It didn't take long for me to realize that my mom actually didn't know much that could help me. Every woman in our lineage always had one soulmate date, which led into that immensely strong bond, to babies and the whole happily ever after thing. After last night, it felt like that ending was impossible for me.

The way she described her connection with my dad sounded similar to the way I felt about both Hobi and Jimin. She was fascinated that I could have that strong of a love for each of them and rubbed my head when she realized how much hurt it was causing. We couldn't be sure, but with how I felt for Jimin, I couldn't imagine that I would have been able to stay away from him if Hobi and I had been together. He was right, though unintentionally, I would have hurt him.

She beckoned me to avoid obsessing over the five dates that were left so I could focus on school, but I was already imagining, almost fantasizing about the men I would feel those connections with, and praying that they didn't all end as badly as the first.

At school I avoided them as much as I could, leaving ten minutes later than usual so that I didn't have to see Jimin on the walk, secretly eating lunch in the garden that was kept in the science wing, and leaving school early, during my free period, to put in some extra time at my parent's restaurant.

Still, with one nextdoor and the other across the street I couldn't dodge them all together. I talked to Hobi first, after several days of him trying to get me to open my window for him two weeks after prom, when I found him sleeping on the grass outside of my room.

"Get up." I said as I stepped outside, having rehearsed the things I wanted to eventually say to him over and over, but feeling instantly stuck when he was actually in front of me.

He shot up from where he was laying, brushing off his hair and clothes. "Sel, I'm sorry. Please, I need you to forgive me. I shouldn't have kept the dates from you. They weren't mine to keep." He ranted, the words spilling out of him too fast, like he was worried I would shut him out again.

"I'm not mad at you, Hobe." I closed my eyes for a second, sitting down under my window. "I'm just mad at everything. I know you were trying to protect me and maybe you were right to. I understand why you feel the way you do, but that's the hard part." I sighed.

He sat next to me, sending over an apologetic grin as he took my hand. "And that was the only reason I ever did it, to protect you. You'll always be my best friend, Sel, over everything." He replied.

"You too." I sighed, wishing we could have so much more. I could feel myself getting emotional, deciding to change the subject. "I talked to my mom about it." I confessed, spiking his interest immediately as I recanted the witchy tale of my history and all that we were unsure of.

"I know it's real, but it doesn't make it sound any less nuts." Hobi commented after I was finished, running a hand through his hair.

I laughed. "My mom said it was supposed to be a blessing, but for some reason it's like a curse for me."

"Maybe you can figure out how to make it work for you, learn from how things went with me and Jimin so that you don't overthink it. If you can find a way to not get too attached–" He started searching for a solution, for a way to make it easier.

"Don't get attached to your soulmates, that's your advice?" I raised a brow at him.

He shook his head. "I don't know, I just don't want this to happen again. Seeing you cry like that after prom, I don't want you to go through that again, and I don't want to have to kick five more guy's asses." He chuckled. "Speaking of, have you talked to Jimin?"

"No, I don't really know what to say yet. I mean, he didn't have the best reaction to the whole soulmate thing, but with it all being real, it just makes his point even stronger that we're young and we probably wouldn't be together for the rest of our lives like I was thinking." I rambled without realizing that my words had the potential to hurt him.

"Did you ever think about that with me, being together?" He asked and I picked up on a tiny pang of insecurity in his voice.

I squeezed his hand. "All the time, Hobi. You don't have to compare yourself to Jimin, or probably anyone I'll meet. You've been with me for basically my whole life so if anything they should all be intimidated by you."

"I'm glad we're talking again." He let out a relieved breath that went along with his statement. "Now you can help me pick out an outfit for graduation." He laughed.

"Is that the only thing I'm good for?" My laughter echoed along with his, a question suddenly hitting me. "Wait, so what ever happened with Gabby?"

He looked exasperated as he let out a chuckle. "That was over the second I punched Jimin for you. I'm surprised you didn't hear her yelling at and dumping me the next day." He answered.

