Han, who so much disliked the attention from strangers, squeezed harder against his friend's shoulder.

 

- I didn't know he was here, too. - Jisung whispered. When he'd asked "ready?" at the entrance, he'd been referring to the other students who'd been bothering him all morning.

 

- Nothing. - Lix whispered back at him. - It makes sense that he would be here too. It's lunch break.

 

- Let's just walk past...? Please? - Honey begs.

 

Felix, holding his friend's hand, took the first step towards the handout, not far from where the two sitting not far away were: Minho-hyun and Hyunjin. And, of course, they noticed the entrants as well.

 

- Come on, they'll just walk by now, buy what they want, and you won't snort, you won't squeak, you won't say a word. They'll silently take their food and sit somewhere at the other end of the dining room. - Lee Minho suggested threateningly or pleadingly.

 

Hwang, reluctantly, but nodded. If the little one doesn't open his mouth, he'll try his best to keep silent as well.

 

- It's impossible. I have a gut feeling he'll do something. - slowly approaching the elders, Felix shared his fears.

 

- Calmly. Ho will not let him throw something out, I'm sure. - It was hard to say who Jisung was trying to convince more: himself or his friend.

 

- And I'm sure the little one will be the first to start! - Hwang whimpered, "He never holds back much!

 

- You're older. - reminded his brother, "Let's be reasonable.

 

- It's up to him. - Jinny nodded toward Lix, who was approaching.

 

Minho raised his heavy gaze to Hyunjin. 'Well, really! I've had enough of this!

 

- I'm already mad at you for not being able to sit down with my boyfriend at the same table and eat in peace! - That last argument, coupled with a firm gaze, definitely had an effect. Because Hwang was instantly deflated, slightly offended, and silently staring at his plate.

 

Okay, even if the little guy did say something, Jinny promised himself to ignore it.

 

- I'm sorry for disturbing you and Minho-hyun. - For the umpteenth time this morning, Lee apologized to someone?

 

"Don't react, don't look in his direction," Felix repeated to himself like a mantra as he slowly approached the seniors' table.

 

- It's okay, it's nothing. We'll still have time to have lunch, dinner and breakfast together. We've got our whole lives ahead of us. But all these people..." Han looked around the room. - I've been under more stress today than ever before. Why don't we stop putting on a show? That's all they're waiting for. - Jison was still worried about the thousand pairs of eyes that were watching them. Pfft, they found a reality show, man!

 

- I'm not talking, see, I'm eating. - Hwang says irritated and adds, just to make it clearer. - I'm not even looking in his direction!

 

Minho takes a long and very distrustful look at his friend. He doesn't see or hear any falsity, so he's completely convinced that Hyunjin will keep his word, or at least try to, and only then looks at Han. He felt a rush of panic coming on. Not his own, of course, but the squirrel's. He wished he could come over and hold him now, comfort him and hide him from all those eyes. Ho had been torn apart lately. On the one hand he is almost like a brother, with whom he has been friends since he was in diapers, and on the other hand he is his favorite. He needs him a hell of a lot here and there. And if Ginny is now left on no one, and without supervision he will do something again, the squirrel is held tightly by Felix's hand, which gives at least some comfort. In Felix Minho was sure, he was a very good friend. And he's known Jison for a long time, longer than Ho himself, he won't further trigger Han's phobia of strangers and make a bigger show of it. Minho hopes so.

 

When the two couples almost crossed paths, Jison smiled nervously at his boyfriend and waved his hand as if to ask: is everything okay? Are we going to pass?

 

Minho smiled back softly: it's fine, Ginny won't do anything, he gave his word.

 

This is the kind of relationship that should be between soulmates. Understanding without words, support, caring. Not this. Broken and defective. It's just negative feelings.

 

Felix has more connection and understanding with that guy he's seeing for the first time in his life, standing in line at the giveaway and watching the situation unfold, than he does with his own soulmate!

 

A step, another step.

 

They were practically level with each other.

 

The entire dining hall held its breath.

 

Some idiots even took out their cell phones and their cameras.

 

The guy in line saw it and shook his head: people have no tact. He turned away and reported his order, at the same time taking one for his friend, who was a little late at the teacher's. He wouldn't have paid attention to what was going on, but when the whole canteen was talking about the "defective", the whole chat was about the unfortunate, and when everyone stopped talking, when the second one entered the room, you don't want to pay attention. It's a circus, for God's sake.

