Jaehyun and Doyoung were the first to show up at the hospital. Taeyong’s uncle had been called, but between handling the two children and finishing his tasks at work he wasn’t able to arrive in a comfortable time frame. So he sent Taeyong’s best friends over instead. The nurse told them it was an accident-- he’d been struck by a car while crossing when the light was in his favor. The driver, panicked and probably intoxicated despite it being a Monday night, sped away and no witnesses were able to get a good enough look at the offender’s license plate. At least there were witnesses to call an ambulance.

His friends cared much more about his well-being than apprehending a drunk driver. It was far too common anyway...and though Taeyong didn’t look too bad on the outside the doctor’s diagnosis wasn’t a great one: a dislocated left shoulder, three broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and worst of all he wasn’t waking up. Doyoung only felt grateful that his drawing hand didn’t seem to be affected by the impact.

“When is he going to wake up?” Doyoung asked frantically, gripping the metal bar on the side of Taeyong’s bed.

“We’re keeping him monitored. Hopefully no more than a few days but we can’t tell for sure until we get his tests back.”

“And when’s that?” Doyoung’s voice was desperate, and it was Jaehyun who quickly told him to calm down, that things would be alright, before the nurse offered up an answer of 24 hours max. She excused herself before Jaehyun would let Doyoung ask any more questions and the oldest between them slumped sadly into a chair. “Maybe if I didn’t blow up at him he’d still be fine,” Doyoung sighed, burying his head in his hands. “Or maybe if he just came with us to one dinner---”

“Yah!” Jaehyun cut in. “Stop thinking that way. You know that he wasn’t mad at you when he left and, more importantly, that if he heard you say that he would be mad about that.”

“But it could’ve prevented this!”

“We don’t know that… All we can do is be there for him now.”

“What can we even do when he’s unconscious?” There were tears in Doyoung’s eyes now that he hardly bothered to hide, especially as he wiped away at them with the back of his hand.

Jaehyun lowered himself into a squat before Doyoung, angling himself so he could catch the other’s eye. “Talk to him about our days. Say really positive things so he wakes up to something good. You know, things like that?”

“And how do you know so much about comas?”

Jaehyun smiled because that sass meant that Doyoung was already starting to feel more like himself. “I watch a lot of doctor dramas, it’s all in there.”

Doyoung rolled his eyes, “Wow, what an expert.”

“I can’t help that I’m good at everything,” Jaehyun teased, standing back up again. “I’m going to get something from the cafeteria, do you want anything?”

“Coffee?”

“I doubt they have caramel.”

“Then make it really sweet.”

Jaehyun nodded on his way out, leaving Doyoung alone with his unconscious best friend. He scooted the chair forward, resting his chin on his fists and his elbows on his thighs.

“Hey,” He said softly. Awkwardly. He didn’t like talking to the nothingness. But then again, this wasn’t exactly nothing...Taeyong was right there he just couldn’t-- Doyoung had to swallow hard to keep himself from tearing up again. “Taeyong, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you I was just…” He huffed, “So jealous. Because you’ve always talked about going to Japan and now he’s in Japan, and I won’t be in Japan, and I just don’t want to see my best friend go so soon. But...that wasn’t fair, huh? And now I’m finally bearing my soul to you and you don’t even know it and I know I’ll never be able to say these words to you again but--”

A buzzing from the bedside table cut him off. It was Taeyong’s phone, plugged in and only partially shattered from the impact. Doyoung didn’t like being nosy (all the time) but he couldn’t help glancing over. He and Jaehyun were here, Taeyong’s uncle was on his way, all that left was…

NaYut: Hey^^
NaYut: I know we didn’t chat yesterday are you free today>?
NaYut: **??
NaYut: I really want to tell you something!

Doyoung could only blink. He didn’t understand Japanese at all, so besides a small emoji and the question marks he was completely in the dark. But he was still staring. This infamous Yuta was on the other end of these messages and it made Doyoung’s shoulders feel tense. He just apologized and yet when he heard footsteps approaching he quickly cleared the notifications from Taeyong’s phone and looked up innocently when Jaehyun returned with their drinks.

“What’s up?” He asked, handing the other his coffee.

“Just his uncle saying he’d be in soon,” Doyoung returned the phone to the nightstand.

