back to present

"good morning, my dearest wife. have you landed?" seulgi says.

"wow. what's with the greeting, boo?" eunae chuckles on the other line.

"what's wrong with my greeting?"

"it's just out of the usual." eunae giggles. "did you, by any chance, wronged me after i left for my flight?"

seulgi chuckles nervously. "come on, boo."

"i'm just kidding you. anyway, i called to tell you we're in the hotel room now. we're resting for a bit and will go out later to eat."

seulgi checks her wristwatch. "it's seven pm there now, right? don't stay out too late, okay?"

"boo, i'm in new york city. even if we go out at midnight, we can still find places to eat. this city never sleeps."

"whatever. better be careful than sorry."

"i know. anyway, what time is your meeting again?"

"it's 9 am. i'm already in the car."

"i hope this meeting turns out good for you. who would have thought some producer would want to make an animated series out of one of your works? my wife's really great!"

seulgi chuckles. "look. it's not confirmed yet. i'm yet to find out what their plan is. and it's not just me. heeyeon and i are team gomhyoni. i just hope heeyeon won't be arriving late today. she's the story writer after all."

"don't worry. she'll be there early. by the way, have you recently talked to miss joohyun?"

words got stuck in seulgi's throat. is there a way eunae could have found out she spent the night in joohyun's place?

but it's impossible.

"um. no. i haven't seen her in a while. why?"

"well, there's just something different with her yesterday when we met up before my flight."

"something different, like?" seulgi can feel the sweat forming on her forehead.

"she seems bright and blooming. i mean, she's always pretty to me, but yesterday she was... glowing." eunae stops for a moment before dropping the bomb. "i think she's in love, boo."

seulgi had to cover to prevent herself from coughing.

"don't get me wrong, i am actually excited for her," eunae adds. "and i have a feeling i know who that person is."

seulgi gulps. "w-who?"

"remember her colleague she was with last time? seungwan? i think they are dating."

seulgi scoffs. "what made you think so?"

"they look good together, don't they?"

"maybe."

"why don't we invite them for a date once i get back, boo?"

"huh?" seulgi blinks. "wait. wait. wait. are you serious?"

"i am, boo. let's do it! it'll be fun!"

"wow. why do you seem so excited about this?"

"it's because i see miss joohyun as an actual unnie. she's helped us a lot with our investments, remember? i want to be real friends with her."

"well, isn't she helping us because that's what we're paying her for?"

"why are you talking like that? don't you like miss joohyun?"

seulgi couldn't answer. like her? how can she explain to her wife it's more than that?

"she's... okay," seulgi says, "but do we really have to go to a dinner date with her and that seungwan? why not just invite her alone?"

"are you seriously planning to put miss joohyun on the third-wheel again? of course, she has to bring a date too!"

seulgi greets her teeth. "but does it have to be with that seungwan?"

"boo, what's wrong? do you have a beef or something with miss seungwan?"

seulgi massages her head. she cannot let her emotions take control of . "i just don't know her that much yet. that's it."

"she seems nice. i'm sure we'll like her once we get to know her more."

seulgi rolls her eyes. "fine. whatever the missus wants."

eunae giggles. "yipee!"

"just don't forget to buy me that tea i asked you to look for, okay?"

"oookay. you're really into that now, huh? mixing chocolate powder into your tea."

"well, it tastes lovely, don't you think?"

"it does, to be honest."

seulgi shifts the phone to her other ear and rechecks her wristwatch. "boo, i need to leave now. i'll call you later?"

"sure. we're about to step out too. take care, okay? i love you."

"you too. i love you."

---

seulgi never imagined she could feel love in this way.

she always assumed she knew what love is, being in a long-term relationship, being married.

but when the door in front of her opens to very excited-looking joohyun, seulgi finds herself melting at the warmth of her soulmate's smile.

then she asks herself: has she genuinely been in love before?

it's not that she doesn't care for her wife. hell, she cares about eunae a lot.

but her affection towards joohyun is something she's never felt towards anyone before. it was like she wasn't aware something's missing in her life all this time, and it was joohyun who filled that missing part.

is this how the soulmates' magic works?

and how can she be so lucky to be the reason behind this woman's happiness?

seulgi didn't waste any second, stepping into the room immediately to embrace the smaller woman in her arms.

and seulgi swore she can be in the middle of a war but would still feel calm and at peace, basking in the comfort of joohyun's hug.

they stayed like that, standing and hugging each other until joohyun pulls away.

or at least tried, because seulgi hugged her tighter.

"let's stay like this for a little longer." seulgi nuzzles her face into joohyun's neck.

"but i am still cooking, seul," joohyun says, not resisting at all.

"let it burn. i don't care about the food. i'll eat you instead."

"yah!" joohyun slaps seulgi's back. "i marinade that meat for you since this morning, and you'll just let it burn?"

seulgi pulls away. "awe. isn't hyunnie sweet?"

joohyun smiles at her, cheeks tainted in pink.

"come on. let's check that meat now before it turns black." seulgi holds joohyun by the waist as they skip into the kitchen. "mmm. smells good, huh?"

"wait until you get a taste of it." joohyun flips the meat with a tong. seulgi is still standing behind her, arms attached to her waist. "this recipe has been handed over in our family for generations."

"mmm. can't wait." seulgi breathes into joohyun's neck, playfully and biting the latter's neck.

"seulgi... i can't... concentrate..."

satisfied with the reaction she got, seulgi presses their bodies together and leans closer to joohyun's ear. "soulmate time..."

"hmm. what do you want to say?"

"i love you."

there was the sound of the tong hitting the pan as joohyun swiftly turns to seulgi with shocked eyes.

seeing the surprised look on joohyun's face made seulgi feel terrible.

"i'm sorry. i just don't want to keep it to myself anymore." she tucks a stray hair behind joohyun's ear. "but i love you. i am in love with you. i can't help it. and it's not just because we're soulmates. if the circumstances were different, i am sure i'll still fall for you no matter what."

joohyun stares at her, blinking, mute.

seulgi looks down. "i'm sorry. i didn't plan to say it. i know i shouldn't have said that. i don't have the right to because i'm--"

the next thing she feels is joohyun's hands cupping her cheeks.

"hey. it's okay," says the woman softly. "i understand. you don't need to explain."

"but i don't want you to think--"

"i love you, seulgi. i love you too," joohyun admits. "even if i still don't know why the spirits are doing this to us or what their plan is, but i love you, and i would take any chance there is just to have you here by my side."

seulgi looks straight into joohyun's eyes, deep into those orbs.

"i don't care about our situation, seul. i know things are complicated right now, but can you not worry about that when you're with me? i promise i won't force you into doing anything, into taking any action. just promise me you won't leave."

"i won't leave you. i promise." seulgi takes joohyun's hand, gently pressing her thumb into her soulmate's ring finger. "come on. we're soulmates, aren't we? there's no way i could run away from you."

joohyun wraps her arms around seulgi's shoulders and leans in for a kiss.

a kiss they share in silence until seulgi pulls back.

"is that burnt meat i smell?"