Day 1.
 

Seungwan moves into her new flat on a hot summer day. She’d just recently gotten a raise at work, probably because she doesn’t complain as much as the others as piles upon piles of manuscripts tower over her table in the office, waiting to be proofread and edited yesterday. She figured it’s time to leave her one-room-if-you-can-call-it-a-room apartment and move on to bigger and better things. Like not being able to both reach the toilet and the kitchen sink in one go.
 

It’s unbearably warm in the room as she enters, and she wonders if her new roommate is here just…basking in this ridiculous heat. She takes a quick look around as she simultaneously tries to search for a fan of any kind.
 

The place is relatively neat, with some fruit on the kitchen table and a desk pushed against edge of the living room, the wall in front of it covered in purple post-its and a constellations calendar, now flipped to Cancer for July. There is no one in sight, and Seungwan doesn’t know if she should knock on her flatmate’s door to make her presence known – if she was even there to begin with.
 

The Craigslist Ad for this new apartment was non-fussy and detailed enough that Seungwan didn’t have to inquire about much, other than asking when she could get her keys in the mail and move in. She’s only been in contact with this “Irene” through text; she didn’t think too much of it before, but now a small ball of worry begins to form at the pit of her stomach.
 

She doesn’t even know which room is hers. She makes her way to the adjacent hallway and comes face-to-face with another purple post-it stuck on one of the doors.

Hi Seungwan,

This room is yours. Mine is the one across it. Sorry I’m not around to welcome you today, I’m still working at the café. Just contact me if you have any questions.

Joohyun

Well that’s a lot of periods, is the first thing that flits through Seungwan’s mind.
 

The second is a sort of mental spasm – or flail – as she sees the last word on the note.
 

Joohyun.
 

Last she checked, the person in need of a roommate was named ‘Irene.’ But she surmises that that may have been a pseudonym for safety reasons, which she understands.
 

However.
 

She pulls down the collar of her light pink shirt, to see black ink printed to the left of where her heart is, so akin to the Joohyun written on the note that it may as well have been written by the same person.
 

Well.

Day 2.
 

Seungwan wakes the next day to find her roommate gone. She didn’t actually see her arrive, as Seungwan had gone to bed at around ten and Joohyun still hadn’t come home, but there’s now a gray hoodie thrown over the back of the couch and a bookmarked novel on the coffee table.
 

Realizing something, Seungwan backtracks to the hallway and stares at the bare door of Joohyun’s room. Joohyun has removed the blue post-it note with her reply on it, written with ‘thanks’ and ‘can’t wait to meet you’ and an invisible ‘really can’t wait to meet you.’
 

She wonders how long it will take before she finally gets to see her busy roommate. Slash…possible soulmate?
 

The last thought boggles her mind so much that she overpours orange juice into her glass, making a sticky mess on the counter.
 

She wipes down the table with a napkin as her thoughts stray again. If Joohyun is her soulmate, what number could be inked on her body?

Day 3.
 

They finally meet the night of Day 3.
 

Joohyun is really pretty.
 

Like. Really.
 

She looks exhausted, dark circles shadowing eyes that blink in surprise upon seeing Seungwan sitting on the couch with her laptop.
 

But all Seungwan and her one-track mind could think was pretty. Jaw-drop pretty.
 

Her?
 

Her? She’s my soulmate?
 

No way.
 

Seungwan scoffs a laugh out loud and Joohyun’s eyebrows furrow.
 

“Oh- no- I-” Great. Great. “I’m sorry. Hi. Nice to finally meet you.” Good, Seungwan. Better.
 

“…Hi,” Joohyun says, still looking a little confused. “Seungwan?”
 

“Yeah.”
 

“Sorry I haven’t really been around during reasonable hours. It’s summer and the café is really busy.” Joohyun sets her keys down on the fishbowl at the end table and begins to take off her sneakers.
 

“That’s okay,” Seungwan replies. “I just hope you’re not being overworked, or something.”
 

“Oh.” Joohyun laughs, and it’s a breathy one that makes her cheeks lift. “My family owns the café so they can overwork me as much as they like. It’s two blocks from here, so come over if you ever need a fix. It’s called Red Velvet.”
 

