seungwan is certain that seulgi’s birthday could be compared to an event like the first moon landing — that’s how extravagant sooyoung is trying to make it. sooyoung doesn’t tell the nerd much, just the bare minimum details like the time, date and location of the party. everything else had to be a secret and despite all of that, seungwan still managed to help out with everything behind the scenes. and for the actual day, thankfully, her sole task is to seulgi to the location.

 

the birthday girl arranges a make up dinner considering she slept through their supposed celebratory dinner yesterday. seungwan agrees, it makes things easier since she has to bring seulgi to the surprise party anyway.

 

sooyoung had been texting her incessantly since she parted from seulgi after their date in the afternoon and seungwan found it a little amusing that she’s being so anxious over a surprise party. as if seulgi would love her any lesser if it flopped, these two little s had heart eyes for each other all the time.

 

seulgi’s demon:

let me knwo when u’re leaving ok!

7:33 pm

 

seulgi’s demon:

are u guys on the way soon?

7:38 pm

 

seulgi’s demon:

sEuNGWAN UNNIE!!!!

7:40 pm

 

seulgi’s demon:

unNINEINIENIENE!!!!!!

7:43 pm

 

seungwan:

could you just calm down?

7:45 pm

 

seul’s getting changed now we’ll be out in 5

7:45 pm

 

be there by 8

7:45 pm

 

seulgi’s demon:

ok good

7:45 pm

 

sorry i’m just nervous

7:45 pm

 

seungwan:

you know she’ll love it no matter what right?

7:46 pm

 

seulgi’s demon:

yeah but i just want it to be perfect :/

7:46 pm

 

seungwan:

never thought i’d see the day park sooyoung turns into a perfectionist

7:46 pm

 

seulgi’s demon:

🙄 shut up?

7:46 pm

 

the location of the surprise party is at the cygnus hall, one of the other student residences in school but it’s slightly bigger since the students there get apartments instead of tiny dorm rooms. they’re usually meant for scholars on the director’s list and though seungwan is on it as well, between living in a cushy apartment with a stranger and dorming with her best friend, she had to pick the latter.

 

seungwan manages to lead her all the way to the entrance before seulgi realises what’s going on, a huge grin sprouts on her face and she’s unable to mask her surprise.

 

“am i allowed to ask what’s going on?” seulgi smiles while they step into the elevator.

 

seungwan pouts slightly, “should’ve known bringing you here unblindfolded would’ve ruined half the surprise already.”

 

the taller girl wraps an arm around her little nerd and squeezes her tightly, “it’s okay wannie, blindfolding me would’ve made me suspicious from the start.”

 

the elevator doors ding open and seungwan leads seulgi to the apartment where her surprise is waiting. she confirms the apartment number with a quick glance before ushering seulgi towards the door.

 

seulgi looks at her, then the door, before shrugging slightly and opening it. as soon as the knob turns, a chorus of cheers and hoots can be heard erupting from the tiny apartment. 

 

“happy birthday seulgi!” seungwan joins in the cheers as she shoves her best friend into the apartment.

 

there’s more people in here than what’s probably allowed but it’s not like anyone really cares, it’s kang seulgi’s birthday, rules are meant to be broken on occasions like this. sooyoung is the first to greet them and she acknowledges seungwan’s presence with a small wink before proceeding to make out with her girlfriend in front of all her friends. shaking her head and sighing, seungwan slinks away to the kitchen and watches seulgi get bombarded by all her friends.

 

---

 

electronic music begins blaring much to her distaste, she pours herself a cup of whatever soda is available while she watches the party go on without her. sooyoung did tell her that she could leave once seulgi’s here, not because she didn’t want the nerd around but because she knew that seungwan would feel more than uncomfortable if seulgi is too busy to keep her safe from strangers. well, she’s right about that, seungwan feels out of place despite having experienced the new year’s eve party with absolute strangers. to be fair, she did have byulyi around her for the entire night, but there’s no one that she recognises now and hence the resurfacing anxiety.

 

seungwan rests her arms on the kitchen counter and whips out her phone and takes a couple of photos of seulgi before quietly navigating to discord to look for a lifeline.

 

she figures she’d stay for a little, linger a while just in case seulgi needs her and then dip. for the most part, it isn't so bad to just watch from the sidelines. she probably looks like a sad little nerd right now, it’s okay because she’ll be out in under ten minutes.

 

yeri today at 8:17 pm

didn't you say you were gonna be busy with seulgi's party?

why are you here??

 

azure today at 8:17 pm

:( don't chase me away

i'm leaving in 5 minutes anyway

parties aren't my thing if you haven't noticed

 

luna today at 8:18 pm

yeah i bet

the only parties you ever go to are boss parties 🙄

 

bread today at 8:18 pm

kekW

 

azure today at 8:18 pm

😔😔 i'm retiring as a bishop

 

oobie today at 8:18 pm

azure noOooooo :(!!

@luna shut up meanie

 

luna today at 8:19 pm

🤡

 

yeri today at 8:19 pm

while since you're here

what's the situation with joohyun-unnie?

 

azure today at 8:19 pm

same old?

 

yeri today at 8:19 pm

oh.

i talked with her last night and she said she'll text you soon

i'm starting to hate this slow burn

 

azure today at 8:20 pm

what do you mean by slow burn 😒

 

yeri today at 8:20 pm

what's so hard about talking like??? you could call her right now and confess???

 

oobie today at 8:20 pm

don't listen to her zuzu

you take your time!! we'll be here waiting with you!! 😤

 

azure today at 8:20 pm

thanks oob 🥺

 

yeri today at 8:21 pm

wait oob you don't even know the situation 😠😠😠

she’s spent the last few weeks avoiding her soulmate

 

azure today at 8:21 pm

i am NOT avoiding her!!

it's just we haven't had time to meet

 

oobie today at 8:21 pm

zuzu i love you but what the heck?

 

azure today at 8:21 pm

i'll talk to her soon!!! 😔

 

bread today at 8:22 pm

sounds fake but okay …

 

yeri today at 8:22 pm

anyone wanna make bets on when she'll actually reveal herself?

 

luna today at 8:22 pm

😗 i'm in

next cosmetic update lookin kinda juicy ..

 

getting roasted by her buddies forces a sigh from her lungs, she watches as they place bets on when she'll actually confess. typical of them but perhaps this is how absurd the whole situation is in the eyes of others. and she feels dumb because deep down she knows that there's no way joohyun would reject her. but the girl on new year's day had no clue what the goddess is actually like. maybe it’s a good thing that she feels dumb.

 

---

 

“are you okay, seungwan?" a concerned voice pipes up, causing her to look up from her device.

 

yongsun stands beside her with a small smile, the flush on her skin tells seungwan that the partygoers probably did a little pre-drinking before seulgi's arrival. 

 

pulling her eyes away from the senior, she nods softly. “i’m okay, just waiting for a little before i leave." the little nerd reassures, mildly glad that someone is concerned about her.

