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Exhibition week had arrived. The hustle and bustle could be heard throughout the halls as students went to and fro with great enthusiasm.
Every year, Hanlim High School organized an exhibition week, allowing its students to exhibit whatever they wanted, as long as it was approved by the student council, or better known as Park Jihyo.
The exhibition booths could vary from informational or educational booths, recreational booths, or entertainment booths. This year there had been many more entries than the previous year so the exhibition fair had been moved to the soccer field, with enough space to accommodate all sixty booths.
Now, while the week of exhibitions was entertaining, the students were even more excited because they had no classes during the whole week and uniforms were not mandatory, so the halls of the high school also became the fashion week; an idea sponsored by the fifth year fashion student, Im Nayeon.
Nayeon, being the main judge, along with three other classmate friends were in charge of judging the outfits of their classmates, each day with a different theme to which most of the students who participated tried to stick to as much as possible. By the end of the week, three winners were announced. The three best dressed students were awarded a small trophy and free food coupons for a month at the Hirai family restaurant.
For its first day, the exhibition fair was proving to be quite a success, however there was one specific booth that was attracting a lot of attention from the public, with students crowding around the booth and a few others lining up for whatever they were presenting there.
"Come on in! Come on in and see! If you believe in soulmates then this is the place for you!" dressed in a black galley over her head and a suit of the same color, Chaeyoung moved as if she were a circus presenter about to present a show.
With intrigue the students slowly begin to approach to see what it is all about and Chaeyoung smiles triumphantly.
As they approach the stall Jeongyeon greets them. There is a table decorated with a black tablecloth, a crystal ball and small magical decoration artifacts to make the booth more eye-catching.
"Welcome to the dating club, a place where we will help you find your other half, your soulmate. For a small fee of ten thousand won we can help you find the love of your life" says Jeongyeon as she places her hands on the crystal ball which lights up a bright violet color. Little 'ohhh's' can be heard from underneath from some of the onlookers.
"Any takers?"
"Me! Me!" Beomgyu shouts through the crowd, waving a ten thousand won bill in his hand as he approaches the table.
Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung look at each other briefly and smile, colliding their fists underneath the table. The first victim had fallen for their games.
With anticipation, the other students gather around Beomgyu so they can watch Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung's work.
"Okay, I need you to tell me what you would like your soulmate to have."
Beomgyu seems to think carefully for a few long seconds before answering Chaeyoung's question. Most of them are physical characteristics and a few personal ones. Jeongyeon takes note of everything and then searches thoroughly until she gets a result that matches the boy's expectations.
"We have the results. Do you want to know the name of your soulmate?" Chaeyoung asks him in a mysterious voice, the boy nods his head eagerly. "Your soulmate is Choi Yeonjun. Music department, class B2, third seat of the second row."
"Oh my goodness I knew it would be him!" Beomgyu squeals in excitement. "What should I do now?"
"Yeonjun and you will go on a date. You should go look for him, I heard he was in the cafeteria or something."
"Thanks girls!" with a bright smile Beomgyu walks away in search of Yeonjun. The other students are amazed and several of them are encouraged to try as well, hoping to have the same luck as Beomgyu.
—
It's almost the end of the first day of the fair when Nayeon, Sana and Mina decide to approach Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon's booth, where a few students could still be seen lingering around out of curiosity.
"Ah unnies! How nice to see you guys around" Chaeyoung welcomes them with a charming smile showing off her adorable dimple.
"The soulmate club? Sounds like the name of a movie taken from the eighties" Nayeon teases after reading the name of the friend duo's booth.
"For your information, eighties movies are great movie classics" Chaeyoung replies puffing out her cheeks certainly offended by Nayeon's teasing.
"What's this about?" Sana is the one who asks.
"We reunite you with your soulmate" Jeongyeon explains briefly.
"That's it?"
