spending the majority of her day at joohyun’s apartment isn’t how seungwan envisioned how she would spend her semester break. but alas, life had different plans for the little nerd.

 

she found it almost impossible to leave joohyun on the first day of her falling ill, the sight of her soulmate curled up under her sheets with a trail of snot dribbling down her nose didn’t incite the most pleasant feelings. so she spent the day tending to every single one of joohyun’s needs, only leaving when she needed to get a change of clothes and returning to spend the night right after.

 

the older girl’s condition had shown improvement after ingesting the medication that yongsun had given her, but she wasn’t at a hundred percent just yet. though a little feverish and delirious at times, she’s more than aware that the fluttering she feels is a result of seungwan’s tenderness and not her sickness. you’d expect that growing up in a big family meant that joohyun would be less of a stranger to affection, but that's hardly the case. it didn't mean that she has never felt love, it just came in more distant forms that are rarely affectionate. 

 

with seungwan, it feels like something within her is shifting. 

 

seungwan takes it upon herself to prepare joohyun's meals, even making her version of hot lemon water, though she's certain that joohyun's one is much tastier.

 

they spend the next day with the intention of binging movies with a laptop between them, but joohyun has energy for half a movie before she's steadily snoring on seungwan's shoulder. the nerd doesn't finish a single movie, simply because she wants to wait for joohyun.

 

she opts to read up on subjects for the upcoming school year instead. the quiet breathing of her soulmate helps her to focus a little better. well, it's mostly just nice to have company for once.

 

---

 

“are you ever going to let me into your instagram?”

 

“why?”

 

“i’m just curious …”

 

“i don’t even post anything though … i only use it to lurk …”

 

“you have three posts!”

 

“they’re from years ago, seulgi made me post them.”

 

“can i see?”

 

“it’s kinda embarrassing …”

 

“i’ve got sick people rights, let me in …” joohyun whines and pouts at seungwan before blowing her nose into a wad of tissue.

 

damn her sick people rights , seungwan couldn’t find it in herself to say no to her soulmate when she’s getting her kicked by a virus. she finally taps on the big blue confirm button and lets joohyun do all the lurking she wants.

 

renebaebae started following you. 10 s

 

a chortle is accompanied with a loud cough when joohyun finally sees the three hidden posts that have been kept from her for weeks. oh, how it is all worth the wait.

 

---

 

joohyun’s condition fluctuates for a few days. seungwan has done everything she can to make sure she’s taken care of, the rest is up to joohyun. she can’t help but feel helpless even though her soulmate reassures her that her presence is more than enough. by wednesday, seungwan and yongsun come to a consensus and lug her feverish body to the nearest clinic.

 

a simple diagnosis, nothing but the flu, probably from the weeks of academic and emotional strain. with some stronger medication, joohyun begins to inch her way back to the world of the living.

 

by the eighth day of their meeting, joohyun is somewhat recovered and conscious enough to get through the day without sleeping. her fevers are a thing of the past but her body is taking it’s time to return to normal. seungwan still lingers at the senior’s apartment, cooking, cleaning and keeping an eye on her stubborn soulmate who would insist she’s fine before coughing her lungs out a second later.

 

it’s a sunday and yongsun is out on a date with byulyi, giving the new pair some privacy or getting some privacy for themselves, who knows? the most they’ve done is decide what to eat for lunch. they settle on beef stew, a recipe from seungwan’s mother. the younger girl has always enjoyed creating dishes and pastries with her mother back at home. going to university, has thankfully, not dulled her culinary skills. sure, she isn’t at her prime anymore, but at least the food she puts out are still edible.  

 

joohyun has been watching her tiny soulmate work her magic at the stove and she thanks the gods with reverence because seungwan is a talented cook. she’s gotten really lucky to relish in the assortment of recipes of sick people food that seungwan has under her belt. if it were up to her, she’d probably be eating oatmeal or wet rice that cannot be considered as congee.

 

her heart swells with gratitude and she mumbles from the kitchen counter, "thank you for taking care of me for the past week."

 

joohyun’s words have broken the tranquillity they’ve settled into, they’ve been vibing to seungwan’s playlist of ten songs on repeat and she’s got all the titles memorised in her head. ‘ you feel like’ comes on shuffle and all joohyun can think of is how apt the song is at reflecting her feelings.

 

the little nerd scoffs lightly without turning, "how many times do i have to say it? it's what i'm supposed to do."

 

"yet, i can still be grateful, can't i?" the senior sighs with a smile tugging at her lips. resting her cheek in her hand, a certain calmness washes over her, like she’s been so strung up for her entire life and this is the first time she truly relaxes.

 

the younger girl turns her head slightly and bobs it in the general direction of joohyun. "in that case, you're welcome." she chuckles, giving in to her soulmate with ease.

 

watching seungwan prance around the kitchen feels like she's getting a taste of the domestic life that awaits them in the future. and this future doesn't seem so far away as it did before.

