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𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒
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Art. It's like therapy for the soul. With each brushstroke, I feel more at ease.
Han Soyeon sighed as she stepped off a ladder, craning her head upwards to take a good look at her work-in-progress mural. The large concrete wall displayed a beautiful, vibrant sunset, rolling green hills dotted with tulips and posies mapped out underneath.
A small smile pulled at her lips as she carefully traced over a small section of the mural—her favorite part of the colossal piece of artwork.
Depicted sitting in the middle of the lush hills were the backs of a boy and girl, the couple holding hands as they witnessed the setting sun. The girl's jet black hair flowed behind her in wavy tresses, the paint strokes getting lighter as they got to the ends of her hair.
"Soulmates..." Soyeon breathed out, turning away from the mural. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the cool concrete surface, grabbing her left wrist in an almost violent way.
"Sunmi recently found her soulmate, and Mihae found hers last year. Everyone's found their fated one but me. Why? It's not fair!"
Opening her eyes, Soyeon glanced down at her wrist, frowning in an almost rage-filled manner as she watched the timer on it count down.
2 days.
Yeah right. She laughed drily, biting back tears. This timer's been counting down for four years already. It's probably broken or something—
"—Soyeon!" an old lady's voice suddenly called out, breaking Soyeon from her depressing thoughts. "Can you come here please? Someone wants to commission some of your artwork!"
Whoa wait—someone wants a commission...?!
Excitement twinkling in Soyeon's eyes, she eagerly lifted herself off the wall, racing into the mod-looking building that was the mural's residence.
Wow, this is so exciting—whoa.
Upon swinging open the glass doors, her eyes widened at who she saw standing in the lobby.
"Are you the mastermind behind that wonderful mural outside? I really admire your technique!"
Greeting Soyeon was a primly dressed woman, her cream-colored dress complimenting her flawless skin. An orchid-patterned silk scarf embellished the outfit, while a pair of black pumps graced her dainty feet.
Wow, she's so beautiful...! Soyeon gaped, staring at her in admiration. I bet she's already found her soul mate as well...
"Yes, that's me." she confirmed, doing a clumsy curtsy. "Han Soyeon, at your service!"
The woman giggled at Soyeon's eccentric introduction, her dress swishing around her heels as she shook with repressed laughter.
"Haha! Oh my, how cute!" she cooed.
Soyeon straightened up, letting out a sigh of relief at the woman's positive reaction. First impressions are the most important part in getting a person to buy your artwork. After all, no one wants to buy a piece of art from a complete jerk, right?
She's laughing, so everything's going well... she breathed, closing her eyes.
"Oh my, I'm sorry about that!" the woman gasped as she composed herself, waving her hands in front of herself. "It's just, your introduction was so adorable! You remind me of my baby brother!"
"Baby brother?" Soyeon perked up, her interest piqued. I wonder what kind of a person he is...
The woman grinned, nodding jovially.
"Yes! My precious, adorable Yeol-ah!" she swooned, her face flushing just the slightest. It was clear that she greatly adored her younger brother.
Suddenly, she gasped.
"Oh! Speaking of him..." she began, taking out a piece of paper. Handing it over to Soyeon with a smile, she bounced giddily in place. "...The piece I want to commission is actually for him!"
Soyeon stared at the cheerful woman in surprise, her grip on the paper trembling. "H-huh? For your brother?" she stuttered, her heat beating faster for some unknown reason. What the...?
The woman nodded, completely oblivious to Soyeon's change in demeanor. "Yes! All of the details are in the paper, so please look at them when you have the time, okay?" She then looked down at her quartz watch, gasping.
"Oh dear, I'm going to be late! Good bye!"
"Uh wait! Miss—"
Soyeon closed her eyes as the woman blew past her, the rest of her words dying in her mouth. "—ah... Never mind." she sighed wearily.
Shrugging her tense shoulders, she walked over to an island of gray leather couches, plopping down on closest one. Letting out a sigh, she crossed her legs, bringing her gaze down to the paper.
...Oh, so her name is Park Yoora. Soyeon thought, nodding absentmindedly. Now, where was I...?
The further down the list she went, the smaller Soyeon's smile became. When her eyes reached bullet number 4, she felt her blood chill.
Soulmates? Again? she thought bitterly, gritting her teeth. What could Yoora's brother want that includes soulmates?
"You don't look happy about doing this."
Startled out of her nadir, Soyeon looked up, her creased forehead smoothing out a bit when she saw an old woman, the elder's eyes shining back at her in amusement.
