When Subin was eleven, she came across an anime called 'Noragami'. Yoongi, her brother, had been watching it on his computer while supposedly studying for his A-levels. She was young back then and she remembered being obsessed over loom bands so she didn't pay much attention to animes or K-dramas or anything Asian for that matter. But when she did start paying more attention to 'Noragami', she managed to learn something about the red string of fate.

"Yoongi," she remembered herself saying. "Does everyone have a red string connected to them?"

Her brother briefly tore his eyes away from the computer screen. "Er, I guess so. But it's more of a metaphorical saying."

Subin glanced around her body. "I don't see a red string connected to me at all."

"Idiot," her brother said while rolling his eyes. "Didn't I just say it's a metaphorical saying?"

"Yeah, but what's that?"

Yoongi sighed irately. "It's a figure of speech. Meaning, don't take the saying literally." He frowned at her when he noticed her blank expression. "The red string of fate is invisible to the human eye. Only people with superpowers can see it."

Subin, naïve as she was, questioned further. "So, you mean only God can see it?" she pointed to his computer screen. "Like Yato?"

Keen to get his younger sister off his case, he agreed. "Yeah, yeah, just like Yato."

Subin was thoughtful as she looked down at her hand.

The concept of her being destined to be with someone because of an invisible red string was quite hard to grasp but nevertheless, very exciting. Growing up in London, she had watched all the Disney films and was exposed to all the fairy tales but, she couldn't help feeling that none of those things applied to someone like her. For one thing, all the Disney princesses were Caucasian. She, on the other hand, was Asian. And the only princesses she could somewhat relate to was Princess Jasmine and Mulan— and Mulan wasn't even a princess. If Subin was ever going to meet her true love, it was probably going to be through the red string of fate, not some glass slipper.

Yoongi resumed watching the anime and Subin did too. But even though Subin looked like she was paying attention, her mind was elsewhere. Thoughts of the red string of fate filled her head. Most of which were questions she was dying to know the answers to. For instance, what could the person she's destined to be with look like? How old was he? Was he taller than her? Was he Asian too? But most importantly...

When will they meet?

~*~

Gyuri and Taehyung stared down at their joined hands that was also connected by a red string.

Even though Gyuri knew she should be thinking about other things, she couldn't help noticing how Taehyung's hand was almost as big as hers. She glanced upwards and meeting Taehyung's crescent eyes by accident, she finally remembered who he was, who she was and where they currently were.

She snatched her hand immediately.

"Ew, no!" she blurted as she wiped her hand against her skirt. "I can't marry him!"

Taehyung scoffed as he untied the knot on his finger. "I should be the one saying that! Who would want to marry an ugly girl like you?"

Gyuri glared at him and he glared back. Gulnar and Chun Chun watched as the pair engaged in a childish stare down completely disregarding what the red string symbolised.

"So, we can't be a family then?" Gulnar's sweet voice interrupted Gyuri and Taehyung's feud, forcing the pair to look at the young child.

Gyuri's eyes softened. "Oh, Gulnar" she cooed as she crouched down to meet his eye level. "We can still be a family but I just can't be..." she darted a look at Taehyung, "I just can't be married to him."

"But he's our Papa" Gulnar protested.

"I know but—"

"We are just friends" Taehyung interrupted, cutting Gyuri off. She turned to him questioningly as he proceeded, "Gulnar, you have to understand that you cannot get what you want just because you will it." He eyed the child sternly as he added, "It is uncomfortable for both Gyuri and me to be forced into an arrangement like this without our consent."

Taehyung's tone must have sounded aggressive to Gulnar because suddenly, his face scrunched up and tears started to fall.

"Gulnar, don't cry" Gyuri murmured in a soothing voice as she captured him in a hug. Gulnar took big gulps of breath as he hiccupped and sobbed at the same time. "There, there" she continued to comfort him.

"I'm sorry for the trouble" Chun Chun said guiltily, her eyes refusing to leave the floor. "All we wanted is for you two to stay together."

"But why would you wish for something like that?" Taehyung asked softly, taking note that the young lass looked like she was about to burst into tears too.

Chun Chun peered up at him as she replied, "Because we don't want you to be lonely anymore, Tae."

Hearing this, Taehyung was lost for words.

"Gulnar and I..." Chun Chun began, "we have each other. But you, when you're not with us, you're all alone."

"We just wanted someone to take care of you too" Gulnar managed to say in between sniffles. He pushed himself away from Gyuri's embrace so that he could face her, "And we like you, Gyuri. So, of course, we want you to have someone to take care of you as well."

Gyuri smiled at the boy's tear-stained face, a warm and fuzzy feeling overwhelming her. "Don't worry," she reassured him. "I'll take care of your Papa for you." She shifted her gaze to Taehyung who was baffled by her statement. "I'll take care of him because your Papa is still a kid too."

Taehyung was about to argue with her but Gulnar beat him to it. "Papa isn't a kid!" he objected but he didn't stay fussed for long as he registered Gyuri's words. He squealed happily, "So... does this mean you'll be our Mama?"

Again, Gyuri gaped at Taehyung who was eyeing her questioningly. She faced Gulnar again, "Yes," she replied. "I'll be your Mama."

Gulnar and Chun Chun couldn't contain their excitement.

"But that doesn't mean I'm married to him" Gyuri clarified, pointing to Taehyung. "I'll be your Mama but not his..." she snuck a look at Taehyung again as she hesitantly continued, "his wife."

"That's fine!" Chun Chun agreed almost immediately. She jumped into Gyuri's arms and hugged her and soon, Gulnar was hugging her again too.

Taehyung stood staring at the trio from afar, unsure of what he should do. So, Gyuri was going to agree in the end? What was the point of him scolding Gulnar if she was going to say 'yes' anyway?

Gyuri, sensing Taehyung's troubled expression, whispered into the orphans' ears. "I think your Papa is feeling a little down. Why don't you go and cheer him up?"

The orphans eventually let her go and rushed up to Taehyung's arms, overwhelming him with a surprise hug that led him tumbling down on the grass. Gyuri eyed the orphans fondly as they squealed with laughter at having bulldozed Taehyung to the ground.