 24," she mumbled as she spun the lock once. "19," she spun the other direction once and landed on the number. "And..."
"Hi, Jiho!" The loud noice startled her and made her lose her place on the combination. She turned to her right and saw Binnie happily walking over to her. Jiho grit her teeth surpressing a swear.
"What."
"How are you this morning?" Binnie asked innocently. Jiho spun the knob around until her locker finally unlocked.
"I'm... okay, I guess? You?" Jiho shrugged.
"I'm doing great!" Jiho raised her eyebrow her questionably. She chose to brush it off and started stuffing her locker with her belongings. Jiho saw Binnie from the corner of her eye, slightly rocking back and forth. She shut her locker and stared at Binnie with a glare.
"Look, what do you want?" she said with an icy tone. It didn't faze Binnie, unfortunately.
"Will you sit with me and my friends at lunch today?" Binnie asked.
"No," Jiho said firmly.
"Why not? You'll like my friends! They're both super nice and cute! There's Seunghee, who is a vocal queen and an adorable shortie. Oh, and there's Arin! She's so cute but will also-"
"Can't you bother someone else?" Jiho interrupted coldly. She slammed her locker shut and stormed off. Binnie blinked and watched her walk away. Jiho headed into her class and sat at her desk angrily. She stuffed her face into her arms.
You didn't have to be that mean, Jiho. The one time someone wants to become your friend and you shut them off, Jiho thought to herself. But it's better this way. The less people in my life, the less complicated. The bell rang and signalled the start of class.
...
Lunch began and Jiho walked over to the corner she sat at yesterday. But before she could make it there, a voice called out.
"Jiho! Over here!" Jiho froze in place and slowly turned to see Binnie waving her arm, beckoning over to her table. Some people glanced over at her. Jiho blushed at the sudden attention. Jiho sighed and walked over to Binnie's table.
"Hi, Jiho! Thank you for joining us," Binnie smiled.
"Like I had a choice," Jiho mumbled under her breath. There was an awkward silence before Binnie remembered her friends beside her.
"Oh! Jiho, meet my friends. Remember? The ones I mentioned earlier?" Jiho looked up and locked eyes with the two. The one on Binnie's left was short compared to the other two, but had just as much energy. Her small eyes gleamed at her, her cheekbones prominant.
"Hi, my name is Oh Seunghee! Nice to meet you." Jiho nodded once, then looked at the other girl. She had more of a shy and quiet nature, not one to speak up, Jiho noted. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun that made her try and seem adult like.
"Hello, Jiho. My name is Choi Yewon, but I prefer to be called Arin."
"Why?"
"Because it sounds cuter. She's our cutie pie~" Binnie said pinching Arin's cheek.
"Unnie~" Arin squealed. Seunghee laughed along with Binnie. Jiho raised her eyebrow and grimaced. I shouldn't have come, she thought.
"So, tell us something about yourself," Binnie said forwardly. Seunghee and Arin leaned in, waiting for her answer.
"I don't think you want to anything know me."
"We wouldn't have asked you to sit with us if we didn't want to," Seunghee replied.
"Still, you don't want to know." Binnie's eyes lit up at an idea. She whispered something into Arin's ear, raising concern to Jiho. Arin nodded and moved to sit next to Jiho. Jiho leaned away from the younger girl, afraid of what she might do.
"Please tell us! We want to be your friend, Jiho-ah!" Arin cutely said while poking her shoulder. Seunghee and Binnie squealed together while Jiho shivered and cringed at the agyeo.
"Alright. Just never do that again." Arin went back to her seat, stuffing her face into Binnie's arm.
"They made me do it," Arin mumbled. They stared at Jiho waiting for an answer. Jiho rolled her eyes.
"I live with just my mother." Jiho ate her food nonchantly as if that fact meant nothing. Jiho felt a hand covering her own. She looked up to meet Binnie's sad eyes.
"You don't have to say any more. We won't push." Binnie smiled. Jiho looked at Seunghee and Arin, their expressions similar to Binnie's. Jiho felt weirded out and ignored it.
"Whatever." Jiho munched onto her food.
"Right! We have food!" Seunghee exclaimed. They all laughed and began chatting about god knows what. Jiho felt a little pang in her heart, like she knew that they cared, even without knowing much about her. She felt strange, but also needed.
...
Jiho sighed for what felt like the hundredth time.
They seem trustworthy. I don't think they'd gossip like other people. I won't regret making friends, right? Gahhhh.
Hyojung smiled with her teeth, skipping down the hallway in the other direction.
I wonder if they're tall, or short. Maybe they're shorter than me. Impossible. Hehehe!
While both monologuing to themselves, they didn't notice each other's presence and walked right into one another. Jiho fell back and landed on her with a thud and Hyojung held her forehead.
"Ow!" Jiho groaned.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I didn't see where I was going," Hyojung stuttered.
"Damn right you didn't," Jiho replied, too focused on her pain to forget not to swear.
"Here let me help you," Hyojung said. She reached for Jiho's right hand and pulled her up.
"Sorry I bumped into you."
"I'm fine. I'm not in any pain," Hyojung lied, her forehead a little red. Jiho got up and brushed herself off. Hyojung slightly stared at Jiho's appearance. Her hair fell on her shoulders naturally and her eyes were feline-like, almost piercing.
"Um, bye," Jiho said before walking away.
Hyojung blinked out of her dream state and looked back at Jiho. She then noticed a red string on her left pinkie. Her eyes widened as it traveled back to her own. Immediately, she ran back to Jiho.
"Wait!" Hyojung grabbed Jiho's wrist, stopping the latter in her tracks. Jiho looked at her confused. "I think we might be soulmates."
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Hiiiii~ It's been a LONG RIDE. But I'm back. See you in ten months! Lol
Hyojung and Jiho moments have been popping up more. I approve. ^_^
So, hope you like this very late update. Sorry again. And thanks.
Geeky
Hey! How do you like it so far? Am I focusing too much on Jiho? Is that alright? Let me know in the comments. Thanks!
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