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“I just think going to a meeting or two will be good for you,” Hoseok said around a mouthful of rice, wiping his mouth with a napkin before continuing. “It might be nice to talk to people who have similar experiences.”
"Uh huh," Jooheon grumbled as he reached across the table to grab more of the bulgogi Hoseok brought over.
Just because Jooheon didn’t have a soulmate, didn’t mean he was broken. He didn’t need to go to therapy or a support group or whatever other ideas Hoseok would come up with next to make them both feel like he wasn’t a complete waste of hope. He was fine. He just wished people would stop bringing it up constantly.
“Just promise me you’ll go to a few meetings to try it out.” Hoseok looked into his eyes, and Jooheon could feel a wave of guilt wash over him for always ignoring his brother’s advice.
“I really think it will be good for you. One of my patients started attending this group a few months ago, and she’s been so much happier. She made a few new friends, even started dating a girl she met there.”
“Fine.” Jooheon waved his hand dismissively, hoping the half-hearted agreement would be enough for Hoseok to drop the subject. Everywhere Jooheon went he was reminded of the fact that he didn’t have a soulmate. That unlike everyone else, he didn’t have the name of his other-half imprinted onto his wrist in delicate, cursive black ink. He didn’t need the only night of the week he saw his brother to be filled with these reminders as well. “How have things been going with Changkyun?”
A bright smile broke out on Hoseok’s face at the mention of his fiancé, the longing in his eyes doing nothing to stave off the pang of envy that always lingered somewhere in a corner of Jooheon’s heart. “It’s been good. We’ve actually been talking about possibly adopting.”
“That’s great!”
Jooheon was genuinely excited for his brother, and glad that even his own bitterness over his ill-fated love life couldn't deter his elation over the prospect of having nieces and nephews.
“I don’t think we’re going to yet though.”
“Oh. Why not?”
“We want to take it slow. Maybe adopt a cat or dog and see how that works out first before we even consider kids.”
“If you both want a family, I don’t get why you’d be worried about going too fast,” Jooheon said, shoving a dumpling into his mouth and loudly chewing his way into the rest of his sentence, “he’s your soulmate.”
“Even soulmates don’t always work out.” Hoseok stood up with a sigh and brought some of their empty plates over to the sink. “I don’t only work with people who don’t have soulmates. Many of my patients are in failed or failing relationships, you should know better than anyone that the system isn’t always perfect.”
“That’s rare though.” Jooheon picked up the remaining plates and cleared the table.
“It’s not as rare as you think.” Hoseok tossed a towel at Jooheon’s face as he turned on the tap. He peeled the damp cloth off his forehead with a grimace. “That’s why I hate seeing you give up on finding love so easily. You used to spend so much time daydreaming of meeting your soulmate and falling in love. If you opened yourself up, you’d have so many opportunities to—”
The beginning notes of VIXX’s Shangri-La filled the still fragrant air of the small kitchen, catching Hoseok’s attention as he made for his phone. “I need to take this,” he said, stepping out onto the balcony.
With a sigh, Jooheon set about washing the dishes sitting in the sink. Maybe Hoseok was right. He might still have a chance. But if his only chance at love wasn’t with his soulmate, Jooheon wasn’t sure he wanted it.
He wanted to feel the spark every time he touched his partner. To be able to trace his own name written across someone else’s wrist. To have everything Hoseok and so many other people had.
“That was Kyunnie. I should get going.” Hoseok interrupted Jooheon’s thoughts as he stepped back into the apartment to grab his, or possibly Changkyun’s, grey hoodie off the coat rack. Jooheon had seen both of them wearing it so many times he wasn’t sure if they even still knew who it truly belonged to. “Please. Just think about what I said.”
“I will,” Jooheon promised, pulling his brother in for a quick hug goodbye. “I’ll still see you on Sunday right?”
“Of course,” Hoseok assured him with a bright smile as he made his way towards the front door. “Have a good rest of your night.”
“You too.” A smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes played at Jooheon’s lips as he leaned against the doorframe. “Say hi to Changkyun for me.”
