Soulmate

Thirty Seven: Ophelia

February 25, 2020
Seoul, South Korea

6 hours until contact.

The sound of hysterical screaming wakes me up right before a heavy body slams on top of me.

"Ophelia, wake up!" Rose screams. "It's nearly eight in the morning! The fan sign is at two, we can't be late getting there. Don't you want to be first?"

I sit up from the warmth of my soft comforter. My eyes are dry and burning. I can feel the fact that they're bloodshot. Rose confirms my knowledge when she jumps away from me slightly.

"Yikes. Didn't you sleep at all?" she asks, poking my cheek lightly.

"Well," I start with a sigh. "At first I couldn't sleep because I just couldn't get my mind to settle. Then I thought of my paper because it's due on Friday, but then I remembered I already turned it in so I could have an early spring break. Then I remembered that I forgot to call my grandma, so I texted her really quick. Then I thought about today again. Then Ara started snoring." I rub my eyes and yawn. "You snore like a chainsaw, by the way," I call out to wherever Ara is.

"Hey!" she shouts from the bathroom. She pops into the room wrapped up in a fluffy white robe with a towel in her hair. "You don't have much room to talk, Miss Sleep Talker! Kim Seokjin will be lucky if he ever gets a wink of sleep with your ass next to him for all eternity."

"Anyway, once I finally tuned that out, I fell asleep. But I've only had about four hours. I needed more time to get over the jet lag."

Rose laughs at that. "I don't get jet lag," she says. "I don't know why."

"Yeah, I noticed," Ara calls out. "You were poking me at six a.m."

"I had Ara to order us some breakfast," Rose says, ignoring our other friend. "Go ahead and hop in the shower, Ophelia. Breakfast will be in here soon and then we can get started on those bags under your eyes."

I jump up and look at myself in the mirror ahead of my bed. "I don't have bags under my eyes!" I shout at her.

"Maybe not, but you'll definitely want to touch up the pimple on your nose!"

My heart stops right there.

—

5 and a half hours until contact.

I wrap myself in the spare robe hanging beside the shower and step out to see Ara and Rose standing together at the large sink.

"Were you guys in here the whole time?" I ask. Thanks to them, I've become a lot less reserved and shy over the years. Being raised by only my mild mannered father kept me in a shy kind of modesty that my two friends have helped me break out of. Obviously, considering I showered with them in the bathroom and Ara's standing in just her bra and jeans for the day while doing her makeup and hair.

"Just getting business done," Rose mumbles, applying her usual soft pink lipstick to her plump lips. "Ara and I still have to flip a coin to figure out who's going in with you."

"Actually, my cousin got into a SHINee fan sign years ago by asking if they had any vouchers at the box office, so I think I'll try that first when we get there," Ara says. Her mouth is wide open as she focuses on painting on her eyebrows. "I see you popped that pimple in the shower."

"I'm really regretting the purple hair right now," I say as I brush through my hair in the mirror. "What if he thinks I look sloppy with dyed hair?"

"You think a K-POP idol is gonna judge you for dyeing your hair?" Ara asks, so dumbfounded the side of her lip is lifted with her eyebrow as she stares at me.

"Speaking of SHINee, play some to distract me," Rose says, running her fingers through her finished hair to calm her rising frizzes. "I'll help you pick your clothes, Opie."

Ara starts singing to 'Replay' as Rose tears through my large suitcase enthusiastically.

"Jesus, Ophelia, didn't you bring any cute outfits?" she huffs.

I shrink into the material of the fluffy robe. "I tried to. I didn't exactly have much time to pack, now did I?"

"Don't you have any—"

"NOONAN NEOMU YEPPEO~!"

Rose reaches over and slams the bathroom door loudly, making me jump and stare at her.

SHINee stops playing almost immediately after.

"I thought it was appropriate for the day," Ara calls from the bathroom.

"Here," Rose says, digging into Ara's suitcase. "Wear this." She throws a purple sweater at me and I catch it, inspecting the low V of the neck. Seokjin would surely see my tattoo, as would everyone else.

I shake my head. "That's too much. People will know right away and they'll stare at me. It could get bad."

Rose places her hands on her hips and stares at me.

"Look, I have a sweater," I say. "It's white, it'll cover my tattoo, but I can still show him if he needs me to." I hold up the cropped sweater. It's cut at the base of my ribs, enough to show a cheeky amount of skin but nothing too scandalous for a first meeting.

"Okay," Rose sighs. "But please wear my high waisted jeans. The ones with the rip in the knee? I know it's cold, but they make your ass look so cute."

"I have some earrings you can wear!" Ara says, suddenly emerging from the bathroom. "You're gonna look so cute, you'd have him even if he wasn't your soulmate."

I roll my eyes and start to slip my clothes over my head. "I think that's an exaggeration. We both have busy schedules. I don't think much will come of today. Maybe phone number exchange and that could be it. We'll probably take some time to warm up to each other."

Ara and Rose meet eyes at that.

"What?"

"David and I fell in love when we met," Rose says. "It was just like, boom I instantly need you more than water or air." She smiles sweetly, poking her finger at the white comforter on her bed. "Haven't stopped loving him ever since."

"You have the kind of connection everyone hopes for when they meet their soulmate," Ara mumbles. "I've seen plenty of soulmates and I haven't seen a relationship like yours and David's. You two are an anomaly, I swear."

"Ladies, ladies." Rose swings her arms around our necks. I stumble, since I'm halfway through putting on her jeans.

"If your men don't—or didn't in your case, Ara—fall instantly in love with you, then the universe must've gotten something very very wrong."

"Thank you, Rose. Now may I please finish putting on my pants?"

"Oh yes, sorry."

—

as promised, i'm trying to update every day with these prepared chapters until the meeting. there are seven chapters left, so if all goes well, there should be an update every day for about a week.

now you don't have to ask me to update more. please don't do that.

cay

1204 words