Every spiral has a starting point and it’s entirely possible that something existed for Taeyong and Haeun long before they met that night by the palace spring. 

Perhaps that wasn’t the first version of them that existed. 

But it was the first version they remembered. The first one that truly mattered.

No matter how many times they were reborn, no matter who they were reborn as, or what their lives were like, no matter how their lives would intersect, it would always happen. 

They’d both be hit with the recognition that the person sitting across from them is their soulmate. Their one true love. The one person they loved so much that one lifetime wasn’t enough. 

And in a second, all their memories will come rushing back.

Every lifetime.

Every version. 

Starting with the first time they met.

Mokdong Ice Rink —— 1980

“I got here first.” 

Taeyong clenched his jaw tight as he adjusted his helmet and his ice skates to see Haeun standing on the opposite end of the rink, skating towards him. 

The junior national hockey team shifted uncomfortably behind him, they always did whenever Haeun and Taeyong went at it. 

“It’s a shared space.” He spat back. 

She crossed her arms as she came to a stop in front of him, “But your team is loud and take up nearly the entire rink.” 

“There’s no rule saying we can’t be here. If you have a problem take it up with our assistant coach.”

She looked over to where Jung Jaehyun stood giving her a meek smile. Mark was seated next to him, also nervously glancing between her and Taeyong. 

There were too many times when he’d have to slip and slide across the ice to stop her from lunging at Taeyong. 

Turning back to Taeyong, she narrowed her gaze, “You’re the one I have a problem with though. You always schedule your practices at the same time I do and I know that you make those decisions.”

“Aww, you pay attention to me?” He cooed mockingly. 

She was going to sock him if he kept this up, “You’re insufferable.”   

“That’s your issue, not mine.” He fired back. 

She fisted her hands and got in his face, “If you barbarians want to smash your heads against something hard so badly, there are trees outside for your entertainment.” 

“You think just because you’ve won a few figure skating awards that we should all—“

“We promise to behave, Haeun!” Jaehyun called out from the stands. “Just let us off the hook one time, please.” 

She tilted her head so she could stare Taeyong down her nose. “Just make sure you and your hooligans stay away from me.” 

“Whatever.” He muttered. 

They both skated to opposite ends of the rink and did their best to ignore each other as they went through their practices. It was all going so well until the puck slipped between one of his player’s legs and his best offence men Doyoung, charged after it, not realizing he had breached Haeun’s space. 

Taeyong felt the fear hit him when he saw Haeun picking up momentum to jump. He had watched Haeun’s routine from his peripheral enough times to know where her jump was supposed to land. 

And he knew that Doyoung was heading in that direction. 

“No!” 

The rest of the team gaped as Taeyong dropped his stick and moved towards Haeun like he was a speed skater. Doyoung began to slow at the sound but it had thrown Haeun off and her jump dismounted at an angle. 

He didn’t know how he did it, but he caught her before her head hit the ground.

She tumbled on him and they skidded a few feet until the sideboards stopped them. His vision swam as his helmet knocked against his skull and all he could hear was his breathing and Haeun calling his name in a panic. Even nearly concussed she was the prettiest thing his ears could hear, hell she always was, even when she was comparing him and his team to cavemen.

When he managed to focus his vision long enough to look at her, it clicked. 

And it all came back. Every lifetime, memory, secret, kiss, it all came rushing back like it couldn't wait to reach him.

In this life they were 20 when they met.

His eyes widened and tears filled hers as she brushed her fingers against his cheek. 

“Sunflower.” He whispered. 

She let out a stunned laugh before leaning down and pressing her lips against his, smiling into his mouth. 

“You found me.” 

“Hey!”

They pulled away and looked over at Jaehyun who was grinning next to Mark, “Stop making out with my guard.” 

Gangnam —— 1990

Haeun woke to the loudest pounding ringing in her head and a warm body pressed against her back. 

She groaned as she rubbed her face, she wasn’t that drunk last night, she could remember everything clearly, everything except the guy she couldn’t stop staring at in the bar the entire night until he came over to introduce himself. 

