Soulmates - they can be one's best friends or lovers or family. Each person has a red string of fate that will move towards their soulmate(s) when they meet each other, be it one or multiple mates. If it is one mate, the red string will not be split at the end, it will be whole. If it is more than one, the red string will split as and when they meet, according to the number of soulmates, self not included. One never knows how many mate(s) they have for sure.

One never knows how many soulmates they have because the splits happen only when soulmates meet, not before hand. Because of this, a lot of people end up missing their soulmates but that is how it works.

Sometimes, the splits are all of the same color - red usually. Sometimes, the splits - just the tips, the ends - are all different, according to the soulmate's favorite color or personality or preference. Sometimes, few splits are of the same color, grouped together. There is no set rule or principle.

On top of this, there can be words or tattoos or pictures or something of the sort on one's body. It usually varies from person to person. Unique. Customized.

There is no helpful identification or hint that helps lead everyone to meeting their soulmates for sure. Only 70 to 80% of the population end up meeting their soulmates (at least one). And only around 40 to 50% of the population end up meeting all of their soulmates (soul group is then complete). And one never knows if a soul group is complete.

Of course, there are no signs of completion. No discomfort or feelings of loss or longing. It never hurts the soul group. It always hurts the individual, who ends up waiting for a long time or till the end of their life, but never gets to meet any of their mates.

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Twenty eight year old Sehun gave up on meeting his soulmates a long time ago. He thought - still thinks - of himself as unfortunate and tried to make himself accept his fate, with great difficulty, it wasn't easy but he started getting used to the emptiness. Soulmates usually meet each other around 13 to 18 years of age and he is well past that age. Almost a decade over.

But now, all of that is gone as he enters the wrong room of the karaoke bar in haste. He loves karaoke. He loves singing, especially rapping and karaoke is his favorite past time. It also helps relieve stress. It is peaceful. He is an introvert and hates crowds and attention. It may seem weird to others as karaoke is usually done in groups but Sehun prefers to do it alone. He has few to no friends, to be honest.

Red strings are visible only to soulmates and it is not easy for people to tell whether a person has a soulmate or not, soulmates don't have to marry or live together, it is not compulsory and these things have made it easier for everyone to blend in and live equally. There is no bullying or stereotyping people who don't have soulmates, though sadly there are still a few exceptions but mostly things are okay now.

There is a lot of awareness, it used to be pretty bad a lot of years back when soulmates first emerged but not anymore, thankfully - but Sehun prefers to hang out on his own most of the time. He prefers the quiet. He doesn't like his own thoughts but he does prefer the stillness in the air when there is no crowd around. To him, even two or three people can be a crowd.

And for the first time in his life, Sehun feels something start to raise, twist and move away from his wrist. As if longing to meet its - his - destined partners, desperately. He is too afraid to look, it could just be his hope or feverish imagination. But a part of him tells him that is not the case because there is something happening on the other end too.

Sehun hesitates as he looks at eleven surprised faces. All of them stop - there is dead silence, stark contrast to the chaos and noise that prevailed till a few seconds back - look at him in awe and then at their wrists as their strings start to split, a new addition has appeared for each of them.

Sehun finally gathers the courage to look at his wrist and yes, indeed, he has eleven soulmates, eleven of them - he double counts to make sure, he counts the people and the splits on his wrist and also one of theirs - eleven of them indeed, not one, not two, not three but so many.

The end of his red string is still extending towards each one of them. And one of each of theirs - obviously each of them have eleven splits as well now, ten before - is extending towards him. Trying to wrap around each other and a few of them do entangle.

He notices that few of them are of varying color. He sees few tattoos appearing on some of their wrists. Nothing on his. He doesn't feel any light burning sensation anywhere on his body.

A feeling of bliss passes through Sehun and he stumbles a bit as multiple emotions pass through him - few his own, few theirs, it happens to few people during the first meet, nothing concrete - his knees buckle, he almost face plants but one of the eleven come forward to catch him, gently. The person is taller than even Sehun - and Sehun is very tall - has curly hair, huge innocent eyes and big elfish ears.

Gentle giant, something whispers inside Sehun's mind. He is very cute. He is holding Sehun as if he is very important and fragile and it does things to Sehun's lonely heart.

He has never felt things like these before. Sudden impulses. Strange emotions. Fleeting feelings. Damn. This is serious. Real. Not a dream. At least, he hopes it is not because it would be hard to get out of it and go back to reality after something like this.

Sehun just wants to melt into his arms but he gently shakes himself - a little bit of sane voice left - and disentangles himself from the person. The person reluctantly lets him go but not before making sure that Sehun is seated on the couch and is not going to faint. It is endearing. For a person like Sehun who doesn't have any family, it feels nice to be looked after, even if only for a few seconds, it is sincere and feels quite warm. He has his complete attention on Sehun. He looks enraptured too. Sehun isn't flattering himself.

Sehun finds him attractive. Very much so. Especially his build and hands. Soft too. Is this love at first sight? Is it even considered as love at first sight if the other party is one of his soulmates? And a part of Sehun wonders if it is mutual. Is he falling for 11 people at first sight?

A loud and clear voice shatters the silence as it blurts out, "I think y-you should come home with us."

Sehun blinks in confusion, his concentration shattered and immediately the noise resumes.

"Yah, Dae ah, give him sometime to digest, yea?"