'Hey, Taehyung!'

Taehyung turned to see his best friend, Park Jimin, running after him. 'Namjoon found his soulmate!'

Taehyung was not excited. 'Soulmates aren't real, Jimin.'

'It's Seokjin,' Jimin continued, pretending he hadn't heard. 'They're so disgustingly cute together....they only found out yesterday but now they're all over each other.' He sighed. 'I want to find my soulmate soon, and you better find yours!' 

Taehyung shook his head. 'None of this soulmate bull means anything to me. It's ridiculous.'

'You're no fun,' Jimin pouted. Then he brightened. 'Hi Mr. Kim!'

'Hi Jimin,' his teacher, Kim Himchan, replied. 'Found your soulmate yet?' 

'Still looking,' Jimin replied. 'So is Taehyung. But I'm sure we'll both find our soulmates soon enough.'

'I don't believe in that ,' Taehyung scowled.

Himchan and Jimin paid no attention. They walked off towards the picnic area, talking about soulmates.

Taehyung continued toward home, lost in thought. Why was his school so obsessed with soulmates? Love was a ridiculous concept, it only made you hurt and it never lasted anyway. Taehyung didn't think it was worth it.

He didn't even notice the long black car- a limousine- that came over the hill as he crossed the road.....at least not until he almost got hit by it. 

The car stopped. One of the middle windows rolled down. 'You okay?' The man asked in a worried tone.

Taehyung gulped. This young man couldn't be much older than him, but he was so handsome.....oh, he had to answer. 'Yeah, I'm fine.'

'Good!' The young man smiled. 'I'll see you around, I'll be in school. I'm an actor, so this will be my first chance to feel like a normal kid. Have a good day!' And the car sped off down the road again.

Taehyung felt like he'd been punched in the stomach and was struggling to fill his lungs again. He didn't believe in soulmates, but what he'd felt at just the sight of the actor was different from anything he had ever felt before.

He arrived home. As usual, his dad was nowhere to be seen. Well, his stepdad, actually, but his mom was dead and her second husband Baekhyun was Tae's only family.

Taehyung didn't know where his dad spent the nights, but honestly, he didn't care. His dad was awkward and didn't really know about him, probably due to the fact that he was only thirteen years older than his stepson.

Taehyung dropped his school bag and sighed. His family (if you could call it that) needed money, but Baekhyun barely made any with his nighttime job. He needed to get a better one, that payed more.

Baekhyun sighed as he changed his clothes, having finished his shift. He scanned the room for Chanyeol, the man who was the sole reason he still worked here. He spotted him and waved. 

The younger waved back and grinned. Oh he was so cute.

Chanyeol was Baekhyun's soulmate, but at 21 he had been forced into an arranged marriage with a young woman and was now in charge of her family and paying her expenses. He felt terrible for cheating, but he didn't love her and she didn't love him and the only feeling between them was bitterness, which made being with Baekhyun easier.

Baekhyun pulled up a chair by Chanyeol and sat down next to him. 'Hi Yeollie.'

Chanyeol gave him a quick kiss. 'Hi Baek. You look glorious tonight. How's it going?'

'Not so good,' Baekhyun sighed. 'I can't pay taxes. This ing job doesn't pay half of what I need, but I can't seem to get another.' He buried his face in Chanyeol's shoulder and hugged him tightly. 

Chanyeol hugged back. 'I could try to help.'

'You're already paying for a family of 9 bratty kids and a of a mom,' Baekhyun reminded him. 'No, I'll figure out something myself. I'm just worried I'll have to pull Taehyung out of school.'

'Taehyung is almost seventeen, Baekhyun, he would graduate pretty soon anyway.'

'But he wants to go to college,' Baekhyun sighed. 'And I don't think we can afford it. If I can't give him affection, I should at least let him get the education he wants.'

Chanyeol was silent, and they simply held each other for the next fifteen minutes before Baekhyun had to go home.

Himchan had never met someone who made him feel this way until he ran into Bang Yongguk. Literally. He gasped in horror, trying to apologize and shake away the electric feeling coursing through his body.

'I-' he couldn't think what to say.

'It's okay,' the man smiled, but it seemed off. 'Did you.....did you feel that, too?'

'Yeah- yeah, I felt it....' Himchan stuttered.

'Electric energy,' the man murmered. 'I'm Bang Yongguk and I think we're soulmates.' 

Himchan almost choked.

'And you are....???' Yongguk asked.

'Kim Himchan,' Himchan whispered.

'Well, Kim Himchan.....I just met you and this is crazy, but here's my number, so call me maybe.' Yongguk handed him a piece of paper and winked before striding away.

'Carly Rae Jepsen?' Himchan sputtered. He shoved the paper into his pocket and continued home.