Hoseok nodded. “Goodnight Joo.”
“G’Night. Love you.”
Closing and locking the door, Jooheon tried to swallow the bitter taste in his mouth at the thought of his brother getting to go home to his soulmate. It didn’t work.
ღ
Jooheon gripped the wrinkled up flyer that Hoseok had given him earlier in the week in one of his hands. He kept his head down as he wandered through the long hallways of the community center searching for rec room 17.
He didn’t want the pity and fake sense of comfort these people would try to give him. He just needed to move on. Get away from the constant reminders that he was different in the eyes of most of the world.
Maybe attending a meeting or two would allow him to do so, though. Jooheon could finally tell Hoseok that he tried, that he went to a few meetings and it wasn’t a good fit for him so he decided to quit.
The click of Jooheon’s boots came to a halt in front of a door labeled with the number seventeen. He pushed the door open, slow enough to get a good first read of his surroundings, and carefully stepped into the room.
There was a circle of empty chairs set up in the center of the room and a folding table on the far side. Behind it stood a man placing cupcakes onto a stand, his hands moving in slow, gentle strides, eyebrows knotted in concentration.
His eyes crinkled slightly in the corners in a way that was almost too endearing and his lips scrunched together in a cute heart-shaped pucker. His dark brown hair was pushed back from his forehead and sat in short tousled waves, a soft contrast to the rest of his body.
With every movement of his arm, Jooheon could see his pronounced muscles flex against the thin tight fabric of his button up shirt.
He was gorgeous, almost exactly how Jooheon had always imagined his soulmate while growing up.
“Ah, hello.” The man looked up, his face smoothing down to welcome Jooheon when he heard the door close behind him. “Are you here for—”
“The meeting? Yeah,” Jooheon said as he took a few strides toward the man. He flashed the flyer in his hand before folding it back up and stuffing it into his jacket pocket.
“You’re early. Most people don’t start showing up for almost another fifteen minutes.” The man smiled with warmth and gestured at the treats on the table. “Help yourself. Usually, we don’t eat until the end of the meeting but have one of the cupcakes now if you’d like. It will be our little secret,” he added, pursing his lips.
Jooheon thanked the man before he took one of the cupcakes off the stand. He pulled at one of the corners of the wrapper, not sure what to say or do. This was the first time he ever knowingly would meet people like him. He pondered for a second how many other people he would meet today and what they would be like.
The more he thought, the more he couldn’t believe he was actually going through with this.
He was only here to get Hoseok and his friends to leave him alone, Jooheon reminded himself, trying to calm his nerves. After a few meetings, he could easily find an excuse slip out of it.
“What’s your name?”
“Jooheon,” he answered. Unwrapping the cupcake, he took a bite. “What’s yours?”
“Hyunwoo.”
“So you’re the one that runs the group?” Jooheon sat down on the nearest chair and watched Hyunwoo go about his work as he ate the cupcake.
“Yeah,” Hyunwoo admitted as he threw away the used paper container. “I actually founded it.”
“Are you also… You know.” Jooheon gestured dismissively, realizing that it might be too personal a question to ask a stranger. “Nevermind.”
“No, I don’t have a soulmate,” Hyunwoo said with an unreadable expression on his face as he walked over to sit next to Jooheon. “That’s why founded this. To hopefully surround myself with other people like me so we could have a safe place and not feel so alone.”
“Oh.” Jooheon said. He scratched the back of his neck, licking leftover sugar off his lips. “I’m sorry but do you mind if I grab another one? I didn’t have time for lunch.”
“Help yourself to as many as you want.”
Jooheon thanked Hyunwoo again before walking over to grab the second half of his improvised meal. Silver and white flower-shaped sprinkles sat on pastel pink icing, piped around the top of the chocolate sponge in a delicate pattern, every swirl of cream a proof of talented and attentive craftsmanship.
“These are beautiful by the way. Where’d you get them from?”
