Characters: Cute!Baekhyun and OC (Daeun)

Genres: Romance, Angst, Fluff

AU: Soulmates, Christmas

Secret Santa gift for Jenny. 🎄

The sky was white, covered in fluffy clouds as snowflakes landed on the pavement. It was an incredibly beautiful sight. Daeun’s surroundings slowly turned into a winter wonderland, but the young woman couldn’t care less. She scrunched her nose when a tiny ice crystal landed on it and hurried on without bothering to look at the scenery. This weather was a dreadful sign that Christmas was just around the corner, and she would celebrate it alone as she did every year.

Her frustration was palpable when she had to dodge a couple taking selfies in front of the snowy background. They were soulmates—it was plain to see. Jealousy gnawed at Daeun’s heart. She frowned and passed the couple as fast as she could without slipping on the icy ground.

Daeun belonged to the unlucky few who had never met their soulmate—not in her childhood, not in her teenage years. After school, she had entered university, graduated, and jumped headfirst into work life. All this without meeting her soulmate. With every passing year, her hope to encounter them had dimmed until it disappeared completely. She would turn 25 soon—at this age, most people had already met their significant other. If they hadn’t, it was a sign their soulmate was dead. Perhaps they had passed away in an accident or succumbed to an illness. It saddened her, but she had to accept the awful truth. Her soulmate must have died. She had never seen a sign of their existence anywhere.

Her friends had long since united with their soulmates and even moved in together, but she remained alone. Daeun often found herself drowning in self-pity, feeling miserable about her life. Consequently, she began to cut herself off. She was determined to stay at home during Christmas Eve, pretending it was just a normal day.

However, her closest friends, Chanyeol and Jiyoung, weren’t having it. They couldn’t stand the thought of her spending Christmas alone and had invited her for dinner. Of course, Daeun declined, but her friends were incredibly persistent. They made it their personal mission to change Daeun’s mind.

On Saturday, a week before Christmas, they invited her to a little café at a street corner in Seoul. They wanted to share their plans for the upcoming holiday, hoping to reignite Daeun’s excitement.

“How have you been, Daeun? We haven’t seen each other in ages!” Jiyoung said and gave her friend a pleasant smile. Her dark brown eyes shone with joy, reflecting the soft light of the lamps on the ceiling. The quiet melody of a song sounded through the café, giving it a cozy atmosphere.

“Nothing has changed,” Daeun shrugged, forcing a smile on her lips.

Jiyoung’s smile faltered. “I see. Don’t give up, please. You will find your soulmate! Sometimes, it just takes longer.”

“They could be dead for all I know,” Daeun mumbled under her breath before she composed herself and hid her sadness behind an unreadable mask. “How are you? Have you finished moving?”

“Yes! We finally set up the furniture last weekend,” Chanyeol explained, wearing the biggest dorky grin one could possibly imagine. He linked his hand with Jiyoung.

“You have to visit us on Christmas Eve! I’ll make a delicious dinner for us,” Jiyoung offered. “Chanyeol wants to prepare a Christmas tree too.”

“I’m not sure if I—”

“It’s not like you have anything better planned,” Jiyoung countered, knowing her friend well.

“I’ll think about it,” Daeun sighed. She stared at her cup of coffee in deep thought. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to spend the day with Chanyeol and Jiyoung, but she didn’t want to be the third wheel. They were soulmates after all.

“He didn’t show up,” Chanyeol uttered suddenly and checked his phone for missed calls or texts.

“It’s not your fault, Yeol,” Jiyoung mumbled, meeting his distraught eyes.

“Did you invite someone else?” Daeun asked.

“Yes, an old friend of mine. We’ve known each other since kindergarten, but he’s become distant,” Chanyeol sighed and put his phone back on the table. “I thought we could reconnect this Christmas, so I reached out to him and invited him today, but it looks like he stood us up. I’m worried about him. He’s been having a hard time.”

“I see. Maybe he had other plans? Or something unexpected came up,” Daeun guessed.

“No, I don’t think that’s the case. It’s more likely he just didn’t feel like showing up. He’s in the same boat as you, never found his soulmate. I thought you would both feel better if you met.”

Daeun’s face fell. She appreciated Chanyeol’s efforts to help. He was one of her closest friends for a reason, and his sorrowful expression made her heart sink.

Jiyoung frowned and placed her hand on Chanyeol’s arm, trying to comfort him. “There’s nothing you can do if Baekhyun wants to be left alone. You’ve tried all you could.”

