Jisung found out about the whole soulmate thing at three am, from an instagram video of his suburb's local news station. 

"The recent explosion of the power plant just a mile and a half west from the town of Oakswell has had a strange effect on the adolescents of the area. Many claim that they are suddenly able to sense their so called 'soulmates'. Reports have this began at about five o'clock this evening, and have continued for the past few hours. It has been described as a extreme sense of attraction and love for a person. From the information reported, it seems it could be anyone, even someone you've never even spoken to. Let's go to Ashley and see what this is all about," the newscaster said, the screen switching to a street outside of their high school. In the frame was the female newscaster, standing next to two kids from their school. They were two random seniors, one grade above him, that Jisung had never spoken to.

"We weren't even dating before this. We were just kinda friends, like, acquaintances and stuff, but nothing more. But then when I saw her today I just knew I was in love," the boy said.

"Yeah, like, whenever we hold hands, it's like there's electricity between us. And, like, I just never wanna be without him ever again," the girl added. The screen switched back to the first newscaster.

"A serious issue or just teens being teens? As always, we'll keep you updated on this issue, here on the seven o'clock nightly news."

The first thing Jisung did after watching the video was drop his phone on his face. 

The second thing Jisung did was go to the comments of the video, searching for comments to see if it was true or not. Many people were doubtful, but there were also comment after comment of stories of kids from all grades, confirming this to be real. 

The third thing Jisung did was cover his mouth with his hand. He needed to scream, but he didn't want to wake his poor dad up, or get in trouble for being up at three in the morning on a school night. 

The fourth thing Jisung did was stare at the ceiling, his eyes blown wide. "What the ...." he whispered aloud to himself. He couldn't even fathom the 'how' of this entire situation. He still couldn't believe it in the first place. But who could he ask to confirm if it was real or not? Nobody, that's who. 

Jisung wasn't exactly...popular at school. In fact, he was much less than popular. Every since middle school, Jisung had kept to himself completely, going from school to his father's dance studio to his home with no break in between for socializing. Who needed friends anyways? Jisung certainly didn't; he'd gotten used to being friendless a long time ago. Nobody would want to be his friend anyways. 

Nobody would want to be his soulmate, either. Did everyone have them? Jisung was sure to be one of the people without one. And even if he did have one...of course, they would automatically reject him. Who would want to date the kid who couldn't even get called on in class without shaking and stuttering? Who would want to date the kid who walked the halls with his head held down? Who would want to date the kid with the misproportioned body, a five foot eleven slenderman with ginormous hands and feet? Who would want to date the kid with no friends?

The fifth thing Jisung did was start to cry. Maybe it was the time (3:47 am), or maybe it was the fact that he was damned no matter what: it would be humiliatiing to be rejected by his soulmate, but it would be equally humiliating to not have a soulmate at all. With shaking hands, he put his phone on his bedside table, and covered his head with his pillow. Maybe this really was a dream, and he could fall back asleep and it would all go away. 

But he didn't fall asleep until five am, and it wasn't a dream at all. 

~~~~~~~~~~

When Jisung's alarm rung two hours later, the first thing he did was push his way into his dad's bedroom. While he waited for his father to notice his presence, Jisung looked around at the disturbing neatness of the room: not a single item of clothing on the floor, not a speck of dust on the windowsil, his eighth grade school photo of Jisung on his bedside table, along with his "Lee Taeyong: Dance Instructor" pin. 

Lee Taeyong, Jisung's father himself was seated at the very edge of the bed, leaning in close to his TV with wide eyes. Jisung looked up and deflated a little; the news anchors were talking about the soulmate thing, saying that reportedly, even more high schoolers had found their soulmates. Finally, his dad turned, seeing Jisung's wide eyed form with a blanket tugged tightly around his shoulders. 

"Can I stay home today?" Jisung asked in the tiniest voice. 

Taeyong looked at his son with soft pity. "Of course." 

~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Jisung woke up to his father's hands gently shaking him awake. He felt surprisingly well rested; he'd gone to bed at the extremely early hour of two in the morning. 

"I guess you turned off your school alarm. It's time to get up," his dad said. Jisung just groaned loudly and turned away, snuggling deeper into his blankets. Taeyong sighed. "Look, Sungie. I know you don't want to go, but you can't miss another day of school, alright?" Jisung didn't respond. "Come on. I made you breakfast." 

"Alright," Jisung grumbled quietly into his pillow, listening to his father slowly patter out of the room. 

After tearing himself from the comforts of his warm, fluffy bed and splashing some water onto his face, Jisung slid his feet along the floor into the kitchen. His dad smiled as he walked in, putting a plate of pancakes and a glass of orange juice down in front of him. 

"Eat up. Today's a big day," Taeyong spoke with a smile. 

"Thanks," Jisung mumbled, managing to smile back before digging in. His dad hadn't treated him like this since he was little, but he didn't mind. With everything that he was about to face at school, Jisung felt like he needed the extra care. 

"How are you feeling?" His dad asked as he did the dishes. 

Jisung put down his fork. "Terrible." 

Taeyong sighed. "Of course. It's a really scary thing. Soulmate is a big word for high schoolers." He turned to Jisung with a hopeful expression. "But maybe, it could be a good thing, you know? You know, to me soulmate means a romantic partner and a best friend combined, not just one or the other. So you'll definitely get a friend out of this. And maybe your soulmate will have some friends too! This could definitely be a chance to expand your social circle." 

Jisung sighed as he picked up his plate and cup. "I don't think it will happen that way. It never does." 

"You never know," his dad said in a sing-song tone as Jisung brought his dishes up to the sink. 

"I can do them dad." 

Taeyong took the dishes from the counter and smiled. "Don't worry about it. Go get ready for school, you don't wanna be late." Jisung forced a smile on his face and ran off to do as he asked. 

~~~~~~~~~~

It was a little (actually, very) embarrassing that Jisung still took the bus to school, despite being a junior. It wasn't that he couldn't drive, he actually did have his permit, his dad just needed the car to get to and from his dance studio for work, and both him and his dad were way too broke to buy another car. So, Jisung was stuck on the bus until he could earn enough money in the summer to drive himself around (or get a ride from someone with a car, as his dad always suggested, but that wasn't even an option in Jisung's mind). 

But, there was definitely one perk to Jisung's school commute. As he slid into his usual seat, two girls sat in the pair of seats in front of him. These girls were junior grade losers without cars, just like him, but they somehow seemed to always know what was going on at school. Being extra quiet made him extra good at listening to other people's conversations, and today he was especially glad for that skill. 

"So, do you have any more soulmate tea?" The blonde one asked. 

"Uh, duh," the brunette answered. "I have a story that's really juicy." Jisung heard the squeak of the seat as the blonde girl leaned in closer. "So, of course you know Lee Jeno and Na Jaemin." Jisung nodded to himself; they were the two most popular boys in their grade. Handsome, tall, buff, star football players, hot as cheerleader girlfriends, destined for fraternities then wall street broker greatness, the whole shabang. Jisung had gone to school with almost everyone in school since they were, like, five, and Jaemin and Jeno had always been the mostly popular kids. 

The blonde girl nodded, and the brunette continued. "Turns out...they're gay." 

"Oh my god." 

"For each other." 

"Oh my god!" 

"I know. Not only are they soulmates, but apparently, they've been secretly together for, like, years know. Their girlfriends were ing beards, and they were in on it too."

"Seriously?" The blonde whined. 

"Seriously. Look at Jaemin's instagram." Jisung looked it up himself and sure enough, there was a brand new photo on his feed of Jaemin draped across Jeno's lap. Huh. 

"Holy ." 

"Isn't that good?"

"That is so good." Jisung had to agree, that was some quality gossip. 

"What else?" The blonde asked. 

"Hmm... Huang Renjun found his." Jisung hummed to himself. Huang Renjun had been class president since the fifth grade, and was their class president even now. 

"Who?"

"Kim Hyunjin." Jisung covered his mouth to keep from cracking up. 

"You mean...the furry?" 

"Yep, the furry." 

Oh, Kim Hyunjin, the girl who had barked at everyone in elementary school, who had been exposed for her furry art last year. Jisung kind of felt bad for her, but it wasn't like he wasn't a loser too. 

"I mean....oof," the blonde girl answered. "Anything else?"

"One last thing. You know that guy... theater kid, kinda short, loud as ?" 

"Oh, Lee Donghyuck?" 

"Yeah! I low key don't believe this one, but apparently he snagged a senior guy..."

"Wait, he's gay?" 

Jisung couldn't see either of their faces, but he was sure the brunette was giving the blonde a deadpan look. 

"Anyways, he somehow got one of the seniors." 

"Which one?"

"I think the valedictorian..." 

"Mark Lee?" 

"Yeah, that's his name!" The brunette responded. 

"Well, I mean, he's a bit weird, so I guess it makes sense." 

"Yeah, I guess it does. And that's all I've got." 

"That means, like, all of the kids everyone knows found theirs." 

"Of course. Everyone knows them, so they've got more connections." 

"Wait...what about Zhong Chenle?" The blonde piped up. Zhong Chenle was their class clown. A teacher almost quit because of him in the sixth grade, and this year, the seniors had him organize their prank day. 

"Ooh! Zhong Chenle! Let me check." A few minutes later, the brunette sighed. "Nope, he hasn't found his yet." 

"I think that's the only quote-unquote famous kid left, if you know what I mean." 

Jisung hummed softly. Chenle was such a funny kid, always laughing and doing stupid things, a charicature of an actual person. Honestly, Jisung couldn't imagine him dating anybody. 

Finally, the bus got to school, and Jisung stepped off as quickly as he could, keeping to himself as per usual. The news had said that you found your soulmate through the electric shock feeling that occured whenever you brushed skin, so Jisung tried to avoid getting within even a foot of someone. His nerves got worse and worse as he walked through the hallways, seeing the amount of new couples passing by and others like him, huddled up to themselves. By the time he reached his locker he was shaking with fear, the thought of meeting his soulmate here just too overwhelming. The bell for class rang but he ignored it, gathering up his things. He wanted to be late that day; then the hallways would be empty when he walked to class and he couldn't bump into anyone. 

Voices from a short distance made Jisung stare straight into his locker, avoiding any eye contact, or contact in general. The quiet, slightly frustrated voice contrasting with the loud, high pitched voice alerted Jisung to whose presence was behind him: two guys he'd just been thinking about earlier, Huang Renjun and Zhong Chenle. 

Jisung felt their presence directly behind him and to his absolute dismay, their voices had dropped to whispers, soft giggling accompanying their muffled words. Great, they were laughing at him. But what else could he have expected?

He waited there patiently. Jisung refused to move until Chenle and Renjun left him alone so he could walk down the hallway without any fear of human contact. 

"Stop!" Chenle whined in his loud voice, followed by some more muffled words on Renjun's part, in a teasing tone. Jisung felt himself melt into the set of lockers in front of him; with each second that passed his guesses for what Chenle and Renjun were saying about him just got worse, and worse, and worse. 

Another set of high pitched giggles, another round of frustrated whispers, a long whine, the sound of feet moving. And before Jisung could quite register what was actually happening, what felt like an actual human body was slamming into his back. 

Jisung tried to make himself not turn around, he really did, but human instinct outweighed his desire to stay completely invisible, and he turned to see Chenle giving him an apologetic, sheepish look with Renjun laughing his off in the background. He was about to just give up social norms and run away completely. 

