I’m bored.

The words first appeared on Taeyang’s skin in the middle of class.

Normally, the first words you got from your soulmate was a big thing. Mainly because the words that appeared on your skin meant you actually have a soulmate; someone you’re destined to be partnered with for the rest of your life. Someone who was made to love you, no matter what, whose heart is matched with yours for all eternity. True love. Destiny. 

Soulmates are able to contact each other by writing on their skin. Whatever is written on your own skin will appear in the same spot on your soulmate’s skin, which usually meant that finding your soulmate was pretty much made to be easy. Considering there aren’t any language barriers then with a few quick scribbles, you can know everything about your soulmate and more, arrange to meet up, live happily ever after, all that jazz.

At least, that was usually the case.

Taeyang stared at the back of his hand with mixed feelings. Was he happy? Well, he can’t say he wasn’t at least a little bit overjoyed. He had a soulmate, which was great, of course. He was definitely happy about that. The only thing that was getting in the way with his happiness was how he had tried contacting his soulmate several times over the past few years and never got a single reply, ever. 

He remembered the first thing he wrote out, too: Hi! I’m your soulmate Yoo Taeyang. 

He had expected a reply right away, but instead got none. Still, Taeyang dutifully wrote out good morning and good night greetings on his hand everyday since he was 16, waiting for the moment his soulmate would finally reply. He knew he had one. It wasn’t like he was writing to no one in particular— he had to have one, he felt it deep inside of him, and there’s no way he was giving up. If anything, right now a huge part of him wanted to ignore the writing on his hand for a few years to see how his soulmate would like it.

A few seconds later, he was already uncapping his pen and writing on another area of his hand.

You made me wait three years. I should be mad at you. 

Taeyang wondered if maybe that was a bit too harsh to say. It was followed by a feeling of worry, that maybe his soulmate would end up not replying all over again. He couldn’t have possibly messed it up before it even started, right?

His negative thoughts disappeared when he felt a tingling sensation on his hand, watching in awe as the black marks began to form. 

You should be, but here you are replying to me anyway.

Taeyang fought back a laugh as he had to agree, eagerly writing back now that they were finally conversing. 

Okay, good point. Will you introduce yourself, then?

He stared at his hand expectantly— he was going to find out his soulmate’s name. Everything else would follow smoothly after that. He’d figure out his soulmate’s gender, too, probably. Boy or girl, did it really matter if it was your fated love? Surely by then they could go on dates, hold hands, do all the cute couple stuff. They would do as soulmates do. Well, considering they do meet up, Korea was a big place after all and—

Taeyang blinked as the two letters, bold and black, appeared.

No. 

____________________________________________________________

“You said no?!” Chani pretty much shouted from his spot on the floor of Hwiyoung's room, throwing a random pillow over at his best friend. 

Hwiyoung dodged it easily; usually he would have thrown it back, but he wasn’t exactly in the mood to argue. He had finally, after years of beating around the bush and straight up ignoring his soulmate, decided to initiate contact. For the most part, he was just really glad his soulmate didn’t choose to ignore him as well. His soulmate was a good person. Either that or it's the unavoidable feelings of utter love and adoration, but either way. 

His soulmate was someone named Yoo Taeyang. 

Hwiyoung blushed at the mere thought of his name, which didn't go unnoticed by Chani. 

The latter rolled his eyes, "Look at you, utterly lovesick. I can't believe you said no. You have got to be the worst soulmate out there, I swear, if this Taeyang guy doesn't drop you I'll be so surprised—“

"You're not helping," Hwiyoung groaned, grabbing the pillow from earlier and burying his face into it.

Sure he ignored his soulmate for years, but Hwiyoung had a good reason for doing so. He was shy, that was a good enough reason, right? Every time any string of words would appear on his hand or arm, Hwiyoung would turn into an outright tomato. He couldn't even muster the courage to pick up a pen and write, which was silly; he's heard Chani tell him that plenty of times already. Just now, Hwiyoung managed to add another offence to his growing list: refusing to give out his name.

"He told you his name three years ago," Chani pointed out. "Three whole years ago." 

"I know," came the muffled reply. 

"Look," Chani began. "Rather than moping there like a big baby, how about picking that pen up and writing something like oh, sorry, that was a joke, my name is Kim Hwiyoung and I'm a tomato." 

Hwiyoung's head emerged from the pillow, still as red as it was moments ago, "no thanks." 

"You mean you're gonna leave this guy waiting again?"

Hwiyoung paused as if to consider, before furiously nodding.

"You are an evil, evil soulmate, Hwiyoung. I hope he drops you faster than a hot pan.”

That time, Hwiyoung threw the pillow back. 

____________________________________________________________

It’s been four days since his soulmate first contacted him, and Taeyang was perplexed. Confused. Befuddled. He sat in between his two friends, Rowoon and Zuho, who looked just about as bored and 100% done with Taeyang’s antics as they sipped their respective drinks. The people who entered the coffee shop began to trickle in number. They’ve all been there for a few hours. Every now and then, the two wondered about just leaving Taeyang in there. Surely there were better ways to spend a weekend.

“Am I doing anything wrong?”

“Does my soulmate hate me?”

“Was I too forward?”

“Did I ask the wrong thi—“

Zuho butted in before he could even finish, “I swear if you don’t stop asking the same questions over and over again I’m going to steal that waiter’s pen and write on your arm, just to get you to shut up.”

Taeyang froze, staring at the empty patch of skin, “you wouldn’t. They’d hate me even more— both the barista and my soulmate!”

“Try me, Yoo Taeyang.”

“Zuho,” Rowoon said as calmly as possible, sensing that his soulmate was very much serious about his claim to steal a waiter’s pen. It wasn’t below him at all. Meanwhile, Taeyang was on the brink of chewing his drink’s cup with how stressed he was; Rowoon didn’t want to deal with that either. “Cut Taeyang some slack, he’s been looking forward to contacting his soulmate for years now.”

Taeyang nodded, “yeah, unlike you two.”

“Well, it’s not our fault we made sure to reply to each other,” Zuho quipped, earning yet another sad sigh from Taeyang. Rowoon was about to tell him off, but Taeyang spoke before he could.

“You’re right,” the grey haired boy admitted. “I need to do something.” 

“Finally.”

“But not today.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

Taeyang shook his head, plastering a bright smile on his face for the first