could have met

'back in the country for vacation. let's meet up. call me at xxxx-xxxx.'

"!" seulgi hurriedly picks her phone to dial the number.

"hello?" the person on the other line says after a few rings.

"tiffany! it's seulgi!"

"hey, seulgi. what's up? i was waiting for you to call me for days."

"yeah. i'm sorry." seulgi smacks her forehead. "been busy these past few days. i just got to read my email now."

"it's okay."

"you know you could have reached me easier if you'll just create a social media account."

tiffany laughs. "i might create one soon. people are bugging me to the bones."

"good!" seulgi walks around the room. "so, how are you? when can we meet up?"

"i was hoping we could do that today. are you busy?"

"uh..." seulgi scratches her temple, glancing at joohyun who's getting dressed in the room--their room. "let me talk to my girlfriend first. we're supposed to meet her aunt today too."

"ugh. why are your girlfriends always in the way? my schedule's hectic since i got here. i only have time today to meet you because taetae and i will be traveling around tomorrow."

seulgi laughs. "i'll see what i can do."

"yes, please! and please don't bring your girlfriend along. i will introduce you to that friend of mine whom i was talking about before."

"oh, come on, tiffany. are you still pining for that?"

tiffany laughs. "i'm kidding. anyway, just hit this number up if you're available, okay?"

"yeah. sure. i'll tell my girlfriend first."

"gotcha. speak soon."

---

"well, if today's the only day you two can meet, then go," joohyun says.

"are you sure? you're not going to get mad at me?" seulgi asks.

"why would i be mad?" joohyun chuckles as she picks her coat. "you're only meeting your professor, right? it's not like you're going to cheat on me with her."

"no. you know it's not like that." seulgi waves her hands. "it's just that i'm used to eunae always having issues with her."

this causes joohyun to raise an eyebrow. "i'm not eunae, okay?"

"i know. i know." seulgi closes the distance between them to hug joohyun. "but what about your aunt mimi?"

"i can introduce you to her in some other days. she'll be staying here in the country for two more weeks, anyway. we got plenty of time," joohyun says. "your professor seems busy. so, you go ahead and meet her now."

"don't you wanna come with me?"

joohyun checks her time. "i can't. family's already expecting me to come."

"i see. you have fun, okay?" seulgi kisses joohyun's temple. "i love you."

---

two hours later, seulgi finds herself in a cafe, looking for tiffany.

"seulgi!" tiffany stands up from her table and waves.

seulgi waves back, feeling excited seeing her professor again.

there's this odd, eerie feeling in her chest that she couldn't point out. but as she steps closer, reaching the said table, she realizes they aren't alone. three more people at the table.

one is taeyeon, which she already knows as tiffany's wife. and the other two are...

"seulgi unnie!" yerim stands up, surprised. "what are you doing here?"

seulgi's already surprised, but imagine her shock when the other person turns to look at her.

"joohyun? what are you doing here?"

"yah! i asked you that first!" yerim says.

"you two know each other?" tiffany asks.

"she's my girlfriend," seulgi and joohyun say at the same time, pointing at each other.

tiffany's eyebrows rose. "seriously?"

"are you guys kidding us?" taeyeon says this time.

confused, seulgi waves her hands in the air. "wait. wait. wait." she looks at joohyun. "i thought you're meeting up with aunt mimi?"

"she's aunt mimi." joohyun points at tiffany.

"yeah. my mimiyoung," taeyeon says.

"miyoung?" seulgi raises an eyebrow. "i thought your name was tiffany."

"i was born as tiffany, okay?" tiffany says. "but my family here calls me miyoung to the point they've forgotten it's not my birth name." she shoots pointed looks yerim and joohyun.

"wait!" joohyun looks at her aunt. "are you saying seulgi is your friend you want me to meet?"

tiffany nods. "yeah. her. the one i've been wanting to set up a blind date with you since before."

"what?" seulgi brings her hands to her head. "are you saying--"

"joohyun's the 'friend' i've wanted you to meet you up with since you were attending the university," tiffany says. "i only said she's my friend because i would sound old if i tell you i'll introduce you to my niece. we're only two years apart, anyway."

"holy schnikes..." realizing what's happening, seulgi falls to the seat when joohyun pulls her down to sit beside her.

"oh my gosh!" yerim covers . "does it mean you were meant to meet before through aunt mimi--"

"yerim, please don't call me that in front of other people..." tiffany massages her temples.

"... and could have been together because of aunt mimi? this is amazing!" yerim claps. "it makes sense to me know."

"what makes sense to you now?" taeyeon asks.

"how the spirits work," yerim says, glancing at seulgi and joohyun. "how they keep finding ways to make sure soulmates would meet each other, one way or another."

"i can't believe it..." seulgi breathes.

"me neither..." joohyun says.

the two of them look at each other and shared a hearty laugh.

"what's so funny?" tiffany asks.

"nothing. it's just that..." joohyun turns to seulgi and holds her hand on the table. "as odd as it may sounds, it seems that no matter what the situation is, or whom the person is with, if the spirits will it..."

"especially if they connect you through the invisible string," seulgi adds, lightly squeezing joohyun's fingers.

"yeah..." joohyun nods. "for sure, what needs to happen will happen."

"and nothing or no one can stop it because..." seulgi pauses to look at joohyun who's staring back at her, smiling.

she can already see forever.

"... it's simply inevitable."

- fin -