11. 50%
"Fuck," Rindou groaned as he washed his face with tap water, faucet running, mind wandering. He blinked, then stared blankly on his reflection on the mirror on y/n's bathroom. He heaved a sigh. Bags under his eyes, scratches on his back, redden lips... foggy mind.
His eyes wandered down his hands under the running water. Red bright string wraps around his pinky finger, connecting somewhere, connected to someone- to someone not the love of his life.
The light flicked open, "Oh, you're awake?" Y/n's voice vibrated deep in his skull, maximazing the pain. Was it the hung over or something else?
"Yeah, my head's aching."
Y/n walked closer, hands immediately went to touch his forehead and upon contact- his skin was burning from fever. "Oh my gosh, you're burning! Get back to bed, I'll go grab you medicine. Take a day off today."
Rindou wanted to say no, but he was too dizzy to complain. He dragged himself back to Y/n's bed, savoring the fading sound of her lovely voice. Savoring the lingering coldness of her palm on his forehead.
He doesn't know where he got the feeling- the feeling that you'll slip away from him. Maybe it's the fever that's talking. Hopefully.
—
"I'm going home early, Ran. I wonder why the hell are we both working when yesterday was just your bachelor's party?" Y/n groaned, almost slapping her keyboard in irritation. Same old routine, but this time she's worried about Rindou alone on her bedroom.
"It's work, Y/n. I told you, you can take a day off if you want. You said Rindou's sick?" He murmured, not taking his eyes of his desktop.
"He's having a fever."
"You should definitely go home now and take care of him. You know how he is when he's sick." Ran finally looked at you. A knowing smile imprinted across his face. He wiggled his brows, "He overthinks."
That was her last straw. The last time he was sick was when they fought and he was already imagining that y/n's breaking up with him. It was a disaster. She heaved a sigh, pushing herself up and grabbing her things. "Fine, I'm going home."
"Take care of him for me, Y/n. Don't let him do stupid things."
"He always do stupid things. I'm here to lessen the cause of those actions."
Ran shook his head, "What an enabler." He chuckled, waving her goodbye.
When she came home, she immediately went straight to her bedroom where Rindou's curled up in her blanket. Sweat dampening his forehead causing his hair to stick to his face and neck. He looked pained.
She sat down on the edge of the bed, palm pressing on Rindou's cheeks and instantly, his expression softened, leaning in for more of her touch.
"Y/n..." He hummed, opening his eyes slightly.
"Yeah? How are you feeling?"
Rindou blinked once, then twice before he laughed sarcastically, "I had a dream." He started, opening his eyes once more to stare at her shining orbs. "I had a dream that you left and never came back."
Yeah, he's an overthinker when he's sick. And what he thinks of are incredibly sad things. "What are you saying? We literally talked about getting married after Ran yesteday. Are you too drunk to remember?" Y/n leaned closer, "Do you want me to remind you?"
Finally, his attention was on Y/n's face again. His face contorted with sadness. His hand raising to touch your face- like you're something fragile, something faraway and unreachable.
"Why am I not your soulmate?"
—
"Takashi," Y/n whispered, shoulder pressed against Mitsuya's shoulder. They're both hiding from Mikey, playing hide and seek.
"Hmm?" He craned his neck to look at Y/n who has her hand raised, pinky emphasized. He could see her string glowing under the shadow.
"Do you think soulmates are meant to cross paths? Is it fate that I love you and you're my soulmate?" Y/n asked and Mitsuya didn't know the answer.
Does Y/n loves him because he loves him or does Y/n loves him because they're soulmates and that they are bound to love each other no matter what? Either way, he had no idea- he had to improvise.
"It's fate that we met."
Y/n looked at him with a smile. "Then, the stars aligned for us, huh?"
He nodded, staring longingly at her- hoping the stars wouldn't get too dim for the both of them.
—
Rindou recovered very fast with the help of Y/n. He brags about it now, how Y/n nursed him back to health- that Y/n should've gone nursing instead of being a secretary.
Now, you're out with Aimi talking about the wedding and stuff. Sanzu was sitting at the back, which you hope he's minding his own business. He's just there to take Aimi home later.
"I'm so excited to move out with Ran, honestly. I wonder how it'll feel like living with him. Oh my gosh, to think that I'll be Haitani Aimi soon!" She squealed that made Sanzu scoffed at the back. "What's your problem?"
"He's probably jealous that he ain't got no lover." Y/n rolled her eyes, salty, remembering the fact that it was Sanzu that is Rindou's soulmate.
"If I want one, I'll get one." He scoffed, pulling himself out to puff a smoke outside the cafe.
"Wouldn't Rindou be alone at their home if Ran moved out with you?" Y/n asked.
Aimi looked outside the window, contemplating. "Honestly, Ran opened that topic with me too. Apparently, Rindou hasn't been going home that much or staying home. Ran's afraid Rindou's not gonna adjust well with him moving out. So, if you could help out, Y/n."
Y/n looked at her, "Of course, I will. I know it'll be hard for him since Ran is all he got, he's his only family."
"I know, I know."
