Jimin’s laughter and Hwasa’s husky chuckles filled the air as they kept throwing water at each other before competing to see who could hold their breath longer while underwater. Yoongi couldn’t help but smile fondly as he stared at his Jimin play and smile so happily. The blonde haired man wanted to come to the beach since forever, after all. Yoongi’s attention soon shifted to the people beside him: Solar – who sat on a rock near her car - was entertained with her guitar, softly playing a few tunes while humming rather peacefully. Krystal had been rather quiet and Moonbyul simply sat beside her on their shared towel, completely spellbound on making her sand castle bigger and more luxurious by adding a few seashells. Upon noticing Wheein, Yoongi couldn’t help but slightly frown as he noticed her staring at Hwasa and Jimin play with an unreadable expression.

“They don’t bite, you know,” Yoongi joked lightly as Wheein – who sat right beside him – quickly turned to look at him with a smile.

“Yeah, I know. I just don’t like the sea very much,” The short blonde haired woman explained, pulling on the hems of her blue and black rash guard. Yoongi had not questioned her choice of bathing suit…but he definitely found it intriguing.

“Yeah. I get it. I don’t really like the water either but Jimin made me learn how to swim last summer when we went to a pool, just because he was worried I would drown one day if I ended up falling asleep on a pool,” The blue haired boy recalled as Wheein giggled at the small yet heartwarming story.

“You guys are really cute! I love seeing you two together!” Wheein squealed, unable to control her excitement, as Yoongi shrugged, feeling slightly shy at the comment.

“Wheein!” Hwasa’s husky voice called as Wheein looked up and noticed her friend ran to her, Jimin following after her.

“Yoongi, let’s go swimming!” Jimin chirped as Yoongi raised an eyebrow at him before letting out a dry laughter.

“Hahaha…Funny. I thought you said you wanted me to swim,” Yoongi replied as Jimin began to pull him towards the sea, much to the elder’s demise as he began to smack his Soulmate with whatever he could find.

“Why are you here with the…uh…slightly older people?” Hwasa’s question as Solar and Moonbyul – the eldest of the group – quickly snapped at her.

“Yah! Who are you calling old? I can go and play too, I just don’t want to!” Solar protested.

“Exactly. I’d rather enjoy making sand castles than run around and let the sun burn me alive unlike you, uncultured children,” Moonbyul added as Hwasa simply rolled her eyes at them before turning her attention back to Wheein.

“So, what do you say? Want to come and swim with me?” The black haired woman with golden skin asked rather sweetly as Wheein shook her head almost instantly.

“N-no…I-I’d rather not. Sorry,” It was that strange answer that made Hwasa raise an eyebrow at her.

“Is it because of the mark?” The sudden question made Wheein flinch as she widen her eyes at Hwasa, who had a somber look on her face.

“Uh…n-no…it’s not that,” The short woman replied, looking away from her upset friend.

“Then what is? We go to the pool every summer. So, why not the sea?” Hwasa’s sudden tone made Solar and Moonbyul glance at them with furrowed eyebrows while Jimin and Yoongi halted their small fight. The calm and refreshing air once surrounding them suddenly turned darker and gloomier.

“I just don’t like the sea,” Wheein confessed as Hwasa scoffed.

“And since when? Since your mark appeared?” It seemed that Hwasa knew about something Solar didn’t – which didn’t surprised her at all considering the years the two of them had been together – yet whatever it was, Hwasa didn’t seem pleased by it.

“No…why are you getting mad? If I don’t want to go I’m not going. Go play with Jimin or Yoongi or whoever. What’s the big deal if I don’t want to go?” The usually passive Wheein snapped as she held on to her phone tightly, causing her knuckles to slowly turn white.

“It’s because I came here with you! I want to play with you! And it’s f****ing frustrating that you just keep hiding things from me! When the f**k did you even get a name? Or since when did you not like the water? I’ve always told you everything, Wheein! Everything!” Hwasa’s sudden outburst made everyone worry as to whether they should intervene or not. Wheein – who was on the verge of tears – quickly stood up, now face to face with her best friend, who was glaring daggers at her.

“There are things that not even I want to know about me, Hyejin. So, before we end up fighting, I say we leave it there,” Wheein’s warning did not affect Hwasa at all as she paid no heed to her.

“I don’t want to. I’m tired of waiting for you to tell me so, let’s f***ing talk. I want for YOU to tell me what that name means. Who is Hyuna? And since when have you been afraid of the water? You work at an aquarium, Wheein! Come on!” Hwasa barked as Wheein finally looked away from her, “What are you not telling me? You have been smiling and goofing around, but did you really think I wouldn’t know you were not okay? I’m your freaking best friend, Jung Wheein!”.

