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2.19

"He's definitely going to break up with me now," Naerin buried her head into the couch pillow. Her words were muffled but it wasn't hard to hear how upset she was.

Sowon's gaze softened at Naerin's dejected form and she gently rubbed her friend's back. Sowon knew that it was hard to have an idol as a soulmate. A few months ago she had just bonded with her soulmate, but she could already tell that their lives were so different from hers.

Sungchan was a good soulmate, but he was busy and cautious about what he revealed to the public because he had just debuted. Sowon wasn't upset by that though, she felt similarly to what Naerin felt at the beginning of her relationship with Jisung. She would do what she could to support Sungchan, and because of that, Sowon knew that Naerin would do what she could to support Jisung.

"Don't worry, Rin," Sowon tried to reassure, "I'm sure he won't, Jisung doesn't seem like that type of person,"

"You don't even know him," Naerin mumbled, "He's so busy sometimes I feel like I don't even know him anymore,"

"Don't be silly," Minchul said from where he sat on the floor in front of Naerin and Sowon. "You probably know Jisung better than anyone. Jaemin and Jeno were telling me that he's been really upset recently with everything going on. He just wants the best for you,"

"What's best for me is if he would make an effort," Naerin huffed and she leaned her head against the back of the couch, "I feel forgotten."

Minchul and Sowon exchanged looks. Minchul shook his head and turned back to the TV while Sowon threw herself onto Naerin, trying to lighten the mood with her usual bright personality and bubbly self.

"Christmas is coming up next week," Sowon changed topics, "Have you finished shopping for presents yet?"

Naerin sat up and tucked her legs under her, "I still have to get a few,"

Taking that as an excuse to go to the mall, Sowon jumped to her feet and grabbed Naerin's hands. "Let's go then!" she exclaimed as she started to pull Naerin to her feet. Naerin grumbled something about being too lazy and stayed in her place as the smaller girl continued to tug at her arms.

Minchul glanced over his shoulder at the two girls, a small smile pushing its way onto his face. Eventually, he stood up and took Naerin's other arm. Together, Sowon and Minchul pulled Naerin to her feet as she lazily followed them to get her coat and shoes on.

"Let's go, Rin," Minchul said, "You can't stay cooped up at home watching dramas all day,"

"I can," Naerin disagreed, "It's too cold to go outside,"

–––––

Naerin stared at the two silver rings, her eyes a bit glazed over as she got lost in her thoughts. The rings were simple, they were designed like two thin bands that eventually came together as a knot in the middle.

"Those are cute," Sowon said as she came up next to Naerin.

Naerin hummed in response, her eyes still on the rings.

"Would it be weird to get them?" Naerin asked. She looked at the rings with a tender expression, but the look in her eyes was sad and her lips curled downward gently. "I want to get them for him," she said, her voice soft, "But I–"

Naerin couldn't finish her words. She couldn't find it in herself to admit that her relationship with Jisung would be ending soon. Deep inside she knew it wasn't a maybe, she knew for a fact that she and Jisung would not last.

He had too much on the line with his career and Naerin wasn't brave enough to come in between that.

"I think you should get them," Minchul said as he came over to the two girls, "It won't hurt to get him a gift, especially since Christmas is coming around,"

"But–" Naerin started to say but Sowon leaned over the counter and called for a worker.

"Hi, I'm sorry but can we get these two rings sized?" Sowon asked, pointing down at the rings.

Naerin sighed with a gentle shake of her head, but despite that, a ghost of a smile lined her lips as she gazed adoringly at her friend.

–––––

"So are you guys going to break up?" Mark asked as he leaned against Jisung's doorframe.

Jisung looked up from his phone with a shocked expression. He hadn't expected Mark to show up at the Dreamies dorm, but it seemed like the others had called him over to talk to Jisung. Jisung cleared his throat, his phone falling limply onto his bed.

He had been pushing off the idea of breaking up with Naerin for a while now, but as time went on it became increasingly obvious that he couldn't keep this going.

"I have to," Jisung said, his eyes downcast.

"Have you tried to talk it out with her?" Mark asked.

Jisung had thought about it, but he knew he wouldn't make it through the conversation. He wasn't like Renjun or Jeno, he wasn't good with his words. He wasn't strong enough to put himself in that vulnerable position.

"I– I can't," Jisung admitted, "I just–" he dropped his gaze from Mark and back down to his hands. Silence hung in the air between the two before Mark went over and sat next to Jisung on his bed.

"It's alright," Mark said, "I understand it isn't easy but it'll definitely help the both of you to clear any misunderstandings,"

Jisung shook his head, "Hyung," Jisung said, he could feel a lump forming in his throat as he tried to say his next few words, "Have you ever cared about someone so much that you're willing to leave them?"

Mark was quiet for a moment. It made the anxiety start to bubble up inside Jisung. This was where Mark would tell Jisung that he was crazy, that nothing he said was making any sense, and that he had always been a horrible soulmate.

"I thought about it once," Mark admitted, "With Serin, when we first bonded."

Jisung looked up at Mark with wide eyes, "Really?"

Mark nodded, "But eventually I realized that I had the wrong idea. I loved her so much that I would leave everything I've ever known for her." Mark nodded like he was confirming his own feelings to himself, "I would have left the industry for her, but she convinced me to stay."

He gave a small smile to Jisung, "I'm honestly glad she did. I don't think I would have regretted it if I did, but I know it wouldn't be easy,"

Jisung nodded, he understood. But he didn't have the confidence to do what Mark would have done. He wished he could have the strength to stand up for himself and his soulmates, he wanted to be strong enough so that he could protect her from some of the fans that he had. But Jisung didn't think he was strong enough.

The best he could do was end things with Naerin so that she wouldn't be burdened by him and his career.

Jisung couldn't see another way out of this situation.

It was the only choice he had.