"Yep. Do you want to try your luck Nayeon unnie? The result might surprise you" Chaeyoung says raising her eyebrows suggestively. Nayeon rolls her eyes but decides to approach the table, agreeing to play along with Chaeyoung. "Okay, tell me your favorite qualities of a person."
Nayeon takes a moment to answer, listing everything she has to say with her fingers. Chaeyoung listens to her as she writes down everything Nayeon mentions.
"Oh this is interesting" Chaeyoung comments with an amused smile looking at the results she got.
Nayeon leans forward a little bit trying to look at what Chaeyoung had written on the sheet. "Come on tell meee" she whines as Chaeyoung walks away backwards.
"Your soulmate is Yoo Jeongyeon. Oh wow what a surprise!" Chaeyoung pretends to be surprised. Sana and Mina smile, not at all surprised by the result either.
Right next to Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon has a smirk plastered all over her face. She chuckles under her breath at the sight of Nayeon's flushed cheeks.
Nayeon recovers right away before Jeongyeon or Sana can take the opportunity to tease her, "Are you sure about that? Isn't there a mistake there?"
"No, there is no mistake, you can check it yourself" Chaeyoung hands the sheet to Nayeon so that she can look at the result herself.
"Did you expect another result Nayeonnie?" Jeongyeon asks her with a mocking tone.
Nayeon pushes the sheet away and gives Jeongyeon an incredulous look, "Please, we both know that if that happened you would be the first one to cry about it. I'm just amazed that your silly teen magazine game is so accurate in the results." she then sighs with resignation and hands the paper back to Chaeyoung before saying, "I guess I have no escape with you Yoo Jeongyeon."
Jeongyeon's cocky smile grows again as she walks around the table and approaches Nayeon to wrap her arms around her waist, Nayeon making a false attempt of wanting to push her away but failing miserably.
"We'll be joined at the hip for a long time Im Nayeon" Jeongyeon jokes then depositing a short kiss on his girlfriend's cheek. Nayeon just rolled her eyes; she wasn't going to admit out loud that she had liked the gesture.
The two had known each other since they were little, practically living next door to each other. The connection between the two was immediate. Jeongyeon was only eleven when she confessed to Nayeon that she was in love with her. You could say she was the happiest girl in the world when she learned that her love was not one-sided, Nayeon also reciprocated. Three years later, already in their teens, they finally made their courtship official, although for them it was never necessary to use a label to describe their love for each other. Since then they had been inseparable. Not for nothing was it said that they were the true test of soulmates, and they planned to stay that way for a long time to come.
"How about you unnies? You can try it too." Chaeyoung turned to Sana and Mina.
"I'll definitely pass. My relationship with Jihyo is fine and I plan to keep it that way" Sana replied, a small smile escaping her lips at the mention of her girlfriend. She then looked at her friend, "But I think it might work for Mitang."
"What? No" Mina shook her head softly with a nervous smile.
"Come on unnie, give it a try. What could go wrong?"
A lot of things could go wrong. Mina wanted to say but didn't. She didn't want to ruin Chaeyoung's illusion either, so she decided to indulge her and play with her after a couple of Sana's insistence.
(Honestly Mina could never resist Sana's puppy dog eyes).
"Fine, just once, okay?"
"Yes of course" Chaeyoung nodded, picking up the pad of paper and a pen. "Okay unnie, tell me what you'd like your soulmate to be like. You can say anything you want."
After a few minutes of uncertainty, Chaeyoung announces that she has the result for Mina. The dancer can't help but feel nervous, fiddling with the sleeves of her sweatshirt.
"Well, this is surprisingly interesting and unexpected honestly" Chaeyoung says with a slight teasing tone in her voice. She looks at Mina and asks, "Ready?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Your soulmate is Kim Dahyun." Chaeyoung answers plainly leaving no room for suspense.
After that there is a brief moment of silence that stretches for a few seconds. Confused faces can be seen on the four students in front of Chaeyoung.