 

“leave? isn't it a little early?" the brunette asks while taking a sip of her drink.

 

seungwan shakes her head as she watches seulgi down yet another shot, wincing as she thinks of how hungover her best friend is going to be tomorrow. “someone has to take care of seulgi when she drinks like that."

 

yongsun chuckles quietly under her breath, “i don’t suppose you trust sooyoung enough to take care of her."

 

“sooyoung can barely take care of herself, unnie." seungwan adds with a light scoff.

 

the conversation dies down as the two watch as the party picks up in intensity, seulgi is downing more drinks than ever and byulyi has somehow made her way to the birthday girl as well. the two make a chaotic pair and with sooyoung around, it becomes a trio that should really be arrested before they set something on fire. but that’s not her problem to deal with tonight.

 

“you’ve got a cute tattoo." yongsun comments out of the blue and seungwan can’t help but feel self-conscious about how comical it seems.

 

turning her arm over to hide it, she shoots the brunette a weak smile, “thanks … it doesn’t mean much though, sounds more like nonsense than anything …"

 

“it will when you finally meet them," yongsun pats her arm gently and offers a warm smile, “i used to hate my tattoo but realising that those are byul’s first words to me changed my perspective."

 

seungwan smiles lightly at the sentiment but she can’t help the ache in her chest that begins to grow at the thought of kiyub, at the thought of joohyun. 

 

“maybe." she replies with a small shrug, taking a gulp of her drink.

 

the silence that settles between them doesn’t last for long as yongsun speaks yet again, it seems the senior has an ulterior motive for approaching her.

 

“i’ve been meaning to talk to you …" yongsun starts off uncertainly, the ambiguous sentence leaves seungwan a little nervous and she can only look at the senior with worried eyes.

 

yongsun senses her distress and quickly waves it off with a light chuckle, “oh it’s nothing serious, i just wanted to know what you think of joohyun."

 

oh, of course yongsun would know. the bubbly senior had her own soulmate after all, of course she would have recognised the signs.

 

“i think she’s kind, pretty and even funny sometimes." seungwan lets a smile slip, it's not exactly a lie but neither is she exactly honest either.

 

she knows that joohyun makes her feel more things than she could ever put into proper words.

 

“oh, that’s it?" yongsun raises an eyebrow, her tone indicating that she’s expecting a little more.

 

yongsun definitely knows.

 

seungwan doesn’t really feel like doing this now, the past few weeks of repressing her emotions have made her mentally exhausted and she’s not going to talk about it with a senior she barely knows. especially when said senior is close friends with the person that’s making her feel this way.

 

“she's a lovely person, though little guarded." seungwan tries to play it off like the last few weeks are nothing but her tone tells yongsun that it’s definitely not.

 

"ah …" yongsun bobs her head sympathetically, "so you were affected too …"

 

seungwan tosses the senior a puzzled look, "affected by what?"

 

"post-seollal joohyun." yongsun sighs with a wry smile and offers a gentle pat on the shoulder.

 

the nerd is still confused by the brunette's cryptic words, a crinkle appears between her brows as she attempts to decipher it. her tone carries nothing but confusion as she presses further, "do you mean how she's disappeared for a while?" the introvert tilts her head slightly.

 

yongsun nods as she busies herself with pouring a drink. "she does this every year, but this year was exceptionally bad."

 

seungwan tucks her phone away to focus fully on the brunette, she’s not entirely sure where this conversation is heading but she’s certain that something important is about to be unravelled. 

 

“some liquid courage,” yongsun hands her a cup as she takes a generous sip of her own drink, “you’re going to need it.”

 

the introvert accepts the cup hesitatingly, she’d never drank anything stronger than beer so diving into pure alcohol is a little daunting. the senior nudges her lightly and smiles woozily, “you won’t pass out if that’s what you’re worried about, it’ll help you loosen up so we can talk.”

 

trusting the senior beside her, she swallows the contents with a mix of nervousness and excitement. the liquid burns as it makes its way down and she scrunches her face in disgust — she’ll never understand how seulgi is such a proficient drinker of beverages like these. yongsun lets out a snort at the younger girl’s reaction and shakes her head slowly.

 

“you already know what i’m going to ask next, don't you?” the brunette turns her attention to the crowd, gazing lovingly at her soulmate who’s messing around with seulgi.

 

seungwan feels the pounding in her chest grow a little stronger, anxiety settling in the pit of her stomach as she contemplates the question at hand. yeri knows, yongsun knows, it seems like the whole world is going to know before joohyun herself. she’s never talked about kiyub with anyone other than her close friends — it feels strange to talk about someone who you barely know but is destined to be yours. on top of that, it seems weird to pour your heart out to someone you barely know at a party that you’re just about to leave.  for a moment, she wonders if she should just be frank with the senior standing next to her. 

 

maybe the absence of joohyun has created an embarrassing amount of longing, or the teensy bit of alcohol in her system. she doesn’t know what prompted her to be so vulnerably honest, but she knows that it’s futile to feign ignorance at this point.

 

“she’s my soulmate.” the nerd blurts almost inaudibly, if it isn’t for the music, she’s sure her racing heart would have drowned out her words.

 

“i knew it!” the brunette grins widely as she slams down her plastic cup on the counter and it startles seungwan, “god, you two will be so cute together!”

 

the introvert jumps in surprise as an apologetic look finds its way on yongsun’s face almost immediately. “ah! i’m so sorry!” the senior expresses her regret with a bowed head and explains quickly, “i’ve had this gut feeling for weeks and i wanted to confirm my suspicions.”

 

the nerd relaxed while exhaling slowly, “and now, you want to know why i haven’t spoken to her, don’t you?”

 

yongsun’s lips form a sheepish grin as she bobs her head with less enthusiasm now. seungwan sighs and refills her cup, more liquid courage could do her more good than bad now. feeling the warmth run its course through her system gives her just the right amount of bravery to be as honest as she needs to be.

 

“i was scared of her, probably because i was insecure about myself. everything about her is just so — magnificent. and i’m just me. then comes the whole ‘i think she’s too good for me’ and just a lot of wrestling with my insecurities. that’s until i started texting her.” seungwan lets the words flow at the speed of light, she speaks so quickly that yongsun struggles to keep up, “and she still scares me, i think. but at least i know she won’t reject a dumpster fire of a soulmate like me.”

 

the senior purses her lips and her brows stitch together to form a crinkle between her eyes. like a fish out of the water she gapes, “yah … that’s a quick summary for events spanning almost a month.”

 

seungwan nods as she turns to the party, watching seulgi and sooyoung dance away to the rhythm of the music. “now you’re all caught up, i should go before i process anything i’ve just said.”

 

yongsun nods quietly with a knowing smile, “i’m probably not supposed to tell you this, but you’re doing something to joohyun.”

 

as if a sign from the powers that be couldn't be clearer, seungwan proceeds to make a speedy escape, leaving yongsun standing at the counter. 

