Break The Distance

1

Your timer had a decent amount of time, you'd meet them when you turn 19, on your birthday, at 6:08 pm (you calculated it yourself). 

And now the end of your time is fast approaching, and what did your best friend plan for your birthday? A K-pop concert and fan meeting. Such a huge venue, with so many people, and one would be your soulmate according to the show times and fan sign time and all the things your friend planned. You liked K-pop, of course, but you'd never heard any music by this Stray Kids group, even though your friend insisted you'd love them. 

You covered your timer with a thick watch band and some bracelets; you didn't want to make a fuss at the event or make a scene finding your soulmate. The concert is great, you love the songs, and the dances look so cool. One of them catches your eye, although you don't know any of their names so you can't point him out very well to your friend. But you feel a pull towards him.

Your friend drags you to their meeting table, and you wait, a little excited despite this being your first concert AND first time hearing the group. You glance at your watch, realizing it's 6:02. You try not to panic, you'll meet your soulmate soon. Is it someone in the line around you that you'll bump into? 

6:06 and you're nearing the front of the line. Is your soulmate going to be someone trying to cut to the front of the line? 

6:07 and you're standing in front of Stray Kids, your friend hands them her album copy, and you step next to her to do the same. You hand it off to the nearest member, but one reaches over and cheekily grabs it from your hands, making a small complaint about how his hyungs always get to sign first, so it's his turn. Your fingers brush, and you feel a sting and a click of your timer as your eyes lock. He freezes and the blond member next to him pulls him back to his seat, noticing his behavior and covering it up with a joke.

"First fan meeting?" The blond asks, an Australian accent catching you off guard and snapping you out of your pause.

"Yes, I'm sorry. It's my first time going to a concert as well, I didn't mean to freeze." You anxiously grab your bracelets and feel your timer slip out... yep, you aren't imagining things.

"Ah, we're her first, Han! Make hers with her name," the blond says softly, nudging your soulmate.

"Oh? And what's your name?" Han- your soulmate- asks, smiling.

Luckily for you, your friend is still distracted by the older members. Han glances at security, then you again, signaling something to the security.

"Y/N."

Your album copy is passed around and signed quickly. And then security is calling time.

"Please exit to your right. This way, next up, please."

You open your mouth to say something, but the blond next to your soulmate lightly shakes his head, looking nervous. Han is already greeting the next person but glances over at you worriedly. You close your mouth and leave, almost missing the security guard by the door trying to slip you a paper. You grab it at the last moment and ball it up to shove it in your pocket before you catch up with your friend.

You don't dare look at the paper until you're home, at least a little familiar with the hate surrounding idols finding their soulmates since you're a K-pop fan. Your fingers still tingle where your soulmate's skin brushed against, but you almost dread opening the paper; many agencies don't allow their idols to meet with their soulmates while they're with the agency. Some go as far as not letting the idol out when their timer gets close and eventually resets. It's stated in most contracts that their signing means they cannot be with their soulmate while they're an idol and almost all idols accept it, knowing their lives would be too busy to love their soulmates like they deserve while they're busy idols.