Taking slow, deep breaths, I peered down at the pattern that had been engraved deep into the skin of my wrist, so deep that it was a piece of my DNA. It was painful for me to admit but it was beautiful, a tiny set of piano keys that descended into a...
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Chapter 12 - The Transition
Sooner than i'd ever imagined, the day for me to set of to college arrived. It didn't seem real, the fact that I would soon be leaving my dad and brother behind to study in a new city just feeling too out of reach. It didn't seem two minutes since i'd been applying for colleges with Namjoon, arguing about the fact that he was going to be leaving the country. Those were the good days but they were gone now.
"Are you all packed up sweetie?" Dad asked softly whilst standing in my door frame, arms crossed against his chest with a solemn smile on his worn out face. He looked so miserable yet proud at the same time which made me feel sad too but it also made me glad that i'd made him happy. I nodded and stood up after closing the last box of my belongings, straightening out with a sigh as I crossed the room and hugged dad as hard as I could, not really wanting to let go.
We stood there for what seemed like an eternity, just a father and his daughter sharing how they felt without actually speaking. Not seeing dad every morning was going to hurt and I was going to miss him so much but I knew that in no time at all i'd be home again. That was the house i'd grown up in and lived in all of my life and i was leaving it. It wasn't the easiest thing to process.
"I'm gonna miss you dad, so, so much. This all seems so surreal, leaving and all, but I need you to know that this will always be my home." I whispered, not trusting my voice to keep strong and not crack. I didn't even have to look up at his face to know that he was crying, his chest slightly shaking with each cry. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't imagine how he must feel, watching me leave and start my own life in a complete different town.
Saying goodbye to Namjoon was what I found the hardest, believe it or not. I'd let him know a couple of days earlier that I was leaving for college and he'd been adamant that he was going to see me off, even if it meant that he'd have to come early in the morning seeing as I wanted to get an early start. We stood there, embracing each other for what felt like the last time, softly crying into each other's shoulders. All the years we'd spent together, planning each step of our lives out seemed to have not even existed, not taken into account as nothing had gone the way we had anticipated it to.
As teenagers we'd promised that we'd go to college together, take the same classes and have the same job. It sounds stupid and impossible now but back then we were fascinated with the idea of doing everything together. I've never done much without Namjoon by my side and taking this step was hard but I knew it was what was best for me at that very time.
"If you don't stay in contact with me I'll come to Seoul and pull you back to Ilsan with me." Namjoon sniffed miserably as we pulled away, his eyes puffy and red from just a couple minutes of crying. I chuckled softly through my tears and nodded, biting my lip to stop tiny sobs from breaking past the barriers. Saying goodbye was one of my only fears, the thought of never seeing someone I cared about again just too much for me to process.
"Please, don't say goodbye just yet. Think of this as a... see you later?" I whispered softly, fumbling with my fingers and looking down, embarrassed by my own words. Namjoon nodded softly, stepping backwards as dad opened the car door for me. I'd already said goodbye to Cole, hence the reason why he'd holed himself up in his room, probably trying to ignore his emotions with hours of xbox and live streaming which is the only thing he knew. Smiling at Namjoon warmly, I slowly got into the car and sighed heavily as I let myself relax into the leather, all of the tension melting from my joints in the most pleasurable way.
I refused to let myself dwell on the fact that Yoongi hadn't even cared enough to come see me, even after i'd told him that I was leaving. If he wanted to be that way then fine, I was better off without him anyways. This was my new chance to be happy and flourish so there was no way that I was going to let him drag me down like he had so many times before. I'd lied to him when we'd talked, I was only going to college in Seoul but didn't want him to follow me and pine after me. I wanted to have a normal college experience just like everyone else without having to worry that Yoongi would come along and ruin it.
"Don't worry Sophie, we'll all be here when you get back, waiting for you to come home where you belong. Go take college by storm sweetie!" Dad cheered as he closed my door and moved to stand on the sidewalk next to Namjoon, patting the considerably larger boy's shoulder comfortingly as he was still crying. With a soft nod, I started the car and pulled out of my driveway, thanking dad for having already set up the GPS as god knows I was useless when it came to anything like that.
For one foolish moment i'd expected Yoongi to pull up in his car and beg to talk to me, eventually getting down on his hands and knees to grovel at my feet just for an ounce of forgiveness. I couldn't help but laugh and shake my head at my own thoughts, mocking myself for ever thinking that Yoongi would go out of his way to see me off or even try to set the record straight. My soulmate didn't care about me, just like my father's hadn't, and for some reason I felt that I was okay with that. I was still Sophie, the introverted literature lover that spent most of her days locked away in her room with or without Yoongi. Having a soulmate didn't define me and I would be damned if I ever let myself get that bad.
On the drive I must've played the same six songs about a million time, singing along to the familiar tunes with a carefree heart as I travelled closer and closer to my new home for the next couple of months before I could return home again, even though it would only be for a short two weeks. They were uplifting melodies in order to lift my spirits after all of the sadness i'd already gone through in the short hours i'd been awake. Being away from dad and Cole was what hurt most, the absence of mother all too familiar and the only goodbye i'd gotten from her was a transference of a hefty amount of money into my bank account.
The four hour car drive to Seoul seemed to fly by, the GPA announcing that i'd arrived before I'd even registered that I was in Seoul. It was mesmerising, the fact that i'd finally made it to college and would be able to finally learn things that I was fully interested in. Quickly, I scoured the parking lot for a space to park and immediately spotted one, parking in it before getting out and deciding to take a walk.
I was finally in Seoul and there was nothing holding me back, especially not a dark haired, pale skinned man with an identical mark to mine.