But that's when it hit him. 

Sparks, so intense they were almost painful, flowing from where Chenle had bumped into him through his entire body. It felt as though his veins had fireworks trapped inside of them, leaving the sixteen year old ready to burst. Immediately following the physical sensations were the rush of emotions; the overwhelming desire to know Chenle, to make him his world. Jisung's heart seemed to swell with this brand new affection and the electricity of all the sparks and god was all of this too ing much.

"Oh mai god," Chenle said, very slowly, staring right at Jisung. So Chenle was feeling it too.

This must have been the soulmate thing. It wasn't made up. In fact, much to his surprise, he actually had one. Jisung ran his fingers through his hair and looked pointedly at the floor; the sparks combined with Chenle's eye contact was just far too much. 

"Holy , dude," Renjun said, a chuckle in his tone. Jisung looked up to see Chenle staring at Renjun wide eyed and slack jawed. "Alright, alright, I'll leave you two alone," he said, immediately jogging off to class. 

Holy dude was right. Jisung had a soulmate. And it was Zhong Chenle. The kid who had started a riot in the third grade when the cafeteria got rid of pizza fridays, loudest ing kid in the junior class, one of the popular guys. Jisung's complete opposite. 

This would never work. 

Jisung looked up to see Chenle's mouth had finally shut, but his big (and, as Jisung was noticing for the first time, pretty) eyes were still staring right at Jisung. He couldn't read his expression, but Chenle didn't exactly seem elated about the situation. 

Chenle was mad it was Jisung, he was sure. And that was alright, because it would never have worked anyways. Done, situation solved. 

"Um...hi," Chenle finally said, with the smallest of smiles. Jisung had never seen him look so....nervous? No, it wasn't nervous, obviously it was annoyance. 

Jisung managed to grimace back. "Hey," he said with a very uncomfortable chuckle. "I'm Jisung," he spoke, for lack of anything else to say. 

Chenle giggled. "I know. We've been classmates since kindergarten." 

Jisung flushed and scrunched his nose. "Y-yeah. You're right." 

"I mean, class started a while, like, a while ago, but should we, like, talk about this?" Chenle spoke. Jisung didn't say anything, he couldn't. "O-or maybe," Chenle continued, "We should, like...process." 

"Y-yeah," Jisung said. "That." He didn't know if he could say anything coherent to Chenle in that moment, and he definitely needed to process.

"Okay," Chenle said with another little smile, and Jisung wondered how Chenle could manage to make any sort of facial expression at a time like this. "That's okay." 

Jisung hummed and nodded, tilting his head. Chenle just watched him. 

"Should we, uh, at least exchange phone numbers?" Chenle asked. Jisung noticed the strain in his voice and he almost felt bad for him. It must to be popular and get the biggest loser in school as your soulmate. 

"Y-yes," Jisung said, hurriedly grabbing his phone and handing it to Chenle. Chenle passed back a phone Jisung had never even seen in real life before (probably the latest iphone), and Jisung typed in his name (first and last), number, and added 'your soulmate, also in your physics class' to the nickname, just in case Chenle forgot who he was.

They exchanged back their phones, and Jisung couldn't help but chuckle at the incredible array of emojis that framed the letters of his name. A little bubble of affection surged up in Jisung; he'd never had any contacts to put with emojis in his phone. 

But he burst that bubble as soon as it came. He wasn't expecting to get a message from Chenle any time soon. 

"U-um..." Jisung spoke. He tilted his head towards his classroom awkwardly, he needed to go, he needed to think. "Bye." 

"Oh." Jisung looked at Chenle's disappointed expression. Again, Jisung felt bad for Chenle, he wouldn't want himself as his soulmate. "Bye-bye, I guess." 

Jisung shut his eyes tightly to stop from seeing Chenle's adorable little pout and basically ran to his class. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Jisung was usually a diligent student, but today, he just couldn't bear it. 

Five minutes before his final class ended he ducked out, breaking out into a run as soon as he was off of school grounds. He had to escape, and luckily, he knew exactly where to go. 

His dad's dance studio was a twenty-five minute walk away from school but Jisung didn't mind it at all today, he needed to breathe fresh air and he needed to get there as soon as possible. He had felt trapped and confined all day. 

It was all his fault, really. He was trapped because he was avoiding running into Chenle at all, even hiding out in the bathroom during physics so they didn't have to talk to each other. It wasn't that he didn't want to be around Chenle. He did want to be near him, even if his mind was a mess, those soulmate sparks were demanding that Jisung be near Chenle, touch him, even gently. But Jisung had no idea what he would say, he was never good with words, and he wanted to save Chenle the burden of having to be with him. 

He was trapped by his own mind too. He had to think about this, to process this, and he wanted to so badly. But his mind was just...blank. Empty. He had no idea quite how to feel or react to this. He didn't know quite how to feel about Chenle. He could guess easily how Chenle was feeling, but himself...no way. He was never good with feelings, either. 

His mind was in such a daze that it felt like no time at all when he reached his father's dance studio. The first room he darted his head into was empty, to his happiness, and he immediately dumped his things and himself onto the floor. He let out a giant breath of relief. 

Dancing seemed to be the only thing that made sense. He could even admit that he was decent at it, but maybe that was just his father's constant encouraging words on his skills. Still, he didn't quite understand words or feelings, and he didn't quite understand how to walk or talk without stumbling over his own legs and words, but when the music was playing, his body understood how to move. 

It was instinctive. Like how he just knew Chenle was his soulmate, even after just a simple brush of skin against skin. 

Jisung got up off the floor and plugged his phone into the speaker, scrolling through his music to find the perfect stretch song. The best part about his father owning the studio was that he could come and dance to whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, alone. He remembered the beginning of freshman year, when his dad told him to  try out for the school's dance team. Immediately, Jisung had laughed the idea off. He would have to audition in front of other people, let alone perform in front of other people. Why would he taint his passion with public humiliation? 

No, this was perfect, he thought as the opening tones of some Bruno Mars song blared through the room. Here, he could practice his passion in complete privacy. All by himself, just the way he liked. 

After he finished stretching and practiced a couple of his dances, the weight that had settled on his shoulders this morning had almost all but disappeared. He shut off the music and laid back down on the floor, panting heavily. Maybe now, he could decide what to do.

"Jaehyun..." He heard his father whine from the next dance room over. Jisung perked his ears up; Jaehyun was his uncle, and Jisung was always a er for family gossip. Maybe he could find out whether the handsome British billionare his other uncle Taeil was dating over facebook was a catfish or not (Jisung sure thought it was, who the was actually named Johnny in real life)?

"Jaehyun..." his father spoke again, and Jisung's eyes widened at the crack in his voice. "I'm so worried." Oh no. Uncle Taeil's billionare internet boyfriend really was a catfish. Well, Jisung wasn't too upset; he and his dad had a running bet: if Taeil's boyfriend was a catfish, Jisung got twenty bucks, and if Johnny was real, Jisung had to pay up. 

He heard his uncle's voice again but couldn't make out the words. "I know he'll be alright eventually, but what about now? He's just...he's such a sweet kid." Jisung froze. Uncle Taeil's nickname was grandpa, not kid.

"I know he's really, really shy but he's so sweet and kind." Jisung stared up at the ceiling uncomfortably.

"No Jaehyun. Not even acquaintances. Do you think he's getting bullied?" More muffled words on Jaehyun's end. "I know, Taeil did actually get bullied. But he had friends other than us. Jisungie....he just doesn't. That's not normal, right?" Taeyong sighed as Jaehyun spoke. "What do I do? What am I supposed to do? He's...he's such a sweetheart." Jisung flinched at his father seemed to choke on tears. "I wish his mom was around." Jaehyun said something. "No, no, not his mom, of course not. But maybe...maybe a mom. Someone who knows him the way I do. Someone who could help him...Jaehyun, I've tried everything except forcing him to get out there, but I can't do that, I'm all he's--"

Jisung got up and turned back on the music. 

~~~~~~~~~~

It was around ten am the next morning when Jisung received his first text from Chenle, right in the middle of their shared physics class.

hi!!!

this is chenle~

oh yeah i put my number in too so u already know its me. lol

anywayz

do you wanna hang out today after school?

Jisung dropped his phone onto his lap, lucky that he had the thigh strength to keep it from slipping. With incredibly shaky hands, he picked his phone back up and read through those five messages another twenty times. With even shakier hands, he managed to press the four letters he needed while only ing them up twice. 

Sure

He got an answer almost immediately, jumping about a foot in the air when his phone buzzed in his lap. 

awesome!

you have apush last, right? ill meet u there~

Jisung briefly wondered how Chenle knew what his last class of the day was, then remembered Renjun had that class with him, so Chenle must have seen him leave if he ever met Renjun leave. But that didn't make sense either; why would Chenle have ever noticed him? Jisung just shrugged it off and responded. 

Cool, see you then

Again, Chenle responded with in seconds. He must have been really bored in class. 

see ya!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

It was eleven am when Jisung realized he had made a dire mistake. 

Yes, Jisung had been looking forward to his date with Chenle. Did he have any idea what he was going to say? Not really. Had he actually processed anything last night? Not that either. But had he spent the last twelve or so hours thinking about Chenle looking at him with those sparkly eyes and giggling softly at everything he said? Most definitely.

Chenle had not sent him that message because he actually wanted to hang out. Of course not. Why would he do that? Clearly, Chenle wasn't too happy when he found out Jisung was his soulmate, and he had held off from texting him for over twenty four hours. Chenle was simply doing this to feel less guilty, just to be polite. You kind of had to see your soulmate at some point, after all, and Chenle felt bad.

Jisung is very much interested in Chenle. But he just knew Chenle would reject him before anything even got started. Why let himself fall in love with the idea of something that would never happen?

So, Jisung whipped out his phone and pulled up his chat with Chenle. 

I'm really sorry but I just remembered I have a doctor's appointment after school

This time, Chenle took a minute or two to respond. Even still, Jisung was flooded with relief. Maybe it was tinted with a little sadness, but he was happy he'd save Chenle some trouble. 

oh really?? are you sure??? :(

well, i mean, that's okay

we'll have to meet up another time

Jisung sighed. He wasn't sure why he felt so...empty.

Yeah. For sure

~~~~~~~~~~

It was twelve pm when Jisung was going to his usual lunchtime spot of the secret teacher's bathroom when he spotted Chenle sitting with Renjun in an empty classroom. Jisung did a double take; Chenle was almost always in the 'popular kid' table of the cafeteria, being the comic relief while other drama happened on the sidelines. He was curious, so he tucked himself next to the door and listened. 

"It's okay, Chenle. Maybe he was telling the truth?" Renjun spoke. 

"I don't think so. Yesterday, he seemed so...disappointed that it was me," Chenle responded. "I just knew nobody would want me to be their soulmate. I knew nobody would find me attractive." 

"Jisung would be an idiot to not think you're cute, and he would definitely be an idiot to cancel your plans on purpose." Jisung's jaw dropped; were they really talking about him? It seemed like Chenle was voicing the same thoughts he had in his own head. 

"No, I get it. I know I'm funny...but I'm just a big joke. Do you know what I mean, Injunnie? I think...I think people just see me as the funny kid, the clown. But people forget I have actual feelings. That I get crushes on people, that I get angry, that I stress over my grades, that I feel sad...that I'm, I dunno, a person." 

Renjun sighed. "Yeah, I get that."

