Summary: Joohyun always thought about how much Seulgi made her worry. And then she worried about how much she thought about Seulgi.
 

Nothing worried Joohyun more than the tendency people had of trusting others easily. It was just her luck that her best friend happened to be the embodiment of naivety. She wasn't the only one to worry about Seulgi, nor was she surprised, when she came over to visit Seulgi’s house for the first time and met her parents.

While Seulgi’s father reminded Joohyun of Seulgi in every way from the lingering laugh to the shape of their eyes, Seulgi’s mother had a frown that settled naturally on her face but would be foreign on Seulgi herself. However, Joohyun began to notice the resemblance between the two when she saw that her smile could be just as genuine as Seulgi’s. That made Joohyun imagine Seulgi growing up with a frown on her face, her smile tired if it ever decided to appear. Joohyun shot that thought out of her mind, shaking her head. Thinking like that was rude. Thinking like that came with the possibility of that future becoming real.

“Thank you again for looking after our daughter,” Seulgi’s mother said as she set a fresh plate of cookies on the table. Seulgi eagerly sat up and had to stretch over the table to retrieve the dessert. Nearby, Seulgi’s father gave her a look that diminished into a laugh when she offered him a cookie. “You did the right thing when you ran to where all the adults could see you.”

Joohyun didn't look away from the woman in front of her despite the aroma of molten chocolate making her stomach jump. She remembered that her own mother told her that not giving someone her full attention when they were speaking to her was disrespectful. So Joohyun did her best to listen and not show her restraint. The smile on Seulgi’s mother was real, but dim in Joohyun’s opinion. Being a grownup must be hard.

A sigh slipped out of Seulgi’s mother and the smile left as soon as it came. “I knew I should’ve left work early,” she lamented. “I always felt uneasy about letting Seulgi be alone on the park, but I thought that she would be fine because of the neighborhood and…” She didn’t finish her sentence as she closed her eyes and rubbed the wrinkle between her eyebrows.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself over this.” Seulgi’s father walked to her side and rubbed her back gently. “We should just be glad that Joohyun was there to make sure that our princess made it back to us safe and sound.”

She spared a glance towards her husband as if in thought. She smiled. “You’re right,” she said. “We just need to be more careful, so this doesn’t happen again.”

Joohyun blinked. The smile on Seulgi’s mother wasn’t strained, pretty actually. It was the closest she’s been to resembling Seulgi. She turned to Joohyun. “You know, you’re this family’s hero, Joohyun.”

“I didn’t do much though,” Joohyun insisted. Nobody else saw the stranger approach Seulgi and her feet moved without thinking. Her face was burning, she just knew it. She wanted to turn her head down, but her mother’s lecture on courtesy prevented her.

Seulgi’s father let out a chuckle and reached forward to ruffle her hair. “Brave and humble,” he marveled. “You’re going to be very popular when you’re older.”

Seulgi’s mother scoffed when she saw her husband wink at Joohyun jokingly. “She’s too young to even be thinking about stuff like that.”

He shrugged. “Never too young to be prepared.”

“Thank you,” Joohyun said, albeit not knowing what they were talking about.

After turning to Joohyun with an amused look on her face, Seulgi’s mother kneeled until she was on eye level with her. “Please continue to look after our Seulgi, alright?”

“I—” Joohyun wondered what was the best thing to say. The first thing she thought was along the lines of “I'll try” but that hinted that her connection with Seulgi wouldn't last. But it probably wouldn't last, at least not forever. Both Joohyun and Seulgi were only kids and they didn't decide their futures. Fate did. She knew she wasn't supposed to say that though.

Joohyun looked up and met Seulgi’s eyes, who had her knees on the edge of the table again as she reached for another chocolate chip cookie. She didn't seem to be listening to the conversation, flashing a smile when she realized she was caught in the act once more. She smiled like there was nothing to worry about.

Maybe there wasn't anything. Offering a smile back towards Seulgi, Joohyun faced the former’s parents. Someone needed to look after Seulgi. She needed Joohyun. “You can count on me.”

_______________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes Joohyun questioned if Seulgi was real. Of course, she knew that was a silly thing to ask herself, experiencing numerous hugs with Seulgi, the warmth in Seulgi’s hands as they hesitantly pressed onto her back were undeniably real. However, watching Seulgi only raised questions in her mind. It came up when she saw Seulgi fall for the same card trick for the second time. It came up when Joohyun watched Seulgi actually feel sorry for this girl who was crying in school just to learn that she was practicing for her theater audition. It was obvious. Didn't Seulgi ever doubt anything?

Setting down her pencil, Joohyun decided to take a break from her history homework. She looked around the room, not quite used to lounging in Seulgi’s bedroom. It made her nervous. She glanced at the clock as the pendulum swayed, her lips quirking when she saw that the design was inspired by a bear.

There were still a few hours before her mother could pick her up from work. Even if her house was close by, Joohyun’s parents didn't like the idea of her staying in the house alone. She imagined the possibilities of how she and Seulgi could pass the time. When they finished with homework, they could go downstairs and watch television or play—mostly Seulgi because Joohyun was horrible—with the video game console Seulgi’s brother owned.

Though she had a feeling that they would just do what they did the last time she came over to visit Seulgi: lie down on her bed and talked about their aspirations or troubles or anything that popped in their minds. Seulgi said she found it relaxing because school sometimes made her wish she never had to come back, but talking to Joohyun never failed to cheer her up. Joohyun felt the same way. She didn't say it out loud however, only listening as Seulgi admitted this.

Joohyun turned to Seulgi, who bore a wide smile as she focused on completing her homework. This would have shocked Joohyun if it weren’t for the fact that it was an art project.

“Seulgi,” Joohyun called out. Blinking as she snapped out of her reverie, Seulgi looked up from her paper. The questioning look in her eyes almost made Joohyun chuckle. “Are you still having trouble with math?”

“No,” Seulgi shook her head. “I understood the lesson since you helped me with my homework yesterday.” Her smile began to beam the way it did when she was in awe. “You’re so smart, unnie! I wouldn’t have been able to do it on my own.”

“I’m happy to know I helped you,” Joohyun said. She willed herself to not bask in the compliment. She propped her open book on the table to hide her face. “You can always ask me again if you don’t understand the teacher.”

“Will do!” Joohyun heard the sound of humming and pictured Seulgi picking up her colored pencils. No doubt she picked the yellow one. It was Seulgi’s favorite color.

Flipping through a page, Joohyun glanced up at the clock. Only minutes have passed. It was only a compliment.

