Black and white, and all the shades in between; that was all Yein could ever see. That was all anybody who hadn’t met their soulmate could see. Day in and day out, they would wake up to the same sight of what people called a blank canvas. No color, no brightness, no life. Just grey shapes and figures, there was nothing else to it. However, there were those who were fortunate enough to have found the one; the one that could bring them all the color they lacked in their world.

No one understood why it happened to be that way or how it worked, and no one seemed to care. For apparently, the most important thing in the world was finding your true love. Yein, though, had never been one for relationships, she didn’t need love to be able to live, and she certainly didn’t need a man to complete her. Maybe that was why she so often resented the idea of soulmates, or rather, the fact that everyone was colorblind until they met them.

“Sujeong! Just give it a rest, I don’t even know why you bother,” unlike Yein, her best friend couldn’t stand living in such a monochrome world, something she could not understand. They had lived their life in black and white since the minute they were born, it wasn’t like they couldn’t survive it for longer.

Sujeong sighed, “Just let me creepily stare into guys’ eyes in peace, Yein.”

“You’re still not going to find him like that though, it has to be natural,” Sujeong sighed again as Yein gave her a pointed look.

“Alright, I know. Let’s just go home, I think it’ll start raining soon,” Sujeong paused to groan. “I can’t believe we went to three different supermarkets and none of them carried that brand of juice you like so much,” the bus stop, thankfully, was nearby and they managed to get on the next bus before the weather could get worse.

The world always seemed even more depressing when it rained, and it was times like these that Yein could somewhat understand why Sujeong hated going through life colorlessly. Maybe it was because, even though it was achromatic, the sun was always shining, but now it was behind clouds and the sunlight could not reach her. However, if this was how she felt, Yein could only imagine the state of melancholy that would settle over her friend once Sujeong had a moment to think. But upon making sure she was okay, Yein turned to find an annoyed Sujeong.

“Sujeong? Did something happen?” Sujeong quietly put her index up to her lips, signaling Yein to be quiet.

“Listen, do you hear that?” Sujeong whispered while pointing to the man occupying the seat in front of them. At first, Yein couldn’t hear anything, but soon she realized that the man was quietly singing a song.

“Oh, isn’t this your favorite song?” Sujeong only nodded before turning to frown at the man again.

“He’s singing it all wrong though. He keeps forgetting the bridge, and that’s the best part!” she huffed, before sitting back in her seat. Yein, noticing that they were nearly at their stop, pressed the button to notify the bus driver.

“Yah, Sujeong, get ready, we’re going to get off next,” Sujeong nodded in response and grabbed her bag.

Right before the bus slowed to a halt, Sujeong huffed again and exclaimed, “I seriously can’t take this anymore!” She leaned forward and tapped the man sitting in front of her, “Excuse me, sir! You are completely missing the bridge of the song!” The man jumped in his seat and paying no attention, Sujeong continued on, “It’s the part that goes: ‘So lying underneath the stormy skies, she said oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, I know the sun must set to rise.’ Please don’t forget it again, thank you!”

With that, Sujeong got up and left the bus, leaving Yein still behind the man whom, she had discovered, was actually around their age. It had all happened so fast that when he turned around, Sujeong was already gone. Yein proceeded to apologize for her friend’s behavior and left the bus as well.

It wasn’t often she got to hear Sujeong sing but when she did, she was amazed by how great at it she was. And that was exactly what she told her as soon as she caught up with her.

“You have a really nice voice, Sujeong, why don’t you show off your talent more?” She asked as Sujeong struggled with her mini umbrella.

“Why should I? It’s just a hobby. Goodness, why won’t this umbrella extend! It’s already drizzling.”

Yein gave her a pointed look, “Are you kidding me? Don’t be modest, it’s only me here. And you’re great at singing!”

“She’s right, you are,” Sujeong jumped and turned at the sound of the voice, still wrestling with her umbrella. It was the boy on the bus. However, he was much closer than they expected, and the umbrella decided to finally cooperate, extending right into the boy’s gut.

“Oh my god! I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that, it was an accident! I am so sorry!” Sujeong dropped her umbrella and profusely apologized to the doubled over boy. Meanwhile, all Yein could do was watch and laugh at what she had just witnessed.

“Yah! Jung Yein! Don’t laugh and help me! I just socked a man in the gut with my umbrella, and I don’t know what to do!” That set Yein off into another round of laughter and her friend groaned and stomped her foot, “You’re no help!”

Yein watched, still trying to recover from her laughter, as the boy looked up, wincing as he tried to convince Sujeong he was okay. But once their eyes met, they both paused from what they had been doing. She watched as their eyes slowly widened, as Sujeong gasped and took a step back, and as the boy from the bus muttered, “Oh, my god.”

She knew what was happening, having been an eyewitness for her parents’ meeting. And now she was here, in the drizzling rain, watching her best friend’s.

The boy stood up straighter and stuck out his right hand, “I’m Kim Taehyung.”

Sujeong hesitantly grasped his hand and shook it, locking eyes with him once again, “Ryu Sujeong. Nice to meet you, soulmate.”