"And I was like, especially excited about this, because...you know." 

Jisung furrowed his brows. Renjun knew what?

"Of course," Renjun answered as Jisung mulled over Chenle's words. Was he actually...upset that Jisung cancelled? Jisung could barely believe, but even his racing mind couldn't think of another explanation. 

So, with his stomach aflutter and his mind a mess and his fingers shaking, Jisung ran into the bathroom to formulate the perfect text. He sat down on the toilet seat and typed out the message before he could even think about changing his mind. 

So, my doctor's appointment got cancelled. Are you still free after school today?

Immediately, he got an answer, and Jisung swore he could hear a squeal from down the hall. 

yes!!!!! yes i am!!!

i'll still meet you at your class~~

Jisung counted: there were eight exclamation points. Maybe Chenle really did want to see him. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The bell rang, Jisung shakily darted out of the class, and there he was. Chenle's generally happy expression became even brighter once he spotted Jisung in the crowd, and Jisung thought he'd be blinded by Chenle's grin. 

"Hi! Are you ready?" 

"Uh-huh," Jisung answered, looking between Chenle's ear and the ground. Anything but Chenle's (pretty) eyes. 

"Okay, let's go." Chenle beckoned for him to follow and they made their way to the back gate, hopping into a car that was way too expensive for a high school parking lot. Chenle got in the front seat and Jisung hesitantly slid in beside him, watching as Chenle expertly pulled out of the lot and onto the main highway. 

"Is...is this your parent's car?" Jisung asked quietly. 

"No, it's mine." Jisung looked around him in surprise; it had to be brand new. "My mom and dad need their own cars to get to work, so they had to get me one for going to school." 

Suddenly, Jisung remembered the outlandish birthday parties Chenle used to throw as a kid: clowns, three cakes, mountains of presents taller than his own head, the multiple bouncy houses. Huh, so Chenle was rich. 

"Are you hungry?" Chenle asked with a smile. 

"Yeah..." Jisung answered. Honestly, he was far too nervous to eat anything, but he didn't want to spoil any of Chenle's plans. 

"Good, because I am starving. I've been craving fries all day, can we go to in and out?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Okay, perfect. I'm just so hungry." Chenle's stomach gurgled and he giggled. "Look, there it goes. I haven't eaten anything all day because I've been too...ah wait, nevermind." He laughed again and Jisung had to stare at his lap. 

Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god. 

He'd spent all of three minutes with Chenle, and Jisung had already decided he was perfect. 

The rest of the ride to in and out was quiet, Jisung avoiding looking at Chenle for fear that he'd explode, and Chenle giggling at Jisung every so often. They didn't talk either while they got in line, deciding what to order. 

Chenle was in line first, and he ordered a vanilla shake and some french fries. it, Jisung thought, and he stepped next to Chenle. 

"U-um....I-I'll have...a ch-chocolate shake and f-french fries too," he finally managed to stay, his words coming out all wrong with Chenle standing so close to him. Chenle looked to the cashier and Jisung with confusion, but Jisung did his best to ignore it. 

"So, a chocolate shake, a vanilla shake, and two french fries?" Jisung nodded. "That'll be 7.85." 

With shaking hands Jisung pulled out his credit card and handed it to the cashier. Out of the corner of his eye, Jisung watched as Chenle's face went from a look of surprise to a wide, bright smile. 

"You're paying for me?" He said, his voice going into an even higher pitch.

"Uh, yeah, of course, it's, um, no big deal," Jisung answered quietly, his hands still shaking as he took his card and the receipt. 

Chenle bit his lower lip. "Thank you," he spoke, almost quietly. Jisung briefly looked at him, and...was Chenle blushing? Jisung shook his head; he had to be imagining it. 

"L-let's sit," he mumbled, and they managed to find an empty booth. Jisung was so confused. Chenle was looking around, a little bit of flush in his cheeks, smiling a bit whenever he looked at Jisung...was he shy? No way, couldn't be. Chenle was never shy. Luckily, one of the chefs called their number and Jisung immediately darted up to get their food. He was relieved to find that after Chenle ate a fry or two, he'd returned to his normal, loud self. 

"Oh my god, I'm so happy your doctor's appointment got cancelled, because I was really looking forward to this, you know? I really wanna get to know and stuff. To be honest, my day was really weird because I was kinda sorta nervous the whole time about meeting up with you, because even though we've known each other since we were kids, I don't like, know-know you, right? And you're my soulmate. Soulmate, isn't that such a big word? It's so crazy because we're only sixteen and we're soulmates! Like, I mean, I get it, but...I don't get it! No no no! I get why you're my soulmate, I just don't get the concept! Sorry, sorry, that was too much." He threw his head back in loud laughter. "Anyways, Renjun got that furry girl as his soulmate, isn't that crazy? So he was all like, complaining, like, ahhh Chenle, why did you get a normal person and not me? You're way weirder than me! Renjun's my best friend, by the way. You two are gonna have to be friends." Suddenly, Chenle reached into Jisung's untouched bag of fries, dug one out, dipped it in copious amounts of ketchup, and stuffed it into his mouth. 

Jisung could only watch him, slack jawed and wide eyed. Jisung was entranced. Chenle was bright, he was magical, he was perfect, he had this ing aura around him and Jisung decided in that moment that he was in love with everything that was Zhong Chenle. 

"Renjun's really good at school stuff," Chenle continued, grabbing another one of Jisung's fries. "I'm so jealous, I wish I was good at school stuff! I'm really not, but I do try, I mean it doesn't seem like I try but I really do. I'm not good at much, but I think I'm really good at making people smile. I can make everyone smile," Chenle said, looking up at Jisung's shook face and slowing down. "Except....for you." 

Jisung didn't know what to say to that. They just looked at each other for what felt like hours, actually making eye contact for the first time since they'd realized they were soulmates. Jisung desperately wanted to look away but he couldn't, it felt like when they touched for the first time, those sparks, but all they were doing was looking. Jisung's heart pounded in his chest. It was weird. 

Chenle was the one who managed to look away first and he physically shook his head, clearing his throat. "So, what are you good at? Do you have any hobbies?"

Jisung shrugged awkwardly. "Well, I like to dance." 

"Really? Ah, I bet you'd be good. You've got that dancerly kind of body. Not that I've been looking at your body! I mean, well, um, that's so cool! Have you auditioned for the school team?" 

"No..."

"Oh! Why not?"

"Well, my dad actually owns a dance studio, so I just practice there." 

"Oh that's so cool! Wow, I wish my dad owned a dance studio, that must be so fun, especially because you like to dance and stuff. What does your mom do?"

Immediately, Jisung grimaced. He really, really didn't want to make Chenle feel awkward, but at the same time, he didn't want to lie to him. "Um...I don't have a mom." 

Chenle's face immediately fell and Jisung winced on his behalf, he probably felt so, so uncomfortable. 

"Um...um, I'm sorry." 

"It's fine, it's fine," Jisung answered, trying to will away Chenle's little pout. He looked around awkwardly, trying to think of something to say or do just to change the subject. Looking out the window, he noticed it had already gotten dark. "Oh! The sun is setting. I need to go home." 

"Do you have a curfew?" Chenle asked. 

Jisung thought for a moment; his dad had never needed to give him a curfew before because he never really went out anywhere. But he presumably did have a time he wanted Jisung home by. "Yeah. On weekdays I have to be home at dark," he made up off the top of his head. There was no way he wanted to leave Chenle, but he needed to give him an out of this awkward situation. 

"Ooh, okay," Chenle said softly, standing up. "I'll give you a ride home. I don't want you to be late." Jisung nodded and they walked back to the parking lot, putting the address into Chenle's phone as they drove home. Again, the car ride was silent. Jisung never quite knew what to say, and for once, Chenle was at a loss for words too. Had this date like thing been good? Jisung couldn't say. But even though it was awkward, Jisung at least realized why Chenle was supposed to be his. 

This still probably wouldn't work. But now, Jisung sort of wanted to try. 

Chenle finally pulled into Jisung's garage, turning to look at him. 

"Let's meet again soon, okay?" Chenle said with that big smile of his, almost all the awkwardness of before fading away with that one simple gesture. 

But Jisung was overwhelmed by Chenle's brightness, and he couldn't return it, so he looked down at the ground. 

"Y-yeah. Um, bye," Jisung said, darting out of the car door before Chenle could even answer. 

With shaking hands he opened the front door and stepped inside his house, the click of the lock coinciding with the rev of Chenle's car engine. 

"You're home awfully late," Taeyong's dad called from the kitchen. Jisung walked in and threw his backpack on the floor, sitting at one of the chairs in the island. 

"What, I don't even get a hello? Or a how was your day?" Jisung responded, resting his head on his arms. 

His dad turned with a smile. "Hello then, how was your day?" He immediately turned back to the vegetables he was chopping up. 

"It was fine," Jisung answered. Taeyong turned back around and looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. 

"Is everything alright? You seem....dazed." 

Jisung didn't know how to answer that. He was dazed, that was for sure, but how did he explain it. "I-I'm fine, I swear." 

Taeyong squinted at him. "Look, you're totally gonna make fun of me for this, but I'm your dad so I gotta ask. Are you on drugs?" Jisung gave him a deadpan look. "You're right, you're right," he mumbled, tossing the veggies on a sizzling pan. "But then what's with the late hour of your return?" 

Jisung sighed, he figured he should just tell his dad now. He was bound to find out eventually. "I, um...met my soulmate." 

"Oh!" Taeyong said with surprise, turning off the heat on the stove. He set his cooking materials down and sat across from his son at the kitchen island. "Well, of course you're in a daze. That's a big deal. Did you guys hang out after school?"

Jisung nodded. "Yeah. We just got fries and talked." 

"Are you...happy about it?" 

He thought for a moment. "Well...I guess. He's really sweet, I just don't think he likes me very much." 

"What makes you think that?"

"I dunno....when we first found out, he didn't seem too excited." 

"Maybe he was freaked out about the whole situation, you know? It's a big deal. I'm sure you weren't jumping for joy either. And anyways, Jisung. You're tall, and definitely a handsome kid, plus you're super nice. He would be stupid not to be over the moon about getting you." Jisung shrugged and looked at the marble countertop uncomfortably. "Is there any chance I would know him?" 

"Actually, yes," Jisung responded. His dad still knew every kid he went to elementary school with. "Do you by any chance remember Zhong Chenle?"

"Zhong Chenle? Oh, how could I forget- wait...your soulmate is Zhong Chenle?" 

"Uh-huh," Jisung said slowly. 

"Oh, that's so nice!" His dad said excitedly.

Jisung gave him a look. "Really?"

"Yeah, he was always a funny kid. I'm excited to see him again! Do you think he remembers that time he got covered in his mom's lipstick at one of your birthday parties? I still have the pictures somewhere, let me go look for it in our photo albums..." As his dad got up, Jisung deflated. He definitely could never bring Chenle to his house. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Jisung was so glad that his and  Chenle's awkward date like thing had landed on a Friday, because now, he had the whole weekend to avoid confrontation. 

He wished so badly that things didn't have to be this way. If only he wasn't so ugly and awkward, then maybe Chenle would like him back, and he and Chenle could have a relationship like all the other soulmate matches at school had. But he was ugly, and awkward, and there was no way on earth someone bright and beautiful like Chenle would feel anything back. The soulmate sparks had brought them together, but it didn't neccessarily have to keep them together. 

