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Minho was six when he learned about soulmates for the first time. His class teacher had said they were going to have a very special lesson, and once they had sat down quietly on the rug, she had told them the story of the string.
Over centuries, the tale had been warped. Sometimes red,sometimes gold, it tied around one of your fingers and it would stretch however far it took to reach your soulmate. Somewhere in the world, there was somebody bound to you, to love you forever, your perfect match.
His teacher had said you can't see the string, only feel it, the slight tug at all times. It only shows itself when your soulmate is close, to let people follow it. You can't get rid of your string, and it will never disappear.
"It's fate. Everyone living has a perfect pair. It's how the world stays in harmony."
Minho wasn't sure how to feel. On the one hand, the idea of there being someone to love him regardless was beautiful. Kids were cruel, he wasn't very popular, but knowing that there's somebody who will be there for him no matter what, it's an undefeatable reassurance.
On the other hand, there's so many things to be cautious of. What if his soulmate thinks he's weird or doesn't like him? What if he doesn't like his soulmate? What if his soulmate is a horrible person? What happens if he loves someone else?
The perfect pairing, yet there's so many worries to come from it. The other kids don't seem so worried, yelling excitedly about how they're going to be the best soulmates, declaring each other soulmates already, tying strands of ribbon to one another. Minho is left unsettled, his head and heart conflicting. He could only describe the feeling as strange.
His thoughts are interrupted by the teacher setting up their maths lesson, so he walks back to his set and drags his mind away.
-
Minho is thirteen when he sees the strings for the first time. It's a few days after his birthday, when an odd flickering makes him awaken. What greets him can only be described as a golden spider web. Strands tangled together, bright and glittery, but as Minho reaches out to touch them, he's startled to see the other ends tied around his hands. Three on his left, four on his right, yet Minho can't touch them, stunned when his hand passes through.
Seven strings. Seven soulmates. That was impossible, though. First things first, he shouldn't be able to see the strings, only if his soulmate,no,soulmates,were close, but the way they stretch out seems like that can't be the case. Secondly, he's only ever been told that soulmates are pairs, two people, one string, one way to go. More than one string would already be strange, so the golden tangle is almost terrifying to Minho.
When he opens up his curtains, he realises the extent of his peculiar situation. Strings, golden strings just like his own shoot up into the sky or through walls. A couple walks by and he watches their string blow gently in the wind between their hands.
He doesn't just see his own string. He can see everyones.
Running over to the family computer (he's never been more grateful that he's on school break), he quickly opens up the internet, clumsily typing in "seeing other peoples soulmate strings" and tapping his hand against the table as he waits for results to load.
There are few reported occurrences of individuals with the ability to see their string permanently, along with those of other people. The earliest recorded String-Seer is the legend of Lee Jung-Il, a young boy who supposedly was able to help the emperor find his soulmate from crowds of women trying to wed him. Since the myth, several people have claimed to have the ability, though none have been proven.
When Minho searches for Lee Jung-Il, he's met with the same myth, along with several records proving the man's existence. The other people who claim this ability are all other men with the surname Lee, with many claiming they first saw strings at age thirteen.
Ok, so Minho most likely has some kind of bloodline ability that lets him see everyone's soulmates. Great.
His searches about multiple soulmate strings are less comforting. Several myths come up, saying that having multiple soulmates is a curse, that anyone with multiple soulmates should be killed to keep the world in balance. One myth talks of a man with two women as soulmates, and when they found out he had another, they killed themselves, leaving the man alone. Another talks of a woman with so many men for soulmates, they hunt and kill her, calling her a whore for simply being gifted with several strings. A number of other horrifying, tragic myths pop up, but Minho can read no more,
A burden, a curse, a plague. Inhuman, unnatural, he's a monster. He will ruin people's lives. It's not like he can do anything though, the strings bound to him like a tumour. He can only stare at their elegant golden glow, almost mocking him, and weep. He is cursed. He has a curse of many strings and a curse of having to watch them, gold swarming his vision until he feels like he could collapse.
It doesn't help that when his parents come home, he watches their strings fly away from each other, despite their desperate claims of being soulmates.
He stopped having faith in soulmates at thirteen too.
—
Minho was seventeen when he met his first soulmate.
His highschool years so far were miserable to say the least. While he wasn't exactly unpopular, he didn't necessarily try to be liked either. He was too cautious, always paranoid that someone would somehow find out and spill everything. He kept to himself, and that was fine. Sure, he might be a little lonely, but he was safe.
