As a child, you’d only heard mere stories of the “Red String of Fate” from the mouths of your parents and grandparents. When you were younger, you took it a little too seriously; you always blabbered about it in your elementary classes and usually got in trouble for it. As you got older, of course, you dropped the subject, not believing in the soulmate nonsense anymore. But it was something you never really forgot, something that lingered in the back of your mind as nothing but a fragment of your childhood. Little did you know how real it truly was.
It was a normal day to your eighteen-year-old self. You sat in your parent’s bakery at the counter, your chin in your palm with your elbow propped up on the counter. The apron you wore (by force, of course) covered your knees as you spun on the stool you sat on. Heaving a sigh, you picked up your phone and scrolled through your Instagram feed. Your eyes shot up when you heard the bell on the door ding, and you made eye contact with a cute, shy-looking boy who seemed around your age. He walked closer and looked at the pastries on display as you shot him a small smile, putting your phone down. Your spinning came to a stop, leaving you to politely face him.
“Hi,” You said, gaining his attention, “Just let me know when you’re ready to order. We also sell coffee and tea, for here or to go.”
“Ah,” He flashed you a smile, “Thank you.”
You nodded in response and turned your attention to the cash register, staring at it and daydreaming. You didn’t really want to get on your phone while a customer was in the room.
After a few more seconds, he approached the counter, making you look at him with a polite smile. His lips raised to mirror your own before he spoke, “Can I have a walnut pie and a small cup of coffee for here, please?”
You nodded as you jotted his order down on your handy notepad, “Want creamer and sugar?”
“Ah, yes, please,” Came his response. His voice was smooth and melodic, you noticed, it wouldn’t surprise you if he were a vocalist.
“All right,” You chimed, “It’ll be ready soon. And what’s your name?”
“Jeongin,” He replied, taking the time to look around again.
“Got it,” You nodded before hopping off your stool and gathering his order. While pouring the coffee into his mug, you heard the bell go off again and looked over before realizing it was just Chan – he was a usual. A busy college student, but your friend nonetheless. He came by for a quick to-go coffee and left almost daily. You also took note of the time – late evening, your brother should come in for your shift soon.
Finishing Jeongin’s order, you made Chan’s coffee without asking and slid it across the counter, earning his signature grin, “Why, thank you, Muffin.”
You rolled your eyes and chuckled, “Stop calling me Muffin. Just because I work at a bakery doesn’t mean I’m a muffin.”
“Yes it does,” The older responded simply, sliding you the payment for the coffee across the counter. You took the money and put it in the register, shaking your head, “Don’t you have that thesis due tomorrow?”
“Don’t you dare remind me,” Chan groaned before sending you a quick wave, taking his coffee, and leaving. You chuckled but waved Jeongin over. The boy stumbled to stand quickly and rush over, taking his order and giving you a quick thanks, then proceeding to go back to his booth and taking out a laptop. At first, you thought he was lonely, but now you understood he probably just came here to get some schoolwork done in the peace and quiet. You’d bet he knew Seungmin, who told him to go to the little cafe you worked at. You shook your head at the thought as you sat back down at your stool. Seungmin was a good friend of yours, although you went to different schools because you lived on the border of the district, you still saw each other often. Then, he graduated and went onto college almost immediately. You, on the other hand, wanted to wait until you were nineteen or twenty to go to college. You wanted a bit of a break. He, too, liked to study and work at the cafe.
You fixed your posture and smiled as another customer came in.
* * *
You found that your worthless brother never came in for his shift, of course. Jeongin stayed working until it was nearly closing time. You heaved a sigh as you were wiping down one of the tables, looking over at the boy. He was just as focussed on his work as he’d been for the past few hours. It made you wonder just how on Earth he could work for so long, assuming he was working, anyway. He had papers skewed on the table in front of him and he stared almost angrily at the screen.
You gingerly tapped his shoulder, making him jump slightly and turn to look at you. Offering a small smile, you explained, “We’re closing soon. Would you like a coffee to go?”
“O- Oh!” He stammered, looking around as he scratched the back of his neck, “I didn’t even notice. But uh, no thanks on the coffee.”
