The weekend came, and Gayoon is on the way to their family house.
The Shins have a special house for gatherings like this, open to whoever family member wants to stay in.
A three-hour ride is especially exhausting now that the sun is at its peak, and Gayoon is wearing a high-collared shirt just to hide the glowing tattoo on her collarbone.
She knows the family will just grill her with questions—the obvious fact of her meeting and bonding with her soulmate that she cannot deny.
Of course they would know; they've all been there.
In this case, Gayoon is the only capable one who hasn't introduced her soulmate yet.
She has younger cousins and little nephews and nieces, but they're still not the right age.
For now, the only people who knew her bonding were Ryujin, Yuna, and their soulmates.
"You're here!" Yuna beamed and met her halfway. "I heard your dad can't come; he's still in New York."
"Well yeah, a common reason." Gayoon can just reply and wave at Jisung from a distance.
"Are you hiding your soulmate tattoo?" Yuna asked in a careful tone.
Gayoon smiled and nodded, then pulled the latter to walk with her.
"If they'll know, they'll just bug me to arrange a meeting with him and the family."
"You're still not on the good side?" Yuna frowned. "It's been almost a month; you were with him last night, right? What happened?"
Gayoon sighed. "Some girl."
"What!?" Yuna exclaimed. "What the hell is wrong with him?"
"Do you want us to talk to him?" Jisung worries. "I forgot to tell you, but my brother is close with Donghyuck. I can tell Jaemin-Hyung to talk to him too."
"No, Ji, it's fine. Besides, this is my problem. You're all out here."
"Bullshit, just who is he to do this to you? I don't care if he's rich; we are too!"
"Yuna~", Jisung held her soulmate's hand in comfort. "Donghyuck-hyung is a headache, I'm aware." he apologetically smiled. "But allow us to talk sense to him if his habits won't lessen by next month."
Yuna scoffed. "I thought you'd stop me." She taps Gayoon's shoulder. "We'll just be right here with you, okay?"
Gayoon nodded. "Thanks, you two."
"What is this secret conversation? You didn't even bother to look for me first."
Gayoon's smile automatically widened after seeing her mom, running to her embrace in a tight hug.
"How are things at the university?" Hayoung hummed while caressing her daughter's hair.
"Only downed to me that I'm actually graduating." Gayoon chuckled and pulled away. "I'll actively train in our company afterwards."
"That's the course that your dad wants for you." Hayoung smiled. "Do you still want to pursue architecture? I can enroll you."
"No, mom, I'm already a living dead with this nonstop schooling. Stop; let me graduate and work."
They both laughed at it, then they started walking to the living room, meeting some family members on the way.
"Ah right, what about your soulmate?"
"What about it?" Gayoon's face stiffened, though she managed a small smile after a second.
"Still no luck?"
Gayoon just looked at her mom first for a few seconds, then shook her head and said, "No."
Hayoung sighed, "It's alright, he could be anywhere. Just remember, okay? You can feel it in your heart—the urge to be close with the person and the urge to touch him." She reassured, "Come on, I'm sure you're hungry."
"Yeah." Gayoon forced a chuckle. "I'm hungry."
Since when will I wait for you?
Since when will you deny me?
Donghyuck never knew that he would be a chaperone for the weekend. Yizhuo just asked him to accompany her somewhere, and because he's bored, he didn't bother to ask where.
If he just knew that he'd carry shopping bags, he would rather laze inside his unit.
"What if you'll buy the whole mall, hm?"
"Should I?" Yizhuo quipped.
Donghyuck just rolled his eyes. "How many more?"
"Relax, it'll just be—oh, right here," she dragged the male in a giggle.
Donghyuck can just let her go, already tired of walking around.
"Hmmm, what do you think suits me best?" she asked while staring at the glass full of rings.
"You already have tons of Cartier, young lady."
"Pick one for your soulmate then," Yizhuo swiftly said and moved on to the next stall. "Oh, that Tiffany necklace is pretty! Buy that."
Donghyuck's brows furrowed. "What did you just say?"
"I said buy it for your soulmate." Yizhuo looked up at him. "Or should I? Then give it to her; tell her it's from her future sister-in-law."
"Quit it"
"Oh, come on, I'm sure she'll be happy to. Why, do you have a no expensive gifts rule?"
"We're not on the same page, Yizhuo."
Yizhuo paused for awhile and turned to face him with a furrow.
"What did you just say?"
"I said we're still not there."
"Heol, and I bet it's because of you."
"Just buy your ring."
"I hate you." Yizhuo huffed and turned to the lady. "Can I have the gold necklace, please? The star one, thank you."
"Yizhuo," Donghyuck warned, though the girl ignored him. He sighed, "Lee Yizhuo."
"Talk to me if you managed to set things up with your soulmate. I know why you don't want to meet her in the first place." Yizhuo spoke. "I say, shoot your luck. I know what you can do; I've seen it. You've been an ideal brother to me since I joined the family. I know you can keep her too if you'll just open your heart, the same as you did for me."
Yizhuo turned to him with the small paper bag. "You can always say that it's from me." She handed him the bag. "Don't be like our parents."
Donghyuck sighed and looked at the bag in his grip.
The necklace is pretty, he admits. And it will be prettier with her, too.
Yet what can he do? It's still there.
The trauma.
yizhuo the great