Besides, he'd given up on friends the same way he'd given up on soulmates. He'd tried a few times during his first year to get along with people, but things were always tense when their soulmates stumbled into the equation. The way he'd have to watch as everything turned out perfectly for them, it was torture. It felt like the seven strands were burning his fingers away, glowing red hot every time his eyes fell on another completed string.
His first soulmate came in the form of a boy called Kim Seungmin. It wasn't anything intentional, there wasn't a grand magical moment. It was honestly less than ideal. Between periods, the hallway between the science labs and the dance studio was painfully crowded. You needed shoulders of steel and razor-tipped elbows to make it through without being late. Luckily, Minho had managed to reach the other side before the chaos could truly begin. Unluckily, however, was that the moment he reached the other side, a powerful force seemed to tug him backwards.
It was unlike anything he'd felt before, there was no physical contact but he hit the ground hard, leading to several other students getting pushed back by him too. Nobody tried to get him up, most huffing or mumbling in an annoyed manner, stepping around him. When Minho went to stand, he reached a hand out to push himself up.
It was glowing.
Wrapped around his middle finger on his right hand was a glowing string. Its initial golden colour was now white, almost blindingly bright. He rushed to stand, staring at his hand and the way it looped back. The crowds had started to form, and he could barely see the string's path, but as he traced it back, his eyes locked with a boy.
Fluffy brown hair and warm looking eyes were what Minho met. The boy seemed slightly taller than him, a shocked expression sitting above other passing students. Both of them were frozen in place. For Minho, this was the worst case scenario.
After finding out he had multiple strings, Minho had come up with a simple plan to avoid getting hurt at all costs. Avoid soulmates in general. If he never had to confront them about anything,he'd never have to explain how he was a freak of nature, a monster. If nobody knew, he could never be rejected. If he felt a tug or shift in one of the strings, he would run.
He'd been so caught up in the chaos of the new school year, of trying to make it past lost first years, that he hadn't even noticed the change. Still, looking into the eyes of the boy across the hall, he was filled with a paralysing fear. The very thing he'd been trying to avoid was within a metre of him. If the boy stepped any closer, he'd realise it surely, that Lee Minho was a curse.
So he ran. He spun on his feet and bolted down the corridor. When he reached the dance studio, the bell was just ringing when he slammed the door behind him, sliding against the wall. His classmates gave him some odd looks, but his teacher was more sympathetic, telling him to sit to the side and join in when he's ready.
Minho spent the time he was given preparing to be hurt. He isn't normal. Whoever this boy is will realise it immediately. He'll finally be seen by everyone for the curse he is, and then what? Kicked out, maybe. Left to rot in the streets. So for now, all he can do is dance, and wait for the inevitable.
The boy knows exactly where to find him at lunch. Minho’s been under this tree during lunchtimes for as long as he's been at this school, it's become a safe place for him, where he can avoid everyone. It makes sense that his safe spot would be where everything falls apart.
Minho doesn't look up when he hears the boy sit down next to him. The string is almost buzzing at their proximity, the white glow overwhelmingly bright.
"You're like me, aren't you? That's why you ran."
Minho’s throat closes up. What?
"I have more than one string too. Seven, including you."
They fall back into a tense form of silence. Minho doesn't know what to say, and he can only presume that the other boy feels the same. Wind rustles through the branches above them.
"We aren't monsters. They tell us we are, that these strings make us lesser humans. We aren't. Our hearts are just too big for one person, too much love to make just one string."
There are tears running down Minho's face, but he's still got nothing to say. The boy leans his head on Minho’s shoulder.
"This is who we are, soulmate. We can't run from it."
"Minho. My name is Lee Minho, and I'm not going to run now."
"Kim Seungmin. I'm glad."
For the first time since he saw the strings, Lee Minho doesn't run. He finds that Kim Seungmin doesn't either.
-
Minho was eighteen when he met his second soulmate.
It was almost a year after he met Seungmin for the time, and he's found that the younger is a very welcomed presence in his life. His soulmate is able to match his sarcastic wit and while neither of them are necessarily romantics, they’re happily in love. Seungmin is a steady presence, and he’s learning to get better with the idea of soulmates, to be comfortable with the strings around his fingers.
On the first day of his final year of highschool, he’s met at his locker with hands around his shoulder. His boyfriend isn’t exactly the clingy type, but it’s welcomed. They aren’t going to be able to spend much time together for the day, as second years are being asked to help show around the new first years, including for their lunch period. Minho is fine with it, he’s grateful for quiet time, he just hopes that Seungmin isn’t stuck with someone horrible.