Seungwan nods, mentally taking note. “I see. Thanks, I’ll come by when I’m going to start some heavy duty editing. Tomorrow night, probably.”
 

“Sure. I’m not sure if I’m working late tomorrow, but just tell whoever’s at the counter that you’re my new roommate. First drink’s on the house.” Joohyun smiles before heading to her room. “I should go take a shower. I’m sorry if I collapse after and don’t come back out.”
 

Seungwan laughs. “It’s no problem. I hope you rest well!”
 

Joohyun sends her another smile before closing the door, and Seungwan is left to space out on her own. She pulls down her shirt again to check the name tattooed across, disbelief overpowering her excitement.
 

Maybe she was wrong.
 

Joohyun seems way out of her league. And that’s just from one very polite conversation with her.
 

Would it even do any good to tell her? Maybe she’d be in disbelief too, and then where would they be?
 

If they really were soulmates, then this will all work out. If they weren’t and there was another Joohyun that Seungwan will meet in the future, then there will be no harm done if she doesn’t tell her.
 

Right?

Day 6.
 

Seungwan doesn’t end up going to Red Velvet café until three days later, when she’s absolutely sure she will burst a blood vessel if she sees another A4-size bond paper with yippity-yappity prose tainting the page.
 

Her newly-purchased computer chair rolls across the hardwood floor with force as she stands up. She grabs her keys and wallet from her bag and steps out of her bedroom.
 

The living room is empty, only lit by a small lamp on Joohyun’s desk. She figures the other girl must be in her room or working. Joohyun doesn’t make much noise when she’s inside her room, so Seungwan can never be sure if she’s even home. Instead of knocking, Seungwan sends her a text asking if she wants something from the café before she leaves their flat.
 

The summer night’s cool air feels refreshing on her skin as she walks the short two blocks with the guidance of her map app. Overhanging bells jingle like a greeting as she opens the door to the coffee shop, and her face brightens when she spots Joohyun at the counter.
 

The place surprisingly isn’t all that crowded, and no one is lining up at the counter.
 

Joohyun seems to be double-checking something at the till, so her presence hasn’t been noticed yet. Only when she’s a few feet away does Joohyun look up, eyes widening in recognition and a small smile gracing her pretty face.
 

“I got your text,” Joohyun says before Seungwan can even say hello.
 

“Oh. Yeah, sorry I’ve only come around now. I was in the zone for a while but now I think reading another manuscript will actually kill me.”
 

“Is that your subtle way of saying you still haven’t gotten your free first drink?” Joohyun grins cheekily, and damn if cheeky doesn’t look good on her.
 

“…Maybe,” Seungwan says, playing along up until her innate concern for others gets the better of her. “But I’ll buy you a drink if you want one. Or a pastry. Have you even had dinner yet?”
 

“Yeah, it’s…yeah, I’m okay, thank you.” Joohyun’s grin turns softer, subdued yet still just as bright in Seungwan’s eyes. “Anyway, what can I get you?”
 

Seungwan scans the menu until she finds what she wants, relaying it to Joohyun. She also purchases a few pastries, and Joohyun tries to brush off the bills she’s handing over. “I’m thankful enough for the free drink. It’s okay,” she urges. But Joohyun just raises a haughty eyebrow and ignores her outstretched hand, walking towards the coffee machine to make her drink.
 

Seungwan sighs and tucks the bills back into her wallet, smiling a little as she watches Joohyun. She hesitates a little before she finally says, “Um, do you wanna split the food with me? I don’t think it’s good for my sanity if I go back home right away and work. Can you catch a break for a few minutes? Is that a thing?” She realizes she’s rambling but Joohyun has stopped moving and has fixed her gaze on her.
 

Seungwan unconsciously holds her breath, fingers fidgeting with her sleeve, until Joohyun puts down the cup she was working with. “Give me a sec,” is all she says before she turns around and enters the door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY.
 

Lifting her hand, Seungwan brushes it against her chest, at the spot where she knows her tattoo is located. The skin there almost feels hot, and Seungwan can feel the beat of her heart against her fingers, loud and nervous, somehow.
 