 

“she’s going to be sleeping at the bootes hall tonight, at byul’s dorm on the second floor, if you feel brave enough!” yongsun calls out. seungwan pauses in her step to process the information but she notices the picture frames on the shelf by the door in the midst of her thoughts.

 

she’s in the shared apartment of joohyun and yongsun — well, .

 

it’s like she walked into a lion's den without even knowing. not for any longer though, seungwan makes a hasty retreat out of the apartment and walks. the alcohol leaves a light buzz in her system but she's still more than sober after her little chat with yongsun. her emotions threaten to wash over her and seungwan can’t decide if she wants to laugh or cry, she’s not one for bold moves but holy , the uncertainty of this whole situation is making her incredibly anxious. 

 

the rapid beating of her heart has yet to slow and the exhilaration makes it hard to process her thoughts, all except one — whatever just happened sounds like progress made with kiyub.

 

---

 

cold winds blow her hair all over the place as she struts around campus. it’s not the most ideal weather for a stroll but seungwan needs to do something to clear her head. everything she’s been repressing for the past few weeks is bursting at the seams, emotions coming undone with every step she takes and she finally feels brave enough to admit it.

 

she really likes bae joohyun — and bae joohyun might like her back too.

 

running her hands through her hair, the nerd is feeling more than overwhelmed by her own feelings, she didn’t think it’s possible to like someone this much when you barely even know them but her heart is proving her so very wrong.

 

she begins formulating a plan, well, the first step is acceptance. she likes joohyun, what about it? no big deal, right? she is the prettiest senior on campus and almost any sane person would have a crush on her so seungwan is no exception to that. that makes acceptance pretty much checked out.

 

but accepting the possibility that joohyun could like her back is a different situation entirely and a much harder pill to swallow.

 

seungwan feels her insecurities and self-doubt bubbling to the surface once again but seulgi did knock some sense into her since that night, it’s not the end of the world if joohyun likes her, right?

 

god, but it sure feels so.

 

and if things couldn’t be any worse, yongsun knows now and joohyun will at some point too. seungwan has run out of time to avoid kiyub and it feels like it’s going to blow up in her face in the foreseeable future.

 

seungwan walks for a long time, strolling around the campus like it isn’t a freezing night in february. she finds herself outside bootes at some point but forces her legs to continue moving, she’s not ready yet. eventually, she makes her way back to her room, overthinking and walking coupled together is enough to tire her out.

 

---

 

joohyun is still in pretty low spirits by the time the party rolls around, she’s ready to disappear for the night. but by some obligation, she feels bad if she didn’t even attend a party that’s happening at her dorm. so she pops out of her room, has a couple of drinks and mingles about. she had no idea whose birthday it was until she was ready to leave, apparently it’s seulgi’s coming of age party. but even then, the model leaves the party by 11, not wanting to stick around for when the real chaos begins. she knows the people around here a little too well. most of the calmer ones come before midnight and the actual partygoers only begin to appear after she takes her leave.

 

she braves the cold to the bootes hall where byulyi's dorm is, she'd dropped off a bag of essentials earlier so she could wash up and get some sleep.

 

as much as the weather is warming up a little, joohyun still hates the cold with every fibre of her being. warm blankets are the way to go on nights like this. by midnight, she's tucked up in byulyi's bed, ready for a good night's rest knowing fully well that she'll probably have to help yongsun and byulyi clean up in the morning.

 

being all snuggled up in bed with a light buzz of alcohol lingering in her system, she whips out her phone to read recent texts from seungwan.

 

the younger girl sent them periodically throughout her absence and joohyun really wanted to reply to all of them but she doesn't feel exactly up for it. having a little chat with yongsun did help a little, she doesn't feel as burdened as before now that she's somewhat spoken about it.

 

it's coming close to three weeks since they've texted, even if she needs space, she could squeeze the younger girl into her little bubble of a world.

 

joohyun:

hello~ how have you been?

 

sorry i haven't been replying~

 

how did your exams go? ^_^

12:07 am

 

son seungwan:

welcome back!!

 

i've been fine, feeling pretty confident about my papers!

 

is everything better now?

12:11 am

 

joohyun:

somewhat, still a little under the weather but i'm dealing with it

12:12 am

 

son seungwan:

🤨 it's not very nice to lie, unnie

12:12 am

 

joohyun:

😔 it's not a lie!!

12:12 am

 

i'm really dealing with it!!

12:12 am

 

son seungwan:

bottling your feelings up isn't dealing with it to be clear

12:13 am

 

if you're not doing that then i'll believe you! 🤨

12:13 am

 

joohyun:

okay fine, you got me 

12:13 am

 

it's just that i'm stuck in a hopeless situation and there's not much i can do u_u

12:13 am

 

 

son seungwan:

if you can't do anything about it, it's best not to worry about it!

12:14 am

 

at least that's what i like to tell myself 👍

12:14 am

 

joohyun:

you're too positive e_e …

12:14 am

 

i wish i could think like you but it's a little too important

12:14 am

 

son seungwan:

ahh …

12:15 am

 

joohyun:

enough about me

12:15 am

 

what're you up to on a saturday night?

12:15 am

 

 

son seungwan:

nothing much really

12:15 am

 

just hanging out with some friends online

12:16 am

 

might turn in early since i'm beat from helping to plan for seulgi's surprise party

12:16 am

 

joohyun:

ah yes, the party that's, unfortunately, happening at my dorm 🙄

12:16 am

 

speaking of which, i didn't see you at all~

12:16 am

 

son seungwan:

i left after delivering seulgi 😶😶

12:17 am

 

parties just aren't my thing … and seul's going to be too busy to cater to me

12:17 am

joohyun:

i can relate, i left at 11 😬

12:17 am

 

son seungwan:

left? isn't it your dorm? where'd you go then? 😳

12:17 am

 

joohyun:

i'm crashing at byulyi's dorm for the night

12:18 am

 

her roommate's at the party too so their room is conveniently empty

12:18 am

 

son seungwan:

my room's going to be empty tonight too

12:18 am

 

it's so quiet without seulgi, i don't know if i like it

12:18 am

 

joohyun:

i'd take the silence over loud edm music 

12:19 am

 

might have given pop music a pass

12:19 am

 

son seungwan:

but they're both going to keep you up 🤔

12:19 am

 

joohyun:

at least it's a little more bearable than a couple of hours of wub wubs

12:19 am

 

son seungwan:

😂😂😂

12:20 am

 

i missed talking to you late at night

12:20 am

 

joohyun:

me too

12:20 am

 

with that, they spend a little time catching each other up on the last three weeks. seungwan tells her some terrible dad jokes she’d been saving since seollal and joohyun? well, joohyun’s just glad to have her source of comfort back.

 

all the gnarly little feelings that she’d been harbouring in her chest take a backseat because she could never feel bedevilled when she’s talking to seungwan.

 

---

 

joohyun-unnie:

honestly, do you really want to know why i disappeared for three weeks?