Chuckling, you nodded and took his mug to the back to clean it. You heard him shuffling to get his things together and leave. What you didn’t expect was being suddenly tugged back by some force on your wrist. With a small grunt, you looked down to see that there was a thin red string around your wrist. "What the hell?“ You muttered, tugging on it experimentally. The string was around your wrist, and it lead all the way out the door into the main area. It was attached to something else.
You heard some distressed noises coming from the main area, which sounded strangely like Jeongin. Setting the mug on the counter near you, you padded out from the back to see what you were connected to and what Jeongin’s problem was.
Your eyes became the size of plates as you realized that he, too, had a red string around his wrist that was connected to your own.
"What is this?” You muttered, walking over to him. The boy’s scrutiny followed the rose-coloured fabric to see the link between the two of you. Before your very eyes, the string shortened until it was about two metres long. The both of you gaped at each other as cars passed the quiet cafe, their headlights shining into the windows as they went by.
* * *
After getting over the initial shock, you ended up taking Jeongin to your apartment. You couldn’t walk away from each other and there was no way you could stay in his college dorm. The two of you sat and decided to get to know each other, or at least the basics of each other’s character.
You didn’t know how long you’d be mysteriously attached.
You learned that it was his first year of college and he was older than you, though not by too much. He was a business major since it was a large topic that could be used for several different jobs. You were right to assume he was a vocalist, because he was. He loved to sing and even had a dream of becoming an idol. You found this all to be intriguing, you figured you wouldn’t mind his company.
“What about you?” He said suddenly, leaning over his arms on the table, “Tell me about yourself.”
You let a small smile grace your lips as you hummed, thinking. “Well,” You started, “I’m eighteen, and I plan to go to college next year. I work in the cafe because my family owns it, though I do most of the work, to be honest with you.”
“That’s weird,” Jeongin commented, “You just graduated and they’re making you do all the work? Plus, you moved out really early.”
You raised your shoulders in a shrug, “I have an older brother, but he barely ever shows up for work. To be fair, my parents pay me extra for the overtime my brother causes me.”
The conversation continued, you couldn’t pay attention to how long it’d been. Talking to Jeongin was strange because although you’d only known him for a few hours, you felt as though you’d known him for years. You were comfortable with him.
You soon moved to the topic of the string around your wrist, slightly begrudgingly. You didn’t want things to suddenly turn awkward because of what you thought was a myth.
The two of you were still calming from laughing over a story Jeongin told about his childhood. You sighed and gave him an apologetic look, “So, this string.”
The boy hummed, nodding, “Do you have any idea of what it is or what it could mean?”
“Well,” You chuckled nervously, “As a child, my family used to ramble about some red string that connected two people. Those two people would be destined to fall in love.”
Your guest hummed as he took in the information, his fingers drumming on the table, “So they’re… Soulmates?”
“Exactly.” You nodded, “But the problem is that in those stories, the string is invisible to the human eye. So I wouldn’t rely on it.”
Jeongin was quick to speak, “I heard those stories as well. But I heard an added detail; sometimes the string malfunctions, and you can actually see it when that happens. It disappears again during the next full moon.”
You massaged your temples at his remark. Those stories were myths. But then what would explain the string tied to the two of you? Were you really soulmates?
“Okay,” You said slowly, “Are you okay with staying here for the time being?”
“Yeah, it’s easiest. I have classes during the week, though..” He responded, trailing off nervously.
Smiling and standing, you shook your head as Jeongin hopped up as well, “I can take off of work to follow you around if I have to. I’m sure we can prove to your professors that I have to be there if they ask. Come on, it’s late and I have an air mattress you can sleep on.”
The older nodded and eagerly followed you into your bedroom and closet. Together, you lugged the air mattress out and set it next to your bed. Jeongin plugged it in and turned it on, letting it fill with air, as you pulled some blankets and pillows out for him and threw them on the mattress.
After struggling to do both of your nightly routines, you got yourselves sorted and said your goodnights.
* * *
The first night was rough because neither one of you could sleep. You were in shock still, and Jeongin was in a place he wasn’t used to, plus the shock. You were both lucky it was Friday. Morning came and went. You and Jeongin took turns showering, the other having to sit outside the door. It was slightly uncomfortable, you have to admit. It felt like you were hovering over each other’s shoulders all the time. You weren’t sure you were too fond of it.