He’s in his Korean literature class when it happens. His hand is being tugged at again. His eyes shoot down to his hand, and he watches in amazement as two strings wrap around each other, twisting together in a spiral. It’s terrifying and amazing at the same time, moreso when he realises one of the strings is his right middle finger. Seungmin met one of his soulmates. Him and Seungmin share a soulmate.
It’s impossible to focus for the rest of the hour, knowing that somewhere out there, another one of his soulmates is near, is within the same building as him. When the bell rings to end class, he practically runs out of the room, frantically following the string, but he’s swarmed by a rush of students, and he can barely make it through the halls. At one point, he gives up, and heads to his spot out by the tree. He knows, realistically, that Seungmin will find him at the end of the day, that he’ll meet their other soulmate eventually, but sue him for being excited.
He sets himself down and pulls his lunch out, pushing away his excitement for now and trying to eat calming. He starts to wonder. His-no, their soulmate is a first year, most likely, seeing as that’s who Seungmin has been with for the entire day. Do they know that Seungmin has another soulmate? Do they have other soulmates? If they have seven strings too, does that mean that he’s part of some web, some giant loop of soulmates?
“Hyung!”
He’s broken out of his stupor by the yell and his hand being tugged again. Seungmin is rushing over, holding hands with another boy. There’s a wide grin on his face, and the other boy is almost amazed, practically being dragged by Seungmin. The string on his ring finger is glowing that same blinding white as it did with Seungmin’s.
The boy is nearly as tall as Seungmin, his eyes are sharp, almost fox-like, but there’s a softness to him. When Seungmin grips on to Minho in a tight hug, he just stands there, that same shock still present on his face. Minho stands up and moves over to the boy, a warm smile gracing his own face too.
The boy is the first to speak.
“This…is real. It’s real, it’s actually real…” His hands are shaking, but Minho can’t tell in what way he’s saying it. All he can do is nod, watching for any indication of feeling. Suddenly though, he’s swarmed with a hug, the boy clinging onto him, and Minho can feel tears soaking into his shirt.
“I thought I was crazy. When I felt more than one pull I thought I was hallucinating or something because people don’t have multiple strings, it’s just a myth. When I met Seungmin and he said that he had more than one too, I didn’t even believe it. And then I see you, and the string and just knowing that it’s real is just…you’re real.” “I am. I am real, and I am so happy you’re real too.”
Seungmin’s arms wrap around them both, and they just stand there for a while as the youngest sobs, Minho stroking his hand through his dark hair. When his sobs settle down, Minho pulls away slightly, and gently wipes the tears from his face.
“What’s your name, soulmate?” “I’m Jeongin.” “Well, Jeongin, what do you feel about skipping the afternoon with me? I wanna learn more about you, and Minnie has been keeping you to himself?”
Seungmin stutters out surprisedly, trying to defend himself while also arguing against Minho’s plans, but Jeongin just takes a hold of Minho’s hand, giggling slightly. Seungmin sighs reluctantly, grumbling about throwing him under the bus if they get caught. He’s shut up quickly when Minho kisses his cheeks, and they both laugh at the way his cheeks bloom with red.
Despite all his fears about multiple soulmates, the three of them together couldn’t feel more perfect.
-
Minho was nineteen when he got kicked out.
For the entire summer after his graduation, he’s been stressing out about his application. He’d gone for a full ride dance scholarship, and while he still had a strong chance at getting it, everything was riding on it. Without this scholarship, he had no secure future. His boyfriends were trying their best to ease his nerves the entire summer, though they could always tell something was wrong.
It was still one of the best summers of his life. Having both Seungmin and Jeongin with him was fun. Even if they couldn’t necessarily be romantic, just having more time to be together was amazing. It was odd to Minho, how right everything felt. How every moment that they spent together was just so perfect. It wasn’t always ideal. Seungmin was stressed about his transition into his last year, and Jeongin was too, even more so since he was skipping a year. He’d tried his best to comfort the both of them, but his own stress wasn’t helping.
The morning he got the letter, he ran his way to Seungmin’s house. Seungmin’s parents were the only ones who knew of them being soulmates, and luckily, they were kinder than most about it. There had been many tears during their conversation, but it had all been fine in the end. Their house had been designated as a safe space, somewhere they were free to be soulmates.
Seungmin and Jeongin held hands as he opened the letter. It took a while, his hands shaking furiously. Unfolding the paper, his eyes scanned the words written.
