In this world, some people were given a magic compass on the night they turned two.

No one knew what it was and how it magically appeared. Many scientists conducted a research on this strange phenomenon and the result was beyond amazing. They saw it with their own eyes that the compass appeared out of the thin air beside participants' pillow. Only the compass owner could lift it up. If someone else tried, they would find that the small compass was as heavy as a stone. The compass's durability was also beyond comprehension. Nothing on earth could make a scratch on it even though it seemed so fragile. As for the compass's usage, it couldn't be used to find directions like a normal compass. In fact, the magic compass seemed to point in every different direction and no compass pointed in the same direction. It took the world quite a while to find out where the mystery compass pointed at.

Soulmate.

After some extensive and long research, the world finally found out that the compass only pointed in the direction where the soulmate of its owner was— some across the street, some at the different corner of the world. No matter the distance, if one followed their compass until the needle stopped moving completely, they were guaranteed to meet their soulmate with no mistake. After finding out the function of the magic compass, the researchers were also able to discern the criteria to obtain the compass: no criteria. Correct, there were no criteria that determined whether one would get the compass or not. Race and gender didn't affect the compass receiver. It was completely randomized. About half of the world population had the compass so researchers suspected that it was distributed solely to help humanity find their other half. With the mystery solved, the world moved on with their lives and the magic compass had become a normal part of human life...

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"This useless junk!!"

Kyuhyun cursed and threw his compass onto a bed. It lay innocently beside a black-haired man who eyed it in pity.

"Kyu, you should be kinder to your compass! What if the reason why it malfunctions because you mistreat it?"

"But, look at this junk, Woonie! It's been with me for eighteen years already but it still can't locate my soulmate! What's the point of the compass if it can't find its owner's soulmate!!?"

Kyuhyun glared at the compass angrily. As far as he recalled, his compass never worked like other people. Normally, the compass needle would point in the direction of the soulmate but for some reason, the basic principle didn't apply to his compass. The thin needle kept spinning all the time as if it didn't know where his soulmate was. When he was young, he thought that maybe his soulmate lived at the other corner of the world. That's why it took so long to locate the correct direction. However, he had already turned twenty this year but his damn compass still kept spinning non-stop!

"Aww, come here, Kyu. Maybe it just needs more time? There're even people who find their soulmates in their fifty!"

"But I don't want to wait that long!"

"Why though? If it means that you'll find your soulmate, isn't it worth waiting a bit more?"

"That's because..."

He looked at his best friend and went quiet. Jongwoon, his childhood friend now best friend, was the person that he had been in love with since he was young. However, the compass didn't point at his friend, indicating that Jongwoon wasn't his soulmate, so he was afraid to make a move even though his heart only yearned for his best friend. So far in mankind's history, the compass was never wrong. Those who found each other because of the compass lived happily together until death did them part, while those who didn't believe in the compass found themselves in a miserable love life despite their best efforts. He loved Jongwoon but he didn't want them to fall apart if his compass was right. Jongwoon meant so much to him that he didn't want to take a risk.

Staring at the beautiful black-haired man, he didn't say anything, just settling down on the bed and lying down using his friend's lap as a pillow. Jongwoon giggled and ruffled his hair gently, and Kyuhyun literally wished for the time to stop moving. He loved Jongwoon and only Jongwoon, but his compass didn't seem to agree with him. Not only that, but it also refused to tell him where his soulmate was. He couldn't move on nor settle down. He was stuck in between and he hated it. He picked up the compass that was now spinning crazily faster and cursed it in his heart. If only this damn thing didn't exist...

"Kyu, I know you're still upset so why don't you take a nap? I'll wake you up when it's dinner time."

"Woonie... you really know me too well!"

He took his friend's kind offer and closed his eyes. His grip around the useless compass tightened as he fought the urge to throw it away. He hated it so much, the concept of the soulmate compass. Why should he follow a weird thing with an unknown origin instead of his own heart?

"Kyu," a soft voice called him, "don't blame the compass. You'll find your soulmate one day, eventually, because that's what happens to everyone."

But I don't want to be like everyone. I don't want the stupid compass to decide my soulmate. I don't care who my soulmate is. I only want you.

Kyuhyun didn't say that out loud because he didn't want to make things between them awkward. So, he just sighed and let sleep take him.

