Jisoo puts down his phone onto the table with a sigh. He pours the beer into his glass and downs the liquor; closing his eyes at the burning sensation in his throat. He knows that Jeonghan could see through his lie; the little pause before his reply proves it.

   "Well, don't stay out too late. Send my regards to Kihyun."

    It is impossible that he could not hear the loud music in the background and Jeonghan knows that Kihyun is in Japan for a photo shoot with a Japanese model. But if he is worried about him, he did not show it.

   "Another bottle please." The bartender has a concerned look on his face but proceeds to take another bottle of beer from the shelves. He offers a little smile at Jisoo as he places the bottle in front of him.

   "Had a rough day?" The muscular guy offers and Jisoo just nod.

   "Kind of." 

   A girl from the end of the counter calls for the bartender and he politely excuses himself to serve her. Jisoo watches him go before averting his gaze towards the etched glass under his palm. The fragile black string wrapped around his pinky looks faded under the fluorescent light around the bar counter. 

   He only has a week left before the string breaks, but it does not seem that he could convince Jeonghan that they are soulmates anytime soon.

   It's ironic how he told Hansol to try to convince Seungkwan when he is also giving up without really trying. But Jeonghan would snap at anyone who even as little as mentioning the word soulmate in front of him, so the idea of convincing him that he is a part of it is just plain ridiculous. It is a shame, though. He has liked Jeonghan since he met him at the library of their university during their sophomore year.

   It was a few weeks before an important test and Jisoo had gone to the library every day to do his revision. He found calmness in the comfortable silence and the sound of turning pages of books and newspapers around him. Jimin, his dormmate, had scrunched his nose and called him a nerd when he heard him called the library his home to which he just rolled his eyes at the name. 

  He never thought that he would meet a pretty guy with light brown hair that falls a little past his shoulders on the other side of the shelf when he took a reference book from it. 

   Jimin was the one who helped him to talk to the beautiful stranger, and he was delighted when Jeonghan accepted his offer to have lunch together when he happened to sit across from him at the library. They soon became close friends that lead to them living together with a few of their other friends when they graduated. Though it was only recently that they ever went to a beach together which resulted in him finding out that Jeonghan was his soulmate. And even though a part of him was happy about it, another part of him instantly died inside. 

    Because he knew that the smile on Jeonghan's face as he motioned him to come and look at the beautiful seashell he found would never form at the words that they were fated to be together. Jisoo had gone to Jeonghan with heavy steps and tried his best to look in awe at the blue seashell on Jeonghan's palm, but he was just not there. And he knew that Jeonghan noticed that, but the latter did not say anything about it. Again.

   Jisoo opens the bottle of beer and pours the liquor into his glass. Chugging it down in a shot, he rests his head on the table and realizes just how deep he had fallen for a man he could never have.

   Seungkwan looks out of the window; mind full of jumbled questions and worries. He did not expect to meet Hansol in Hongdae, especially with Mingyu by his side. He is sure that Hansol did not tell anyone about that night they spent together; it was a mistake that both of them knew without any exchange of words. Though it did not make him less worry that Mingyu would found out about it.

   He did not know what came over him that night; whether it was just the alcohol in his system or the fact that Hansol looked extra attractive in the outfit he wore with his slightly long bangs covers one of his eyes and the disco lights from the living room paints his face with a red glow, but he had gone to flirt with him. He knew it was wrong, considering he already had a boyfriend but Mingyu was not around and he was just too tired of waiting for his friends that never showed up.

   And he just could not resist the way Hansol looked at him through his half-closed eyes and how nice Hanson's lips felt against his when the latter leaned forward to kiss him from his seat beside him.

   He had been feeling guilty since and the fact that Mingyu and he had just left the cafe he met Hansol at after that night was no doubt bothering him. He could clearly remember Hansol's face when he left him without properly saying goodbye. He looked so lost, like a child that was being abandoned by his mother. Seungkwan had gathered all his self-control to leave him and he could hear Chan's voice ringing in his ears as he stepped into the sidewalk.

   "Why would you feel sorry for a guy who once left you hanging like a fool?"

   "Are you okay?" Mingyu's deep voice startles him from his thoughts as he turns to look at the tanned guy. "You've been spacing out since we left the cafe."

   Seungkwan gives Mingyu a soft smile before taking his hand on the center console and intertwines his fingers together. "I'm fine though there's quite a lot of things in my mind lately. You know, assignments and stuff."

    "You can always talk to me if anything's stressing you out. You know that I would always be there for you, right?" Mingyu squeezes Seungkwan's hand in reassurance and it only makes the guilt inside him worsens.

   "I know. And I'm always grateful for that." Seungkwan leans his head on Mingyu's shoulder and feels his boyfriend's shoulder loosens up with his touch. He takes in the familiar scent of cologne that Mingyu usually uses, hoping that it would help to ease his worry away.

   Hansol walks down the street, threading through the crowd outside the pubs. With his headphones plugged into his phone, he could hear the notifications coming in, to which he assumes are from Jeonghan. He has left the house without any notice and is only dressed in a simple black T-shirt and ripped jeans that he has worn in the evening. He is not bothered to take his coat when he left, but the chilly air seeping into his exposed skin is making him regretting his choice. He puts his hands into the pockets of his jeans and looks up at the night sky to spot the crescent moon obscured by clouds.

   It was also a crescent moon that he saw on the night he met the old fortune teller sitting alone by the fountain of the deserted park.

   Hansol had left the amusement park in a rush, ignoring his friends calling him from the entrance of the haunted house. He could feel the stares of the little crowd forming around the haunted house on him as he strode past them but he was too hurt to care about them. It was a bad choice to tag along with his classmates from his literature class to the amusement park that night and he should have followed the nagging voice at the back of his mind to reject the offer that evening but he was stubborn.