The old woman is the building's owner, Tendou Houjo. An art collector from Japan, when she heard about an "art boom" occurring in South Korea, she knew she had to move.
Before Houjo bought the Art Bazaar, it had been a business firm. Having gone bankrupt, the firm was desperate to sell off their building, and loving the mod-looking architecture, Houjo bought it. From that day on, the building served a new purpose—to display art from all over the world, and to assist budding artists in getting some commissions.
Soyeon had stumbled upon the Art Bazaar one day while she was walking home from school. Doing art only as a hobby, Soyeon was prepared to follow mindlessly in her parents' footsteps—studying hard to become a doctor.
...But deep down, she knew she wasn't happy.
"How could you have missed two points on this test, huh Soyeon?! At this rate, you'll stand no chance against the competition!"
"Why are you wasting your time relaxing? Go do your homework! Tch, what a lazy daughter..."
"I heard that Bomi got a better score than you."
Those are just a few of the disheartening things that Soyeon's parents have said to her.
Deep down, Soyeon understood that they only said the things they said because they care and as a form of motivation, but she couldn't help but get angry at them. Not once did they consider her feelings, nor give her any breaks.
Soyeon had been ready to give up, but one fateful trip to the Art Bazaar fixed all that.
With Houjo's guidance, Soyeon was able to realize that art is what she really wanted to do. Slowly but surely, the elder also helped her art career take off, and with words of encouragement, Soyeon was able to firmly state to her parents her desire to become an artist.
"I think you should give it a try, though. Make the youngster happy, yeah?"
Soyeon let out a sigh of frustration, her forehead creasing up once again.
"Why are soulmates the only thing everyone's talking about lately? Movies, books, social media posts..." she grumbled under her breath, wringing the wrist that had the timer on it hatefully. Hojou watched her in sympathy, a small frown gracing her wrinkled features.
"Soyeon dear," she began, placing a pruny hand on Soyeon's shoulder. "why do you dislike the concept of soulmates so much?"
The younger woman closed her eyes. "Because it's dumb." she retorted. "Everyone's found their soul mate but me! What kind of bull is that?"
Houjo stifled a laugh at Soyeon's childish answer, shaking her head.
"Soyeon, you have a timer for a reason." she reassured, her calm voice making Soyeon's shoulders loosen up a bit. "Your fated day will come. The waiting time varies for everyone."
"But—"
Houjo placed a finger over Soyeon's lips, making the young woman go cross eyed.
"Shh," she shook her head, "be patient and wait. Now, how about you go tackle that commission? I'm sure the youngster will really appreciate it."
Defeated, Soyeon nodded.
"Yeah...okay." she agreed.
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[COUNTDOWN: 2 DAYS LEFT]
I've got the "watercolor nature" background pictured and in progress, but I don't know how to incorporate soul mates into this...and dogs...
Soyeon groaned, dunking her paint brush into a mason jar full of a mossy-colored liquid. It had once been clean and clear water, but hours of dunking paint-soddened brushes into the jar contaminated the crystalline liquid.
"I think it's time for a break." she muttered, getting up from her seat. Pushing aside some unfinished projects scattered throughout the floor with her feet, she stretched her arms toward the sky, letting out a satisfied grunt when she heard a loud pop!
"Tendou-ssi! I'm going to get something to eat!" she called out to the elder as she shuffled out of her studio, pulling out a small bottle of hand sanitizer. "Fruity Extravaganza"...smells nice. she smiled, rubbing her now tropical smelling hands.
Houjo looked up from an art project of her own, fuchsia-colored paint dripping from the brush that she held lackadaisically in her right hand.
"Ah, all right. Come back soon though!"
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When Soyeon arrived at her favorite café, she was dismayed to see a long line crowding at the front of the store. "I won't be getting any coffee like this." she muttered sadly, turning around to leave.
Before she could make her exit, however, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Pardon me, but—huh?"
When she turned around, Soyeon was met with a full frontal view of someone's chest.
"Uh..." she babbled, blushing.
In the person's left hand was a cup of steaming coffee, and tucked under their right arm was a thick-looking book. Squinting, Soyeon caught a glimpse of part of the book's title.
Watercolor Tech—
"—Excuse me miss?"
Startled out of her thoughts by a deep, rumbly voice, Soyeon squeaked, taking a step back. The added distance allowed her to capture a better view of the person, and she was shocked out of her socks at what she saw.