“Its because you’re my best friend that I can’t tell you!” Wheein snapped as she quickly held on to her phone with both hands, which were slightly shaking out of anger, “If you knew…you wouldn’t…nobody would get it…” She added.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Solar suddenly said, causing everyone to look at her, “I think we should head back to the hotel now. It was almost time anyway”. Everyone briskly agreed as Solar quickly stood up and gave her car keys to Yoongi, who looked at her with puzzlement.

“I’ll go with them,” The blue haired boy didn’t ask, he simply nodded as everyone began to pack their stuff before hoping in to their cars.

“I’m driving!” Wheein yelled as Hwasa jingled the keys in her hands, a crooked smile playing on the corners of her lips.

“I’ve got the keys, so I’m driving,” Hwasa replied with ease as Solar quickly snatched it away from her.

“I’m driving. You two get on the back,” Solar ordered, as the two young girls were about to protest, “Did I ask that I was driving or SAID that I was driving?” She added sternly as the Hwasa and Wheein gave a meek, “Said,” before hoping on the backseats of the jeep. Solar swiftly hopped on the driver’s seat and soon began her three-hour journey back to the hotel. The comforting silence, however, lasted very little when Hwasa began to batter Wheein with questions.

“Who is Hyuna?” Hwasa asked bluntly.

“Not your problem,” Wheein replied with a frown.

“Since when have you been afraid of the water?” Hwasa questions.

“Long ago,” Wheein briefly explains.

“Then why the f**k do you even work an a aquarium for?” Hwasa states more than asked.

“Ever heard of overcoming your fears by facing them?” Wheein replied curtly.

“Oh, is that why?” Hwasa asks, slightly surprised at the answer.

“Yes,” Wheein said with a nod.

“Okay…” Hwasa said as Wheein turned to look outside her window, “So, who is Hyuna?”.

“UGH! I’M SO DONE WITH YOU!!” Wheein screams before latching towards Hwasa who cursed as the smaller girl began to pull her silky long hair.

“Hey, hey! Stop shaking the car!” Solar barked, slapping someone’s leg with her free hand while trying to keep her eyes on the road. She couldn’t help but be slightly amused and extremely concerned over her friends. Never had Solar ever seen them fight like that. They would usually play around and end up with a bruise or two and they would also fight for small things…but they had never fought seriously like now.

“SHE STARTED!!” Wheein yelled as Hwasa – who ended up under her – struggled to get away from her iron-like grip, “YOU SHOULD JUST MIND YOUR BUSINESS!!”.

“WHY CAN’T YOU JUST TELL ME ANYTHING!!” Hwasa screamed as she scratched Wheein’s face with her long red nails.

“OUCH!! STOP!! ARE YOU TRYING TO TAKE MY EYEBALL OR SOMETHING!!” Wheein cried before letting go of Hwasa, who immediately began to kick and slap her ruthlessly.

“IF THAT’S THE ONLY WAY FOR YOU TO TALK, THEN YES I AM!!!” Hwasa barked as Wheein recoiled by holding on to Hwasa’s feet and biting on to it, a loud scream escaping her lips.

“YAH, I’M SERIOUSLY GOING TO DROP BOTH OF YOU ON THE STREET IF YOU DON’T STOP!!” Solar – having had enough of them – snapped, causing both women two halt their fight and simply turn their backs on each other. One again, silence filled the car as Solar shook her head.

“Unbelievable…” She mumbled, eyeing the two girls from her rearview mirror.

As soon as they arrived to the hotel, Hwasa and Wheein slammed the doors of the car.

“You better go find somewhere else to sleep, because I am not sleeping in the same room as you,” Hwasa warned as Wheein simply shrugged before grabbing her bag.

“I was going to anyway!” And with that the short blonde haired woman walked away.

“Are you serious?” Solar asked as Hwasa simply grabbed her bag and walked away, paying no attention to Solar’s words whatsoever. With a loud sigh, Solar got out of the car just as Moonbyul and Krystal arrived to park beside her.

“I’ll talk to Wheein. You should go with Hwasa,” Moonbyul suggested as soon as she got out of her car. No matter how much Solar wished to just be away from everyone and enjoy a nice vacation like a certain pair of girls had promised her, she knew it was not an option anymore. Even if she and Moonbyul were still in complicated terms, they needed to help their younger friends. It was the right thing to do as the eldest of the group.

“Okay. I think Wheein might have gone to Yoongi and Jimin so, that means Hwasa might be in our room,” Solar explained briefly as Moonbyul nodded before walking away. Solar too was about to go find Hwasa, when she suddenly felt someone hold her bandaged wrist.

“Krystal?” Solar called as she noticed the brunette holding on to her with a rather loose grip. Solar could easily pull herself away.

“I…after you fix everything with Hwasa and Wheein, let’s talk,” And with that, Krystal walked away, much to Solar’s confusion as she held on to her wrist.