Just as they're talking about things, a familiar voice came, standing straight beside your table. "Can I borrow Y/n for a bit?"
As they both look up, it was Mitsuya Takashi.
"If it isn't the wedding gown designer! Fancy seeing you here. Of course, you can talk to Y/n."
Y/n wanted to flip the middle finger to Aimi. She didn't want to talk to Mitsuya again- but maybe it's time to finally close things out, clear everything- specially that Rindou said he and Mistuya already had a talk too.
Once they transfered to another table, Mitsuya was the first to talk, clasping his hands together on top of the table. His string flowing freely towards Y/n's finger.
A bitter thought.
"Why am I not your soulmate?"
"I want to apologize for messaging you tons of times and for causing a misunderstanding between me and Rindou. I already apologized to him and explained that we're over- that we're over a long long time ago." He heaved a sigh, like the words the said are his own poison.
"It's fine, Mitsuya. We already talked about it, too."
"Mana and Luna wanted to talk to you. Well, if that's alright with you."
The kids that almost grew up with Y/n- the kids that felt betrayed when she left. Y/n wanted closure too, and hopefully, with time, they'll now understand why she had to leave.
Y/n nodded, "Sure. I want to talk to them, too."
"Alright, thank you. I'll arrange the date and everything, you don't have to adjust. Just tell me when you're free."
"I don't have anything up for tomorrow."
He smiled, "Tomorrow, then."
Y/n nodded back, "Anything else, Mitsuya?"
He looked at Y/n, eyes locked with each other. She still remembers how her heart beats fast when he stared at her- but that was before. It's different now.
"Just..." He contemplated wether to tell her. In the end, he decided against it. "Nothing more. Just know that I'm not mad at you. I was never mad at you."
And I'll always love you.
"Thank you. I'm very sorry, Mitsuya."
Before Y/n could leave to go back to where Aimi was sitting, Mitsuya grabbed her by her arm. "Wait. I have something to give you." He pulled something out from his bag.
It's a book wrapped neatly in pink paper back decorated with laced ribbons. Titled: Lover's Red String. A compilation of researches and explanations about soulmates. It's the book she had always wanted to read.
"I wanted to give it to you as your birthday gift- but uh, I never had the chance again."
Y/n accepted it with both hands, carefully tracing the engraved title with her fingers. "Thank you. I'll read it well."
—
[Sanzu: Check this out, man!]
[Rindou: I'm at work. What is it?]
[Sanzu sent a photo.]
Rindou subtly checked the message and he felt his grip on his phone tightened. It was a candid picture of you and Mitsuya sitting together at a cafe. It was taken from the outside. He bit his lips before typing his reply.
[Rindou: They're friends.]
[Sanzu: Really? Guess her friend was really generous for giving her gift.]
[Rindou: What gift?]
[Sanzu: He gave her something. I'm outside, can't quite see everything from here.]
[Sanzu: But if I were you, I'll feel threatened. That's her soulmate... and you're just the boyfriend.]
[Sanzu: Remember what I told you before?]
[Rindou: About Wakasa?]
[Sanzu: Yeah. That.]
[Rindou: :|]
[Sanzu: So? Feeling threatened now?]
[Rindou: Can you stop? I'm trying not to.]
[Rindou: I trust Y/n.]
"Rindou, rolling in 5!" He kept his phone back in his pockets before nodding at his director. Shaking his thoughts away.
Fuck soulmates. It infuriates him— very much.
After his shooting, he went straight to Ran's office, bumping into workers and hearing a fit of apologizes as he trudge towards the closing elevator. The people inside in a panic to try and stop it from closing- fortunately, it did.
"What floor?"
"CEO."
"Yes, sir."
Rindou's mind was clouded, it'll be for sure cleared once he saw Y/n's bright smile only for him. But every ding of the elevator on every floor it stops at, feels like another nerve of his patience snapping. He had his hands behind him, popping knuckles to distract his boiling thoughts.
He doesn't wanna get mad after telling Sanzu how he trusts Y/n.
Ding!
And finally he arrived at Ran's office. He finds Y/n and Ran cooed up together in the sofa, seemingly reading a pink book. They were giggling, whispering- what are they talking about?
He walked slowly, careful not to catch their attention so he could eavesdrop.
Y/n flipped to the next page, gasping at the words she read.
"If strings turned black, the one who suffers less would feel the other's pain—" She stopped abruptly, feeling her throat clench. It dried.
She remembered how she's the one who felt Mitsuya's pain.
The one who suffers less— does that mean Mitsuya was in a greater pain than she was?
"Read the next line, Y/n." Ran urged her when he noticed that she stopped.
"The one who suffers less would feel the other's pain so equalize the suffering. If both parties' pain are starting to alleviate, the strings would revert back to it's original color- red."
Ran hummed, "That's an interesting mechanics."
"Some frequently asked questions are 'According to statistics, how many soulmates ended up with each other after meeting?'" Y/n read the boxed text, pointing at it with her fingertip.
"According to statistics, only 50% of soulmates ended up with each other after meeting. The other 50% fall out of love, became friends or never fell in love." Ran read the answer, pursing his lips afterwards.