As Jeongin was drying, you took out your phone to see when the next full moon would be. It was roughly a week away, exactly nine days. You could handle that… Right?
* * *
Later on, the same day, you were perched on your couch – with Jeongin, of course – reading a book. The boy next to you flipped through the TV channels aimlessly, dressed in some of the bigger, more comfy clothes you kept around the apartment. You made sure the articles of clothing you’d given him were your brother’s hand-me-downs. It was nothing special, a pair of grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt. You were in similar attire; your own pair of sweats adorned your legs and a large white Puma hoodie covered your torso.
The sound of Jeongin heaving a sigh filled your ears and you turned your head to look at him. “There’s nothing good on,” He whined, tossing the remote aside after landing on some nature documentary about owls. “What’s your book about?” He asked curiously before you could respond, peeping over your shoulder. You chuckled at him and stuck your thumb on the page you were on before halfway closing the book to show him the cover.
“It’s a romantic novel,” You responded, watching him gawk over the well-designed cover, “It’s about the human race hundreds of years in the future. They live in space shuttles and ships because the Earth has undergone another ice age. A girl goes to another ship for a job and ends up falling in love with the captain, who is really strange and mysterious. It’s pretty good.”
“Woahhh,” Was apparently the only thing the older could muster as he gazed at the book, then back at you. “Are you enjoying it?”
You nodded quickly, letting a wide smile grace your face as you couldn’t help but geek out a little bit, “Yes! The characters are so well portrayed and the plot just sucks you in-”
Jeongin stopped listening, honestly. Because all he could focus on was the smile on your face and the twinkle in your eyes as you blabbered about the book you’d been reading.
How cute.
* * *
Later that day, the two of you decided to go to Jeongin’s dorm to move some of his clothes. He would be involuntarily staying with you for a week, after all. So you grabbed one of your duffel bags and hopped in the car to drive him to the college he was attending.
Upon exiting the car (both of you had to climb out of the passenger side), you realized it would probably be awkward to go into the boys’ dorm with him. You were a woman, after all, and the two of you were bound by a red string. Could others even see the string as you could? You weren’t sure.
That being said, you let the crisp autumn air envelope your skin as you stepped out of the car, the wind blowing your hair into your face. Fixing the beanie on your head, you gave Jeongin a small smile as you began to follow him towards the building. The boy gave a small chuckle, “Don’t worry, (Y/N). We won’t be here long.”
A light pink dusted your cheeks. “You could tell?” You let out a sheepish chuckle, “Am I that obvious? This is going to be so awkward.”
“Nah,” The older responded as he held the door to the main lobby open for you, “It’s okay. I have a room to myself, anyway.”
You slipped into the dorm building with a small thanks, relishing in the warmth it offered. “Really?” You looked at him from the corner of your eye, “Lucky.”
Jeongin stepped back ahead of you, grabbing the string that connected the two of you to drag you along at a faster pace, “I dunno. It’s nice for studying but it can get boring otherwise.”
Humming, you let him drag you up the stairs and down the halls to his room, the duffel bag in your other hand. As he unlocked the door, you immediately slipped in before he could and threw the large bag down to look around your companion’s living space. It was modest and shockingly clean for a freshman in college such as himself. You could imagine that Chan’s room was probably the opposite.
“Come onnn,” The inhabitant of the room whined, picking up the bag with one hand and grabbing yours with the other to take you to his bedroom.
* * *
It didn’t take too long to get Jeongin’s things. The two of you were back at your apartment in a matter of thirty minutes. After helping the older put his things in an orderly fashion in your apartment, all you wanted to do was rest. Your new (temporary) roommate, however, insisted that you help him study. So, here you sat. You were across from him at your kitchen table, reading from neatly made flashcards he had taken the time to create. You couldn’t have cared less about what you were saying, but a smile remained on your face. When the child-like teen got literally anything correct, he would give a toothed smile. His eyes would sparkle before turning into little crescents and he would let out a small, proud giggle.
How cute.
* * *
You were dreading having to go to Jeongin’s classes with him. Through an encounter with the lady at your apartment building’s lobby, you learned that others around you couldn’t see the fiery string that bound both of you to each other. Maybe you could sneak into the lectures, the older boy had said that they hold about one hundred people per lecture. With that, you could infer that it was a large university (you’d seen the campus, after all, and it was huge) and also probably a good university. You might be fake attending college with prodigies!