Little did Kyuhyun know, while he was sleeping soundly, Jongwoon was watching the compass with a neutral expression. The needle spun crazily non-stop as his hand kept patting the sleeping man's soft hair.

********************************

Kyuhyun kept checking his compass while tapping the table impatiently. The stupid needle spun too slow for his liking. Although the useless compass couldn't locate his soulmate, it was quite useful to tell him Jongwoon's whereabouts. The speed of the needle indicated his friend's distance, the closer Jongwoon was to him, the faster the needle spun. His beloved friend told him that he had good news to share and he was curious what it was. His smile widened immediately when he saw the needle spinning faster. He got up from the desk and opened the door just in time to see Jongwoon in the middle of knocking on the door. His cute friend smiled at him and Kyuhyun literally forgot how to breathe.

"Kyu! I found my compass! Let's go find my soulmate!"

Kyuhyun literally forgot to breathe.

"... What? B-But, I thought you were born without one?"

"I used to believe that too until yesterday. I found my old treasure box from when I was in kindergarten and my compass was there! Apparently, I hid it when I was young and my parents thought that I lost it. They didn't want me to feel bad for losing it so they just told me that I wasn't born with it. However, now that I found it, I want to go find my soulmate with you, Kyu!"

*Throb*

His chest hurt so much as if something was squeezing his heart. It had long been proven that only one person in the soulmate pair would receive the compass. He used to dream many times that Jongwoon might be his soulmate because his friend didn't have the compass. But now that his friend had found it...

"Kyu, what's wrong? You don't want to come with me?"

"What? Oh, no, I was just thinking about something... You're going to find your soulmate, right? Let's go."

"Yes, let's go!"

Jongwoon beamed and took a compass out from his jeans pocket. That was when Kyuhyun noticed that his friend wore a pair of blue knitted gloves today, even though the weather wasn't that cold. He shook his head and turned his attention to the compass. At first, he hoped that the thing would malfunction like that of his. However, the needle spun at a reasonable speed so it seemed to work properly. Then, he hoped that it pointed at him even though deep down he knew that it was impossible and, as he expected, it pointed away from him.

"Kyu, look! Maybe my soulmate is near! My compass works instantly!"

"Yeah... that's good, I guess..."

"Hmm... it points to that way! Kyu, come with me!"

Kyuhyun tried to keep his smile neutral as his beloved friend dragged him out of the apartment. Even though he was holding the small hand that he loved, he wasn't happy at all. His eyes only focused on the needle that swung back and forth slowly as if it was determining the correct direction. After a while, the needle finally stopped swinging. It pointed at a tall man who was reading a newspaper at a bus stop. Kyuhyun frowned. He felt like he had seen that man before but couldn't recall where, not until Jongwoon filled him in happily.

"Hey, isn't that guy Choi something? I think I saw him once or twice at the college!"

He accidentally snarled when the answer knocked on his brain. He remembered now. That guy studied in the same faculty with them but a different major. Personally, he had never talked with that guy before but he recalled Jongwoon greeting the man once or twice in a hallway.

"Oh my god! Who would have thought that my soulmate is right under my nose? Kyu, let's go!"

"Woonie, wait—"

He tried to stop his friend but it was useless. Jongwoon happily dragged him along and followed the tall man into a bus. They sat together at the back while their target sat at the front. Both of them knew the bus too well and knew where they were heading— their college. On their way, Jongwoon kept grinning at the compass needle that never strayed away from the tall man's back. Obviously, he was pissed beyond words and he refused to bottle it in.

"Woonie," he spoke up without bothering to hide his frustration, "I think we should stop here. Something must be wrong with your compass."

"Nonsense, Kyu, it works perfectly. See! It tells me to follow that Choi guy! Let's go!"

They got off the bus and arrived at their college. The compass still faithfully pointed at the tall man and Kyuhyun began to get upset for real. But his heart wasn't strong enough to stop his friend from this pursue even though it was very likely that he would end up getting hurt. He was too whipped for Jongwoon's beautiful smile that he couldn't say a word, just letting his friend drag him along quietly. They followed the tall man into a cafeteria and settled down at a seat at the other corner of the place to avoid suspicion. Jongwoon who never once stopped smiling showed his compass to him.