We stayed outside and caught up on the time we missed with each other, discussing graduation and the upcoming summer. Hobi hadn't yet made his mind up on a choice for university and neither had I, but it felt nice to jokingly plan out the coming years together if we decided to accept our admission into NYU or UCLA, avoiding the nuances that would come with the soulmate prophecy for a little moment of hope.

I stayed up late the night of graduation, making sure all my curls were placed in the right direction and picking through my mom's collection of skincare products since I couldn't sleep. At least I wouldn't have bags under my eyes.

Just like on the first day of school, I woke before my alarm to tapping on the window, a beaming Hobi on the other side. He waited for me to sit up in bed before pulling it open to climb through, his gown draped over his arm and cap in hand.

"Okay, I know we decided on this tie," he hung the one we'd picked out a week ago over one shoulder, "but I found this one that I thought you might like better." He placed one on his other shoulder, almost holographic with blues and purples that blended into each other.

My mom tapped on my door before peeking her head in, coming to make sure I was awake. "Hoseok, still using the window I see. You do realize we have a door." She tilted her head to the side and raised a brow at him.

Hobi brushed her comment off as he usually did, responding to her snark with cheer. "Mrs. Wright, I'm glad you're here. Which tie do you like best?" He asked.

"The blue and purple shiny one screams Hobi." She replied, Hobi and I waiting until she left the room to turn our wide eyes on each other. It was the first time she didn't call him by his full name.

"She loves me." He gasped, putting a hand over his mouth dramatically. "So the new one?" He shook the fabric of the tie my mom recommended.

I nodded just as we were interrupted, his mom's slightly nasally voice distinguishable as she called out from his bedroom. "Seline, if my son's over there tell him we're leaving in ten minutes!" We both laughed, Hobi sliding back through the window and leaving me to get ready.

Hobi's family was always early and planned to arrive twenty minutes before the recommended time. I took my bonnet off to let down my hair and dressed, walking out of the house to meet my mom and dad at the car with ten minutes to spare.

When I locked the door and turned around my heart stopped, Jimin standing at the edge of the sidewalk in front of his house. His mom was already pulling out of the driveway, the top of his sister's head visible in the backseat. I held up a finger to my dad as I stepped to the bottom of our driveway, Jimin crossing the street to meet me.

"Do you think we could walk?" He asked, his eyes practically begging. I looked over my shoulder and gave a signal to my dad that told him to go ahead, Jimin and I waiting until they were out of sight to start our walk.

The only sound was of our shoes against the pavement for the first few minutes. "So are we just walking or what?" I questioned, wondering if that was his only plan.

"I'm sorry, Sel. I messed up with you and I didn't want it to end that way." He apologized.

"I forgive you." I wasn't sure if the willingness to forgive was all me or if the feelings from the soulmate prophecy were in play too. "You were right in some ways, we probably wouldn't have made it forever, but you were a pretty great high school boyfriend."

He laughed. "You'll have to tell your kids about me someday. I wanted to walk with you today because I didn't know if I'd get another chance to talk. I'm going to stay with my dad for the summer before leaving for Paris." He could already see the questioning look on my face. "I don't want to, but I'm doing it for my mom. She thinks I need to, so we can heal or whatever." He explained, taking my hand.

An immediate regret sank in. I'd wasted the past few weeks angry and icing him out, when we didn't have much time left at all. I didn't have words and it didn't seem that I needed them, Jimin understanding everything that reeled through my mind.

"Maybe you were right too." He shrugged, slowing down as we got closer to the school, at the top of the small hill that led into campus. "Maybe we are soulmates but we were just meant to be soulmates for this time."

I stopped walking, Jimin turning around when he felt a tug at his hand. "So is that how you wanted it to end?" I asked.

He didn't even have to think about it, taking two quick steps toward me that narrowed the space between us and cupping my cheek as he kissed me for the last time. The fireworks were still there and I tried my best to absorb the feeling of the dazzling sparkle that ignited, his words and kiss enough to give me a little hope that maybe, somehow, I could have more than one happy ending.