Perfect Match | SOPE ✔️

initium finis | 1.0.2

Murmurs broke out among the crowd, their eyes frantically searching for Yoongi. Those sitting next to him froze, wearing strange expressions as their eyes latched onto his, their judgment and confusion shaking Yoongi. Yoongi looked down, his eyes shutting tightly, praying that what just happened had been a mistake— that he wasn't matched with someone who was exactly like him.

A male.

"Will Min Yoongi and Jung Hoseok come up here?" the President asked kindly. It struck Yoongi odd that he was maintaining a calm composure, despite the ensuing chaos— almost as if same-sex matching was a normal occurrence when it came to the Perfect Match ceremony. He shook the feeling off, forcing himself to stand.

Yoongi slowly walked towards the stage, keeping his head low to avoid meeting anyone's gaze. He didn't want to see everyone's judgmental expressions, at least that's what he thought was going through them His heart thundered in his chest with every step he took, his palms sweating profusely.

Attention was not a concept Yoongi was used to. Sure, he'd been a prodigy in the arts, earning awards for his countless pieces, but this was a different type of attention. This attention wasn't to celebrate him, it was to cast him out. Not only had he been a second-year, but he had also been matched with another male. Attention was a concept that made Yoongi's knees weak, nervousness racking him from head to toe. He didn't like attention.

Yet, here he was, being Korea's main attraction along with Jung Hoseok.

"Right this way please," an officer stated quickly."We must get you situated as quickly as possible."

Although Yoongi had seen Jung Hoseok on the screen, he refrained from looking at him, opting to look straight ahead as the officer ushered them into a room, where two men were waiting for them.

"Min Yoongi. Jung Hoseok." The taller male said, a warm smile etched on his face."My name is Kim Namjoon, a descendant of one of the scientists that created Perfect Match. This is Kim Seokjin, one of the most brilliant scientists in today's world."

Kim Seokjin rolled his eyes, the corners of his lips twitching upwards."Thank you for that lovely introduction Namjoon."

Namjoon's smile widened at Seokjin's remark, seemingly pleased with himself. Yoongi hesitantly half-smiled, their strong personalities leaving Yoongi a bit intimidated. Noticing Yoongi's gaze, Seokjin's expression softened, replaced with a more friendly posture.

"I assume you two must be very confused about why you two were matched together," Kim Seokjin stated. "We have already run tests to check the algorithm. Unfortunately, it is working perfectly fine."

"The algorithm never makes any mistakes," Kim Namjoon cut in. "This is a very unusual situation for all of us here. As you know, you two are the...first to be paired together and be of the same sex."

"This is irreversible. Once the match was made by the algorithm, your information was wiped out of the Perfect Match system."

Yoongi raised his eyebrow at how easily Namjoon and Seokjin talked, how each one was able to continue the other's conversations without disrupting the flow. It was smooth sailing as if it was something natural for them to possess. He studied their grim expressions, their eyes clouded with mixed emotions, mouths forcibly tugged into smiles as they stared at Jung Hoseok and him.

Before anyone else could say anything, the door opened, revealing a flushed but excited President.

"I had to put the ceremony on a break earlier than intended." He breathed. Namjoon and Seokjin nodded, immediately turning their attention towards the President. Yoongi shifted himself towards the President, his eyes still refusing to look at Hoseok, who was silent but let off an intimidating presence— something Yoongi felt even without looking at him. "Min Yoongi. Jung Hoseok. It is a pleasure to meet you. You two have made history."

"Is that a good thing?" Yoongi asked, a frown on his face.

"We don't know. The Perfect Match algorithm is supposed to help procreate. You two defy that." The President responded."We don't know what exactly it would entail on the crowd. This is a nationalized event. Everyone witnessed the moment you and Hoseok were matched. There will be lots of speculation. No doubt the tabloids are writing about...this right now."

"If we prevent you from getting the mark, it will most likely cause riot amongst the people— even more than we have already." Kim Seokjin stated. "If we give you guys the mark, it will confuse the people— potentially leading many to believe the system is faulty and shouldn't be trusted.

"Either way there is a risk. We have to choose the risk that has the least amount of consequences."

Silence descended in the room as each person began weighing the pros and cons. Yoongi unconsciously shifted his weight from one foot to the other, lips pursed as his mind drowned in the information that was just given. He was still trying to process the fact that he even had to go through this. His mind couldn't wrap properly around the fact that this male, Jung Hoseok, was his Perfect Match. It wasn't possible, it couldn't be possible.

If Hoseok and Yoongi didn't go through with the matching, it could cause riots.

If Hoseok and Yoongi did go through with the matching, it would confuse and lead to something more consequential.

"Mister Hoseok, you haven't said a single word since we've talked." Seokjin suddenly said."What do you think?"

Yoongi forced himself to look at Hoseok. The male stood there silent, his arms crossed, an indiscernible expression on his face. Feeling Yoongi's gaze, Hoseok turned completely towards Yoongi, taking Yoongi aback. Strangely enough, Yoongi's breath got caught in his lungs as Hoseok's piercing brown eyes stared back it, brunette hair falling just below his eyebrows all complemented by his heart-shaped lips.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Hoseok's lips, leveling Yoongi's gaze. Without batting an eye, he said, "Officiating the match will cause the least amount of consequences."

Whatever Yoongi was expecting, he was not expecting Hoseok to say that. Yoongi's eyebrows raised at the statement, Hoseok's expression unreadable but unfaltering. Namjoon nodded, looking at Yoongi for confirmation.

"Are you both in agreement?" Namjoon asked. "We understand if you don't want to go through this."

The last thing Yoongi wanted to be was a traitor.

"In this case, I don't think there's a choice," he replied, lips pressing into a tight line. "It isn't about what we want. It's about what is expected of us. If that means going through with the match, so be it."

The President nodded, seemingly pleased with his answer.

"It's nice to know your loyalty likes to the Republic," the President smiled, looking at Namjoon and Seokjin, "You two will finish the matching process. I have to go to finish the ceremony. As for where you will be staying, I think staying in here with me in Seoul is the best option. Once word gets out that you are officially matched, many will take interest in you and it won't be just the tabloids.

"As soon as the matching is completed, you may escort them to my home. They will be staying with us for the time."

Namjoon nodded. At the affirmation, the President left the room, leaving Yoongi and Hoseok with the other two. "Normally Seokjin and I are behind the scenes. We don't normally perform the end of the matching ceremony."

"Let me guess. We're the exception." Yoongi replied dryly. Seokjin nodded, another smile forming on his face, his eyes starting to sparkle.

"This is going to be fun."

a/n: part one| initium finis is just a header that shows some of the quotes that will be said throughout the story. it's a way for me to divide the stories, sorry for the confusion! i'm working on this as hard as i can. my goal is to have this completed by the end of this week so that new readers can read everything. thank you for your continuous support <3