“But I’m worried about him. Not finding his soulmate has taken a toll on him,” he muttered and hid his face in his hands. “He used to be open and cheerful. Now he’s just a shadow of his old self. He even gave up on the one thing he’s always loved.”

“What is that?” Daeun wondered, watching him over the rim of her coffee cup. The longer she saw Chanyeol’s distress, the more she wanted to help. Since his friend was stuck in the same situation as her, she was familiar with his struggle. Perhaps Baekhyun would feel better if she talked to him…?   

“He used to be an ace at playing the piano, but he hasn’t touched his in a year or so,” Chanyeol sighed.

“He plays the piano? That’s amazing!” Daeun burst out, her interest mounting. Who was this man and why hadn’t she met him before? She loved music, and if work didn’t keep her busy all the time, she would have already learned how to play an instrument herself. It was one of her secret dreams.

“I knew you would say that,” Jiyoung smiled. “It’s why I was hoping you would get along with him. But since he didn’t show up, there’s not much we can do.”

“Why don’t you give me Baekhyun’s address? I’ll check in on him. Maybe he’s willing to talk to someone who’s familiar with his situation.”

Jiyoung and Chanyeol exchanged a glance, both surprised and delighted at the suggestion. “Thank you, Daeun!” Chanyeol beamed.

✨✨✨

The sun sank lower as Daeun made her way to her destination. She had taken the subway to a different part of the city and exited the station, shoving her freezing hands in the pockets of her winter coat. Her breaths became visible, appearing like clouds. It was snowing ceaselessly, the streets covered in white. Turning left at the next intersection, she spotted the apartment building where Baekhyun lived.

As she walked up to the house, she paused and blinked in confusion. Was she hallucinating? A peculiar golden shimmer hovered in front of her nose, looking like glitter. Floating glitter.

“I’m going nuts,” she mumbled and squinted her eyes, but the image she saw remained the same. Intrigued, she walked closer, her heart skipping a beat. She reached out her hand in an attempt to touch the strange golden shimmer. It felt warm but wasn’t tangible. Her hand passed through it.

Daeun opted to investigate this peculiar phenomenon and followed the long trail of glimmering particles. She had never, not in her whole life, experienced something like this. Hope budded within her. It made her feel giddy and excited. Could it be…? Was this the sign she had been hoping for? Was her soulmate close by?

There were many ways to identify your soulmate. It was different for everybody; some had a tattoo, others a timer, or even a telepathic connection. Anything was possible when it came to soulmates. If Daeun’s suspicion was true, her soulmate resided in the building right in front of her. The golden shimmer clearly led to its door.

Her excited gaze flitted to the nameplates next to it, getting stuck on one in particular. It was framed by pure gold and couldn’t be missed. Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes watered. This was it. She had found him. She had finally found him! And the irony of it wasn’t lost on her, because it wasn’t just anyone… it was Baekhyun, Chanyeol’s friend.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had rung the doorbell. Daeun waited with bated breath, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. She was nervous yet filled with anticipation and joy, wishing to meet the person at the other end of the golden shimmer.

“Hello?” a deep voice asked, drawing her attention to a small intercom. Baekhyun sounded tired and not willing to have guests. The smile was wiped off her face. Chanyeol had been right—he wasn’t feeling well and Daeun was determined to help.

“Um, hi there?” she answered. “I know this sounds weird, but could you please let me in? I’m Chanyeol’s friend. My name is Daeun, and I think… we should talk.”

“I don’t care. Leave me alone,” was his gruff response. His coldness shocked her, but it didn’t deter her. Daeun was a stubborn woman and she wouldn’t leave without meeting him.

“I can’t!” she replied and gathered all of her courage. “I’m your soulmate!”

Daeun earned a drawn-out silence. Her desperate eyes were fixed on the intercom, but Baekhyun didn’t answer. Did he think she was lying to him? It didn’t seem like he would let her in. When she was about to lose hope, the door opened. She hastily entered the lobby of the building and hurried upstairs, looking for his apartment. It wasn’t hard to find—all she had to do was follow the beautiful golden shimmer that lit up the entire hallway.

Her heart raced in her chest by the time she reached her destination. The apartment door was opened from the inside when she arrived, allowing her to lay eyes on her soulmate for the very first time. It was a moment she would never forget.

Baekhyun was gorgeous. His light brown hair was tousled, framing his gleaming chocolate eyes that watched her intently, shining with disbelief and awe. Daeun’s gaze darted to his pale lips, followed his sharp jawline. He wore a white hoodie and a pair of jeans. An otherworldly golden shimmer encompassed him—she was convinced