“I actually made them,” A proud smile formed on Hyunwoo’s lips. “I also run White Sugar Bakery downtown.”
Jooheon raised an eyebrow. He would have never guessed Hyunwoo was capable of making something so pretty and delicate. But that might be a bit of an unfair assumption, Jooheon realized. Just because he looked manly and tough, didn’t mean he wasn’t capable of making something so elegant.
“I always enjoyed baking while growing up so I opened up my own bakery a few years back,” Hyunwoo explained.
Before Jooheon could ask any questions, three people pushed open the door, bringing in a gust of fresh air.
“I should finish getting ready before everyone else gets here,” Hyunwoo said as he stood up. “I hope you’ll enjoy your first meeting. I’m sure you’ll fit right in.”
Jooheon gave the other a sincere smile before turning to greet the newcomers. He had a feeling Hyunwoo might be right.
ღ
“So how’s the support group going?” Minhyuk asked, placing a bowl of freshly popped corn onto the coffee table. Grabbing a handful, he plopped down onto the couch and threw his arm around Jooheon’s shoulders.
“I thought we were going to watch a movie,” Jooheon said, trying to squirm out of Minhyuk’s grasp, but the other had an iron grip around his shoulders. With a sigh he quickly gave up and slumped back in defeat. He’s known Minhyuk long enough to know there is no escaping whenever Minhyuk gets it in his head that he’s going to be affectionate with someone. Still, Jooheon glanced over towards Minhyuk’s soulmate with pleading eyes for any last ounce of hope. He was met with no sympathy as Kihyun kept his eyes trained on his phone. “Shouldn’t you be cuddling with your husband instead?”
“I cuddle with him all the time. I want to cuddle with my baby tonight.” Minhyuk pouted, leaving a quick kiss on the crown of Jooheon’s head. “Besides, I’m not letting you run away from this conversation so easily.”
Jooheon sighed. He wouldn’t have gone to their monthly movie night if he knew his best friends were planning on interrogating him.
“How long have you been going now?” Kihyun asked, placing his phone on the coffee table as he finally turned his attention toward the pair. “Hasn’t it been a month already?”
“Almost two,” Jooheon said.
“So you’re enjoying it?”
“I guess.”
“Well, you’re still going which has to mean something.”
“The people are pretty nice,” Jooheon admitted.
The members of the support group had been warm and welcoming. A part of Jooheon still felt weird about attending a group meant only for people without soulmates. But being surrounded by others like him was somewhat relieving.
The meetings were never just a pity party like he had pictured. Instead, it was like hanging out with a group of friends. They told jokes, learned about each other’s lives, and caught up on details about how everyone’s week was.
Occasionally, soulmate talk would be brought up. People would ask for advice or simply seek someone who understood their struggles to listen to something on their mind. But Jooheon didn’t even mind that.
“I’ve made a few friends already,” he added.
“Oh, so you’re trying to replace us?” Minhyuk teased, pulling Jooheon closer.
“I unfortunately don’t think I could ever replace you guys.” Jooheon laughed.
“Found anyone there who’s caught you interest?”
Jooheon’s felt the heat rise to his cheeks as his mind drifted to Hyunwoo. Over the past few months he had come to find out Hyunwoo could be extremely charming. Underneath his intimidating exterior he was a softie once he got to know him. He joked around in a casual way that never failed to make Jooheon laugh. He was so kind to everyone around him, always making sure everyone felt included and taken care of.
“No,” Jooheon said.
“Look at that Ki, he’s blushing.” Minhyuk pinched one of Jooheon soft cheeks between his thumb and forefinger. “Who is he?”
“It doesn’t matter, it’s a lost cause anyway.”
“Neither of you have soulmates,” Kihyun spoke up. “If you’re interested, you should go for it.”
“I’ve told you. I don’t want to see anyone if they aren’t my soulmate.”
“At least try getting closer to him.” Jooheon opened his mouth to protest but was quickly cut off. “I don’t mean romantically. Just, if he’s someone you like, you should get to know him better. Maybe try hanging out with him outside of the support group. It would probably be nice to have a friend who understands this side of you better.”
