“Are you excited?” Joohyun nudges Seungwan, eyeing the words marking the Canadian’s wrist. The older woman had noticed her friend running her fingers over the words as they rode the bus towards Amorous. The grand opening of the café was today, and despite Joohyun’s own discouragement that her soulmate wouldn’t be there, she tagged along to support Seungwan. After Joohyun dropped Seungwan off at her dorm yesterday, the older woman retreated to her apartment and researched more about the soulmate café.

Within a few minutes, Joohyun deduced that the establishment was no mere coffee shop. The building also housed a few clothing stores, a small cinema, an ice cream shop, and much, much more. Joohyun was certain that she could find a way to entertain herself once Seungwan found her soulmate and left her alone. Seungwan shrugs in the seat next to her, “I don’t know. Actually, it’s more like that feeling you get when you realize you’re the next one to present in front of your class.”

Seungwan taps her soul mark, “You know, when you feel just a tad bit sick to your stomach from the anxiety and your body begins to heat up for no reason.” Joohyun hums in agreement, while Seungwan stares down at her hand. The Canadian knew the feeling more than she’d like to admit. As a business major, Seungwan constantly gave numerous presentations for her classes and often hosted one on one proposals with company executives. She was familiar with the butterflies and jittery feelings that came with stage fright, and was still attempting to conquer them. Public speaking wasn’t exactly her forte.

“I can’t wait to meet your soulmate, Seungwan,” Joohyun says suddenly with a contended sigh. She watches as her friend’s face contorts with confusion at her remark. “I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I will,” Seungwan says, laughing to herself softly. She pauses and searches the older woman’s eyes, “But aren’t you going to be searching for your soulmate when we get there?” Seungwan’s words struck a chord within Joohyun, her mind racing. Shouldn’t I have at least tried to see if my soulmate knew about Amorous? Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, Joohyun was about to pull a pen out of her purse when the bus jerked to a halt.

“Oh! This is our stop,” Seungwan exclaims, jumping out of her seat and dragging Joohyun by the arm through the crowded aisle, leaving her no choice but to postpone writing a mark. The two young women step off the bus and join the throngs of people headed in the same direction as them. Her idea quickly fades as her breath is taken away by the crowd. “I’ll bet you a thousand won that they’re going to Amorous, too,” Seungwan mumbles in Joohyun’s ear as they link arms, leading them confidently through the thick of the pedestrian traffic.

                                                            ****

In wonderment, Seungwan nearly breaks her back trying to lean back far enough to see the top of the building. Joohyun giggles at the sight, then joins her friend in doing the same. They’re standing in the very back of the line leading out of the structure’s tall, glass doors. Joohyun, who’s never been good at math, leans in and whispers, “There must be at least a hundred people around us right now!” To which Seungwan giggles and pulls out her phone again, flashing another online newspaper article at the older woman, “Unnie, there’s an expected turnout of thousands of people from all across the world for today’s grand opening.”

Joohyun’s bewildered expression remains fixated on her face for a solid minute before she clears , “Of course. Yes. More than a thousand. People.” Seungwan has the sudden urge to pinch one of Joohyun’s cheeks, “You’re too cute, unnie. As soon as we walk in, you better be ready for people to come up to you asking if you’re their soulmate!” The older woman’s brows furrow together, “Wait, what? Why me?” Seungwan merely stares at her blankly before turning away, fixating on her phone once more while murmuring to herself.

The third thing Seungwan had noticed about Joohyun since they’d become friends was that she didn’t seem to quite grasp just how beautiful she was.