Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

For Kang Taehyun, an average weekday went along the lines of this:

At 6:00AM, Taehyun wakes up to his alarm blaring from the side of his bed. He presses snooze and allows himself to stay in bed until 6:17AM. Then he gets out of bed and prepares for a day of classes. 

At 7:02AM, he arrives at the train station, passing time by scrolling through social media. Lately, he finds himself weirdly obsessed with TikTok. At 7:08AM, the train arrives. On the way to the city, Taehyun looks outside the window, watching the fleeting scenery. These days, the sun tries its hardest to shine through the thick clouds, a telltale sign that spring is arriving.

At 7:46AM, the train terminates at the city. Taehyun walks a short distance to the bus stop that will take him directly to his university. Around 8:00AM is when he finally arrives on campus.

And at 8:00AM on a weekday is when the playlist starts.

Now playing: blue - keshi

Every day, without fail, his soulmate has a new playlist prepared to fill both their own and Taehyun’s day with music. His soulmate’s taste in music crosses so many genres and languages from different times. Taehyun is sure his soulmate is the only human in this universe who would play Taylor Swift then Vanilla Acoustic then BABYMETAL.

He loves that quality about his soulmate. 

Taehyun navigates his way through campus to his class. On his way there, he runs into Choi Soobin, one of his close friends who’s enrolled in the same early childhood education course as him. Except Soobin intends to work as a childcare educator, whilst Taehyun aims for teaching children aged from five to eight years. 

Soobin talks about whatever is on his mind and these days, he seems to be enamoured by another student who he met after accidentally leaving his notebook in a cafe. Taehyun listens and replies occasionally, while also humming the song under his breath. 

When they make it to class, they sit down in their usual seats and take out the stationary needed.

Now playing: Spell - NIKI

“What song are they playing?” Soobin asks, looking at Taehyun curiously. 

“Not sure. They’re always playing a whole bunch of different artists.” Taehyun hums, appreciating the singer’s vocals. He makes a mental note to add this song to his playlist if he ever finds it. “It’s nice though. Chill.”

“That’s so cute.” To prove his point, Soobin places both of his hands over his heart. Taehyun’s eyes can’t help but linger on his bandaged right hand. “They’re so considerate.”

“Yeah.”

Taehyun appreciates his soulmate for playing chill songs during his classes. It’s great background music as he listens to the lecture. He’s grateful that his soulmate considers the volume and the type of song playing.

It’s one of the things he loves about his soulmate.

Now playing: Love Story - SURAN, Crush

Around 12:00PM, the songs would match with the current weather. The sun is making an effort to shine through the clouds, softly illuminating the land below.

Taehyun looks up at the blue sky, wondering if his soulmate was also experiencing this nice weather. He hopes they are. 

“Hyunnie! Soobinnie-hyung!” 

Taehyun looks down and smiles. 

Huening Kai runs straight for him and Taehyun has barely any time to stable himself as this 6’ft kid lunges himself at Taehyun and pulls him into a hug. Taehyun can’t help but laugh as he squeezes Kai closer.

“You guys wanna get ice cream or coffee?” Soobin asks, tackling Kai with his own hug.

“I’m fine with whatever,” Taehyun says. 

“I’m craving ice cream!” Kai exclaims, bouncing excitedly. “It’s been so long since I’ve had mint chocolate…”

At the mention of the wretched flavour, Soobin and Taehyun fake vomit. Their conversation is full of jokes, bickering and laughter as they make their way towards the ice cream shop.

Now playing: Hello Tutorial - Zion.T, SEULGI

“Oh my god.”

Soobin ducks behind kai. 

Before Taehyun can question his hyung’s motives, the man behind the counter says, “Soobin? Is that you?”

“H-hey Yeonjun-hyung…” Soobin mumbles, peeking from behind Kai’s shoulder. Soobin’s cheeks are dusted with a light shade of pink as he waves at Yeonjun, trying his best to smile, though it looks more like an awkward grimace. “I didn’t know you worked here.”

“Ah, yeah, I usually work Wednesdays and Thursdays but someone called in sick today.” Yeonjun flashes a smile. Despite having a job where you’re required to smile at customers, his smile seems a lot more genuine. Taehyun wonders if it’s because of Soobin. “Anyways, what can I get for you?”

“I want two scoops of mint chocolate in a cone, please!” Kai beams. 

“Just one scoop of strawberry in a cup for me,” Taehyun says.

Soobin examines all the different ice cream flavours, scratching his head as he struggles to choose. “Uh…do you have any recommendations?”

“Well, I personally like mint chocolate but…”

“Then I’ll get that!”

Taehyun and Kai snort. Not Soobin willingly buying the ice cream flavour he loathes just because his crush likes the flavour. Less than two minutes ago, Soobin literally went on a tangent describing how horrible it was and whoever invented it was weird and loved brushing their teeth too much. 

Now playing: Far Away - EASHA

When they’re all comfortably sitting at one of the outside tables, Kai immediately downs his ice cream. In contrast, Soobin scrunches up his face in disgust and pokes out his tongue, as if the air could get rid of the atrocious taste.

“Kai, you want it?” Soobin asks, pushing his cup of the worst flavoured ice cream in the world towards Kai, one of the weirdos who enjoyed said flavour.

“Nope, you got it, you finish it,” Kai replies in a heartbeat. “If you don’t like it then you shouldn’t have gotten it in the first place.”

Soobin pouts. “I know but did you see his smile when I said I would get mint chocolate? He was so happy, I couldn’t backtrack after that.”

“Damn, I knew you had it bad but I didn’t realise how bad,” Taehyun mumbles, earning a slap on his shoulder from Soobin and a loud laugh from Kai.

“Shut up!” Soobin whines, going to take another bite. He flinches at the taste, making Taehyun and Kai laugh.

His heart swells in happiness as he spends time with his best friends. 

Taehyun hopes these moments continue. And maybe, one day, his soulmate could be by his side, along with his friends.

Now playing: comethru - Jeremy Zucker 

On days where he doesn’t have work, Taehyun usually works out at the gym. However, if he is rostered, 3:30PM is when Taehyun starts work at the local elementary school as a supervisor who provides care after school hours.

And on those days where he does work, his shift usually starts with…

“TYUNNIE!”

Taehyun grins and leans down and soon, his arms are full of a squealing eight-year-old.

“Hey, Byeollie. How was your day?” Taehyun asks, ruffling her hair. 

“Well, today, I had P.E with Mr. Lee and we learned how to dribble! And at lunch, I went to the playground with Minkyung and then we played Chasey. And at the end of the day, we went to the library and I borrowed a book!”

“Ah, sounds like you had a fun day. What kind of book did you borrow?” 

“Hmm…it had cats on it!”

“Really? That’s cute; I love cats.”

“Me too!”

More children start calling for Taehyun as they approach, smiling brightly at the familiar face. Taehyun ensures to greet all of them with a smile and wave of his own.

“Good afternoon, Taehyun,” Jeon Jungkook says. He’s honestly Taehyun’s favourite educator, always so friendly and considerate. If Taehyun was in fifth grade, he would want to be in Jungkook’s class.

“Hi, hyung, how was your day?” Taehyun replies. 

“Some of the children were so rowdy today. Really gave me a headache,” Jungkook sighs. “Thankfully, I was able to get it under control. I adore them but they seriously do my head in sometimes.” Jungkook chuckles as he runs his hands through his hair. His other hand is unconsciously playing with his necklace; it’s one half of a whole, glowing vibrant red. 

“Tyunnie, can we play Twister?” Minseok asks, tugging on Taehyun’s shirt. 

“Wait, but aren’t you hungry? Should we eat first?” Taehyun announces. He gets a chorus of approvals as an answer. “Alright, friends, do you want to help me make some mini-pizzas?”

Now playing: Midnight Blues - UMI

At around 6:00PM, the playlist shifts to a more sombre vibe. 

Taehyun recognises this singer. Her voice is so smooth and relaxing, never failing to heal him after a long day. 

He hopes his soulmate will make a cover of one of her songs. 

The streetlights are starting to illuminate the paths with flickering orange. As Taehyun walks down the familiar path leading to his apartment, he stops to appreciate the growing wildflowers growing on the sidewalk. Although they attract bees, smell like pee and make him sneeze, they’re colourful and vibrant, making his day a little brighter.

Would his soulmate like flowers? If they do, are they the type of person who acknowledges the secret meaning behind flowers? Or do they appreciate flowers in general?

One day, Taehyun hopes to share this scenery with them.

Now playing: Beautiful Moonlight - QU4RTZ

Taehyun shakes his head, wondering how his soulmate finds these songs. He continues making his way home, sighing along the way. His sighs are coloured with longing.

While the song is mostly Japanese, Taehyun deciphers some English lyrics.

“You’re always on my mind.”

He chuckles. It’s scary how his soulmate always knows how he’s feeling.

Now playing: Through the Night - IU

“Hey, I’m staying over at Wooyoung’s,” his cousin, Yeosang, says as he peeks his head into Taehyun’s room. “I made some spaghetti earlier. Heat it up if you’re hungry.”

“Wow, no chicken today? Are you okay?” Taehyun jokes.

Yeosang rolls his eyes. “I would have made chicken if it weren’t for the stupid bet I made with Hongjoong-hyung. He said I was incapable of making food other than chicken for a week. I’m bringing some spaghetti with me to prove a point.”

Taehyun snorts and shakes his head. Of course, Yeosang would make a bet as stupid as that. “Good luck with that.”

“Thanks. Have fun with your homework and music.” 

Now playing: Galaxy - BOL4

Taehyun would do homework until 9:05PM. He would then take a small thirty-minute break, eating while scrolling through Instagram and sending stupid posts to his friends. When his break is up, Taehyun either continues his homework diligently or procrastinates by playing stupid mobile games. It depends on his mood. 

At around 11:00PM, the music stops. 

Taehyun turns off his lamp, an uneasy feeling slowly creeping into his chest. While preparing for bed, he fills the silence with miscellaneous noises like his footsteps, the running water and the tap of his fingers against the surface of the bathroom counter.

When Taehyun is lying down in his bed, he allows the silence to wash over him. He prays it won’t last forever; prays that he will hear his soulmate again tomorrow.  

“Goodnight, my dearest,” Taehyun whispers. He hopes the stars can carry his words and deliver them to his soulmate. 

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

During the weekend, Taehyun would often hear the soundtrack of a movie. 

Now playing: When Will My Life Begin? - Tangled OST

His soulmate really likes watching movies ranging from Disney to critically acclaimed action movies to some random B-rated movie a YouTuber probably reviewed.