“Ah… I hope he comes. I’m sure he and the children are worried.”

Fortunately, for Doyoung and his lie, Taeyong’s uncle arrived not too long after, both cousins in tow. Two sets of tiny eyes widened and Areum immediately started wailing.

“He’s okay, he’s okay!” Doyoung said gently, kneeling down to her level, ignoring how he also felt about the same. “He’ll wake up soon, you just have to send him good thoughts.” He continued comforting the little girl and Jaehyun offered taking over Jaemin’s tutoring while their father went to speak to a nurse.

x

“Any updates?” Hansol asked Yuta over dinner the night before their trip. “Do you even know where he lives?”

“He goes to school in Seoul,” Yuta offered with a forced smile.

“There are a lot of schools in and around Seoul, Yuta. What are you going to do? Hop between them?”

“Me? Do that?” Yuta tried to laugh though his throat tightened. It wasn’t an incorrect assessment. He was sure if he tried he’d be able to find Taeyong.

“It’s weird that he hasn’t replied to you,” Hansol hummed, pouring them another shot each. Yuta nodded, trying to drown the nagging ‘Maybe he doesn’t want to see you’ in his drink. “You guys were talking every day.”

“Do you really need to remind me?” There was an edge to Yuta’s voice when he handed his glass back to Hansol. “I’ve been trying to talk to him.”

“Did you tell him we’re coming?”

“Yeah, I texted him today.”

“So it’s not like he’s been avoiding seeing you...Maybe.”

“Yeah,” Yuta swallowed another drink and handed it back over. “Maybe.”

“Hey, well we’ll still have fun. I’ll take you to all my favorite spots. We’ll eat a ton.” Just the thought of food made Yuta’s stomach knot up. He glanced down to his untouched meal and tried not to dwell on how much he wanted to throw up everything he’d had over the day; even though it wasn’t much. “We’ll go to my favorite clubs,” Hansol continued. “It’ll be a nice getaway even if you can’t meet him this time. And we can always go back.”

“Ah...Yeah.”

When they parted Yuta was decidedly drunk. And he never ate that meal which, thankfully, Hansol hadn’t noticed. Yuta fumbled his way up the stairs and dropped his phone outside of his apartment door. As soon as he made it in he flopped stomach first on his couch and groaned. He just didn’t understand it. He didn’t know what he had done to turn Taeyong off.

‘Maybe he’s over you.’

‘Maybe he got annoyed with you.’

‘Maybe he was using you’’

‘Maybe he never liked you in the first place.’

‘Maybe he hates you and you’ll never know.’

Yuta was crumbling under the weight of his own thoughts, and he was unsuccessful in his attempts to cope further after his sake bottle emptied with the second shot. He slumped to the floor, back against his refrigerator, with fingers rooted in his dark brown hair. He couldn’t take it. He’d only known Taeyong for a few months but the thought of disappointing (and losing) his soulmate was too much. It easily defeated his concern of losing his modeling career,but still manifested itself in the same dark habits. And now he was too out of alcohol to really indulge in any of that.

Eventually he fished his now cracked phone from his pocket and pulled open Line.

NaYut: please
NaYut: tell me whatidid
NaYut: I want to make it up to you
NaYut: please
NaYut: Taeyong please
Yuta fell asleep on his kitchen floor before he could even start to hope for a reply back.

A knock at the door from Hansol woke him up that next morning and he struggled to get on his feet and to the door in any sort of presentable state.

“Jeez, how hungover are you?” His friend teased, slinging an arm around Yuta’s shoulder. Yuta forced a laugh, rubbing at his swollen eyes. His headache was from more than the alcohol but...Hansol didn’t need to know that. “I came because I had a feeling you weren’t packed yet,” Hansol continued, “We have a few hours before we have to get to the airport but I’d rather not rush.”

They were only going to be traveling for the long weekend but Yuta needed at least a few options per day; not to mention everything for the skincare routine that he neglected the other night. When he stepped out of his bathroom freshly showered and dragging a carry on suitcase Hansol (who had hardly filled his duffle bag) rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you.”

“Yes, you can,” Yuta grinned.

On their way to the airport he find himself on his phone, refreshing his apps to no avail.