 

Felix almost passed by, but, unable to resist, looked at his "favorite". Even a bruise and a broken lip did not spoil this bastard - he was still as handsome as ever. However, his gloomy look amused Felix, and he could not help but let out a chuckle.

 

Han, hearing this, clung tighter to his friend's arm, panic on his face.

 

Minho shifted his frightened gaze to Hyunjin, hoping he hadn't heard.

 

But he did. Of course he heard.

 

They're defective, but they're still soulmates. All attention, all senses directed at each other, especially when they're in such close proximity. The markings on his wrists lit up again. Just like the day they both did the first time. Sauls don't usually have tags like this. They often appear painlessly and unnoticed. But Jinny and Lixie are defective, so they stood out. Not only did it hurt like hell, worse than a dentist's appointment, but the marks kept coming back almost every single day. Either itching, or just whining, or, like now, burning like hell. It didn't depend on how close they were to each other, how much contact they made, whether they talked at all during the day, looked at each other, remembered. There was no particular trend. At least the guys themselves hadn't noticed it.

 

Minho, though, tried to find reasons. But all his powers were sufficient to conclude was that it was all about their unusual connection. Google and the scientific writings of experts offered nothing else.

 

Hwang slowly raised his head from his plate. That annoying laugh! Why the is he laughing?! Everything began to boil inside, and the desire to answer, and to hurt him more, became unbearable. He almost snapped, but... He promised Minho. He'd done enough wrong. No need to add more guilt to the guilt he already felt. Clutching the chopsticks in his hand until his fingers were white, Hyunjin exhaled, then shoved a piece of chicken in sweet and sour sauce into his mouth. After all, with his mouth busy chewing the food, it would be harder to snap and reply something hurtful.

 

Lix, however, realizing too late that he hadn't restrained himself, turned away and said nothing more. He and Honey walked on.

 

Disappointed onlookers and "under-paparazzi", seeing that no interaction had really happened, put their phones away. They didn't actually shove them into a faraway drawer. Because, having taken his own food, Felix stayed to eat in the same canteen, though he was separated by a decent distance from Hwang, which means that something can still happen and it is necessary to be on the alert to be the first and from the best angle to shoot a new viral video.

 

But Hyunjin finally ruined all the fun. As soon as he finished his lunch, which he did very quickly, he got up and quietly walked out of the dining room without even waiting for Minho, because on his way back, the latter wanted to pass near his soulmate's table. And since Lix is there - Hwang's way there is booked.

 

Ho, coming up to the younger ones, nodded to Felix and lightly patted the head of the munching squirrel, to which he mellowed, relaxed and smiled. The crowd's attention had already died down by the time Jinny left the dining room.

 

- Hyunjin apologized. He said he'd give free food for a month. He told me to tell you. - Minho put a rather large bill on the table, which covered not only Han's lunch, but Felix's as well. And the guy in line at the next table. All in all, a decent amount of money.

 

Lee Senior put the bill right down the middle. The younger ones were in no hurry to take it and silently glared at it like the seventh wonder of the world.

 

- I doubt it's for the two of us. - Felix was skeptical. Ho shrugged his shoulders.

 

- Well, if you don't want it, don't take it. But if Hani gets fat even a gram, he will be very upset. By "very," I mean VERY. My low-emotional range won't take it, I'll die. And then I will return from the other world on your soul. - Minho smiled his most satanic smile. Those who don't know him personally won't even realize that this is a direct threat. He looks nice and friendly enough. But Felix already knows the guy enough to know that smile doesn't bode well. And that Minho-hyun can really do what he promised.

 

- He actually apologized?! To Lixie?! - Han raised his voice. From shock, he even forgot to chew and spoke with his cheeks full.

 

He could apologize to Jyson himself, he didn't doubt it, but was he really apologizing to Felix?

 

- That's exactly what I said. - Lee Sr. nods. - I'm gonna go. I'll call you tonight.

 

Jisung, who was addressed, nodded.

 

Minho, after giving his boyfriend one last pat on the head and a peck on the cheek, walked away from the table and headed for the exit of the dining room. The younger ones, still not believing in the 'material apology', escorted the guy with perplexed looks.

