a/n: the following scene begins from before Taehyung and Eunbee's story

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A day off and ramen are like synonyms in Jimin's dictionary. You tell him he has a day off and he would look at you with those big eyes of his and ask, "Ramen?"

It's ridiculous at this point but the point is that Jimin has a day off and is currently pissed off because it seems like all ramen packets have either been used or Taehyung has hidden them again just because he can. He grumbles, making his way to the convenience store. 

Normally, he wouldn't bother and settle with what's at home. But he thinks it's early in the morning and the chances of bumping into people are less, hence off he goes. Taehyung told him that Eunbee is back in Korea and he would be going to the company to meet her. Jimin had shrugged, saying he would join him later when the 'bestie talk' is over.

The door chimes when he opens the door of the store and walks to that particular aisle where a mixed aroma of different flavours of ramen hits his nose instantly, making him a bit dizzy.

He doesn't bother looking around, drowning himself in his oversized clothes and the hood that covers his forehead—until he spots someone else—a certain someone who is hunched over the table at the corner— who has the same hoodie as him but for some reason the faded logo makes him think it's fake. His hands move on his own with his eyes still fixed on the hooded figure. He side glances at his hands and smiles triumphantly when he sees he picked out the right flavours without even looking.

His eyes are back on the hooded figure and for a moment he thinks of approaching it. It may be because there's a long string stretched out in front of them but it is unusually bright as if the sunlight is reflecting on it but when he looks carefully, it seems to be like a LED light that glows. Concluding it must be those wire lights in their hand, he walks back without turning towards the counter.

Why he can't take his eyes off the figure is strange. The person is doing nothing but looping the string around their finger, then unwrapping it to loop it on another. That small thing seems to be the only possible reason why Jimin's in a daze.

"Here's your ramen," the store lady places a bowl on the table. The string is now coiled messily and placed on the side of the table, and he can now faintly make out the colours. It's not white, it seems to be pink, but then there's blue reflection on the table as well— he can't quite place it. 

The light is blinding and for some reason his dazr leads him to think of his ballet performances— thinking how beautiful it would be if he had such a glowing string wrapped around him, it would twirl with him, dance with him and just glow. 

He loses his balance when he tries to lean on the shelf on his side, almost knocking the whole of it over. He's mumbling apologies the next moment, hissing as the store lady comes to check on him. And when Jimin looks back at the figure— the hood is lowered to reveal a small bun sitting on the top of her head and the rest of her short hair disappear into her hood.

She turns around as well, curious to see what noise it was but then the next moment— she is dropping her chopsticks on the table carelessly,  a hand comes up to clamp her mouth shut— she is trying to not scream. Jimin panics, wondering if she did recognise, hands hastily coming to his face to check if his mask had lowered but no— his mask is fit. 

It's clear when she points at him, that she knows who he is. Jimin simply bows, before scurrying off to keep the packets back on the shelf and run out of the store. It's his eyes, he thinks, and it's scary how those are enough for people to recognise him.

He doesn't speak anything to the store lady who's asking if he is okay, while he hears the ponytailed girl is murmuring, "wait I should probably respect his privacy, but let me take a photo. Where is my phone, should I give him space? But this won't come back, I can't believe it."

It's when he is outside the store, he stops. For some reason he doesn't want to run away. But he probably should since he's here with no security, didn't even bring his phone or inform anyone at the dorm either.

Fuck, no ramen today.

. . .

Jimin stands there, extrmely shocked by the revealation.

Taehyung and Eunbee are soulmates. A red string ties them, not the blue one. A red. If he is so shocked then he can only imagine how taken aback are his two best friends. So, when Taehyung walks out of the room saying he needs a moment, no one stops him or comforts him.

What could anyone possibly say? This is not in anyone's hand. 

His eyes are staring at Eunbee who sits on the couch with her eyes staring at a certain spot on the floor, her body completely still as if she were a statue. Jimin actually has been wanting to pee since he had left home,and he thinks he will die if he doesn't go now but he's afraid to move around though, not when there's a red string glowing in between the room that extends to the other through the walls. 

