INEVITABLE

Chapter 3

"Will you please stop tugging? I can feel how you keep pulling it if we're this close, you know," Jisu says.

She sighs for the nth time that morning since she stepped out of that souvenir shop along with this newly-found soulmate of hers.

Her soulmate.

Who would have thought things like this still exist?

"I'm sorry," the woman says, looking not sorry at all. "It's just that I can't believe this is happening. I want to keep testing if this invisible thread is real. Who knows if you guys are just scamming me."

Jisu presses her lips against the teacup and smiles before taking a sip. "If that ahjumma is scamming us, I don't think she'd give us these bracelets for free. We didn't even buy anything from her.

The two of them stared at the red rope couple bracelets on the table. It was given to them as a gift by the old woman.
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"You're right." the woman turns away to look at the beach. "Isn't it funny how we met just today? I mean, why only today? You could have been a little early, you know."

"Are you saying you're gonna break off your wedding if I showed up in your life yesterday?"

"No. Of course not. I am in love with my wife."

"Good." Jisu clears her throat, feeling somewhat envious of that. "Because whatever that ahjumma says, or whatever the spirits want, it will still depend on the two of us. Many people have forgotten this soulmate thing. And I'm sure some couples aren't soulmates but are still happy."

The woman nods as she sips her coffee. Jisu notices the wedding band on her soulmate's finger.

"You said you got married yesterday. I assume this is where you are spending your honeymoon. Where is your wife then?" Jisu asks.

"She's still sleeping back in the hotel room. Too tired after our great sex last night."

Jisu raises an eyebrow. "Do you have to tell that to my face?"

The woman laughs. "Come on. You can't be jealous. We just met. You don't know anything about me. I don't even know your name."

"It may be best if we keep it at that. Let's not make this soulmate thing a reason to get attached, especially now we're both in a committed relationship."

"Ooh. So you're here with someone too, huh?" the woman inspects Jisu's ring finger, noticing the absence of a ring. "A boyfriend or a girlfriend?"

"A girlfriend."

"Where is she then? Why are you wandering the beach alone this morning?"

"Well..." Jisu settles her cup down, a playful smirk appearing on her face. "She's still sleeping back in the hotel room. Too tired after our great sex last night."

The woman claps and laughs. Jisu realizes how she's getting attracted to her soulmate's cheeky smile.

"How does that feel hearing it, huh?" Jisu asks.

"I get you now," the woman says, pointing at Jisu. "Yeah. It felt something."

Jisu smiles and sips her tea again.

There was silence after. The sound of the sea rolling in and out of the shore fills the air.

"You're gorgeous," the woman says.

"Huh?"

"You're gorgeous. I just wanted to let you know that, in case, we won't see each other again after this."

They never had an actual agreement, but it seems they are both thinking to keep things in this way-- as strangers.

"Thank you," Jisu says after a few more seconds of silence. She flicks one of the bracelets with a finger. It slides along the table towards her soulmate. "Can you at least keep that one for me as a memento?"

"I would." the woman pockets it and stands. "I should head back now."

Jisu stands up. "Thank you for breakfast."

"No worries. Anything for my soulmate." the woman pats Jisu's head. "Can I at least get your name?"

With a smile, Jisu shakes her head. "Too dangerous."   
               
"Even just an alias or something?
"Hmm. You can call me Sheila."
"Right. That's the name written on the woman's nameplate who served our breakfast."                   
Jisu laughs. She looks around, a finger on the chin, and sees the coffee house name: Gilda's Coffee House.                  
The woman trails her line of sight. "Oh. Great. Now you're coming up with a name for me.'' She turns to Jisu. "Should I call you, Gilda? Deena? Julia?                   
"Julia sounds nice." Jisu nods. "I like the sound of it.                 
The woman scratches her nape, smiling. "Fine. Fine." She picks her phone when it buzzes on the table. "I really should go now. Wifey's up."

"Go ahead. I need to go back too."

"It was nice meeting you today." the woman reaches out and pulls Jisu into a hug.

At that very moment, Jisu felt thousands of butterflies explode in her stomach with that warm hug.

Neither of them wanted the moment to stop, but the woman had to pull away. "I'll see you around, soulmate. Take care."

"You too." She smiles as she watches her soulmate walks away from her.

Jisu couldn't explain what she felt. Like her soulmate, there's no doubt she's in love with her significant other. But why is she feeling a little sad today after seeing that woman walk away?

Maybe she should have at least given her name and ask for her soulmate's too.

She shakes her head. That's when she noticed the receipt on the table, perched under the glass. She remembers seeing her soulmate pay the counter with a card.

She checks the paper, a full smile finally breaking out after finding what she's looking for.

"Hmm. Shin Ryujin, huh?"