01:13 am

 

seungwan:

of course, i care about you

01:13 am

 

it's been a little while since they started talking and the night has only gotten darker. it seems that heart to heart conversations are best saved for twilight. regardless of the time, seungwan's still grateful that joohyun is willing to open up to her.

 

joohyun-unnie:

well ...

01:13 am

 

it's about soulmates

01:13 am

 

my family has a very … unique history with them

01:14 am

 

seungwan:

unique? 🤔

01:14 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

yes, no one in my family has met their soulmates

01:14 am

seungwan:

how is that possible?

01:14 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

it's just the norm back at home and my grandmother does her best to make it possible

01:15 am

 

she's turning it into a reality for me soon

01:15 am

 

if i never came here for school, maybe i would be okay with it

01:15 am

 

seungwan:

😔 don't say that

01:15 am

 

why'd you think it's okay without your soulmate?

01:16 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

it's true, if i never knew what i was missing out on, maybe it wouldn't have hurt so much

01:16 am

 

seungwan:

you still have an entire lifetime to find them

01:16 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

except i don't

01:17 am

 

my grandmother has given me a year to find my soulmate or i'm going to be married off

01:17 am

 

if you were in my shoes, what would you do?

01:17 am

 

seungwan:

maybe talk to your grandmother? she can't be that unreasonable right ..?

01:17 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

but she always gets her way

01:18 am

 

seungwan:

i can see why you were upset, i'd be upset too

01:18 am

 

it sounds … tough. it's honestly not much of a choice if you ask me, finding soulmates can’t be put against a schedule

01:18 am

 

the little nerd doesn't know how to really react to this piece of news. joohyun's family has a peculiar tradition, or at least it's not one that she's not too familiar with. it's not a common practise nowadays, in fact, it's considered old fashioned. a burden begins to weigh on her shoulders, if she was a little more courageous, maybe she could've saved joohyun from this anguish.

 

joohyun-unnie:

mhm, indeed

01:18 am

 

the sooner i accept that it's a hopeless situation, the better it'll be for me

01:19 am

 

seungwan:

you don't think that you'll find them?

01:19 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

i might, but i'm not optimistic about the odds

01:19 am

 

seungwan:

you'll find them someday, i know it!

01:19 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

not unless they show up at my door within the next few months

01:20 am

 

seungwan:

why's that?

01:20 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

i'll be moving back home if i don't find a job here~

01:20 am

 

and daegu has one of the lowest rates of soulmates amongst all the cities

01:20 am

 

it's pretty much, in your words, gg for me

01:21 am

 

seungwan:

😂 where'd you pick that up from?

01:21 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

i've been watching some gameplay videos on youtube 😬

01:21 am

 

anyway, when are you free? i haven't forgotten about our yutnori match

01:21 am

 

seungwan:

i'm free any day, i won't be heading home this break

01:22 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

lunch, tomorrow?

01:22 am

 

seungwan:

that works, besides i have something to tell you

01:22 am

 

but i have to make sure seulgi isn't terribly hungover first

01:22 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

i'm pretty sure i saw sooyoung at the party too, she can take care of seulgi, right?

01:23 am

 

and saying that you have something to tell me is just gonna make me anxious!! spill it now!!

01:23 am

 

seungwan:

i can't trust sooyoung. knowing them, they'll probably fall asleep in each other's puke

01:23 am

 

c'mon, it's a surprise~

01:23 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

🙄 … is it a good or bad surprise?

01:24 am

 

and also, that's gross … 

01:24 am

 

seungwan:

i know … and i think it'll be good?

01:24 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

you're making me worried now e_e

01:24 am

 

what do i have to do to get you to tell me now?

01:25 am

 

seungwan:

hmm …

01:25 am

 

answer a question?

01:25 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

i'm all ears

01:25 am

seungwan:

what would you do if your soulmate actually appeared in front of you?

01:26 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

i might just faint out of joy but who knows? 😗

01:26 am

 

so, what are you going to tell me?

01:26 am

 

---

 

she doesn't know how long she sits on her bed for, but it's enough for her screen to time out and she's left in the darkness of her dorm. picking up her phone, she dials the only number she knows to call when she doesn’t know what to do.

 

seungwan places the phone against her ear as it rings, she’s not even sure if seulgi will even pick up but it’s not like she has many options left. it takes a while but relief fills her when she hears the loud music blaring into her ear, wincing slightly, she pulls the phone away.

 

“wannie?” she hears seulgi’s muffled voice coming from the speakers.

 

“i’m going to do something really stupid and i-” seungwan blurts so quickly she’s not even sure if she’s saying the right words. but seulgi interrupts her mid-sentence.

 

“are you going to talk to joohyun?” her words are slightly slurred but somehow she’s still sober enough to be seungwan’s pillar of support, “it’s going to be okay.”

 

“wait,” the nerd furrows her eyebrows, “how’d you know?”

 

with a loud belch, seulgi clears and ignores her question entirely, “talk to her, wannie. you got this, okay?”

 

drunken seulgi isn’t the most elegant person, but that’s a topic for another day. tonight, it’s all about kiyub.

 

“are you drunk?”

 

“mayhaps i am but even drunk me is telling you to talk to her,” seulgi yells over the music, “go talk to kiyub!”

 

wincing yet again, seungwan sighs in despair, “seul-ah …”

 

the pounding of the music fades away and the introvert assumes that seulgi has moved to a quieter place to continue their conversation.  “seungwan,” her best friend starts off in a serious tone, if seungwan didn’t know better, seulgi could definitely pass off as sober, “remember what i said? she’s going to love you and if she doesn’t, she’s going to catch sooyoung’s hands when she comes back.”

 

scratch that, seulgi is definitely drunk.

 

“there’s nothing more i can say to reassure you, wannie, you just need to muster up your courage.” her best friend sighs, “at some point, you gotta stop waiting for the universe to do for you.”

 

plopping back down onto her bed, she heaves tiredly, “you’re not making any sense right now, you know?”

 

“all i’m saying is you gotta stop being a passive little , you’ve spent long enough talking to her to know that she wouldn’t reject you. you gotta think of it like the first time you approached me as a kid, where’s that son seungwan from when we were 7?” seulgi mutters softly, her words offering a much-needed push for the little nerd.

 

“i was a kid, the world wasn’t so scary back then.” seungwan chuckles softly, she was so much bolder at 7 than she is now.

 

“but joohyun isn’t the world.”

 

“no she isn’t, but i’m so nervous anyway.”

 

“if she knew, i think she’d be scared too.”

 

seungwan falls silent as she bites down on her lower lip and exhales softly. why did seulgi have to make such good points? 

 

“you can do this, okay? if it’s genuinely too much for you to handle, call me and i will be back.”

 

“can you even walk straight?”

 

“can you?”

 

“ugh, shut up.”

 

“i love you, wannie, now go get your soulmate and don’t forget to update me in the morning!”