The person was a young man, his facial features a cross between that of a man and a child. Large, almond-shaped eyes peered at her in a curious fashion, and stray bits of...pink hair hung in a wind-swept fashion from the crown of his head. The tips of his elf-like ears were red, probably due to the bitingly cold winds.
"I accidentally bought an extra coffee, so you can have it if you want." The man's deeply rich voice broke through Soyeon's second daze of the day, making her blush at the prospect of being caught staring. She cleared her throat, shuffling her feet.
"O-oh, really?" she stuttered, cringing inwardly at her poor attempt to sound nonchalant. For some reason, Soyeon couldn't keep her eyes off of the enchantingly handsome man, and it took all of her willpower to peel her gaze off of him.
It's as if he's a magnet or something! she shivered, peering out at him from under her lashes. Weird.
The man smiled at her obvious nervousness, his eyes wrinkling in such a way that they represented crescent moons. "No need to be nervous, miss. Please, take it—it's my pleasure." he reassured.
Shocked that a complete stranger was displaying such an abundant amount of kindness towards her, Soyeon gratefully accepted the coffee, bowing deeply. "Thank you sir!" she chirped gratefully.
The man laughed, giving Soyeon a glimpse of his perfect, pearly white teeth.
"You're very welcome." he smiled. Suddenly, his large eyes widened, as if he'd just remembered something important.
"Actually," he began, shifting the book under his arm to the other arm, "I had originally planned on throwing that away." Suddenly, his gaze flicked towards Soyeon's face, making her blush.
"But when I saw you, I knew I had to give you the extra coffee. It was as if I was...drawn to you. Like a magnet, you know?"
He said this in a rushed manner, the tips of his ears turning an even deeper shade of crimson.
Magnet...? T-that's what I thought! Soyeon gasped, her heart thundering in her chest as she stared wide-eyed at the pink-haired man.
Suddenly, as if her thoughts had elicited it, the area on her left arm where the soulmate timer resided began to pulse painfully.
"...Ah!" she cried out, biting the inside of her cheek as she grabbed at her left arm. The man flinched in surprise, taking a quick step forward. With strong and careful arms, he pulled Soyeon into a hug, his radiating body heat calming her down.
Letting out an awkward chuckle, the man rested his head atop Soyeon's head.
"I must confess," he mumbled sheepishly, puffs of air rising into the atmosphere, "that I have no idea what I'm doing."
His heart is beating fast... Soyeon noted, the pain on her wrist now nothing but an afterthought.
"But what I do know is that this feels right."
...!
Removing her head from the pink-haired man's broad chest, Soyeon looked up at him, her eyes widening to the size of saucers.
W-what is this feeling...? she gasped, feeling a strange, fluttering sensation deep in her soul.
"Mister—"
Before she could finish, an—in her eyes—obnoxiously loud ringtone broke through the tense nerve-racking atmosphere. His almond eyes widening a smidge, the man excused himself, fishing a phone out of his coat pocket.
"Hello?" He shot Soyeon an apologetic smile, his eyebrows furrowing. "What is it, noona?"
The conversation proceeded to go on for about five minutes. Throughout the duration of it all, Soyeon stood there awkwardly, contemplating on whether or not she should leave.
"...Okay, bye. Thanks noona."
Putting away his phone, the pink-haired man turned towards Soyeon, the latter looking up at him as she took tentative sips from her coffee.
"Done?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. The man bore a surprised expression on his face as he looked at her, a chuckle following soon after.
"Whoa, I didn't expect you to wait for me!" he smiled, pulling the collar of his coat up to his chin. Soyeon blushed, looking down at her feet.
"W-well—"
The rest of her words died in her throat when she saw the man's expression turn somber. "W-what's wrong...?" she asked worriedly.
The man let out a dry chuckle.
"Oh no, nothing." he smiled, shaking his head. "It's just that I have to go...and I'm sad at the prospect of not being able to see you ever again."
W-what? He—really...?
Her heart beating like a drum, Soyeon bit her lip.
"W-well, we can exchange—"
"—There you are! Let's go!"
Having been interrupted again, Soyeon frowned. However, the negative expression quickly turned to one of surprise when she saw a middle aged woman approach the pink-haired man, a worried expression on her face.
"There you are! Aish, why do you have to wander off like that?" the woman sighed, grabbing one of the pink-haired man's ears and giving it a light tug. The man whimpered in response, shooting the woman a remorseful—yet adorable—pout.
"Sorry eomma..." he apologized, shuffling his feet.
Watching the interaction between mother and son, Soyeon felt her heart swell with happiness. It's just like me and Tendou-ssi... she smiled.