“Still nothing?” Hansol asked, peering over.

“I’m not looking for him,” Yuta retorted, quickly switching to a manga reader.

“I don’t think you use Line for anything else these days,” Hansol snorted.

“I’m not on Line,” Yuta shoved his chapter of One Piece across the backseat of their cab and that was the end of their discussion.

He tried to lose himself that first night in BBQ (a meal he did, miraculously, eat a lot of), soju, and a trip to Hansol’s favorite club. Tried to get himself drunk enough so that he didn’t care about the women hanging off his arms or the way strangers would grind against him. Hansol slipped in easily with the crowd and within a half hour Yuta lost track of him. He didn’t mind much. He felt better knowing that whatever demons lingered in his head weren’t going to affect his friend’s visit home. He just wasn’t sure where he wanted to slip off to for the rest of the night. The hotel was an option, but even Yuta wasn’t depressed enough to call it quits on a night out at midnight.

In a whirlwind of bright lights and loud music Yuta inevitably ended up with his back against the wall and a body pressed firmly up against his own. Her lacquered nails scratched gently at his scalp, fingers dragging through his short hair and her lips steadily moving from his jaw to his own. When they kissed he felt panic shoot through his veins. This wasn’t right. She wasn’t the person who was supposed to be kissing him; even if Taeyong didn’t want to be that either, he couldn’t let this carry on any further. With a hurried apology he nudged her away from him and rushed from the club. “God, I can’t do this,” he muttered to himself in hurried Japanese, trying to find the nearest place to hide. “I can’t be here, I need to go home.” His whole purpose for visiting was gone (and lord, did he hate himself for not being able to just have fun with Hansol).

Hansol found him with his head buried in his hands and an empty bottle of soju by his side outside the nearest convenience store. “Yuta…” He knelt down, brushing his friend’s bangs back to check his level of consciousness, “Sorry.. I shouldn’t have left you.” Yuta was passed out, makeup lines streaked down his cheeks and , was Hansol really awkward with all of this interpersonal, emotional stuff. For the old Yuta Hansol would offer up a night of drinks and fooling around at one of their apartments, but since the soulmate arrived Yuta had become uninterested and Hansol was never one to push. Yuta’s bad moments had been pacified a bit, Taeyong proving to distract him well, so Hansol’s comfort was no longer a necessity. Their relationship had become healthier because of it but now… Hansol was at a loss to say the least.

He carried Yuta back to their hotel room, stripped him of his club clothes and fished his phone out to put it on the charger. Line was still open; nothing but a string of Yuta’s desperate messages from before their trip that hadn’t even been read. Hansol sighed, “Have some pride, man,” and grabbed a sharpie off the desk. Maybe if something happened to Taeyong’s phone, something that was keeping him from answering his messages, this could do the trick, Hansol reasoned as he started scrawling hangul across Yuta’s arm: ‘I’m in Korea this weekend and would really like to see you. I’m worried, I haven’t heard from you in a few days. Please let me know where you are.’

x

When Doyoung walked into Taeyong’s hospital room that morning he was the first to see the message. Setting the pastry he’d brought Taeyong down (in case he woke up, something he’d done every day this week) he crept up close to read it. And he could read it, unlike the string of text messages he’d been turning a blind eye to. Doyoung ran his fingers through his hair and let out a frustrated groan. He didn’t want this, he wanted Taeyong to himself. Even if his feelings were never returned Doyoung wanted his best friend to at least remain by his side. Yuta was taking away everything-- ‘Well… no…’ A reasonable thought interjected, one that sounded strangely like Jaehyun’s voice, ‘He was going to go anyway.’ And Yuta wasn’t the reason… Doyoung knew all of this. Doyoung knew but wanted to ignore it. Which...wasn’t fair to the person he kept calling his best friend; it wasn’t fair to his best friend’s soulmate either.

Taking a pen into his hand he wrote out the address of the hospital and a brief note: ‘Taeyong was in an accident. He’s recovering here.’ Then he threw the pen away and paced around the room until Jaehyun arrived, catching him in the act.

“What’s up?” He asked, setting a coffee down next to the pastry and sipping at his own.

“I think Mr. Soulmate might be coming…” Doyoung mumbled, looking anywhere but Jaehyun.