 

"i think i'd like this." 

 

"like what?"

 

"a life with you, son seungwan."

 

a simple sentence causes seungwan to freeze in her spot. joohyun has been pretty liberal with her words of affection, but they mostly happen when she’s barely conscious, so the younger girl doesn’t take her too seriously. this time, she’s certain that her soulmate is sober, but still, she’s not sure how much of it is actually true. a skip of a heartbeat leads to a small grin on her cheeks.

 

"cheese." the little nerd deflects with ease as she resumes cooking.

 

"i'm serious."

 

seungwan hums as she stirs the stew she’s been working on for slightly over an hour, "is this because i've spent the last few days as your napping companion?"

 

“yes,” joohyun plays along with a light scoff, “you made for a really comfortable headrest and i’m not about to give that up so easily.”

 

the older girl saunters over to her soulmate before snaking her arms around her waist. burying her face in seungwan's back, she inhales deeply with contentment. mixed with the delicious scent of a stew, her soulmate's scent is soothing. her heart is finally at ease after weeks of turmoil and all the waiting is worth it.

 

spending a few days together have led to discoveries from both parties. joohyun is a big fan of cuddles while seungwan lets her do as she pleases — not that she minded being snuggled against in the slightest. now that there's no longer a virtual barrier between them, every action or word is a little more genuine.

 

it's strange. texting joohyun in the earlier weeks merely feels like a trial period and now that they're in it for the long run, everything seems much more intense. her feelings are a lot more intense.

 

"lunch is ready if you're ready to release me from your grubby hands." seungwan teases as she leans back into joohyun's embrace.

 

yeri had been going off about how her cousin had kidnapped azure since seungwan couldn't find the time to get online. the archer, albeit a little annoyed that she lost the soulmate bet , as her friends had coined, is still elated that the pair is finally together.

 

a muffled groan escapes joohyun's throat, "next time i see kim yerim, she's going to catch my grubby little hands."

 

seungwan chuckles and places down the spoon she'd been holding before turning to face her soulmate. joohyun looks at her with a soft gaze and the nerd can't stop her heart from dissolving into mush. withholding the urge to kiss her, seungwan buries her face in the crook of joohyun's neck instead. 

 

her friends, including seulgi, would make fun of her if they knew that she's too shy to kiss her soulmate. the son seungwan on the day of the confession has ceased to exist, she's back to the good old son seungwan who chickens out on a regular basis.

 

they stay like that for a little, basking in each other's warmth until the grumbling of joohyun's stomach forces them apart.

 

"as much as i enjoy this, unfortunately, you can't survive on hugs."

 

"a little longer?"

 

"this is the one time i refuse to give in, time to eat."

 

"okay …"

 

"don't look at me like that …"

 

"seungwan-ah …"

 

"fine, one more minute."

 

---

 

seulbear 🐻:

is joohyun better?

3:20 pm

 

seungwan:

fever's pretty much gone but she's still got a runny nose

3:22 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

good to hear

3:22 pm

 

are you coming back today?

3:22 pm

 

seungwan:

why? 

3:22 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

sooyoung's coming over 😈

3:23 pm

 

seungwan:

forget i asked 

3:23 pm

 

i'll come back next semester 🤮

3:23 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

wannie no!!!

3:23 pm

 

just give me a heads up

3:24 pm

 

seungwan:

fine … i'll probably be back at night

3:24 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

okay great!!! 

3:24 pm

 

that's plenty of time 😗

3:24 pm

 

seungwan:

STOP

3:25 pm

 

I DO NOT NEED TO KNOW

3:25 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

what’s wrong 😗😗😗

3:25 pm

 

don’t think i haven’t peeped at your browser history

3:25 pm

 

seungwan:

you don’t scare me, park sooyoung

3:26 pm

 

like the valorant videos?

3:26 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

honestly unnie how many videos titled AGGRESIVE RAZE PLAYS are you going to watch

3:26 pm

 

i’m so glad you found your soulmate

3:26 pm

 

go get a life nerd

3:27 pm

 

seungwan:

i am … 🙄

3:27 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

love you wannie!! 😘

3:27 pm

 

---

 

lunch consisted of beef stew and the other half of the movie that they couldn't finish because joohyun fell asleep. fortunately, she stays awake through it all this time.

 

they spend the afternoon relaxing to one of joohyun’s playlist instead, chatting about the little things and everything in between. they don't talk about hard stuff like families and the future yet. all they're focusing on is this budding love between them, planning for their first date all over again.

 

they shelve ideas for a picnic date for warmer days and amusement park dates for when joohyun is fully recovered. their first date would be dinner at a restaurant in town that has just opened up, nothing too romantic or over the top. 

 

and by nightfall, yongsun deems that joohyun is healthy enough to not require seungwan's presence around the clock. so the senior chases the little nerd back to her dorm, muttering something along the lines of – you two inseparable lovebirds need to chill .

