“Come again?” Donghae asked with a bemused expression.

“Say what?” Dara in a much louder voice.

Yoona chuckled at the reaction she got from Donghae and shrugged. “I know. It’s ridiculous, right?” She went behind the cash register and looked under the table. “I know I’ve left some notes in here somewhere. Grandma used to do so much research on that.” He heard some rustle and then Yoona appeared with a disappointed look. “It’s not here. I’ve been taking notes on that because honestly, that is the only subject I was really interested in out of all the paranormal stuff grandma is shoving down my throat.” She looked at Donghae. “But anyway. Yeah. She’s your soulmate if she gets inside you even with all your runes and charms.”

Donghae just gaped at Yoona over that information. That is such a ridiculous explanation for what is happening to him and to Dara.

“I know I know,” Yoona said seeing the look on Donghae’s face. “Soulmates used to only be a term for the supernatural but as the centuries progressed, some authors, who probably had some background in that world, linked it to romanticism. It is not really an unusual occurrence to know you have a soulmate.” She laughed at the expression on Donghae’s face. “It’s not unusual, Donghae… but the explanation is somewhat very complex. Let’s just say that, your soul and… hers are two halves of a whole.”

Silence.

“I’m sorry, is she speaking another language?” Dara said with raised brows at Donghae.

Donghae just gave her a dry glance before returning his attention at Yoona. “So you’re saying… she is able to possess me because her soul is another part of mine?”

Yoona flicked her fingers at Donghae. “Exactly!”

“That is stupid,” Donghae just said.

“Extremely so,” Dara agreed. “Are you sure she’s not a fake?”

“The world of the supernatural is really strange,” Yoona continued. “Scary at most. Explanations doesn’t have any scientific support and it all just goes down to every psychics’ or clairvoyants’ experience with the paranormal for the others who wanted to learn it. Believe it or not, you are not the only one who had already seen their soulmates. Sometimes, they found they have multiple ones. Apparently, soulmates aren’t only limited to one.”

Her explanation for what is happening to him and the soul is getting more absurd by the second. Yoona sat down on the stool and looked at Donghae, smiling at the bemused expression on his face. “We don’t know what our soul is made of but for some powerful seers, they believe our souls are a portion of a colossal constituent that gets distributed during a human’s… conception.”

“There she goes again with the alien language,” Dara said with a hand on her hip.

“So from what you’re saying she’s not the only one who can bypass this bracelet and the runes and there is another one—or two…or three… who can?” Donghae asked already thinking of the absolute nightmare if he would ever come across some other soul like Dara.

“There might be another one,” Yoona clarified then grinned. “So let’s just hope she’s the only soulmate you have.”

“It’s not funny,” Donghae told her.

“Okay, sorry,” Yoona said wiping her grin off her face then regarded Donghae thoughtfully before speaking again. “There are a lot of explanations for it, Donghae,” Yoona continued looking serious now. “Soulmates are actually just considered an extreme compatibility of an individual to another. A soul connecting to another soul. A person having soulmates doesn’t necessarily mean they can possess the other person if they became spirits. But with you… it’s possible because you’re an Open Medium. Your charms is not working on her because her soul is a part of yours. When she lost her body, that soul started gravitating towards its other half. She can get inside you because it needs to connect with the other half of the soul she is made of. And without a corporeal form… then yes, her soul can possess you.” Donghae was just gaping at her and Yoona tried to simplify the explanation. “Okay, for an example. You might have found yourself before not knowing why you wanted to go to a place and felt at peace when you get there. She might have been there too and you both might have crossed paths, being there at the same time but clueless about each other's presence. Both of your souls are drifting towards each other but our bodies have components which can disrupt that gravitational pull especially if one had a stronger mind than the other, which is probably the reason why you haven’t met yet until she lost her body. So when she did, her soul automatically search for yours.

I'm not really sure how accurate i could explain this but… Soul Mates are more than just its romantic connotation especially in the paranormal world but… she can be fated to be your partner.”

Dara’s mouth fell open at that and her eyes darted over to Donghae to see how he is reactng to that. If she wasn’t the soul subjected to this soulmate thing conversation, she would’ve laughed at the incredulous look on his face.

“Can,” Donghae repeated looking firm after a minute of trying not to lose his . “It doesn’t mean it’s set in absoluteness, right?” Compatiblity? Him and her are two poles apart in terms of that word.

Dara scowled at the tone of Donghae’s voice like he is completely against that idea. Like I would want that too! She crossed her arms on her chest with a stormy expression on her face feeling suddenly really pissed..

“Of course.” Yoona nodded. “Like grandma said, we make our own destiny. That is just a possibility. Soulmates are a congruent extension of us in all aspects but it does not mean it should be romantic. She could maybe just turn into your bestfriend. You never know.”