‘Dear Lee Minho
We here at SNU have the great pleasure of awarding you with a four year scholarship to our Dance program. All expenses, including education, accomodation and food will be provided through the school funding scheme’
His eyes filled with gleeful tears and his boyfriends clung tightly to him. His cheeks were peppered with kisses and laughter filled the air. He’d done it. It almost seemed too good to be true.
Unfortunately, he didn’t know how true that would be.
Stepping into his house, he expected to be celebrating getting his scholarship. He didn’t expect to have a phone shoved furiously into his face, his mother demanding he explain himself. After his initial shock, he reached for the phone before his face paled. It was a message from one of the women who lived on his street, a friend of his mothers. All they had sent was a video of the three of them together. He remembers the day vividly, they had just been messing around in the far side of the park, sharing kisses and forgetting about their worries. He had no idea that anyone had even seen them, but just watching it, he knew what this meant.
His parents were furious. His mother was screaming at him, demanding an explanation for what was going on. His father stood in the corner, saying nothing, but with his face full of anger. As he tearfully explained his situation, he had to watch their faces morph further into disgust and appallment. By the end of his explanation, he simply had to stand there, devastated in silence. Nobody made an effort to move, or to even say anything, just standing there in silence.
His father was the first to do something, stepping forward to stand in front of Minho, that same vile fury gracing his face.
SMACK!
The slap came almost unexpectedly, Minho staggering back into the kitchen counter. His father gripped onto his shirt collar, yanking him forward to scream at him. “Get out! I will not tolerate a freak of nature in this household. How dare you call yourself our son!”
Minho could only pull himself away tearfully, rushing to his room. He could only wonder how such a good day could turn sour so quickly, struggling to pack through the tears. His bags were filled with anything he could fit, anything he might need for the rest of his life. The letter sat on his desk all the while, almost taunting him. How could he gain and lose everything all on the same day?
When he left, his parents wouldn’t even look at him, he just had to stumble out into the cool night, and walk away from all he knew. He clutched the acceptance letter tightly, his only chance left at making his future. Stumbling tearfully through the night, he found his way back to Seungmin’s house. When his boyfriend opened the door, despite his confusion, he instantly pulled the elder into his arms, letting him sob all he needed.
Seungmin held Minho through his explanation, and held him for the rest of the night. Minho wasn’t sure how he could be so lucky, that despite the nightmare he was going through, he still had people care about him. Seungmin’s parents agreed to let him stay for the summer until he went to university, though he doubted they would have turned him away regardless.
After that, summer seems to fly by. It’s a rush of buying new things for his dorm and preparing for life on his own. His soulmates are by his side the entire time, clinging on to the time they have with him in such close proximity. Moving day seems to come by in a flash, bags packed and his details all ready. The train station is bustling with people heading into Seoul for the new school year, and his boyfriends are refusing to let go of him. The mood is bittersweet. Of course Minho is excited for the prospect of his future, but almost a year of being away from his soulmates is devastating. There are tearful promises to call every day, and stretched out embraces, but as final announcements are made, Minho is forced to board, sitting down and watching his lovers hold each other, trying their best to hide their tears. All he can do is wave as the train starts to pull away, and the next part of his life starts.
University is a whole new world for Minho. Compared to highschool, it’s heaven. Instead of reluctant teenagers who can barely bother to move, the people around him are just as passionate about dance as he is, and just as talented. Being around people who get him is wonderful. There’s no need for him to struggle with subjects he dislikes, he just gets to dance, and talk about dance and it’s a blessing. He’s quick to make friends, and for the first time, he meets other people with abnormal strings. There are other people with multiple strings and people without strings entirely. He still doesn’t tell anyone he can see them, but it’s fascinating to see that he isn’t alone.
Despite this, there’s still a hole in his heart. Sometimes, in the middle of an early morning lecture or in the dead of night, he looks to his right hand and stares at the interlocked strings. Sometimes he’ll tug the two strings, and sometimes he’ll be tugged back. It’s their way of showing love across the miles. Sure, they call and text constantly, but that physical tie to each other has never been more comforting.
There’s another major change to their strings too. One morning, Minho is awoken by a faint tugging at his left hand. At first, he thinks it means another soulmate is near him, but when his eyes fall on the strings, he realises they’re not tugging at him, but at each other. Like Seungmin and Jeongin’s strings had appeared to do before, the three strands on his right hand have wrapped together in a beautiful golden braid. Jeongin has messaged him already, asking if he felt something weird with his strings. He responds ambiguously, not trying to give things away, but stares back at the strings again. Minho smiles. Somewhere out there, there’s a trio just like him, Jeongin and Seungmin. Someday, he’ll find them too.