“You’re starting to sound like my brother,” Jooheon grumbled.
“Maybe because Hoseok’s right,” Kihyun said. “We’re just trying to help, we all hate seeing you hold yourself back because of this.”
“Fine. I’ll try if it matters that much to you.” Jooheon huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, his signature pout pulling on his lips. He learned a long time ago that half-hearted agreements were the easiest way to get them to leave him alone. “Can we watch a movie now before it gets too late?”
“Sure,” Minhyuk said. He picked up the remote from the table next to him and handed it to Jooheon. “Pick anything you want.”
ღ
Jooheon took a bite of the cupcake in his hand and chewed slowly, taking in the bursts of flavour. Hyunwoo’s cupcakes were always a thing of beauty but this time he had really outdone himself.
A night sky of navy blue buttercream covered with sparkly silver sprinkles was swirled expertly on top of dark chocolate sponge. It was gorgeous, but the real crowning gem for Jooheon was when he had first bitten into it and had been surprised by the sweet, gooey raspberry filling.
“You know, eating all the leftovers isn’t exactly helping me clean up,” Hyunwoo said with a grin on his face. He picked up another chair to add to the stack.
“It is getting rid of the cupcakes for you though,” Jooheon pointed out. His legs swung absentmindedly back and forth over the edge of the table.
“That’s not what I meant when I asked you to clean up the snacks.” Hyunwoo put the last chair on top of the pile and dragged the stack into the nearest corner of the room. “Besides, you should save your appetite.”
“Trust me, these taste much better than my dinner plan for tonight.”
“Actually, I was planning on asking you if you wanted to have dinner with me.” Hyunwoo scratched the back of his neck. “I know you’ve mentioned liking dumplings before. I’ve been trying to perfect a shrimp dumpling recipe recently and I’d love to hear what you think of it.”
Jooheon jumped to the ground and looked Hyunwoo over curiously. Although they’ve been talking and texting a lot recently, this was the first time Hyunwoo ever invited him to meet up outside of the support group.
“What’s the occasion?”
“I just wanted to treat you to a nice dinner,” Hyunwoo said. He began helping Jooheon pack away the rest of the food into Tupperware containers. “It’s been three months since you started coming here so I figured we should celebrate, it can also be a small thank you for always helping me clean up.”
“You really don’t have to.”
“I want to.” Hyunwoo paused. “Does six work for you? I can text you my address.”
Jooheon chewed the inside of his cheek. “Six-thirty would work better.”
“Six-thirty it is then.” Hyunwoo smiled, turning his attention back to the task at hand.
“Do you want me to bring anything?”
Hyunwoo shook his head as he placed the last cupcake into one of the containers. He closed the lid and placed it into his cloth shopping bag before turning back towards Jooheon, “Just yourself.”
“Well if I can’t bring anything, at least let me help you carry some of the bags out,” Jooheon requested, determined to actually help Hyunwoo with his usual armful of bags today.
Much to Jooheon’s annoyance, Hyunwoo always insisted on doing things himself. Convincing Hyunwoo to let him help clean up after meetings had been achieved slowly over these two months. He had a feeling Hyunwoo was now thankful for his insistence on helping. But this is was one thing he never accepted help with.
Hyunwoo sighed before reluctantly handing one of the bags in his arms over to Jooheon, “Here.”
With a grin Jooheon set off towards the exit. Once the bags had been stuffed into the back seat of his car, Jooheon turned to Hyunwoo.
“Well I guess I’ll see you later,” Jooheon said, a blush beginning to dust his cheeks.
“Of course, I’ll text you the address as soon as I get home,” Hyunwoo promised before glancing at his watch. “I need to pick up a few things at my bakery so I should get going, drive safe.”
“You too,” Jooheon said, waving goodbye to Hyunwoo as he headed back to his own car. He had to admit, he was excited at the prospect of seeing Hyunwoo later.