“Unnie, guess what happened to me today!” Seulgi shot up from the low table and peeked from above the textbook. Joohyun swiveled her head in surprise, her eyes meeting Seulgi’s crinkled ones. Though she couldn’t see Seulgi’s whole face, Joohyun knew it was due to her grin.

“What?” Joohyun raised an eyebrow.

“You need to guess first,” Seulgi insisted as she lowered the book.

Joohyun rolled her eyes. “I don’t know,” she shrugged. “A cat stumbled into the playground and you got to pet it.”

“Nope,” Seulgi settled her chin on her palms. “That happened last week, silly.”

“Then, what happened?” Joohyun asked.

She watched Seulgi bounce slightly in place. “Jimin showed me another trick today. He cut his thumb off and immediately put it back together again.”

Joohyun’s eyes widened. “What do you mean he cut his thumb off?” She recalled her parents saying that their school wasn’t the best, but she couldn’t imagine a teacher allowing that to happen.

“It’s pretty easy actually,” Seulgi claimed. “Look, I'll show you.”

It took a second for Joohyun to process what Seulgi said, but when the words finally hit her so did a surge of panic. Her gaze landing on the scissors Seulgi used to make her creation, Joohyun closed her eyes as she lunged for the scissors and stuffed it under her cushion seat.

“Unnie, what are you doing? You're missing it.”

Joohyun’s eyes fluttered open. She took in the sight of Seulgi pretending to detach her thumb. In reality, it was obvious that Seulgi was just hiding one of her thumbs and pretended one was the other.

“I can tell by your reaction that you don't know how I'm doing this,” Seulgi said. “Well—” She separated her hands and wiggled her hands. “I didn't cut off my thumb at all!”

Joohyun didn’t respond. She blinked.

“Unnie?” Seulgi frowned. “Are you okay? Are you mad that I tricked you?”

Her lip began to quiver and even though she tried to hold it in by biting her lip, laughter slipped out of Joohyun. She clutched at her stomach as she tilted her head back, the cramp making her wince but not enough to stop her giggles. “S-seulgi you’re,” Joohyun struggled. “You’re hilarious.”

The confused look on Seulgi’s face turned into a light blush as she grinned. “You really think so?”

Mustering a nod, Joohyun wiped the stray tears in her eyes. “You’re full of surprises.”

“When I showed you that trick I hoped you would call me cool,” Seulgi admitted. “But I’m happy that you think I’m funny.” She nodded as she reached a conclusion. “I should ask Jimin to show me more tricks. I need to take up his offer next time when he invites me to his house.”

Joohyun froze. “He invited you over before?”

“Yeah,” Seulgi said like it was no big deal. She said like it wouldn’t make Joohyun straighten her posture and lean towards her a slight bit, her hands on top of the table. “Last Thursday, he said he bought this video game we talked about before, but I said no since we were going to hang out with you that day.”

Joohyun ignored the warmness she felt when Seulgi mentioned her in favor of the heaviness she felt when Seulgi mentioned Jimin. She felt her face start to heat up nonetheless. She met Jimin before. From the brief conversations she had with him when Joohyun came to pick up Seulgi, he was considerate and polite. She couldn’t shake off the impression that he was hiding something from her and Seulgi though.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Joohyun said. When Seulgi tilted her head, confused, Joohyun was reminded of Seulgi’s faith in everyone. “Your parents won’t like it if you hang out at a boy’s house,” she explained.

“That’s true,” Seulgi muttered. Her eyes widened and Joohyun could practically see the light bulb brighten above Seulgi’s head. “How about you come with me?” She brought her hands together and begged. “Please? My parents won’t worry if you’re there with me.”

“I don’t mind,” Joohyun nodded. She briefly thought about how she would be bored out of her mind in Jimin’s house. “That way I don’t have to worry about you either.”

“You don’t have to worry, unnie,” Seulgi assured her. “Jimin is a good guy, you’ve met him a couple of times. Remember?”

“I have,” Joohyun said. “But there’s nothing wrong with being cautious.”

“You don’t trust him, unnie?” Seulgi asked.

Joohyun wanted to voice her suspicions, but didn’t want to make Seulgi’s relationship with Jimin complicated just because of a hunch feeling. “Do you trust him?” she asked instead.

“Of course!” Seulgi insisted. “He’s one of the nicest guys in my class. Yesterday he picked out flowers for me when I couldn’t figure out what to draw at recess.”

That was nice of him. The frown on Joohyun’s face wouldn’t leave. The feeling Joohyun couldn’t decipher as anything other than unpleasant lingered. She wanted to ignore it. “Seulgi?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever doubted anyone?” Joohyun watched Seulgi hum as she furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what she would say even if there was no need. Seulgi was nothing but honest towards her.

“Well,” Seulgi started. “I do, but I always try to give the benefit of the doubt, y’know? I don’t like assuming the worst.” She looked Joohyun up and down slowly, aware that her friend didn’t seem satisfied with that answer.

Lowering her gaze to the carpeted floor, Seulgi took a deep breath and sighed. “I know you and my  parents are worried because of that. The guy that tried to take me wasn’t someone I should’ve trusted.”

The frown on Joohyun’s face turned into a scowl. When she ran as fast as she could with Seulgi, Joohyun only thought of getting themselves somewhere safe. Now, Joohyun seethed whenever she thought about it. She knew she should focus on being happy that nothing happened to Seulgi, but the possibility of Seulgi getting hurt scared her. The possibility of Seulgi’s meeting with Joohyun never becoming real scared her.

“But—” Whatever bad feelings that churned inside Joohyun’s stomach were forgotten as if they were never there when Seulgi looked up with a bright smile on her face. Joohyun wanted that smile to last. “If I only doubted people, I wouldn't have been able to be friends with you!”

Joohyun only fathomed a small smile back. “I guess so.”

Though Seulgi’s way of trusting worried her, Joohyun supposed it would be fine since Joohyun was there to watch over her. As long as they were together, Joohyun felt that maybe whatever fate had in store for them wouldn't be so bad.

_________________________________

“What do your parents’ tattoo look like?” Joohyun tore her gaze from the kneaded dough. She smiled when she saw Seulgi staring at her, flour coating her nose and forehead.

Joohyun grabbed a nearby cloth and wiped the mess away. “Their tattoo?”

“Uhuh.” Seulgi nodded, but only slightly, so she wouldn’t interrupt Joohyun’s action. “They’re always wearing suits when I see them, so I never got a peek at it.”

“Well, they are working all the time,” Joohyun said offhandedly. She missed the way Seulgi’s eyes grew soft the slightest bit as Joohyun focused back on flattening the dough with a rolling pin. “Their tattoo is a pen with ink trailing behind it.”