 

seungwan unwillingly trudges back to aquila, though she can’t deny she misses her bed a tiny bit. being all snuggled up next to joohyun for the last few days has been a pleasant treat, she might consider sneaking back to cygnus if her soulmate requests it.

 

she shoots seulgi a text on the way back, not wanting to catch the couple in the midst of any indecent acts. one time had been scarring enough, seungwan would sell her kidney if it meant erasing the sight of their bare bodies from their minds.

 

seungwan:

i'm coming back

9:01 pm

 

yongsun chased me out

9:01 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

okay!!!

9:02 pm

 

can’t wait to see you!!!

9:02 pm

 

seungwan:

you sound so suspicious …

9:02 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

i’m not!!

9:02 pm

 

it's a little after 9 when the nerd makes it back to her dorm, it feels strange to not have to rush back to joohyun. maybe tonight she'll finally be able to hop into a discord call to answer all her friends' burning questions — they’ve been pestering her non-stop on various messaging platforms since she hadn’t been online in game.

 

opening the door to her room, she's greeted with the deafening booms of party poppers going off.

 

"jesus!" she blurts in surprise and recoils back.

 

taking a second to collect herself, she inhales a deep breath and takes on the sight before her. her shared dorm room is filled with balloons while seulgi is holding remnants of a party popper and sooyoung is capturing the entire thing down. confetti is still gently gliding down and the only question seungwan has is, why?

 

"what's going on?" the nerd furrows her brows as she takes a cautious step into the room.

 

sooyoung points towards the back of the room where a horribly constructed banner is taped to the wall. a message, made out of a couple of pieces of A4 paper conjoined together horizontally, written in crayon or colored pencils. seungwan can't really tell from the distance but she could still read it.

 

CONGRATULATIONs

 

clearly, these two winged it. the letter 's' at the end is squished in with the rest, as if they forgot about it. and to think that seulgi is pursuing a degree in graphic design, the least she could do is have equal kerning between the letters.

 

holding back a snicker, seungwan raises an eyebrow curiously, "congratulations for ..?"

 

"for finally confessing to kiyub, wannie!" seulgi exclaims as she reaches for another party popper.

 

this time, seungwan is more prepared and plugs her ears as seulgi pulls the string with a worrying amount of glee. covering her ears mitigated the loudness of it but it still makes her flinch slightly.

 

"congrats!" seulgi throws her hands up excitedly as confetti begins falling on the introvert.

 

seungwan cracks into a grin and brushes the small pieces of paper off her head. once everything has settled, she hops over the pool of balloons to pull her friends into a big hug. one arm for each is the best she can do with her small frame. they reciprocate it with ease, absorbing her into their warmth.

 

"thanks guys," she beams, the crumbling banner lining up in her line of sight, "what's up with the s on the banner though?"

 

"it's a long story." seulgi grumbles.

 

"it's not long at all, it's just my baby can't spell."

 

"why'd you leave it to me then?"

 

"what's the point of studying design if you're not going to put it to use?"

 

"designers aren't artists, we're problem solvers!"

 

gripping her friends a little tighter, seungwan makes the couple shut up. "okay, come on, that's enough. it's janky as hell but i love it.”

 

surrounded in a sea of balloons with her two best friends, seungwan is reminded of how love can come in so many different forms. and she just knows that nothing could ever come close to what she feels for joohyun.

 

---

 

joohyun:

i miss you already

10:10 pm

 

son seungwan:

just say the word and i’ll be right over 🏃

10:13 pm

 

joohyun:

i watched seulgi’s story

10:13 pm

 

go hang out with your friends!

10:13 pm

 

when seungwan finally let joohyun into her private instagram, the model gave her friends a follow as well. and frankly, she’s getting more updates about her soulmate from her friends instead, which still works in her favour. it seems like they were celebrating something with beer and fried chicken.

 

son seungwan:

i am!

10:13 pm

 

these two little s wanted to celebrate my confession

10:14 pm

 

but if you want me to come over again, i’ll be there

10:14 pm

 

joohyun:

no!! celebrate with your friends

10:14 pm

 

you deserve it 

10:14 pm

 

besides, you could use some fun after taking care of me

10:15 pm

 

the senior had also found out about the many attempts in which seungwan avoided her. hilarious yes, but also frustratingly puzzling. she just couldn’t comprehend what her soulmate was so afraid of but decides it’s not worth questioning.

 

son seungwan:

spending time with you is fun too 😔

10:15 pm

 

anyway, seulgi is pestering me to send you a picture she took of me

10:15 pm

 

do you wanna see it?

10:15 pm

 

joohyun:

of course 😊 

10:16 pm

 

son seungwan:

seulgi says i look cute here

10:16 pm

 

(photo)

10:16 pm

 

the model opens up the picture with anticipation, not entirely sure what she should be expecting. her soulmate stands under a poorly made banner, covered in confetti while holding onto a blue balloon. a wink plastered on her face accompanied with a large beaming smile sets the celebratory mood for the picture.