"Oh my! Who's this?"
Having taken notice of Soyeon, the middle aged woman gasped, walking over to her. Looking her over in a not-so-discreet manner, the woman hummed as she made her evaluation.
Finally...
"Aigoo! What a pretty thing you are~!" she squealed, grabbing onto Soyeon's shoulders. "Dearie, do you have a soulmate yet? Hm?"
The pink-haired man flushed at this, rubbing his arm embarrassedly. "E-Eomma!" he complained.
Trying to will her cheeks to not turn red, Soyeon shook her head. "N-no ma'am. I don't..."
She wasn't sure if she was seeing things or not, but when she said those words, Soyeon could've sworn she saw the man sigh in relief.
The man's mother gasped, backing away.
"What?!" she exclaimed. "But you're so pretty...!"
Suddenly, she froze.
"Oh wait!" she cried out, hopping in place, "we have somewhere to be! Let's go, my son!"
She then sprinted away, leaving the two alone together once again.
"...Heh, that's my mother for you."
Shooting Soyeon an apologetic smile, the man hesitated a bit, taking a step towards her before shaking his head and going after his mother instead. Soyeon watched as he disappeared over the horizon, a warm smile forming on her face.
"I now know what to paint for the soulmates part..." she sighed, a healthy blush gracing her features. "Thank you, kind sir."
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[COUNTDOWN: 1 DAY LEFT]
As Soyeon shut herself in her art studio to finish painting the commission, her thoughts wouldn't stop wandering to the kind, pink-haired man. For some reason, she felt a strong urge to see him again. But why? she thought, shaking her head. He's a complete stranger...
"Get yourself together, Soyeon!" she scolded herself, dunking the soiled paintbrush into the mason jar in a rather aggressive manner. "You're probably never going to see him again..."
Suddenly feeling the full brunt of her depressing words, Soyeon sighed, slumping in her seat.
If I didn't know any better, she thought ruefully, I would've thought that he's my soulmate. But...
She glanced down at her timer, frowning. It was still counting down. One day left huh? Yeah right.
"Soyeon? Are you there dear?"
Houjo knocked on the door, the sound breaking through the dismal silence. Hurrying over to the door, Soyeon straightened herself out, trying to make herself look presentable.
"Yes, Tendou-ssi?" She invited the old woman in, pushing some blank canvases off a small couch. Houjo took a deep breath, reveling in the smell of fresh paper and paints.
"How's the commission going?" she asked, sitting down. Soyeon grinned at her question, nodding enthusiastically.
"Kind of great, actually!"
At her positive response, the old woman looked at her in surprise. "G-great...?" she repeated. But she was just complaining about it yesterday...
Soyeon nodded, a blush gracing her cheeks.
"I met someone yesterday that helped me understand the concept of soulmates." she explained. "I'm really grateful to him."
...Oh, so that's what it is.
Houjo smiled at the younger woman warmly, her wrinkled features alit with happiness.
"That's wonderful dear!" she congratulated. "Thank the man when you see him again, okay?"
Soyeon returned her smile, though it held a tinge of sadness. "Yeah, I will." she reassured.
...If I ever see him again, that is.
Shaking her head to clear it of any more negative thoughts, Soyeon walked over to her workstation, plopping herself onto the stool. Sighing to herself, she picked up a paintbrush.
"Well, I need to get back to the commission." she looked over her shoulder at Houjo, shooting her a small smile. "Don't worry, I'll remember to eat!"
The old woman frowned at Soyeon's eccentric behavior, getting up from the couch.
The child's definitely hiding something. she thought. Could it be related to the man...?
"...Alright." she agreed reluctantly, showing herself to the door. "Just don't push yourself, Soyeon."
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[THE FATED DAY]
Soyeon stared down at the finished commission, smiling to herself. She was proud of how the piece had turned out, and only she knows about the hidden feelings that went into the project.
The finished work consisted of a shoreline, lazy waves lapping at the sandbank. A boy with vibrant pink hair cradled a dog in his arms, a red ribbon wrapped around his right wrist. Connected to the other end of the ribbon was a girl, her scalloped white camisole shifting in the make believe wind.
"I hope "Yeollie" likes this as well..." Soyeon sighed, carefully placing the canvas into a large plastic bag. "Speaking of him, he should be here to pick this up soon, right?"
Carrying the painting in her arms, she exited her art studio. "I wonder what kind of a person he is." she mused as she walked to the lobby. "Will he be as nice as the pink-haired man?"
...W-wait!