“Really?” Seulgi asked in awe. “I’m going to ask your mom if I can see it when she comes over.”

Letting out a hum, Joohyun set down the roller when she thought the dough was good enough to be cut into little shapes. She didn’t need to move her head to know that Seulgi was staring at her, wondering whether or not to voice the question in her head. Joohyun decided to give her a hand. “Do you want to know how my parents met each other?”

Seulgi dropped the dough on the countertop, evoking a cloud of powder to gather around her. “Yeah, that would be—” Seulgi coughed as she swatted the residue out of her face. “That would be great!”

Joohyun covered with one hand as she let out a chuckle. “Okay, I’ll tell you.” She cleared , readying herself to tell the story. She always wanted to tell someone about her parents. “My parents worked under the same company, but they didn’t see each other until they both had to attend a party. You know, to make their bosses like them more.”

She briefly wondered if the next part was alright to share with Seulgi, knowing how...protective her parents could be. However, she understood very well that Seulgi would keep asking for the whole truth if Joohyun refused to share. “So my mother was drinking and talking to one of her friends when all of a sudden she hears her boss burst out laughing.”

“This is the part where your mom sees your dad being charming and falls in love, right?” Seulgi interrupted.

Joohyun snorted. “No,” she said. “My mother actually described him as ‘a big mess.’”

“What?” Seulgi asked, her skin seeming to turn lighter. That or the flour was making Seulgi resemble a ghost.

“It’s true.” Joohyun brushed the powder off of Seulgi’s hair. Too focused on continuing the story and cleaning Seulgi, Joohyun didn’t notice the red that stood out on Seulgi’s cheeks when the flour was rubbed away. “My father passed out on their boss’ shoulder and everyone in their table was laughing. My mother was too until she saw how my father’s sleeves were rolled up and she realized he had the same tattoo as her.”

“What did she do next?” Seulgi was about to rest her chin on her hands, but Joohyun sent her a look and she realized that her fingers were laced with white. Seulgi gave a small laugh and straightened her posture.

“She didn’t do anything,” Joohyun answered. “She just stared at him for the rest of the night and left as soon as one of his friends decided to drive him home.”

“What?” Seulgi drawled. She tilted her head, confused. “Why would she not tell anyone about her tattoo?”

“She thought she was imagining things,” Joohyun said. “In my opinion, I think she didn’t want to admit it was real. If my soulmate was someone that I didn’t think want to be with, I would try to deny it too.”

Seulgi pouted. “I guess,” she said. “I still don’t understand though.”

Joohyun smiled as she gave a shrug. “Adults are weird.”

“Adults are weird.” Seulgi nodded. She inched closer to Joohyun. “So how did your parents get together then? Since you’re here, that means there’s more to the story, right?” She laughed. “Unless you’re actually a ghost.”

Joohyun hummed, lifting an eyebrow. Seulgi stared at her for a moment before her eyes widened in shock and that was all it took for Joohyun’s facade to crumble. Joohyun giggled, turning her head away from Seulgi.

“Unnie!” Seulgi whined. “Don’t tease me like that.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Joohyun said when her laughter began to die down. “I couldn’t help it.” She watched Seulgi’s frown quirk back into a smile, chuckling along. Seulgi was never upset for long.

A few strands of hair stuck out of place, the result of Seulgi’s rushed work on tying her hair. Joohyun glanced down, fiddling with her fingers. She wanted to tuck it behind Seulgi’s ear, but saw that flour coated her fingers from earlier and stopped herself.

“My mother met him again two days later,” Joohyun carried on. “She was late to a meeting, so she was shuffling her way to the conference room. She couldn’t see because her stack of papers covered her view, so it wasn’t a surprise when she ended up crashing into someone.”

Seulgi’s grin grew wider, excitement radiating off of her.

“She apologized and started picking up her papers, but froze when she saw the person that she bumped into was holding out a pen she dropped.” Joohyun smiled as she played the scene out in her head. “She slowly looked up and there was my father, returning her pen while his sleeves were rolled up and the tattoo of a pen was bare for her to see.”

Bare for everyone to see. Joohyun wondered if her father rolled up his sleeves that day in hopes of finding her mother.

“Aww!” Seulgi gushed. “That's so cute.”

Joohyun paused, her smile softening. “You know, I was happy when they told me. I realized I didn't have to worry.”

“Worry about what?” Seulgi asked.

Joohyun giggled weakly, looking back on it. It was foolish of her to think like that. “I sometimes wondered if they really loved each other.”

Seulgi flinched, whipping her head to see if any of her family was eavesdropping. She turned to Joohyun with worried eyes and a frown adorning her face. Joohyun disliked this expression on Seulgi. She disliked the fact that she was the one that took her smile away. She should have kept shut. “You thought they didn't love each other?” Seulgi whispered.

Biting her lip, Joohyun brought her gaze to the piles of dough. She wondered when Seulgi’s mother was going to come back. “It's not like I thought they hated other. I just… couldn't tell what they felt for each other. When my father comes home, my mother is already asleep because she's exhausted from her work. They almost have no time to relax and talk to each other. They never have time to be with m—”

She froze. Joohyun didn't need to lift her head to know how Seulgi was looking at her. Sighing, Joohyun closed her eyes. “Anyway, one day they both had a break and thought it would be a good bonding experience to tell me about them. And when I saw my mother gush about how helpless my father was and how my father would look at my mother when he thought she wasn’t look, I knew that I was wrong about them.”

The silence made Joohyun feel like she had to fill it with her words. She was close with Seulgi, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be an open book. “I know it’s strange to even consider that because they’re soulmates, but I just…I don’t know.”

Joohyun lifted her head when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. “I don’t know your parents like you do,” Seulgi said. “But like you said, I’m sure they love each other. And I know they love you! They’re always working so hard to give you a happy life after all.” Joohyun thought that Seulgi looked slightly embarrassed when she said, “and if you ever feel lonely, you can be with us. Everyone here thinks of you as family anyway.”

Heat flourished onto Joohyun’s cheeks. “Thank you, Seulgi. I needed that.”

“Happy to help!”

Joohyun gave a soft smile. “Speaking of your parents,” she spoke. “Why don’t you tell me about how your parents met? It’s only fair.”

“Oh!” Seulgi perked up as if she forgot what happened earlier. Joohyun thought that was good. “I don’t mind. It’s pretty short though, so don’t expect anything incredible.”

Joohyun scoffed. “That’s some way to describe your parents falling in love with each other.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Seulgi looked behind her to see if either of her parents was nearby.

Watching Seulgi panic, Joohyun giggled. “I’m just kidding, silly.”

Seulgi’s shoulders relaxed. “You’re mean, unnie,” she breathed.