 

It couldn't be true! Why would Hwan apologize?

 

- That's bull. - Felix concluded and pushed the bill away from him, feeling the utmost disgust for it. As if it wasn't money, but a cockroach or a spider. Or any of the other disgusting arthropods.

- I told you hyung was good! - Jisung moved the bill back to the middle of the table.

- Are you and Chan in cahoots? - Lee pushed it away from him again.

- Come on! He paid for our lunch! See? The prince's pride probably didn't allow him to do it himself, so he sent Minho. - Han is an optimist, and this time he almost put the bill under his friend's plate.

- I don't believe it! - Felix exclaimed, crumpled the bill and threw it away. It flew right into the head of the guy at the next table. The one from the queue. His friend looked dumbfounded at the moneychangers, and Jisung, who had noticed his friend's mistake, folded his hands in an apologetic gesture. The victim nodded as if to say it was all right, picked up a piece of paper from the floor and tossed it to Han. Felix is actually far from a pessimistic person, but when it comes to Hwang, he only thinks the worst.

- Ask that ! Minho-hyun must have misunderstood and it's only your lunches that Hwang's paying for. - Lixie suggested.

- Ask him yourself! - Jisung cut him off, then carefully crumpled the bill and folded it flat. When he had finished, he rose from his seat, took his dishes where they belonged, and walked around his friend, approaching him from behind. Lix, who had lost his vigilance, did not notice anything suspicious, and so Jisung was able to commit an act of violence: he shoved the unfortunate paper by Felix's scruff. And with a loud laugh, before the answer came, he hurried away from the scene of the crime.

 

And Felix loses his jaw for the second time today. Oh, great. Traitors all around. His brother, his best friend. The guy twists and turns to get the damn bill and decides that from now on, he'll only be friends with Changbin-hyun! Until the first mention of Hwang in a good way, of course. And then he'll go off alone into the mountains and live as a hermit. Shepherding sheep and raising chickens. He'll plant a lot of vegetables, like his favorite eggplants. And fruit, of course.

 

Lee opened the uni chat room and saw that he and Hyunjin were still being discussed. More frustrated, though. The new content hadn't arrived at lunchtime. Felix wanted to ignore it, but his hands were itching to write something sarcastic.

 

"The next episode of the reality show is tomorrow! Don't miss it! Same time, in the cafeteria!"

 

Expectedly, the chat went dead, and the students in the dining hall dramatically acted as if they weren't the ones who were now washing the bones of the two guys: they turned away and went about their business, and Jisung, who had left the dining hall having experienced so much stress in the first half day, only laughed in relief at Lixie's message, giving him a mental high-five.

 

***

 

- Did you relay my "apology"? - Hwang asked when Minho finally caught up with him.

- Yes, of course I did. But you could have come up here yourself.

- Pfft. To make you more mad at me?

- I said, you could have come over and apologized yourself, not started a fight or an altercation.

- It's physically impossible! - Jinny said indignantly.

- It's very possible! I mean, you were able to do it! I'm proud of you, by the way!" Minho remembered how he had turned gray with horror when he had heard Felix laughing in the dining hall. He had already prepared for another fight, but his friend surprised him when he did not react at all, silently continuing to eat his lunch.

 

Meanwhile, Hwang cursed to himself. Jesus! Why did "I'm proud of you" sound so pathetic and humiliating? I mean, they were the same age as Minho, but Hyunjin often felt like a child around him. I guess that's because that's how it was. And on the one hand it was kind of cute, but on the other hand it hurt Hwang terribly.

 

"When are you going to grow up already?" - came a stranger's frustrated voice in his head.

"You're an adult and you're acting worse than a child!"

"Look at Minho! Take an example from him!"

"Why are you two so different?"

 

Jinny stopped, taking a breath to shake off this obsession of the past. Yang Jeong-in wasn't the only one running from something, Hwang Hyunjin is the same.