Luckily, he had not so much homework and a whole lot of free time on his hands, so early Saturday morning when his dad was driving to the studio, Jisung hopped a ride with him, claiming one of the practice rooms for the day. With a promise to bring him lunch around noon, Jisung went inside and began his stretches.

At around two pm, long after delivering his father a sandwich during his break between classes, Jisung was immersed in the music. His playlist blaring, his phone laid face down on the floor, he was gone to the world. Every piece of Jisung was devoted to the beats, to the movements, his mind, for once, empty. 

"Jisung!" A voice somehow managed to yell over the music.

"AAH!" 

Jisung was completely thrown by the noise of another human being, jumping backwards and falling on the floor of the practice room. Standing in front of him was a now very worried looking Chenle, rushing over to him and looking him over for any real injuries.

"Oh my god are you okay? That looked really painful." 

"Y-yeah," Jisung answered as he panted heavily. "I'm fine. Y-you just scared me." 

"I'm sorry," Chenle spoke, his voice a soft whine. He inched closer where he crouched on the floor, his hand brushing against Jisung's arm by accident. Both of them jolted, forgetting the soulmate sparks, and Jisung was even more freaked.

Still panting, Jisung gave him a confused look. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Oh." Chenle smiled and flushed sheepishly. "I wanted to go to the movies with you, but you weren't answering your phone, so...I just came here. I mean, if I'd thought about it for one second I would've realized it was a stupid idea, but I never really think about anything, now do I..." He looked Jisung over again, who was still staring back at him with wide eyes. "I should probably just go...unless you maybe still wanted to go to the movies...ugh why am I even asking that, I totally scared you, I should just go..."

Jisung thought for half a second as Chenle stood up. "Well...we could still go to the movies, I mean, if you want." Jisung stood up too, wincing a bit and brushed off his pants. "I've been here kind of a while, a-and I didn't have any other plans for today." 

"Really?" Chenle asked, his voice high and his eyes sparkling. Jisung was frozen for a moment by Chenle's entrancing adorableness, staring blankly at his shorter soulmate for a long second. 

"Y-yeah," he finally managed to respond. 

Chenle really smiled now, big and bright. "Yay! Let's go." Jisung grabbed his phone and ran after Chenle, sliding back into his car with his heart wildly thumping. This event was far from expected, and Jisung's mind still had to catch up to what was going on. Chenle began to drive down the highway and Jisung shot his dad a reluctant text, noticing his four missed messages from Chenle from before. His dad quickly responded with an embarrassing, emoji-filled message, and Jisung grimaced and put his phone away. 

"I'm really glad we're going! I was so afraid that you hated me after I scared you in the practice room." 

"N-no, it's fine." The car was silent for a moment, Chenle watching Jisung expectantly, so Jisung figured he should talk. "How did you find my dad's studio?" 

"Google," Chenle answered. "And my parents. I figured they would remember your dad's name from when we were kids. They were forced to hang out at all those birthday parties, you know." 

"Mmh. Makes sense." 

Chenle giggled guiltily. "I'm only now just realizing how creepy it was, to just show up. I'm sorry." 

"N-no, really, it's fine." 

"It's just...I mean, like, we don't really, like, know each other...but, um, like, I like...couldn't imagine not seeing you, for a whole weekend." 

Immediately, Jisung's brain turned into a pile of mush. He could feel his cheeks going hot and his fingers start to shake. Had Chenle really just said what he think he did? Oh my god oh my god oh my god, he was freaking out. Did Chenle really mean it? I mean, there was no other reason he would show up, unannounced, to Jisung's dad's studio...that even meant that he'd remembered their conversation from the day before. That he'd really been listening to what he said. Even that much was a surprise to little lonely Jisung. 

Jisung had no idea how he was supposed to answer Chenle. It would be a lie to say he felt the same way, because he had truly imagined that him and Chenle wouldn't meet up until school began again and part of him even looked forward to it. This was infinitely better, but infinitely scarier, and he would not say he wasn't avoiding that fear. And now they were pulling into the movie theater parking lot, and Chenle was looking at him with slightly furrowed brows, and Jisung had taken way too long to respond.

"Oh...um, thank you," Jisung finally ended up saying. 

Immediately, he knew it was totally the wrong thing, because the slightest hint of a frown passed over Chenle's face. Jisung winced, he was never good with words but god did he hate seeing Chenle anything far from happy; it didn't suit him. 

Chenle looked around uncomfortably before pulling the key out of the ignition. "Um, let's go!" Jisung quickly hopped out of the vehicle and the two silently walked into the theater. They paused to stare up at the board listing the movies that were playing. 

"So, what should we see?" Chenle asked casually, and Jisung was simply amazed at how quickly he could forget about awkward encounters. Conversational mistakes Jisung made would affect him far after they actually happened, haunting him when he was bored throughout the day and trying to fall asleep at night. 

"U-um, I don't know," Jisung stuttered. He was definitely still affected by their previous awkwardness. "Whatever you want." 

"I'm okay with anything! I promise." 

"W-well, me too..." 

Slowly, Chenle looked up at Jisung, a little shy smile on his lips. "Do you wanna see Aladdin?" He asked in a tiny voice. 

Jisung chuckled, looking between the ground and Chenle's adorableness. "Yeah, of course. I don't mind."

"Awesome! Let's go pay." Chenle's big smile after Jisung answered was infectious, and Jisung couldn't help but return the smile. Chenle looked up at him and quickly shook his head to himself, staring pointedly at the person ahead of them in line. Jisung didn't know why Chenle's mood had changed so suddenly, but his soulmate almost seemed...shy. 

After a minute of twitching fingers and shy glances, Chenle finally cleared his throat. "So, like, at the studio, I saw you dancing..."

"Wait, seriously?" Jisung turned back to Chenle, a little panicked. 

"Yeah, I mean, like, I called your name a few times before you actually heard me." He giggled softly. "It was really good. Really, really good. I was so impressed. I...." he trailed off. 

Jisung tried to hide his face, scrunching his nose and rubbing the back of his neck. He knew how red his face must have been, his skin suddenly feeling hot, his hands damp with sweat and a little bit shaky. But, he couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. "Ah-eum- I dunno..." 

"Really, it was good. Do you ever do performances?" 

Jisung laughed ironically. "No way." 

"Why not?" Chenle spoke in that slightly whiny tone he sometimes used. "I would really like to see you perform on a stage." 

"I'm not really in the mood for public humiliation, thank you very much." 

Chenle gave him a deadpan look with a teasing grin. "You know it would be good." 

"Hello, can I get two tickets for Aladdin please?" Jisung said to the cashier at the theater, ignoring Chenle. Chenle gave him a slight glare but they both laughed. The cashier looked between them and smiled fondly before printing the tickets. Jisung immediately handed the cashier his card, and Chenle pouted. 

"You paid last time!" Chenle whined again. 

"That was just fries though, it doesn't count." 

"But I'm rich!" 

Jisung hummed. "That is true." 

"You better let me pay for the candy." 

Jisung fake rolled his eyes. "Fine." The cashier handed Jisung back his card, told them which theater they were in, and the pair began to walk to the candy section. They shared a smile, giggling at each other like they were sharing a secret. 

As they waited, a sudden thought popped up into Jisung's head. 

He didn't stutter. He didn't stutter or up buying the tickets or embarrass himself. He spoke smoothly, clearly, confidently to the cashier, for probably the first time since he'd hit middle school. And most of all, it had been easy, effortless. Why? Because he was so distracted by Chenle that he'd forgotten to be self conscious. In that moment, he hadn't even been shy around Chenle himself. 

Maybe this whole soulmate thing actually did made sense. For a moment there, things were almost normal. He liked who he'd been in that moment, and he'd been completely himself. It was just the him that was with Chenle. 

But Jisung shut his brain off when Chenle began to debate the merits of a red versus a blue slushie, paying close attention to the different 'flavor notes' Chenle claimed existed between them. Jisung just told him to get some whoppers but when they approached the line he picked out a mountain of candy for the both of them. Chenle bought so much that their hands and pockets were completely stuffed. 

"You really didn't have to get this much," Jisung said quietly as he handed the attendant their tickets. 

"The best part about going to the movies is the snacks, you know. Anyways." Chenle smiled at Jisung. "I owed you one." 

"It's all good. I promise." They shared a smile, Jisung's heart did that weird jump thingie in his chest, and they went into the theater and sat down. Their intense snack buying spree made them miss the previews, so the movie began right as they sat. They shared yet another smile, and it took Jisung a solid minute until he could concentrate on the movie again. 

But really, it was hard to concentrate on the movie at all. So much had happened in the span of about forty minutes: Chenle had barged into the studio and taken him on an adventure, it had been awkward, it had been wonderful, and Jisung's stomach was still doing cartwheels inside of him. 

But...why? Why would Chenle put all this effort, go all this way, say all those kind things, spend all this money on snacks? Was it possible that Chenle was interested in him too, at least as a friend? If Chenle just wanted to be polite, he really wouldn't have done all of these things, would he? Jisung couldn't believe it, but it seemed like that was the only explanation. It must have been the soulmate sparks working their magic. Jisung knew that his developing feelings weren't because of it, but he knew that's how feelings developed for other people. 

Luckily, Jisung had seen the Aladdin cartoon as a kid so when he tuned back into the movie, he sort of could tell what was going on. His laid his arm on the armrest, grabbing some of the candy out of his pocket. Chenle, however, was completely silent, and Jisung chuckled to himself. He must have already eaten all of his candy. 

Like all disney princess movies, it was awfully romantic. Jisung had definitely forgotten about that aspect, but part of him wanted to believe that was the reason Chenle chose this movie to watch together. Just the idea of it made his heart beat a little faster in chest. 

Which is why it shouldn't have surprised him when all the sudden, there was a soft hand gripping his giant one. Chenle's slightly sweaty palm fitted into Jisung's and he slid their fingers together, trembling just the tiniest bit. But Jisung had no idea it was coming, and he was not used to being touched at all, plus those damn soulmate sparks were still a thing, so about a second after their hands met he rapidly jumped away from Chenle. 

Jisung stared at the floor in utter shock, his eyes wide and blank. He immediately sat on both of his hands and just stared, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. Was it an accident? Just one glance at Chenle's extremely uncomfortable expression told him that no, Chenle had wanted to hold hands with him, Jisung had just blatantly rejected him. 

"Are you okay?" Chenle whispered. 

"Mmh," Jisung answered, trying to figure out what the hell to do. It wasn't like he didn't want to hold hands with Chenle, he was just taken aback. What could he do now? Another glance in Chenle's direction told him his poor soulmate was not in a good mood, obviously embarrassed and sad and Jisung didn't like it, but what was he supposed to do? Tell Chenle that he was just shocked and that he really wanted to hold hands? No, that was way too embarrassing, plus it wouldn't fix anything now. It was best that he just remain silent and wait for this all to be over. 

As soon as the movie ended the two silently went back to Chenle's car. Jisung ing hated the way Chenle looked so upset, so utterly defeated, playing with his hands with downcast brows. It broke Jisung to see Chenle basically on the verge of tears, but what could he say? What could he do? 

Finally they made it into the car and Chenle began to drive. 

"How did you like the movie?" Chenle asked so quietly. Jisung's heart broke a little more; even after getting seemingly rejected, he still wanted to make things less awkward. 