Holding back her smile was going to strain Joohyun’s face at this rate. “Hurry and tell me,” she urged with the wave of her hand. “I want to know how it happened.”

“Okay, just give me time to remember everything.” Seulgi hummed as she leaned against the counter. Joohyun began to wonder if Seulgi didn’t care whether or not the flour dirtied her clothes. “That day my father was working part time in a flower shop. He was saving money, so he could have his own shop one day.”

“He’s a florist?” Whenever Joohyun saw Seulgi’s father, she pictured him working as a police officer or a firefighter. His tattoo of a twisting, blooming flower seemed befitting to Joohyun now.

Seulgi nodded. “He was fixing the display at the front of the store until he saw this woman wearing a business suit walk by the store. He said she was wearing a big frown on her face and decided that he would try to cheer her up. So my dad decided to approach her and offer her a rose, hoping for her to take it and leave with a smile on her face.”

“But that’s not what happened,” Joohyun guessed.

“Nope,” Seulgi shook her head. “Instead, my mom stared at him like he was trying to rob her instead. My dad was pretty embarrassed and tried to leave, but she grabbed him and rolled up her sleeve so they could compare their tattoos. My dad was shocked and weirded out at first, but then he looked up and saw my mom with the biggest smile on her face. He said he fell in love that exact moment.”

“Seulgi,” Joohyun called out. The aforementioned girl sent her an earnest look and Joohyun had to pause before continuing. “You made it sound like the story was going to be boring, but it was adorable.”

“You think so?” Seulgi’s face brightened. “I’m glad you think so. I was worried for a second.”

Joohyun blinked. “Seulgi, are you worried about how I’ll react to things?”

Seulgi winced, glancing to the side.

Frowning, Joohyun stepped closer. “Seulgi?”

“You know how I mentioned earlier that my dad worked part time to open up his own shop?” Seulgi held onto her right sleeve.

Joohyun nodded, followed by a hum when she remembered that Seulgi wasn’t looking at her. “Yeah.”

“The reason my family and I moved was because he finally found a place to sell his flowers,” Seulgi admitted. “I was happy for him, but I felt lonely because I didn’t have anyone to play with. But then I met you and you became my best friend—” There was the warmth settling in Joohyun’s stomach again. “I wish what we have will last forever.”

Flattered was the only emotion Joohyun could decipher inside her. She wanted to give Seulgi a hug, but remembered her hands were dirtied. “Nothing will go wrong as long as you be yourself and you're honest with me.”

“Okay,” Seulgi nodded enthusiastically. “I promise to be honest with you.”

A flash of emotion washed over Seulgi and Joohyun didn’t have time to figure out what it was, for it passed as soon as it came. Seulgi’s eyes twinkled as she lifted her head to see behind Joohyun.

“I’m back, girls!” Joohyun turned around to see Seulgi’s mother rounding the kitchen counter as she secured an apron against her chest, a curl of hair sticking out of place. “I’m sorry I took so long. My work and I had a misunderstanding.”

“Mommy!” Seulgi hurried to her mother’s side. “Joohyun and I flattened the dough, so we can start using the cookie cutter now, right?”

“That’s right Princess, I—” Seulgi’s mother paused as she scanned her daughter’s appearance. She lifted an eyebrow. “It looks like you’ve been playing with the dough rather than flattening it.”

“That’s not true!” Seulgi pouted. “I didn’t goof off at all, just ask Joohyun-unnie.”

Seulgi’s mother glanced at Joohyun, who gave a meek smile. That seemed to be enough for her as Seulgi’s mother went back to chatting with Seulgi. The rest of their conversation came as white noise as Joohyun took the towel once more to clean her hands. Her face was still burning. Maybe she was coming down with a fever.

_________________________________

All the adults told Joohyun that she was mature for someone her age. She didn’t believe them. Her teacher claimed that she was practically an adult when she managed to get two of her classmates to stop arguing. Her aunt told her that she was sophisticated when she saw that Joohyun was the only one that didn’t make a mess in the kids’ table. Her mother insisted that her daughter was “so understanding” when Joohyun learned that her father wasn’t able to get off work in time for her birthday. But what would they say if they saw Joohyun tremble in bed the day after she turned twelve?

Thunder rained down with a crackle and Joohyun cowered as she watched alarming pieces of light and shadow pierce through the curtains. She buried herself into her blankets and shut her eyes, willing herself to fall asleep. Another booming sound resounded and Joohyun curled in on herself, tightening the grip she had on her own limbs out of fear.

When Joohyun learned her father wasn’t coming, she decided that she wanted to spend the day with Seulgi. Of course, she was welcomed by the family and soon invited to stay the night. If she knew a storm was coming, she would never have accepted the offer.

Her parents told her numerous times that there was nothing to be afraid of as they stayed beside her until she fell asleep. But the noise was so loud that it pushed both of her parents’ voices in one ear and out the other. The nights where she was alone while her parents worked overtime were the worst. Sometimes, Joohyun wouldn’t be able to sleep. Joohyun wouldn’t be able to sleep now.

“Unnie?” Joohyun froze at the sound of the hoarse voice followed by the sound of a lamp being switched on. “Are you cold? I heard you shivering.”

A few moments passed before Joohyun stuck her head out of the covers. She saw Seulgi lifting her orange blanket, patting the empty spot beside her. Joohyun remembered in the back of her mind that she insisted to sleep in the inflatable mattress so she could avoid having Seulgi compromise her way of sleeping, but another clap of thunder resounded and Joohyun surged forward. Seulgi widened her eyes when Joohyun wrapped her arms around Seulgi’s waist, but laughed and adjusted the blanket until it reached Joohyun’s shoulders. “You must have been really cold,” Seulgi commented.

Joohyun didn’t respond as she tightened her hold on Seulgi. She didn’t want to let go. Embarrassment warmed her cheeks, but fear clouded her mind. “Unnie?” Seulgi asked with hesitation in her voice. A hand pressed softly against Joohyun’s back. “Is something wrong?”

She pondered on what was the best way to respond to Seulgi, but winced when the thunder came back and sounded like it would break down the house in any moment. Joohyun settled for burying her face into Seulgi’s shoulder.

“Oh.” Seulgi said aloud. “You're afraid of thunderstorms?

Joohyun knew it was useless to lie at this point. “Yes,” she let out a shaky sigh. “I-I know it's silly.”

The hand settled on Joohyun’s back roamed its way down to her arm. Heat bled into Joohyun’s arms, Joohyun’s face. Only when Seulgi leaned back to look at her did Joohyun notice that her grip had loosened. “Why would it be silly?”