Okay…I have an ugly feeling about this…Solar thought as she quickly made her way to her room. But, better talk things out so I can…move on, I guess.

************

“Wheein,” Moonbyul called sternly as she sat on Yoongi and Jimin’s bed. Unlike her and Solar’s LOVE themed room, Yoongi and Jimin’s was a pretty STARRY NIGHT themed room. The ceiling was painted black with small white dots that made it look more or less like a starry sky, while the bed was covered in star and moon shaped pillows. The walls and floors were made out of white wood; like most of the rooms, they also had a balcony with a beautiful view of Jeju. Honestly, if Moonbyul could, she would ask them to switch rooms just because she would love to stare at the starry sky painted in the ceiling…with Solar.

“Jung Wheein, stop being so whiny and tell me what’s going on,” Moonbyul demanded as Wheein – who now wore a simple tank top and faded denim shorts - kept facing the balcony, sitting with her knees close to her chest. The room had fallen in a homely silence as Moonbyul simply admired the room’s beauty, seriously considering switching rooms with the pair.

“This…is like a curse. It just keeps coming back…no matter how much I try to forget about it,” Wheein suddenly spoke up causing Moonbyul to raise an eyebrow at her.

“What do you mean?” Moonbyul asked

“…Woozi…Me and Woozi…are very different from all of you. I knew it since the first time I saw him and yet, I tried to deny it. I told myself that I was wrong…but that day at the park…it was so clear and I felt so stupid for just avoiding it since I ended up making him scared,” Wheein said, holding on to her legs tighter, “If only I had been more honest and just…confronted him about it”.

“What are you talking about?” Moonbyul asked, perplexed at the mentioning of Solar’s soulmate.

Wheein slowly turned around, causing Moonbyul to gasp as she covered .

“Wheein…” Moonbyul unconsciously breathed out as she stared at the several names across Wheein’s skin. From her cheek to her chest to her clavicle, Moonbyul had never seen so many marks on anyone before. She was only staring at around four names…but something told Moonbyul there were probably more.

“I-I don’t even know any of them, Unnie! I never asked for this!” Wheein said as tears began to stain her cheeks. Without thinking twice, Moonbyul ran to her side and held the younger girl in her arms as this one simply cried.

“I’m so sorry, Wheein…” That’s all Moonbyul could really say as she Wheein’s blonde locks. She didn’t know what else to do. The usually bright an optimistic Wheein looked so…broken and frighten; it was a sight Moonbyul had only experienced once…with Minseok. Her brother was afraid of thunders and she had held him and assured him that everything would be fine, that the rain would pass; and it did. But, how do you tell someone like Wheein – a Soulful – that everything would be fine and the rain will pass…when those names, those marks in her skin will be there forever? No rain could wash it off.

“H-Hwasa…I-I don’t want to l-lose her too…” Wheein sobbed.

“And you won’t,” Moonbyul assured as she sat before the crying woman, “You won’t because Hwasa would never judge you nor leave you just because you are a little different than other people”.

“...Easier said than done. Many people have left me after knowing about this…what if you and Solar Unnie and Hwasa leave me too? People change…they always do,” Wheein trailed off which made Moonbyul frown at her.

“Are you serious? Wheein, you know we would never leave you,” The black haired woman stated as she gave her younger friend a smile, “You’re our friend and you are stuck with us whether you want it or not, okay?”. The tears that had stained Wheein’s cheeks and kept falling from her eyes soon faded as the girl finally gave Moonbyul that bright smile everyone knew and loved.

“Yeah…Thank you, Unnie,” Wheein said as she hugged Moonbyul tightly, who in return placed a small kiss on her forehead.

“Thank you for telling me,” The older woman said as she unconsciously thought of Wheein’s words…specifically, the part where she mentioned Woozi, “Uh…Wheein, what did you mean by Woozi being different like you?” Wheein finally let go of Moonbyul and simply stared at her with a blank expression.

“You didn’t know? He is a Soulful too,” Wheein said with ease as she rubbed her puffy eyes, “I wasn’t a hundred percent sure at first…but it seems we Soulfuls seem to have a magnet for each other, so eventually everything connected”.

“Huh?” It was all Moonbyul said as her mind began to fill with several memories. When Woozi came…when Solar claimed he was her Soulmate…when he ran away after water fell on him…the day he cried…it all made sense now. That day…Woozi had tried to tell her, but he had been too afraid to do so…

************

“I didn’t want to be alone…” The boy explained in a soft voice, but Moonbyul’s expression remained dumbfounded.

“How can you? I mean, you’re her soulmate too, right?” At this, Woozi looked up…and Moonbyul regretted every word she had said right then.

“…I’m…I…” Woozi tried to speak, but his voice became smaller and smaller as his eyes filled with tears. He curled up in a ball and cried silently, much to Moonbyul’s bewilderment.