For as long as the soulmate system has existed, there had always been people throwing doubts and scepticism at it. The idea of someone being your life partner, your one true love, yet the only way to identify them is by the writings you share on your own skin.

  Doojoon has heard too many stories of people who eagerly wrote on their skin, only to get no response from their soulmate, and those who did, quickly learnt that their soulmate was not the person they idealized in their head. Not everybody ended up with their soulmates. Some find their happy ending with someone else.

  Before his own 10^th birthday, he remembered gathering around at school discussing what to write with his friends. Most of them suggested a simple hi while others told him to find out if his soulmate liked games and comic books. He went home later and his older sister told him to think over properly the first thing he was going to write. He wouldn't want his soulmate to think he was a dumb kid. His parents advised him to not write too much. Most people didn’t like waking up to their arm covered in ink.

  It was five minutes to midnight and 10-year-old Doojoon was wide awake. He paid no attention to the rain outside, his mind still busy trying to figure out what to say. He had borrowed a gel pen from his mother. One that he could easily wipe off his skin, in case he ends up writing something he'll regret. In the end, however, he didn’t have to think much because the moment midnight arrived, two little words appear on his left arm.

  Happy Birthday!

…

  “So, you’re finally going to meet her,” Yoseob said, when he told them about their lunch plans. “How are you feeling?”

  “Excited,” he answered, automatically. What else should he feel? He’s reaching his 30s and the closest he’s got to his soulmate was the messages they exchanged on their skin.

  But Yoseob has known him for years and stared patiently at him for a proper answer. Doojoon took a swig of his beer and thought about it. He had spent years writing back and forth with this girl. While they started off as just friends, he knew as time passed, he can’t imagine it being anyone other than her. Most of his friends had given up by their mid-twenties, claiming that if fate had decided who their partner was, fate could decide when they’d meet.

  Maybe that was what he should have done. Maybe he should have just waited, instead of going out there to look for her. Writings are nothing compared to the real thing. So many things could go wrong. He knew too many people who met their soulmate and ended up regretting doing so.

  “Nervous,” he finally admitted.

  “There’s nothing wrong with that,” the younger told him.

…

  When they were younger, it was exciting. There was someone out there waiting for him. They would write to each other for hours. Even during school, he found himself eagerly waiting for her doodles to appear. When auditions began taking up most of his time, he would at least draw a c: on his hand just to see her do the same a minute later. He would always wish her good night right before he slept – no matter how busy he got.

  But with both of them now working, even that was growing sparse. Now that Doojoon was a full-fledged actor, he can’t risk writing on his upper body. Sometimes shooting required him to be completely shirtless. He had to tell his soulmate this after writing appeared on his arm in the middle of filming and he got scolded by the director. In the end, they both agreed not to write each to other unless he was the first one to start it.

  Once the final shooting ended, the whole cast and crew went out to celebrate. Doojoon remembered people pouring him drinks. He remembered finishing those drinks. He remembered boisterous laughter and singing at one point. But he couldn’t remember who was the one who kept ordering drinks or the one singing. Just like he didn’t remember who was the girl whose name and number were on his hand.

  He knew it wasn’t his soulmate because that wasn’t her name or her writing. He had washed it off almost immediately. He wrote to his soulmate an apology and told her what happened last night but his soulmate never answered. Minutes later, he wrote another apology, but still got no response. If it was up to him, he would stay in his room writing until his soulmate answered him. But then, his manager called him to tell him about his upcoming schedule.

  There was radio silence from his soulmate in the next week. He had written on any and all body parts he knew that could be covered in public. He had to wear long sleeves in the warm summer but he didn’t care. His friends told him to give his soulmate time to cool down. They pointed out that his soulmate would have to cover herself up as well in the heat.

  The moment she started writing back, he quickly wrote out another apology. But before he could finish, she had already written back to him.

  It’s fine. We may be soulmates but we’re not actually dating or anything. We haven’t even met.

  He read and reread the message. Something in him ached. This didn’t feel right. This is not something they could just brush off. His heart pounded as he wrote out his reply.

  Then let’s meet. I have some free time.

…

  There he sat in a dark suit with a bouquet of white moonflowers in hand. A walking cliché – as his friends had called him when he left. Prince Doojoon waiting for his date at a 5-star restaurant. He could feel the curious eyes of people passing by even as he fixed himself. Thankfully he had a private table reserved away from prying eyes.

  He would rather not risk public curiosity jeopardizing this moment. They spent too long making plans and changing them later on whenever something came up. He had to forego a lot of his original plans for this. The only thing he managed to keep from the beginning were the white moonflowers she grew to love.

  But when he saw his soulmate, he realised none of it mattered. Not when his other half were walking up to him. A light blush painted her cheeks. A hand to cover her shy smile when their eyes met from a distance, before reaching back to tuck her hair behind her ear. She was like a walking daydream in her flowy white dress.

  “You look beautiful,” he blurted out, once she was close enough.

  She ducked her head, cheeks growing red. He could feel his own face heat up at what he said. He handed her the flowers, before going over to pull out her seat for her.

  “Thank you,” she said. She looked up at him, shyly saying, “You look good too.”

  Doojoon wanted to laugh and . This was the girl who would doodle on her arm during class. The one who would write little notes and reminders on her other hand. The one who would always to write to him goodnight ^^ at the end of the day.

  But nothing was coming out. It took all he had to not keep staring at her. She was so much more than he imagined.

  She was his soulmate. His other half.

  They spent years writing to one another. If asked before, Doojoon could confidently say he knew her inside out. But now that they’re here together, he realised there might be more to her than her messages. And when he saw her peering at him from above the menu, he realised he wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life getting to know her.

  “What should we order first?”