In this normal world, society holds a realistic view on love - that it alone won't be able to feed you and keep a roof over your head. You can fall for someone, but don't give your life up for them.
Believers of fate emerged as early as the beginning of the Joseon dynasty - nowadays, if you express such an opinion out loud, you would just receive a few laughs in return. And yet, these beliefs will continue to stay strong, passing down through generations.
The cliche red string of fate becomes reality once you're able to see it. For those who believe, fate will bless you with a lifelong fortune. But it won't interfere.
Your future is yours to decide. Fate will only react according to your actions.
But don't be mistaken as to its generosity for meeting your soulmate is rare. Even if you do happen to end up with destiny's choice, your ordinary life will remain ordinary. Fate had chosen its successors long ago and only the descendants of those are blessed by its power.
Ha Yuncha grew up listening to family members go on about the importance of love at every dinner. His own parents were probably the biggest advocates for that when his Dad decided to give up his career to support his Mum in succeeding in hers. So it would be wrong to say that he didn't believe fate existed, especially when he's able to see the proof of its existence everyday. But Yuncha also understands that love can only get you so far.
So when he rejected the confession from Cho Jaeyoung, he took a gamble - despite not knowing the odds.
How will fate respond if one rejects their own soulmate?
-
"Is that it?"
"Yeah, that's all there is to it. Just meet me when he comes out."
The girl looked up from the picture on her phone, long black hair brushing against her shoulders as she gently flipped it behind. She was someone that a friend of Jaeyoung's had introduced to him for the childish game he wanted to play because of her slight resemblance to the guy in the picture. "How are you sure he'll see?"
Jaeyoung simply shrugged as he gave a disheartened answer. "I know him well enough."
-
"Remember, groups are set now so you can't change it anymore. If there are any more problems, solve them amongst yourselves." The professor ended the lecture with an annoying reminder of the group project he had set just a few days prior. Following some protest of the groups he had assigned the first time around, he finally decided to switch some people, but this was an university group project, not everyone was going to be happy with the outcome no matter what, they were lucky he even decided to change it at all.
Thankfully, Yuncha ended up in a group with two trusted upperclassmen and another freshman so he wasn't too worried.
He picked up the black cardigan neatly lying on the seat next to him and swung it onto his back, letting the sleeves hang loosely in front of the all-white outfit. He left the building and headed back to the dorm, taking the path he had finally familiarised himself with since starting his course. It felt nice, the consistency of his everyday life.
As Yuncha reached the easternmost area of the campus, he spotted a familiar figure in the corner of his eyes, and a bickering scene as if deja vu. Normally, he'd mind his own business and walk away, but the person being yelled at now wasn't someone he could ignore. The string only the two of them could see was getting shorter and shorter the closer he walked towards them.
"Is that all you have to say after ghosting me for 5 days!?"
Yuncha sighed to himself.
Why does he do that so much?
"Cho Jaeyoung, are you even listening to me?"
Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his spine as the guy looked directly at him.
"I've had it with you, we're done!" The girl stormed off, rushing past Yuncha as she cursed under her breath, the sound of her heels against the concrete footpath fading quickly.
There we go... Was she a drama major or something?
"Yun," Jaeyoung called out with a big smile on his face.
This idiot.
Yuncha lifted both hands up to the guy's cheek, giving it a slight tug, just enough for it to hurt. "You, aren't you too happy for someone who just got broken up with?" He scolded.
Almost as if pre-rehearsed, Jaeyoung grabbed him by the wrist and gave a sly response, "doesn't matter. I only agreed to date her because she reminded me of you." He laid his head on Yuncha's shoulder as the latter's arms dropped by his side.
"... Don't say stuff like that."
There was a small chuckle followed by an apology as Jaeyoung burrowed his face into Yuncha's neck. His arm slipped around him, holding him tightly.
"Now that I think about it, I'm really sad. I can't believe she broke up with me."
"Yeah, right."
"You should take me out for a drink to cheer me up."
It was idiotic because there was no cheering up that needed to be done and they both knew this, nonetheless, Yuncha still agreed, "fine."
-
"You still do that, I told you you shouldn't ghost people but you never listen."
As the drunk Yuncha nagged on, Jaeyoung leaned his elbow against the wooden table and supported the side of his face with a closed fist. Not returning people's calls and messages was something he had done since forever. Whether it's texts from friends or family, he never felt urgency to reply to them, thus most of the time he forgets to do it. It wasn't anything personal, he just didn't care enough.
The person sitting on the other end of the table was the only exception. Funnily enough, he was also the only one who complained so much about it.
"You should apologise at least…" Yuncha's voice trailed off as he rested his head against the table, a finger twirling the bottle from the top. "Who knows what she'll say about you.."
He's drunk already.
Yuncha had a terrible habit too. He always cared too much, so much he'd been careful not to change their relationship.
Who cares what she'll say?
Jaeyoung noticed his eyes were starting to blink a lot, without a second thought, he stretched his arm over and held his hand in front of Yuncha's eyes, shielding it from the lights.
Waiting for him to fall asleep, Jaeyoung gestured to a nearby waiter and paid for the bill before carrying Yuncha out of the restaurant.
He could hear small mumbles coming from the latter as they approached the car park, smiling as insults reached his ears, "Jaeyoung is an idiot. Stupid.."
He plopped him onto the passenger seat before gently closing the door and getting into the drivers. Jaeyoung leaned over to him and grabbed the seatbelt, pausing as he muttered something.
"…I'm sorry."
The sound of the seatbelt clicking into place echoed in the otherwise silent car and a small sigh followed.
"You do this every time."
-
After a quiet drive, they finally reached Jaeyoung's apartment complex. He made his way into the elevator with Yuncha on his back and pressed the button to the top floor. Perhaps it was because the complex was considered high-end, the inside of the elevator was extremely clean, with a white interior and warm lightning. Jaeyoung could see a part of Yuncha's face in the reflection of the side mirrors and from that angle, he really was the most beautiful person in the world. His mouth was slightly parted, his closed eyes trembling softly and his brows furrowed, as if stressed even in his dreams. His cheeks were more flushed compared to usual and his lips took on a light pink shade from where the lights were hitting.
Stepping out of the elevator, Jaeyoung unlocked his front door as quietly as he could. He carried Yuncha to the bedroom and laid him on the bed, taking his shoes off before undressing him and grabbing a set of pyjamas folded neatly in the closet like it was pre-prepared for someone.
Jaeyoung slipped the cover over Yuncha and knelt down beside the bed. He stared at him for a long time with a look in his eyes that can only be exposed when they're alone.
To Jaeyoung, fate was cruel. If they really were destined to be together, then why weren't they? If Yuncha had gone out of his way to admit they were soul-tied, how could he have responded like that?
If it really means nothing to you, why are you still letting me act however I want?
-
"But why do you need me to do this? Don't you have girls who actually like you?" The girl teased.
Jaeyoung laughed, "I'm not a horrible person you know. I'm not going to ask someone who likes me to fake a breakup with me."
"Then why fake it in the first place?"
-
Why, you ask?
His hand moved up and gently held onto Yuncha's chin before leaning in, closing the distance between them.
It's simple.
There is no greater hell on earth than not having Ha Yuncha's attention.