Jihoon thinks the idea of soul mates is quite flawed, immensely so even. And no, he isn't saying this in a state of teenage tyranny; he's saying this because he's had evidence of such a claim, it exists in his blood line, dating back to his great grandmother, Jiyeon Lee. Gorgeous of a woman she was. Jihoon's seen pictures of her and she was breathtakingly beautiful. The stories of her proved to show her gentle nature, her kindness. She deserved the best, but it seemed that fate didn't share such opinion. She was to live the rest of her life fated to be with the one person she never loved, watching her true love be happy with another women and since then, it's been as if a curse had been washed over the Lee family.
Jihoon has long since known he won't be happy with his fated person. Fate isn't perfect and he is a firm believer that he gets to choose who he wants to spend the rest of his life with, not some mysterious force that governs such an important part of his life.
"I'm just saying, fate is beyond perfect. Why would you force yourself to love someone just because 'fate' says you should? That's not love, it's just blind obedience" Jihoon finds himself saying one Monday evening, making his way to the lunch tables with Seungcheol, his best friend.
"That's a bit cruel, Jihoon. You just haven't loved someone. Well, you haven't found your soul mate to love yet. It's natural to think these things, but you'll see."
Jihoon frowns. He's found someone to love alright, but he knows it's not meant to be. Jihoon inwardly chuckles. Meant to be. That's the problem with this whole soul mate business. Jihoon doesn't want to be forced to love? He's already found someone to love and willingly too. How can he search for 'the one' when he's been in Jihoon's life since their early childhood.
"It's a load of bullshit if you ask me."
Seungcheol glares at him. "You're fated for a reason and you'll grow to love them, you just watch. Just take our parents, for example, they've been fated and they are happy."
Jihoon fights the urge to scoff at that remark. It's precisely because of his parents that he doesn't believe, that he won't believe. He wants to tell Seungcheol that no, he's wrong. He wants to tell him that his parents are exactly why he hates it, but he's never told anyone. His mother has always been self conscious about their 'predicament', so Jihoon has kept their secret. He's hidden the fact that his parents do not in fact love each other, that they can't even look at each other in the eye without the disappointment of not feeling anything but despair.
In a society like this, you are expected to accept whoever it is fate has for you. No questions. No protest. Just blind obedience. And it is those very people that Jihoon pities the most. Not the ones who openly express their disappointment with their fated on, but those people who like to fool themselves into loving.
They are fools, for believing in such a dysfunctional system.
They are fools for believing that if they try hard enough, they will eventually fall.
Seungcheol is a fool for believing in such a system, but Jihoon doesn't love him any less.
It's not like Seungcheol is completely at fault. Seungcheol's family has never undergone the pain that is unrequited love, every generation managing to love their fated unconditionally and actually live happy lives.
The Choi family lives in bliss. Generations of good luck has allowed them the luxury of believing. Seungcheol's got a huge heart, a heart that is capable of loving anyone and everyone. But that's what hurts Jihoon the most. It's the fact that Seungcheol is capable of such a thing that has him in heaps of anguish. When the times comes, when Seungcheol turns twenty one, Jihoon will watch as he meets his fated. He will watch and he will do nothing but hide behind a fake smile. He will follow in the footsteps of the great Evelyn Lee Lyn.
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Dysfunction
FanfictionFate is beyond perfection and to Jihoon it is also a cruel reminder of what he will never have.