 

"don't drink too much, i'll be over at-"

 

seulgi cuts the call with a loud cackle, leaving seungwan in the silence by her lonesome, she huffs and lies back down in her bed. she waits it out in the darkness, staring at her ceiling as her mind whirls around thoughts of joohyun.

 

---

 

joohyun-unnie

1 message

 

seungwan doesn't know where she gets the courage from but this spurt of bravery is all she needs. she clings to it, not wanting it to slip away otherwise she might just cower behind a screen again. and she runs once again, but this time, it's not away from joohyun — she's going to get her soulmate.

 

she runs. she runs in the dead of night. she runs through campus grounds despite the freezing temperatures.

 

that leads her to finding herself at the bootes hall, panting and gasping for breath as if she's completed a marathon. through sheer willpower, she turns the ten-minute walk from aquila to bootes into a five-minute sprint. she shoves the thought of getting into shape for later and clambers up the stairs two at a time. leaning against the wall, she takes a moment to catch her breath before continuing on her quest for her soulmate.

 

she finds byulyi's dorm with ease since it's right next to the stairs. the chalkboard next to the door had scribbles on it but at least there's some confirmation that she's at the right room

 

'moonbyul & hani'

 

that's good enough for her. whipping her phone out, she looks at joohyun's recent messages.

 

joohyun-unnie:

yah son seungwan, you're making me antsy here

01:37 am

 

did you fall asleep?

01:37 am

 

seungwan:

no i didn't

01:37 am

 

open the door

01:37 am

 

joohyun-unnie:

yah … i almost fell asleep

01:38 am

 

what door?

01:38 am

 

seungwan doesn't reply but instead, she knocks on the wooden door in front of her. she hears silence from the other side and stares at the chat intently, joohyun is still online but there's no reply. her breathlessness doesn't make her feel as anxious as she should be and it's a great feeling. she needs this kind of courage for the rest of her life, it'll do her wonders, she muses quietly as she waits.

 

footsteps reverberate softly when joohyun goes offline and seungwan clenches the phone tightly in her hands. her adrenaline hasn't faded yet but it feels like she might pass out from fear or excitement, or both. her heart beating rapidly against its fragile cages makes the silence of the night feel less unnerving.

 

the knob turns slowly and seungwan steadies herself. she doesn't know what to say now even though she's spent weeks preparing for this very moment.

 

she's okay. she's got this. 

 

how bad can her first words to kiyub be?

 

she’s got this, she’s got this, she’s got this.

 

the senior cracks open the door slowly and pokes her head out, recoiling in surprise when she sees younger girl standing outside. her brain goes into overdrive, processing a hundred thoughts as she considers her options. she’s too flustered to function properly but she knows it’s too late to run now. it’s now or never.

 

"seungwan?" she gasps, "what are you doing here?"

 

it’s okay. it’s going to be okay. even if it's not okay, sooyoung will throw hands for her.

 

joohyun isn’t going to reject her, so if she could just spit something out instead of gaping like a fish out water, that’d be perfect.

 

say it. just say it — whatever comes to mind.

 

seungwan runs her tongue over her lips nervously. she just has to be direct, just get whatever words out so joohyun knows it's her. this is her chance, the hardest part is already over, all she has to do now is let joohyun into her world. taking a leap of faith, she pours all her bravery into her words. with her own feelings and seulgi's words in her head, seungwan's mind is a mess and she can barely string together a coherent sentence, so when it doesn't come out as intended, is anyone even surprised?

 

"you're my joohyun!"

 

when the words reach her ears, seungwan thinks her soul is ready to leave her body for another plane of existence so she can escape this embarrassment she feels.

 

“ …” she mutters under her breath.

 

the senior widens her eyes and upon realising what had just happened, cracks into a large smile. after a long time spent moping and praying for her soulmate to miraculously show up, here she is. not at all what she had been expecting, but even joohyun isn’t sure what to expect in the first place.

 

son seungwan, turning up at her door in the middle of the night, blurting the words on her wrist with a nervous quiver in her voice. it turns into one of those moments that she ingrains in her memory, moments that she’s certain that she’ll never forget. the enigma behind her predilection for son seungwan is finally resolved.

 

visibly relaxing in front of her, joohyun pulls her right sleeve down with an amused smile, “i am your joohyun.”

 

the goddess that stands before her turns her right wrist to show seungwan her tattoo — the words that have just left , including the curse word, are embedded permanently in her skin in a simple sans serif font.

 

seungwan feels like no matter how much air she draws into her lungs, she can't breathe. her gaze flits from joohyun's tattoo to joohyun herself, her mind goes blank and she only has one thought.

 

bae joohyun is kiyub, bae joohyun is her soulmate.

 

"i-i …" it's impossible to form words at this point and seungwan forces herself to stop stammering.

 

"we can talk later, let's get you warmed up first." joohyun pulls her freezing body into the warm room without another word.

 

---

 

they don't say much, joohyun extricates herself of her hoodie and forces seungwan to wear it, additionally she's being wrapped up in blankets too. her soulmate bustles around the room as she shivers away on byulyi's bed. running here barefoot in nothing but a thin shirt and shorts is a horrible idea but the outcome is more than worth it. seungwan is still processing that this is very much real and not a dream and joohyun is trying to hold back all her urges to embrace her new soulmate.

 

her soulmate. she's got her soulmate.

 

joohyun eventually returns to her side with a mug of hot water. "drink." she urges quickly as she takes a seat next to the younger girl.

 

seungwan accepts it with a grateful smile and sips on the literally burning hot water. but the heat is more than welcomed, it warms her up instantly.

 

"you didn't even put any shoes on?" joohyun gasps as she looks at seungwan's bare toes, breaking the comfortable yet tense silence they've settled into.

 

wiggling them cheekily, she nods while avoiding joohyun's gaze, her feet are hurting from the harsh grounds she had to run across but all of it is worth it.  she then brings her gaze to look at joohyun with her lips tugged upwards in a small smile, "i needed to tell you." 

 

a gentle blush begins to show on joohyun's cheek and the senior bites back a grin. she gets up and shuffles around the room to look for something.

 

"what are you looking for?" seungwan questions softly as she warms her hands against the mug.

 

joohyun responds with a mumble, "a first aid kit, or anything to clean up your feet.”

 

turning her feet upwards, they're not horribly injured, just a little scratched from the terrains of campus. nothing that won't heal in a couple of days. seungwan sips on more water as she watches joohyun, "it's not that bad, don't worry."

 

her soulmate clicks her teeth and turns around, "was it really necessary to run here without proper clothing and shoes?"

 

seungwan nods her head seriously, "if i didn't, you might just get married to someone else."

 

"yah … i still had time." joohyun chuckles and continues her search. but she can’t deny that the sentiment makes her heart swell with adoration for her soulmate.

 

the introvert is reminded of the various situations in which she ran from her soulmate and sighs, "i know, but i would've chickened out."

 

the senior stops her rummaging and turns to her newfound love. "why? are you afraid of me?" joohyun's eyes are filled with concern and she fiddles with her fingers.

