Soulmate

Epilogue: Jin

May 9, 2021
Seoul, South Korea

I watch Ophelia's peaceful features slowly start move as she wakes up. My fingers trail lightly up and down her bare arm, her eyes fluttering open. It takes her a second, but when she focuses on me, her lips curve into a sleepy smile. 

"Hey, pretty boy," she huffs in the middle of a yawn. 

I laugh at her. "Hey, pretty girl. It's almost noon." 

"You can't blame me for that," she defends. "My plane landed barely a week ago. I've been in quarantine. I still have crazy jet lag, then you kept me up way later than I planned. You're the one with no reason to stay in bed until noon." 

"Of course I have a reason," I argue. I pull her into my arms and bury my face into her neck. "I wanted to watch you wake up in our apartment for the first time. 

Ophelia wraps her arms around my shoulders, sighing contentedly as I kiss the skin of her neck and shoulder. I settle my lips under her jaw. "Good morning," she hums. 

I kiss my way across her cheek to her lips. "Good morning. Any dreams to report?" 

She takes a deep breath as she thinks. "Nothing I can remember. All I know now is I need breakfast." 

"I've got that covered," I say. "My mom bought an American cereal at the American grocery store the other day. She said it's a 'welcome to Korea' gift to help you adjust easier. I think it's some kind of wheat cereal? I tried it. Very plain." 

"Tell your mom I love it," she replies graciously. "Of course I'll eat it. It can't be any worse than when Nanna tried to make me cereal with orange juice instead of milk." I give her a funny look and she just shrugs. "Dementia. Need I say anything more?" 

"Right, right. Nothing more necessary." I kiss her cheek and finally sit up from bed. "Anyway, the shower is freshly cleaned and ready for you to wash away that quarantine room smell."

Ophelia giggles and pulls me closer to kiss me again. "But then I wash away you too," she says between little kisses. 

"No problem," I mumble into her lips. "Just come back quickly and I'll give you more." 

She cheers playfully before pulling the sheet off the bed and wrapping it around her naked body when she stands up. "I'll be out in a few minutes." She blows me a kiss and shuts the bathroom door tightly behind her. I hear the water start and I only think for a second about joining her like I did last night. Instead I head out to the kitchen. I set out the cereal in case she really wants to keep the promise of eating it but in case she doesn't, I prepare a different kind of American breakfast for her. I decide to make waffles since she brought Nanna's ancient waffle iron and her favorite blueberry syrup with her in her carry on (I had never had blueberry syrup before we met, but I can honestly say it's very delicious; so dynamic in flavor!). The rest of her things are scheduled to arrive at the apartment building this evening in the shipping container and we will finally start moving her into my apartment. Our apartment. 

I'm removing the fourth waffle from the iron when I hear Ophelia's slippered feet pad across the tiles and I feel her stand beside me. She rests her head on my shoulder and I rest my head on top of hers. 

"Waffles?" she asks. "Why?" 

"You were so proud to show me the waffle iron yesterday," I explain. "Plus, I wanted blueberry syrup." 

"That is completely fair. Though I think you made enough batter to feed the whole family," she jokes. 

"I think you're right...it made a lot more than I thought it would. Should we call up the guys?" 

"And ask them to have breakfast at one o'clock? I think it's okay. Jungkook and Hope probably aren't even awake yet." She sets our plates with the few waffles I've made and drizzles the decadent syrup over them. "Rose and David moved into the house yesterday, by the way." 

"Oh did they? That's great." 

The house in San Francisco was a difficult thing to make a decision on before the big move. Ophelia originally wanted to sell it, but I wasn't so sure. Almost the day she started talking to realtors, she called me crying and said it was too hard to let it go. Her childhood home has more value to her than it could to anyone else. It was the house her grandparents bought together when they got married. Her father grew up there, and so did she. I told her that a decision didn't have to be made yet. It could wait as long as she needed. She was the one who suggested the idea of renting it out to David and Rose. They had already started outgrowing their house—with Violet now two years old and their son due to arrive in July. It gave Ophelia comfort knowing her home would be lived in, not just sitting alone waiting for her to eventually visit California again. It felt meant to be. It was the obvious solution. 

"And..." she begins, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "I put out job feelers a couple of months ago for teaching online classes, like you suggested." Ophelia sighs as she stirs sugar into her mug. "You're right and I know it. I need something to do, even if it's as tiny as teaching a couple classes. I'll go crazy and feel all homesick if I don't have a job. But I wanted to try staying in astronomy. I have to at least try before I to something else." 

I wanted her to try. She loves what she does. If she stopped teaching, stopped learning, stopped researching after we moved in together, I would never forgive myself for forcing her to leave behind her first love: the stars. I wanted her to have something of her own here, to create a life for herself outside of living with her soulmate. It's been hard for her to think or talk about working since her grandmother passed away. The memories of her father have grown too strong in San Francisco. She wanted time; I will always respect that. 

"How's it going?" I ask. "No matter what happens, I want you to know I'll always be proud of you for trying." 

Ophelia's smile is faint, but it's there. "I got one. One position, part-time. They'll let me teach the two online classes for Astronomy 101." 

I nearly drop the bowl of batter on the floor in surprise. I barely manage to place is safely on the counter before I turn to her. "Really? You have a position?" 

"I have a position." Her smile is bright now. Wide and bright and joyous and beautiful. I rush to her and lift her up in my arms, spinning her around. I hold her tightly, feeling her lungs expand and contract as she laughs. 

"Ophelia, I don't even know what to say," I tell her. "I'm so happy for you. Oh my God!" 

"I'm so happy, Seokjin," she confesses and her voice is thick with tears. "I thought I would dread the results and hate the idea of working again. But I'm so happy I got it. It's really small, the pay is nothing. But it's mine. It's my work." 

"It's yours," I confirm. "I'm so proud of you. Teaching in college with only a master's degree? That's amazing." 

She pulls back from the hug to kiss me again and she tastes minty and fresh. There's hope on the horizon. I feel hopeful for her. I want her to get back into her routine and rhythm after so long without one. I want nothing more. 

Ophelia wipes away her tears and picks up the two plates handing one to me. "Let's have breakfast. Our first breakfast together in our house." 

I nod and kiss her forehead, reaching to unplug the waffle iron. This house is ours. The job is hers. She is mine. I haven't felt this happy in a long, long time. 

—

please keep reading, each member has an epilogue to close out this story ;)

I love you all. four years later, soulmate has finally come to a close

cay 
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