The year seems to fly by, despite the long hours of rehearsal and stress induced sleepless nights from papers and group projects. After he finishes his last final, Seungmin and Jeongin stay on call with him for the entire night. They’re still awaiting their university letters, but Minho has full faith in both of them. His end of year showcase is that Saturday, and he dances his heart out, a piece inspired by the longing felt for his soulmates, both the ones far away, and the ones he hasn’t met. It’s only when the audience breaks into applause that he sees them. Jeongin and Seungmin are right there in the front row, almost obscured by the bouquet of flowers across their laps. Once the showcase is over, he tackles them in a hug the moment he sees them, overcome with love. He was surprised completely, they hadn’t made any indication they even thought of coming to Seoul, but to have them there, watching his effort come to fruition, made all the waiting worth it.
It’s an early Tuesday morning when he’s woken by an incoming call from Seungmin. He watches them nervously pacing, two envelopes on the table in front of him. Their university response letters must have come through. Though Minho will be proud of them regardless, deep down, he’s praying to whatever god that can hear him that they get in. He desperately wants them close by, to hold them in his arms as much as he wants. They all hold their breath, and the letters are opened.
“I got in.”
“I got in!”
Minho watches as smiles cross their faces and they hug each other tight, laughing happily. They talk for a while more, the younger pair beyond excited. They end, being able to ‘Say you soon’ and mean it, and it feels like all the waiting was finally worth it to Minho.
-
It’s only a few weeks later, still nineteen, that Minho meets his third and fourth soulmates.
Their third soulmate comes to them a week before the new semester starts. His boyfriends have settled into their own dorm (though Minho has come to terms with the fact that most of the time they’ll be here instead). He’s just waking up, having slept until midday, when he hears the door to his dorm slam open. He blearily stumbles out of bed, rubbing at his eyes, not even having noticed the way three strings on his right hand have wrapped into a similar braid.
Jeongin and Seungmin are whisper-yelling at each other about being quieter because ‘We don’t even know if he’s awake!’ Between them is a tall, slender boy, a nervous expression across his face. His hair is blond and falls to his shoulder. Pretty is the first word Minho can think of to describe him. He seems almost skittish at first, and he’s also the first to notice Minho in the doorway. The boy gently taps at Seungmin’s shoulder, and he turns to face him, before turning to Minho, a cautious expression on his face. Both of them shut up quickly, and Minho lets a smirk fall onto his face.
“So, where’d these idiots find you?”
Jeongin and Seungmin immediately start to protest, but the tall boy just laughs nervously. When he speaks, Minho thinks faintly that even his voice is pretty.
“The extracurricular fair. Dragged me away from it really.” The other two instantly jump to defend themselves, but between their various protests, Minho catches one in particular.
“He was being hit on by some creep,hyung!” At this Minho holds out his hold, and they all quiet down. He raises an eyebrow.
“What’s this about being hit on?” The tall boy ducks his head, nervously. “It was nothing really, nothing to worry about.”
Seungmin scoffs, shaking his head.
“You were uncomfortable, and he was a weirdo.” Nothing is said, so Minho gestures for someone to continue. Seungmin takes it upon himself.
“Me and Innie had arrived late and were together when we saw another string appear. At that point, everything was forgotten and we’re just sprinting through the hall. We make it to the art booth and we see Hyunjin and some guy. He’s getting really close and Hyunjin is obviously uncomfortable, so Jeongin basically sprints up, comes up with some excuse about ‘looking for him everywhere’ and basically just runs. From there we basically came straight here.”
Hyunjin, as Minho has learned, seems even more nervous at this point. He’s fidgeting with his hands and looking away. Minho steps closer, and looks up at him, reaching a hand out.
“Well, Hyunjin, I’d definitely classify that as something to worry about.” The other boy just keeps his head tilted down, muttering out an ‘’m sorry…'
Minho reaches his hand towards Hyunjin’s face, tilting it upward and forcing the boy to look into his eyes.
“It’s not your fault that you’re gorgeous, Hyunjin. It just means we’ll have to keep you close, doesn’t it?” The younger nods gently, his cheeks filling with a warm pink.
There were more events for the freshman that day, though none of them attended them. They learn more about their newest soulmate, and Minho is thrilled to find out he’s a dance major too. Hyunjin gets nervous when Minho asks to see him dance, but shows them a video regardless. He’s got beautiful technique, his movements are elegant yet powerful, and Minho lavishes the younger with praise.