 

"no! no! not at all!" seungwan quickly clarifies. seeing joohyun relax, she continues to ramble, "it's just … i overthink and i'm insecure and i had a whole bunch of unrealistic ideals of you that scared me. i also didn't want to give you a dumb tattoo and i-"

 

the nerd stops mid-sentence when she finds her soulmate listening intently with a watchful gaze.

 

"and you?"

 

"i … i was afraid that you'd reject me."

 

"seungwan …" joohyun's tone is almost heartbreaking, her gaze softens as she bites on her lower lip almost in despair, "i would never do that."

 

"i know and i don't feel that way anymore. but at the start it just felt like it could be a possibility, then it grew into this big ball of worry." seungwan mumbles, "it's just a bunch of dumb feelings."

 

"it's not dumb at all, they're all valid. these are all parts of you that i don't want to ignore. we don't have to rush to do anything, we can take it as slow as you want, okay?"

 

seungwan looks up with a small gasp, how could she have gone weeks without her soulmate? if she knew that being loved by her soulmate would feel this amazing, she wouldn't have avoided this for so long.

 

joohyun pulls her gaze away and bites the insides of her cheek, "w-what?"

 

"what, what?"

 

"why are you staring at me like that?"

 

"i should've talked to you sooner if i knew you were going to be this sweet." seungwan admits with a dopey smile plastered across her cheeks.

 

talking to joohyun in real life feels easier than she pictured it to be. maybe the initial barriers have all been broken through weeks of texting. whatever it is, she feels comfortable with her soulmate, albeit a little awkward.

 

"yah! you're really greasy, son seungwan!" joohyun stutters and she resumes her rummaging once again. she doesn’t want seungwan to see the flush that’s rushing to her cheeks even though the lights in the room are dim.

 

seungwan lets out a snicker as she sinks deeper into joohyun's warm hoodie. eventually, the senior gives up on finding supplies and cleans her feet with a washcloth.

 

they settle into an apprehensive silence once that has been done, neither of them knowing what to really do now.

 

---

 

joohyun finds a seat beside seungwan but doesn't move much, all she does is reach for seungwan's hand and the younger girl lets her hold it. she's grateful that joohyun is willing to take it slow but some part of her just wants to leap into her soulmate's arms and say you to all her worries and insecurities. they stay like that for a little, seungwan doesn't want to let go of the hand she's been aching to hold for weeks. 

 

in this tiny dorm room, it feels like there's only the two of them in this world. like the world has stopped for these two soulmates to learn how to love.

 

eventually, the fatigue begins to overtake her and seungwan stifles a yawn. joohyun has been watching her like a hawk, so it doesn't go unnoticed.

 

"oh … it's really late." joohyun murmurs softly after squinting at the clock on byulyi's desk.

 

the little nerd turns to see that it's a half-past two in the morning, no wonder she feels like she's about to pass out.

 

"i should head back …" seungwan mumbles uncertainly as she stands up, letting go of joohyun's hands in the process. she hadn't even realised how clammy her hands are till they are out of her soulmate's grasp.

 

the senior watches while her soulmate prepares to leave, should she try to convince her to stay? maybe it's too soon to sleep in the same bed. should she say goodbye? should she hug her? is hugging too much for now?

 

“i’ll see you tomorrow, unnie.”

 

before she knows it, seungwan bids her a soft farewell before quietly exiting the room. 

 

only in her absence does joohyun come to the realisation — she didn't want her to leave at all, she didn't realise how desperately she wants seungwan to stay until the girl is gone. so the model leaps up off her feet and races after the introvert who is already making her way down the corridor.

 

"wait!" joohyun calls out and chases after her brand new soulmate, " wait, seungwan!"

 

seungwan swivels around, slightly startled by the model's abrupt actions. she calms down and bobs her head slowly, "oh! i'm still wearing your hoodie, do you need it back?"

 

joohyun doesn't hide the confusion on her face but quickly shakes her head, "no, keep it on, it's cold. "

 

the nerd hums softly as she blinks at her soulmate, "do you need something?"

 

it takes joohyun a few moments to stop gasping for air and she gathers her courage. "stay." joohyun squeaks before clearing and repeating firmly, "i want you to stay."

 

seungwan cracks into a small smile and joohyun swears she could see tears glistening in her eyes. but the senior wraps her arms around her before she can even take a proper look. joohyun caves in to her desires and embraces the little nerd tightly, meeting your soulmate is one thing, but to feel yourself fall in love with them is an entirely different experience.

 

"i don't know how to love you yet," joohyun takes a deep breath while taking in seungwan's scent, burying her face in the crook of her neck, "but i'm going to figure it out because i know you're the one for me. you're my seungwan." 

 

the small frame in joohyun’s arms loosens up and lets herself be embraced. hearing these words from kiyub makes eyes blurry with tears, joohyun is just like her, scared and uncertain, but the difference between them is that the older girl seems so much braver. seungwan melts into the hug easily, she's still pretty terrified but at least she's not alone now — she's going to figure things out with joohyun.

 

"i like you a lot …" seungwan finally admits, saying it aloud feels like she's cementing the fact that joohyun is her soulmate. and that feat alone is relieving in ways that she can't even begin to explain.

 

she didn't have to say more, not that she has any words either. joohyun pulls back slightly, not too much so that she would leave seungwan's arms. she cups her soulmate's cheeks yet again and wipes her tears away with her thumbs, she looks into seungwan's eyes longingly, wondering if she is feeling the same things.

 

"can i kiss you?" joohyun asks nervously, her eyes flit to the soft lips of the introvert and then back to her.

 

seungwan doesn’t have to reply, she leans forward to meet her soulmate's mouth instead. their lips collide gently and joohyun steps a little closer, holding seungwan steady, anchoring her to savour this moment together.

 

maybe this is what the right love tastes like, a little wet with a tinge of tenderness, a little daunting but exhilarating all at once. to feel like you're falling but knowing that someone's going to be there to catch you, is this what a love meant for you feels like? 

 

seungwan doesn't really know, but what she does know is she's willing to fall. 

 

her arms reach around joohyun and find their place at the small of her back, pulling her closer and all she can feel is how amazing it feels to kiss her soulmate for the first time ever. in that moment, she didn’t feel fear, or anxiety, just — love. all the love she has is waiting to be poured into this tiny girl in her arms and she does so with a long and deep kiss against joohyun’s sweet and tender lips.

 

and joohyun basks in it while returning her feelings. for the first time since she got her tattoo, seungwan feels blessed that the words are what they are.

 

joohyun pulls away slowly with the need to catch her breath, she stares at the soft girl in front of her and wonders if she can squeeze in another kiss before her lungs begin to burn.

 

"wow …" seungwan gasps softly, cracking into a dopey grin as she sniffles. her tears are gone and the only thing keeping her from passing out is joohyun's firm grip against her neck.