“Because I know that I shouldn't be afraid of it,” Joohyun said. “It shouldn't bother me, but it does.”

“That’s okay!” Seulgi said. “There’s nothing wrong with being afraid of something. We’re both kids after all.”

Joohyun blinked. Despite how mature she was seen by everyone else, she was still considered a child. “I need to get over it eventually.”

“Well, yeah,” Seulgi agreed, “but my daddy said you should try to take those kind of things one step at a time. Okay?”

Taking in Seulgi’s smile, Joohyun relented with one of her own. “Okay.”

“By the way,” Seulgi dropped her voice to a whisper. “Since we’re talking about fears we find embarrassing, I used to have one.”

“Oh?” Joohyun raised an eyebrow. “What was it?”

“I was scared that when I went to sleep, a monster would crawl up my bed to specifically take my blanket away from me.” Seulgi nodded when she saw the doubt in Joohyun’s expression. “It’s true, I swear.”

Not knowing how else to react, Joohyun laughed as she went back to pressing her face against Seulgi’s shoulder.

“Hey!” Seulgi yelled. “My nightmares are nothing to laugh about!” Joohyun knew she was kidding judging by the giggles that left Seulgi.

For some reason, Seulgi’s smile made all of Joohyun’s doubts wash away as if they were never there. Maybe that was why Joohyun never wanted to see Seulgi sad.

_________________________________

Seulgi’s ears were bright red as she hid her face behind her textbook. This was the kind of reaction Joohyun received when she was the one to call them best friends. Seulgi acted like this was the first time they ever acknowledged each other as such. Seulgi acted like she forgot. Joohyun didn’t know why she was disappointed.

_________________________________

While Seulgi was her closest friend, Yongsun held a special place in Joohyun’s heart as her first friend in middle school. It was nice having a friend her own age. The duo often bonded while talking to each other online and doing homework. They both found that they worried about a friend that was younger than them, Joohyun with Seulgi and Yongsun with her “annoying but means well” friend Byulyi.

Which was why Joohyun was relieved when her two friends got along with each other as well. It was amusing to see Yongsun gush at Seulgi and pinch her cheeks even though she was often the victim of that sort of behavior. Joohyun also enjoyed Seulgi’s face burn into a blush whenever she was coddled by her friend.

“Hey, Seulgi.” Joohyun lifted her head as she saw Yongsun place her pencil on top of her notebook. “Can I ask you something?”

A subtle smile reached Joohyun’s lips when she saw Seulgi dart her gaze between her book and the girl in front of her. “Of course you can. What’s up, Yongsun-unnie?”

Yongsun beamed at the use of honorifics, but quickly focused back on the topic at hand. “I notice that you kind of shy away when I try to hug you. Why is that?”

“It’s nothing against you, unnie, I promise!” Seulgi waved her hands as she hurriedly explained. “I just…I’m not good with things like that.”

Joohyun looked at Seulgi, her eyes widening. She didn’t notice that from the time they’ve known each other.

Yongsun pointed out what Joohyun was thinking. “Are you bothered when Joohyun hugs you then? She’s always been a touchy person. Not what I expected from someone as mature as her.”

Joohyun gave Yongsun a look and the latter giggled. Joohyun considered her a hypocrite for saying that.

“Joohyun-unnie…” They turned to Seulgi, who was mulling over the words as if she never thought about it before. “Joohyun-unnie is special, I guess.”

The three of them went back to studying after that. Joohyun was checking her algebra when Yongsun reached over to write something in her paper. When Joohyun looked at her confusedly, Yongsun sent her a kind of smile that raised more questions in Joohyun’s head. She squinted at the letters left by Yongsun. You sure look proud about what Seulgi said.

Only then did Joohyun realize that her smile wasn’t so subtle now.

________________________________

At the age of thirteen, Joohyun was proven right. Jimin was hiding something from her. She felt a frown creep up on her whenever he was mentioned now.

She stood outside of the classroom, staring through the window that revealed rays of orange and yellow. She didn’t move away from the classroom that was cracked open.

“What did you need to tell me, Jimin?” Seulgi asked. “Did you forget about our history assignment again?”

“N-no. I—” Joohyun heard Jimin take a deep breath. She imagined him scuffling his feet and not meeting Seulgi’s eyes. That sight was familiar to her. “I need to confess something.”

“What is it?” Joohyun briefly wondered why she continued to listen in. She came there to pick up Seulgi. This was something that shouldn’t involve Joohyun at all. Her feet stayed where they were.

“I’m—” Joohyun turned around to stare inside the classroom. “I really like you. You’re sweet, cute, and I admire how hard you work when you’re making art.” He ducked slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck and Joohyun watched Seulgi’s eyes widen, covering with one hand. “If it’s alright with you, will you go out with me?”

Confessing before your soulmates were found wasn’t a taboo. But Joohyun didn’t like it, didn’t like the risk and chance of regret centered around it. She only heard one case of a couple discovering they were destined to be together while they were dating. The number of failures she’s been told of was so big in comparison that Joohyun didn’t like thinking about it.

“Oh,” Seulgi breathed. “Well, I’m happy you think so highly of me and you’ve always been kind to me…”

Joohyun noticed her silence and going by Jimin’s sigh, he did too. “But you can’t?”

“No,” Seulgi shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“N-no, it’s fine,” Jimin backed up. “I expected this to be honest. At least, I got to tell you.”

When Jimin slid open the door and stepped into the hallway, Joohyun was standing farther away. She thought that he wouldn’t notice her even if she didn’t move, his eyes glistening as he walked away. The sight stuck with Joohyun. Better for him to be sad over a rejection now than for him and Seulgi to both grieve over learning that they weren’t meant for each other in the future. Better than Seulgi suffering because of someone that wasn’t permanent in her life.

Seulgi finally left the classroom, Joohyun frowning as she witnessed downcast eyes. Her shoulders tensed when she noticed Joohyun. “Unnie! I didn’t see you there, were you waiting long?”

Wordlessly, Joohyun reached to interlace their hands. Seulgi flinched, but didn’t move away as she nodded. As they made their way back home, Joohyun squeezed Seulgi’s hand. Seulgi squeezed back.

In the back of her mind, Joohyun admired an aspect of Jimin’s despite her feelings towards him. She just couldn’t figure out what that was.

_________________________________

When they arrived at Seulgi’s house, she was quiet. Joohyun watched as Seulgi took a bite out of a cookie her mother baked, her eyes not having the shine they usually bared. Her cheek was squished due to lying her head on the table.

“Seulgi,” Joohyun called out as she poked Seulgi on the head with her pencil. Seulgi looked up at her reluctantly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Seulgi drawled, going back to staring at the clock on her wall.

