Soulmates.

Not everyone had them, actually. It was less than a quarter of the population, and sometimes inconsistent. Some people said the string faded away when the other died, other said it just went completely slack. 

In scouring the internet after her own string appeared, Siyeon found a story where the man said it had burned after his soulmate died. Like an oil fire around his finger, leaving no physical traces and no way for doctors to help.

Until he cut his finger off.

Siyeon hates that story, and hates how it never truly left her mind. It came and went, especially on days where the string would make any sort of noticeable movement. 

There's a person on the other end of that. Someone who doesn't know me, doesn't realize who they're attached to, who they could never meet...who they could be casting from their mind as they lie with someone else...

It's not that it's "cheating" or anything, there's no way. Soulmate havers are the minority. Most people don't have them, they're unattached. Free.

Like Yoohyeon.

She's never met anyone freer than Yoohyeon.

An easy smile, long limbs, quick to teasing, placating with food and hugs, willing to dance and try new things, the first person who had encouraged Siyeon to get the tattoo she sketched out—and she'd been so excited, full of her usually energy and with new pink chapstick on and Siyeon just remembers staring. Yoohyeon's arm presses against her own and hair scratches her shoulder, and neither of them move.

And then Siyeon takes hold of her face and asks, in what was apparently a totally y cool ah way, if they can kiss.

And Yoohyeon says yes, and that first kiss turns into making out and nearly into grinding on Siyeon's mom's couch and the whole time she forgets about the string.

She sits there in a daze after Yoohyeon leaves, giggling to herself. It only stops when she reaches up to fix her bangs and the string is pulled in front of her vision. 

Siyeon looks away.

Yoohyeon gets into the same college and it's Siyeon's second choice, but she goes. They convince Handong to swap with her and then it's the two of them in the dorm, just a week shy of their two hundred days.

There'd been a feeling in the air that day, when she'd moved the last of her stuff and patted Yoohyeon's and Handong just gagged at them. Yoohyeon was quiet and red instead of all...all loud and playing it off.

And then, well it's...they never say what's going to happen, but it happens. Siyeon remembers cleaning the dishes for a long time, hesitating, feeling nervous to even head into the bathroom because god, am I clean enough? Do we want to watch something or should I change or um...do I...

The dishes are half dry by the time she walks into the living room and makes direct eye contact with Yoohyeon. Who has a popsicle in and freezes up completely when Siyeon steps in. Neither of them say anything.

Siyeon remembers sitting down on the couch, and Yoohyeon saying something, and watching her swallow.

She can recall more, it's just...

Yoohyeon in her lap, pulling on her shirt, slowly tracing her hands up a familiar stomach. Hands on herself, a tongue, hearing more desperate and louder and quieter version of other noises.

Feeling heat on her fingers. Whispering questions. Yoohyeon snorting into her ear, gasping when she bites down.

A tongue dragging messily down her thigh, because Yoohyeon really really wanted to-

None of the rest of it matters.

Their cute little world ends a year later, all because she goes to get coffee.

The string had moved back and forth and Yoohyeon had asked if it weighed anything, tried to run her hand over where Siyeon said it was hanging. That was months ago.

Today, Yoohyeon has just gotten out of a midterm and Siyeon wants to get them drinks before they settle into the library for a few hours.

Today, she picks the coffee shop near the dorms, the one that isn't the closest to the library, because maybe she wanted their tea instead of the mid coffee at the other place.

Today, fate gives her a swift kick to the nose.

She's unprepared for this blow, as most would be. Just tapping her fingers along her thighs, waiting for the trio of people ahead of her to order. Siyeon thinks nothing of the cafe door opening, of someone stepping up behind her.

"Um, excuse me?"

Siyeon flinches—her finger feel under pressure for a moment, tight, and as she brings a hand up to cradle it she realizes which one it is. She realizes how taut the string is.

Oh.

Slowly, conscious of the random passerby and her frantic heart and the line she's just stepped out of, Siyeon turns.

There's a woman. Her hand is still up from gently tapping Siyeon's shoulder and there's a string, a red, taut string that leads right to Siyeon's hand.

She meets the stranger's eyes and just...just takes her in.

Long hair, a gentle expression, tall, thin hands, shallow dimples, a pink sweater, light makeup, delicate lips, boots, and a pair of pearl earrings. She looks cute, and sweet, and gorgeous and witty and fashionable and maybe a little older than Siyeon and...and kind and...

And she looks a lot like Yoohyeon.

"Ah."

This time she's said that out loud, at least, so this woman knows she isn't mute or ignoring her or just...dumb, maybe, but...but this is all..