ღ
Jooheon double checked the number on the door of the house before ringing the doorbell. Hyunwoo’s house was a nice two-story Victorian, beautifully painted in dark blue with white accents. It was definitely larger than Jooheon had imagined it to be. He wondered briefly how a baker was able to afford something like this.
“Ah, You’re just in time,” Hyunwoo greeted with a smile. He wore a simple white sweater over jeans and his hair was swept back from his forehead, he looked beautiful. Jooheon was frozen in place until Hyunwoo moved to the side to let him in.
“I know you said I didn’t need to bring anything but I didn’t want to come empty handed,” Jooheon said once he finally snapped out of his trance, handing Hyunwoo the container of cookies he had baked earlier. “I’m nowhere close to being as good of a baker as you but I tried my best.”
“I’m sure they’ll be amazing. Thank you.” With a shy smile, Hyunwoo closed the door as Jooheon took a moment to look around the foyer. “If you want to take off your jacket and shoes you can leave them in the closet over there. I also have a few extra pairs of slippers in there if you want them.”
After hanging his jacket and changing into a pair of slippers he followed Hyunwoo into the dining room. Next to the dining table stood a tall thin man, his hands moving meticulously as he arranged silverware next to the three plates.
“Jooheon’s here,” Hyunwoo announced causing the man to look up from setting the table.
The stranger’s features looked a bit younger than Hyunwoo’s, probably closer to Jooheon’s own age if he had to guess. Wavy pink hair delicately framed his soft round cheeks. He looked almost angelic dressed in a matching white sweater. Jooheon had thought Hyunwoo was one of the most beautiful men he’s ever seen, but this man was almost just as stunning in his own way.
“Jooheon, this is my partner, Hyungwon,” Hyunwoo said, making his way over to the table.
Hyungwon bowed slightly before taking a seat at the table. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Hyunwoo told me a lot about you,” he said, his voice soft and airy.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Jooheon said taking a seat across from Hyungwon. He was surprised, he never recalled Hyunwoo mentioning having a partner in the past.
Hyungwon reached across the table to grab the plate of shrimp dumplings, his sleeve rode up in the process revealing a tattoo. A solid black bar across his wrist. Placing the dumplings on his plate, Hyungwon quickly tugged the sleeve of his sweater back down.
“So, how did you two meet?” Jooheon asked as he piled some food on his plate.
“I used to go to the support group also.” Hyungwon smiled, his eyes glossed over with endearment as he glanced over at Hyunwoo. Jooheon felt a sharp pang of jealousy in his stomach. “He asked me out after a few meetings and six years later we’ve been dating ever since.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you stop going?”
“After we moved in together I started helping him run his bakery,” Hyungwon explained, shoving a mouthful of noodles into his mouth. Hyunwoo reached over and wiped the corner of Hyungwon’s mouth with a napkin. Hyungwon blushed muttering a thank you before continuing. “I inherited a lot from my parents so I don’t necessarily need to work. I just help Hyunwoo out whenever he can’t run his shop, so I watch it while he goes to the meetings.”
From there the conversation flowed easily as they ate. He got along well with Hyungwon and found out the two of them had a lot of interests in common.
It was a bit weird sitting with a couple who wasn’t soulmates. Every couple Jooheon knew were soulmates and always seemed to have an unspeakable bond between them. However, the love Hyungwoo and Hyungwon shared didn’t seem to be much different than what he’d seen between his brother and his soulmate, or even Minhyuk and Kihyun.
They interacted comfortably, exchanging soft touches and tender looks. Even when it seemed like they were trying not to, likely for Jooheon's sake, they drifted toward each other. An adoring smile from Hyunwoo as he watched Hyungwon talk. Hyungwon stroking Hyunwoo’s pinky with his own. It was almost as disgustingly sweet as when Hoseok and Changkyun interacted with each other.
Despite not being soulmates they existed around each other like it was the most natural thing on earth. Like they were meant to be together despite the universe denying it.
Maybe love wasn’t a lost cause for Jooheon. If Hyunwoo and Hyungwon could find something so genuine, maybe one day he could as well.