"It was good," Jisung answered. In all honesty, he hadn't been paying much attention to the movie, too much on his mind. 

"Yeah." It was silent again, all the way until Chenle made it back to Jisung's house. Jisung sighed when he realized Chenle even remembered where he lived. "Jisung...I'll see you tom- Monday," Chenle said. Had he almost said tomorrow? Had Chenle originally planned to see him tomorrow? . 

"Yeah. I-I'll see you then." Jisung gathered his things and ran out of the car, listening to the sound of Chenle's ignition as soon as he got inside. Honestly, all he could do was just stand in front of the door, dropping his bag on the floor. He'd ruined everything. Chenle had at least wanted to spend a little bit of time with him before; now that he thought he'd been rejected, he knew Chenle would never want to see him again. Any chance he thought he'd had for those sweet thirty minutes was completely gone. But, it had been nice to have a friend, even just for a little while. Jisung was glad he got to experience that. 

He sighed, picked up his bag, and walked up to his bedroom. He knew he would have a long night of staring up at the ceiling ahead of him. 

~~~~~~~~~~

He and Chenle didn't speak again until Monday. 

Jisung felt almost weak with how much he wanted to see Chenle. Every waking thought was spent thinking of Chenle's loud laughter and bright smile; even dancing could get Chenle off of his mind. His body was responding too: Jisung was sleepy, distracted, and a little bit headachey, no matter how much rest he got. That must have been the soulmate sparks working their cursed magic. 

But there was no point to any of it. Jisung had completely ruined everything with Chenle, and now his soulmate clearly hated him and wanted nothing to do with him. Jisung felt so, so bad that he had messed things up, but there was nothing he could do now. He just had to live with the fact that any chance he'd had at friendship, or something more, was over. 

Yes, he knew he was being overdramatic. But god damn it he was sixteen and lonely and sick, all because of this soulmate thing. Anyways, it may have been overdramatic, but it was true. Jisung didn't want to make things even worse, so on Monday, he went back to avoiding Chenle, even skipping physics. Chenle would probably be grateful not to see his face and be reminded of his rejection. It hurt, and it hurt bad, but Jisung really believed it was the right thing to do. 

Him and Chenle didn't even technically speak that Monday. But once Jisung got home from school that afternoon, he was surprised to find someone had actually texted him. 

hey!

how was school??????

i didnt see u in class :(

Jisung was beyond confused. Why would Chenle be messaging him, even after their failed date on Saturday? Didn't Chenle want to avoid him forever? Jisung knew that if he'd been rejected like that, he would have never wanted to speak to Chenle again. 

But Jisung wasn't complaining. He didn't really understand why Chenle was messaging him, but Jisung was glad things weren't completely over. It was probably just the sick feeling the soulmate sparks gave him from not seeing each other for so long, but Jisung would happily take those crumbs. 

School was alright. I felt a bit sick during class though, thats why I didnt come

Immediately, he receieved a response. 

oh no!!!! are you feeling better now???

i really hope so :(((

Jisung smiled to himself and typed out a response, and that was how it began. 

Quickly, texting until three or four am every night became a tradition for the two of them. Yes, Jisung avoided talking to him and being near him at school, but at least they communicated every night at home. It didn't make the effects of avoiding his soulmate any better; Jisung still felt weak and sick most of the time. But at least it was a little bit better, and eased some of the ache from desperately missing Chenle. 

jisungggg~ Chenle typed about a week later, at two in the morning. 

how come you never say hi to me at school? sometimes u even see me and dont say anything...

i always say hello to you...

Truth be told, Jisung was terrified. Terrified of making a fool of himself in front of Chenle's popular friends, terrified of making Chenle feel bad for having such a loser as a soulmate. He couldn't even fathom why Chenle was asking him this in the first place. Did Chenle want him to say hi? Or maybe...maybe Chenle's friends were bugging him for not spending time with his soulmate. Chenle probably just wanted his friends to think their relationship was more normal than it actually was. 

Jisung sighed, quickly coming up with a lie. 

I promise I really just dont see you

Sorry

The response came almost immediately. 

its ok

Jisung wasn't sure if that was the truth. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Jisung awoke at three am to his phone buzzing loudly. Without hesitation, he opened the message.

i think my parents hate each other, Chenle typed. 

Without hesitation, Jisung sat up in his bed. Why?

theyre fighting really loud

at three in the ing morning!!!

Jisung sighed for his poor soulmate. 

That's...really really terrible. I'm sorry

its okay, its not your fault

What are they fighting about?

idfk

i think my mom was out late again, Chenle added. 

i dont even know why the hell they married, my dad is the most uptight person to ever exist and my mom is such a free spirit

i really dont get it!!! 

i mean, both of them are good parents

theyre just terrible husband and wife

A few moments passed before Chenle sent another message.

sorry for the spam

No, really, it's alright. I get it, you probably need to vent

no seriously. i shouldnt complain so much when i at least have both my parents

Jisung sighed softly. It was sweet of Chenle to remember to be grateful when Jisung didn't have a mom. 

I promise its okay. Just because I have it "worse" doesnt mean you dont have the right to complain.

ur too nice, Chenle answered. Jisung watched as Chenle's type bubble appeared and disappeared for a few minutes before he finally sent another message. 

can i ask u something

Jisung's heart rate spiked a little and he typed with shakey fingers. 

Of course

It was another few minutes before he finally received a message. 

how did your mom die?

She didnt die, Jisung answered. She left us

i dont remember seeing her at ur birthday parties when u were little...

Yeah. She left when I was only a couple months old

ooh

Another long pause. 

does your dad ever miss her?

Jisung hummed and thought; he wasn't quite sure how to answer that. 

I dont think so. He was probably over her by the time I could actually remember things. They weren't even married, even though my dad said he planned to propose. 

Jisung took a deep breath. It was weird talking about these things since he'd never been able to before. But somehow, even though it was a bit painful, it felt so good. Even though he was nervous...maybe he should tell Chenle a bit more. 

My dad definitely doesnt miss my mom. But he really wishes I at least had a mom. 

do u know why, Chenle quickly responded. Jisung thought for a moment.

Im sure its really hard to be a single dad, you know? Plus, im not all that independent. I cant drive, he still cooks dinner for us unless he's staying late at the studio, and to be honest I dont have a lot of friends so I talk to him most of the time

i must be a burden.

Jisung's fingers shook as he awaited a response. 

jisung

ur not a burden. u could never be a burden

yeah, u still rely on ur dad for a lot of stuff. but ur 16!! its normal. i can drive, but ive never had a job. my parents still pay for everything

u and ur dad r so close. do u know how many parents wish they had that kind of relationship with their kids???

anyways

jisung

youre so sweet and kind, and funny, and all the people in ur life are lucky to know you

i absolutely promise

Jisung was really shaking now; he had no idea what to even say to all of that. Other than his dad, nobody had ever give him such high compliments. Did Chenle really mean it?

Thanks, he messaged. Oh my god, he couldn't take this, he was trembling in his bed, hidden under the covers. Did Chenle really think such kind things about him? After all Jisung had done to up what they had been given?

Maybe he should just go to bed. It was probably the early hour that was making Chenle say such things. Things would make sense again in the morning. 

Its 4 am, I think it's time we went to bed

yeah, Chenle responded. good night!!!!! <3

Good night

~~~~~~~~~~

It was a couple days later when Jisung was intercepted in the hallway, just before lunch time. He was ready to go eat in his usual library hang out, but looking up and seeing Chenle's expectant face, Jisung wasn't sure what was about to happen. He was flanked by Renjun and Jaemin, who were whispering and giggling behind Chenle's back.

"H-hey," Jisung stuttered, only able to look up at Chenle's pretty face for just a moment until he got too shy. It had been kind of a while since they'd really talked in person, and Jisung could feel his heart thumping in his chest. Renjun wacked Chenle's arm, and Chenle looked up at Jisung. 

"Are you busy this lunch period? Do you wanna eat with me and my friends?" Chenle looked a tad bit shy, and Jaemin and Renjun were trying to hide their chortles. Chenle seemed so embarrassed, and Jisung deflated a little. He wanted so badly to go eat with Chenle. Yes, everything had been messed up, but he missed Chenle and he felt so close to him over text, but they hadn't met up in so long. But, it couldn't be. Clearly, Chenle's friends were here to make fun of the fact that Jisung was his soulmate. That had to explain Chenle's almost sad expression, and the endless giggling from his friends. 

"Um, sorry," Jisung spoke with a wince, "I have to study. I have a text next period." 

Chenle looked even more upset, and even Renjun and Jaemin shut up. Chenle chuckled and tilted his head. "That's alright. We can meet up later." 

Jisung laughed awkwardly and rubbed the nape of his neck. "For sure." 

"See yah!" Chenle called as he began to walk away, phone clutched in his hands as Renjun and Jaemin caught up to him. Jisung just watched as they walked away, talking in hushed whispers. 