 

He's already twenty-one years old, about to graduate and start his adult life, but the guy still couldn't tell what he wanted out of life and where he was going. He didn't have a clear plan like Lee. Minho had planned out his future in high school, where he and Hwang went to school together: where he would go, when he would graduate, where he would submit his resume, where he would go in life. He was still only in his third year, but he had already done internships at some companies, and was already sketching out his future life. He told his friend in confidence that he was saving his scholarship money to buy his own place to live with Han in the future. Not a small rented apartment, where he now lived, but a full-fledged house of his own. He's even looked at a couple of options on the Internet. Plus he's studying for his driver's license in his spare time. His parents help him with money, though. But it is a sin not to help such a "golden dream" of any parents.

 

And he is opposed to Hyunjin, who thinks only about what to eat tonight and what new materials to buy for painting. I thought I'd meet my soulmate and.....

 

And what "and"? What's going to change? Will Hwang Hyunjin stop being Hwang Hyunjin? Will he suddenly become responsible and forward thinking? Will he be like Minho, planning his life and his future? Like for his soul?

 

That's not going to happen! Hwang is always living for today, going with the flow and solving problems as they come. In the best case, Hyunjin wouldn't "sink" his soul, in the worst case - both of them would degrade. On this side, if you think about it that way, it's a blessing that he and the little one have such a "defective" relationship.

 

Jinny froze.

 

Was he now thinking that he'd be a bad influence on Felix if they were normal soulmates? It's about time!

 

- Don't make fun of me! - Hyunjin whimpered in a martyred, dramatic way.
- I was complimenting you," Minho said in a serious tone, but there was not a shred of seriousness in it. You could tell from the sly sparkle in his eyes that he was mocking him. - Since you're so good at obeying, I'll forgive you one meal.

 

And he even patted your head.

 

- Oh, ho, ho, ho.

- If you stop whining, I'll forgive you two.

 

 

***

 

Well, that was a rough day. Felix went to his dorm room with only one wish: to lie down and die. At least until tomorrow. Ban Chan, who had arrived at the end of class, had offered to take him back for a couple more days because he was still caring and still Chan, but Lixie had flatly refused. He'd had enough guilt for one day. And sitting on his brother's neck would make him feel even worse. He's not a little boy, he can handle it. Jisung had planned to go back to the dorm with him, too. He wanted to change his clothes for some reason, though Minho's sweatshirt looked good on him, but Chan came and broke all Han's plans. Chris laughed for a long time, taking pictures of him from all angles for some reason. While Jisung red as a tomato resented the older man's behavior. Then Bun Chan told him that there was no point in going back to the dormitory - Changbin would see the photo anyway, so he took Honey with him. Still red and indignant to the max. Felix didn't understand what all the fuss was about, or maybe it was just his tired brain refusing to think, so he didn't share Chan's amusement, nor did he share Jison's indignation, and, promising that he'd get to the dormitory without adventure, he said goodbye to his friend and brother.

 

The room is actually not only his, but Jisung's as well. However, Han had not been around much lately, though, either at his out boyfriend or with his brother Lixie and Changbin. The three of them put together a kind of musical group. They're called 3RACHA. All three of them had the same dream - to become trainees in some pop artist promotion company. Felix supported the guys wholeheartedly. Despite the fact that none of them had ever been professionally involved in singing, making music, rapping, or writing lyrics, it was as if all three of them had been blessed with talents by someone from above. (And clearly not the dude who decided to pair Felix with Hyunjin - the latter was definitely on something more serious than weed.)

 

3RACHA will accomplish a lot and Lix didn't just believe it, he knew it. And it wasn't blind faith, just because they were his friends and family, he had personally heard what they were capable of - he'd been to their rehearsals a couple times. They invited him to join their group, saying something about their amazing voice and that he was obliged to be with them. Felix only joked: then the three of them would stop being "3RACHA". Actually, it wasn't that he didn't want to, but he was afraid: each of them could sing, rap and write lyrics, and Lixie would what? Just sing along? He didn't think that was enough. He didn't want to be ballast and drag them down.

 

- Oh, !" - for actively thinking about the life of his tin, in the hallway of the dormitory he ran into a guy. A pile of things flew to the floor: textbooks, notebooks, writing utensils. Apparently, the guy kept a course to the room for classes, and here grew a small obstacle in the form of Felix.

- I'm sorry! - These words became something like a simple "hello" for Lee today.

 

He quickly bent down to help the boy pick everything up off the floor.

 

- It's okay," the stranger smiled, "it happens.

 

After picking everything up, the guys straightened up and looked at each other.