Taehyun finds it amusing to hear the OST as his soulmate progresses through the movie. Sometimes he would sing along if he knew the words.

He had a field day when his soulmate watched Frozen. Taehyun was belting ‘Let It Go.’

Now playing: Mother Knows Best - Tangled OST

“Mother knows best, listen to your mother…” Taehyun sings under his breath while reviewing a case study.

“Hey, you wanna— wait, are you watching Tangled? Without me?” Yeosang asks, betrayed. He places a hand over his chest, looking like a scandalised grandmother. “You know I have a crush on Flynn Ryder and you do this to me? You lost your breathing privileges, go jump off a cliff. Do a flip while you’re at it.”

“Calm down, dramatic bitch, it’s my soulmate. They’re watching Tangled and I can hear the songs.” 

“Oh…sometimes I forget songs from movies count. Anyways, just wanted to ask if you wanted to watch Coco with me but I see you’re occupied with your music.” 

“I have homework? Asshole?” Taehyun makes a ‘duh’ gesture with his hand. 

So what if Taehyun declined the offer because he didn’t want to disturb his soulmate? It’s not because he’s whipped, it’s literally common decency. 

Now playing: I See the Light - Tangled OST 

“What do you want.”

“What part are you up to in Coco?”

“You called me just to ask? We live together?”

“Just answer the question.”

“Uh…the part where they’re singing to the skeleton who’s about to die.”

“Pause the movie, I’m gonna grab something to eat.”

“Seriously?”

Other times, Taehyun hears an acoustic guitar accompanied by a pleasant deep voice, dripping with honey.

Now playing: ??? - His soulmate

“Seems like everyone else but me is happy. It hurts more to laugh than to cry.”

Every word his soulmate sings pierces Taehyun’s heart, overwhelming him with an urge to cry.

“I try to hold it in, I try to endure, every day. But it’s not easy, right now, I need your hand.”

An unknown feeling washes over his heart and there’s nothing more he wants than to embrace his soulmate.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Although he often complains about his soulmate’s choice of song, the truth is, Taehyun loves the constant music.

It reassures him, knowing that his soulmate is alive. It gives him hope that one day, they’ll meet. No matter the circumstances, Taehyun knows he will come to love his soulmate in one way or another. 

There was a point in his life where it was radio silence.

When Taehyun was sixteen, he stopped hearing music. Rather, his soulmate stopped listening to music.

At first, he welcomed the silence. He could finally focus in class, appreciate the sounds of nature, and he could dive into the magical world of a book without becoming distracted by the lyrics of a random pop song.

But a week turned into two weeks and then suddenly, a month passed without any music from his soulmate. Taehyun knew his soulmate was still alive because there were times where he heard a snippet of a song, presumably from the speakers of a shop, from a random YouTube video or from the radio.

But the songs stopped.

Something must’ve happened to his soulmate. 

Taehyun didn’t realise how much comfort the songs bought him. He didn’t realise how much more colourful his life was with them.

So for the first time in his life, Taehyun listened to music specifically for his soulmate. 

Now playing: Hug - SEVENTEEN

He actively plays music for his soulmate, hoping to comfort them. He wants to convey that he’ll always be there for them, even if they haven’t met yet. 

He wants his soulmate to know that they are loved.

Now playing: Starlight - BOL4

One month eventually turned into two and before he knew it, six months had passed since his soulmate stopped listening to music. But Taehyun persevered, hoping to give his soulmate strength through his songs.

And one day, he finally heard his soulmate.

“I’ll search the universe until I can find you again.”

Taehyun was in the middle of class, jotting down notes when he finally heard his soulmate.

“I won’t let go, even the smallest memories.”

Tears treamed down his cheeks. Kai was worried but Taehyun reassured him that they were tears of happiness.

“Memories engraved in the seasons. They come and go several times.”

His teacher noticed him crying and gave him permission to leave the class to compose himself. 

“But I will still call out to you.”

That was the first time Taehyun heard his soulmate’s voice. It was truly beautiful.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Now playing: JIMO-AI Dash! - Takami Chika solo ver.

Okay.

This is different. 

Taehyun was in class when a really upbeat song started playing in his ear unexpectedly. He almost fell out of his chair.

Maybe his soulmate is feeling happy or something.

Taehyun continues on like normal, listening intently to the lecture and typing down notes on his trusty laptop. There’s a lot to cover in this component, and he needs to focus or else he’ll miss an answer and—

Now playing: JIMO-AI Dash! - Sakurauchi Riko solo ver.

“J-J-J-J-J-J—”

What.

Is this the same song but a different singer?

The volume is okay but how is he supposed to concentrate when anime girls are screaming “jimo-ai dash!” in his ear?

Now playing: JIMO-AI Dash! - Matsuura Kanan solo ver. 

Not gonna lie, it’s cool to hear how the girls’ voices differ. Taehyun wishes he wasn’t in the middle of class when his soulmate decided to listen to all the different versions. 

Now playing: JIMO-AI Dash! - Kurosawa Dia solo ver.

Right. 

This is happening.

Now playing: JIMO-AI Dash! - Watanabe You solo ver.

My love, my place, so take me higher now!

Now playing: JIMO-AI Dash! - Tsushima Yoshiko solo ver.

My love, my place, so take me higher now!

Now playing: JIMO-AI Dash! - Kunikida Hanamaru solo ver.

My love, my place, so take me higher now!

Now playing: JIMO-AI Dash!! - Ohara Mari solo ver.

EVERYBODY JIMO-AI DASH!

Now playing: JIMO-AI Dash! - Kurosawa Ruby solo ver.

This song is forever stuck in his head.

“Have I mentioned how my soulmate is literally the worst?” Taehyun groans, slamming his head on the table. If it weren’t for Soobin shielding Taehyun’s face with his large hand at the last second, Taehyun would be well on his way to getting some sort of concussion.

“You always complain about your soulmate though,” Kai supplies unhelpfully. 

Taehyun chooses to ignore him in favour of ranting. “Yeah, anyway, I don’t know why they decided to listen to the same song over and over again but they did. And now the song won’t leave my head.”

“They stopped listening to music?” Soobin asks.

“As of right now, yes. That’s why the stupid song is stuck in my head.”

“Didn’t you pride on having a soulmate with decent music taste?” Kai speaks up.

“The thing is, the song they were listening to wasn’t bad. The problem is that they listened to nine different versions of it. And it’s a loud and catchy song. And I was in class when they decided to have this listening session.”

Kai claps, suddenly hit with the best idea ever. “It would be funny if you did that except with Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne. There’s like a Spanish version, Japanese version, Italian and more.”

“Yes. Done. Do you mind if I do it now?” 

“Not at all, Hyunnie, show your soulmate how petty you can be.”

Now playing: Girlfriend (Radio Edit) - Avril Lavigne

The topic somehow shifts to zombie apocalypses and Kai is in the middle of making a really good point about travelling on bikes to make less noise and waste less time looking for petrol when a familiar guy approaches their table.

Rather, he approaches Soobin.

“Hi Binnie,” he says, smiling.

The aforementioned person chokes on his drink. “Yeonjun-hyung!” Soobin manages after coughing up a storm.

“Are you okay? Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Don’t worry, this hyung chokes on his food all the time,” Kai jokes, patting Soobin’s shoulder.

“By the way, I have first-aid training. I’m qualified to save him if needed,” Taehyun deadpans.

“I— why do you sound like you got first-aid training just for me, it’s required for our course!” Soobin whines, flicking Taehyun’s forehead. “Anyways, what’s up?”

Yeonjun, who has been watching their interaction unfold with an amused smile, blinks when the attention is directed at him. “Oh, I saw you and wanted to say hi. That’s all.” Taehyun grins at the sight of Yeonjun’s pink cheeks and the way he starts scratching the area behind his ear. Looks like he’s not the only one who’s nervous.

Now playing: Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne

“Are you going somewhere?” Soobin asks, noticing the two coffee cups in Yeonjun’s hands.

“Yeah.” A fond smile takes over Yeonjun’s face. “I’m meeting up with a friend.” His phone lights up with a message, catching Yeonjun’s attention. When he reads the text, his smile becomes impossibly brighter. 

“Ooh, hope you guys have fun!”

“Thanks. You too.”

Yeonjun winks, which honestly looks more like a blink, before leaving. Despite his failed attempt at a wink, Soobin is very much malfunctioning. “Oh my god. Why was that cute and hot at the same time?”

Taehyun rolls his eyes. “Sure, I guess, if you consider blinking cute and hot.”

Later, back at his apartment, when Taehyun is eating ramen with Yeosang, his soulmate’s song choice make him choke.

Now playing: Sorry - Justin Bieber

As if that wasn’t enough, his soulmate keeps repeating the chorus. As in, the 'is it too late now to say sorry?' part.

Taehyun can’t wait to meet his soulmate so he can teach them a lesson or two.

Pissed, Taehyun opens his up Spotify, clicks on his main playlist and searches for a very specific song.

Now playing: hot girl bummer - blackbear

Taehyun replays the intro, over and over again.

That’ll show his soulmate.

He certainly isn’t smiling, shut up.

“What in the world,” Yeosang murmurs with a shake of his head.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Now playing: Say Yes - cover by his soulmate (original by Loco and Punch)

Taehyun smiles and hums along with his soulmate’s beautiful voice. 

“What’s your soulmate listening to?” Minseok asks, eyes full of curiosity.

“They're singing while playing the guitar. They sound really good,” Taehyun answers. “I wish I could meet them soon.”

“Me too.” Minseok rolls up his sleeves, showing Taehyun the words scrawled on his skin. There are two sets of handwriting and a small drawing of a cartoon character.

“I said I liked watching Avatar: The Last Airbender and she said she would check it out. Then she drew a character from a show she recommended to me,” Minseok explains. “She’s really cool.”

“That’s so sweet. Do you talk to each other often?”

“She’s getting a phone for her birthday so we can talk online. But for now, we’re writing on our arms. She’s really good at drawing; she said she’ll show me some of her art.”

“That's so cool!”

“Have you tried meeting your soulmate, Tyunnie?”

Taehyun pauses. Sometimes, when a stranger is changing the song on their phone, Taehyun takes a peek at their current song choice. But it’s not like he’s actively looking for them. After a moment of thinking, Taehyun speaks up. “I guess I’m waiting for the right timing. If it’s them, I’ll know.”

The sound of the door opening makes them jump and they turn their heads to check who walks in.

“Hyungie!” Jungkook exclaims. His bunny-like smile takes up all his face as he rushes over to the man who just entered. His soulmate. The blue gemstone on his necklace gives it away.

