Chapter Text
By the time that a human reach their 18th birthday , in some distorted and strange way of fate all individuals come to possess a creature who generally has the same personality as their soulmate , their small and big personality traits , their tastes and their particularities . And this little creature would be his mate and friend until the individual found his other half .
And it was never strange to anyone , after a few generations where everyone woke up with a new breathing being snuggled by their side , the arrival of their creature became a sign of a future promised by fate .
Dahyun , however , always questioned the logic of this cosmic prank , always asking herself the meaning of taking care of another life when her partner's name on her wrist could bring such convenience , but it never meant that just like everyone else , she was exempt from Anxiety to know at least a piece of how her relationship with her better half would be .
' Unnie , it's tomorrow ' walking faster than her legs allowed , Dahyun entered her older sister's room with a big smile on her face.
" Anxious ?" Seulgi asked in a kind voice, looking at her younger sister with a big smile on her face.
" Fuck yes !!" she mumbled with a small smile on her face, not paying attention to the older's repressive look. Ignoring the irony of her big, cool sister being shy with a simple curse word .
" When will Irene Unnie be back ?" Looking carefully at the floor , the younger one took careful steps , afraid to hurt the creature that belonged to her sister .
''In a week '' she said tearfully , burying her face between the various pillows on her bed , and before Dahyun had the time to laugh she noticed with a thoughtful look the little rabbit that was sleeping on the floor running to her eldest sister bed , impatiently waiting to be picked up .
"I never understood why she came back ," she said casually , leaving her hand a few inches from the small animal, waiting to receive permission to pet her little head .
‘' When I found her my little rabbit disappeared , because for the first time in my life I had Joohyun with me.'’ She began to respond , placing the little animal on the bed , watching it leaping until it was snuggled in her lap , as if comforting her by the distance between the two .
'' And now she's traveling and I haven't seen her for over a week , obviously I miss her '' Rising gently with the little rabbit in her lap Seulgi walked to the shorter girl, resting her hand gently on her shoulder looking lovingly into her eyes . '' Dahyun finding your soul mate is like breathing clean air for the first time after spending years trapped in a stuffy room , thats why she's back ! because she will always come back to me Dahyun , either as a small animal or as the woman I love '.'
‘’ Sweet dreams , my love ’’ And the little kiss placed on the younger girl's soft cheek was enough to make her leave the room with a lighter heart , ready for the next day .
Maybe not as ready for the next day as she expected
Running desperately around the house , she stopped in front of her older sister's room , knocking frantically on the door , her heart pounding and her hands sweating , because deep down she already knew that the woman inside the room had no guilt or participation in her despair .
'' What's going on ?'' Perhaps if the situation had been different , Dahyun would have taken her sweet time to laugh at the older one desperate expression and messy hair , but the heaviness in her stomach kept any other thoughts from entering her mind.
‘’ That's not funny Seulgi ! Whose other creature is it?'' She pointed exasperated at the two small animals that had followed her down the corridor .
‘’ Dahyun ’' Seulgi sighed in surprise , kneeling on the floor staring in wonder at the little creatures , while the younger girl was across the hall pressed against the wall , too scared to process any kind of information .
Reaching out gently Seulgi stroked the soft fur of the little squirrel , extending her finger to the little raccoon laughing softly as she watched him hold only the tip of her finger , even though the little animal was using both paws .
‘’ Dahyun I know it's rare , but you may have more than one soul mate’’ The soft noise of the small footsteps echoing down the corridor was enough to silence the older girl's phrase .
" Unnie " the whimpering whisper was enough to wake up the protective instincts of the older woman who hurried to the younger , engulfing her in a protective embrace.
'' Unnie is here , it's going to be all right '’ Seulgi squeezed her sister in her arms , frightenedly watching the little penguin standing in the middle of the corridor , watching everything shyly .
"I should call Joohyun , wait here " Dahyun observed without reaction Seulgi running into the room , searching desperately for her cell phone .
Waiting is easy , extremely easy , Dahyun thought , yet no one had ever warned her to wait pressed against a wall scared because of the cutest creatures she had ever seen . However , the little penguin's soft wailing sound made her heart leap inside her chest , but before she could take any action she noticed that the other two creatures walked swiftly toward the startled penguin , circling him gently .
And before she could get out of her stupor , the little penguin was already awkwardly walking towards her , shyly touching her leg and resting her small body against it. Gently lowering herself , Dahyun realized that the other two creatures were quickly approaching her , in a completely opposite way to the little penguin , the Korean noticed the little squirrel slipping near her foot , settling between the raccoon that seemed more than happy being engulfed between the other two creatures and Dahyun's leg
'‘I think everything will be all right unnie ’’.
To say that the whole situation was at least funny would be an understatement , although the three animals were extremely cute , nothing and no one in the world would have prepared Dahyun for the shock and surprise that would be waking up to three large pairs of eyes watching her. Obviously her first thought that this whole situation was just a big joke made by her best friend and sister vanished as soon as she got out of bed .
