“Have you ever seen anything…”

Minju hummed as she made her way to her friend’s table in the cafeteria. Yuri was quick to pick up the girl’s chipper mood as she placed down her tray and took a seat – her slender fingers tapping the table with her eyes closed, her body subconsciously swaying to the familiar beat. It was becoming more and more frequent that Minju would have a song stuck in her head – one that wouldn’t necessarily be part of her taste.

“Did you know that apparently when you get a song stuck in your head it’s because your soulmate’s singing it?”

Yuri commented, which made Yena’s eyes widen. She abruptly turned to the younger with gleaming eyes.

“Wow! That’s cool”

Yena exclaimed like a small child and the rest of the table could only laugh at the duck-like girl for her excitement. Minju contemplated the information – though it may just be some false rumour from the internet or another children’s book plot she couldn’t help but be curious. To her left side, she would see how Chaeyeon gushed about the Japanese songs stuck in her head whenever she was studying or how Yena would always hear ballads when she’s walking home from school (across from Yena, Yuri’s face heated up with a pink glow as her eyes trailed to the table and began counting the small dots with her finger whilst sneaking glances at the older girl). Yujin on the other hand complained by the amount of pop songs that would filter into her brain which didn’t narrow anything down in the slightest.

“Wait…”

She blankly stared at her food and prodded it with her fork as she tried to recall one certain moment – more like several – that kept her up in the early morn when she would be rushing to finish her school work due in the next day.

“Then who the has been singing ‘I hate you, I love you’ at 3am for the past 2 months?!”

She practically yelled as the whole cafeteria snapped their heads in her direction – everyone surprised at the sudden outburst from the otherwise relevantly quiet girl. Even Chaewon who was calmly eating her lunch with her music on was surprised.

More surprised as she should have been as she choked on the rice she just put in . Her violent coughing fit made Eunbi rush to her side to help her cousin.

“Chaewon, are you okay?”

Eunbi asked, rubbing circles on the girl’s back as the coughs subsided. Chaewon shot the elder a thankful glance and tapped her on the arm to say ‘I’m fine’ but her cousin shot a knowing glance as her eyes flickered to a moment to Minju.

“I’m fine, unnie.”

The radish fairy replied, her tone slightly harsh as a blush dusted her cheeks. “Minju just scared me when she screamed like a baby.”

“YAH! Kim Chaewon, say that to my face!”

To everyone else, it may seem like another squabble between the two girls but for Eunbi – who had the pleasure of being stuck as Chaewon’s roommate – knew much more that anyone else on the table as she just shook her head at her cousin’s inability to confess to the other girl.

Before the situation could escalate any further, the lunch bell rang and the two walked off with ‘hmph’. Only a few were able to notice the glances Chaewon shot at Minju’s retreating figure but as always, they misinterpreted it as left-over tension between the 2 girls.

Eunbi ran up to Chaewon and hit her lightly on the back, startling the girl as she walked down the hall with music blasting through her earphones to ignore everyone else. Eunbi genuinely wondered how no one else knew of the girl’s crush when she would only express herself playfully to herself and Minju – it was completely unknown to her.

“You have to confess.”

Eunbi stated plainly as she looked Chaewon straight in the eye – well she tried to, but the younger girl tried so hard to ignore her look. She sighed and walked ahead of the girl as she reached the classroom – halfway through door she yelled at Chaewon, “Listening to that song is getting on my nerves now. Seriously, just confess.” With that Chaewon watched Eunbi disappear into her classroom.

For the rest of the day, she couldn’t focus on class as she was distracted on what Eunbi said.

‘Does she not think I’ve thought about it before? Stupid Chaewon, why are you being such a coward? Eunbi’s right I should just confess!’

Chaewon thought, pumping herself so much in class she didn’t realise that she stood up from her chair in excitement – her chair screeching brought her back from her thoughts as she sent an apologetic gesture to her teacher before sitting back down.

This was why Chaewon was currently sitting in the music practise room with her leg bouncing up and down in nervous-excitement. She sent a text to Minju straight after class to meet her there. But her mind quickly betrayed her as time ticked on.

‘Of course, she won’t be here…’

Chaewon thought solemnly as she pulled out her earphones and played her music on shuffle. The song that came up reminded her of Minju that her heart hurt but a smile appeared on her face as Minju’s appearance came to mind.

I like your eyes, you look away when you pretend not to care I like the dimples on the corners of the smile that you wear I like you more, the world may know but don't be scared Coz I'm falling deeper, baby be prepared

Minju was rushing to the music practise room, her feet hitting heavily on the ground as she sped up her pace – even Yujin would be proud of her speed. A noise trickled into her head as the same lovely voice that had been tormenting her sleep resurfaced, this time earlier than she expected. The sound of the more upbeat love song had almost stopped Minju in her tracks.

‘Thinking over it now, this voice is very familiar…’

She had heard the song before too although her mind couldn’t place who the person who sent it was at the moment as she carried on her journey to the practise room – singing calming along in response to the voice.

I like your shirt, I like your fingers, love the way that you smell to be your favourite jacket, just so I could always be near I loved you for so long, sometimes it's hard to bear But after all this time, I hope you wait and see

Chaewon almost stopped when a voice reciprocated her song, but the harmony was tantalising, and she almost didn’t want it to stop. She knew this voice well from every lunch time and she put more effort into the chorus as she door slid open to the practise room.

Love you every minute, every second Love you everywhere and any moment Always and forever I know I can't quit you Coz baby you're the one, I don't know how Love you til the last of snow disappears Love you til a rainy day becomes clear Never knew a love like this, now I can't let go I'm in love with you, and now you know

When the two girls saw who was singing on the other side, the voices in their heads stopped and all their mind was filled with was the soft melodies they were creating together – the way their voices seemed to match each other’s perfectly baffled them but it brought an unknown lightness to their chests.

“So I guess you’re my soulmate?”

Minju asked pointedly though a cheeky smile was ever present on her face. Chaewon’s heart skipped a beat before she replied with a nod.

“And you’re mine?”

Chaewon questioned with her own teasing grin but she wasn’t prepared for Minju to hit her on the head.

“He- Ow, what was that for?”

The fairy girl was confused but Minju simply pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ear.

“Took you long enough. I love you too.”