She starts when Joohyun returns, the apron she had worn now in her hand as she flashes Seungwan another warm smile. “I’ll just prepare this. You can go find a table for us.”
 

Seungwan smiles brightly at the unspoken ‘yes’ to her request. But she stays, waiting for Joohyun to finish so she can help carry the trays to the table.

Day 14.
 

After their time together at the café – where a supposed 15 minutes of break for Joohyun became more than an hour of talking and laughing with Seungwan – they became fast friends. It was almost comical how easily they clicked, how comfortable everything felt when they were talking about everything and nothing.
 

She’s been enjoying taking two-hour breaks at night from excruciating editing to spend time with Joohyun after the older girl arrives back in their apartment from the café, always holding two drinks in one hand and a bag of pastries on the other. They take turns playing their choice of movies, sometimes watching intensely or sometimes using it as background noise to their conversations.

Day 15.
 

Contrary to the usual summer nights they’ve been having, this night has been almost as hot as the daily midday heat waves. Seungwan has been working on one of the last few manuscripts clad only in her underwear. In her room, of course; she didn’t want to give Joohyun’s poor grandma heart a scare.
 

But Joohyun’s about to arrive back, and Seungwan can’t help but count down the last few minutes before she does, excited to watch another movie with her flatmate. Being all alone in her previous apartment may have caused her to become a bit…attached…to warm and very pleasant company in the form of Joohyun.
 

She stands up and stretches her arms, back cracking at the effort. Grabbing one of her loose tank tops and a pair of shorts at the top of her drawer, she puts them on and exits her room to wait for Joohyun outside.
 

She’s scrolling through the Netflix list for action/adventure movies – it’s her turn to pick the film tonight – when the front door unlocks. Joohyun enters the flat carrying the usual food and drinks and Seungwan has this sudden urge to hug her. Just…out of the blue. But she doesn’t, because she’s kind of sweaty and Joohyun doesn’t need that in her life.
 

Instead, she welcomes her with a bright smile and outstretched arms, plucking the items off her hands so she can arrange them on the coffee table.
 

She’s already taken one of the brownies out and picked a crunchy end off, popping it into , when she notices that Joohyun hasn’t moved from her position by the front door.
 

Amidst the unforgiving heat of the evening, Joohyun looks like a frozen popsicle, and Seungwan worries.
 

“…Unnie?”
 

Joohyun’s eyes are wide, almost accusing, but altogether vulnerable. “You- I-” She shakes her head, trying to clear it. She seemingly caves in on herself after taking a deep breath, and Seungwan’s sitting down staring at her, thoroughly confused. “Never mind,” she mutters. “What are we watching tonight?” A deflection, and Seungwan continues to look at her, unsure.
 

“Um. I haven’t picked yet.”
 

Joohyun laughs, a little shaky, but at least she’s moving now, walking towards the couch to where Seungwan is. “Pick or I’ll do it for you,” she teases, and Seungwan scrambles for the discarded remote, Joohyun’s weird moment by the door already forgotten by her goldfish brain.

Day 21.
 

A romantic comedy about serendipity plays on the screen of the television in their living room, Joohyun and Seungwan all bundled up together with seeming disregard for the concept of personal space, as they have gradually done for the past few days.
 

Tonight, Joohyun fits her head against the crook of Seungwan’s neck, snuggling deeper against her as the couple on the screen talks about meeting again, about how fate will decide everything for them if they just believed, when it hits her like ice in her veins.
 

Seungwan realizes she’s made a huge mistake. At not telling Joohyun right away about her name tattooed across her chest, at playing oblivious to something that could very well mean a lot to her roommate.
 

The very concept of soulmates are held in high regard by society, despite the obvious disparity between number and name. Why does one get a vague number, but the other a more solid name? But that is the kind of thing hopeless romantics eat up – how despite the seemingly cruel hand of fate, couples still find their way to each other, one way or another.
 