"Kyu, see, the compass still points at him so this must be it. He really is my soulmate!"

"Are you sure? Maybe you should wait and see a bit longer..."

"I've never felt this sure before in my life so I'm going to make a move on him!"

Kyuhyun forgot to breathe again.

"You will...?"

"Yep! I mean, I don't know him, yes, but that's unnecessary because we're soulmates, right? We have plenty of time to get to know each other! Most importantly, that guy is actually quite handsome so I think I don't mind da—"

Kyuhyun yanked Jongwoon by his collar and kissed him. He ignored a cute gasp from his friend and seized the chance to slid his tongue in. He moved his hand from the collar backward to the slim nape and cradled it, gently pulling his friend closer to deepen the kiss. Although Jongwoon froze still at first, when his tongue greeted Jongwoon's stiff one, his beloved friend quickly adapted and reciprocated the kiss. Their tongues twisted and rubbed against one another as they exchanged saliva and air. They only broke the kiss (unhappily) when both of them were literally on their last breath. However, Kyuhyun impatiently drove in for another kiss as soon as Jongwoon was done gasping for air.

"Kyu—"

*Kiss*

"Wait—"

*Kiss*

"I said—"

*Kiss*

"Sto—"

*Kiss*

"Christ! Kyu! Stop! I'm not going anywhere!"

Jongwoon pushed him away and glared at him, though there was no hatred in those beautiful eyes, just fond exasperation.

"Seriously, can you stop and listen to me for a second?"

"But you said that you'll ask that guy out..."

"Silly you," Jongwoon giggled and pecked Kyuhyun's lips, "I only love you. Why would I ask a stranger out?"

Kyuhyun felt like he suddenly lost his IQ because his brain couldn't interpret what his beloved friend said to him. So, he just blinked quietly like an idiot while gasping at the black-haired man before him. It took another sweet kiss and teasing tongue at his bottom lip from Jongwoon to wake him up. However, the shorter man pulled back with a light chuckle before he got to enjoy that soft lips more.

Kyuhyun immediately whined, "Woonie..."

"Not now, Kyu, don't you have something else you want to ask me first?"

At first, Kyuhyun didn't know what his dear friend meant but then his gaze fell on the compass on the table.

"That's right, the compass! You said that you love me? But I'm not your soulmate..."

"No, Kyu, you're my soulmate and I'm yours too."

"What...? But that's impossible, right? Only one person in the soulmate pair has the compass but both of us have one!"

"That's because my compass is fake! Look!"

Jongwoon laughed and handed his compass to Kyuhyun. The object in his palm felt so light and he had no problem lifting it up. Moreover, the needle no longer pointed at the tall stranger but somewhere else. He took his phone out and opened a compass app. The needle in the application and the compass in his palm pointed in the same direction: north. Jongwoon's compass only pointed at the north, almost as if...

"It's a normal compass...?"

"Yep! I bought it from a junk shop yesterday. I know that we're soulmates but you look like you need a lot of convincing, so I come up with this plan~"

"If it's a normal compass then how did you make it point at that guy specifically?"

"It's actually just a simple science trick!"

Jongwoon took off his left glove and shook it. A small, rectangular object fell out of the knitted golve to the table, a magnet.

"I use this to manipulate the compass to point in the direction I want to make it seems like the compass found my soulmate! Oh, you should know that I chose that guy because he happened to study here too, not because I have a hot for him."

"So... you don't have a compass? There's a chance that you could be my soulmate?"

"Kyu, it's not "I could be your soulmate" but I'm legitimately your soulmate!"

"How can you be so sure, Woonie? What if—"

Kyuhyun's uncertainty was erased by Jongwoon's soft lips landing on his own. He tried to deepen the kiss but his friend once again pulled away while giggling.

"Woonie!!"

"Kyu, you're too impatient!" Jongwoon laughed, "can't you at least wait until I show you why we're soulmates?"

"Oh, alright, but I can get another kiss after that?"

Jongwoon winked shyly, "you can get something even better now that's we're guaranteed to be soulmates and no longer have to hold back our feelings~"

"Hurry up and explain then, Woonie!! Or should we go back and continue your explanation at my bedroom?"

"I'm afraid that I won't be able to explain anything if we go with that plan so this place is good enough!"

"Sigh... alright, Woonie, what makes you so certain that we're soulmates?"