 

joohyun laughs in amusement but at the same time, her chest swells with love for her adorable little soulmate.

 

joohyun:

yah!! who gave you the rights to be this precious!!!

10:16 pm

 

i’m swooning so hard~~

10:17 pm

 

🥰😘💖😍❤️💕🥰💞💓💗😘💘❣️

10:17 pm

 

son seungwan:

😳 wow

10:17 pm

 

seulgi says you're whipped

10:17 pm

 

joohyun:

🙄 and!!

10:18 pm

 

son seungwan:

she says that's good because she won't accept anyone as my soulmate if they don't shower me with love

10:18 pm

 

joohyun:

tell her she has nothing to worry about

10:18 pm

 

you're going to get all of my love 😉

10:18 pm

 

son seungwan:

sooyoung just gagged but i'm honored 🤭

10:19 pm

 

what are you up to anyway?

10:19 pm

 

joohyun:

nothing much, i was watching cooking videos

10:19 pm

 

and then i got bored

10:19 pm

 

son seungwan:

awaiting the day where chef bae makes an appearance 😗

10:20 pm

 

joohyun:

i would rather not poison you~

10:20 pm

 

son seungwan:

it can't be that bad

10:20 pm

 

joohyun:

i think you'll eat your words once you see this

10:20 pm

 

(photo)

10:21 pm

 

it's a picture of a fried egg she tried to make a while back, but she messed it up so badly that it looked comical. yongsun cackled at her before frying her a perfect sunny side up.

 

son seungwan:

oh …

10:21 pm

 

well … um ...

10:21 pm

 

i'm not the best cook but i can teach you how to fry an egg … 😶

10:21 pm

 

joohyun:

i think i'd prefer if you cooked for me instead 😗

10:22 pm

 

son seungwan:

we could have a cooking session

10:22 pm

 

or a baking session! that might be more fun!

10:22 pm

 

joohyun:

baking, huh?

10:22 pm

 

is there anything you can't do?

10:23 pm

 

son seungwan:

i can't sleep with you tonight 😔

10:23 pm

 

joohyun:

do you wanna come over that badly?

10:23 pm

 

son seungwan:

maybe ..?

10:23 pm

 

i wouldn't have left if yongsun-unnie didn't chase me away 😢

10:24 pm

 

joohyun:

i know 😉

10:24 pm

 

but we'll see each other tomorrow too

10:24 pm

 

go enjoy your celebration with your friends in case they turn into another kim yerim

10:24 pm

 

son seungwan:

they're probably glad i'm venturing into the outside world

10:25 pm

 

but okay i will spend some time with them today

10:25 pm

 

joohyun:

👋 go on~

10:25 pm

 

---

 

"ah look, she's got that dumb smile again." sooyoung sneers as she sips on some beer.

 

the trio had cleared some space in the middle of the room so they could feast on a meal of fried chicken wings and beer. they occasionally hang out when seungwan feels up for some third-wheeling or when seulgi insists that she comes along. so there they sit, seungwan leaning against the side of her bed while sooyoung is lying on seulgi's lap across her.

 

the nerd rolls her eyes in retort and tosses her phone aside, "yeah, yeah, i'm happy! what about it!" she huffs loudly whilst reaching for a piece of chicken.

 

"let her live, sooyoungie," seulgi's words are spoken between munches, "we're celebrating for her after all."

 

seungwan sticks her tongue out, "yeah, heard that?"

 

"fine." the highschooler groans loudly and shrugs. "but honestly, you're probably the only person who'll get a celebration for confessing to their soulmate."

 

the introvert looks to her best friend for back up but when there's food, seulgi is good as mute. her older friend is currently munching her way through another piece of chicken without a care in the world.

 

"you guys did this on your own accord!" seungwan frowns as she bites into a piece of chicken, rending its delicious flesh from its bones.

 

"the whole situation was absurd from start to end anyway." sooyoung deadpans, "maybe we should head out to the temples to thank the gods tomorrow."

 

seungwan clicks her teeth in offence as the younger girl snickers.

 

"i thought you guys would be happier, at least i'm spending time with someone else apart from you two." the nerd sighs with a slight pout.

 

seulgi bobs her head aggressively, "we are! but our banter usually revolves around you."

 

"aww … you guys are so sweet." seungwan says with sarcasm dripping all over her words.

 

"anyway," sooyoung sits up lazily, "what are your plans with joohyun-unnie?"

 

seungwan questions curiously, "plans?"

 

"like about your future, she's pretty much done with school right? what are you guys going to do?" the highschooler elaborates a little.

 

they've barely met a few days ago and sooyoung is already asking about their future. joohyun's nosey aunts could be given a run for their money.

 

a rise of her shoulders is the only response she has, "it's a little early, sooyoung-ah. we haven't even gone out on a proper date and she’s been sick for the past week."