   And he regretted it.

   The moment his eyes landed on his crush giggling to the jokes his boyfriend made as they made their way towards the Ferris Wheel, he felt like his heart was breaking into pieces. He had stood frozen in his place before one of his friends nudged him to move forward in the line, and he had looked at him with tears filled to the brim of his eyes.

   "I-I'm sorry. You guys go ahead, I don't think I'm feeling well enough for this."

   His friend's face was priceless — eyes wide as his mouth agape in surprise — and he would have laughed if he was not feeling so miserable at that moment. He had left the scene without turning back— he did not even know is Seungkwan noticed him with all the commotion his friends make, but he was too dejected to bother. He let his feet carried him to the park facing the river, all the while wiping the tears flowing down to his cheeks with his sleeve. His vision was blurry from the tears that he did not notice the big stone in front of him. But just as he was about to fall, a hand caught his wrist and Hansol leaned towards the stranger for support.

   "Are you alright?" Hansol looked up and saw a man in his mid-60s gazing at him worriedly.

   "Y-yeah. Thank you."

   Hansol did not exactly remember how, but he ended up talking to the old man about his problem and he had listened to it attentively; nodding and humming at Hansol's words. A comfortable silence hung over them after Hansol finished talking and the man patted Hansol's shoulder lightly to grab his attention. The man handed him a card of a boy sitting at the edge of a grassy cliff; the ocean beneath his feet as he watches the eclipse forming at the distance. Hansol looked at the man questioningly.

   "I might not look like it but I'm actually someone who could help others find their soulmates." Hansol eyes widened at the old man's words and he just chuckled before continuing. "And I could tell that you will find your soulmate when an eclipse occurs and child?"

   Hansol gulped, sensing the change of tones in the man's words. "Yes?"

   "You see, about that guy you're talking about?" Receiving a nod from Hansol, the man sighed. "I might have to tell you that he's your soulmate,"

   Hansol lifts up his head just to see the dark-colored shop almost hidden by the deserted playground. He speeds up his pace and makes his way towards it, muttering a greeting as he enters the small shop.

   The woman behind the counter points to a small door next to the set of chairs without turning around from the shelves full of bottles in various shapes. "If you want to get a Tarot card reading, he's inside." Hansol thanks her and pushes the door open, just to see the familiar man sitting behind a table; stacks of cards arranged neatly on it.

   "Hello," Hansol greets the man and the said man smiles at him.

   "Take a seat. How've you been?"

   Hansol goes to sit on the chair opposite of him. "As fine as I could be. Actually, I came here to ask for your help."

   The old man his head to the side as he gazes at Hansol. "What is it?"

   Hansol shifts nervously on his seat as he casts his eyes towards the cards on the table. "W-well, since you're a fortune teller, I wanted to ask if my decision would be the right choice to make or not,"

   The old man chuckles, leaning back against his chair. "I'm no fortune teller, young child. I just have the ability to shorten the range of your soulmate based on the card you pick."

   Hansol lifts up one of his eyebrows in confusion. "Huh? But I didn't even choose any card when I met you the other day. You just gave me this." 

   Hansol put the card on the table and the man smiles fondly at him. "That's because that card dropped from my pocket as soon as you finished your story. Sometimes actions are not necessary to pick your card. Besides," He took a similar card from the stack of cards on the table and hands it to Hansol. "Your crush also picked the same card when he came here."

   "Wha—" Hansol jaw drops after the words left the man's mouth. "Seungkwan came here?"

   "That guy with blonde hair and high cheekbones? Yes. And how do I know that's the guy you're talking about?" He flips the card that Hansol put on the table and pointed at the eclipse. "I had the gift to see the string of fate too, you know. Mine is quite different from others, though. I could see the name of your soulmate on the string. That guy's full name is Boo Seungkwan, right?" 

   Hansol just stares at the old man, speechless. He recalls the moment he stood up to leave the park but the old man gently stopped him. He had turned to look at him and saw the sad smile on his face.

   "Your name is Chwe Hansol. right?"

   Hansol curls his hand into a fist as he slowly stands up. "I-I need to go. H-here." He hands the old man a crinkled 10-dollar bill with a shaky hand and hastily leaves the room. The old man shifts his gaze towards the opened door as he hears his assistant bid Hansol goodbye and the door of the shop closes behind him.

   "Is he okay? Why is he in such a rush?" The woman pokes her head into the room to look at him and he just sighs.

   "That poor thing. It must be hard on him."

   "Why? Did his soulmate died or something?"

   The man shakes his head, heaving out another sigh in the process. "No. It's worse than that. When your soulmate already knows that the both of you are meant to be together but the string of fate that bonds you and him are yellow, it means that you're ed. You could convince him for years to be together, but it would only be to no avail if he doesn't want to. With just three months to persuade him, do you think that it's going to work?" He turns to face her. "I didn't tell that to him, of course. He already knows the weight of his problem when he realizes that his soulmate is still in a relationship with another guy even after knowing that both of them are soulmates."

   The woman gulps. "What could he do, then?"

   The old man shrugs. "I don't know. It's entirely up to him to do whatever it would take to convince his soulmate. Or maybe he could just pray for the universe to help him."

   "Huh?"

   "You see, the guy his soulmate is in a relationship with still haven't met his soulmate. And even if he's willing to ignore the universe's calls, it doesn't mean that his partner would."

    Seungkwan shifts his gaze towards his pinky as his boyfriend's humming gradually soothes the sinking feeling of his stomach. He closes his eyes and prays that the decision he made is the right one.