 

Fel immediately recognized the one from the queue and the one who had suffered from the "bill flipping" in the canteen, and the boy seemed to recognize him too. Although who in the current student body didn't know Lee Felix?

 

"Well, it's about to start," Lix thought doomedly, but against all odds.....

 

- You've had a rough day today. - said softly, shaking his head. - Some people just don't know their limits. People have a bad habit of sticking their noses in other people's dirty laundry. But you did well! - he smiled encouragingly.

 

Lix didn't react at all, standing there with his eyes wide open. The boy realized that he was getting in the wrong way, too, and quickly faded away:

 

- Oh ! I'm probably acting the same way, sorry... I just thought that supporting you... you... could use some support, but... anyway, before I bury myself even deeper, I'd better go... - the guy started to walk away with a nervous chuckle, as he was stopped, finally dead, by Fel.

 

- Thank you! - he said sincerely. - I'm a bit slow, but really, thank you!

 

- You're welcome," the boy nodded, still thinking he must have been stupid to start this topic. It was just the resilience of those two defective souls that struck him, and he got out what he got out.

 

- You're actually the first person to say anything nice. - I've been going on all day, "what happened?", "he's your soul, how can you?", "why?", "how?". No why! No way! I don't get in their beds with their soulmates! - The blond guy was really getting into it, because he'd had a lot on his mind all day. But when he realized he was overreacting and overloading a complete stranger, he slowed down a bit:

 

- God, I'm sorry, it's just boiling over! We haven't met yet, have we? I'm Lee Felix. I live in room 405. Third year. I don't usually act like this.

 

The guy laughed relaxedly.

 

- That's great! Then we're practically neighbors. I'm in 410. Freshman. Kim Seungmin. If you need anything, come by, Hyun. I don't mind listening to the bombing. I have a friend who has a bad habit of keeping things to himself. And he blows up like that from time to time.

 

The boys laughed. Lix promised to hang out together sometime (preferably not like last night), apologized again for the raid and on a happy note they went their separate ways.

 

It seems, Felix concluded, that this day could be a little better as long as there are people as understanding and sensitive as Kim Seungmin.

 

 

***

 

 

Hwang Hyunjin had been staring at the blank, pristine white page of his sketchbook for about five minutes now. He had about zero point zero nine ideas for something like that. It made him laugh. And he was the one who'd been frothing at the mouth trying to prove to his father that he wanted to be an artist? That he could make something out of it? He was the one trying to get into interior design? He hasn't been able to draw anything good for a month! I don't even want to open the last thing he scribbled down. It's pathetic. And he'd be lying if he blamed his lack of inspiration on his soulmate and his fight with him. It wasn't about Felix, it was just that Hwang was nothing. As his father periodically reminded him until he got his son to enroll in economics with Minho.

 

 

It's much cooler to have a future executive as a son than some house painter. Literally a father's quote.

 

The 'soul mate' tag on her wrist pulsed again, reminding her of herself. Hyunjin scratched it irritably. It wasn't getting any better, but it was a good place to vent his anger, and to gloat over the fact that somewhere, perhaps, Lee Felix was suffering the same fury and anguish. And that certainly pleased the sadistic soul!

 

The doorbell rang, which knocked him out of his dark thoughts a little, and Hwang put his pencil aside and hurried to open the door. On the doorstep was Yang Chonin. With Kkami in his arms.

 

In his mind, Hyunjin gave himself a slap on the wrist. He'd forgotten all about the dog. He was as much a master as a manager as a friend as an artist as well as... everything he tried to appear to be.

 

- I'm so tired that I won't even pretend to be a responsible host and make up excuses for why I forgot to take Kkami away from you.

 

Jeong-in didn't look disappointed.

 

On the contrary: there was so much understanding in his gaze that it was frightening. Is he a mind reader? Although, considering that they are in the same university, he probably knows everything that's going on and just pities the negligent master. Hyunjin took the dog from the younger man's hands, held it tighter against him, and rubbed his forehead against the soft fur, as if apologizing.

 

This little act helped him to come to his senses a little and to shed the weight of nasty thoughts. The guy invited Jeong-in inside. He had just recently ordered rolls, and they were already on the table. He went to the bathroom with Kki, but the younger man's voice stopped him and told him that his feet were washed and he could walk around the house.