When expressing this to Jeongin on the way there, you were laughed at. But his laugh was not teasing or making fun, it was soft and amused.
“There are plenty of mediocre students,” He said, “Seoul is just so large that a lot of the colleges around the area have thousands of students. Seoul University is the most popular, but that doesn’t mean it’s the most successful.”
Glancing at the rearview mirror as you drove, you let out a puff of air as you mumbled under your breath, “For a freshman in college, you sure sound wise.”
Yet another laugh filled your ears. You couldn’t help but smile.
* * *
The day went by quicker than you anticipated. People had asked you several times if you were Jeongin’s girlfriend, to which you let a soft pink dance across your cheeks as you told them that you weren’t. Soon enough, you were eating lunch. Then you just went home, since Jeongin had only three classes that day. Tomorrow he’d have five, then the next day only one. And all of them were mostly different classes!
College confused you. You were starting to reconsider even going.
When you got back to the apartment, the two of you lazed around and spent time together doing nothing. At night, you helped the boy study. This became a routine.
Wake up, shower, eat, go to university with Jeongin, come home, do nothing, eat, study, and go to bed. You didn’t realize just how much you would end up missing it.
It was the night of the full moon that you realized it.
* * *
As you were putting the colour coded vocabulary cards in Jeongin’s bag, you heard the college student’s voice pipe up from behind you, “It’s night. I can see the moon, but we’re still bound.”
“I think we need to wait ‘til morning,” You replied, zipping up the bag as you turned to face him, “Maybe the moon needs time to do its job.”
He nodded with a small hum. His scrutiny was fixated on the moon that could be seen from your kitchen window. The moonlight gently caressed his smooth skin in the most perfect of ways. His high cheekbones seemed even more prominent, but not too sharply prominent. It was a soft contour that made you want to take a picture of the beautiful human in front of you.
You thought about that picture as the two of you headed to bed. And you were shocked when you awoke at ten in the morning, the boy you’d grown feelings for no longer present. As you sat up and looked around, you realized he’d folded the blankets neatly on top of his bed. All of his things were gone. As you wandered the apartment in a depressed daze, you noticed that he’d also left you a note on the kitchen table.
Thank you for dealing with me and helping me so much, (Y/N). I wanted to let you sleep in, so I left for class as usual. I hope I can see you again soon, and I really hope that the string wasn’t an entire malfunction.
- Jeongin
Sighing, you set the handwritten note down and rubbed your temples. What did he mean by that? Was he coming back?
* * *
It was that evening you saw him again. You were huddled up on your couch, watching The Princess and the Frog, because what else was there to do at a time like this? Nothing.
Hearing a knock at your door, you let a groan slip from between your lips as you stood – leaving the blanket around your shoulders – and padded over to the door. Upon opening it, your mouth formed a perfect o as you gazed upon Jeongin himself. He had a nervous smile on his face as he held a bouquet of white roses as well as a box of chocolates.
“I was thinking,” He said, “And I know that the string tied us together for a reason. I- I think you’re my soulmate, (Y/N).”
You gave a bright smile as you nodded happily, gently taking the gifts he’d held out to you, “I think you’re my soulmate too, Jeongin… In fact, I know you are.”
His smile grew brighter, “So.. wanna hit the cafe for a late night date?”
Quite literally, there are stars glimmering in the navy sky, but those aren’t quite the ones he’s talking about. In fact, his vision feels so out of focus that he doesn’t actually think he can see those stars very well, but it’s not his fault they’re so small and high up. He prefers things at a human level, closer to the ground.
One of those, and his favourite by a long shot, is you. While he can’t quite feel the tips of his fingers and seeing straight is something he can only dream of, when you walk into the room with curious eyes and a cautious step, he notices you straight away. There’s no surprise to him, because finding you before he finds anyone else has almost become an instinct he never intended to have, but once he started he couldn’t stop, and it’s why he’s almost salivating at you now.
You look perfect. A dress that seems to compliment everything about you, a little pair of heels that don’t lift you too high but still make your legs look irresistible. Hell, he even appreciates your earrings and choice of a matching necklace in his drunken state because it’s you, and he can’t seem to ignore any details about you no matter how hard he tries.