“Hi, Kook. I got off work early so I came by to visit,” Taehyung says, curling a strand of Jungkook’s hair behind his ear. “I got you some snacks.”

Jungkook looks at the plastic bag in Taehyung’s hand and when he looks back up, Taehyun can see the love Jungkook holds for his soulmate. 

Jungkook pulls Taehyung in for a hug and when he lets go, their gemstones shine a brilliant purple.

Now playing: Love Story - cover by his soulmate (original by Taylor Swift)

“Jungkookie’s soulmate is here!” Eunbyeol exclaims excitedly, running towards the said visitor. This commotion attracts the other children and soon, there’s a group of ten kids surrounding Taehyung.

“Alright, friends, let's give Taehyungie some space, okay? We want him to be comfortable.” Jungkook turns back around to Taehyung, smiling apologetically. “Sorry about this, Hyungie; I know you must be tired.”

Taehyung reassures Jungkook with a shake of his head. “It’s fine. Besides, a change of pace is always nice.”

And when Jungkook turns back around to instruct the rowdy group of children, Taehyung watches his soulmate with an equal amount of love.

A pang of envy strikes Taehyun’s chest. 

But it’s okay. he’s happy where he is. And he’s sure his soulmate feel the same way. He won't rush their meeting; when they know, they'll know.

‘Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone. I love you and that’s all I really know.’

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

the three musketeers 

soobs-hyung [9:34PM]

Omg guys

Yeonjun and I?? Accidentally went on a date??

But not really a date?? 

ning-ningie [9:34PM]

how do u accidentally go on a date that’s not rly a date

hyunnie [9:34PM]

Soobin is the type of person who accidentally wins a court case even though he has no idea what’s going on

ning-ningie [9:35PM]

LMFAO

soobs-hyung [9:39PM]

Ok so I was at the library and he saw me and sat at my table and we talked while studying and it was nice but then my stomach started growling and he suggested we go eat so we went to a restaurant and while we were there, we were on the topic of flowers and I mentioned I haven’t been to the botanic gardens and he was like wha and then he decides to fricking take me??

Now I'm back at the dorm and

Wtf

Seonghwa’s looking at me weirdly cause I'm like really red

I honestly had such a great time

OO and

I GOT HIS NUMBER

hyunnie [9:40PM]

Oh wow

Did you text him??

soobs-hyung [9:40PM]

Idk what to say??

ning-ningie [9:41PM]

hey it’s me soobinnie ヾ(๑╹ꇴ◠๑)ﾉ” i enjoyed our date a lot hehe (♡ >ω< ♡) wanna go on one again sometime ⁄(⁄⑅ॢ⁄˃̶͈̀⁄௰⁄˂̶͈́⁄⑅ॢ⁄)⁄

soobs-hyung [9:42PM]

Holy hell that is an assault on my eyes I'm calling the police

hyunnie [9:42PM]

Relax, just send him a “sup”

soobs-hyung [9:42PM]

Note to self: don’t ask these two crackheads for texting advice.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

When his days start blending into a relentless cacophony filled with stress, expectations and exhaustion, Taehyun puts on noise-cancelling earphones and goes on a walk with no true destination in mind.

His soulmate isn’t playing anything as of right now. Taehyun hopes they don’t mind if he plays music for a change.

Now playing: What 2 Do - DEAN, Crush, Jeff Bernat

These days, he likes going to the park and walking along the river, taking in the sights and smells of the luscious grass and the water glistening under the setting sun. 

There are a handful of people here. A teenager walking their dog, a mother spending time with her son who’s a wheelchair user, an old man feeding the birds. Even though he’ll probably never see them again, Taehyun hopes their lives are going well. 

Taehyun stops in front of the river, watching the water sparkle under the setting sun.  

Now playing: Magic Hour - Jhené Aiko

In his peripheral vision, he sees the mother and son from earlier. Without realising it, Taehyun smiles as the mother pushes her son’s wheelchair while he points out random things, like an oddly shaped cloud or a cute bird.

Taehyun is about to continue walking when he notices a pair of blue tangled earphones next to his shoes. He picks them up and looks up at the retreating mother and son.

Taehyun takes off his headphones and approaches them. He gains the mother’s attention by tapping her on the shoulder and when she turns around, he asks, “by any chance, did you drop this?”

The mother turns to her son and says, “sweetheart, is this yours?” 

Taehyun steps to the side, intending to show her son the pair of earphones he picked up but his breath hitches when he makes eye contact.

Oh.

He’s really pretty.

The evening sun’s warm shine makes him glow like an angel, the gentle breeze flutters his hair softly, and Taehyun swears he’s staring at an anime character. He’s too pretty to be real. This is merely a figment of his imagination.

But then he gasps and responds with, “that’s mine. Oh my god, thank you so much!”

Who are you? Why does your voice pierce my heart? Have we met before? 

Taehyun wills those thoughts away as he passes the pair of earphones to the ethereal stranger. 

“All good.” He bows at the pair, wishing them a good evening. Taehyun watches them make their way to the exit before continuing on with his walk.

He lets his mind wander but eventually, he thinks of his soulmate. 

He hopes they’re well.

Taehyun then thinks of the boy from before. He thinks of the way his heart ached when he heard his voice. How it sounds familiar to him.

Taehyun shakes his head; he went on this walk to clear his head, not to muddle it even more. He puts his headphones back on and resumes the song.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Now playing: Rather Be - H.E.R

Taehyun watches in amusement as Soobin turns his entire room upside down in a frenzy, searching for the perfect outfit. Although Soobin called Taehyun and Kai over for fashion advice, they’re doing anything but, with Taehyun scrolling through TikTok and Kai playing Granny on his phone. They’re both situated on Soobin’s single bed, leaning against the wall. 

“Hyung, you’re literally going to his friend’s house. Just wear a pair of jeans and a shirt or something,” Kai says without looking up from his game. Taehyun starts to watch Kai play instead, more interested in if he can escape from Granny’s clutches.

He catches a glimpse of the small red heart on Kai’s wrist. His soulmark. It beats in sync with his soulmate’s heart.

“But I want to leave a good impression on his friend,” Soobin whines as he throws yet another article of clothing on the ground. 

“You’re cleaning that up, not us,” Taehyun mumbles. At the same time, Kai exclaims, “who do you think his friend is, the queen?”

“Look, I wanna pass their vibe check, okay? When meeting someone new, they notice your appearance! That's why this is important,” Soobin explains, picking up yet another pair of jeans before shaking his head and shoving it back into his wardrobe.

Now playing: Unconditional - Kehlani 

Taehyun’s had enough. “You know, by asking for fashion help is saying that you have no fashion sense.”

At his controversial yet brave statement, Soobin turns around, offended. “That’s literally outrageous. Just because I'm asking for help does not mean I have no fashion sense.”

“I don’t know, hyung,” Kai says playfully. “If you’re going to Taehyun, out of all people, for fashion advice then maybe you really do have no fashion sense.

Taehyun sits up straighter, glaring at Kai with the most vicious look he can muster. “Excuse me?”

Kai grins. “I’m just saying. We all know I have the best fashion—”

“What?” Taehyun says, staring at Kai as if he had five heads that could all spew fire.

“No, you don’t,” Soobin protests.

“Yes, I d— AH!!!” Kai throws his phone on the bed after being jump-scared. “Anyways, yeah, I have the best fashion sense.”

“I’m going to find a nice ass outfit just to prove you wrong, Hyuka, watch me.”

Taehyun and Kai give each other a hi-five as Soobin searches through his wardrobe with a newfound determination. In the end, he decides to wear a blue flannel over a white t-shirt paired with jeans. Which is basic as hell but as long as Soobin feels confident then that’s all that matters. 

Now playing: Ordinary - UMI 

Soobin wraps bandages around his right hand, covering the soulmark that takes up his entire palm. “Alright, I’m leaving now. Are you guys staying in my dorm, or…?” he asks as he places his keys and wallet in his pocket. 

“Nah, we’re going to go to the arcade with Jongho and get some boba afterwards,” Kai says, getting up. 

“Hope you have fun on your date,” Taehyun adds, smirking.

Taehyun and Kai leave, laughing to themselves while Soobin weakly splutters, “it’s not a date!”

the three musketeers 

soobs-hyung [7:28PM]

I just got home

Omg

So

Yeonjun and his friend have the cutest friendship?? Like they bicker a lot but they really care for each other 

Like whenever Yeonjun visits, he always makes sure to get his friend’s favourite coffee and snack from the cafe they used to visit a lot

And I can tell his friend is good at games but he lets Yeonjun win

It’s so cute 

hyunnie [7:31PM]

Did Yeonjun’s friend like your fit

soobs-hyung [7:31PM]

Omg yes he did

He like nudged Yeonjun and called me handsome??

My heart legit skipped a beat holy hell

ESPECIALLY SINCE YEONJUN’S FRIEND IS A LEGIT ANIME CHARACTER???

NO BC THEY'RE TWO PRETTY BEST FRIENDS

I HAD A SMALL GAY PANIC

Overall I had a really good time 

Btw the friend's name is Beomgyu I can’t be bothered typing out ‘Yeonjun’s friend’

hyunnie [7:33PM]

You just did 

soobs-hyung [7:33PM]

Shut up

But when he walked me home, he admitted that he was so happy that Beomgyu and I hit it off really well and 

At that moment I really wanted to hold his hand

hyunnie [7:34PM]

Oh my god 

“Hyuka. look,” Taehyun says, shoving his phone into Kai’s vision. Kai squints at the message before letting out a gasp. 

“We’re visiting him. I don’t care. We’re gonna go over to hyung’s place with bubble tea and ice cream and there’s nothing he can do about it because we love him.” Kai immediately goes over to the cashier and sweetly orders more bubble tea while Taehyun sends a message to Soobin, informing him of the sudden visit. 

Now playing: GALAXY HidE and SeeK - AZALEA 

When they arrive at Soobin’s dorm, they make sure to give him the biggest hug, which causes the older to have tears well up in his eyes. 

“I…”

“It’s okay, hyung. Just let it out,” Taehyun whispers, bringing Soobin to sit down on his bed. He starts rubbing Soobin’s back to provide comfort.

Soobin sighs and starts playing with his hands. “I…is it alright for me to feel like this? For me to have a crush on someone when…” Soobin solemnly gazes at his bandaged right hand.

Although he doesn’t say it aloud, it’s as clear as day.

‘Am I allowed to feel this way towards someone who isn’t my soulmate?’

Now playing: urs - NIKI

“It’s completely valid. I mean, look at me and Jongho. We’re soulmates and we have no romantic attraction to each other,” Kai reassures him, squeezing Soobin’s bandaged hand.