Donghae gave a very loud sigh that really annoyed Dara. She should be the one showing her complete opposition on that idea!

“So she can really get inside me anytime she wants?” Donghae said with a grimace.

Dara rolled her eyes in exasperation but kept shut. There he goes again acting like she possesses him intentionally.

“Only when she’s feeling too much emotions,” Yoona said.

“She’s always emotional, what the hell am I supposed to do?” Donghae complained.

“I am not,” Dara protested but Donghae just ignored her.

“Well… I think the only way she can’t get inside you is if she’s in a good distance away. Like, really distant.” Yoona’s forehead creased in puzzlement. “Aren’t lost souls supposed to recover their memories in a couple of days? I don’t think you would need to worry about that once she did get her memories and she can get back inside her body.”

“Right,” Donghae said. If he would be able to help her find where her body is since from what she had said that morning, her body is really missing. He looked at Yoona after a couple of minutes. “She can only get inside me when she’s in a spiked-up emotions but not when she’s trying to fake it, right?”

Dara scoffed in disbelief at what Donghae is insinuating.

“No,” Yoona answered looking amused at Donghae’s question. “No one can fake emotions.” She rested her chin on her hand. “Our souls are our body’s essence. Without a body, souls doesn’t really have any senses. I’m not saying they cannot feel in that form but it’s just that, when they feel too much, they need an outlet. They need a body to let it out because if that is contained, well… let’s just say that is really maddening. Why do you think dead souls are scrambling to get to you? To possess a body? Exactly for that reason. To feel. To have the body’s senses. To emit those emotions. And with your soulmate feeling that array of strong… reactions….” Yoona shrugged. “She would possess you because… well… like I said, you’re an Open Medium. And she’s a part of your soul. I mean it could’ve been different if you’re not… that and she could just be drifting around you but… since you’re like an Open For All Souls human, if she feels too much, her soul would automatically get inside you to vent… because your soul is welcoming her.”

Dara watched Donghae walking in front of her with both his hands inside his pocket, the set of his shoulders looking tensed. After that Yoona girl had explained the ridiculousness of Soulmate business, Donghae left the store after thanking her and that girl just watching him leave with a sympathetic expression on her face.

Donghae had not said a word to her and she just left him alone with his thoughts. But it really irritated her how much bothered he was by that information. What, she’s not good enough? She might not remember what she looks like but she damn well know for a fact that she is beautiful. And rich. If there is anyone who should be feeling despondent over this soulmate thing between the two of them, then it’s definitely not him.

Psshh. She scowled at his back. And why is he sulking over that? Didn’t he tried to confirm that it’s not set in absoluteness and the witch girl affirmed that? Did he have to be so huffy about it that he is somehow connected to her for the weirdest reason?

“It’s not like I would want that connection either,” Dara muttered audibly. And besides, that is too unbelievable to be true. Soulmates are only used for novels and movies and all that. Not in real life. I mean, is there really such a thing? If she got back inside her body, she would tell Jiyong about this and maybe they could have a laugh over the ridiculousness of that. One thing that witch girl is right about is that people make their own destiny. People have their own minds. And Soulmates, if that were really true, are just sheer manipulation into letting people think their fate is already sealed with another person. Dara gave a nod in agreement to her own thoughts.

After riding the bus in silence, they arrived at the radio station. Dara just kept following Donghae, making a face or two, scowling at him, then grumbling under her breath which Donghae just ignored. He’s still trying to process the new information that Yoona just shared. Nam Miso should’ve told him that so he would’ve at least been aware that there is still that possiblity of him being possessed. He glanced at Dara who had a deep frown on her face as she rolled her eyes to whatever she is thinking right now.

Donghae doesn’t know if he would be thankful that… this is the soulmate that can get inside him. It could’ve been worse if he thinks about it.

He greeted the technician when he got inside the studio and saw that Sungmin, who had the previous program before him, had already left. He started prepping for his and only looked up when the soul spoke in an a very impatient tone. “Can you tell when you would stop brooding so we can talk?”

“Brooding?” Donghae repeated as he put the headphones around his neck.

“I don’t like this as much as you do,” Dara said. “Soulmates? That is bull. You’re not even my type. You don’t even come close to Jiyong and me and you don’t even connect so I really believe whatever that witch girl said is a total scam.” She walked over to him. “Just help me find my body and once I get back, you will never see me again and both of us will end up living happily ever after.”

Donghae just gave a sigh and turned his attention back to the monitor.

“Don’t ignore me,” Dara practically demanded.

“If it were that easy, we wouldn’t even be talking right now and you would be back to where you came from,” Donghae said then looked at her. “I said I’ll help you, alright? But it will be on my terms. I’m not new to this. And you… you just rush into things without thinking.”