“Oh?” Jaehyun glanced to the writing on Taeyong’s arm.

“Yeah he’s been...texting a bit I think and was worried when he wasn’t receiving a reply. You know none of us have access to Taeyong’s phone and I don’t read Japanese so I really had no idea that he--”

“Take a breath,” Jaehyun chuckled, nudging Doyoung with his shoulder. He could see right through him. “So he’s coming?”

“Maybe. I just told him where we are.”

“Ah,” Jaehyun smiled. “Hey, I’m proud of you.”

Doyoung’s cheeks flushed, “Don’t be.”

“Not going to stop me.”

x

Yuta woke up before Hansol. His memory was blank between the time he stepped out of the club to now, meaning that Hansol probably dragged his back and he owed his friend a good meal as a thanks for losing his . Speaking of, Yuta felt like . His head pounded and his heart felt heavy in his chest. There was a layer of grime on his skin that he was sure would take more than one shower to scrub off, but he needed that shower all the same. Stripping his shirt off he noticed the semi-smeared sharpy in a handwriting that wasn’t his own. “Huh?” Korean? Had Hansol written on him? He tried to decipher the message when the line of text below (in yet another foreign handwriting) caught his eye. “H-Hansol!” He rushed over to him, palming his shoulder until his friend finally woke up. “I need you to translate this!”

“Christ, Yuta, do you even know what time it is?” It was almost noon, which was still on the early end for the both of them. Hansol rubbed his eyes and propped himself onto his elbow. “Hold still, will you? I can’t read with you vibrating like this.”

“Sorry,” though he wasn’t. Yuta needed to know.

“It’s...oh… Yuta, sit down.”

“What?”

Hansol tugged him down onto his bed. “Taeyong was in an accident, that’s why he hasn’t been replying to you. Whoever wrote this included an address. I guess he’s recovering.”

Yuta’s eyes went wide and he nearly bolted out of their hotel room except that Hansol caught him and tugged him back. “At least shower first, you’re disgusting. I’ll look up how to get there.” Yuta begrudgingly complied.

By the time he returned, dressed and a little more put together, Hansol was also ready with a list of directions on his phone.

Yuta could hardly sit still during the subway ride across the city. Anticipating this, Hansol opted for the route that would allow them the most movement, rather than letting Yuta bounce off the walls of a cab. “Calm down or they’re never going to let you in,” he nudged Yuta with his elbow, burying his hands in the pockets of his varsity jacket. “Don’t forget he’s recovering, he’s probably not ready for your full-on puppy self.”

“I’m not a puppy,” Yuta protested.

“Have you looked at yourself?” They paused for a moment to let the automatic doors open, then Hansol took the lead with the secretary. He bowed deeply, greeting her before asking about a “Lee Taeyong-ssi.” Yuta stood a few steps away, feeling his chest swell with gratitude. Hansol didn’t need to be spending his time home at a hospital, or dealing with Yuta’s pathetic self, but here he was all the same. “I could’ve spoken to her,” he mumbled as they moved from the front desk towards the hospital rooms. It was his way of saying thank you. Hansol raised a brow and laughed, “She’d have kicked you out for using banmal. You’re welcome.”

When they reached the fourth floor Yuta froze. “What if he doesn’t want to see me?” he asked softly. “What should I do? What do I say?”

Hansol blinked, “I don’t...know? What do you want to do?”

“Uh…”

They stood their in silence, shuffled to a corner by nurses hurrying back and forth in front of the elevators. Hansol scratched at the back of his neck. “I’m not sure what to tell you, Yuta… I’m sure he wants to see you, he just couldn’t, you know, reply when you wanted to tell him. What’s got you so worried?”

“Everything,” Yuta thought immediately. He couldn’t shake the persistent feeling of rejection that had grown over the course of the week. And he didn’t know if the person whose handwriting donned his arm that morning was the friend who liked him or who...didn’t. His throat was tightening. Looking Hansol in the eye was proving to be incredibly difficult but he was here and Taeyong was on this floor too. And he really just did not want to break down in front of Hansol (again). He glanced back up and plastered the best model grin he could manage-- tight lipped with a lot of teeth that split across his face but didn’t reach his eyes. “Nothing, let’s go?”