Joohyun watched her for a moment before sighing. She closed her eyes, relenting. There was no reason to hide it from Seulgi. It was over anyway. “Do you feel guilty because you rejected that boy earlier?”

Shooting up from her seat, Seulgi stared at her with a slacked jaw. “You knew? How long were you listening in?”

“I heard enough.” Joohyun reached forward to close Seulgi’s mouth softly. “I understand why you would feel guilty, but you shouldn’t beat yourself up over it. You weren’t being mean, you were giving him an honest answer.”

“I know,” Seulgi murmured. Joohyun felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders for being right. “I can’t help but feel bad though. He gathered up the courage to confess and got rejected. If it were me, I would be really hurt.”

Joohyun hummed. She would hate it too, confessing when there was no chance of it being reciprocated. “Why did you reject him?” Then, she blinked, wondering why she said that. "Isn't it because we're too young to date right now?"

“That’s…also why I felt guilty about rejecting him,” Seulgi sheepishly added.

Joohyun’s eyebrows furrowed as she struggled to figure out what came came over her. She didn’t need to be told of Seulgi’s reason. It should have been obvious. It was because Jimin wasn’t her soulmate. It was because Seulgi knew the risks of falling in love with someone she wasn’t bound to.

“When he confessed, all I thought about was how much time I would lose with you if I accepted his feelings,” Seulgi admitted.

Her words struck Joohyun like lightning. Joohyun sat still as Seulgi hid her face by turning away. She was still able to make out the red in Seulgi’s ears. Joohyun looked away. Why was she too scared to try to figure out the reason for Seulgi’s reaction? Why was Joohyun afraid of being proven wrong?

_________________________________

Even though she figured it should’ve been self explanatory, Joohyun was shocked to know that she didn’t know everything about Seulgi.

“Hey, mom,” Seulgi tugged at her own sleeve. When she decided that she was too old to address her parents as mommy and daddy, or at least in public, Seulgi’s mother understood this as an effect of growing up. The same couldn’t be said for Seulgi’s dad, who buried his head in his hands for hours after hearing the news. “Have you ever worried about not having a soulmate?”

The question caused Joohyun to straighten in the couch, her attention on the movie being snatched away. She met the gaze of Seulgi’s mother, confusion in her eyes, before turning to Seulgi between them.

Seulgi’s mother lifted the remote to pause the movie, her gaze not leaving her daughter. “When I was younger, yes. Are you worried that you’re not destined to be with someone?”

Sinking deeper into the couch as if trying to disappear, Seulgi simply nodded.

“I don’t think it’s something you have to worry about,” Seulgi’s mother insisted. “Whenever I read an article on someone learning they don’t have a soulmate, most of them aren’t upset because they never pictured themselves with one anyway. And those that are upset, well, it’s only because they prefer to not be pitied by everyone else.” She brushed Seulgi’s hair with her fingers. “Do you aspire to have a soulmate?”

Seulgi nodded. “Of course I do!”

“Then, you’ll have your match soon,” she said and Seulgi’s mother smiled in the warm way she did with her family.

That seemed to set Seulgi’s nerves at ease as she cheered and begged her mom to play the movie again. Joohyun peered down at Seulgi as she reached for the popcorn on top of the table.

A soulmate for Seulgi. Joohyun never thought about it before. She didn’t know how to feel about that. Lately, Joohyun speculated on how much she really knew.

_________________________________

Not only was Seulgi the princess of her house, but she was also a natural born girl scout. At least, that’s what Joohyun thought as Seulgi managed to catch a fish as long as her arm with her father. They knew that fall was the perfect time to go camping and when they prepared to go for the weekend, they invited Joohyun. On the drive there, Seulgi and her father sang along to the radio and Joohyun didn’t feel out of place when she joined in.

Seulgi’s mother shuffled her hands together as the campfire ate at the new pieces of wood. Joohyun observed Seulgi’s father wear a content smile before leaning forward to kiss his wife on the cheek. Joohyun was glad Seulgi never had to doubt how her parents felt for each other.

Turning her head, Seulgi’s mother met her gaze and Joohyun felt ashamed for staring. However, Seulgi’s mother only smiled her way before focusing back on her husband. It startled Joohyun, reminded her of the smiles that were only sent to Seulgi and her father. And it was then she comprehended that Seulgi’s family invited her to a family outing because they considered her as part of theirs. Seulgi told her this once, but knowing that it was real—that Seulgi wasn’t the only one to think this—evoked that sensation Joohyun could never place.

“Joohyun-unnie!” She was shaken out of her thoughts as she looked down, spotting Seulgi as she patted a spot of grass beside her. “Lay here, so we can watch the stars together.”

Smiling, Joohyun obliged as she rested her back against the ground. It was slightly wet, but she didn’t mind as she took in the little distance between her and Seulgi and the night sky. Seulgi’s father bragged about knowing a camping site that was perfect for stargazing and he was right. She didn’t think it was possible to see so many stars at the same place.

“My mom says we can practically see everything because there’s no light pollution,” Seulgi explained. “The lights of the city are sharing the sky with the stars so we can’t see all of them.”

Joohyun’s hand twitched as she felt a finger brush against hers. It was an accident on Seulgi’s part. Joohyun turned and saw Seulgi continue to stare at the sky, most likely trying to capture the constellations she was taught at school. Joohyun didn’t make the effort to turn away.

There was an explanation to the stars in the sky, but was there a reason why Joohyun could see all the stars reflected in Seulgi’s eyes? When Seulgi’s eyes finally met hers, Joohyun didn’t experience embarrassment. Only then did Joohyun let it sink in that Seulgi was beautiful. “It's breathtaking, isn't it?” Seulgi asked.

She was too afraid to say anything. Joohyun mustered a nod to show that she agreed. The sight was beautiful. Seulgi grinned, her eyes curving into crescents. Joohyun didn’t want it to end.

_________________________________

When news spread at school that two people were marked, Joohyun cared more about going home after an especially excruciating day. Her strain disappeared in an instant when she saw that Yongsun was surrounded by what seemed like the majority of the student body and had ink printed on her arm. “Two hours ago, your arms were bare.” Joohyun, one of the only people Yongsun allowed, ran her hand over the mark as everyone else watched. Silver and in the shape of a crescent moon. “What in the world happened?”

Yongsun laughed. “Fate was probably sick of all the pick up lines Byulyi was telling me and decided to end it all.”

Joohyun smiled. “I have a feeling Byulyi is more encouraged than anything after this,” she pointed out.

“Oh my god, you’re right.” Yongsun made a disgusted face, but Joohyun knew she wasn’t that bothered when they both fell into giggles.