“There’s no rule stating you have to be romantically attracted to your soulmate,” Taehyun says, smiling. “The fact that we’re soulmates makes it easier to develop a connection and that connection doesn’t always have to be romantic love. Platonic love is still love, you know? Even though I haven’t met my soulmate, I know I'll love them. One way or another.”

“And you will too, hyung,” Kai finishes, holding up a peace sign. His sleeves fall, revealing the soulmark he shares with Jongho.

Soobin looks at Kai and Taehyun, eyes shining with wonder. “Wh— since when did you two become so wise?”

“Well, out of everyone in this group, one of us has to have some brain cells, right?” Taehyun smirks. 

Despite making such a bad joke, Soobin chuckles. 

The three of them decide to go on a Harry Potter marathon while eating ice cream and when Seonghwa returns home from work, he joins in. 

Halfway through the second movie, Taehyun notices that the soundtrack seems louder than usual. However, the audio is set to their default setting and no one else seems to have a problem, causing Taehyun to watch the rest of the movie in confusion.

At the beginning of the third movie, he notices a slight delay. Taehyun snorts at the realisation; his soulmate is attempting to synchronise the sound.

His heart flutters at the thought of his soulmate watching the same movie as him and going through the effort to synchronise the sound. Do they like Harry Potter as well? If so, what house are they in? What do they think about the movies? Have they also read the books?

Taehyun squeezes his pillow tightly. 

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Now playing: Some - BOL4

“Jongho has been into making bird noises lately and it’s annoying. So I’m going to buy him an animal encyclopaedia,” Kai explains, fishing through the nonfiction section while slurping at his bubble tea. “He needs to learn other sounds.”

“Won’t it still be annoying?” Soobin wonders, looking up from a cookbook. Taehyun peeks at the recipe his hyung is looking at and isn’t surprised to see a photo of fluffy bread in the corner. 

“Yes, but it’s impressive. I mean, have you met someone who can do a mean impression of a dolphin?” 

Is this a trick question? Taehyun easily answers with, “yeah, you.”

Kai ceases his searching to shoot a deadpan impression. Taehyun views it as an invitation to continue. 

“You and Jongho should go on a talent show and make animal noises. Sign up as the soulmate pair who can imitate the entire zoo.”

“You can be like that one group of sisters. the ones who performed ‘In the Jungle’ in front of Simon Cowell,” Soobin adds in, eyes full of mirth.

Kai jokingly shoves the book back onto the shelf, mumbling about how he can’t take this disrespect and that this is his and Jongho’s villain origin story. Taehyun is about to thank Kai for gracing him with such an honour when the youngest gasps out of the blue. He runs towards Soobin and frantically whispers, “Yeonjun-ssi’s here!”

Now playing: 11:11 - TAEYEON

Soobin’s eyes go uncomfortably wide and he gulps. The three of them take a peek and sure enough, Yeonjun is there, with his hand on his chin as his eyes scan the books in concentration. “Should I go talk to him?”

“Why do you even have to ask that? Of course you should,” Taehyun whispers. He not-so-gently pushes Soobin out of hiding, causing him to squeak in surprise.

Taehyun watches as Yeonjun looks up in shock, checking to see what happened. His eyes then soften when he recognises Soobin and he starts waving.

“Wave back, you idiot!” Kai screeches. Soobin snaps out of his panic and waves back with a strained smile.

Yeonjun starts to approach Soobin, and though all he can see is the back of Soobin’s head, the nervous energy radiating from him is palpable.

“Hey, how are you?” Yeonjun asks.

“I’m good. How about you?” Soobin replies, nervously playing with his hands.

“Not bad. Just looking for origami books for Beomgyu. He’s been wanting to do something more complex with his hands lately so I thought he would like origami.”

“That’s a good idea. You’re so sweet.”

Yeonjun blinks before chuckling and scratching his neck, avoiding eye contact. “It’s nothing. Anyone would do this for their best friend.”

“My point still stands. You’re sweet as hell. How is he, by the way?”

“He’s been asking about you a lot; he said he wants you to come over again and play more games with him. Said you were a lot better than me.”

“Yeah, you kinda suck, hyung.”

Now playing: Like You - Vanilla Acoustic

Taehyun and Kai glance at each other then bite back their laughter. Soobin is unexpectedly adorable, obviously nervous around his crush. As entertaining as it would be to watch Soobin slowly become even more flustered, Taehyun figures he should help him out.

So, like the amazing friend he is, he naturally walks in and says, “Soobin-hyung, Kai finally found a book.” Then he looks over at Yeonjun and fake gasps. “Oh my gosh, Yeonjun-ssi! Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation.”

“It’s fine, I wanted to say hi to Soobin, that’s all,” Yeonjun says, dismissing Taehyun’s interruption with a wave of his hand. “Actually, I think I should ask you guys. Which book should I get him? Cause, like, there are a bunch and I’m not sure which one I should get.”

Yeonjun makes his way towards the arts and crafts bookshelf. Soobin and Taehyun give each other a, ‘should we follow him’ look before shrugging and deciding to follow anyways.

“It’s either ‘Origami Kit for Dummies’ or ‘Easy Origami.’ Which one's more insulting?”

Taehyun barks out a laugh. 

“‘Easy Origami.’ It’ll piss him off,” Soobin suggests.

“No, get him ‘Origami Kit for Dummies’ instead. You’re basically calling him stupid if you give him that,” Taehyun justifies, pointing at the said book.

“No, because Beomgyu likes playing games so if he gets something that’s ‘easy’, it’ll hurt his pride.”

“Oh, so his pride won’t hurt after being called a dummy?”

“That’s not what I’m trying to say, what I’m saying is that he’ll be more insulted because he’ll think that he’s too advanced for easy mode.”

Now playing: Chocolate Drive - BOL4

“But what if he’s appreciative? Everyone starts off on easy mode.”

“Everyone also starts off as a dummy, Taehyun, which is exactly what you are—”

Taehyun lets out an affronted gasp. “Now you’re getting personal.”

Yeonjun, who has been listening to their argument(?) in amusement, decides to step in after Soobin’s remark. “Okay, guys, hold on—”

“Hey, y’all, what’s popping?” Kai interrupts, without a clue. When he notices that Taehyun and Soobin are giving each other dirty looks while a panicked Yeonjun stands to the side, he scratches his head. “Damn, what’s happening here?”

Taehyun says, “Soobin’s being a prick,” while at the same time, Soobin points at Taehyun and says, “Taehyun’s being a dummy again.”

Kai merely drinks his bubble tea while Taehyun and Soobin resume their heated discussion, much to Yeonjun’s chagrin. At this point, they’re not even debating on which origami book Yeonjun should buy; Taehyun is defending himself, saying he is anything but a dummy while Soobin tries to prove otherwise.

Suddenly, Kai lets out a delighted gasp and he runs over to snatch a book of the shelves. “Look how cute this is,” he states, holding up the book as if it was his own masterpiece. The book reads, ‘Kawaii Origami: Super Cute Origami Projects for Easy Folding Fun.’

“Yes! Thank you so much, this is perfect!” Yeonjun exclaims. 

“I have no idea how I helped but you’re welcome,” Kai says, smiling angelically. Meanwhile, Taehyun and Soobin look at each other in disbelief. 

“No, wait, I refuse to lose to Kai—“

“Seriously? Man, I thought you were cool.”

Kai laughs boisterously. “That’s right, peasants. Bow down to me. I win.”

Now playing: Relax Moment - SURAN 

While they’re paying for their books, Taehyun taps on Soobin’s shoulder and when the elder leans down, he whispers, “invite him to eat with us.”

“Huh? But what if he’s busy?”

“Ask him. If he’s not, invite him.”

Soobin puffs out his cheeks, looking at Taehyun in worry. But with a few deep breaths, the worry is replaced with confidence. He approaches Yeonjun and is about to tap him on the back before stopping himself. Taehyun watches as Soobin invites Yeonjun to eat with them, with the latter smiling and nodding eagerly.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Now playing: ??? - His soulmate

“Bibbity boppity, the train is about to depart. Bibbity boppity, to our magic island.”

Taehyun cracks a smile at those lyrics. He remembers hearing the soundtrack to Cinderella a few days ago. Did they get inspiration from the movie? Or were they already inspired and wanted to watch the movie for old times’ sake?

Whenever his soulmate sings an original song, Taehyun feels as if his soulmate is inviting him along the journey of making a song. From changing the lyrics, the chords or the way they sing certain parts, Taehyun is with them, every step of the way.

It’s wonderful, how a song can connect their hearts. Taehyun is sure his soulmate feels the same way.

Taehyun is bought back to the world when Yeonjun takes a seat in front of him. “Penny for your thoughts?” he asks as he tries to stab the straw into his bubble tea.

Ever since that day, Yeonjun frequently joins them, whether it be studying as a group, trying out a new restaurant or shopping together. Taehyun slowly bonded with his hyung and soon, he became a permanent part of Taehyun’s life. They’re close enough that they can hang out one-on-one without any awkward silences or forced conversations. 

“Mm. Just thinking about my soulmate,” Taehyun replies, mixing his pearl milk tea mindlessly. He hasn’t brought up the topic about soulmates to Yeonjun before; he hopes the older doesn’t feel uncomfortable.

At the mention of his soulmate, Yeonjun whips his head up to look at Taehyun. “You’ve met yours?” 

“No, not yet. but I know I love them. I don’t know what kind of love it is yet, but I know I love them.”

Yeonjun hums. “I think that’s beautiful, Taehyun-ah.” Yeonjun hesitates for a few moments. “I don’t know if I’ll love my soulmate if I meet them. I know I should but…” he sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

“Love comes in many shapes and forms. The soulmate connection makes it easier for a love to be formed. Whatever that love is, it’s completely up to you and your soulmate.” Taehyun sips his pearl milk tea, a last-minute attempt to seem nonchalant. “At least, that’s what I believe.”

“How are you so wise?” Yeonjun asks, eyes shining in awe. 

“I don’t know, man, I watched Adventure Time when I was younger, I guess,” Taehyun says with a shrug. “But seriously, being soulmates doesn’t mean we have to be in love with that person. There are plenty of people I know who love their soulmate but not romantically, you know?”

Kai and Jongho come to mind. They met each other when they were young and thought they could fall in love with each other. However, as time passed, they realised they would rather remain friends. Taehyun remembers back in high school, the younger would cry on his shoulder, wondering if something was wrong with him and why he couldn’t develop romantic feelings for his supposed fated partner.  