Hansol stepped aside when they reached room 408, letting Yuta announce their arrival with a knock on the door. A brunette male answered with a soft smile on his lips. He bowed, offering a “Hello” in Japanese. Yuta returned with his own bow, introducing himself and Hansol in Korean, surprising both of Taeyong’s friends.

“You speak Korean so well! Sorry, I didn’t know. I only see your messages. I’m Jaehyun, it’s nice to finally meet you. And this is--”

“Doyoung,” the other cut in. His shoulders were stiff and it looked like he was putting a lot of effort into keeping his chin and eyes level. “Nice to meet you.”

Yuta’s smiled lessened a bit when he bowed towards Doyoung. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

“I wish that this could be a happy meeting but…” Jaehyun sighed, gesturing Yuta’s attention to Taeyong, still unconscious in the hospital bed.

“What...happened?” Yuta took a few steps forward. He was stricken by the sight of Taeyong before him; bandaged, beat up, comatose, and so incredibly breathtaking all the same. His webcam didn’t do him justice and the thought made him feel incredibly guilty. Yuta hated being rendered down to only his looks and here he was enthralled by Taeyong’s beauty despite him being unconscious.

“He was hit by a drunk driver. The nurses say he should wake up any day now.”

“But we haven’t seen any signs of it,” Doyoung muttered, falling into the chair pulled up to Taeyong’s bedside.

“Doyoung…”

Yuta felt his heart drop into his stomach. His hands itched to hold Taeyong’s, just to know what it was like. Just in case maybe a little touch (a little soulmate magic? Yuta scolded himself for such a stupid idea) could help stir him awake. Instead he shoved them into his pants pockets, glancing back to Hansol, “I want to stay.”

“That’s fine. Just don’t forget our flight’s Monday morning.”

Yuta turned back to look at Taeyong, “I want to stay until he wakes up.”

Hansol paused, and the other two looked awkwardly between themselves, “...You have work though.”

“I’ll use my sick days. I don’t care. I’m not going to leave.”

Hansol became visibly frustrated, ruffling his hair. He never pegged Yuta for someone this sentimental, prioritizing emotions over logic. But maybe that’s just because they both always tried to ignore anything that went deeper than skin to skin-level.  “I don’t know if the agency will like that...But it’s your career, I guess. The hotel costs are you on then.”

It was awkward with just the three of them that next day. Yuta tried to make small talk, introduce himself better and learn more about the other two, though his focus remained solely on Taeyong. And no matter how much he tried to warm up to Doyoung it didn’t seem to be returned. Jaehyun was the only saving grace, one that Yuta would have to properly thank once everything was said and done. He continued to engage the model in small talk, sharing stories of when the three of them were growing up interjected with random memories of the things Taeyong had shared about Yuta.

A few hours passed when Jaehyun offered to go pick up lunch. “Doyoung, come with me?” He asked, hands already on Doyoung’s shoulder and pulling him onto his feet. “Yuta-ssi we’ll be back.”

Yuta waved them off, smiling just until the door shut.

Being alone with Taeyong was something that Yuta had thought about for a while-- at least since their first video chat. Doyoung had left the chair incredibly close to the bed and had refused letting anyone else by his side until Jaehyun had taken him away. With a sigh he took the seat and hoped Doyoung wouldn’t be too upset about it. “Hey,” he whispered softly in Japanese. “When I thought about us meeting I guess I never figured it would be like this. I thought about it a lot you know? In case you came to Japan I picked out all of the places I’d take you for a good first impression-- of me, not of the country,” he laughed, smiling sadly. His fingers crept across the white sheets towards Taeyong’s own. “And if we met here, wondering what things you’d want to do. You’re so private, so I thought it’d be a lot of coffee shops. But maybe you’d surprise me. I wanted to meet you so badly,” he sighed, daring to link their index fingers together. “You wanted to meet me too right?”

Their touch was warm and comforting in a way that Yuta had only ever experienced after a lot of shots and a trip back to Hansol’s apartment. Heat stretched from the tip of his finger to the ends of his reddening ears. He didn’t want to let go. “I’ll be here when you wake up, no matter how long it takes,” He said firmly, “I promise Taeyong. Yukkuri’s here.”