 

kiyub smiles before planting another soft kiss on her cheek, "i think i'm going to turn into yongsun and byulyi if you keep looking at me like that."

 

seungwan feels the heat rush to her face as she looks away shyly, self-conscious of the staring she's done yet again. "is that a bad thing ?" she asks unsurely.

 

"nothing with you could ever be a bad thing, seungwan." the way her name rolls of joohyun's tongue is enough to reassure her of her soulmate's feelings.

 

the little nerd smiles and nods, removing joohyun's hands from around her neck and clasping it in hers, “well then, would you like to brave the colds with me back to my room?”

 

“we have a perfectly good room right there.” joohyun begins to argue as she points back to byulyi’s dorm, the thought of walking outside in the middle of the night is not one that is welcomed.

 

“i know …” the younger girl whines with a sheepish smile and shifts her weight from one leg to another, “but i can’t sleep in unfamiliar places.”

 

nodding her head with an understanding sigh, joohyun untangles herself from her soulmate to gather up her things. 

 

---

 

when joohyun is done, she finds seungwan playing with the strings of her hoodie mindlessly while resting against the wall — what an adorable sight to behold, yet another moment she’s committing to her memory. approaching slowly, seungwan notices her presence and looks up with a beaming smile. it didn’t matter that it’s the middle of the night and her body is screaming for sleep, all that matters is the girl standing before her knows that they are soulmates.

 

joohyun drops her sneakers before seungwan and looks at the little nerd pointedly.

 

“what?”

 

“wear these.”

 

“what about you?”

 

“i’ll be fine.”

 

“take your hoodie back then,” seungwan begins to wiggle out of the warm hoodie that she’s somewhat made a home out of, “no way you’re walking like this when it’s freezing outside.”

 

joohyun looks down at her clothes and well, they clearly aren’t made for a cold night in february. but then again, neither is seungwan’s t-shirt. she clicks her teeth and folds her arms across her chest, “you came here in the exact same manner, i don’t think you should be lecturing me.”

 

“i’m not lecturing you,” seungwan retorts, though her voice is muffled while she takes off the sweatshirt, “i just don’t want you to catch a cold.”

 

“and you think i would let you?”

 

seungwan bites her lower lip and hands the hoodie back to joohyun, “i’ll wear your shoes if you wear your hoodie.”

 

deciding it’ll be futile to argue, joohyun accepts the compromise and readorns the warm article of clothing. if she’s really honest, she knows that she’ll regret every minute of the walk without her hoodie. but for seungwan, it is but a tiny sacrifice.

 

joohyun’s shoes are a perfect fit for her, probably due to their similar physiques. they’re a nice reprieve from the harsh if not cold floors though she feels horrible that joohyun is now the one who has to walk back without shoes on. but joohyun didn't seem to have a problem with it at all.

 

“let’s go.” joohyun clings onto seungwan when she deems that her girl is ready.

 

they exit bootes and enter the biting chill of the night. lucky for them, the winds aren’t as strong as when seungwan made her way over. and also an added bonus for her, seungwan has her own personal heater now. her thin shirt did nothing against the cold but with joohyun hanging onto her, things are marginally better.

 

scratch that, it’s more than marginally, it’s ing great.

 

she’d run through the horrible temperatures any day if it meant having joohyun by her side for the rest of her life. and despite being the one in warmer clothes, joohyun is still shivering more than the nerd — something which seungwan finds a little comical.

 

“bad with the cold?” the introvert muses as they walk through campus grounds.

 

joohyun offers a meek nod in response, “let’s just say i don’t appreciate being outside when the weather is this cold.”

 

“and you wanted to give me your hoodie!” seungwan laughs at the absurdity of the situation and snakes her arms around joohyun, pulling her a little closer to her equally small frame.

 

the senior wrinkles her nose and picks up her pace, “come on, you’re going to fall sick at this rate.”

 

and the two new soulmates find themselves brisk walking from one hall to another in the icy darkness. but neither of them minded it, spending time with each other is something they’d both savour, even if it’s at the risk of getting hypothermia.

 

---

 

joohyun stays the night at the dorm of the two best friends, seungwan had intended to let her sleep on her bed while she took seulgi's. but after some serious convincing, the two new soulmates lie on seungwan's bed. thanks to their physiques, they're able to fit comfortably. 

 

they lie on their sides, facing each other with the moon lighting up certain parts of their faces. their hands tangled, fingers entwined with no intention of wanting to let go in sight.

 

as tired as seungwan is, sleep is a secondary thought when her soulmate is currently lying next to her. there’s so much she wants to say, so many feelings she’s yet to articulate, so much she wants to share without the fear of her confidant finding her annoying.

 

"i knew." seungwan starts abruptly, interrupting the tranquillity of the dorm.

 

joohyun raises an eyebrow curiously as she plays with the introvert's fingers, "that you were my soulmate?"

 

seungwan nods slowly, moving her arm under the moonlight so joohyun could see her tattoo. the comic sans mark on her skin has felt like a joke for years until she heard it for the first time, it’s no longer an abomination. now, it brought the pleasant feeling of love.

 

kiyub has a different weight now, yongsun was right, things do change.

 

"kiyub?" joohyun pushes herself up, frowning in confusion before her expression turns into one of panic, "i could've sworn my first words were a proper sentence … did i make a mistake? are you actually my soulmate?"

 

seungwan fails to hold back a soft snort as she reassures her soulmate in a gentle tone, “yes, i am, when seulgi and byulyi-unnie set off those fireworks, it scared you and you went kiyub!” the nerd smiles at the memory, the image of joohyun covering her ears resurfaces in her mind and she imitates it with a certain degree of cuteness.

 

joohyun stares at seungwan momentarily, a breath is caught in because she thinks she might have fallen a little more in love with this girl. she can’t stop the smile that creeps up onto her lips but she does lie back down to bury her face in her hands out of embarrassment. “ah, i wasn’t expecting this at all,” the older girl groans, voice muffled by her hands, “i thought you’d have something less odd.”

 

seungwan inches closer to remove her hands from her face and she rests her weight on her elbows. “i don’t think it’s odd,” she says softly, moving the strands of stray hair away from joohyun’s face with a little hesitation, “it’s a little unique.”

 

“calling it unique is a nice way to put it, huh?” the psychology major cringes as she traces her fingers over the indelible word, taking it in slowly and seungwan looks up at her adoringly with a small nod.

 

“i mean, would you prefer an almost nonsensical sound of exclamation or a messed up sentence from a nervous fool?" the nerd teases cheekily.

 

joohyun becomes quiet as she seriously weighs the two options, “i think i wouldn’t mind either as long as they’re your words.” she admits shyly with a soft smile.

 

seungwan swallows nervously, she’s not used to having someone express their feelings about her so openly, positive feelings too. everything about this situation just feels unreal to her, she partially expects it to be a dream and she’ll wake up disappointed in the morning.

 

“i’m sorry.”

 

the atmosphere between them shifts to one of a more serious tone when seungwan murmurs almost inaudibly, there’s been a weight on her chest ever since their texts that night and not even finding her soulmate could lift it.