 

Hwang gives himself another mental nudge, nods gratefully, and lets the pet go to the floor, changing course to the kitchen.

 

He pulls two pairs of chopsticks out of the cupboard, gives one to the younger man, and without even sitting down at the table, immediately picks up one roll and shoves it into his mouth. He still hasn't eaten properly since he came in.

 

Jeong-in gratefully accepts the cutlery and, seeing the senior's awkwardness at the whole situation, says:

 

- It's okay, hyung, if you forgot to pick up the Kkami. We've been having a lot of fun. I bought a dog play set recently, so he wasn't bored even while I wasn't home.

 

Hyunjin even stops chewing.

 

- You...

 

Jeong-in nods:

 

"yes, I did."

 

- Bought...

 

Junior nods again.

 

- A play set...

 

Nods a third time.

 

- For MY dog?

 

- Yes! Come over sometimes with Kki! - Jr. offered cheerfully, and then realized, "No, I mean, Hyun, you can come by without him, of course! You're always welcome!

 

Hwang shifts his gaze slowly to the dog and this is the one in whose bug-eyes he reads a ton of disappointment.

 

"Look at that! Some leftist buys a whole play set for me and you can't even walk me at least twice a week!" - Kkami broached.

 

Yang Jeong-in, who doesn't understand canine, cheerfully reported:

 

- Even Kkami agrees with me! He thinks you should come visit me once in a while too!
- Nope. That's not what he said. - but Hwang understood his dog as well as anyone.
- That's exactly what he said! Right?

 

"Woof!" - says Kkami.

"You're a poor excuse for a master!" - hears Hyunjin.

 

- There, you see! Kkami agrees with me! - The still naive junior only believes in the best.
- I agree with Kkami too. - Hwang smiles wryly, determined to buy some goodies and a couple of new dog toys by the end of the week. He should at least be able to rise in the eyes of his pet. The people around him are already disappointed in him.

 

After they ate the rolls, Ginny went to do the dishes. What dishes? Sticks. After all, the roll containers just needed to be rinsed out and thrown away. More than anything else, Hyunjin hated that very thing, which was probably why he liked home delivery so much. Well, he was a bad cook too, but we'll leave that out.

 

- Wow! Hyun! Did you draw this? - came an excited exclamation from the room and Ginny froze.

 

"Oh ! No! No! No! NO!"

 

Hwang throws everything that's finished-unwashed-into the sink and hurries into the room, nearly falling over and turning his own house upside down. He forgot to hide his damn sketchbook! He runs into the room where Jongin is already flipping through the drawings, panic rising, but Hyun-jin overpowers himself not to snatch his stupid sketchbook right out of Junior's hands. It's too late anyway, Ian has flipped through most of it.

 

Jinny slowly walks over and apparently his face says it all very clearly, because Jongin, seeing the other's reaction, immediately closes the notebook and his face, which had just been shining with excitement, immediately becomes scared and embarrassed:

 

- Oh, Hyun, I'm sorry. It's just that it was lying open...

 

Hwang yanks the sketchbook out of his hands and quickly stashes it in the closet, shoving it far away. Piles more random stuff on top of it. If there was a lock, he'd hang it up too. He realizes he's being hysterical, but he can't help it. Dad taught him, thanks to him.

 

Domestic scandals and quarrels always happened on the ground of his father noticing that his son was busy doing "something wrong". Hwang Sr. was never happy about Hyunjin's hobbies. After all, the son was supposed to be what his father envisioned him to be, supposed to live up to his expectations! Should follow in his parent's footsteps, continue his business. He had to be like him!

 

Dancing? No way!

 

"You should study!"

 

Drawing?

 

"What will you do in the future?"

 

Singing?

 

"You'd better open your mouth like that in school when you hand in your projects to the teachers."

 

The only thing that was more or less encouraged was sports. Swimming, for example, where the kid was ranked pretty high in competitions.

 

"But you could do better! You could have swum first!"

 

As a result, no matter what Hyunjin did, no matter how hard he tried, he still could never please his father one hundred percent. Neither good grades, nor high places in sports, nor praise from teachers - nothing was appreciated by the head of the family.

 

After all, there was always Lee Minho by his side, and he was exactly the ideal son that Hwang Sr. wanted to see.