Eventually, after trials and tribulations, Kai and Jongho learnt that love doesn’t always equal romance. They cared for each other deeply and always wanted to see the other happy but they never wanted to cross the line and become lovers. 

And that’s okay. 

Now, Jongho is actively trying to get closer with his crush, while Kai cheers him on.

“Thank you so much, Taehyun. Honestly. I…I never realised how much I needed to hear that until now,” Yeonjun admits. 

“It’s okay, hyung.” Taehyun smiles gently. “I hope that one day, you’ll find happiness along with your soulmate.”

“After this tunnel, after we open our eyes, our dreams will become reality.”

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

junie-hyung [10:32PM]

beomgyu wants to meet kai and taehyun

soobs-hyung [10:32PM]

OMG YES

I miss him

U guys would love him !!

He’s literally so bright and funny

junie-hyung [10:33PM]

lmao he misses u too

ning-ningie [10:35PM]

oo i’m down w/ that ( ƅ°ਉ°)ƅ

hyunnie [10:41PM]

Sorry for the late reply, I was doing homework

Yeah sure, I’m cool with that

junie-hyung [10:43PM]

we’ll have to take the train to get to his place

he lives in the suburban areas so it’ll take a while

i think he lives near taehyun’s apartment

like in the area

hyunnie [10:43PM]

Nice, looks like I can sleep in for a bit

junie-hyung [10:44PM]

love how u got ur priorities straight

his favourite cafe opens up at 10 and we’re taking the 9:23 train so we have to be ready by 9:00 by latest

for those who live at/near the uni

ning-ningie [10:46PM]

u evil evil man

junie-hyung [10:46PM]

😸

junie-hyung [10:58PM]

i’m saying this now so u guys aren’t shocked

beomgyu has paraplegia 

please don’t treat him any different because he has a disability   

and he doesn’t need pity

what happened in the past happened and we can’t change it

sorry if i’m being blunt but i wanted to tell u this

hyunnie [11:02PM]

It’s all good hyung, we understand why you wanted to tell us

It really shows how much you care about him

ning-ningie [11:06PM]

yeah

thank u for telling us

When Yeonjun said that Beomgyu lived near the area, Taehyun didn’t realise how close he meant. 

“Yeonjun! How are you?”

It’s the mother he saw on his walk.

That means her son is…

“Hello! I’m good, how are you?” Yeonjun replies, pulling her into a hug.

“Oh, same old, same old. Beomgyu’s been doing well.” When Yeonjun releases her from the hug, she looks behind him and her smile widens at the sight of his friends. “Soobin! And there's more people, too!”

Yeonjun nods and confirms it with a, "yeah.” At the same time, Soobin bows and says, “hello.”

“Come in, come in!” Beomgyu’s mother says, gesturing everyone to enter. When she takes a good look at Taehyun, a flash of recognition passes her face. She merely smiles at him as she leads the group to a bedroom. 

“I’ll get you some snacks.”

“Thank you very much!”

As soon as the boy on the bed looks up from his phone, Taehyun recognises him as the ethereal boy who lost his earphones at the park. But now, he has a name.

Choi Beomgyu. 

Yeonjun’s most precious friend. 

“Hi! Welcome MTV cribs, this is my humble abode,” Beomgyu greets, throwing up gang signs.

Yeonjun shakes his head fondly. “Apologies for this idiot; he has no conscience or shame.”

There are posters of popular music artists, anime and movies scattered across his wall, along with polaroids of candid moments in Beomgyu’s life. If Taehyun focused hard enough, he could see many photos of Yeonjun, Beomgyu’s mother, and the night sky. Under the flat widescreen TV is a stack of various video games and a few CDs. Next to the bed, an acoustic guitar leans against the wall. On the bedside table, there’s a BlueTooth speaker, a laptop, and a pair of blue earphones residing on top of the laptop.

Taehyun stares at the blue earphones.

In the middle of it all is Beomgyu, happily introducing himself.

“Nice to meet you, Beomgyu! I’m Huening Kai, the best person in this room,” he says with a wink.

Unbeknownst to Taehyun, everyone is staring at him, waiting for an introduction. Kai nudges his arm with a hard shove, and Taehyun almost smacks the younger in the face. He recollects himself when he realises that smacking someone in the face is not a good second impression.

“Oh, I’m Kang Taehyun. Sorry, I was distracted,” Taehyun says.

“Hey, wait, I know you. You’re the guy from the park, right?” Beomgyu looks at him expectantly and when Taehyun nods slowly, a wide smile takes up his face. “Thank you so much! Yeonjunie-hyung gave me them and I would’ve actually started crying if I lost it.”

“You two know each other?” Soobin asks, looking at Taehyun curiously.

“He dropped his earphones. I just gave them back,” Taehyun answers dismissively.

“An action I am eternally grateful for, Kang Taehyun. Thank you.”

The moment Taehyun’s name falls from Beomgyu’s lips, it becomes an arrow, aiming towards Taehyun’s frail heart. He gulps, hiding his trembling hands in his pocket. Don’t pay any mind to it; thinking about it will only make it worse. “No problem.”

Out of the blue, Kai gasps and says, “look, there are glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.” Taehyun’s grateful for the distraction, eyes following the hand pointing up. He’s met with an array of small stars with smiley faces decorated along the sides. 

“I used to have a lot more but I couldn’t sleep because my room was too bright,” Beomgyu explains. “So we had to take some down.”

“They’re so cute,” Kai muses, eyes sparkling. “Can we see them glow?”

“Kai, it’s literally afternoon right now,” Soobin mutters.

But Beomgyu nods enthusiastically and responds with, “oh yes, of course! Yeonjun, may you please close the blinds?”

Yeonjun easily complies with Beomgyu’s request. When the blinds close, the room is illuminated in semi-darkness. The stars begin to shine despite the small amount of natural light bleeding through the window.

“It doesn’t look as impressive right now but at night, it’s so pretty,” Beomgyu explains.

The room is suddenly filled with light again, attacking everyone’s retinas. Yeonjun merely smirks, aware of his actions. 

Beomgyu then suggests a game of Mario Kart on his Nintendo switch, claiming that, “it's the quickest way to bond with someone.” 

To which, Taehyun responds with, “I think you got bonding mixed up with fighting.”

Everyone laughs at Taehyun’s joke, which makes his heart swell with pride.

In the first round, Yeonjun opts to sit out, wanting to “scope out the enemy first.” In the middle of the first race, Kai stupidly suggests that whoever comes last the most in all five races should pay for the pizza.

Now, Taehyun is bad at Mario kart, so he doesn’t hesitate to shove Kai into a headlock. You know what, second impressions are overrated, this is who he is. 

Although he loses the most and ends up paying for the pizza, Taehyun surprisingly doesn’t mind. Not when everyone is smiling and enjoying themselves.

He could get used to this.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

From that point onwards, the group of three became a group of five. During the weekdays, if Yeonjun isn’t working then they would hang out at the library or the cafe, either finishing work and studying their asses off or eating and messing around. On the days where the eldest works at the ice cream shop, Soobin drags them there, claiming they should change their study environment when in reality, he just wants to ogle Yeonjun while he works. 

And on every Saturday, they would all visit Beomgyu and spent the day at his place, playing games, watching movies, or taking a walk around the neighbourhood, enjoying the fresh air. When nighttime rolled around, Taehyun, Soobin and Kai would make their way home while Yeonjun stayed.

Their new group chat has been extremely active, with Beomgyu sending random memes, Kai sending adorable animal pictures and Taehyun rambling about every minor inconvenience he faces. Yeonjun seems to always be active, laughing and reacting to all the messages while Soobin barely responds, only hopping on once in a blue moon.

Not only has Taehyun deepened his bond with Yeonjun, but he has also been getting closer with Beomgyu. They share common interests, opinions and similar styles of humour. The older is extremely bright and happy, always bringing the mood up. He’s also extremely open-minded, and Taehyun knows he won’t be judged by him. Beomgyu has become a close friend he admires a lot.

Today happens to be one of those days where they’re taking a walk around the neighbourhood. Beomgyu is especially excited; his smile never leaves his face as Yeonjun helps him transfer to his wheelchair, cutely decorated with small star stickers on the frame and backrest. 

“Do you want someone to push you? Or do you wanna put your muscles to use?” Yeonjun asks, with a joking pat on Beomgyu’s biceps.

Beomgyu taps his thighs, pouting in thought before answering with, “I want Hyuka to push me!” Kai, who was immersed in a conversation with Soobin, jumps at the mention of his name.

“What? What’s happening?” Kai asks, nervously looking at Yeonjun then shifting his gaze to Beomgyu. “Am I getting kicked out?”

“Ok, weird assumption, but no. I nominate you to push me around today,” Beomgyu answers, pointing at said nominee. 

Kai grins happily as he bounces over to Beomgyu. When Yeonjun moves, he carefully wraps his hands around the push handles. 

“What do you guys think about walking along the riverbank? Apparently, the sunset is gonna look really pretty there,” Taehyun announces, closing the maps app on his phone. “I know the area relatively well so I can lead us around.”

“Ah, that sounds awesome!” Beomgyu says with a beaming smile. “I haven’t been there in a while; I wonder if the flowers have bloomed.”

“If they haven’t then I’ll force them to bloom,” Taehyun half-jokes.

The sun shines brightly, basking everything in warmth. Taehyun squints in annoyance as he navigates his way through the park, leading everyone along. While they walk, Taehyun talks about the language of flowers to Yeonjun while Soobin and Beomgyu bicker, with Kai as the mediator who mostly laughs instead of mediates. 

“I find it funny how the meaning behind some flowers are straight-up cruel. Like, yellow carnations can mean, ‘you have disappointed me’ or rejection,” Taehyun explains. 

“Are there flowers that mean, ‘you’re an idiot?' Maybe I should give some to Beomgyu,” Yeonjun jokes, subtly turning around to see if the aforementioned person can hear. However, Beomgyu is too focused on ranting about why Tom Nook is a capitalist monster and that he should be jailed. Which is interesting. 

Taehyun racks his brain, trying to remember the list of meanings on the website he randomly hopped on. “Nuts apparently means stupidity.”

“Nuts are flowers?”

“I read somewhere that nuts are a type of fruit. They come from flowers, I think. Maybe that’s why.”

“Huh. The more you know. Wait a second, why are you reading about nuts?”

“I’m a very curious person, okay? When I'm bored, I search up random questions. Did you know that in Florida, it’s illegal to have sexual relations with a porcupine?”

Yeonjun stops in his tracks. “Wh— Why would—”

“I don’t know. But two Russian tourists tried it and it did not end well for them.”