 

“yeah, we know. it’s so quiet without your snoring.”

 

“i don’t snore!”

 

“okay, it’s more like aggressive breathing i suppose.”

 

sooyoung shushes them with a wave of her hand, "enough about that, when’s your first date going to be?"

 

"tomorrow, probably." seungwan shrugs.

 

a glimmer in sooyoung’s eyes signals that the conversation has finally piqued her interest, "ooh, what are you going to wear?"

 

"my usual clothes ..?" seungwan mumbles questioningly while she chews away.

 

"are you not going to dress up?" the highschooler is clearly offended by her nonchalance, but the nerd pays her no mind.

 

"do i have to?”

 

"don't you wanna look good for your first date?"

 

seungwan speaks with a tint of exasperation in her voice, "yeah but … you know me … i'm not good at things like these."

 

loud tuts of disapproval leave sooyoung’s lips and then she commands the nerd to get up and start picking clothes out.

 

it quickly descends into an argument before seungwan begrudgingly agrees. she could be harsh at times but the highschooler is merely saving her from a potential fashion disaster. it’s not like she has a bad fashion sense, but everything in her wardrobe is simple, nothing screams first date material.

 

the rest of the night is filled with snarky comments from sooyoung as she tries to put seungwan in outfits that might impress joohyun, even borrowing a couple of pieces from seulgi. but of course, it doesn’t really work out when half the time the nerd is whining that it’s not her style. they eventually settle on a white blouse and dark beige pants — simple, smart and casual, as sooyoung would say.

 

“so who’s going to clean up the mess?” seungwan mumbles from her bed after they spent almost three hours trying on almost every outfit the pair of best friends owned.

 

their room looks like it’s been through hell. with balloons, remnants of fast food and clothes littered all around, she’s not sure if there’s even space for sleeping tonight. she’s even lying on some clothes but it’s not like she has the energy to care anymore.

 

“not me.” sooyoung dodges the responsibility with ease as she hops onto seulgi’s bed.

 

seulgi lets out a loud sigh from her spot on the ground and gives in, “ fine … it’s only so you can enjoy your day with your girlfriend, okay?” 

 

girlfriend . seungwan hadn’t considered that at all. kiyub has always just been a person in her head. but that person is now joohyun and while they are soulmates, she’s not sure if they can be considered girlfriends. are they ready for this label?

 

“we’re not … girlfriends … yet ..?” seungwan responds with uncertainty as she continues to ponder over this new epiphany.

 

"c'mon, you guys are literally soulmates, isn't it pretty much guaranteed that you're going to be girlfriends?" sooyoung retorts as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

 

romantic relationships are entirely new territory for seungwan. considering how she isn't the best at friendships, it might be good to take things slow, even if their fate is set in stone.

 

"well, yeah but i think i'm still warming up to the idea of having someone for life. i wanna do things one step at a time." the little nerd admits genuinely as she stares at the ceiling blankly.

 

"you're going to get married at 50 at this rate."

 

"so be it," seungwan shrugs, "if she's willing to be that patient with me, i'd gladly marry her at 50."

 

"ugh … you've become so cheesy, unnie!"

 

seulgi lets out a sound that sounds like a mix between a groan and a whine, "wannie would make a really good flirt if she had the courage!"

 

"and thankfully, i don't."

 

"people would be falling for your greasy lines left and right."

 

a quick glance at each other and both seungwan and sooyoung knows that seulgi is drunk. drunk seulgi is usually harmless, though she spews the weirdest things. it’s like someone put her brain on a random word generator and then it’s a challenge to say the most confusing things as quickly as possible.

 

"seul, baby, i think it's time to sleep."

 

"no wait i'm not done hyping my best friend up!"

 

"go on, i'm enjoying this theoretically flirty version of me." the nerd encourages cheekily, knowing fully well that she probably won't remember what she said tomorrow.

 

"and like … you'd have a really cool english name like wendy! "

 

"wendy?" sooyoung snorts, "what would my english name be?"

 

"joy," seulgi responds almost instantly, like she has known the answer for the longest time now, "because you bring so much joy to everyone around you."

 

a chortle escapes seungwan’s lips, "okay, who's the cheesy one now?"

 

"you, duh. when my baby does it, she's the sweetest."

 

"you've got some serious double standards there, park sooyoung …"

 

"oh really? i wasn't aware."

 

" aish …"

 

"hey!” seulgi pips up, demanding for attention before beginning another ramble. or rather a glorified mumbling of words. “and like … maybe you would be a really cool singer … what if we were all singers … " in the midst of picturing an alternate universe, seulgi decides to shut her eyes and let hypnos claim her.

 

"called it …" sooyoung sighs, who the hell even dozes off mid-sentence? she crawls out of bed to haul her drunken soulmate into bed. 