"Based on statistics and researchers, soulmates doesn't matter 85% of the time when it comes to love." Y/n read, "Couples who are soulmates claimed that it didn't matter if they were soulmate or not, they'll fall in love either way."
"Meanwhile, couples who are not soulmates after asking what they'll do when they met their soulmate answered that it wouldn't matter because strings doesn't mean anything."
"And couples who are not soulmates and already met their soulmates claimed that they did not feel anything upon meeting their soulmate, their feelings for their partner didn't change at all. In conclusion, soulmates doesn't affect one's feelings."
Rindou finally decided to knock on the glass door which was open. It caught both of their attention, comically whipping their heads to his direction. Y/n almost threw the book away in hastiness to run towards Rindou.
"Oh, you're here!" She beamed and Rindou felt the weight on his chest immediately lightened.
"Came to pick you up to eat dinner together."
Ran shook his head at the back, "You both will be eating at the house tonight. Aimi's cooking."
Rindou stiffened, then looked down. "Uh, no thanks."
"No, no thanks, Rindou. Y/n make sure he'll go home and eat dinner with us tonight, okay?"
Y/n remembered what Aimi told her. So she nodded, holding Rindou in his arm. "Let's eat with them, okay?"
Rindou looked at her, preventing the urge to run away. In his mind, it'll probably be another annoying night.
He sighed, defeated. "Alright."
—
Ren had all his broccolis at the side, as if allergic to greenery. Aimi looks at the kid with patience, sweetly urging him to eat the veggies. Ran looked proud to his future family and Rindou—
Rindou was gripping on his fork, appetite gone. "Do we have wine?" He asked, voice laced with bitterness.
"Ren," Aimi stood up, grabbing Ren together with her. "Let's go grab the desserts?" The kid ethusiastically followed her soon to be mother to the kitchen. The dining room now filled with silence and tension. Y/n wanted to go with Aimi, but Rindou was holding his wrist under the table.
"Rindou..."
"I'm sorry." He said almost immediately, grip tightening around your wrist as if that's where he's gaining his strength. "I should be used to this, to you leaving. You've been married once and you left me here. And now that you're getting married again— I'm happy for you honestly, but I don't know why I feel like you're leaving me. Again."
Ran inhaled, it's his first time hearing his brother's thoughts. "Rin, I'm not leaving. I'm always here for you. But your brother has to have a family of his own but it doesn't mean that you won't be a part of it anymore. You'll always be my family, my precious brother. You can always visit us, play with Ren— play with me."
Rindou sucked his breath back, "Play with you— what are we? Kids?"
His brother laughed, "We can be."
Finally, Rindou's grip loosened, relaxing.
"Also, you'll make a family of your own soon, right, Y/n?"
A blush crept to her cheeks. "Huh? Why are you asking me that?"
"Ey, Rin. She wants your proposal!"
"Wha—"
Rindou scoffed, "We're getting there. Don't pressure her. Don't pressure us."
—
"Do you like chocolate?" Y/n asked Mana and Luna who's sitting across from her, eyebrows furrowed. Obviously not entertained.
"...I just want to know why you left nii-chan. I think we've grown enough for you to tell us."
"He didn't tell you anything?"
"He didn't."
"If he didn't tell you, maybe I shouldn't say anything."
Mana rolled her eyes, "This is why I'm starting to hate you—"
"Mana," Luna scoffed.
"What?"
"Nee-chan. Please tell us."
Y/n closed your eyes, "Alright. I don't want to go into details but... I hurt your brother. Badly. To the point that nothing can heal the pain. Even though we both still love each other, the pain was just too much. I had to leave for the both of us to heal. Separately. And while healing, I found new love. I knew that loving your brother again isn't going to work anymore, we're not going to work anymore, so I decided to find new love. It's a fresh start."
"Did you think nii-chan would heal if you left him?"
Y/n averted her gaze, "He wanted me to leave, Luna. He was the one to broke up with me. I mean... I'm not holding it against him because I was the one who hurt him. But I just did what he wanted. I left."
"He broke up with you?"
"Yes, Mana. I don't blame him for anything. He did the right thing. I'm sure your brother is healing too. He's in a much better situation now than when he was with me."
Mana played with her fingers, "I don't know about that, nee-chan. But you're right, he's starting to smile again."
"I hope it continues." Luna seconded.
"It will, don't worry. Just always be there for you brother, alright?"
"You don't need to tell us that."
Y/n smiled. The girls have really grown a lot.
"So, is your new boyfriend kind? Is he loving too?"
Y/n couldn't help but chuckle. She wouldn't specifically use kind to describe Rindou, but it wouldn't hurt to agree. "Yeah, he is."
Mana looked at you, soft eyes. "Well, I hope you won't hurt him like what you did to nii-chan. I hope you happiness from now on, Y/n-nee-chan."
[note: HALLOOOOO! i'm alive everyone. i think majority picked blue? and here we are. the next chapter would be the ending. sorry for making you wait for so longgg omygoshhh! 1 year and this is all i got, please forgive me.]