Creatures represent the primordial essence of the individual destined to be their dearest half , so one of their basic instincts has always been faithfulness and attraction toward their soulmate . So when rising in a burst and realizing that the little animals were still trying to follow her around the room , Dahyun was absolutely sure she was destined for each of them .
Nothing would erase from her memory the pain she felt when she tried to hold seulgi’s rabbit without her permission . That bitch is faithful .
Some time later
" Joohyun returns today " Seulgi's soft voice roused her from her reverie , her thoughts still trapped in the three little animals .
" She will bring some friends, they will explain your situation better " She continued softly , entering the room and sitting on the bed .
" They like you " Dahyun commented lightly , noticing the little raccoon and squirrel going to her sister's lap. The penguin , however , was still lying snuggled in her lap.
‘' They ?'’ Asked Seulgi with a mocking smile .
‘’ My soulmate Unnie ’’
‘’ Don’t forget the plural Dahyun ’’
‘’ yeh yeh ’’ responded absentle , lightly petting the penguin's belly .
" How are you sure these three cutenesses will be womens ?" Asked Seulgi still with a roguish smile on her face, apparently enjoying the possible suffering of her sister .
" They have genitals unnie " she said seriously , watching the older one as if she had just asked the stupidest thing in the world.
‘’ah’’
" Don't tell me that until the day you found Joohyun unnie you got nervous thinking your soulmate could be a boy?" She asked in disbelief , automatically reaching her hand for the little creatures still in her sisters lap.
‘’No!’’
‘’ Unnie ’’
‘’I don't want to talk about it!’’
Before Dahyun could seize the opportunity to pester her older sister once again . the sound of knocking echoed throughout the house , arousing the youngest of her euphoric state .
‘’ Don't be nervous , they're kind ’’
'Come with me'' reaching out towards the creatures , Dahyun watched closely as the three little ones seemed to orbit around themselves , how the squirrel and raccoon seemed to surround the little penguin in a protective way , the way how they fought each other with little jerks and low sounds of complaint , but even with all this they always end up turning toward each other .
‘’Are you going to take them ?’’
" If I leave any of the three here , they'll complain until they are together ," she replied absently , watching the little squirrel climb her hand and arm until she reached her shoulder snuggling in as Dahyun walked .
'' Ohhh look at that Dahyun '' pointed Seulgi extremely excited , like a little child earning her favorite candy . As the raccoon rested contentedly in one hand , the little penguin stubbornly tried to slip into the pocket of her sweatshirt , dragging her little body until her entire front was covered in Dahyun's sweatshirt pocket, with only the little paws swaying as the corean walked .
" She is shy unnie " she replied with a laugh , noting that trying to pull the little animal by its paw only seemed to give the pinguin even more willpower to hide from the likely visitors .
" Wait a second ," shouted Seulgi with a big smile on her face.
"Go ahead , I'll drink some water ," Dahyun grumbled shyly as she noticed the shadows on the other side of the door , although she was always outgoing and talkative , it was extremely usual that she needed a few seconds alone to prepare her mind with the idea of being surrounded by other people .
The sound of her Joohyun unnie's and her sister's voice coming from the room was enough to calm her heart , even though the sound of three strange voices brought some anxiety to it. With slow steps Dahyun realized with irony that she had laughed at the little penguin hidden in her sweatshirt pocket, when in reality she also wanted to be snuggled inside , away from new eyes .
‘’ Honey ’’
‘’ Unniee !!’’ Laughing like a small child seeing her crush for the first time, the younger girl made quick strides towards the older one , momentarily forgetting the visitors who watched her curiously .
‘’Come here ’’ snuggling into the arms of her favorite unnie , Dahyun allowed herself to relax some more.
‘’ Dahyun ’’ hearing the solemn tone of her older sister , she walked slowly away , shyly looking at the three unknown women .
''Girls, this is my little sister Dahyun !’’ Watching the visitors closely Dahyun noticed that she was the younger one present , shyly looking away as she realized that she was being analyzed .
'' This is Jihyo , she studies with wannie '' turning her gaze to the woman her sister indicated , Dahyun felt her cheeks turn slightly red with the look directed at her , large brown eyes gazing at her gently , eyes that seemed to contain all the wisdom in the world.
‘’ This is Nayeon ’’ Deep brown eyes and a playful little smile on her face, Dahyun was sure at the first moment that she wasn't a woman to contain her words .
‘’ And finally , this is Jeongyeon !!’’ with a soft smile on her face the younger Korean was sure that underneath her cool personality the brunette was actually a gentle soul.
" It's a pleasure to meet you all " She replied in a low voice , bowing in respect to the older ones .
'’Come on , let's settle into the dineroom ’’ Slowly following the older women , Dahyun had time to analyse the dynamics between the three new women , although they were not glued to each other at all times, all three seemed to be aware of what was happening in the environment .
" They are soulmates Dahyun " Seulgi said softly , sitting next to her sister on the couch . Bracing one hand on her girlfriend's knee while the other patted the younger girl's back lightly .