Seungwan’s never been one to hold the ‘soulmate’ thing on a pedestal. It’s not something she thinks about day and night, worrying when and how she will meet the supposed love of her life. She’s the lucky one, people would say, the one gifted with name.
 

And despite knowing all of this, she’s kept an important piece of information from the person who needs it the most.
 

So she tries. Maybe 21 days too late, but she hopes it still counts.
 

“Joohyun-unnie?”
 

“Hm?” Joohyun blinks sleepily at her, head slightly turned up.
 

“Do you…um…have a soulmate?” In all their conversations, not once has the soulmate thing come up. And Seungwan doesn’t know what to make of it.
 

For a second, Joohyun looks confused. She lifts her head to look at Seungwan properly, eyes losing their sleepy haze as she smiles crookedly. “Don’t we all?”
 

“Yeah, I just…”
 

“I have a number,” Joohyun says, and hope blooms in Seungwan’s heart. “But…honestly, I believe, and I don’t believe.”
 

Seungwan’s heart begins to sink at her words. “W-what do you mean?”
 

“My parents both have numbers tattooed on them. My father’s soulmate passed away when she was very little, and my mother never even met hers. But now they’re together, and I’ve never seen anyone happier than them.”
 

Seungwan stares at Joohyun, feeling like someone forced the air out of her lungs.
 

Would she care?
 

Would she care if it was me?
 

“Why do you ask?” Joohyun asks her, eyes probing. Almost piercing.
 

Seungwan her lips, fighting off a hive-full of nerves. “I’m sorry,” is all she whispers out, pulling down the collar of her shirt as she shuts her eyes, afraid of how Joohyun will look at her.
 

Her breath catches when she feels gentle fingers trace the name above her heart. “Why are you sorry?” She opens her eyes to a smiling Joohyun, eyes sparkling with amusement.
 

stutters with words that overlap and become stellar examples of incoherency. “You- I- wha-”
 

Joohyun holds her hand with the one not busy passing feather-light touches on her chest. “You have really low-hanging tank tops, you know. It’s very distracting.”
 

Seungwan’s mouth opens and closes like a fish, her heart soaring up over her ears. “You…knew?”
 

“Yeah, like a week ago. I-I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know why you didn’t tell me. Why didn’t you?” Joohyuns asks her, eyes curious yet kind of sad. And yet her fingers don’t stop moving against her, making it very difficult for Seungwan to breathe, much less think.
 

“It was- I didn’t…I was dumb. That’s the gist of it.” Seungwan sighs. “Will you believe me if I said that I was so distracted with spending so much time with you that I didn’t think about it until tonight?”
 

Joohyun snorts out a laugh. “Fine. I mean, I am pretty distracting,” she teases, even when Seungwan automatically nods her head in agreement, making her laugh even harder.
 

Seungwan’s presses her hand against Joohyun’s on her chest, stilling her fingers. “But…you said…you didn’t really believe in soulmates,” she says softly, dejectedly.
 

“I said I believe in it and I don’t. I don’t believe it’s the be-all and end-all of our lives, because of my parents. But I believe in it…because of you. Because I’ve spent time with you before I even knew, and when I saw my name across your chest, it just…it made me so happy.” Joohyun’s beams at her, intertwining their fingers against her chest. “It felt right.”
 

Seungwan feels like her smile can split her at the seams, but she can’t stop. Not when Joohyun is looking at her like that, telling her that she’s happy that she’s hers. She forgoes any semblance of saying something as perfect as Joohyun did, and instead leans in to embrace her, all soft and warm and full of promise.
 

“May I see it?” Seungwan asks against her hair. “Your number?”
 

Joohyun pulls away, smile turning a bit shy. She pulls up her shirt, just a little, so Seungwan can catch a glimpse of the numbers inked across the left side of her waist. 21.

A/N:

jamie's fic prompt: soulmates au where one has a name and one has a number significant to their relationship; use 21 specifically

and i wanted another roommates au so i forced her hand lol

was supposed to be only 2.5k words but...world-building (not really) and character-building (just a smidgen) made it impossible.

special thanks to ace and sasha for beta, and aly for her untiring support of screeching authors having mild-moderate mental breakdowns.