 

“what for?” the senior widens her eyes in bewilderment.

 

“running mostly," the nerd’s voice is guilt-stricken and joohyun can feel how apologetic she is, “i didn’t know how significant soulmates were to you.”

 

"how could you have known?” joohyun coos gently, taking her soulmate’s hands into hers tenderly.

 

“i’m just thinking about how if i acknowledged you at the party, you wouldn’t have had a ty time in the last few weeks.”

 

“things with my family are entirely out of your control. how could you possibly hold yourself responsible, seungwan-ah?”

 

the introvert shrugs as she lies back down to face the ceiling, she’s not sure how things are supposed to be with joohyun. could she be as honest like she is with seulgi?

 

joohyun shifts beside her and faces her fully. "stop it, silly. at least you came looking for me," joohyun tries to comfort her, "it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it gave me a lot of time to think about my soulmate and what i really wanted. in some ways, you gave me the time i needed." 

 

the little nerd squeezes her fingers lightly and sighs, "i still feel guilty …"

 

joohyun feels her heart break a little, the last thing she wants to ever see now is a sad seungwan. instinctively, she places her arms around seungwan in an awkward hug, she'll never get how easy it looks in the movies.

 

"it's okay, it's in the past now, what matters is what happens now," she murmurs into the crook of seungwan’s neck, but she's sure the younger girl is able to hear her, "don't be sad, because it's going to make me sad."

 

joohyun shifts her arms so that she's holding seungwan tightly and she plants a kiss on the younger girl's forehead. her soulmate snuggles closer to her chest and joohyun thinks that there's no better feeling. 

 

her heart feels so full tonight and all she wants to do is express her love, "i’m very grateful that you’re here, seungwan. i think i got really lucky when the universe decided to pair you with me.”

 

"are you kidding? have you seen yourself?" seungwan mumbles incredulously, basking in joohyun's warm affection, "one of the reasons i couldn't talk to you was because you were so … wow …"

 

"so wow?" joohyun doesn't hold back a snort.

 

"don't laugh," seungwan pouts as she looks up at her soulmate, "you looked like a goddess when i first saw you and honestly, it just feels like having you as my soulmate is too good to be true."

 

joohyun smiles softly as her gaze lingers on her precious soulmate, "i'm only human and this is all very true and very real. i can’t wait to get to know you better, azure.”

 

seungwan lets out a groan at the sound of her username being mentioned and her soulmate could only giggle cheekily.

 

“yeri placed bets with our friends on when i would actually talk to you.”

 

“yah … that brat is going to get it from me.”

 

“it’s okay, i’m pretty sure she lost. she had zero faith in me.”

 

“well, serves her right.” joohyun scoffs, “i also can’t believe she knew and didn’t tell me!”

 

seungwan purses her lips as she takes a mental check of how many people actually knew that the two of them are soulmates before joohyun herself knew. put it short, it’s basically the entire world and their moms.

 

“well … i have some news for you …” the nerd drawls nervously.

 

the senior looks down at the girl in her arms and expels a sigh, “alright, who else knows?”

 

“seulgi, sooyoung, yeri, yongsun-unnie,” seungwan begins to list off names at the top of her head, “a bunch of my online friends and byulyi-unnie too probably.”

 

“yah, son seungwan! you told that many people before me?” joohyun raises her voice in offense.

 

seungwan bites back a laugh, “to be fair, yeri and yongsun-unnie found out on their own.”

 

“seulgi and sooyoung?”

 

“sorry, i tell seulgi just about everything and by extension, sooyoung knows everything too. those two are inseparable.”

 

“unbelievable … ah … whatever! at least you finally talked to me, i’ll take it.” joohyun mumbles and doesn't try to hide her yawn, it's getting late now and neither of their bodies is agreeing to no sleep.

 

"we should save this conversation for tomorrow.” seungwan suggests, feeling the fatigue in her body catching up to her as well. all the adrenaline has passed and even love isn't enough to keep her up through the night.

 

joohyun nods slightly as her eyes begin to shut, "as much as i agree, i just want to spend a little more time with you."

 

the introvert hums in agreement, "i do too, but you know i won't disappear, right?"

 

"i'm not so sure about that …" joohyun mumbles as pulls seungwan closer, the little nerd cranes her neck to look up at her with a softened gaze, "you ran from me. i’m partially expecting you to immigrate when i wake up."

 

“i’m a changed woman now, i don’t think i wanna be anywhere without you.”

 

“careful now,” joohyun teases warningly, “i wouldn’t want to turn into yongsun and byulyi, or seulgi and sooyoung.”

 

“is it really that bad?” seungwan pouts, “because for one, i do take great pleasure in being in your arms.”

 

the senior lets out a sleepy chuckle and leans in to meet seungwan's soft lips again. a gentle peck that catches seungwan off guard. the younger girl jumps slightly but joohyun’s firm grip keeps them intertwined. 

 

“and i take great pleasure in adoring you.” joohyun hums sleepily before proceeding to plant more tender kisses on her cheek and neck.

 

"well, i’ve got great news for you. i like it, a lot."

 

"and i like you, a lot."

 

"you call me greasy, but look at you. are you always this soft?" seungwan can’t help but grin widely.

 

"only for you, you have no idea what you do to me. i’ve been trying to figure out why for the last few weeks and i finally know now."

 

"i'm going to make a bold move and assume it's the same as what you do to me."

 

"i make your heart melt into a little puddle and all you want to do is kiss me?" joohyun mumbles nervously in the quietest tone ever.

 

seungwan bobs her head, "pretty much."

 

"nice."

 

"nice?"

 

"yeah, nice, because i get to have you all to myself."

 

"wish i could say the same. half the school's population is going to come after me once they learn that i'm your soulmate.”

 

"it's not like they stood a chance anyway. plus, once they see how adorable my seungwannie is, they'll understand."

 

"your seungwannie?” seungwan chuckles lightly, “but they'll come after me with pitchforks and torches. "

 

"yeah, mine. and i will fend them off with my own pitchfork and torch." 

 

"i'm sure you will …" seungwan mutters as she drifts off into slumber.

 

"goodnight, my seungwannie." joohyun says with a content smile on her lips, but her soulmate is already fast asleep.

 

listening to the silent breathing of her soulmate, she takes a moment to appreciate everything that’s just happened. it’s funny how things work themselves out when she least expects them to. all her life, she never thought that meeting her soulmate would be a possibility, let alone falling asleep all cuddled up with them.

 

not only did she get her soulmate, she got seungwan too. of all the people she could’ve been paired with, she got this adorable little nerd. somehow, seungwan just snuck her way into her heart so frictionlessly, she doesn’t doubt that her love for this girl will only grow. and for that, joohyun thinks she must be blessed by the gods themselves. with thoughts of a future together in mind, joohyun lets the gentle rise of seungwan’s chest lull her into a series of sweet dreams.