Blushing at her words, Soyeon shook her head. Stop comparing every guy to him, seriously...! she seethed, rapping herself on the head.
I mean, he probably forgot—
Soyeon nearly lost her grip on the painting as she staggered to a stop. She blinked once, twice. There's no way what she was seeing is real...right?
Sitting on the same couch as she had the other day was a man with soft pink hair, a book titled Watercolor Techniques resting on his knee. His face was covered by the large book, but...
At that moment, a searing pain erupted from her left wrist. Biting down on her tongue to muffle her cries of pain, Soyeon ducked behind a wall, hurriedly rolling up the sleeve of her sweater.
...To her shock, the timer had vanished.
"W-what the...!" she gasped, her heart thundering in her chest. If the timer's gone, then that means...!
Carefully, she peeked out from behind the wall, sweeping her gaze over the the lobby area. If the timer isn't lying, then who is my soulmate...?
"Soyeon? What are you doing over there?"
Soyeon froze as Houjo approached, turning to face her. The old woman bore a concerned expression on her wrinkled face.
"...H-hi Tendou-ssi." she greeted reluctantly, her heart still hammering away in her chest. Come on! she inwardly groaned. I need to know who—
Looking out the corner of her left eye, she could see the pink-haired man. He was still reading his book. However, he was also clutching his right wrist...
"Don't you have something to deliver?"
Houjo crossed her arms, tapping her feet. Soyeon nodded hurriedly, not really feeling like conversing with the old woman at the moment.
"Yeah, I'm on it." she reassured, backing away. Glancing at Houjo from under her lashes, she pleaded for the old woman to go away.
Come on! I need to know who my soulmate is!
Thankfully, Houjo took her gaze off her when she turned to observe some peeling paint on the wall. Making use of the God-given opportunity, Soyeon slipped away, stepping out into the lobby.
"First, I need to deliver this painting. After that, I can go search for my soulmate." Soyeon planned.
Balling her fist in determination, she marched over to the receptionist. Clearing her throat, she tapped on the shiny silver bell placed on the countertop.
"Excuse me?" she asked, the receptionist looking up from her computer monitor. "I'm looking for a person named...Yeollie?" Frowning at the oddness of the name, Soyeon shook her head. "Um, I have the painting he commissioned. Is he here yet?"
The receptionist pointed at something behind her, an amused smile forming on her face.
"Ah, you mean Park Chanyeol? He's sitting over there, right behind you. Actually, he's been waiting for a while now, so I'd hurry if I were you."
"Huh...?" Soyeon followed the receptionist's finger, her eyes widening when the pink-haired man came into sight. H-him...?! she thought, gaping.
Right at that moment, the man put his book down, giving Soyeon a clear look at his face.
W-what?! N-no way...!
Her knees wobbling like jello, Soyeon fell to the floor. Apparently, seeing the face of the man she'd taken a liking to was too much for her.
"I-it's you..." were the only words she managed to utter, tears falling in steady streams down her face. So we meet again... I can't believe it...
The pink-haired man stared wordlessly at her for a minute, Watercolor Techniques slipping out of his hands. His eyes seemed to widen in recognition, but then they quickly narrowed.
"...Who are you?"
He said those three words in a manner so cold, Antarctica would be jealous. Peering out at Soyeon from under his rose-colored bangs, he shot her his coldest look yet.
"I said, who are you?" he repeated again.
His words speared through Soyeon's already fragile heart, making her stagger back. She began to tremble, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Y-you don't...?" she stuttered, her voice choked her tears. He doesn't...remember me?
Fed up with all the bad luck she'd received over the course of her life, Soyeon placed her head into her hands, letting out a muffled sob.
"It's not fair...!" she cried out. "Why can't things just go my way for once...?!"
Having covered her face, Soyeon couldn't identify who the person was when someone suddenly embraced her, their arms strong and...familiar.
"Oh man, I didn't think you'd start crying! Please don't cry anymore, I'm sorry! I was just joking!"
What...? Soyeon sniveled, pulling away her hands. Immediately after she did so, her eyes locked with the pink—sorry, Chanyeol's. He pressed his forehead against hers, his hair grazing her face.
"I missed you... I really missed you." he breathed, sweeping away a lock of hair from Soyeon's face. She froze at his touch, her heart beating in tandem to her breathing. "I'm so happy that my favorite artist turned out to be you...!" he beamed.
Soyeon stared at him awkwardly, trying to comprehend everything that had happened.
So, him forgetting about me was just a joke...?
"Wait," she frowned, "so you were just joking...?"
