The Broken Lock

One

We all wanna be someone's, wanna be someone's, someone, with somebody we can't live without, we all wanna be someone's wanna be someone's, someone, someone we can't live without, the music blasted in my ears as I walked down the street and I softly hummed along as I swerved between people on the busy street.  Something about the song made me glance at the tattoo on my ankle and wonder what it would be like to have a soulmate.

The few seconds that I was looking at the ground were seconds that I wasn't watching where I was going.  Before I could stop myself, I ran straight into someone and crashed to the ground, my backpack and its contents spilling all over the pedestrian filled sidewalk.  Crap.  Well isn't this just great.  The last thing I needed this morning was to be late.

Ignoring my scuffed knees and palms, I jumped up and scrambled to gather all my belongings and shove them back in my bag.  As I was reaching for my last notebook, an expensive looking shoe came down on the object.  I silently cursed and looked up to see who was attached to the foot in front of me.

Standing over and wearing an extremely unpleasant expression, was a boy in a matching uniform to mine.  It didn't take more than a second for me to immediately recognize him as Hajun, the most popular guy in school.

Unfortunately, he was also the largest bully in the school.  Without saying a word, I looked back down and reached for my notebook again.  It would be in my best interests not to provoke him or give him any reason to pick a fight with me.

"Hey!  Aren't you going to apologize?  You ran into me!"

Feeling the angry eyes on me, I stood up and bowed apologetically to the boy without meeting them.

"I'm sorry for running into you, please forgive me."

I crouched down for my notebook again, but he didn't like that.

"Are you mocking me?  How dare you try to make fun of someone like myself!  You are a worthless piece of trash who needs to learn its place!"

He was about  to hit me, when a girl held his arm.  Her tall figure was also wearing a school uniform with a too short skirt and her face slathered with makeup.

Minji, his soulmate and my chief tormenter.

"Come on babe, like you said, she's trash.  Why waste your time on her?  Besides, we'll be late for class."

For once, I couldn't agree with her more.  Please just leave me alone.

Her words must have had an effect, because Hajun just scoffed and turned away.  Thank god.

"But don't think I'll forget this you insect.  Make sure to stay out of my way."

I didn't say anything, just stared at my notebook as he removed his foot and walked away, but not with Minji.  The girl looked at the object in front of me and smiled.

"Do you need this?"

I didn't answer as I watched her heeled foot kicked the notebook into the street.  Her leg was angled so I could see the soulmate mark tattooed on her ankle.

"Oops," she smirked as multiple cars ran over my belonging.  "I'm so sorry about that.  It's a shame that it took it's owner's place in the trash."  With that last word, she turned and followed in the direction her soulmate had gone.

I quietly stood up and watched the notebook for a few seconds.  Good thing it was an extra.  I would need to buy a new spare after school, but at least it didn't have any of my notes in it.

I put my earbuds back in and checked to see that my phone was cracked.  Not paying it any mind, I flipped through my playlist until I found the song I was looking for.  As soon as I pressed play, music began filling my ears and I resumed my route to school.

---

The bell rang and I hurried out of my class for lunch.  My plan was to eat my food in peace at my locker.

"Jiwon!"

I ignored the voice and continued walking.  I'm too tired for this.

"Hey Jiwon!"

Quickening my pace, I kept my eyes straight ahead and towards my locker.

"CHOI JIWON!"

Sighing, I turned around and cast a tired glare at my best and only friend as he pranced down the hallway.

"What do you want Daejung?  Is there a reason you are screaming my name for the entire school?"

"Well, there are many reasons, one of them being that you are my best friend and I'm happy to see you!"  I scoffed.  "Is there a reason you're grumpier than usual today?"

I looked away and crossed the rest of the distance to my locker, "Just, y'know, the usual morning encounter with Minji and Hajun, the match made in Hell."  Daejung snorted, "And I was late to class for the third time.  If I'm late again, I'll have another detention."

My friend looked over me with a worried expression in his eyes.  He took in my scratched hands and knees, as well as my disheveled appearance.

"Are you okay?" his concern was genuine and I was grateful for my one friend.

I nodded as I took out my lunch and sat down and he joined me, "Yeah, all they did was destroy my extra notebook and call me a few names.  I'm fine, just really tired."

My friend nodded, but the unease never left his eyes, "I just wish that they would leave you alone for once.  You don't deserve anything they put you through and to top that, tomorrow is your birthday.  No one should have to deal with them every, but especially not on their birthday."

"Not this again," I rolled my eyes.  "I'm not getting a soulmate, Daejung.  You know it's not possible."

"Well actually, we don't know anything because no one has ever had a broken lock before.  It isn't a key, so there very well might be a person beside you when you wake up tomorrow."

"I highly doubt it, besides, I don't even want a soulmate."  That was a lie and we both knew it.  "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

"Well, that gleam in your eyes says differently, so be quiet."

His triumphant smirk soon turned into a reassuring smile, "It's really not as bad as you think it is.  And you can't say I'm lying because I already met my soulmate."

"And you're telling me that you didn't freak out in the slightest when you woke up with a random guy in your bed?"

"Well, I mean.  It wasn't that scary.  I only had a minor heart attack."

I stared at him, "A minor one?"

"Fine, I freaked out a lot!  But in the end it was definitely worth it because my soulmate is now my amazing boyfriend."

"Mhm," I said as I rolled my eyes.  "Sure."

"Hey!  I'm not lying, it was definitely worth it!"

"Well even if I have a soulmate, which is highly unlikely, they might not even appear.  I mean, they might be younger than me and I might randomly get transported in their bed during their birthday."

"That is possible, but I just have a feeling that yours will appear tonight."

"Ugh, you're hopeless!  There's no way I can convince you otherwise, is there?"

"Nope!" he smiled innocently.  "I think that your soulmate will be there in the morning tomorrow and you should be excited!  I mean, it could be literally anyone!  It could even be a serial killer!"

"Why are you so cheerful thinking about that?  With my luck, that might actually happen!  And I'm blaming you for that horrid image."

Daejung laughed at my grimace, and I couldn't stop it from turning into a smile.

After a while I finally spoke, "Who knows?  Maybe my eighteenth birthday will be uneventful."