9,606

Youngjae's watch was still in the same number, not increasing nor decreasing. He glanced at it every minute to see if it changed or not. 

Every person has a watch like that. Sometimes your fated one might be right around you. Or a little bit farther. All have different distances. But Youngjae is 9,606 kilometers away. But there is just one thing certain, you will meet that fated one but not now.

Youngjae slammed his face not too hard on the table, "Why is mine so far away? Yuggie's was just four kilometers."

Yugyeom, or Yuggie for short, had a distance of four kilometers. He recently met his fated one, named Bambam. And now he's happily spending his time with his boyfriend.

Youngjae thought that he was unlucky, I mean, 9606? So it means that his soulmate is from another side of the world. That made him feel more hopeless. 

Youngjae wondered about when would be the "right time". He wished that this fated one of his would accept him who he is, and Youngjae would not be a burden. He is excited, and he wishes that his fated one would be as equally excited as him.

***

"MAAARK!!" A mature girl's voice in English rang through the hallway of bedrooms. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"

"I'm right here, Tammy!" A cheerful guy's voice echoed through a certain bedroom. She rushed to the bedroom and saw him packing his last pieces of stuff in his luggage.

She leaned against the door and smiled. "You're almost done packing your stuff?"

He glanced at her and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm excited for South Korea. I know their language because I studied there years ago. It wouldn't be hard for me."

"Hopefully you will be able to find someone for you, eh?" 

Mark showed his watch to his sister. 9,606 , it read. "Its so far away, sis. I want these numbers to decrease so badly." His eyes were filled with sadness. 

"Why are you so excited to see this fated one of yours?" Tammy asked nonchalantly.

A light blush crept the younger's cheeks. "I want someone that I could truly call my own, you know. I wish that this fated one would accept me as who I am because whoever it is, I would truly accept."

"You, my brother, is extraordinary. I want you to be happy. I hoped that this numbers would decrease and decrease."

"But what if my soul mate doesn't like me?" Sadness and fear crept through Mark again and her sister went closer and hugged the younger.

"Don't say anything like that. Your fated one is going to love you. And I know you will too." The two siblings hugged each other.

Until, a soft pillow came crashing to the both of them.

They stopped hugging and stared at the door, it was Joey laughing. "Hey, stop the drama. And 9,606 is such a big number, goodluck bro." Joey showed his watch to the two siblings. "And hey, three kilometers left for me!"

Tammy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Goodluck to you too, Joey."

Mark started packing up his last stuff and zipped his luggage. He sighed. "South Korea, here I come." Then glanced at the watch again, with the same number.

"Mark," his father, Raymond, said as his son was loading his luggage in the car.

Mark glanced at his father, with the same soft smile that he had. "Yes?"

"I saw your watch." Raymond smiled. "Yours is pretty far away."

He sighed in defeat. "I know, I sure am unlucky."

Raymond led the younger at a wooden bench and they sat. "Let me tell you something, son." 

When he saw no response from his son and just stared at him, the older continued. "Legend says, that the more it is far away, the more that the universe will draw you closer to what you're looking for, the more the connection sparks."

"Connection?" Mark asked bewildered.

"You know, the spark. The love." Raymond smiled. "That's why this distance of yours is special. Don't ever say that you're unlucky. I bet that the both of you will grow to love each other more than anything else, the connection."

Raymond took the younger's left wrist and the watch was shown with the same number, 9606.

"You'll know you're near when your watch lights up, it will light up if you're already near your soulmate."

"Dad.." 

"And everytime the numbers would decrease largely, a few clues will be hinted to you about your soulmate. Sometimes it describes the person, where the person lives, or if you're lucky, it hints the name."

"Enjoy Korea, son." The father and son share their one last hug.

***

Youngjae was sleeping when Yugyeom and Bambam came in the cafe. The love birds woke the poor sleepy head up.

"Hey, who told you to fall asleep in public?" Yugyeom scolded as if they're not two y