“Taehyun, what the hell?!” 

“I told you that I'm curious.”

“What did Hyunnie do this time?” Kai pipes in.

“Nothing, I just told him that it’s illegal to have sex with a porcupine in Florida,” Taehyun responds with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Why. Do you even know that?” Soobin asks in exasperation.

“Taehyun is the type of person who would search up his symptoms instead of going to the doctors and then diagnose himself with something like Hepatitis C,” Kai snorts.

Taehyun is ready to kill a bitch, namely Huening Kai. He runs over to Kai and pulls him into a choking headlock, spewing out empty threats, while his friends merely watch in amusement.

The five of them continue along the path, admiring the glistening river while talking, making stupid jokes and enjoying themselves. 

Yeonjun lags behind everyone else to admire the ducks floating along the river. Soobin, like the whipped idiot he is, decides to join him.

Taehyun is in the middle of showing Kai and Beomgyu a pretty wildflower when they hear a loud, “WATCH OUT!”

A loud yelp and shocked scream pierce the air, startling the three of them. They turn around and see Soobin holding onto Yeonjun, trying to stabilise the older.

A child runs to the pair and bows, apologising profusely. Soobin placates the small boy, offering kind words while Yeonjun is shellshocked, with a hand over his racing heart.

When the child leaves, Taehyun approaches Soobin and Yeonjun, asking what happened.

“The group of boys were playing soccer and accidentally kicked it too far. It missed Yeonjun but he almost fell in the river,” Soobin explains, rubbing Yeonjun’s shoulder in comfort.

“Are you feeling okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just…need to calm down for a bit.”

“Take all the time you need, hyung.”

“Do you want to go back to Beomgyu’s?”

“Y-yeah. If that’s alright.”

By the time they make it back to Beomgyu’s place, Yeonjun has relatively calmed down, though he’s more quiet than usual. Soobin, like the kind angel he is, sticks by Yeonjun’s side, constantly checking his wellbeing.

At around 7:00PM, Taehyun, Soobin and Kai decide to go home so the other two can catch the train and make it back to the dorms. Taehyun walks his friends to the train station before walking home himself.

Basking in the quiet atmosphere, Taehyun thinks of his soulmate. How are they doing these days? The days are getting longer and warmer. He hopes the weather change isn’t affecting them too much. He knows firsthand that hayfever is a bitch.

His phone lights up with a message from Beomgyu to the group chat.

the avengers except we're from wish.com 

gyu-hyung [7:17PM]

hope y’all get home safe (／￣(ｴ)￣)／

ning-ningie [7:17PM]

thank u hyungie ～(^∇^～）

hyunnie [7:18PM] 

Where do you guys even find these emoticons…

Taehyun walks home with light steps.

At around 9:25PM, Taehyun receives a call from Soobin while he’s in the middle of catching up on YouTube videos.

“Hyung? What’s up?” Taehyun asks.

A few moments of silence pass before Soobin speaks up, voice trembling. “I found them, Taehyun. My soulmate.”

“What?”

Soobin bursts into tears.

“I…I finally found them…”

“Do you know who it is?”

“I think it’s…it’s Yeonjun-hyung. Today, when I…today, it was my first time touching him and…and when I came home, I took off the bandages and—”

“Hyung. Take deep breaths.”

Taehyun waits until Soobin’s breathing becomes more even. “Have you told him?”

“No. You’re…you’re the first person I told. I…I don’t know, I think it’s Yeonjun-hyung because I haven’t made contact with anyone new and today was my first time touching him but—” Soobin sighs. “I don’t know what to do.”

Taehyun hums in contemplation, shifting around to sit more comfortably on his bed. “I honestly think you should tell him in person. It’s fine if you don’t want to tell him today but you should tell him soon.”

“Yeah.” Another sigh. “I think…it’s best to tell him now. Like ripping off a bandaid, I guess. Get it out there. I’ll catch an Uber to Beomgyu’s place. He should still be there, right?”

“Most likely, yes. Text him to make sure.”

“Yeah, okay. Okay, okay, okay…” Soobin chuckles. “You know, this isn’t how I imagined meeting my soulmate.”

“How did you think it would go? Genuine question.”

“Hmm…I don’t know, actually. I guess what I mean is, I didn’t think Yeonjun-hyung would be my soulmate.”

“I get what you mean.”

“He replied. He said he’s staying over at Beomgyu’s. I’m going to ask if we can talk and then I’ll come over.”

“That sounds like a good plan, hyung.”

“Thanks for helping, Taehyun.”

“I really didn’t do anything but sure. Keep me updated, okay?”

“Yeah. Thank you…really. I’ll… I’ll go tell him now.”

“Go for it, hyung.”

the three musketeers

ning-ningie [9:38PM]

SOOBINNIE FOUND HIS SOULMATE??? 

AND ITS YEONJUN??

^ HYUNG

soobs-hyung [9:38PM]

I think it’s Yeonjun-hyung

Idk I'm scared

I really hope it is

ning-ningie [9:39PM]

what does your soulmark look like??

soobs-hyung [9:41PM]

It’s really pretty…

It’s like shades of blue purple and yellow

The purple fades into a light blue and then into yellow

My Uber is here

Omg I’m so nervous

My heart’s literally beating out of my chest holy moly

ning-ningie [9:43PM]

it’s ok hyungie 

how did u like

touch him

hyunnie [9:44PM]

He’s asking how you made first contact

soobs-hyung [9:44PM]

The ball almost hit him and he flinched

He almost fell in the river but I managed to grab his back and stable both of us

hyunnie [9:45PM] 

Oh, okok

soobs-hyung [9:45PM]

My Uber noticed my soulmark

He said it looks beautiful mayhaps I’m crying

He’s telling me abt his soulmate

hyunnie [9:45PM]

oo

soobs-hyung [9:46PM]

Omg

So he has two soulmates

He has the soulmark where when u first touch ur soulmate, ur matching tattoos meet each other

They met each other in uni and at the time, his soulmates already found each other and were dating

He fell in love w both of them 

ning-ningie [9:46PM]

omg pain

hyunnie [9:46PM]

I wanna give this guy a hug

soobs-hyung [9:47PM]

And then one day

He got sick and both of them took care of him

And when his soulmate helped him up, their cat met up with his own

Omg

Mayhaps I am crying again 

Bruh the driver is gonna remember me as the guy who met his soulmate for the first time and cried over every single thing

Giving this guy five stars hands down

Giving him the biggest tip too

U guys too 

His name is Jung Hoseok

hyunnie [9:50PM]

I hope this man is doing well in his life

Bless him he has the purest heart

We stan Jung Hoseok in this household

soobs-hyung [9:50PM]

AW

He’s giving me advice 

I’ll keep u guys updated

hyunnie [9:51PM]

Okii

Love you hyung

ning-ning [9:51PM]

(๑╹ڡ╹)╭ ～ ♡

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Now playing: Eat My Love - BIBI

A familiar scene plays out.

Soobin is, once again, frolicking around his bedroom, searching high and low for the “perfect outfit.” As per usual, he asked Taehyun and Kai for help and, as expected, they’re doing anything but. Kai is playing Five Nights at Freddy's while Taehyun observes, telling Kai what to do. 

“Can you two help me out, for once in your lives?” Soobin asks, exasperated. 

Taehyun glares at his hyung and runs a hand through his hair. “Kai’s gonna have no life if he doesn’t close the damn door, Jesus, Kai, what the hell—”

“I don’t need to, Chica’s still in the kitchen!” Kai rebuts.

“I meant the left side, you toenail, watch out for—”

Foxy pops up, giving them a game over.

“—Foxy. You absolute dumbass, it wasn’t even night two, it was night one, how the hell did you die in night one?”

“Foxy isn’t even supposed to appear in night one, cut me some slack, Taehyun, I wanna see you try playing this game without sound.”

“Guys. please.” Soobin holds up two articles of clothing. His left hand is holding a brown cardigan while his right hand has a black trench coat. “Which one?”

Taehyun scrutinises both of the options. “What do you think looks best?”

“Personally, I like the one on the right but—”

“Aight, go with the left one.”

With a pout, Soobin lowers the items. “Fine, we’ll go with Taehyun’s fit this time.”

“Why are you saying that like it’s a bad thing, I just saved you ten minutes.”

Now playing: Strawberries & Cigarettes - Troye Sivan

A knock on the door startles Soobin and he almost smears his lip balm. “Oh my god, he’s here.”

Soobin looks over at Taehyun and Kai, eyes wide in panic. He then mouths, “What do I do?!”

To that, Taehyun and Kai answer with a shooing motion, hoping that the elder would open the damn door already. 

Thankfully, Soobin inhales deeply and then proceeds the open the door.

“Hi Yeonjunnie…” Soobin greets, waving shyly. 

“Hi hyung!” Kai says happily. At the same time, Taehyun nods and says, “sup?”

“Hi, Tae. Hyuka. Hope you don’t mind me stealing Soobin for our date,” Yeonjun quips with his iconic wink that’s really a blink.

“Oh, no, go ahead, take him, he was pissing us off anyway.”

“Guys!” Soobin whines with a pout. 

Yeonjun chuckles but soon, his features are replaced with nervousness. He takes a deep breath before shyly holding out his hand. Soobin lets out a little gasp before a brilliant smile takes up his face as he takes Yeonjun’s hand.  

The four of them leave Soobin’s dorm, and after he locks his room, he waves goodbye with his right hand, displaying his soulmark coloured in beautiful shades of yellow, blue and purple.

“Ugh, they’re so disgustingly cute. I’m gonna complain to Jongho,” Kai grumbles, leaving his game and clicking on the messaging app.

“He might not answer cause Yeosang mentioned they were going to the movies together,” Taehyun interjects.

Kai stops. “My soulmate. Is with your cousin. At the movies.”

“Yes.”

“Huh. That’s weird.”

“Yeah.”

A beat of silence passes.

“Should we go over to Beomgyu’s?” Kai suggests.

“Sure, I'm down with that. I’ll text him.”

“Bet. While you do that, lemme scream at Jongho…”

hyunnie [4:21PM]

Soobin and Yeonjun are on their date

gyu-hyung [4:21PM]

yeah yeonjun was literally screaming at me over facetime abt it lol

he was freaking out over what to wear

hyunnie [4:21PM]

Soulmate behaviour LMFAO

Anyways, can Kai and I come over??

gyu-hyung [4:22PM]

sure !!

u dont have to ask, ur welcome any time

except not at like 3am cause i’ll probably be asleep lol

hyunnie [4:22PM] 

God, I hope so

Thank you, hyung

See you soon

gyu-hyung [4:23PM]

i’ll be waiting 

At around 4:30PM, Taehyun and Kai arrive at Beomgyu’s house. The older is happy to see them, excited to show the various origami animals he folded. 