His hand fell back into his lap when Doyoung and Jaehyun arrived, the former shuffling Yuta out of the chair and resuming his rightful position with a huff. Jaehyun, rolling his eyes, mouthed an apology when he handed Yuta’s kimbap over to him. “They didn’t have much, I hope that’s okay.”

“It’s fine,” Yuta had his smile back in place, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.

“Oh no, don’t worry about it. You’re the one who’s shelling out staying in a hotel to see him. You’re our best friend’s soulmate, the least we can do is take care you.”

“He always spoke very highly of you both. It’s not surprising why, now that I get to meet you.”

Doyoung grew flustered at that. He didn’t think Taeyong would speak highly of him at all with the way he’d been acting. He should’ve done better by his friend. He...should probably start now. “You know,” he chimed in, voice soft and eyes looking anywhere but Yuta, “If you want to cancel your hotel we have room in our dorm...It’s closer, and cheaper.”

“Oh,” Yuta’s eyes widened, smile faltering, “I couldn’t impose like that, it’s okay.”

“Doyoung you’re sure?”

Not wanting to say anything more Doyoung stuffed a piece of his roll between his lips and looked back to Taeyong. Then he nodded.

“Yuta-ssi you should. At least consider it if we don’t hear any updates. It wouldn’t be imposing,” Jaehyun reassured. Yuta, feeling every bit as grateful and overwhelmed as possible, said he’d see after the night he’d already split with Hansol. Speaking of... “Oh, I should check in on him. Excuse me a second,” he took his phone and his meal and stepped out of Taeyong’s room. Carrying both to the waiting room, he balanced the plastic tray across his lap with the intent to pick at it while dialing Hansol through Line.

“Hey, he awake?”

“Not yet. Sorry again for ditching you, how has it been?”

“Fine. Actually…” Hansol trailed off.

“Actually?”

“Sorry-- h-Hey! Sit down Jesus,” Yuta hadn’t heard Hansol use English in a long time, and in the background he caught the sound of a heavy, deep voiced chuckle, “Sorry. You’ll never guess who I ran into in Itaewon.”

“Who?”

“Johnny.” That same deep voice called out a ‘Hi!’ from somewhere behind Hansol.

“Oh. Wow, okay good. I’m glad that I didn’t just throw you to the wolves.”

“Oh you did. Wolf though,” Hansol teased. “If you’re free tonight let’s all get drinks. I’d like you to meet him.”

“It depends what the nurses say but I’ll try.”

“Good luck,” Hansol sounded happier than Yuta had heard him in quite some time. Maybe Johnny was more than some American boy after all.

“Thanks. Have fun. If you need me out of the room just text me first.” Hansol started to protest but Yuta ended the call too quickly. Chuckling despite himself, he looked between his phone and his meal. All worry about abandoning Hansol was gone and Yuta found himself feeling decidedly less tense. But there was something new there--jealousy, that Hansol who hadn’t even come to Korea intending to meet someone could come across the boy that stole his heart during his study abroad. While Yuta, whose soul purpose was to find Taeyong, ended up stuck in a hospital instead.

He looked down at the roll. He’d had every intention of eating it at first but... Breathing a silent apology for wasting Jaehyun’s money, he dumped the meal into the closest trash can before making his way back. 

Yuta bid farewell to Jaehyun and Doyoung a few hours later, seeing that they both had school that next morning, and Yuta thought it would mean a night alone with Taeyong. So when the door opened again, not too long after the nurse had done her check up, it startled Yuta out of his seat.

“Oh,” The older man stopped in the middle of the room, brows pinching together as he tried to place Yuta in his head. “Sorry, I didn’t think anyone would be here.”

Yuta scrambled to his feet and bowed deeply. “I’m Yuta, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You must be his uncle? You probably want to be alone with him, right? I can leave.”

Taeyong’s uncle chuckled at the mix of formal and informal speech that laced through Yuta’s sentences. “You’re not from here are you?” He asked with a soft smile, revealing the added layer of exhaustion in his eyes.

“Ah, no. I’m not.”

“Where are you from?”

“Osaka.”

“Osaka, wow. So how do you know our Taeyong?” He asked, stepping up to his nephew’s bedside to check over him.