 

the room still lies in chaos but it would be a problem for tomorrow. the two sober ones have come to a silent and mutual agreement after dimming the lights.

 

"goodnight."

 

"nights, unnie."

 

tonight, seungwan lets contentment wash over her, making sure that she etches this feeling into her heart forever. it’s amazing to be alive in a world full of love and she’s so grateful to merely be here.

 

---

 

sleeping in on a weekday is something to get used to, at least for the next week or two before the new semester starts. but despite the extra shut-eye, she still feels sluggish, probably due to the thrills from the previous night.

 

the two best friends and one demon spend an hour or two cleaning up the mess they've caused. as much as seungwan whines, nothing beats spending time with her friends. it's a worthwhile tradeoff in her opinion.

 

the nerd texts her soulmate throughout the day, multiple mentions of their upcoming date pop up during their chats. their botched first date a few days ago didn’t feel as serious because it was so spontaneous. this time, it's exciting but also slightly nerve-wracking. it's not the first time she's going to be with joohyun alone but it's their first date. slapping a label on things always makes them seem more important.

 

by the time the sun begins to set, seungwan is all dressed up and ready to meet her lovely soulmate. sooyoung had stayed the rest of the day to hang out, but she also took it upon herself to help seungwan prepare for her grand affair.

 

a myriad of voices is currently being emitted from her computer speakers, of course, her online friends have to be here for this monumental occasion.

 

seungwan currently stands to the side of her monitor, twiddling with her fingers nervously. she isn’t sure how her friends would react, like sure, they’ve seen each others’ real-life pictures and all but they know that azure isn’t one to dress up. heck, she doesn’t even like being in front of the camera much, so this is a big thing in everybody's eyes.

 

with an unsuspecting hard shove from the side, she pretty much flies into the webcam's view. stumbling to regain her balance, she directs her wrath upon the smug highschooler who seems hell-bent on ruining everything.

 

"yah park sooyoung!" the nerd exclaims when she steadies herself.

 

sooyoung merely raises her shoulder, "your friends want to see you, i’m just helping you out."

 

fixing her clothes and ignoring the insufferable girl, she stands in front of the camera and waves awkwardly. "thoughts?" she asks quietly.

 

the voices in the call come to a still before erupting in a chorus of cheers and hoots. on her screen, she can see her friends cheering and clapping away.

 

"woah! let's ing go, azure!"

 

"oh my god!"

 

"girl, give us a spin!"

 

blushing slightly, she obliges, turning in her spot. it might not feel like much but it’s a step out of her comfort zone, maybe being with joohyun is making her a little braver day by day. she spends a little more time chatting with her friends to ease her nerves — bread assures her that it’ll all be fine while luna goes on about how she should get flowers like roses or some so she can really charm joohyun. and then yeri retorts with a snort because her cousin doesn’t care for things like flowers.

 

and when it finally came time to leave, seulgi and sooyoung looked like a pair of proud parents sending their kid off for prom.

 

"hold still!" seulgi hisses as she snaps yet another picture of seungwan at the door. the design major has brought out the big guns, cameras ranging from digital to film, everything that can be used to immortalize this moment is being made use of by kang seulgi.

 

the little nerd exhales sharply when the flash from the polaroid camera blinds her momentarily. the buzz emitted from the camera is followed with a satisfied hum from her best friend. well, they've already taken the phone shots, the DSLR shots, the film shots and finally, the polaroid shot. seungwan is kind of terrified at how many pictures seulgi wants of her, she dreads to imagine how many photos seulgi will end up with if she continues to go on dates.

 

"wannie's first date!" the design student declares proudly as she bounces over to her desk to scribble something at the bottom of the picture.

 

"it's the 19th of february, time is a quarter past 6 in the evening." sooyoung adds in an attempt to soulmate but the innocent girl is taking the information down diligently, “seungwan-unnie is about to yell at us because she’s going to be late.”

 

"can i go now?" seungwan grumbles from the door after listening to sooyoung’s narration. she feels her phone buzzing in her pocket, probably a text from joohyun.

 

the highschooler waves her off easily, "go on, young grasshopper. don't come back if you didn't get laid!"

 

"i'm leaving now!" seungwan announces loudly before slamming the door behind her.

 

---

 

it’s a short walk from her dorm to the train station where they'd agreed to meet. seungwan shoots joohyun a couple of texts, one to apologize for being late and the other to let her know that she's on the way. her soulmate reassures her with a smiley emoji and hurries her lightly.

 

the amber glow of the sunset is slowly making its way for the darkness of the night. the atmosphere of the whole place feels otherworldly, seungwan is usually in lecture halls or her dorm at this time of the day. the campus is still buzzing with life, some students are heading home for the break, some are hanging out with their friends and others are merely wandering about. it’s a strangely comforting feeling border lining on surreal, like she doesn't exactly belong in this space, like going on a date with her soulmate is a dream. she chalks it all up to her excitement looming over her.