“Joo, do you still have room for dessert?” Hyunwoo asked after cleaning the table. “I didn’t have time to bake anything before you got here. But we could have those cookies you brought over or some of the leftover cupcakes.”
“I’m okay thank you,” Jooheon answered politely, glancing at the time. “It’s getting late, I probably should be heading home. Thank you so much for having me.”
Exchanging their goodbyes, Hyunwoo walked Jooheon to the front door.
“I really enjoyed this,” Jooheon said honestly. When he first saw Hyungwon he had assumed it would be awkward but it had been anything but. “I would love to do this again sometime.”
“I would also. Thank you for tonight,” Hyunwoo said, throwing his arms around Jooheon to hug him goodbye. The minute he did Jooheon felt a sharp zap of electricity travel up his spine before his whole body felt as though it had caught fire.
Jooheon pulled back with wide eyes, both of them frozen as they looked at each other. That couldn’t have been the spark, could it?
“Joo—” Hyunwoo started, snapping Jooheon out of his trance.
Not even giving Hyunwoo the chance to finish he took off down the path towards his car.
“Jooheon,” Hyunwoo yelled after him.
He didn’t turn around as he flung open the door of his car and climbed into the front seat. He gripped the steering wheel in shock.
That couldn’t have been the spark. He didn’t have a soulmate, he wasn’t capable of feeling the spark.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jooheon noticed both Hyunwoo and Hyungwon approaching his car, Jooheon fumbled with his keys as he tried to stick them into the ignition.
Hyunwoo had a partner he loved. He was happy with Hyungwon.
Backing out of the driveway, Jooheon quickly drove away.
That couldn’t have been the spark. There had to be some other explanation for it. He didn’t have a soulmate and he definitely couldn’t ruin Hyungwon and Hyunwoo’s relationship.
It wasn’t the spark. It couldn’t be.
Who was he kidding? They both knew it was.
It had felt the way he always imagined it. The way every cheesy romance book he read growing up described it.
It couldn’t have been anything but the spark.
But Jooheon didn’t know if he was ready to believe it.
ღ
Jooheon frantically knocked on the front door of Hoseok’s small cottage.
Hoseok used to read so much about soulmates growing up and while studying for his degree that if anyone could explain what happened to Jooheon the night before, it was his brother.
After a few more knocks, the door flung open causing Jooheon to stumble forward. He caught himself on the doorframe.
“Joo?” Changkyun asked, his voice was raspy and deeper than normal. He rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie. “It’s eight in the morning.”
For a moment, Jooheon felt guilty. He hoped he hadn’t woken Changkyun up, being the lightest sleeper out of all his friends it was always easy to. “I’m sorry. I really need to see Hoseok.”
Changkyun sighed and stepped aside to let Jooheon in. “He’s making breakfast.”
The scent of coffee and bacon filled the air of the small cottage. Jooheon’s mouth began to water as he followed Changkyun down the hallway toward the kitchen. Quickly, he snapped himself out of it. He was here for answers, not for breakfast.
“You might want to make a bit extra,” Changkyun said, taking his seat at the breakfast bar. He raised a mug of coffee up to his lips and took a small sip. “We have a guest.”
Hoseok looked up from the frying pan, confusion painting his face as his eyes landed on his brother. “Honey? What are you doing here?”
“I need some help.”
Hoseok hummed. “Have you eaten yet?”
“No. But—”
“Have some breakfast with us first and then we can talk,” Hoseok said as he set about splitting the food evenly onto three plates.
“This is important.”
“So is breakfast.” Hoseok placed a heap of eggs, bacon, and pancakes in front of Jooheon before sitting between him and Changkyun.
They made pleasant conversation, talking about everything from the new song Changkyun was working on to that drama all three of them had started watching, all the while Jooheon still mulled over the reason why he had come to see his brother in the first place.
Jooheon didn’t try to bring up the subject again until after their breakfast was done and Changkyun had left with a goodbye kiss from Hoseok to head to his recording studio in the city.