It is Nayeon who interrupts the silence with her question, "Wait, are we talking about that Kim Dahyun? The prodigy girl from the music department?"
Chaeyoung shrugs and nods. "Yes, she is. I highly doubt there is another Kim Dahyun in this high school."
Chaeyoung's answer doesn't make Mina's heart calm down, instead it beats a little faster. Mina doesn't know why.
(She did know).
"She decided to participate in this dating game?" Nayeon questions, visibly puzzled.
"Well technically she didn't, but Jeongyeon unnie and I thought it would be fun to include Dahyun unnie, you know, she's not the biggest fan of dating even though her damn locker is full of those fan letters. So yeah, I guess she is participating."
"She knows?" Sana asks looking between Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon.
Chaeyoung smiles guiltily and looks at Jeongyeon. "I think we forgot to tell her."
Mina just wants to slap her face. Really, what had she gotten herself into?
—
It was not difficult to find Dahyun. Chaeyoung simply had to follow the sound of the piano, leading her directly to the auditorium, where the high school band usually had their rehearsals on Monday and Friday afternoons after school.
This week everyone was exempt from rehearsals, however that didn't stop Dahyun from straying into the confines of the auditorium to play the piano.
This is how Chaeyoung found her as she entered through the side door of the large music hall; Dahyun sitting in front of the piano as her hands traveled across the piano keys, playing one of Dahyun's favorite compositions and by extension Chaeyoung's as well.
Watching and listening to Dahyun play the piano was a beautiful act to appreciate, but Chaeyoung wasn't there to do just that and made his presence known to Dahyun as soon as she arrived.
"Dahyun! My bro!"
Dahyun turned her eyes to Chaeyoung, giving her a smile. She stopped playing giving her full attention to her best friend who now had her arms resting on the surface of the grand piano.
"Hey bro! It's good to see you, and I'm glad you're here..." Dahyun reached out to grab the folder she had resting on the piano stand, looking for something among the many sheets, "Aha! Here it is. I need you to listen to something, it's a new composition I've been doing for technical writing class."
Dahyun put the folder back against the music stand showing the sheet music with his still unfinished composition. She adjusted the bench, hands on the keyboard ready to start playing.
"Wait bro, there's something I have to tell you" Chaeyoung bit the inside of her cheek, almost afraid that Dahyun would be upset with her.
"Oh, what is it?"
"Well you know Jeongyeon unnie and I have this booth at the fair? And may be we included you in the list... and may be Mina unnie wanted to play and you may be her soulmate" she smiled nervously, taking a step back to avoid being hit by Dahyun if the girl intended to do so.
Dahyun's brain seemed to stop working for a brief moment, even losing the ability of speech until she could muster some words. "You did what thing?"
"I'm sorry! We thought it would be fun so you could finally go on a date with someone."
"Chaeyoung..."
"And you should have seen your admirers paying to try to get you to be their soulmate so they could date you" Chaeyoung was still rambling.
"That's not- wait what? They were paying for that game?" Dahyun's eyes widened in shock.
"Yeah, Jeongyeon and I will split half each" Chaeyoung said simply, as if what they were doing wasn't something illegal.
"You know if Jihyo unnie finds out about that she'll go for your head and Jeongyeon unnie's? I don't think you guys want to face the wrath of the student council president for violating one of her rules."
"We'll be fine. She doesn't have to know if no one tells her" Chaeyoung winked at her. Dahyun just sighed. Trying to change Chaeyoung's mind was kind of in vain, especially if she was in league with Jeongyeon; Chaeyoung's better half for committing vandalism and pranks in high school.
"Ah by the way, you're supposed to go on a date with Mina unnie."
"W-what?!"
"It's part of our club's agreement. If the date isn't what you expected we give you back the money you paid. So for my sake, don't ruin your date with Mina unnie"
"Oh god...I'm going to kill you Son Chaeyoung" Dahyun mumbled through her teeth watching as her friend kept walking backwards to get away.