 

with a bounce in her step, seungwan finds herself at the train station. and there her soulmate waits, dressed in a casual shirt and jeans, paired with the jacket she’d stolen from seungwan upon their official meeting. her gaze is drawn downwards and she looks to be deep in thought. even with her hair hanging over her face, joohyun still looks like a goddess. her goddess.

 

she approaches joohyun with pursed lips, waving slowly to draw the girl out of her thoughts. the senior snaps her head up, the blank look on her face is quickly replaced with a beaming smile.

 

“hello,” the model greets while straightening her posture, “you look good.”

 

heat rushes to her cheeks and she stammers, “y-you too.”

 

shifting her hands from behind her back, joohyun pulls out a small bouquet of flowers. “i got you flowers,” the older girl presents the small bouquet to her soulmate, “a little something to make up for last time.”

 

luna was right, she should’ve gotten flowers, or chocolates, or something along the lines of a romantic gesture. well, it’s too late for that now, maybe she could conjure up something else on their date.

 

white roses, seungwan guesses. she isn’t an expert on flowers, nor an enthusiast for the matter but they are beautiful. there aren’t any florists on campus, or within walking distance. this probably means that joohyun specifically went out of her way to get her flowers. 

 

realising her effort, seungwan looks at her with a softened gaze. while the nerd had been thinking, joohyun has been watching her closely, almost worried that her soulmate wouldn’t like the flowers.

 

“i love it, they’re gorgeous,” the younger girl accepts the roses and wraps her arms around joohyun for a quick hug, “thank you.”

 

seungwan feels warm and nice and joohyun lets herself melt into her embrace easily. times like these always make her feel like if they really tried, the rest of the world could just fade away around them. but time continues to tick, separating themselves, joohyun slips her hand into seungwan’s. 

 

“ready?”

 

swinging their arms, seungwan bobs her head and lets joohyun tug them into the station for a nice night out.

 

---

 

it’s a monday evening, the weather isn't exactly freezing though it's still cold out, overall a seemingly pleasant night for a date.

 

wading through the throngs of people at town, they wind up at a western bistro with a live band playing some gentle tunes in the background. a modest little place that's just beginning to pick up buzz amongst the youngsters. monday nights seem quiet enough though there’s still a handful of patrons. the place is littered with flowers of all kinds, probably adhering to some kind of floral theme. seungwan felt slightly awkward holding her roses but the little bouquet doesn't seem so out of place now.

 

sliding into a booth in the corner, they relax after ordering their food. and of course, like the inseparable couple they are, they sit on the same side with their fingers intertwined.

 

the band plays a series of mellow pop songs that suits the taste of the couple. they had discovered that they both enjoyed similar genres of music, but that could also be attributed to the fact that joohyun listens to just about anything.

 

"last night, seulgi was drunk and going off about how i could be a singer named wendy in another reality," seungwan mumbles mindlessly as she watches the band, "makes me wonder where i would be if i didn't make the choices i did."

 

joohyun hums quietly, "what would you be if you weren't a brilliant little software engineer in the making?"

 

chuckling, seungwan shrugs and glances at joohyun. "maybe a doctor or a scientist, or some other nerdy thing. i'm not very artistically inclined if you can tell."

 

"doctor son," the senior teases with a giggle, "or doctor wendy?"

 

"i think i'm fine with just being seungwan, i think coding is much easier than cutting a body up." seungwan replies and takes a moment to stare at her soulmate adoringly, "what would you be?"

 

joohyun thinks hard for a moment before her face lights up with glee, "a candle maker." 

 

the nerd quirks an eyebrow, it's not something that she expected joohyun to say. sensing her confusion, the older girl is quick to clarify.

 

"i have a thing for scented candles, i think it would be nice if i could make my own."

 

"oh i've noticed your shrine of candles," seungwan snickers, "an interesting dream job, huh?"

 

the senior pouts slightly, "yah, are you making fun of me?"

 

"not at all!" the nerd defends herself swiftly, "i think it's nice to know these little things about you."

 

"i would say the same, wendy." joohyun rests her head in her hand before grinning.

 

"unfortunately, i sound like a dying cat. wish i could belt a high note or two."

 

"karaoke night some time? yongsun's got this karaoke mic lying around."

 

"sounds like a nightmare to me honestly …"

 

"it'll be fun, come on!"

 

"you're not sick anymore, i'm not going to give in so easily."

 

joohyun whines and pokes the younger girl lightly, "seungwan-ah …"

 

thankfully, the waiter comes to her rescue with their food. a series of polite thank-yous is heard and then joohyun is speeding off to the other side of the booth.

 

"what's wrong?" seungwan takes in the peculiar behaviour of her soulmate without knowing how to process it exactly. 

 

the senior is whipping her phone out across her and raising it to her face. and when seungwan realises what’s going on, she immediately brings up her hands to cover her face.