“Woah, you did all of that?!” Kai asks excitedly, carefully examining the paper cat.

“Yeah, the book was actually really helpful,” Beomgyu says, emphasising his point with a thumbs-up. “I honestly had so much fun making them.”

“That’s so cool. You’re really good with your hands, hyung,” Taehyun compliments sincerely, turning the origami fish in his hands. He didn’t even know you could fold origami fish until now.

“Thank you! I’ve been wanting to do something more…delicate?” Beomgyu furrows his eyebrows, tapping a random beat on his thigh. “Something that I have to be careful with.”

Taehyun clicks his fingers. “Ah, I get what you mean. Using fine motor skills.”

“Yeah!”

Kai tilts his head to the side. “Like making bracelets and stuff?”

Beomgyu gasps. “Wait, that’s a good idea! I wanna try making accessories. I'll put that on my list of things to try. I think I have some beads at home…I need to go out and buy the bearings though…”

Taehyun and Kai look at each other. They smile. “If you want, we can go out now,” Taehyun says.

Beomgyu’s eyes sparkle in delight. “Really?”

“Yeah! If you’re up to it, that is.”

“Of course!”

On their way back from a local jewellery store, Beomgyu begins humming a song, swaying his head gently from side to side.

Reminiscent of their first meeting, Taehyun’s heart begins to ache. Why? Why does Beomgyu’s voice make him feel this way? Why does he want to cry when he hears it?

He grips tighter on the push handles of Beomgyu’s wheelchair. 

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Taehyun pushes the ear pads closer, wanting nothing more than the music to stop.

However, the song continues to play in his ears, no matter how hard he tries to make it stop.

The song his soulmate is playing.

Yes, he loves his soulmate and appreciates them for filling his days with colour. Yet, when he tries to imagine them, Beomgyu comes to mind.

He hates himself for wanting that. 

He hates himself thinking of another person in place of his soulmate.

He hates himself for wishing for one of his friends to be his soulmate.

Why does he even think of Beomgyu? Taehyun merely views him as a close friend.

A friend who appreciates the meaning behind flowers and listens earnestly when Taehyun explains them. 

A friend who enjoys watching Harry Potter and sends memes about it in the group chat.

A friend who connects with him, despite their differences.

A friend who loves listening to music and appreciates many different genres from across the world.

A friend whose voice sounds similar to his soulmate’s. A voice that pierces his heart.

Taehyun drowns out his thoughts with loud music. 

Now playing: FEEL NOTHING - The Plot In You

He puts the volume on maximum. He pushes his headphones closer to his ears so that his song envelops his thoughts, ridding the ones of his soulmate and Beomgyu. 

So that his song drowns out the one his soulmate is playing.

He fights back his tears. He doesn’t deserve to cry.

At a time close to midnight, Taehyun’s phone dies. 

He takes off his headphones, drained. For a moment, he stares up at the ceiling.

It’s silent. His soulmate must be confused as to why he was listening to music at such high volumes. He should apologise somehow. He must’ve disturbed their daily life.

Taehyun sits up, rubbing his eyes. He hasn’t responded to his friends or done any homework. Oh, well. He can catch up tomorrow. Even if he tried to do them today, it wouldn’t be up to his standards. As for his friends…he should get back to them soon.

Now playing: Come to me - SEVENTEEN

Taehyun laughs in disbelief. God, why does his soulmate have to be so sweet?

“I want to be your comfort when things get hard.”

“You always comfort me, my dearest. I’m so sorry about today. I’ll feel better tomorrow.”

“You can come to me, any time.”

“I know.”

“Come to me. Just how I leaned on you.”

Taehyun finally allows his tears to fall.

“All the times you protected me, thank you. If it’s you, anything is okay so come to me.”

At moments like this, Taehyun wishes he could communicate with his soulmate. He wishes he could express his gratitude and share his innermost worries with them. But it’s okay because he can always express his feelings through a song. His soulmate will understand; their hearts are connected, after all.

As soon as his phone lights up, Taehyun says his reply through a song. 

Now playing: Falling Asleep Again - GFRIEND

“It’s how I feel, my dearest. I can’t use my words so I’ll convey how I feel through a song. I…I hope it reaches you. I love you so much.”

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

the avengers except we're from wish.com 

hyunnie [12:45PM]

Sorry, I can’t make it

I’ve been swamped with homework, it’s literally insane

soobs-hyung [12:45PM]

Don’t apologise for being busy Taehyun-ah

We understand

Good luck w ur work !!

ning-ningie [12:47PM]

hurry up and finish ur work we all miss u ꒰๑•̥﹏•̥๑꒱

gyu-hyung [12:50PM]

its been like two weeks since ive seen u and i forgot what u look like ʕథ౪థʔ

Taehyun throws his phone on the bed and sighs, guilt eating away at his heart. Bless his friends for cheering him on with his homework that doubles as an excuse not to see Beomgyu.  

Taehyun knows he can fall in love with other people but because of his lifelong connection with his soulmate, he feels as if he’s betraying them somehow. 

He feels even worse for imagining Beomgyu as his soulmate. 

His soulmate has always been there for him, giving him so much love and happiness, and Taehyun selfishly imagines them as someone else. Someone who seems so similar to his own soulmate. 

He hates himself for doing it.

The door opens, interrupting his pity party. Yeosang’s eyes are soft as he takes in the state of Taehyun’s bedroom and Taehyun himself.

“Wow, you’re a mess,” he says bluntly as he walks in and sits down on his bed. 

Taehyun snorts and sits up, ruffling his hair that he definitely needs to wash. “Oh, really? Gee, that’s news to me.”

“I’ll just pretend you didn’t say that.” Yeosang rolls his eyes. “Is there a particular reason why? Or did you wake up feeling like…bleh. Totally valid, by the way.”

Taehyun sighs and looks down at his hands, waiting for the right words to appear. “I think…I’m like, developing some sort of crush on someone. Someone who’s not my soulmate. And I feel so horrible because I feel as if I'm betraying my soulmate. Like, I get that I'm allowed to fall in love with whoever I want but…”

“Your soulmark lets you interact with your soulmate from birth. And because you’ve established a relationship, you feel guilty.”

Taehyun swallows the lump in his throat. “Yeah, couldn’t have said it better myself.” 

Yeosang hums in understanding. “I can’t even imagine how you feel; it’s a difficult situation. But…what if your soulmate was in the same situation as you?”

“What do you mean?” Taehyun furrows his eyebrows in confusion. 

“What if they liked someone else but felt guilty because of your connection? How would you feel?”

Taehyun immediately answers, no ounce of hesitation heard in his voice. “I would cheer them on? Like, I would want them to find happiness.”

“There’s your answer.”

“What are you— oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.”

That’s right. No matter what, his soulmate would want him to find happiness. The same goes for Taehyun; above everything else, their happiness is what is most important. 

“But what about—”

“Everyone fantasises about their crush being their possible soulmate, Taehyun. Like, it’s something we all wish for, sometimes. But even if the person you like isn’t your soulmate, you would still love them, right?”

“Yeah.”

“There you go, lil’ cousin.” Yeosang pats his shoulder as he gets up to leave. “I’m sure your soulmate will cheer you on. You guys want what’s best for each other, after all.” Then his tone shifts to a more tender one. “It’s what Wooyoung did for me.”

“Thank you so much, hyung,” Taehyun says sincerely. After his talk with Yeosang, his heart feels lighter. 

“You’re welcome.”

“By the way, never call me ‘lil’ cousin again.’

Now playing: Falling for U - Peachy!, mxmtoon

Taehyun gulps nervously, scrolling randomly through Twitter to distract himself. God, he might as well have, “I have a crush on someone who’s not my soulmate” tattooed across his forehead.

Yeosang told him he should tell his soulmate about his crush through his connection but now that Taehyun is actually going through with it, he feels like an absolute idiot. 

The song ends.

Taehyun waits around 30 seconds for his soulmate’s reaction. 

Silence.

Now playing: Crush - Tessa Violet

Taehyun’s literally spelling it out for them. He really hopes they read in between the lines.

Damn, stressfully listening to music isn’t a good feeling. -13/10 would never do again. 

Thankfully, his soulmate seems to understand, since after his song ends, his soulmate plays their reply. 

Now playing: Kinmirai Happy End - CYaRon!

Alright. 

Taehyun has no idea how to find this song so he won’t be able to find out what his soulmate is trying to tell him. However, he feels as if he’s being…cheered on or something. As if his soulmate is assuring him that no matter what, they’ll support him in his pursuit of happiness.

It’s amazing, how his soulmate always chooses the right songs to convey his feelings. Even if Taehyun doesn’t understand it himself.

the avengers except we're from wish.com 

hyunnie [4:40PM]

Good news y’all

I can make it next week

I finally finished all my work

Somehow

ning-ningie [4:40PM]

THATS SOME KING BEHAVIOUR THATS MY MANS

soobs-hyung [4:40PM]

YAY

I MISSED U 

junnie-hyung [4:40PM]

aw man i have a chance of becoming third in mario kart

jk jk i missed ur face send a selfie

hyunnie [4:41PM]

Can’t be bothered, lmao sorry

gyu-hyung [4:41PM]

AYY HELL YEAHHHH ◟ʕ´∀`ʔ◞

U GO TAEHYUNNNN

SEE U NEXT WEEEEEEEK

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

It’s one thing to deny you’re developing a crush on your friend. 

It’s another thing to accept the budding feelings and try to continue with life while spending time with said crush. 

Now that Taehyun is fully aware of his slight infatuation with Beomgyu, he’s extremely aware of every movement Beomgyu makes. Not to mention, he’s been more awkward around him. 

One specific moment will forever haunt him: Taehyun was merely drinking some strawberry milk when Beomgyu had suddenly approached him, wanting to share a video. Taehyun had been caught off-guard and ended up spitting out his drink.

All over Beomgyu. 

Yeah, needless to say, Taehyun was mortified. Beomgyu wasn’t all that mad, joking about it raining strawberry milk but this certain moment will not be able to leave his brain. At night, it often pops in his head and renders him awake for at least thirty minutes. 

It’s no doubt that if Taehyun was in a situation where it was just him and Beomgyu, he would absolutely make a fool out of himself. 

Unfortunately, that is the very situation Taehyun landed himself in. 