That night, as his soulmates gradually leave, Minho glances back at the golden braid that now sits on his right hand. There’s a braid on his left and right hands, and then one solitary string left, tied around his right pinky. He feels a deep sadness wash over him, knowing one of his soulmates is left all alone. Minho gently tugs the string on his pinky, and gently, just barely, he can feel it tug back. Who is their lone soulmate, and where are they?
He gets his answers a week later.
It's another Tuesday morning, the semester has barely started, and he has once again barely woken up. This time he at least had the time to start brewing a cup of coffee, and the liberty to feel the tug of the strings being pulled together, before the door slams open.
Hyunjin slams the door this time, though thankfully more gently, and his hand is intertwined with another. He's shorter than Hyunjin, though shares a similar slender form. The boy is smiling, he notes, warm and bright, like the sun. A scatter of freckles line his cheeks. Just as pretty as Hyunjin.
"Hyung! You'll never guess what happened"
Minho breaks out of his surprise at Hyunjin's words, but he's quick to fall into his usual teasing persona, though carefully, as he can't give things away.
"Well, Jinnie, I see a soulmate string that definitely wasn't visible before you arrived, so that might just tell me something about whoever this pretty thing you've brought here is."
Both Hyunjin and the boy flush pink, though for opposite reasons presumably. Minho smirks, but waits for them to decide between them who'll speak. The boy looks like he might say something, but Hyunjin beats him to it.
"Well, I go to my first dance session and I'm mildly terrified, but when I get to the door, another string appears! I'm freaking out and when I step in I see Lixie, all pretty and I'm about to go over to him because oh my god he's another one of my soulmates, but then the teacher comes in and starts class so I can't! I had to spend a whole hour watching him dance, and he's such a good dancer hyung! And I couldn't even talk to him! So the moment class was over-"
"You grabbed hold of him and dragged him all the way here."
Hyunjin flushes even more at that, and 'Lixie' giggles, making the other pout at him playfully. When his laughter dies down, their newest soulmate goes to speak.
"That's basically it. Though, I'm quite surprised that there's so many of us here."
Minho is almost taken aback by the boy's voice. For such an elegant face, his voice is deep and rich. Pushing it aside, Minho responds.
"I was too when you came through the door, though I do have to say I'm partly to blame for two of them."
Speak of the devil, the door slams open again (they're going to get him fined for damage soon) and Jeongin is rushing through the door, only to freeze on the spot to narrowly avoid knocking him over. Seungmin catches up behind the younger, carefully pushing the door shut.
"Hi? I'm Lee Felix, by the way, I realise I hadn't mentioned."
Five of them. Four people Minho had to love and cherish, and four people to love and cherish him back. Sometimes it felt like he didn't deserve it.
Three more years would come and go without change, and Minho was happier than ever. His boyfriends were the best part of his life, each with so much love to give, to him and each other. Sometimes what he loved most at the end of a long day was returning home to two of his lovers, cuddling on the sofa or arguing playfully as they worked. His dorm was never empty, always someone breathing light into what when he was younger dreaded would be a void for his time at university.
All this time, Minho still couldn't stop thinking. When nobody was around, he found himself looking at those three strands, still wrapped tight into a braid. Sometimes he wondered if they'd ever meet their other soulmates at all. He knew they'd share them. Five of them all connected was too much of a coincidence.No,call it intuition, but in the end, he knew there would only be eight. Eight was fate.
-
Minho was twenty-two when everything fell into place.
Freshly finished with his final examinations, officially, he was done with education. All he had left to do was perform at the end-of-year and senior showcases. No work left, however, meant that he had more time to relax. The day of his last exam, he and his boyfriends had gone out to celebrate at a BBQ restaurant, laughing the night away. It had been wonderful, and it was another memory to hold close.
Now, though, he was being taken out by the rest of his dance class. Some nightclub across the city was holding a free concert for all SNU graduates, and his class were fully expecting to take advantage of it. The club was packed, bodies pushed up against each other. Two drinks had been pushed into his hands already, and the concert hadn't even started.
When the lights dimmed, Minho felt the strongest pull he had in his life.
Three.
"We are 3Racha, let's get this party started!"
The braid on his left hand branched out to tie around the hands of the three men on stage. The three handsome, talented men, performing for hordes of people. Holy shit.
The first boy, the one who introduced them, was the leanest of the three, though he didn't lack muscle. His cheeks were round and his face was charming, cute but cocky at the same time. J.One.
The second was the shortest of the three, but by far the most muscular. He could rap incredibly quickly as well, and he carried himself with a confident posture. SpearB.