"Hyung, you look a little uncomfortable, are you okay?" Jungkook asks, eyes curiously looking at him. He whispers as if his normal voice would somehow disturb whatever Eunbee is thinking. Jimin shakes his head, "Just nothing."

"It's something." Jungkook gives him a knowing look, eyes dropping to his shaking leg. Jimin rolls his eyes, trying to focus somewhere else. "You can just duck under it, you know? Just don't touch it, I guess. I have heard people can get entangled in these strings."

"I feel like I will burn if I do," Jimin whispers, glancing at Eunbee once. "The main reason I don't want to even step near it."

Jungkook chuckles, shaking his head. "It will be fine," he urges. Jimin looks at the string, then looks at Jungkook who shrugs. The string isn't hanging very low, surely he can make it under it right? He's done it often, during RUN BTS and other games.

Jimin nods, standing up. He clears his throat before getting on his all fours to pass under the string. His eyes are fixed at Eunbee who probably thinks of him as an idiot but he's getting restless with every second.

It happens too quickly, Jimin doesn't even realise until he gets kicked in his forearm. He's about to yell at Eunbee for kicking him but when he turns to see her gripping her neck, breathless and pale— he screams, "Eunbee!"

And when he tries to get up to aid her, Eunbee falls off the couch. Jungkook is already rushing towards her, calling the staff for water and even call the doctor. He holds her up while Jimin's too shocked. What happened all of a sudden?

"Did you touch the string?" Jungkook asks, voice lacing in concern. Jimin scratches his head, "I was trying to go under it, I don't think so. No."

But then Jungkook notices something, eyes blinking at him. "Hyung...your hair..."

And Jimin immediately touches his fringes and unlike his soft hair, he feels a few fringes rough against his fingertips. "It's like they are burned..." Jimin whispers, not hiding how panicked he is. Jungkook exhales, "You must not have realised,  Jungkook rubs Eunbee's back as she regains her breathing slowly.

Taehyung barges into the room and after inquiring what's wrong, he takes Eunbee home. It's only then, Jimin rushes to the washroom and can finally breathe. He's almost embarrassed at it, he's so stupid that he put Eunbee's life at stake.

Jimin sits on the couch with a thump and Jungkook is immediately by his side to tell him that it was not his fault. Jimin shakes his head, cursing himself and ruffling his hair. It's when he's dropping his hand back to his lap, that Jungkook holds his wrist in place. "What is that?"

Jimin furrows his eyebrows and looks at the underside of his wrist, only to gasp. "Why is it you? What the fuck is this?"

"Where you trying to play with some kid—"

"No, no." Jimin shakes his head, fingertips tracing the words on his wrist. "I didn't write this, they weren't there— I washed my hands two minutes back."

"Are you implying that they appeared out of nowhere, there's no magic—" Jungkook pauses, processing his own words. It's easy to come to a conclusion, not when there are many possiblities to this. 

"Soulmate?" Jimin tilts his head at the same time Jungkook says, "Soulmate!"

Jimin groans, burying his face in his hands. Does he not have shit to deal with to meet his soulmate right now?

"You've already met them, you didn't even realise it." Jungkook chuckles, he's patting Jimin's back to soothe him.

He didn't but honestly, that is not even his worry. His soulmate and him are meant to be, he'll see her soon anyway. But Taehyung and Eunbee— they are the best friends who need him. If he has a soulmate, it would put him into a turmoil. What if it is some high schooler? Or someone with too much attitude? Someone he can't handle.

He can only judge by the words imprinted on his wrist that their first meeting won't be rainbows and sunshines like the books and movies claim. There's a part of him that seems to be shifted— the one which says soulmates are beautiful. 

His soulmate didn't even see him yet to decide that they don't want him. Why is it you? The words sting in his heart more than he thought.

He doesn't know anymore.

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