Turns out, the train that Soobin, Kai and Yeonjun take is delayed due to some sort of mechanical failure, meaning that Taehyun will be together with Beomgyu for a while.

Together. With Beomgyu. For a while. 

Taehyun swears his heart is louder than the drums in Gimme Chocolate!! by BABYMETAL. Probably as fast, too. He sits down on the chair next to the bed, avoiding eye contact with Beomgyu by glaring at the TV. He notes that Beomgyu’s Animal Crossing avatar is wearing a custom Totoro hoodie and a matching grey beanie. He’s so cute, what in the—

“Man, why are you so awkward? It’s literally just me, Taehyun. I don’t bite,” Beomgyu jokes innocently. Taehyun wants to rip out his hair and hide under a rock. The reason why I’m so awkward is because it’s you, asshole!

“Yeah, I know, I just kinda feel weird cause I’ve been away for a while,” Taehyun easily lies, fixing his bangs to distract himself from the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. “Did anything interesting happen while I was gone?” 

“Oh, yeah! Last week, I saw this really cute baby bird trying to fly for the first time. They were so cute, I legit almost started crying when they flew out of the nest. What else…” Beomgyu hums in thought as his game avatar runs to Nooks Cranny. “We rewatched the Shrek movies and Soobin literally started bawling his eyes out when Shrek first met Fiona and did not stop crying. For like, the entire movie marathon.”

It’s understandable that Soobin would cry. Especially during the finale of Shrek 2. He remembers a few weeks ago his own soulmate was marathoning the Shrek movies and when they got to Jennifer Saunder’s rendition of ‘Holding Out For a Hero,’ Taehyun needed a moment to stop and appreciate the art.

Suddenly, a joke pops in Taehyun’s head and he blurts out, “Soobin, more like sobbin’ amiright?” 

Here lies Kang Taehyun. Sadly passed after telling his crush an insanely bad joke. 

Thankfully, Beomgyu actually laughs at that sad excuse for a joke so really, who’s the real loser here?

(It’s still Taehyun).

“Oh yeah, I wanted to show you something. I finally collected all the train sets in the game! Look, I put them near the garden. I’m legit so proud of it, it’s become my favourite spot.” Beomgyu then gasps excitedly. “It’s Maple! She moved to my island two days ago and she’s so cute, oh my god.”

Beomgyu continues showing him his island, enthusiastically explaining his favourite areas and designs. All the while, Taehyun listens closely. The butterflies in his chest slowly start to calm and eventually, they’re resting. Though his heartbeat is still abnormally fast, he starts feeling comfortable. 

A loud ‘ping’ from Taehyun’s phone gain their attention and he reads the text from the group chat. “Soobin said they finally got on the train and that they’re on their way here.”

“Heck yeah! Ooh, I just got the best idea: what if we pranked them?” Beomgyu grins mischievously, evilly rubbing his hands together like a cartoon villain. 

“Oh? What have you got in mind?” Taehyun replies, humouring him by slapping a hand on his mouth in mock surprise. 

“I was thinking, what if we got everyone drinks but then we put soy sauce in one of them?”

“Oh, that’s sick. I like that. If we leave now, we have approximately…35 minutes to plan everything.” 

“Then let’s hurry up!”

In the end, Kai ends up getting the ‘special surprise Americano,’ much to the amusement of the others. Kai, who’s known for forgiving but never forgetting, challenges everyone to a game of Smash Bros Ultimate, stating that the loser has to finish the drink. 

It’s moments like this that Taehyun realises how much he misses his cherished friends. How much they colour his world and his heart with happiness. Although Taehyun is still nervous about his newfound crush, he’ll let it bloom within his heart. And maybe, as time passes, the feeling will wither away or bloom into something more.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

“What’s wrong? Tae, Hyuka, you guys look like you’ve just seen a ghost or something,” Yeonjun asks with a tilt of his head, watching Taehyun, Soobin and Kai enter Beomgyu’s room. 

Taehyun merely responds with a groan. He leans against the wall, hugs his legs and then digs his face into his knees, groaning once again. Kai leans against him, also groaning.

“Don’t mind them, they’re being dramatic just because they saw Taehyun’s cousin flirting with Kai’s soulmate,” Soobin explains dismissively as if he was talking about the weather. He sits on the left side of Beomgyu, shrugging.

Yeonjun makes a confused noise. “They’re…what?”

“My soulmate. And his cousin,” Kai reiterates. 

“I…I never want to see Yeosang attempt to flirt ever again,” Taehyun grumbles, his voice muffled from his knees.

“How do you think I feel? When Jongho said he had a crush on someone, I didn’t think he meant Yeosang-hyung. God, they were all over each other.”

“I know right? It’s disgusting; Yeosang hates sharing his food yet he was so willing to give Jongho a portion of his lunch.”

“And Jongho was so smiley. Ugh.” Kai shudders in disgust, looking like that one Patrick Star meme.

“I don’t get it. What’s wrong with your cousin dating your soulmate?” Beomgyu asks. Taehyun belatedly notices the guitar on his bed. It’s an acoustic one with small star stickers on it. Cute. 

Taehyun and Kai stop their lamenting to consider Beomgyu’s question. “It’s not like we’re against it. It’s just…weird to us? In a way? Like, it’s the same energy as one of your parents dating your teacher,” Taehyun explains.

Four collective groans are heard. 

“Oh, yeah, I get what you mean now.”

“Holy hell, that’s a weird situation.”

“I hate how the comparison makes sense.”

“See? I don’t know, it feels illegal somehow!” Kai whines.

A horrific thought crosses Taehyun’s mind. “Oh my god, what if they get married? You’re going to be my cousin-in-law once removed or something.”

The sheer terror in Kai’s eyes are so genuine, you would think he was filming a horror movie or something. “What the hell?! Ew, no, dude!”

At that moment, Soobin has to interrupt before Taehyun and Kai scar themselves even further. “No. You guys are not going to be related. That wouldn’t even make sense!”

“No, no, no, think about it. If Yeosang and Jongho marry, then Jongho would be Taehyun’s cousin-in-law and because I am Jongho’s soulmate, by default, Taehyun would also be my cousin-in-law.”

“What?! That doesn’t make sense. That’s, like, saying if a rat’s mother died and she wanted Yeonjun and Beomgyu to have shared custody of her son, then I, too, would have custody of the rat. Even though I am technically, not legally allowed to have shared custody.” 

“I am so lost right now,” Beomgyu murmurs with a shake of his head.

“Yeah, this is getting nowhere.” With a clap of his hands, Yeonjun gains everyone’s attention. “Guys, do you wanna hear Beomgyu sing and play the guitar?”

Beomgyu’s cheeks immediately flush. “Hyung!” he whispers, elbowing Yeonjun’s arm.

“What? You said you’ve been working your song, right?”

“Yeah, but it’s not done. I’m almost finished though.”

“Can we get a sneak peek? Please?” Kai begs, using his signature puppy eyes to entrance Beomgyu. Unfortunately, the older remains stubborn and shakes his head. 

“What about just the chorus? How about that?” Taehyun suggests with a soft smile.

“Yeah…yeah, that would work.” Beomgyu clears his throat before grabbing the guitar on his bed. He adjusts the position of the guitar and when he feels comfortable, he takes a deep breath.

Beomgyu begins strumming.

It’s a familiar chord. 

“Be my forever.” 

Taehyun’s heart skips a beat. It starts beating erratically against his ribcage. 

“Call my name.”

Every lyric becomes an arrow and pierces Taehyun’s heart. His voice, his song, his words…they all make his chest ache painfully.

“Run away, run away, run away with me.”

Taehyun knows this song. He knows it because he was there when it was created. He was there every step of the way. 

He heard his soulmate make this song.

This means that…

“To the ends of the earth, forever together…run away, baby…”

The lyrics come naturally to him as if he had sung it over and over again. 

When Taehyun realises what had happened, shock crosses his features as he turns to Beomgyu, who’s wearing a similar expression to his. 

“You…you know this song?” Beomgyu asks, voice laced with conflicting emotions. Fear? Anticipation?

Taehyun is unsure of how to answer. Should he say the reason why he knows this song is because his soulmate sings it? In the end, Taehyun responds with, “I…I hear it all the time.”

“But that’s impossible.” Then it hits Beomgyu. “N-no…wait, it…” his eyes well up with tears and he places both his hands over his mouth to muffle his cries.

“Wait, should we test it out? Beomgyu, let me borrow your earphones,” Yeonjun says, frantically plugging the jack into his phone. 

Taehyun pays no mind to his surroundings, eyes only on Beomgyu. He watches Beomgyu nod at Yeonjun’s words while inserting his earbuds, eyes shining with unshed tears. He watches Beomgyu fiddle with his hands nervously. He watches Beomgyu let out a chuckle at the song choice.

Now playing: I Will Go To You Like the First Now - AILEE

“I forgot the title but it’s by AILEE. For sure. I think it had something to do with snow.”

Now playing: Beautiful - Crush

Yeonjun skips to the middle of the song, causing Beomgyu to become disgruntled. Taehyun can’t help but be endeared at the sight. “Beautiful by Crush. Right?”

Now playing: Stay With Me - CHANYEOL and Punch

Two seconds into the song and Taehyun snorts. “You’re just playing the Goblin soundtrack.”

Yeonjun’s jaw drops to the floor. “You…you really are soulmates.”

At the same time, Beomgyu removes his earphones and goes to say something. However, before he can get anything out, his emotions overwhelm him and tears start streaming down his rosy cheeks.

“We’ll go so you guys can talk, okay?” Soobin whispers. Kai passes him, squeezing his shoulder. On his way out, Yeonjun closes the door.

Taehyun immediately rushes to Beomgyu, enveloping the elder into a hug. Their position makes it awkward, with Beomgyu sitting in his bed while Taehyun is kneeling next to him, embracing him tightly. 

“I found you,” Taehyun whispers, allowing his own tears to fall. He holds Beomgyu closer to his chest, next to his beating heart. “I finally found you, my dearest.”

“I…there’s…I have so much I want to tell you…but…” Beomgyu hiccups. He grips at Taehyun’s back tightly, as if he’s scared Taehyun will disappear. “I don’t know where to start.”

Taehyun lets go of the hug to look at Beomgyu. His soulmate. The one who has always provided him with comfort with his daily playlists. The one who has always coloured his dull world with his different melodies, chords and lyrics. 

The one who he loved, loves and will love until forever.

“It’s okay, I understand.” Taehyun intertwines his hand with Beomgyu’s. “Our hearts are connected, after all.”

Beomgyu replies with his own tender smile, eyes filled with all the love he holds for Taehyun. “Yeah. They are.”