“So how did it feel?” Joohyun asked.

“When I got my tattoo? I don’t really know how to explain it, but I can say it was not what I expected.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” Joohyun shook her head.

Raising an eyebrow, Yongsun showed a curious smile. “What do you mean then?”

“Byulyi,” Joohyun elaborated. “How did you feel when you learned that you were meant to be with Byulyi?”

“How I felt…” Joohyun let go of Yongsun’s hand as the latter looked down at her mark. A smile appeared on her lips, the warmth of it taking Joohyun by surprise. “Relieved. I was so, so relieved.”

Joohyun’s gaze softened. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you.” Yongsun met Joohyun’s gaze. “You better be prepared for when you find your soulmate. I’m going to tease you all day when it happens.”

Scoffing, Joohyun rolled her eyes playfully. “Looking forward to it.”

Laughter was heard throughout the hall and the duo turned to see the source of the commotion. The students were laughing at something a friend of Yongsun’s had said, Byulyi and Seulgi in the center of it all. Joohyun’s smile widened, her eyes trailing below until she made out Seulgi’s bare arms. A soulmate, Joohyun thought to herself. She never really thought about it unless someone else brought out the topic.

“Unnie?” Joohyun froze, her thoughts leaving her. She looked up to see Seulgi staring at her.

There were many things she wanted to say, but the “huh” that left her lips wasn’t a choice Joohyun would have picked if she was thinking. What was wrong with her these days, why did she keep zoning out like this?

“We should head to the council room now,” Seulgi said. “You wanted us to head home before it gets dark, remember?”

“Oh.” That explained her dazed state today at least. She was exhausted. “Yeah, I did say that.” She murmured a quick “I’ll talk to you later” to Yongsun before making her way out of the crowd.

If she hadn't caught the way Yongsun looked at her as she left, Joohyun would’ve assumed that she was too quiet for anyone to hear. But she did catch Yongsun’s stare and that made Joohyun’s steps that much faster. Yongsun looked like she knew something.

Joohyun brushed it aside. She was imagining things. Whatever Joohyun saw wasn’t real. Whatever Yongsun saw wasn’t real.

_________________________________

Seulgi was still giddy from the news of their friends getting together. “It’s amazing!” Seulgi persisted over the dinner table. “I never heard of soulmates personally knowing each other before they find out they’re, y’know, soulmates.”

Seulgi’s father nodded, not able to say the words he wished because of the pasta in his mouth. Seulgi’s mother smiled and dabbed a napkin on his face. “Finding your soulmate when you’re still a teenager,” she thought aloud. “How are those two taking it?”

“Byul-unnie is on cloud nine.” Seulgi’s eyebrows furrowed as she focused on cutting her food. “Apparently, she asked one of our friends, Wheein, to pinch her to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.”

Joohyun hummed, not mentioning the fact that Yongsun had a moment of panic after experiencing euphoria. She lamented on how dishonest she could be with Byulyi sometimes and how Byulyi should have been matched with someone better. Joohyun soothed her friend by reminding her that since she was Byulyi’s soulmate, that meant there was no better match. That was just how it worked.

“Soulmates that didn’t fall in love at first sight,” Seulgi said in awe. “It’s a miracle.”

Setting her fork down, Joohyun looked up to stare at Seulgi. She was right. It was a miracle. But Joohyun didn’t picture finding her soulmate that way. Miracles didn’t happen twice after all.

“It would be nice if I had a relationship like Yongsun-unnie and Byulyi-unnie someday.” Seulgi’s father coughed violently from her daughter’s statement, beating his chest. Seulgi smiled at Joohyun. “Don’t you feel the same, unnie?”

Not able to tear her gaze away, Joohyun didn’t spot the pair of eyes that landed on her. When she thought of soulmates, Joohyun pictured two people making each other smile and making the other feel like nothing was wrong. That was why the first couple she thought of when soulmates were mentioned were Seulgi’s parents. They were opposites in terms of personality, but they bonded over the flowers that bound them together and never failed to make each other smile.

For some reason, Joohyun couldn’t get the words to leave her lips. Maybe it was because as she looked into Seulgi’s eyes, she was reminded of the stars and was afraid of saying something else. She didn’t know.

_________________________________

College distracted her from the thoughts that remained indescribable. Even though she found herself burned out with essays around her, Joohyun’s mind didn’t wander. That itself was rest she desperately needed.

There were days where it returned, stronger than ever. Of course it was. “I miss you,” Seulgi confessed. Joohyun’s throat ran dry. “My parents do too. They keep asking me if you’re doing well in college.”

“It’s tiring, but that was to be expected.” Joohyun took out her planner to check if she forgot to finish an assignment. “I can handle it though.”

“Of course you can,” Seulgi agreed. “You’re Joohyun-unnie after all.” There was a pause and as Joohyun discovered that she could get a head start on her project, she decided that she should say goodbye to Seulgi soon. “I’m not used to coming home and seeing you not with me.”

Joohyun froze, her hand on her notebook loosening. You will eventually, she should have said. But the feeling churned in her stomach, telling her that she missed Seulgi too. She didn’t need to be told. She wanted to see Seulgi everyday. “Maybe you don’t have to.”

“What do you mean?” Seulgi asked. That was her chance to back out. But Joohyun didn’t think about what she was getting into and if she did, she wouldn’t have figured it out. The only thing in her mind was how the feeling that clouded her judgement always involved Seulgi.

“When you graduate from high school, why not move in with me?”

_________________________________

Jimin woke up with a tattoo on his right arm on a Friday morning. Two days later, he met a man named Yoongi with sleep in his eyes and a tattoo to match his own.

When Seulgi told Joohyun, the latter remembered the day the boy left in tears. She was right. Better for him to get rejected now and move on than to go after something that was unattainable.

Joohyun couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t happy for learning that she was right.

_________________________________

“Have you ever wondered what your soulmate would be like?” Joohyun watched as Seulgi stiffen, her ears burning.

“M-my soulmate?” Seulgi asked, sounding surprised. Joohyun was surprised too when she realized her thoughts slipped out of her. The feeling was becoming more difficult to ignore.

“Do you want them to act in a certain way or have the same interests as you?” Joohyun asked.

Seulgi looked down at her lap, discomfort evident, and Joohyun opened to tell Seulgi that she didn’t need to say anything but stopped when she answered. “I haven’t really thought about it,” Seulgi admitted.

“You haven’t.” All the memories she had of Seulgi talking about soulmates implied otherwise. She let it slide however, knowing how much Seulgi hated lying.

“Uhuh…” Joohyun watched Seulgi run a hand through her hair. “But as long as they love me like I love them, that’s all that matters.”