Jisung was momentarily frozen in place. In the back of Chenle's phone case, he had the ticket to Aladdin from their movie date. Jisung looked down at his own phone, the same damn ticket trapped in the back, and walked down to the library. 

~~~~~~~~~~

That Friday, Jisung was spending his night in the practice room. His mind was so full of everything, with Chenle and his friends and how embarrassing it must be for Chenle to have him as his soulmate, so full of all the late night messages they sent and all the passing glances delivered during the day. Jisung missed Chenle, but what could he do? Nothing, as per usual. 

The music was blaring loud but the sound of a car honking right in front of the studio was louder, throwing Jisung off of his rhythm. He paused the music and looked around in confusion, about to turn it back on when the honk returned. Shrugging to himself and grabbing his bag, Jisung walked out to the parking lot of his dad's studio. 

Only one car was in the parking lot, and a very familiar head quickly peeked out of the backseat window. 

"Hi!"

"Chenle?"

"We're going to a party. Come!" 

"At whose?" 

"Lee Donghyuck's," a voice belonging to Renjun answered, looking out of the other window. 

"Don't say we drove all this way for nothing," another voice added. It belonged to Mark Lee, the senior valedictorian, who was poking his head out of the driver's seat. 

"Get inside before Jeno and Jaemin start doing something gross," a voice called from the passenger seat, belonging to senior and football team captain Harvey Cantwell. 

"Please?" Chenle spoke softly, giving Jisung those pretty puppy dog eyes of his, and Jisung melted. 

"Alright," he answered with a shrug. Pressure from all these people outweighed his own nerves, so he rushed into the car and squeezed in between Chenle and Renjun. It was a big van, probably passed down from Mark Lee's soccer mom, with an extra row of seats in the back. Jisung heard noises coming from there; that must have been where Lee Jeno and Na Jaemin were. He didn't dare look back there. 

When Jisung looked up Chenle was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm so glad you're coming!" He cheered loudly. 

Jisung chuckled softly. "Me too." Maybe that was a little bit of a lie, he had never been to a high school party so he was nervous beyond belief. But he was really happy to spend some time with Chenle, even if he was being a bit selfish by embarrassing him in front of all his friends. Jisung quickly texted his dad where he was as he felt Chenle's eyes on him, then leave him, then go back to him. 

"Chenle, you're so giggly, did you drink before getting in my car?" Mark asked. 

"No way. I'm not drunk yet, but I'm gonna get wasted tonight!" He answered with a cheer. 

"He's just giggly because his soulmate is in the car," Renjun spoke in a teasing tone. 

"Wait, you two are soulmates?" Harvey asked, turning around in his shotgun seat and gesturing to Chenle and Jisung. Immediately, Jisung blushed, and by the slight glance he gave Chenle, he could tell his soulmate was blushing too. 

"I've never seen you guys together before..." Mark mumbled, and immediately the car fell uncomfortably silent (other than the kissing noises coming from the very back of the car, courtesy of Jeno and Jaemin). Jisung looked down at his phone to see his dad's enthusiastic response, telling him how excited he was that Jisung was actually going to a party, and to be home by 1:30.

Luckily they arrived at the house fast enough, and the seven of them immediately hopped out of the car. Mark ran the doorbell and he was immeidately met with Donghyuck's smiling face, pulling each other in for a quite adorable hug. 

"Awe!" Harvey cooed, and Mark shot him a glare, pulling away shyly and dusting off his pants. 

"Come on in guys," Donghyuck gestured, wrapping his arm around Mark's waist and keeping him by the door. 

As Jisung followed the rest of the group down the hallway, he thought he was going to throw up. It really was like a typical teen movie house party: drunk people draped on couches and each other, red solo cups littered everywhere, loud, blaring pop music and laughter. It was overwhelming, really. 

"Come on, let's go find the alcohol," Chenle said to the remaining people. Jisung followed him through the house and into the kitchen, where Chenle sloppily poured himself a mixed drink of rum and coke. Here, Jisung could breathe a sigh of relief: the kitchen was connected to the living room, and although it was still loud, it wasn't crazy like it had been at the front of the house. 

"Why is all the alcohol back here?" Jisung asked. 

"Hyuck keeps all the beers and wine coolers up at the front of the house for parties," Renjun answered, pouring his own drink. "Only his friends know where the higher quality is."

"Do you want something?" Chenle asked. 

Jisung shook his head. "Nah, I'm good." He'd never drank before, and he was afraid he would embarrass himself even more if he did. 

Soon enough, everyone had their liquor, and made their way into the living room, plopping down next to some cheerleaders and Kim Hyunjin (aka the furry, aka also Renjun's soulmate) and starting a conversation. 

Jisung felt out of place already, and soon, it would get worse. 

Being the only sober guy in the room, things quickly got really loud and really chaotic. It wasn't like anybody was wasted yet, it hadn't been that long...

Well, except one person. 

"I'm-ah, I'm gonna go get another drink," Chenle drawled, standing up and groaning. 

"Chenle, you've had two already," Jeno said pretty firmly. 

"That's nothing," Hyunjin mumbled. 

"Not for Chenle," Renjun responded quietly, only to Hyunjin. But Jisung's expert eavesdropping skills allowed him to hear. "He's the biggest lightweight I've ever met." 

Immediately, a spike of worry went in Jisung's stomach. "Chenle," he said softly. "Maybe you should hold off?"

"Why?" Chenle whined, turning back to Jisung, almost stumbling over and catching himself on the couch. "Am I being too loud?" 

"No, I'm just worried you'll hurt yourself," Jisung answered candidly. 

"I'll be fine, I'll be fine." 

"Seriously. Please sit back down." 

Chenle dramatically rolled his eyes and somehow made his way back to Jisung without stumbling. "Fine. Maybe later," he drawled, and immediately planted himself down on Jisung's lap. 

Jisung's eyes widened large enough that they might've popped out of his skull, and he tensed up so much that Renjun even saw him and laughed. But not even the intense soulmate sparks could disturb drunk Chenle, just chatting with the others and giggling like he didn't even notice. For a moment, Jisung thought he didn't even realize he was on Jisung's lap, until he turned and mumbled in his ear. 

"Jisungie, you're so comfy," he spoke softly. Jisung tensed even more. So it wasn't an accident. 

Chenle leaned back against Jisung's chest, his contributions to the conversation slowly dying as the alcohol turned from making him party to making him sleepy. 

"Oh my god!" Jaemin sweetly cooed suddenly at Jisung. "You two are so adorable." 

Slowly, Jisung looked down to find that Chenle had fallen asleep in his lap, his head resting in the crook of Jisung's neck. He felt his face burn and his heart skip about a thousand beats and his mind physically ache from how cute Chenle was. It was so strange: he was always so shy when Chenle first touched him, but he really enjoyed it so much. If he could ever get past that first burst of shock, maybe the hand holding incident at the movies wouldn't have to happen again. 

"That's so cute," Hyunjin whined. 

"I, for one, am gonna get another drink," Harvey interrupted, standing up. Everyone knew he was one of the few who hadn't found their soulmate yet, and they all chuckled at him, asking him to bring another round of drinks for all of them. 

Soon enough, people had finished off their fifth or sixth drink, and the mood went from crazy partying to lazy making out or sleeping on the floor. Chenle was still seated in Jisung's lap, completely passed out, and Jisung didn't want to move. 

But he pulled out his phone, his eyes widening as he read the time on the screen: 1:03 am. 

. His curfew was 1:30. As much as he liked Chenle's presence on his lap, he didn't want to piss off his dad. 

"Hey Chenle," Jisung said quietly, gently shaking Chenle awake. Chenle blinked up at him with sleepy eyes before beaming. 

"Hi Jisung," he answered with a sweet giggle. Jisung needed a moment before he could speak again. 

"I think it's time to go home. It's one am." 

Chenle's expression slowly became panicked. "My curfew is one am," he said. 

Jisung took a moment to process. "." 

He started thinking. Chenle hadn't driven them, and even then Jisung had a feeling Chenle wasn't fully sober yet. "Is anyone sober enough to drive?" Jisung asked the room. 

" no," Jaemin mumbled, and returned to kissing Jeno. 

Jisung sighed and gently placed Chenle off of his lap, standing up to go search for anybody who was sober and had a car. 

"Where are you going?" Chenle whined slowly, standing up and stumbling a bit. Jisung sighed; he was definitely still drunk. 

"I'm gonna try and find someone to give us a ride home." Chenle made a soft little noise and followed after him, stumbling over air. Jisung took a deep breath and slung his arm around Chenle's shoulders, and began to walk down the hallways. 

Every room he peeked his head into looked exactly the same as the one he'd just left: half the room basically ing, the other half passed out on the floor. With each room Jisung's worries got worse and worse, until the finally made it to the front of the house. 

"," Jisung groaned. 

"Mmh," Chenle mumbled, "It's kinda hot when you say ." Jisung ignored Chenle, passing it off as just him being drunk, and began to walk back to the kitchen. When they reached the room, Jisung breathed a sigh of relief: there was Mark, looking like not a total mess, despite having changed into pajamas. 

Mark turned around and gave the soulmate pair an awkward smile. 

"He doesn't look too good," Mark mumbled. 

"Yep," Jisung answered with a grimace. 

"Whah?" Chenle asked cutely. 

"It's okay, it's okay," Jisung shushed, and Chenle rested his head on Jisung's shoulder. Jisung tried not to freak out and turned back to Mark. "He really needs to get home, it's past his curfew, but I can't find anyone to give him a ride. Is there any way you could drive us?"

Mark gave an extremely apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but I'm not completely sober myself. I don't want things to get dangerous." 

"Don't worry about it," Jisung answered. 

"Hope you two get home safe!" Mark said, going back up the stairs. 

"Thanks," Jisung responded, and Mark was gone, and so was their last chance at a ride home. But somehow, Jisung realized that he had managed to talk to one of the popular kids and even asked him for a favor without being nervous. Huh. He did it and did it easily, all to protect Chenle. Another instance of being with Chenle making him a better person. 

Jisung walked the two of them back into the living room, sitting down on the couch. Chenle sat next to him, and Jisung passed him his phone. 

"Could you put in your address?" Jisung asked. Chenle nodded, and Jisung gathered all their things together. When he was done, he copy and pasted the address into google maps. 

It was a straight shot from Lee Donghyuck's to Chenle's house, just one road to follow, with no turns or highways to cross. But, it would take forty-five minutes. Jisung took a deep sigh. What else could he do?

it. He was walking Chenle home. 

"Come on," Jisung said, and Chenle followed him. 

"Where are we going, Sungie?" Chenle said, still managing a grin as he bumped into the walls on their way to the front door. 

"I'm walking you home," Jisung answered. 

Chenle giggled. "Like a movie," he answered. 

"I guess," Jisung responded, and they stepped out of Donghyuck's house. 

Double checking google maps, Jisung began to walk in the direction of Chenle's house. Quickly, Jisung had to grab onto Chenle to make sure he didn't stumble into anyone's bushes or mailboxes, and Chenle immediately rested his entire weight onto Jisung. But Jisung didn't mind, Chenle's head on his shoulder even as they walked, Chenle's hair tickling his neck. 

It was almost nice. The night air was so fresh and cold, and after being in that stuffy house for so long, Jisung felt like he could breath again. The nighttime was silent and so were he and Chenle, but it wasn't awkward. Yes, he was worried sick about his soulmate, but their simple touch made everything feel like it would be alright. 

"I hate quiet," Chenle drawled suddenly. "But now it's okay." 

"Really?" Jisung answered, indulging his drunk soulmate. 

"It's okay. The quiet is okay. I think...because it's with you." 

That made Jisung blush terribly and he fell silent, and Chenle returned the silence too. It was quite a while, actually, until either of them spoke again. Jisung wasn't sure how much time had passed after walking by identical house after identical house, their motion sensor lights turning on and off as they passed by. Chenle still stumbled but they were used to each other's weight, and things were better. 

"You're so tall," Chenle spoke, finally breaking the silence. 

"Huh?"

"Tall. Tall noodle boy," Chenle said with a giggle. Jisung scrunched his nose and looked away. Chenle snuggled his head into him and giggled again. "Your face is so warm. Are you blushing? I can't tell because it's dark, but I think you're blushing." Jisung chuckled awkwardly, what was he supposed to say? "You blush so much. My beautiful, blushy boy," Chenle said slowly. Now, Jisung was really blushing. 

"Now you're just trying to make me blush." 

"No! No no no!" Chenle whined. "I'm being honest. I'm, um, spilling the tea!" He giggled, and it turned into a loud laugh. Jisung watched fondly before staring at the dark cement ground. Chenle decided to wrap both of his arms around Jisung's shoulders, making it just a tad bit more difficult to walk, but Jisung couldn't bear to tell Chenle to get off of him. 

"My beautiful, beautiful Jisung," Chenle said softly. "My beautiful, tall, handsome soulmate Jisung." Jisung knew Chenle was just super drunk and a little out of his mind, but he couldn't help but ache all over at Chenle's words. He never thought Chenle would say those words, even if he didn't actually mean them. 

Chenle snuggled into Jisung and fell silent again, the two walking down the empty, silent street. Jisung wasn't worried about anything any more. How could he be, when Chenle was right here by his side? 

"Sungie," Chenle cooed, letting go of Jisung, to his dismay. "We don't have a song! We've gotta have a song."

"Really?" Jisung asked. 

"Of course!" Chenle responded. "We're soulmates! We have to have a song. Hmm...you know that one song? The one about the tiny dancer? Agh, my dad loves that song, he's so old. He plays it all the time around the house. But whenever I hear it, I think of you, because even though you're not tiny, you're a dancer. My giant dancer." 

Chenle skipped down the street, laughing loudly. "Hold me closer, giant dancer!" He sang slash screamed. "Count the head lights on the hiiiighwaaaay, lay me down in sheets of linen, you had a busy day todaaaaay." Chenle ran and stumbled along, laughing in between his words. Somehow, even as drunk as this, his voice still sounded good. 

Chenle almost fell down on a lawn decoration and Jisung ran back to him, catching Chenle's slightly smaller frame in his arms. Chenle just held tightly onto him, laughing into his arm as Jisung guided him down the street. Again, Chenle wrapped both of his arms around Jisung and sighed softly. Fondness filled every empty space in Jisung's body, and he thought he might explode from the weight of it all. 

"But oh how it feels so real, lying here with no one near, only youuuu and you can hear meeee, when I say softlyyyyy, slowlyyyyy," Chenle continued to sing loudly. 

"Chenle, I think everyone can hear us," Jisung responded, trying to ignore how romantic lyrics were of the song Chenle had just dubbed theirs. 

"Oh look," Chenle responded quietly, pulling away from Jisung's arms. "We're at my house." Jisung nodded, leading Chenle up to the front door. 

"Do you have your keys?" Jisung asked. Chenle nodded, tugging them out of his pocket. 

"Yeah," he whispered. "I don't wanna wake up my parents." 

Jisung nodded. "Then you should get inside," he whispered back. "Go to sleep right away. Oh, and drink a glass of water first." 

Chenle just nodded back, about to open the door when he turned back to Jisung, putting both of his hands on his shoulders. "Jisung?" He spoke quietly. Jisung nodded back, watching the nervous look in Chenle's eyes. "I hope you know..." 

"Know what?" 

"I just....I hope you know." Chenle turned away and opened the door, stepping inside. 

As soon as the door locked Jisung breathed a sigh of relief. His Chenle was safe and sound. 

Now, it was time for him to get home. He punched his address into google maps, cursing under his breath when he noticed the time. 

It was two am, and it would take half an hour for him to walk home. He was so ed. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Jisung didn't even have time to pull out his keys when his dad opened the front door, a livid expression on his face. 

"What the hell, Jisung? You're an hour late!" 

Jisung sighed; he really hated making his dad upset. "Sorry." 

"Come in," Taeyong growled, and they stepped into the living room. Jisung just wanted to go to bed, but he knew he needed to get chewed out first. "Please, tell me there's a reason why you're so late," his dad said, sitting down on the couch. 

"Nobody was sober enough to give me a ride home, so I had to walk." 

"Haven't I told you a million times that if you need to get home from a party, I'll pick you up no matter what?"

"I-I didn't want to bother you.."

"It's the first time you even get a curfew, and you break it. You should've at least texted me that you were going to be late." Jisung looked up, and his father's expression melted. "I was worried sick." 

"I'm so, so sorry." 

"Please don't ever do that to me again, alright? No matter what, I'll pick you up. I don't care if you're super drunk. Well, I mean, I do, but I wouldn't judge you if you called me to pick you up while you were drunk." 

"I didn't even drink at the party," Jisung explained. 

"I know you didn't, I can tell. And I'm proud of you for that. But please, never do that to me again." 

"I won't. I promise, dad." 

Taeyong sighed. "Alright. You look exhausted; I'll let you go to bed." 

"Thanks," Jisung answered with a smile, starting the walk over to his room. 

"Oh yeah," Taeyong added. "Curfew is now midnight until further notice." 

"Like I'll ever need a curfew again," Jisung teased. 

"Please need a curfew!" Taeyong whined, and Jisung laughed before ducking into his bed and immediately passing out. 

