Two years prior
"I'm telling you dude. Your soulmate is out there," Kian shrieks enthusiastically from beside you as you both walk home from school. You never quite understand his sudden outbursts, but you've learned that they aren't just gonna dissipate into thin air.
"Cute joke," you say as you look over to him and tighten your lips into a forced smile. You've told him multiple times that there is in no way anyone out there for you and you wholeheartedly stand by it.
"I'm serious," he urges while excitedly tapping you on the shoulder lightly. "Everyone has one Y/N. You're no different."
You find his attempts in reassurance to be rather redundant and overused. Kian is always telling you how everything is going to work out and you'll be running to him to share the splendid news of how he was right, but he always fails to remember the obvious facts that allow you to draw such negative conclusions.
"See, that's where you're wrong," you tell him, shaking your head at the fact he is unable to remember anything you have told him before. "I don't have any marks remember? You know, the scars, the bruises, and the mixed emotions I'm supposed to get when my soulmate does. I don't have them."
"Maybe they're just a really careful person," Kian attempts to offer isight, looking down at his feet as he kicks a rock across the sidewalk. You just grip your backpack straps tighter and try not to let it bother you that it is a very real concept that you don't have a soulmate. You wonder why it has been set in the stars that you shouldn't have that soul connection with someone. Of course you can still fall in love and carry out a very meaningful life, but that isn't the life you have always dreamed about.
"That's bullshit and you know it," you quip, looking over to him just in time to see another bruise start to appear on the side of his face. It spreads across his pale skin like a fresh wound and although you should be happy he is getting the marks of his soulmate, you can't help but feel jealous. "At least you have a soulmate who, by the way, must be a big pussy because they just got punched in the face."
"Wha-," Kian's head shoots up in surprise as his head snatches over to you. He notices you staring at the slowly forming bruise around his left eye and he suddenly connects the dots. You begin to laugh at his frantic movements to get his phone out of his back pocket so he can take a quick look at the damage. He whips the device around to the front of his face and quickly thumbs his password in so he can access his camera. As soon as he opens it, he nearly jumps at the image of him on the screen when he notices the slowly forming discoloration around his eye.
"Fucking hell," he grumbles, bringing his hand up to lightly touch the swollen skin, but as soon as he makes contact, he retreats and hisses in pain. "Shit."
"Having a soulmate seems like a blast," you fake enthusiasm, smirking in his direction all though he is paying you no mind. Clearly the bruise is the only thing encompassing his mind because he can't seem to stop looking himself up and down in the camera. "Suddenly not having a soulmate isn't so bad."
"Shut up," he quips while finally shoving the phone hastily back into his pocket and huffing out a breath. "I can't believe this shit happens to me."
"Don't be so down," you continue on taunting your best friend. "Maybe your soulmate is getting into the UFC or boxing. They'll be famous some day."
Kian shakes his head at your response and lightly laughs it off as he says, "I don't think I'm ready for the pain that's gonna cause."
He then reaches into his pocket and pulls out the pack of cigarettes he always has stored away in there. You know he only smokes when he's stressed and you clearly can see that he is stressing about the new found mark and all the trouble it is going to cause. You feel as though that is no way to cope with stress, however, you have no right to judge how he deals with his problems. Although you have told him multiple times that it isn't good for him and hat he's probably destroying his soulmates lungs too which he just seems to wave you off and shove the stick of poison back between his pearly whites.