However you make his heart stop. It’s not on purpose, all you’re doing is filling up a cup with lemonade, but when your eyes land on him staring at you from where he’s sitting, a smile instantly rises to your cheeks and you go so far as to spare him a little wave. God, you’re perfect, the way your eyes smile before your mouth does, the glow of your skin that he’s never really noticed on anyone else but you. Perhaps an angel, you walk over to him with light and graceful steps (something he slightly questions, because he /is/ in a room full of people who can barely stand on two feet), your hands gripping onto your cup while your fingers strum against the plastic. “Jeongin! I’m so happy to see you, my friends abandoned me and it feels like there’s no familiar people in this place.” You let out an airy laugh at the end of your sentence, and he thinks you sound enchanting, like the magical fairies you read about in children’s books.
But then he panics. While he happily smiled and waved back at you, he never expected you to come over, nevermind having to start a conversation with you. If he can hardly create words in his mind, his mouth is completely hopeless, but he can’t mess this up. He doesn’t want to do anything that could possibly ruin any chances he has with you and would ruin both an amazing night and months worth of pining. “Y/n.” He lets your name out with a breath, eyes darting between you and the floor. When he acknowledges your soft gaze and worried eyes, Jeongin feels like he could melt into a puddle there and then, because how could someone’s presence make him feel both weak and completely happy at the same time?
“Do you need water? Or maybe one of your friends, I think I know Seungmin and-“
“Don’t worry about it, I just,” He can’t find his words and he feels sorry for cutting you off, but it’s hard to focus when you’ve placed a concerned hand on his bicep, because now all he can feel is your warmth, “I’m a little drunk right now, and I don’t want to do something stupid.” He admits, swallowing the lump in his throat and smiling at the way you giggle at his words. It’s clear you’ve already caught onto his intoxicated state, that information was less than necessary, but it’s cute. The way his cheeks flush a deep magenta and the dazed looks that clouds his eyes as he looks at you.
Once your laughter dies down, you move your hand back into your lap and shake your head slightly. He misses your contact within seconds of it being gone. “I’m sure you wouldn’t do anything stupid, Jeongin. I’ll make sure of it, okay? I can protect you for tonight.” You’re grinning at him as though he’s the sun and he’s looking at you like a lovesick fool. To anyone else, the situation is clear, but maybe you’re both idiots. Perhaps naïve or in denial. It’s too complicated for either of you to think about, so instead you simply choose not to.
After the initial drunken haze, he processes what you actuallysaid, and suddenly his expression drops. “I wanted to be the one protecting you.” He whines slightly, his voice giving away things he would never yet dream of telling you. The liquid confidence in his blood is doing things for him that he couldn’t imagine doing sober, but he’s notsober, and he can’t help it.
The slight ache in his heart only worsens when you tilt your head at him, wondrous eyes making his stomach tickle and composure melt. “You shouldn’t protect me. I just want to- I want to look after you- I canlook after you, okay? Do you believe me?” He asks, and it’s impossible that he doesn’t think he sounds a lot cooler than he actually does. You’re forced to stifle a giggle as to not bruise his already extremely fragile heart, nodding slowly with a sparkle in your eye. He’s so far gone yet the feeling of subtle warmth that rises to your cheeks makes you feel almost foolish. Maybe he is completely drunk and far gone in that sense, but you must be falling in even deeper, because you’re admiring him carefully and fail to see any flaws in anything he does.
Scooting closer to him on the sofa to the point your legs are touching, you place your hand back on your legs as you speak. “I believe you, Jeongin.” You whisper into the air, and you’re not too sure whether he’s caught it or not. Undoubtedly, he has—his senses seem to be on a hundred percent when it has to do with you—but those simple words make him feel a yearning to see your face. First hand, he wants to see how pretty you look while saying them to him, face to face and eye to eye.
“Look at me.” He states, not asking you or giving you a chance to say no. His voice doesn’t sound demanding, though, and despite his state you feel safe as ever next to him. The smell of alcohol is strong but the smell of him is stronger, and when you meet the face of the man it’s coming from the twists and knots in your stomach are helpless. It’s certainly not his way with words but his way of being that makes you feel so weak, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. “What did you say?”
“I think I love you, Jeongin.”
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