Chanyeol rubbed his nape, smiling sheepishly.
"I thought it would be funny." he shrugged. Then, taking in Soyeon's not-so-happy-face, he winced. "Heh, but I guess it's not, huh...?"
Soyeon opened her mouth, about to retort, when suddenly, a searing pain radiating from her left wrist reminded her of what she needed to do. Wincing at the pain, she looked up at Chanyeol's smiling face, her own contorting with sadness.
There wasn't any flashy fanfare or anything to tell me that we're soulmates, so I guess we're not... she bit her lip, pushing herself away from him. But I...I want him to be my soulmate though. Why...?
"Here's your painting!" she blurted out hurriedly, handing Chanyeol the plastic bag. Trying to avoid looking at him as much as possible, Soyeon got up, trying to will her mourning heart to calm down.
Your soulmate is just around the corner! There's no need to be sad! she scolded the throbbing organ, biting back tears as she did so. He is...right?
Carefully pulling the painting out of the plastic bag, Chanyeol gave it a look over, his eyes widening as his finger traced over the boy and the girl. "This is me, right?" he asked, looking over at a fidgeting Soyeon. "And the girl...is that you?"
His words seemed to provoke Soyeon, and she made a strangled noise, turning away from him.
"S-so what if it is?" she retorted, tears falling in steady streams. "You're not my soulmate, so..."
Why did we have to meet? I can't defy fate...
Chanyeol's face contorted with pain at her words, his lips slightly quivering. Slowly, he approached her, laying a gentle hand on her small shoulders.
"My timer finished counting down today." he mumbled softly, making Soyeon stiffen. With the gentleness of a mother with her baby, he turned her around, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders to prevent her from running away.
"Who's right?" he questioned, his mouth set into a firm line. Soyeon blinked back at him, her eyes taking in his determined expression. It's as if he's expecting a certain answer from me, she thought.
"...Well, me, of course!" she shot back without thinking. The words came out a bit rude for her taste, and she immediately flinched, tentatively awaiting his response.
Surprisingly, Chanyeol didn't seem offended. In fact, it was quite the opposite. His eyes seemed to brighten as he grinned approvingly at Soyeon, a deep chuckle escaping his lips. Soyeon observed him, making a mental note that he looked extra handsome when smiling or laughing...or both.
...W-wait!
"W-why are you laughing...?" she stuttered as her face turned red at what she'd just thought. Why am I thinking about him like that? He's not—
Chanyeol gasped, wiping away tears of mirth. "I...I didn't even tell you what my question was referring to, but you knew anyway!" he chortled, shooting Soyeon a look that she could only describe as one of love. "Doesn't that prove everything?"
Still firm on her belief that Chanyeol wasn't her soulmate yet beginning to waver, Soyeon frowned.
"I...I was just using context clues!" she retorted, mentally face palming herself the moment those words tumbled out of her mouth. Ugh...why?!
Chanyeol raised an inquiring eyebrow, smirking.
"Oh? What context clues?" he challenged. Judging by his shaking-with-laughter body and condescending grin, one could infer that he was having fun with this...too much fun.
"...Listen, Soyeon."
Bringing his face within "intimate" distance from Soyeon, Chanyeol peered at her with half-lidded eyes. "We're soulmates. Please stop denying it."
Her body burning up at the husky way in which he delivered his words, Soyeon shivered, a spark of electricity zipping up her arm when he grabbed it, his large hand wrapping around it effortlessly.
...I get it now.
"Chanyeol," she whispered, her doubts now eradicated. "I understand now. My heart races just by thinking about you, and it hurts when I think about us being apart. I don't need any fanfare or celebrations. We're soulmates, you and I..."
Chanyeol blushed at her words, biting his lip. Shaking his head as if to will himself not to do anything indecent, he removed himself from her, the tips of his elvish ears turning crimson.
"Stop it Chanyeol, we don't know each other that well yet!" he muttered to himself, earning a confused look from Soyeon. Returning her gaze, he smiled sheepishly.
"S-so, what should we do for our first day as soulmates?" he blurted, desperate to get the indecent thoughts out of his head.
Soyeon smiled lovingly, lacing her arms with his.
"How about we go to the beach?" she suggested, jutting out her head towards the painting that was currently laying on the coffee table. Chanyeol grinned at this, tousling her hair.
"I love that idea. Let's go!"
As the couple bounded out the door, both of them failed to notice that where there used to be a timer on their wrists were now two interlaced hearts, signifying their matrimony.
𝐟𝐢𝐧.