“Because whoever has my body will end up killing me,” Dara said. “Why do you think I’m rushing?”

“You’ve been missing for three weeks, Dara,” Donghae responded looking at her in the eye. “If someone who has you really wanted to kill you, you would’ve been dead already.”

Dara didn’t know how to respond to that and Donghae swiveled his chair to face her. “I’m not trying to be callous, I’m trying to be rational. I understand the urgency but panic could draw the mess. Your family made the whole country think you missing is just a rumor. Why do you think that is? Whatever your family’s reasons are, it’s probably to protect you wherever you are. And maybe, there’s a chance that they already have your body and they are just waiting for you to wake up. For whatever plans your family have, me asking around about a missing body might botch up a plan that we don’t know anything about.” He watched Dara’s face as he let that sink in. “That accident might not have killed you, Dara… but our ignorance will.”

She hated it when he made sense.

And he made sense all the time!

There was a knock on the studio door that made Dara jumped and Donghae looked in that direction. A tall man in a black suit entered with a big grin on his face. “I see you’re talking to yourself again.”

Donghae grinned widely as he put the headphones down and gave his bestfriend, Siwon, a hug. “Yo. When did you get here?”

“I just came from shooting a CF,” Siwon said as he sat down on the nearest chair. Donghae leaned on the table, pleased to see one of his bestfriends after so long. He left Busan in a pretty bad shape and he knew his bestfriends, Siwon and Hyukjae, had been really worried about him especially after Nam Miso told them what is happening to him. They have witnessed his deterioration after his mother died and they didn’t know how they could help until the witch appeared. They couldn’t visit him during his “training” with Nam Miso since she told them they would disrupt the flow of his concentration and when he got his life back, they could only communicate through email and social media apps since they all got busy with their lives. Siwon is now an A list actor who stars from one drama to another, from one movie to another. Hyukjae stayed in Busan managing the business of his parents and is now considered one of the youngest billionaires in the country.

“He looks familiar,” Dara said after gaping at Siwon. She had never seen anyone look so elegant.

Donghae just gave her a glance then looked at the door when a girl in a pony tail also entered the studio room with a bottled wated in hand and wearing a very deep scowl on her face. “Here’s your drink,” she told Siwon as she handed him a bottle. Donghae’s forehead creased wondering who she is and looked at Siwon.

Siwon gave her a haughty nod taking the bottle. The girl looked around the studio before addressing Donghae. “Is there somewhere I could sit that doesn’t look.. dirty?”

“Aish,” Siwon muttered. “Just sit anywhere. Managers are not supposed to be picky.”

“I am not a manager!”

“You are until the president say otherwise,” Siwon argued back then gave her the bottle. “Get me a coke instead. I don’t want this.”

“What?!”

Siwon made a show of taking his phone out of his pocket. “I thnk I need to talk with the president.”

The girl just made a loud Ugh sound before snatching the bottle off Siwon’s hand and walking out of the studio without a word to get him the coke he asked for. Siwon snickered.

“Oh,” Dara said sounding disappointed. “Now I see why you two are friends. He’s a jerk too.”

“Who is she?” Donghae asked Siwon ignoring Dara.

“Stephanie Young,” Siwon told Donghae sounding exasperated. “Her father is a hollywood producer but she chose to be an actress here in Korea and wanted to learn everything from scratch.”

“Huh?”

“She doesn’t want to use her family’s connection in show business and wanted to make it on her own,” Siwon said. “So our president made her my manager so she could learn.”

“And… that’s a bad thing?”

“She in managing,” Siwon said sounding resigned. “She messes up my schedule, she growls at my fans, she hits me… she’s a nightmare.”

Donghae studied him before smirking. “You look like you’re enjoying it.”

He smirked. “I do enjoy pissing her off. She’s so… spoiled. President had asked me to train her how the business works so… here we are. Anyway, so what’s up with you? Did Hyukjae ever come around here?”

“He calls and sends me various tracks to play,” Donghae told him. “Five of his songs were already bought by some producers. Had he told you that?”

“Can’t shut up about it,” Siwon said with a shake of his head.

Donghae chuckled. Dara was watching the exchange but her mind was on that Stephanie Young. When she saw her enter, she looked familiar. Her name also sounds familiar. The two friends talked and laughed as they tried to catch up until Stephanie appeared holding a bottled coke with a more pronounced scowl than earlier.

“I think I know this girl,” Dara said.

Donghae glanced at Dara before looking back at Stephanie Young who stood by the side with her arms crossed. Siwon opened the coke and drank. Well, it wouldn’t hurt to ask. “Stephanie Young?”

Stephanie lifted an eyebrow at him as if telling him that he’s not worthy to even talk to her. Siwon just watched Donghae in surprise a