"You silly! Just look at your compass!"

"My useless compass? What's the point of checking it when it has been doing nothing but... spinning... stupidly..."

Kyuhyun gasped in disbelief at his compass. The thin needle no longer spun crazily but stayed completely still, pointing directly at his cute friend. Shocked, he got up and walked around the table with his compass in his palm trying to check it. However, no matter which direction he faced or how far he walked away, the needle still pointed faithfully at his friend alone...

"It points at you! But... how? It still spun around stupidly just this morning!"

"Because we finally settle our feelings for each other!"

The black-haired man beckoned him and Kyuhyun quickly sat beside his friend, the compass still pointing at the man. Jongwoon held Kyuhyun's hand and looked at the object with a small smile.

"We've been together every since before we were born because our parents are good friends. I guess the magic compass is still a compass; it malfunctions because the soulmate it has to locate is literally beside its owner. My influence on it is the reason why it spins nonstop but as soon as we admit to our feelings, the poor compass finally get to rest!"

"So... we've been wasting time because we aren't honest with ourselves?"

"Yes... I should have told you long ago that I love you but..."

Kyuhyun smiled knowingly, "but you were afraid that it might ruin our friendship, right? That's what I feel too..."

Kyuhyun rested his hand on top of the smaller one and frowned at the compass.

"Did you find out because of the compass movement? That it spins faster when you're near me?"

"Well, I do suspect that but I only feel certain just last week..."

"Last week? When you came to my house? What happened?"

The black-haired man suddenly got flustered. Jongwoon took his hands off Kyuhyun's hold and fidgeted them shyly while looking down to avoid the curious brown eyes. Kyuhyun waited patiently while wearing an understanding smile until his beloved person was ready to speak. Albeit his rosy cheeks, Jongwoon quietly revealed the truth to the brown-haired man.

"...Last week, you took a nap while we waited for auntie to prepare dinner, right?"

"Yes?"

"So... you see... while you were sleeping... actually... I-I... IKISSEDYOU!!!"

"What...?"

It took his beloved friend a minute or two but the shorter man eventually looked up to meet his eyes. Jongwoon's face was as red as a tomato as he repeated his words, slowly this time.

"...I couldn't stop myself and kissed you while you were sleeping. Then, I saw it with my own eyes that the needle spun faster, so fast to the point that I almost saw an after image! That's why... that's when my suspicion got confirmed... that we're indeed soulmates... So, I came up with this plan and everything, forcing you to admit your feelings for me... Kyu, I'm sorry. I never want to hurt you or go out with anyone else. I can't even begin to imagine it! I love you and you alone, Kyu..."

"Woonie, calm down, you did nothing wrong. If anything, you're really amazing for taking the leap first, or else we wouldn't be where we're now."

Kyuhyun caressed the black-haired man's cheeks and pecked his lips. Then, the newly-made couple kept exchanging short but sweet kisses to ensure one another that it wasn't a dream, the fact that they were holding each other like this.

"Kyu..." Jongwoon whispered after their lips broke apart, "don't you have something to say to your compass?"

"Oh, well, I guess I do have..."

Kyuhyun looked at his compass, the needle still pointing at his friend-now-boyfriend.

"You'd have worked harder giving me a sign so that I didn't waste my time like—"

"Kyu!! You should be kinder to your compass!"

"But Woonie! The sign it gave me is too vague! Who'd have known what it means!!?"

Jongwoon sighed and pattted the compass pitifully.

"There, there, you must have it rough, right? Having someone like him as your owner?"

"Woonie!! Why did you take the stupid compass's side instead of your boyfriend!"

"Aww, Kyu, are you pouting? Tell me, what can I do to make you feel better?"

Kyuhyun wisely seized the chance, "can I stay a night at your place? I wanna cuddle with you!"

Although Jongwoon doubted that his boyfriend only wanted to cuddle, he still nodded happily. Kyuhyun tucked a stray black hair behind the shorter man's ear and cradled his face to look into the beautiful dark orbs.

"I love you, Woonie."

"I love you too, Kyu."

Just as Kyuhyun leaned in to taste the plump lips once again, his gaze fell on the compass in his hand. He smiled at the object and whispered quietly; "thank you, buddy."

Thank you for guiding Woonie to me.