~~~~~~~~~~

A couple of hours after Jisung woke up the next day, he received a message from Chenle.

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Jisung chuckled to himself. 

How are you feeling?

ing awful, Chenle answered. 

What kind of hangover is it?

every kind 

headache, stomach hurts, tired, everything is too loud and too bright

Oh god, that sounds terrible, Jisung responded. 

im such a lightweight, its so embarrassing

i cant remember anything that happened after i grabbed my second drink

could you fill me in?

Jisung thought for a moment. Probably, his best option was to tell Chenle the truth of what happened: the lap sitting, the falling asleep, the walking home, the yelling on the sidewalk. But Jisung knew that if he were in his shoes, it would be way too humiliating to know about any of that. Knowing that his soulmate saw him in such a state, Chenle might be too embarrassed to even talk to him. So, after a minute, Jisung decided what to do. 

You fell asleep at some point, then I found a sober person to drive you home

Chenle took a minute to answer. 

who drove me?

To be honest, I dont know, Jisung answered. 

Chenle took another minute to answer. 

ooh

that explains how i got home, lol 

i dont remember any of that

Jisung felt a little bit guilty for lying, but really, it was for the best. 

You really are a lightweight

pls dont rub it in

ooh! somehow my parents didnt even notice. they think im sick rn. haha. 

Thats actually pretty impressive, Jisung answered, and that was the truth. Chenle had been so loud last night, Jisung was sure he would wake up his parents. 

yeah

i still feel terrible though

can i ask a big favor of you though?

Jisung swallowed thickly.

Sure, what kind of favor?

could you by any chance come over?

i kinda just wanna be w u rn lmao

i think id feel better haha idk

After responding, Jisung immediately leapt out of bed and threw some clothes on, grabbing his phone rushing downstairs. 

"Hey Ji-" Taeyong started, flipping the bacon in the frying pan over. 

"Can I take the car?" 

~~~~~~~~~~

A few minutes later, armed with gatorade and saltines he'd bought at the convenience store (that he'd made his dad stop at), he reached Chenle's house. Ringing the doorbell, he jumped a little when instead of Chenle answering, it was his dad, dressed in the most dad outfit ever: khakis, a white button up, a little sweater vest, and those white sneakers from costco.

"Is that...Lee Jisung? I haven't seen you since you kids were little! Wh- what are you doing here?" Chenle's dad paused and his eyes widened. "Oh! That's right. You two are...I forgot, he told me. Alright, well, come on in." 

Jisung stepped inside and his eyes widened; Chenle really was rich: he had landed in the foyer, which he somehow had, which was decorated with marble floors and a literal chandelier. "Well, if you don't remember, I'm Kun," his dad said, holding out his hand. Jisung shook it, smiling awkwardly. "You have gotten so tall!" 

"Yeah," Jisung said with an uncomfortable chuckle. 

"See, Chenle's really sick right now, so I don't know if he-"

"He asked me to come," Jisung interrupted. Kun looked down at the bag in Jisung's hands and smiled. 

"Oh, you're gonna take care of him, how sweet. I always remember you were a sweet kid." 

Suddenly, the sound of heels clacking against the marble made both of their heads turn. Walking towards them was one of the most beautiful and simoltaneously scary women Jisung had ever seen in his short sixteen years of life, wearing long, pitch black hair and bright red heels.

"Oh , is that Lee Jisung?" 

"Ten, what did we talk about?" 

"Cursing in front of the kids encourages them, blah blah blah, whatever, wow you've gotten handsome," Ten said, coming over to give Jisung a hug. "I'm so glad to see you; it's been so long, really." Chenle's parents stood next to each other. With the heels, Chenle's mom was taller than his dad. "You've really grown into your features. Our Chenle is quite lucky." 

"How's your dad? I should pay him a visit some time," Kun said. 

"He's good," Jisung answered with a little nod. 

"Kun, stop boring the poor thing, let him go so his soulmate," Ten interrupted. Chenle's dad returned with a genuinely aggressive eye roll. 

"Can't I ask my son's soulmate about his life? Doesn't seem appropriate to just let him go all willy-nilly." Now, it was Ten's turn to roll her eyes. "Jisung, how sch-"

"Oh don't you dare ask about school. Chenle's room is up the stairs and to the right, just go." Jisung looked between both of them before dashing out of the room, trying to ignore the bickering that began as soon as he left. Now, he totally understood why Chenle thought his parents hated each other. 

Jisung finally reached the room he thought was Chenle's, knocking on the door softly. 

"Come in," Chenle answered, his voice strained. Jisung pushed his way inside, looking around in shock: Chenle's room was massive, covered in photographs and trinkets and candy wrappers. It was a little bit of a mess, but it was so Chenle that Jisung couldn't even mind. Although Chenle looked exhausted, his expression brightened when he saw Jisung, patting the space next to him on his giant, four poster bed. 

"Thanks for coming," Chenle said softly as Jisung shyly slid next to him. 

"It's nothing, I promise." 

"I'm, like, really glad."

Suddenly, a loud scratchy voice interrupted their conversation. Jisung looked over to see the house wide intercom next to Chenle's bed, and Chenle pressed a button. 

"What?" He yelled into it. 

"Leave the door open!" His dad yelled back. 

"Please, Kun, they're teenagers! Teenagers will do what teenagers will do. You can keep the door closed if you want," His mother said. 

Over the intercom, Jisung heard Kun splutter, and both he and Chenle chuckled. "You absolutely cannot keep the door closed! I will not allow any shenanigans in this house." 

"If the kids want each other's shenanigans, they will have each other's shenanigans," Ten responded. Kun spluttered again, and Chenle rolled his eyes. 

"We're just gonna keep the door open," he said, and turned off the intercom. 

He snuggled back into the bed and cleared his throat. "Anyways..."

"What have you been up to?"

"Oh, just watching netflix. Join me?" 

"That sounds good," Jisung responded, surprised at how easy all of this was. After last night, he was definitely more comfortable being close to Chenle, but even still, it was weird that his fight or flight reflexes hadn't taken hold yet like they usually did. "Oh, I brought you this." He remembered the snacks he'd bought and handed the bag to Chenle. 

"For me?" Chenle borderline squealed, taking out the gaterade and saltines and chips and grinning at Jisung. "Thank you!"

"It's not much, just some stuff to make you feel better." 

"I still appreciate it." Chenle gave Jisung one of those blinding smiles, and opened the gaterade. He unpaused the episode of friends he was watching, and they started to watch. 

God was this nice, warm, and easy. Things were really starting to look up: Chenle wanted to be near him, Jisung wasn't terrified of him. Yeah, Jisung still didn't think Chenle was into him. But maybe they could be friends, and things would be alright. 

But why would things ever be easy for Jisung? It had to come crashing down at some point, and crash it did. 

About three quarters of the way through the episode, Chenle slowly rested his head on Jisung's shoulder, sparks jumping between their bodies. Even still, Jisung was shocked, tensing up and jumping away from Chenle in surprise. 

Immediately, Jisung noticed a change in Chenle's demeanor: any ounce of happiness was wiped away from his face, his fingers shaky and frown evident. He paused the episode and moved the computer away from them. 

"I'm sorry I called you over here." 

"Wait, wh-what?" 

"I'm really sorry. I know you were probably busy, and I shouldn't have interrupted your day. You can totally go home if you want. It's really fine. I feel a lot better now." 

"Wh-"

"I'm sorry, I like...I'm sorry. It's really fine. You can go home. Thanks for the snacks." 

. 

Jisung had ed it up, again. Just as they were finally getting closer, he had accidentally rejected Chenle. He truly didn't mean to, in fact, he liked touching Chenle. He just so wasn't used to it that it shocked him every time, and Chenle took that as a no. He could just explain all that to Chenle, but...he wouldn't understand, and it didn't make sense. 

Chenle was right. He should go home before he made things worse. 

"A-alright. I-I guess I'll head home now." Jisung gathered up his things and looked forlornely at the bed, where Chenle had already buried himself back in the episode. He sighed, and rushed out the door. 

"Hey, leaving already?" Kun called after him as he was about to leave. 

"Y-yeah," Jisung stuttered and winced. "I forgot I had homework." 

"Alright then. Come back soon, alright?" 

"Alright," Jisung responded, and ducked out of the door as quickly as he could. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Chenle and Renjun had been best friends since they were little kids. Everyone knew it, and even still it was weird to see one without the other. 

Which was why on Monday morning, just before school started, Jisung was shocked to see Renjun walking towards him, by himself. 

"Jisung," he practically growled. 

"Wh-"

"Come with me." Immediately, Renjun began to drag Jisung by the arm, finally pulling him into one of the emergency staircases people used to skip class and make out. Luckily, it was abandoned, and Renjun turned to Jisung. 

"Sit. We have to talk." Jisung sat down on the first step, and Renjun stood over him. Despite the fact that Renjun was miniature compared to Jisung, he was still a little bit scared. 

"Wh-what's going on?" Jisung asked, his heart beating rapidly. Was he about to get beat up?

"I've had enough. I've sat by and watched this all happen for long enough, and it is time I stepped in. Jisung, you're breaking Chenle's heart." 

Jisung's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "Wait...what?" 

"You're breaking his ing heart. If you're not interested in him romantically, please just tell him, instead of stringing him along like you're doing now." 

"What?" Jisung cried. 

"He's liked you for over a year now, you know? I pushed you two into each other that day just so maybe you'd finally ing pay attention to him, instead of being the ice cold er you've always acted towards him. I was ecstatic when you two realized you were soulmates, I thought maybe he'd finally be able to live out his crush, but nope, you've just treated him like nothing this entire time." 

"He...Chenle liked me...before the soulmate thing?" 

"Yes! Didn't you ever notice us giggling like idiots around you? That's because Chenle would always get all weird whenever you passed by!"

"I-I thought y-you guys were making fun of me..." Renjun swallowed and looked away from Jisung. "I-I...you must be lying, you must be. I'm so ing ugly, and shy, and I don't have any friends, why would anybody ever like me? I...I'm just an embarrassment to Chenle..."

"Chenle thinks he's embarrassing you! You've made Chenle feel the exact same way you do. You've done absolutely nothing a soulmate should do. ing hell, you didn't even take care of him when he was so drunk he could barely walk! You just put him in a car with a god damn stranger, who could've been drunk too!" 

Jisung sighed softly. So Chenle told Renjun about what he thought happened that night. Clearly, Chenle had believed his lie. 

"A-actually....that's not what happened."

"What?" Renjun asked. 

"I-I lied to Chenle." Renjun rolled his eyes and sighed. "I-I know, I know. The truth is...I didn't put him in a car. There was not a single sober person who could drive when we left the party, so I...I ended up walking him home." 

"From Lee Donghyuck's?" Renjun clarified, and Jisung nodded. "That's like...forty-five minutes." 

"I-I just didn't want him to be embarrassed. He did some...stuff during that walk. If I was in his shoes, I wouldn't have wanted to know what happened during that walk." 

Jisung looked up at Renjun to see his expression obviously softened, and Jisung took a deep breath. 

"Look, Renjun. I...I really don't know quite how to react to any of this. I haven't had friends in so long, and I've never been involved in anything romantic, ever. I just...don't know what to say or do. And...and when Chenle touches me and wants to be near me, I'm always just suprised. It's not that I don't want to be near him, not at all. I'm just...I'm so freaking shy...it's always so unexpected to me. But really, the last thing I'd want to do is hurt Chenle, ever. Just hearing that I hurt him is breaking my heart."

"How did you think Chenle felt about you?" 

Jisung shrugged. "I thought maybe he wanted to be friends, maybe." 

Renjun shook his head slowly. "You and Chenle really are soulmates then. You're both idiots." Jisung chuckled softly, and Renjun sighed. "I came on a little strong just then. I promise I'm just looking out for Chenle, I didn't know that you weren't just deliberately being an ." 

"I guess thinking about it...maybe my behavior came off that way. But I never meant it to." 

"Jisung. Do you have feelings for Chenle?" 

"Yes," Jisung answered, not even thinking about it for one second. Immediately he smiled and blushed, surprised at how his heart responded before his brain did. Renjun nodded, like he was confirming Jisung was telling the truth. 

"You've got to tell him. You've got to."

"Wh-what if he rejects me?" Jisung cried. 

"He won't, I promise."

"I-I can't, I literally can't." 

"He's never going to do it. He thinks you hate him." 

"What?"

"You have to do it if you want something to happen between you guys." 

"I-I just...Renjun...you don't even know, just being around Chenle makes me nervous." 

"You have to." 

Suddenly, the bell rang, and Jisung began to panic. 

"Did we miss first period?"

"I guess so," Renjun answered. 

"," Jisung said, leaping up and gathering his things. "I gotta go."

"You better ing tell him!" Renjun cried as Jisung pushed his way out of the stair case, with his stomach burning at the very thought of sharing his feelings. 

