fade | jookyun

05

changkyun sat next to jooheon in shock. his one and only soulmate was a gangster.

"i understand if you don't want to see me again." jooheon whispered.

changkyun's heart broke. "how could you say that? i'd never do that." he responded, hurt.

"i'm sorry. i've never told anyone. i didn't know how you'd react, and i guessed that you would hate me." jooheon said, rubbing his face and trying to hide the teardrops trickling down his cheeks.

changkyun wiped his soulmate's tears. "listen. i'm here for you, whether you like it or not. but promise me you'll quit being a gangster."

jooheon stared at him. "b-but-"

"what if next time you're not so lucky?" changkyun asked, his voice cracking. "what if you die?"

jooheon's tears poured down faster than he realized. "i promise, changkyun."

with those three words, changkyun wrapped jooheon into a hug, holding him gently as to not hurt him. bliss and relief crashed over him in waves.

but, although he let himself be embraced by his soulmate, jooheon wasn't sure if he could keep that promise. because if he promised, he would die anyway.

-

after many long days at the hospital, jooheon was finally recovered and discharged.

changkyun stood by his side as he walked outside for the first time in weeks. "fuck," jooheon said suddenly. "i forgot how it was like being outside. it's so beautiful." the cherry blossom trees surrounding the hospital swayed in the wind, decorating the cloudy blue sky. and next to him was changkyun, his soulmate, his meant-to-be, and possibly his future.

"you know who's more beautiful?" changkyun asked with a grin.

"you." jooheon answered.

"that's right." changkyun replied.

jooheon laughed and hit his arm. "you're supposed to say it's me!"

changkyun shrugged. "i don't wanna lie."

jooheon gasped in mock astonishment.

"i'm just kidding," changkyun beamed, linking arms with jooheon. "it's you." changkyun's eyes sparkled as he looked down at jooheon.

the couple gazed at each other for a few moments. "you know, we never had our first kiss." jooheon said quietly.

changkyun smiled. "are you asking for a kiss?"

jooheon turned away playfully. "nope."

"too bad." changkyun brought jooheon closer to him and gave him a quick peck on his lips.

jooheon made a face. "i said no!"

"i know you liked it." sang changkyun.

"you're right." grumbled the older.

"i'm always right." changkyun responded.

jooheon and changkyun decided to go out for dinner as a celebration for jooheon being discharged. they walked hand in hand to the restaurant. changkyun had made reservations earlier so they could arrive there and start eating right away.

"we're here." changkyun smiled as the restaurant stood before them. changkyun pushed the elegant brown door open and entered.

a gust of strong aromas filled the couple's noses. it smelled like the traditional korean cusine jooheon loved to eat. "wow." jooheon grinned.

changkyun could see jooheon's heart shining brightly. "he's happy." he said to himself.

"can i help you?" a waiter approached them.

jooheon recongized the voice immediately. "minhyuk?" the waiter looked towards jooheon.

"jooheon?" minhyuk flashed a wide smile. "is this your soulmate?"

jooheon nodded. "changkyun, this is minhyuk. he's one of my friends."

changkyun and minhyuk shook hands, giving each other reassuring looks. "now, can i help?" minhyuk chuckled.

"yes," changkyun laughed. "i made a reservation for two."

minhyuk tried to hide his emotions with a wide smile, but if anyone looked close enough, they would see the jealousy burning in his eyes. why did that man have to be jooheon's soulmate? why not him? he spited the way jooheon looked at that other man with adoration in his eyes. he wished jooheon would look at him that way. but he knew it would never happen. jooheon had always seen him as simply a friend, a brother. the really strange thing was that minhyuk had always been able to see jooheon's heart. except it didn't glow bright yellow — to him, jooheon's heart radiated a bloodred light. it was odd. when minhyuk asked jooheon about this in the past, jooheon always denied that he could see minhyuk's heart. and now jooheon was coming into the restaurant he worked at — jooheon, the person he loved endlessly — with another man at his side who claimed to be jooheon's soulmate. minhyuk simply could not believe it. he could see jooheon's heart, so why couldn't jooheon see his? why did he see someone else's? why-

"minhyuk!"

minhyuk snapped out of his thoughts. "yes?"

"can we order?" jooheon asked, gazing up at minhyuk.

minhyuk looked down at jooheon and studied his eyes, looking for something, anything. yet, all he could see was a blank abyss of nothing.

-

"thank you for everything," jooheon said as they were leaving the restaurant, their stomachs full from the meal they just devoured. "goodbye minhyuk." jooheon smiled, his dimples protruding.

minhyuk noticed a glimmer in jooheon's eyes as if they were telling him something. the glimmer seemed to revive minhyuk as hr became more cheerful in a sudden. "goodbye, jooheon, and changkyun."

jooheon and changkyun pushed the door open, leaving hand in hand.

"that was filling." changkyun said, patting his stomach and looking over at jooheon.

jooheon nodded in agreement. "by the way," jooheon started. "do you want to come to my house?"

"ooh," changkyun wiggled his brows. "we didn't even have a proper first kiss and you're moving onto the bed?"

jooheon's face turned bright red as he hit changkyun's shoulder. "n-no that's not what i meant!"

changkyun laughed at his flustered soulmate. "let's go after. i want to bring you somewhere."

"like where?" jooheon cocked his head curiously.

the younger winked at him. "you'll see."

changkyun linked arms with jooheon and began walking. "it's a really beautiful place," changkyun gushed. "it's my favorite place, actually. i discovered it when i was nine, and it's mine now — well, not technically mine, but i've always thought of it like that. and the view is just wow. it's breathtaking, you'll see."

jooheon smiled and nodded as changkyun rambled about this place. he could tell it was special to his soulmate.

night began to fall over the couple as they walked into a park. "perfect." changkyun murmured as he took jooheon's hand. he led him towards a foresty area and looked at jooheon expectingly. "ready?"

jooheon nodded.

changkyun let go of his hand and darted off, swiftly weaving between the trees.

alarmed, jooheon stumbled after his soulmate, trying to keep up. "do we have to run?" he panted.

"no," changkyun called back. "but it's fun!"

at last, jooheon and changkyun broke through the sea of trees to be met with the most gorgeous night sky jooheon had ever seen.

hello lovelies

im the cowriter of this book hehe and i want to say thank you for your reads, votes, and comments. it means a lot to us uwu

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(personal: radiantjisung)