To say that she was surprised would be a lie, given the context of her current situation . Dahyun imagined that the visitors would have gone through the same situation she was currently living. However , Dahyun felt the weight of three small animals against her body , not just two , even if they could offer useful clues about what to do, that would not be enough to totally ease her anxiety .
‘' Is it a penguin ?’' Listening to the soft voice directed towards her Dahyun nodded delicately , trying to pull the little animal out of her sweatshirt pocket, still unsuccessful .
" She's shy , but these two are more outgoing ," she said trying to reach the small squirrel that was still resting on her shoulder , shuffled between her sweatshirt and her hair . And after a minute of silence Dahyun noticed the look of shock and surprise on the visitors ' faces.
‘’ hnmm ?’’ Muttering slightly the younger girl directed her attention to her sister , noting that she was staring the floor shyly .
‘’ Seulgi darling , can I talk to you for a moment ?’’ Listening to the older girl's extremely sweet tone . Dahyun was sure Joohyun wasn't exactly happy about her girlfriend's apparent omission .
As the two older women headed toward the bedroom , Dahyun noticed the curious gaze of the three visitors .
" How are you ?" Jihyo's soft, welcoming tone was enough for the younger to feel her defenses crumbling slowly , as if she had known the older one for years and years of her life .
''like shit '' she answered simply , noting that her little creatures seemed to have sensed her mood . The little raccoon climbing her arm to rest on her lap , the little squirrel hurrying down the sweatshirt stopping beside the raccoon . But the biggest surprise was the little penguin struggling to get out of her sweatshirt pocket.
' How cute ' diverting her attention from the three puppies now lying on her lap , Dahyun realized that Nayeon was staring at the animals with a big smile on her face.
"Do you want to hold one of them ?" Dahyun asked shyly as she patted the three little ones .
"Do they let anyone but you to hold them ?" Asked Jeongyeon skeptically , staring at the younger one with an air of doubt .
" They'll go with unnie without a problem " She replied quickly , holding the squirrel in one hand while the raccoon rested on her other palm , extending her arms toward the three women .
Laughing at the look of excitement on Nayeon's face, the younger girl realized with a tightness in her chest that the two little ones looked slightly frightened at the hands of the two unknown women , but at the same time they seemed excited about the new source of affection they were receiving .
" What about her ?" Realizing that Jihyo focused her gaze on the penguin still resting on her lap , Dahyun raised one of her hands gently while the other still supported the small animal's back .
" You can try ," S he said hesitantly , fearing that the little animal would be startled by Jihyo's presence .
To her surprise , however , the eldest did not attempt to hold the little creature in her lap , only letting her palm close to the animal, allowing it to slowly approach, caressing it gently .
" They're perfect ," said Jeongyeon absently , laughing at the energy of the little raccoon playing in her lap.
‘’ Dahyun , we need to talk ’’ for the first time Seulgi's serious tone was enough to distract the attention of everyone in the room .
Although the three new women had more experience than the other three in the room regarding multiple soulmates , the conversation was not enough to allay the insecurities Dahyun still carried even after being with the little creatures for a month .
They had known each other since childhood , the story of the three reverberated for years and years as a love that grew naturally over time, an affection that did not arise simply by the appearance of their animals , but because they already loved each other since the very first moment .
" But Dahyun darling , that doesn't mean you will love your three soul mates from the moment you meet them ," answered Jeongyeon softly as she noted the younger girl's insecurity .
'' Exactly ! knowing the person you're meant for'' softly scratching her own cheek when she noted her own mistake , Joohyun continued to speak ignoring her girlfriend's teasing look. ‘’ In your case three soulmates ! but that doesn't mean that you will feel a complete and devoted love right away .
'' When you meet the three or even any of them separately , you will feel a single connection, as if everything suddenly makes a little more sense and the world is not as lonely as it used to be before . '' Joohyun continued softly , caressing the younger's hand gently .
‘’ But that doesn't mean all your problems will be solved young lady’’
" That's the reason for your insecurity isn't it?" Nayeon asked with a small smile on her face, as if finally descovering the reason behaind the younger girl's disturbance .
Without even needing confirmation , Seulgi let out a small breath , feeling partly guilty for not realizing the reason for her sister's discomfort before . ‘‘I know how you feel about it and I should have figured it out before , forgive me’’. Putting a little kiss on her sister's forehead she returned to her previous spot, speaking firmly , but with the same kind eyes as ever .
‘‘ Having a soul mate does not mean that everything will be all right , nor that your destiny will be written in stone , it means that you have found someone who completes you ’’ said extending her hand gently until she found her younger sister hand . ‘’ But it's up to you to do the hard work , because as much as the universe has destined you to be with these women , you will be the one responsible for making it work , just like any other relationship ’ ’.
‘‘ Loving someone does not bind you in chains , does not deprive you of living, but loving is also not an eternal paradise for the rest of your days . Love is having someone who understands you and is by your side during moments that you don't even want to be by your side , loving is persisting and insisting on even the most difficult moments ’’
" Thank you , unnie " letting out a tired sigh Dahyun allowed her body weight to slip , allowing her older sister to offer her the necessary support . Her older sister would always offer her the support she needed .