“That’s all?” A smile reached her lips. Of course you’re not asking for much. “That’s not asking for a lot.”

Finding her fingers more interesting to stare at, Seulgi bit her lip. “It would also be nice if they didn’t get mad at me when I constantly make a mess.”

Joohyun laughed. “That’s a good requirement. They won’t be able to survive you if they can’t handle it.”

“What about you?” Seulgi asked.

“I haven’t thought about it either,” Joohyun answered. It was the truth. “I haven’t even thought about what my tattoo would look like.”

“I have.” Joohyun’s eyes widened. She watched Seulgi freeze, her shoulders tensing. She knew then that Seulgi was surprised by her words as well.

Joohyun reminded herself to keep her voice steady. “You do?”

“I...yeah,” Seulgi muttered, beckoning towards Joohyun’s arm. “I can show you if you let me.”

The fact that Seulgi wondered about Joohyun’s soulmate and in a sense who Joohyun was bound to gave her mixed feelings. She looked down at her bare arm before directing it towards Seulgi. “Go ahead.”

She let out a giggle as Seulgi softly pushed the ball point against her skin. It faded as she saw Seulgi’s look of concentration. It wasn’t as relaxed as what Joohyun was used to seeing, her eyes furrowed as she was careful to not leave smudges. She tried so hard for Joohyun when she didn’t need to.

Not wanting to distract Seulgi nor ruin her drawing, Joohyun did her best to stay still. She paid attention to the hair that fell past Seulgi’s shoulders, how long her lashes were.

“There you go.” Joohyun was aware of the missing warmth in her hand as Seulgi let go, guiding her ogling downwards to avoid being caught. Her breath cut short when her eyes landed on the mark on her arm. In purple ink, a music note was pulling along the curving lines of a stanza.

The rest of Seulgi’s words turned into white noise as endearment took over Joohyun. It wasn’t even a real tattoo, but she loved it. She loved it because Seulgi made it. “It’s beautiful.” She looked up to meet Seulgi’s gaze. “Is it alright if I take a picture of it?”

Seulgi shrugged and looked down. Bashful from the compliment, Joohyun concluded. “If you want to.”

When Joohyun snapped the picture and looked at it, she thought that it could almost be passed off as real. Almost.

_________________________________

Joohyun never thought about her soulmate, but she always, always wondered who would be Seulgi’s.

_________________________________

She couldn’t sleep. Even though Seulgi’s orange blanket was set aside, Joohyun felt like she was burning. She made no move to separate herself from the arm that encircled her waist.

With Seulgi asleep, Joohyun was left with nothing but her thoughts and feelings. The thoughts and feelings she couldn’t understand these days.

Joohyun pressed her hand against the ink on her left wrist. The feeling she had when looking at the mark reminded her of something. Something that she didn't know and she shouldn't take lightly.

A moan made Joohyun tense as she glanced up. Strands of hair were plastered on Seulgi’s forehead, her face scrunching the slightest bit as she moved her head. Her forehead was inches away from Joohyun’s and the latter’s eyes widened. She almost forgot about the ink in her arm. This sight was familiar.

Under the stars, Seulgi trusted Joohyun enough to lay down side by side like this. She still trusted Joohyun, didn’t mind the touching and maybe even found it comforting. With the whole universe spanned out above them, Joohyun caught the stars in Seulgi’s eyes and thought she was beautiful. As Joohyun looked at Seulgi’s ruffled hair, slightly open with a drool stain on her cheek, she didn't hesitate to think that she would've chosen this over any of the sights the universe could offer. Seulgi was always beautiful. It just took a long time for Joohyun to admit it to herself.

She knew now. The feeling she had was anxiety. It was anxiety, it was exhilaration, it was fear. It was comfort. It was hope. It was love. It had always been love.

The tattoo on her left arm brought hope and so did the girl in front of Joohyun.

_________________________________

Sunlight peeked through the blinds and Joohyun roused awake as it shined down on her face. Slowly peeling Seulgi’s arm from her hip to avoid waking her, Joohyun sat as she raised her hands to stretch. She turned to Seulgi and her arms froze in the air, drawn in by the look of content on Seulgi’s face. Her hair seemed that much brighter under the bits of light spilling out. She was never going to get used to this sight.

Joohyun smiled, leaning forward as she brushed a hair out of Seulgi’s face. As she felt herself inch closer, she thought about how she wanted this to last. Then, she froze. The bed squeaked as Joohyun shot up. Her left wrist was exposed into the light and she saw that the mark Seulgi made for her was smudged. It wasn't permanent, it wasn't real.

Everything clicked into place. She was in love with Seulgi, but the latter’s arms were bare. They weren’t meant to be together. Her mind went back to the sunset and the day Jimin cried. She couldn’t do that to Seulgi. She could never tell her.

As Joohyun stared at the girl who reminded her of the stars, she felt her eyes grow heavy. It was as if the whole sky was falling down on her.

_________________________________

Joohyun looked down as the hot water rained down, steam spreading around the bathroom. She watched the mark on her left sleeve wash away as if it was never there. As if it never deserved to be there. She wanted—needed to get over this.

She thought back to Yongsun and Byulyi, thought about how they became soulmates after knowing each other for years. It was a once in a lifetime story, an example of how fate could never be understood. Seulgi’s smile filled her mind and she shut her eyes, trying to wash away the memory. Meeting Seulgi, getting to be her best friend, being considered by her and her parents as family was a miracle in itself. Miracles didn’t happen twice.

_________________________________

When picturing the day she would earn her tattoo, Seungwan expected it to hurt. Because love was supposed to hurt, right? That was what everyone told her anyway. She expected it to burn, to affect her so much that she would never forget the day it happened. Seungwan ended up not knowing until the morning after it happened.

To be fair, her mind was conflicted when she felt something press onto her left wrist and dismissed it as an itch that wouldn’t leave. She first compared to it as a needle pricking her, but knew that was inaccurate. The touch was firm yet careful. It was more like someone was drawing on her.

Seungwan stared out the window as almost all of the passengers slept. Don’t hesitate to talk to us when you’re homesick, her parents told her. She thought about calling them the moment the airplane took off. Her college had enough faith in her skills to ask her to pursue a music degree there. She couldn’t regret leaving her home now.

She was too busy lamenting about her future, unaware that it was being written on her arm the entire time.

----
[Author's Note:] Hi, I know this is a really unexpected update and I'm sorry you guys waited so long. I wanted to post this in its entirety, but then it got ALOT bigger than I expected and I was really busy with college. I haven't been posting fics lately, but I am still writing thanks for being patient with me.