Jongin doesn’t want to ask his parents, and Chanyeol is just as opposed to the idea of doing the same. The fact that the new tattoo bears a vulgar word plays a part on it, but mostly it’s due to the question itself. As much as it was normal, they aren’t ready to admit that their recent sleepover consisted of kissing, even though really, it was just a chaste peck on the lips.

They have surfed the net and browsed the library – along with Baekhyun and Sehun who are just as curious as they are but not as scared of the foreign happening – and yet they yield almost zero results. They find one Instagram post, however, about two adult males and an adult female, all in one relationship. The image is a collage of a photo of the two males giving a sweet kiss on both cheeks of the female and a photo of their tattoos side by side one another’s. Underneath, the caption only says “new person in the relationship means new tattoos.” The way the caption was worded brings suspicions into their minds as to whether the tattoo showed up or they had a professional tattoo artist ink it onto their wrists.  

They would’ve contacted the poster of the image through a direct message, but seeing as their most recent post is from 72 weeks ago, they realize that the likeliness of a reply is far too close to nothing.

With a sigh, Chanyeol suggests to just leave it be and just wait. Really, there are only three probable things that could happen: the tattoo would disappear, or it would change into something else, or it would stay the same. He’s sure everything would make sense someday, and all they could do for now is to wait for that day to come.

Jongin doesn’t want to seem like an . He really doesn’t mean to sound so discontented with his relationship with Chanyeol. But if one is to look at them, people usually assume that they are best friends. And though having your significant other as your best friend is a great blessing in itself, things just aren’t right.

Jongin and Chanyeol are soulmates. They are partners and they are supposed to be in love.

So why is everything about their relationship so platonic?

Sometimes, Jongin can’t help but wonder if there’s been a glitch in the whole soulmate system and he’s been partnered with the wrong person. Because as much as he loves Chanyeol – and really, he does – it’s just not enough to be considered as more than friends.

Or at least, he thinks it isn’t.

Jongin can’t help but feel like there’s a whole lot of things lacking in his relationship with Chanyeol. Is it bad that he wants something more? Jongin just wants to be taken care of and to take care of another person. He wants to do cute, cliché things and go on silly dates. He wants to receive surprises that will make his heart melt and he wants to put effort into things to make the other feel loved.

And though he knows that he can initiate the whole thing, it just doesn’t feel right. Worse, Chanyeol might just laugh at his face if he tries to do anything remotely romantic.

A light buzzing caused by the vibration of his phone against the wooden desk shakes Jongin out of his thoughts.

It’s a text from Chanyeol.

Hey, you’re coming with me for prom, right?

And that is as much as Jongin can get from Chanyeol. Jongin sighs and tries to shake out the discontented feeling spreading through his chest as he types out a, ‘Yeah, of course.’

On one Saturday afternoon, Jongin is dragged out of his bed and out into the mall by Baekhyun to go shopping for their attires for prom. Baekhyun would’ve taken Chanyeol with him instead, but the latter excused himself out of it and convinced Baekhyun that he’ll just use the same suit he wore the previous Junior-Senior prom night. And since this is Jongin’s first prom, he is left unable to make a good enough excuse to opt out of the shopping spree Baekhyun would force himself into.

With the shopping done and over with, the two decided to kill some time in the mall’s tiny café, sitting on the spot by the window, overlooking the little park and manmade river in the middle of it.

Baekhyun seems deep in his thought, Jongin notices as he watches the other nervously bite on his lower lip. He has his hands on his cup of coffee, his fingers turning the cup around in his hands. A few seconds later, Baekhyun speaks up. “I’m seeing someone.”

Jongin tilts his head, not quite understanding the context in which Baekhyun is speaking about.

Baekhyun rephrases himself. “I’m dating someone, Jongin. I have a boyfriend.” The last word almost dies in his throat but Jongin hears it. Baekhyun’s eyes fall onto his lap as he puts his cup of coffee down onto the table, opting to wring his fingers on his lap.

“Wh—what?” Jongin splurts out. “You found your soulmate?” Jongin puts down his cup of hot chocolate, his interest perked by the other’s wonderful news. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

Baekhyun sighs, his head downcast and his hand rubbing the back of his neck. He tries to make eye contact with Jongin but a rush of shame overwhelms him and he quickly turns his vision to somewhere else. “Yeah, that’s… that’s the thing.” Baekhyun starts. “I – he’s not my soulmate.”

Jongin is left dumbfounded, his words failing him and all he could muster is a dumb, “What?”

Baekhyun lets out a frustrated sigh and lets his hand fall back down onto his lap. “I – his name is Kyungsoo. I met him at this same café and we just… he’s a great person, Jongin.” He tries to reason out. “And – and he makes me feel all these things that I’ve never felt before.” Baekhyun bites on his lower lip before continuing. “Seeing you and Chanyeol, and Sehun with Luhan… It’s just… I feel like a third wheel, you know? Heck, I’m a fifth wheel!” Baekhyun only realizes then that his voice has raised and his next words are nothing but a whisper. “He makes me feel loved, Jongin. He makes me happy.”

Hours pass by and Jongin warms up to the idea of Baekhyun dating someone who isn’t his soulmate and he allows the other to ramble on about how this Kyungsoo guy makes him feel, and how he takes him out on cute dates.

Jongin can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy hit him square on the chest as Baekhyun tells tales he can only wish to experience.

The day of the prom arrives and Jongin is wearing an all-black attire, black suit, black undershirt but with a white bowtie as an accent. Beside him, on their designated table, sits Chanyeol who is dressed up in a black suit and a dark blue shirt underneath it. Sehun is seated across Jongin on the circular table with Luhan right by his side.

Baekhyun is nowhere to be seen and the program is about to start. As Chanyeol is about to text him, Baekhyun appears from the crowd forming at the back of the venue, with a shorter male right beside him. Chanyeol frowns, not completely convinced with the whole dating idea but puts on a friendly face as soon as Baekhyun and the Kyungsoo guy comes close enough.

Jongin notices that Baekhyun’s red suit and black undershirt matches his date’s attire – a black suit and a red undershirt – and tries to stop the mild jealousy spreading through his chest. When will they ever?

The guy is attractive, Jongin can admit that much. With big owl-ish eyes and a cute warm smile on his face, his undercut-styled hair gelled upwards, Jongin can see why Baekhyun is so drawn to Kyungsoo.

“I expected him to be taller than you, Baek.” Jongin blurts out before he could even stop himself. Baekhyun’s date stiffens, his large eyes growing even larger as his head snaps towards Jongin’s direction, the thick eyebrows furrowing into the middle. “Oh, God. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to offend. God, how stupid of me. I’m really sorry.”

“Hush, Jongin.” Baekhyun orders as the grin reappears on his face, his eyes twinkling in the dim lighting of the venue. “This is my date, Do Kyungsoo!”

Chanyeol smiles, his façade melting into something genuine. “So you’re the guy Baek keeps on telling us about.”

Baekhyun blushes and before he could even deny it, he becomes aware of how stiff Kyungsoo’s body became and how the grip Kyungsoo has on Baekhyun’s hand grows tighter and tighter by the second. “Hey, are you okay?” Baekhyun frowns as he watches his eyes blink, looking as if he’s in between being completely lost and completely furious.

In a low, gruff voice, his eyes flitting from Jongin to Chanyeol, he hisses out a, “What the did you do?”

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed reading! Please, anticipate the next chapter/s because things are only getting interesting! Tell me in the comments what you think! I'd love to receive some feedback.