For the life of her, she couldn’t remember his face. She remembered his voice, low and rumbling in her ear as he leaned close to talk to her over the music. She remembered her fingers instinctively pulling him close and before he could slide her a line, she kissed him. 

Not because she was drunk. 

Not because her judgement was clouded.

But because she really wanted to. 

She remembered his fingers digging into her softly as he pressed her against a wall at the club until she gripped his hand and dragged him out while hailing a cab. 

She remembered him asking, every three seconds, if this was okay with her, even when she stripped down in her apartment and let him lay her down on the bed and each time he asked, she wanted him a little bit more. 

But what the did he look like?

And why was she too scared to look over her shoulder and find out?

“If it makes you feel better, I’m not that hideous.” 

She stiffened at the gruff voice mumbling into the back of her neck, she ignored the shiver that crawled through her when she felt his lips brush against the base of her neck. She chewed on the inside of her cheek before slowly turning around in his arms to get a better look at his face. Her eyes widened and when everything came rushing back, his own eyes doing the same as they darted across her face.

“Taeyong?” She breathed out. 

He slid his hands across her bare waist and pulled her in until he could brush his nose against hers, a dubious smile spreading across his face, “Sunflower.”

In this life, they were 25 when they met.

“You found me.” She murmured. 

He raised a brow, his eyes lazily scanning down her face, “I think this time you found me.”

“I can’t believe I had a one night stand with my soulmate.” She groaned, pulling the blanket over her face. 

Taeyong laughed, ducking under the covers to bring her close, he never wanted to be far away from her ever again. It was torture, spending the last 25 years of his life feeling like something was always missing until this morning. 

Until he found her.

Hongdae —— 2000

“You’re heading home?”

Taeyong looked over at Jaehyun, friends since high school, stuck together through vet school and now the co-owner of their small veterinarian clinic. There weren’t many things in his life that Taeyong could confidently say that he loved, but this clinic was the rare exception. 

“Yeah, it’s getting late.” He mumbled, glancing at his watch.

Jaehyun shook his head, “You need to stop keeping the clinic open so late, you already sent the staff home too, even Johnny, you don’t have enough support staff even if someone comes in.”

“I know, but you never know when someone might have an emergency.” He mused, as he packed his things up. “And anyways, you’re always here.”

Jaehyun hummed nonchalantly, turning back to paperwork, “You’re too soft, Taeyong.” 

As if on cue, the sound of someone banging on the front door cut through the quiet. Taeyong and Jaehyun exchanged looks before going up to the front of the clinic where a woman was standing, holding something wrapped in cloth. 

Taeyong squinted in the darkness and tried to make out her face. She looked like the woman who ran the bakery across the street. He unlocked the door and peered down at her, “We’re actually closed.” 

She pushed her hood down and stared at him, tears spilling, “I found this stray puppy on the side of the road and he’s so thi—“

In this life, they were 30 when they met.

“Sunflower?” He whispered. 

Her eyes widened and the tears fell faster as relief flooded her, the anxiety out of her at the realization that she stood in front of people she trusted more than life itself. 

“You found me.” She choked out.

Yeouido —— 2010

“60-40 and that’s 60 to us.” Haeun said firmly. 

Taeyong scoffed and leaned against his chair, twirling a pen between his fingers, “That’s bold. I thought it’d take a bit more of us beating around the bush before you started throwing numbers at me.” 

“All you want to do is administer the project, you don’t even care about the actual work that goes into it. That’ll be all our company is in charge of. We deserve a bigger cut if we’re doing more of the work.” She argued. 

Taeyong always strode through her conference rooms and office doors as if he ran the place. They had met briefly at a charity gala but hadn't had much interaction until months later when she found out his company signed a contract with hers. Now they were working together, she realized that his face wasn't just handsome but also the perfect size for her to smack. Taeyong blinked tiredly at her. She rolled her eyes, in reality, her company would rejoice at even a