The final boy was clearly their leader, filled with the same confidence and strength as the other two, but you could tell by the way his eyes fell on the other two the level of concern he held toward them. Somehow he'd come across as almost shy at points though, clearly getting flustered when J.One flipped his shirt up to flash his impressive abs. CB97.
Together, they made up 3Racha, an underground rap trio and also apparently the soulmates he's been missing.
Minho could barely focus on the concert at that point. Between the screaming crowd, the buzz of the alcohol finally hitting his head and the weight of his newly realised information, everything seems to muddle together. His soulmates were here, just barely out of reach.
All of a sudden, he blinked, and the stage was empty, people pushing around him and heading to the doors. Frantically he looked around the room, trying to follow the strings but the tug was fading. A hand gripped onto his wrist, and one of his classmates started to pull him out of the building. Minho barely remembered muttering faintly about his soulmates, trying to pull away. The cool night air hit him suddenly, and he grew more desperate in trying to go search, to find their missing pieces. Another classmate gripped his other wrist and tried to pull him more. At this point, Minho only had one idea left. He did something he never had before.
He yanked the braid.
Distantly, he heard some surprised yells, and the sound of someone hitting pavement, before the rapid scrape of footsteps. He reached out one final time, barely catching a glimpse of who he thought was J.One appeared from behind the building, before the car pulled away.
That night, his boyfriends were met with a sobbing Minho, who collapsed into their arms. It was shocking, certainly, especially to Hyunjin or Felix, who had never seen Minho upset like. All he could do was mutter through the sobs.
"I saw them, I saw them and I lost them."
They all knew who "them" was referring to at that point. The others glanced at each other in shock, holding tightly onto their eldest lover as he cried himself to sleep.
The next morning, in a desperate bid to reduce his hangover (or was it to forget about the inexplicable grief?) Minho woke up early, and took a walk. Initially, his plan was to head to the dance studio and practise for the senior showcase. On his way there, his eyes fall onto the soulmate help board. He remembers it from his tour when he first arrived, and being told it was to help people find soulmates who had met without exchanging names, or other soulmate related issues. Minho had never bothered to take much notice, reading a few notes now and again. Today, though, there was something distinctly different. All question forms pinned up were on pale blue sheets of paper , made specifically for the board. In the centre now is a folded sheet of lined paper. For a reason he isn't sure of, Minho takes it off the board and starts to read.
To the maybe-drunk boy I saw getting pushed into the car by his friends.
I'm not even sure if you'll still be on campus to read this, but I had to try, even if the others think it's crazy. You were there at our show last night, and I saw you and our string in the crowd. I could tell the others felt you too. We tried to find you after but you were just gone. I wasn't sure if you were interested but then you tugged and I just knew.
If you are reading this now, or you know the person I'm talking about, please tell me. I know our situation might not seem normal, I know you might be scared or something but please just give me and my soulmates a try.
Love, J.One
Holy shit. Below the writing was a phone number, and Minho was quick to find the nearest bench and whip out his phone.
(8:57 am)
Hello?
I really hope this is J.One and that the note wasn't some prank
I was the boy who tugged your string
The response was almost immediate.
(8:58 am)
omg
is this for real?
please say you're not kidding pls pls
this is J.One, are you maybe-drunk boy.
I am
Though I wasn't drunk.
that's why i said maybe!
regardless oh my god!!!!
you're real
this is happening
just to be clear you get the whole multiple soulmates thing right
I do
There's four more too
I think you know that too though
holy FUCK channie hyung isn't going to believe this
ok ok focus
where are you rn?
or is that creepy
wait no that's stupid you're probably still near the board
or maybe not i dont know!
I am
Don't panic.
right right
do you know where bean day is? the coffee shop by the south entrance?
Yeah, I do.
Never been though, just in passing.
great! ok ok
im grabbing the others and sprinting there, would you meet me there?
i really wanna meet you
I'll see you there.
Minho shoves his phone into his pocket and runs. He almost crashes into a couple of people but he can't find it in himself to care. Once he's out the gate, the cafe is in sight. He scans the road before sprinting across, road safety be damned. He pauses to breathe and turns his head rapidly to look for some sign of them. The cafe door swings open, and he's tackled in a hug.
Arms clinging around him, all he can make it is the distinct blue hair of J.One as the boy laughs against his skin. Behind him, in the doorway, SpearB and CB97 stare at them with fond amazement.
Minho looks at his hands. All seven strings are glowing, brighter and brighter until they seem to disappear. He watches as the light coils itself round and round, before it reaches to wrap around his wrist. The light settles, and he can see where it ties around the wrists of the other boys, ends split off from the golden string.