 

“are you going to post these anywhere ..?” the introvert mumbles with a tint of fear in her voice. joohyun could have an entire album of her pictures for all she cares, but the thought that they might be shared with the thousands of her followers too — that didn’t kindle any positive feelings at all.

 

the model tilts her head to peek past her phone and she blinks at seungwan with a puzzled expression. “is that something that might bother you?” she tries softly.

 

the introvert runs her hand through her hair before they come to rest at the nape of her neck, she doesn’t have the right words to explain how this makes her feel so she merely bobs her head in agreement.

 

joohyun nods slowly. she doesn’t quite understand the apprehension her soulmate is facing but doesn’t want to pressure her into anything she might be uncomfortable with either. “okay. all these will remain a personal collection until you say it’s okay, is that alright?” she offers with a small smile.

 

“it’s not that serious,” seungwan plays it down quickly, not wanting their long-awaited date night to turn sour so quickly, “come on, i’ll take a few shots of you, seulgi has taught me some nifty tricks.”

 

the model hands her phone over with a wide smile and strikes her signature pose — cheek in hand accompanied with a lustrous wink. a blush creeps up on seungwan’s face and the feeling she felt when she first laid eyes on joohyun is back, her soulmate is genuinely the epitome of ethereal. thank god, the lights in here are dim so joohyun wouldn’t see her flushed cheeks.

 

she snaps a couple of pictures of joohyun, even handing her bouquet over as a prop. if anyone would complain about how disgustingly enamoured they are by each other, it would be a fierce competition between kim yerim and park sooyoung.

 

seungwan decided that it was okay if she posted a picture without her face in it. the model jumps at the chance, of course. once the usual dating rituals are concluded — mainly picture taking and updating renebaebae’s instagram story, they enjoy their juicy steaks and joohyun even splurges on a glass of wine. a dinner fitting for a first date, seungwan supposes, she’s not sure what they should be doing exactly, but none of this seems wrong.

 

besides, how badly could she mess up dating the person that’s meant for her?

 

---

 

the pair lounges around long after they’ve finished their food, enjoying the music and relishing in each other’s presence. they might have just spent a whole week together but it seems like they couldn’t get enough of each other. the soulmates take their leave just shy of closing time, opting to stroll by the river. gotta burn those calories, joohyun grumbles as she tugs her soulmate into the frigid night.

 

considering how it’s still the middle of february, the weather is still pretty ing cold. neither of them likes it but somehow, they’re still ambling their way down the stone path.

 

joohyun doesn’t admit it but it’s mostly an excuse so she could cling to seungwan a little longer. the whole night has been lovely and healing even, she never expected that finding her soulmate would make her feel this complete.

 

“is this a good time for questions?” the little nerd chirps up after a solid ten minutes of strolling in silence.

 

humming quietly, joohyun responds easily, “it’s never a bad time.”

 

“okay.” seungwan swallows, though she knows fully well she has nothing to fear, important questions always make her a little nervous. “did you mean what you said yesterday?”

 

“about?”

 

“you know …” the little nerd mumbles as she directs her gaze to the ground, “liking a life with me …” her voice drops a couple of decibels due to her doubt, but joohyun catches each word earnestly.

 

joohyun stops them in their step and turns to face her soulmate. the younger girl looks nervous beyond belief and joohyun wishes she could ease all her worries with a snap of a finger. but unfortunately, people don’t work like that.

 

cupping seungwan’s face with her freezing hands isn’t the most romantic thing but she’s going with it either way. the nerd flinches at the icy touch and she doesn’t know where to look, at joohyun? or at the tree behind her? maybe the space between her brows so she won’t come off as insincere?

 

“i do, seungwan.” her thoughts are interrupted with a firm answer leaving joohyun’s lips. “i’m going to need a thesaurus if i want to describe just how much i want to be with you.”

 

“a thesaurus?” seungwan can’t resist a snicker.

 

“yah …you just feel really nice, okay?” joohyun squishes her cheeks mercilessly and frowns, “i don’t always have a lot to say, but i’m very serious about wanting a life with you, son seungwan.”

 

a wide grin makes its way on the younger girl's face and joohyun can’t help but give her squishy face a light jiggle. absolutely adorable, the older girl declares silently in her head.

 

“i’ve got another question.” seungwan pipes up as she takes joohyun’s freezing hands into hers. the model looks at her pointedly, taking that as a sign to go on, she spits out the question that’s been on her mind since last night.

 

“are we girlfriends? ”

 

“yah … we’re soulmates, i think that triumphs over every title imaginable …”

 

seungwan shifts her weight from one leg to another and mumbles quietly. "i know but … i still want to call you my girlfriend."

 

this earns a raised eyebrow from joohyun who shakes her head slowly. "yes … we're girlfriends." she exhales quietly and gives seungwan’s hand a light squeeze, “now let’s go back, wash up, and you can sleep over like you’ve had for the past week.”

 

“that sounds nice.”