 

When Jinny graduated from high school, his father set a condition - to enter together with Minho on the economic. And in return, his parents would pay for a separate place for him to live. That was the deal. As long as his son studied.

 

And Hyunjin agreed. Just to get away from home and feel some freedom.

 

It may seem that under such strong pressure Hwang turned into a weak puppet, but it is not so. He still had a little bit of rebellion in him. After all, the first thing he did when he moved out of his parents' house was to get a dog. How his father resented it! But his mother reassured him that his son would learn responsibility. Then Ginny changed his hair. Another thing his father would never approve of.

 

At first, as if testing the boundaries of what was allowed, he simply changed the shade to a lighter color, then grew it longer. When Dad calmed down a bit and started talking to his son again, Hyunjin changed his coloring to blond. Then pink. Now he's wearing his hair red. He's trying his best to prove that his father hasn't broken him completely. Though in his heart he realizes that he behaves more like a fish, which was thrown on the land and it is grabbing the last bits of life, wriggling, wanting to get back into the environment that saved it. Or like a bird in a spacious cage. Who likes which comparison better.

 

And drawing... it was destined to remain just a hobby. A hobby that Hwang now hid behind seven locks. Not just from his parents, from everyone. When Hyunjin realized that his father was no longer controlling his every breath, he took a risk and secretly went to the store and bought some drawing supplies. Then he got even more daring and took a couple online courses. And of course not a soul was supposed to know about it, especially not my father. And it remained a secret until now. Until tonight, when Hyunjin had foolishly just left his sketchbook on the table. And yet he let a guest into the house.

 

- You're really good at this! It's a talent! Why are you hiding it, Hyun? - Chonin asked sadly, watching the older man's chaotic and even panicky actions.

 

Hwang didn't even know what to say. Disclose his complicated relationship with his father? Who cared about his whining?

 

Although...

 

Ouch! I was, I wasn't!

 

- It's a habit. My father wasn't too keen on almost anything that didn't involve studying. - he explained briefly and unhappily. - Please don't tell anyone. If Dad finds out, I'm dead!

 

Junior nodded understandingly. He knew better than anyone else what parental rejection was like. He'd lived it himself. He's the youngest child in the family and has an overly successful older brother who can't be reached no matter how hard he tries. It was in pursuit of parental approval that one day Jeong-in decided to rent his own place, earn his own money and yet, he is one of the best students in the stream! The future of such a diligent student should be cloudless, teachers often praise him. But still, the genius brother already has his own business. And this at the age of 24! And what's the junior's pathetic efforts compared to that?

 

The guys sat up practically late into the night, discussed their common problems related to their parents, washed their bones with everyone. At one point, the topic even touched on soulmates. Hwang didn't have to say much, and the whole university knew the situation better than the "defectives" themselves. But Hyunjin knew that Jongin was still looking for a soulmate. The younger man had described his expectations in vivid colors, so Hwang couldn't help himself and immediately brought him down to earth:

 

- Your soulmate could still be just like mine - defective.

 

Jeong-in pondered for a moment, and then uttered:
- I still hope everything will be okay, though. And things will work out for you and Felix, too! You'll see, Hyun! - Hwang grimaced at that statement. Even to imagine such a thing was not very pleasant. And Ian just didn't want to set himself up for negativity and let others dwell on it. He was generally the type of person who always thought only in positive terms. He was always smiling, never complaining, and that's why Hyunjin respected him so much. The kid was only 18 years old, but he had a much better attitude towards life than Ginny himself. He should learn to do that himself.

 

***

 

When the door closed behind the younger man, Hyunjin raised his head and let his feelings come out:

 

- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

 

He was so sick of this soul tag! He could barely contain himself all evening, even though he wanted to climb the walls and howl at the wolf! The stupid mark, as it had lit up there in the dining hall, it was getting worse by the hour. By evening it felt like a hot chain on his arm. He brushed it irritably through the wristband that hid the pattern from view. Well, and not to remind himself once again who his life had tied him to.

 

No, I can't stand it!

 

Jinny finally ripped off a piece of cloth, about to brush the irritated skin without any barriers, as he saw...

 

- WHAT THE IS THIS?!" a new, even louder cry was heard by Yang Jeong-in from the neighboring apartment.