“What does the spark feel like?” Jooheon asked, pacing the living room.
Hoseok looked up at Jooheon inquisitively from his spot on the couch. “What’s this all about?”
“Hoseok, please.” Jooheon stopped pacing and met Hoseok’s stare with pleading eyes. “I just need to know what the spark feels like.”
“It can feel slightly different for everyone,” Hoseok said. “At first it’s like a shock, almost like static electricity. Afterwards, it usually fades into a more comforting feeling. Most people describe it as a sort of warmth traveling through your body. But I’ve had some patients describe it differently to me. Some say pins and needles, others say it’s more tingly. It can depend on the person.”
Jooheon paused for a moment before locking eyes with him. “I think I might have felt it last night with Hyunwoo.”
Hoseok's eyes widened. “He’s the one you were telling me about the other night, right?”
Jooheon nodded. “I had dinner at his place last night and when he gave me a hug goodbye I felt it. I think he did too.”
“That’s amazing,” Hoseok mumbled mostly to himself.
“It’s impossible.”
“Not necessarily,” Hoseok said. “It’s very rare but there have been cases where names haven’t showed up on a person’s wrist so they go most of their life thinking they are soulmate-less until they touch the right person and end up feeling the spark. There’s also been cases where names appear on people’s wrists much later in life. I’ve even heard of people having multiple soulmates before so, I mean, anything is possible.”
Jooheon sank down onto the couch next to Hoseok. He still couldn’t believe what had happened the night before, but hearing from Hoseok that it was actually possible just made it feel like less of a dream.
Hoseok rubbed his brother’s back in slow circles. “I’m happy for you. You finally got what you wanted.”
Jooheon’s eyes began to water. This was everything he had ever hoped for but it was still a lost cause. The universe had to be mocking him at this point.
“He has a boyfriend.” A tear rolled down Jooheon’s cheeks. “I met him last night. He’s so nice, they’re perfect together, I can’t take Hyunwoo away from him and destroy their relationship of six years just because the universe decided to finally give me a soulmate.”
Jooheon pulled a tissue out of the box on the coffee table and blew his nose.
“He texted me this morning asking if I wanted to grab a coffee this afternoon.”
“Hyunwoo did?” Hoseok asked.
“Hyungwon,” Jooheon corrected. “I got his number last night before this whole thing happened.”
“You should go.”
“What for? So he can yell at me? Tell me to stay away from Hyunwoo?”
“If he wanted to do that I’m sure he would have just texted you. I think meeting up is probably a good sign,” Hoseok said. “You should go. You’ll never know exactly what he wants unless you go.”
Jooheon sighed, Hoseok did have a point. But he wasn’t sure if he wanted to face the rejection.
“I’m going to make us some tea.” Hoseok stood up and walked toward the kitchen. “While I’m gone, consider giving him an answer either way.”
Jooheon stared at his phone and considered his options. By the time he heard the kettle on the stove whistle, he had made his decision. Unlocking his phone, he typed out his reply.
ღ
The plastic booth inside White Sugar Bakery squeaked in protest as Jooheon adjusted his posture. Hyungwon had said that after his shift was over and he finished closing up for the afternoon, they could talk there over coffee.
Jooheon wondered if he could get away with going home before Hyungwon was ready. Tell him that his stomach was bothering him so this meeting needed to be another day. But Jooheon stayed where he was. He was still curious about what Hyungwon wanted to say.
“Do you like sugar in your coffee?” Hyungwon’s light airy voice filled the now empty cafe.
“Yes,” Jooheon replied. “Milk also, please.”
Hyungwon nodded, pouring both into the mugs on the counter. He made his way over to the booth and placed a steaming cup of coffee and a slice of strawberry cake in front of Jooheon. “I hope you like it. I helped Hyunwoo make it this morning but after I realized I should have asked if you like strawberries or not.”
“I love strawberries,” Jooheon said, plunging his fork into his slice and taking a bite. “I really like it, thank you.”
