Author's note at the end of the story. WARNING! Absurd long sequel ahead: 3800+ words.

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Wonshik wasn't sure what happened right after. It was in the matter of second that his customer who had turned out to be his soulmate dashed away from the room without saying any other words. He was baffled that everything happened so quickly - him noticing the completed mark, him turning down the request and his soulmate running away from his shop right after.

He could not comprehend the situation. He knew he had been waiting for the time he will meet his destined partner, and he had planned that the moment he saw his soulmate he would introduce himself and ask that person to eat dinner together to get to know each other. But now knowing that his partner had chosen to give up in looking for him, knowing that his partner was one of his devastated customers, and worse to ran away from him the moment they met each other, his determination was shaken.

Wonshik did not budge from his seat at all. His head filled with so many thoughts to even think of chasing his partner. The tattooed male was not so sure about looking for his soulmate anymore. After all his soulmate had abandoned him. Twice.

He sat on his spot. His heart aches at the rejection. Tears threatening to drop from his eyes as he tried to hold back his cries by a choke. He was angry, furious, disappointed, hurt. All kinds of negative emotions stabbing his heart continuously.

It was when his assistant came inside that the tattooed male burst out of his bubble of thoughts.

"Wonshik, what happened? I saw Mr. Lee running away in tears."

The said male lifted up his head, his droopy eyes meeting the petite woman. A tear escaped from the corner of his eyes as he seeks for help.

"I-I... Help me, noona… Tell me what to do.”

Cha Hakyeon was the first person Jaehwan encountered when he got home. The elder was surprised to see Jaehwan slamming and locking the door to his room. It was unusual for the younger to throw tantrums over something. He was concerned, yet at the same time curious about the cause. The eldest walked closer to the door and knocked softly asking if Jaehwan is okay but he hears no answer. It was a few seconds later when Hakyeon stood outside in silence when the sounds of muffled tears were caught in his hearing.

He stood there, still waiting patiently. Maybe if he waits for Jaehwan would open the door and let him in. A minute later, the dimpled man paused his steps on the way to his and Sanghyuk’s shared room when he notices Hakyeon was unusually standing in front of Jaehwan’s room - Hakyeon would barge into everyone’s room and knows nothing about privacy. The latter gave the elder a “what happened?” look and mouthed if something happened to Jaehwan. Hakyeon shrugged, and later he joined the dimpled male to walk away from the room to give the said male some time alone.

Inside the room, Jaehwan was crying out loud. He screams on the pillow trying to release the stuffy feeling and burden. It still shook him that he met his destined partner at the very last moment. The moment was uncalled for, and Jaehwan was very shocked to react properly. 

He was having mixed feelings. He is afraid. He feared that his partner would hate him knowing that he had given up. What will the latter think of him? Is he furious? He was scared to meet the tattoo artist. 

It was in the evening where the four giant males sat together in the circle shaped dining table. Sanghyuk exchanged a look with Hakyeon and the empty chair next to him where his loudest hyung should be sitting. None of them - Hongbin, Sanghyuk and even the fierce Taekwoon - had succeeded in bringing Jaehwan down for dinner. So Hakyeon has decided that he would go upstairs by himself and the rest should start eating first.

To Hakyeon’s surprise, the door was unlocked. He sneaked inside and come over to the huddled male beneath the comforter, and sat next to the younger. Slowly he pulled the comforter to reveal the Younger's puffy eyes and red nose. Tears stain visible on his cheek.

Jaehwan avoided eye contact and buried his face to the mattress. He was ashamed of himself and wants to dig and bury himself in a hole. He feels horrible, and he doesn’t want anyone to see his horrible state.

Hakyeon pulled the younger’s shoulder so that he would sit properly softly, asking the tall-nosed if he is alright and receives no reply - nor eye contact - from the male. Hakyeon lets out a heavy breath. He was starting to think if Jaehwan had regretted his decision to cover the tattoo, yet he did not have the heart to be angry at the younger for “not thinking twice and regret” at the sight of the broken Jaehwan. 

He did. He warned Jaehwan, and he blames himself too for not being convincing.

Not saying anything, Hakyeon slowly engulfed the younger into a comforting hug. His palms rubbing and patting the younger’s back while his chin rested on the younger’s shoulder. The sniffing sound can be clearly heard in his ears. Jaehwan did not wrap his arms to around the elder, but he was enjoying the warmth from the elder. 

The elder’s eyes caught Jaehwan’s uncovered left wrist sprawled next to his hips as both of them were sitting cross-legged on the bed.He lifted one of his brows as he noticed the difference in Jaehwan’s mark; fork shaped lines splitting the circle into two. Questions and assumptions started popping his brain as he wondered why Jaehwan did not cover the whole tattoo. He thought maybe Jaehwan was being desperate that he had, instead of covering the tattoo, added the other half as if he had met his soulmate. But again, Hakyeon did not ask anything. He just stayed there in silence waiting for the younger to get ready to explain - or at least to lessen the Younger's burden.

What came from the younger’s mouth, however, was more shocking that he had expected. “I.. mhmm him.” At first, it came out incoherent, Hakyeon had to pull out of the hug and ask him to repeat his words.

“I met my soulmate, hyung. I met him.”

Hakyeon could not say anything after. He did not know how to respond to the unexpected situation.

“He’s the tattoo artist from the parlor I went to this morning.”

Wonshik could not focus on his work for the rest of the day. He was ignoring most of the customer's question and almost did a mistake while making a permanent tattoo. His assistant had to apologize to the customers for the tattoo artist’s unprofessional behavior and scolded him to think of his personal problems later. 

As the shop is closing, his noona told him to maybe contact Mr. Lee another time and try talking to him before deciding anything. She gave Wonshik a slip of paper, in which he learned that the man was called Jaehwan, with the number that was used to make a reservation but there was no answer.

Wonshik was broken inside. His faith on his partner was torn apart to pieces the moment they met each other. He had learned that his soulmate wants to give up on him, now giving up and covering tattoo has finally become Wonshik’s consideration. His thoughts were basically empty as if his soul was out of his life.

It was the least of him, to actually expect his soulmate is his customer, and at last, the desperate ones. 

Wonshik gaze lingered down to his mark. His completed mark. The pain coming back to his heart when he realized that the mark no longer has a meaning. He is still incomplete. What is the use of the completed mark when his other half is missing?

The next morning, Wonshik was interrupted by a sudden visit by two strangers. Both of them doesn’t seem like they had bothered to make an appointment and created a fuss outside to meet the tattoo artist named Ravi straight away. He who was still feeling emotional on that day eventually had to force himself to meet the two men - one who had called himself as Sanghyuk and an intimidating looking male, Taekwoon.

Sanghyuk was the first person to open his mouth as the three males sat in another room.

“Honestly, I have no idea what is going on and it is not mine nor Taekwoon-hyung’s job to settle this problem.” Sanghyuk said, then continued, “but we want you to settle our friend’s problem.”

Wonshik had no idea who these people are, and what is wrong with them. He also had no idea about who their friend is, and he believes that he got a bigger problem to settle. Is tattooing someone more important than to look for his missing partner right now, seriously?

“Look, I have my own problem here. I don’t know who you gentlemen are, but I can always tattoo your friend after you make an appointment,” Wonshik retorted, his eyes glaring at the two males who gave him an unimpressed look.

“Well, I believe you would want to settle your problem with our friend,” Sanghyuk added, adding the confusion and anger to Wonshik. The tattoo artist was very triggered. He was not joking about his problem and he thought that the two males were making fun of him. 

A curse word almost slipped off his tongue when he heard a familiar name from