Finally, Lee Minho is complete.
-
Lee Minho is twenty three when he finally tells the truth.
It's the first valentine's day after university, and the first valentine's day as eight. He wakes up to a warmth between his arms, and a crumpled mess of brown hair. The mass slowly starts to pull away, and Minho grumbles, pulling him back in. It laughs, and Minho feels seventeen again, meeting eyes with Seungmin for the first time.
It takes a couple minutes for him to properly awaken and step out into the apartment. After graduation, Chan had offered up the idea to move into one big apartment, so none of them would have to be separated. Things hadn't been perfect trying to get there, but they made it.
Stepping foot into the kitchen, he's met with domestic bliss. Felix is standing over the stove, watching a pan of what he can only assume is pancake batter. Jisung is clinging tight around the other boy's waist, pressing playful kisses into his neck. Hyunjin is at the counter, eating his own plate of breakfast ; though Minho knows there are several photos of the plate on his phone from before Hyunjin even dared to touch his fork. Turning to the living room, Chan has Seungmin tucked away in his arms, tickling the younger, who is desperately trying to escape. Minho would have mercy for the poor boy, but he knows Chan will stop straight away at the slightest hint of something being wrong, so he's not too worried. The door opens, gently this time, and he hears the playful chatter of Changbin and Jeongin as they return from the gym. Changbin had taken their maknae once, but soon they quickly fell into a comfortable routine of going near daily, being joined frequently by Chan and Jisung.
Jeongin goes to dogpile on top of Chan and Seungmin, always striving to be a loveable menace. Changbin, though, walks over to Minho and falls into his chest, humming contentedly.Minho scoffs in faux-disgust, muttering about taking a shower. In reality, though, there's nowhere else he'd rather be than surrounded by his lovers on a bright morning. It's perfect, and the string around his wrist seemingly makes the room glow brighter. He tells them now.
Once breakfast is over, and their group is all sprawled across the living room, basking in the morning sun of a day off, Minho clears his throat.
"I need to talk to you."
Instantly, seven sets of eyes are on him, some confused, others worried. Minho hurries to clarify.
"It's nothing bad, I promise, just big. Important. Give me a second."
He leaves them for a moment and rushes back to his bedroom, pulling open his bottom drawers. Seven boxes, names written on them in gold ink. This is it.
They burn in Minho’s pockets as he walks back into the living room. His boys have readjusted their positions slightly, leaving him with a more central spot. He sits, takes a deep breath, and starts to tell his story.
"I have a…unique…ability. I've had it as long as I've known I had seven soulmates. I…I can see strings. All the time, not just the first time, not even just my own. I've always been able to see all of our strings. When some of you met, they'd wrap around each other, or tie into a braid. If you were close for the first time, they glowed white. For as long as I've had soulmates, I've been able to see our strings."
It's silent, and scanning the room gives Minho no comfort. While there's no outright disgust, there's strong confusion and shock. Like he can sense Minho’s distress, Chan reaches out, and places his hand atop Minho’s own. He continues.
"When I met Chan, Changbin and Jisung, things changed. I could still see strings, I still can. Yet, our string changed. It fused in some way. Instead of seven individual strings, I see just one, wrapped around my wrist that branches to meet you all. I…I think that's why we are the way we are. We aren't multiple soulmates, not in the typical sense. You, collectively, are my soulmate. We, as a collective, are soulmates. All of us together are connected by one string. That's why it's us eight."
Minho takes another deep breath, and reaches into his pocket.
"Close your eyes? Please?" His lovers comply easily, and Minho is quick to place each box down by the corresponding recipient. When he asks them to open them, he's met with gasps and whispers, hands shaking as they reach out to touch the contents.
"I know you might not believe me. But I know deep down there is just one string that connects us all. I know I might be the only one able to see it, but I needed to give you something, I needed to show you it somehow."
Jisung is the first to pull his out, the delicate golden bracelet laying gently on his palm. The gold is twisted almost like it could be rope, but so thin it almost looked like it would snap. Gently, he unclasps it, and wraps it around his wrist. He pushes his hand out towards Minho, and with trembling hands and teary eyes, Minho locks it into place, letting the bracelet fall around his wrist. Perfect. The others are quick to join, each letting Minho clasp their bracelets, knowing full well they aren't coming off.
Looking around, Minho is surrounded by seven faces flooded with adoration, seven people with an endless love for him, and seven wrists with a shining symbol of their fate to match his own.
That morning, the world is just Lee Minho, his seven soulmates, and one gold string passing through them all.