Hyungwon smiled down at the table, pulling at one of the loose threads of his sweater. He was cute, Jooheon thought. He could understand why Hyunwoo was so in love with him.
“You know Hyunwoo tells me everything, right?” Hyungwon finally spoke up, his hands still fiddling with the sleeve of his sweater. “He told me he felt the spark with you.”
“I figured he would. I’m sorry.” Jooheon rubbed the back of his neck. “You don’t have anything to worry about. I know you’re together, so I’m not going to try to take him from you and r—”
“No, you should have a chance with your soulmate if you want it.” Hyungwon interrupted. “Hyunwoo and I talked about this last night. It’s unfair to both of you if I stop you guys from having a chance it you want it.”
“I—”
“You don’t have to give an answer now. You should probably talk to Hyunwoo first but he wants to try getting to know you better,” Hyungwon said before softly adding, “And so do I.”
Trembling hands reached out and took Jooheon’s hands in his own. Suddenly a zap of electricity raced through Jooheon’s body and he pulled away in shock. He looked at Hyungwon with wide eyes as a comforting warmth spread throughout his body. Hyungwon didn’t seem surprised.
“You’re also my—”
“Soulmate,” Hyungwon finished with a brighter smile than the one he had on his face before.
“How did you…” Jooheon trailed off, still looking at the other boy in shock.
Laying his arm flat, Hyungwon pulled up his sleeve to reveal the tattoo Jooheon had spotted the previous night. He ran his index finger over it with a sigh before looking into Jooheon’s eyes.
“I’m what some people call a late bloomer,” Hyungwon started explaining, a slight tremble evident in his voice. “When I turned twenty, a name didn’t appear on my wrist. I was heartbroken so I decided to try to seek help. I joined Hyunwoo’s support group, started seeing a therapist. I slowly started getting over the initial hurt. I started dating Hyunwoo and we were, still are, happy together.
“Over four years into the relationship I woke up with a name on my wrist. I got scared because I didn’t want to lose Hyunwoo, so I got this tattoo to cover it up. Lied to him for weeks that it was to symbolize me not having a name on my wrist. But when I told him the truth we both agreed that if I ever met my soulmate, I could have a chance at dating them as long as they agreed not to destroy my relationship with Hyunwoo.”
“So you expected this?” Jooheon asked. He took Hyungwon’s wrist in his hand and ran his thumb over the tattoo.
“I wasn’t fully sure,” Hyungwon admitted. “When Hyunwoo mentioned your name I brought up the possibility that you might be my soulmate. He wanted us to meet and become friends so I could have tested out the spark once I was comfortable. But neither of us expected that you would be Hyunwoo’s soulmate too.”
Jooheon took a sip of the coffee now that it had cooled down a bit. He wrapped his hands around the cup, watching the light brown liquid swirl while he thought things through. “So, what do we do now?”
“It’s up to you,” a voice said from the door of the kitchen. Hyunwoo made his way over to the table. “Sorry, Hyungwon wanted to talk to you first because he was your soulmate first.”
A blush dusted Hyungwon’s soft cheeks, “I did not,” he weakly protested as Hyunwoo slid into the booth next to him.
Hyunwoo snuck an arm around Hyungwon’s waist before turning to Jooheon. “I already really like you.”
“And I want to get to know you better,” Hyungwon added.
“So, if you’re willing to try this, we would both like to have a relationship with you.”
Jooheon thought for a moment. “How would this even work?”
“We’re not sure,” Hyunwoo answer honestly. “We figured we could take it slow, maybe go on a few dates first and figure things out as we go, only if you’re okay with it though.”
“I’d like to try,” Jooheon admitted. “I don’t know how well this would work but if I’m both of your soulmates it has to be for a reason.”
“I think we’ll be able to make it work,” Hyunwoo said, reaching out to take Jooheon’s hand in his own. A shock of electricity travelled up his arm and quickly dissolved into a warm pleasant feeling.
In that moment Jooheon knew Hyunwoo was probably right, they could make this work. They had to.