“I’m actually, uh...his soulmate.”

His uncle’s attention fell back onto Yuta, “Soulmate? Taeyong never mentioned a soulmate.”

Yuta let out an uncomfortable laugh. “I feel like he hasn’t wanted to mention a lot to you but…” but he couldn’t say that.

“Where are you staying, Yuta?”

“At a hotel near Gangnam.”

“Gangnam?! That’s so far and so expensive. You should stay with us.”

“I- I couldn’t, but thank you.”

“No, Yuta, I insist. Think of me as a traditionalist. Any soulmate of our Taeyong belongs as part of the family. It’ll put you closer too, if something happens.”

He was torn. The idea was awkward. Just the fact that he had met Taeyong’s best friends and family before even getting to say a word to him made Yuta’s skin bristle. He felt like he was doing this wrong; like he was treading somewhere he shouldn’t. Walking into Taeyong’s life without him. To go back to his house seemed too personal but the man before him smiled so genuinely that he didn’t feel comfortable declining or redirecting in the way he had earlier with Jaehyun and Doyoung.

He plastered that perfect smile over his lips again, “I’d...be honored if you’d have me.”

x

Yuta stepped carefully around the small house. He felt uncomfortable, like walking on eggshells in a place he didn’t belong. He greeted the two cousins and helped their father put them to bed. There were little things out of line that Yuta kept noticing-- lingering dishes, papers strewn over tables, clothes draped over furniture-- and when he stepped into the impeccable neatness that was Taeyong’s room suddenly his absences hit Yuta much stronger; the deep concern his soulmate always seemed to have for not being at home made sense. Yuta didn’t realize that Taeyong did so much.

“Is it okay that I go in here?” Yuta asked as he peered inside the small bedroom at the top of a short flight of stairs. “Would he mind?”

“I won’t tell if you don’t,” his uncle chuckled. “I’m sure it’s alright. He’s only peculiar about his bed.”

Yuta smiled, wondering what other little nuances he still had to learn. Peculiar about his bed? He wondered what that meant, but kept a healthy distance until he could figure it out. The only part of Taeyong’s room that was remotely out of line was his desk and even then it was only a few littered pencils and small piles of eraser shavings atop incomplete drawings. “Oh,” Yuta hummed, daring to pull a few into his grasp (hoping Taeyong wouldn’t eventually kill him for being nosey). He flipped through all the different drawings, noticing that despite the varying outfits, poses, or sceneries there was one commonality. These were all...him. Yuta as a superhero, Yuta in a schoolgirl outfit, Yuta on a bench underneath a cherry blossom tree. He even found the two page comic Taeyong had sent him a few weeks back and a few incomplete attempts at continuing it. Awestruck (maybe a little dumbfounded too) Yuta laid them all back out on the desk and snapped a photo with his phone.

NaYut: Look
NaYut sent a photo
Jisol_11: Did he wake up?
NaYut: Not yet…
Jisol_11: So….Where are you seeing these?
Jisol_11: are you in his room? Without him?
ChitaTen: is that you?
ChitaTen: r u wearing a schoolgirl uniform?
ChitaTen: yuta do u have something to tell us
NaYut: stop  ! ! !

Maybe messaging his friends about this was a bad idea. His phone kept buzzing in his hand, message after message from Ten inquiring about the school uniform drawing.

NaYut: I’d explain the joke but you’re probably too dense to get it ┐(￣ー￣)┌
Jisol_11: are you just going to ignore me?
NaYut: Sorry
NaYut: I met his uncle and he invited me to stay
NaYut: no word on when he’s waking up yet
Jisol_11: You can’t stay there forever, Yuta…
Jisol_11 is typing...

Yuta exited the app and switched his phone to silent. A very Taeyong-esque mood that felt fitting as he stood in Taeyong’s room. But he just didn’t want to hear it. He couldn’t be in Korea, seeing Taeyong and meeting all of his friends and family, without formally meeting his soulmate. The thought alone made Yuta’s stomach tight. He looked back at the drawings one more time, particularly the uniform one Ten had become obsessed with, and felt his cheeks tint pink. Something about seeing himself through Taeyong’s artistic image made him feel...utterly indescribable. In a good way. And it just cemented the need to remain until Taeyong returned to him.