~~~~~~~~~~

"Jisung!" His dad cried as soon as he got home from school that day. "Come here!" Jisung tossed his bag onto the floor and walked into the kitchen to find his dad wearing the silliest grin. "Hand over my twenty bucks." 

"Wait, what?" 

"Guess who uncle Taeil is bringing over for thanksgiving dinner?" 

"No way...." Jisung trailed off. 

"Yes way! Johnny's real and he's bringing pumpkin pie."

"Just because Johnny the fake facebook billionare has said he will come to thanksgiving dinner, doesn't mean he won't cancel at the last minute." 

"Come on, Jisung. Admit I've won this one." 

Jisung rolled his eyes and dug into bag, handing his dad a twenty. "Fine. But if this Johnny guy doesn't show, you're giving me my twenty back, plus an extra ten bucks." 

"It's a deal," Taeyong said with a grin, stuffing the twenty into his pocket and sliding onto one of the island stools. "It's so nice that Taeil might've finally met someone, you know? He was couped up at home for so long, I'm really glad he's starting to branch out." His dad looked up at him. "Same goes for you, Jisung." Jisung looked up in surprise. "I'm so glad you're starting to make some friends. You've hung out with Chenle at least a couple times, and you even went to a high school party! Really, I'm so, so proud of you. It's really brave of you, to start making friends after sticking to yourself for so long." 

Jisung smiled and hid his face shyly. "Thanks dad. But, sadly, I'm definitely still a coward." 

"Why is that?" Taeyong asked with concern. 

Jisung took a deep breath, and finally, just let it all go. He told his dad the entire story of his and Chenle's relationship, from the details of their first encounter, to the conversation he'd had with Renjun that morning. He shared every little detail, just getting all the things off his chest that had been building up for so long. And Taeyong just listened, nodding every so often, taking it what his son had to say.

"You're not a coward, Jisung," Taeyong said. 

"What?"

"You're not a coward. I promise. This whole soulmate thing is a big deal. To go from being a lone wolf to being somebody's destined partner....it's a really big deal for anyone, especially a sixteen year old high schooler. It makes sense that you're freaking out. It makes sense that you don't quite know what to do." 

Jisung breathed a massive sigh of relief. "Thank you." 

"Tell me this, Jisung. It's pretty obvious that you like this Chenle kid. But do you feel ready to be in a relationship with him, or start one? Or do you think all of this just comes from nerves?"

It was a good question, one Jisung hadn't even thought about. He definitely needed a second to answer it. But when he did, he was sure of what he was saying. "I'm pretty sure I am ready. It may not seem or feel like it sometimes...but whenever I'm with him, I feel like my social skills and confidence improve, you know? I think because it's him, I am ready." 

Taeyong thought for a moment and nodded. "I see that, I definitely do. I just want you to be sure, alright?"

"Of course. A hundred percent." 

"Good. Now, are you looking for advice, or did you just want to vent?" 

"God, please give me some advice," Jisung groaned, and his dad chuckled. 

"Look, I haven't been following you two around on your dates, and I can't read his mind, so I don't know anything for sure. But from what you've told me...not only does he seem like a sweet kid, he seems completely whipped for you. Really, the ball is in your court." 

"Dad, please, I'm gay, don't use sports references," Jisung responded. 

Taeyong chuckled. "Alright, alright, fine. What I'm trying to say is, Chenle's friend was right in that it's on you to say something to him. But I know for a fact it won't go wrong. And I'm sure you'll be much happier for it." 

"D-dad....are you sure?" Jisung asked nervously. The honest truth was that Jisung trusted his father in almost every respect. If his dad really truly said to go for it, Jisung would. 

"Absolutely." 

Jisung slowly smiled. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I needed this." 

"You can always, always come to me. I promise." 

And so, it was set. With his father's encouragements and Renjun's vague threats, Jisung was going to do it. 

~~~~~~~~~~

This time, it was Jisung who waited outside Chenle's class at the end of the day (this knowledge courtesy of Renjun, of course). 

As soon as Chenle saw Jisung, he squeaked, almost dropping his books onto the floor. 

"Jisung?" 

"Can you give me a ride home from school today?" Jisung asked hurriedly, his eyes wide with nerves. His hands were shaky, partially due to nerves, again, but also due to the fact he hadn't eaten anything all day. 

"Yeah," Chenle finally answered, the two staring at each other for a weirdly long amount of time. "Come on, let's go." 

The walk to Chenle's car was full of awkwardness and tension, like that first date to in and out burger except with so much more depth, so many more layers, so much more left unsaid, so many more feelings just waiting to be released. 

They were silent for about halfway through the ride, until Chenle started. 

"Jisung, Jisung, I-I'm just...I'm so worried, about so many things. You know, like, you're the cool, mysterious kid that everybody in our grade thinks is hot (Jisung forced himself not to focus too much on that), and I'm just the stupid loudmouth that, like, everybody wants to be friends with, but nobody wants to date. So even from the beginning everything was unbalanced, because I liked you and I still like you, and if you don't, it's okay, I promise, you don't have to feel bad. I get it. Honestly I didn't text you right away at the start because I really thought you hated me, sometimes I think you don't hate me but then I feel like you do, I dunno, my brain's just a mess. I just like you a lot, I like you so much, okay? But really, it's really really okay if you don't. You shouldn't feel bad about it, okay? I'm sorry that I'm just, like, me, and stuff, and I'm worried that I'm just embarrassing you, and all that." Even when they got to Jisung's house, Chenle continued talking as he pulled into Jisung's driveway. "I'm so afraid I'm not your type because you won't ever really touch me, I guess, I'm sorry I made you feel uncomfortable, okay? And I-"

"Chenle," Jisung interrupted. Chenle turned and looked at Jisung, his eyes wide and worried, lower lips pink from nervous biting. They looked at each other for a long while before finally, Jisung decided he could do it. 

Jisung gently put both of his big hands on Chenle's soft, pink dusted cheeks. And before he could back out, he leaned over and pressed his lips to Chenle's in a long overdue kiss.

It took a minute before Chenle kissed back, but Jisung pulled away soon after, the two boys in utter shock. They both just looked at each other, panting heavily, before Jisung grabbed his bag and ducked out of the front seat. He ran inside his house with a giant smile on his face that he was sure wouldn't go away all day, since that was his first kiss after all. He ran up to his room and peered out the window, watching Chenle through the window. 

Chenle's shocked expression suddenly began to morph into a smile, and he was quickly gripping the steering wheel. Even though the car and the house walls, Jisung could hear him squealing, and Jisung smiled affectionately. 

Somehow, this was going to work.