"You lie, you love me. Thank us when you and Mina unnie are girlfriends!" she yelled before running out the door to avoid the flying shoe Dahyun threw towards her.
Dahyun wasn't sure what exactly to do. She didn't usually go on dates, she wasn't the best at that sort of thing and now she suddenly had a date with none other than Myoui Mina; the ballet dancer, and one of the most beautiful students in the entire high school. Dahyun knew this all too well.
She couldn't help but smile shyly as she said softly, trying to assimilate her own words. "I am Myoui Mina's soulmate."
—
It takes Dahyun another two days to finally take the plunge and talk to Mina so that they can have the date that Chaeyoung was still insisting for.
She and Mina agree to meet at noon at the park right next to the high school. Other students are also hanging around the place lounging around, some sitting on the grass and others just strolling around or lost in their phones.
Dahyun waits patiently sitting on one of the benches. It's not that Mina was late for her meeting, it's just that Dahyun had arrived fifteen minutes earlier than expected.
At twelve o'clock Mina makes her appearance. Dahyun can't help but stare at her as the other girl approaches. Mina is wearing flared jean pants, a white blouse and black boots. Her black hair waves loose, in thin braids with colorful charms, accentuating the fashion that used to be worn by young people in the 1970s era.
The young pianist can only think of how wonderfully beautiful Myoui Mina was.
"H-hello unnie" she stands up, greeting Mina with a nervous smile.
"Hi Dahyun-chan" Mina smiles softly at her. Dahyun feels like she could melt right there with just a look and a smile from Mina.
This was not going to be an easy task for her.
"Are you ready for our date?"
"I am. Do you have something on your mind?"
"Oh well, I thought maybe we could take a walk and maybe get some ice cream. Sorry I'm not good at this" she scratched the back of her neck hesitantly. She didn't want Mina to have a boring date, but you can't blame her, she was an expert on music, not on how to win a girl's heart.
"That's fine with me Dahyun-ah. I like ice cream."
Dahyun breathes again, exhaling the air she didn't remember holding in. She gives another tight-lipped smile to Mina and they set off, walking together towards the ice cream store that was a few streets away near the park.
Despite the initial nerves Dahyun may have felt, the date flows relatively well, better than she could have expected. She and Mina have many things in common, such as her love for superhero movies, video games, or her love for classical music.
She finds it adorable the little sounds Mina makes whenever she laughs at the bad jokes Dahyun tells. But what Dahyun likes most is to see that cute gummy smile that appears on Mina's lips when she talks passionately about the things she loves, such as her great devotion to ballet, or even legos. Mina seems to enjoy with every part of her being every single thing she does; another one of the many reasons why Dahyun is attracted to her.
An hour and a half later they decide to head back to the high school. It's almost the end of another day of the fair, there are still students left in the hallways and a few others still browsing the exhibit booths.
To Dahyun's misfortune, it is Chaeyoung who they meet halfway after Mina accompanied Dahyun to get her backpack from her locker.
"Oh but look who we have over here, my two favorite lovebirds" Chaeyoung smiles at them with glee and a mischievous look.
"Chaeng don't start" Dahyun growls at her, however her best friend ignores her warning.
"How was the date unnie? Dahyun treated you well right? She can be a little weird sometimes but she's a good person" the blonde haired girl smiled at Mina, giving Dahyun a wink afterwards.
Dahyun mumbled a few words between her teeth, looking at Chaeyoung with eyes that said I'll finish you when we're alone.
Mina let out a giggle, enjoying the dynamic of the friend duo. She then nodded in response to Chaeyoung's question. "Everything was perfect don't worry. The date went well."
"That means you'll give my bro another chance?"
Mina laughed again, Dahyun's cheeks were red, wishing the hallway floor would split in two right there and eat her up so she wouldn't have to continue to be the focus of her best friend's teasing.
And as if that wasn't enough embarrassment Dahyun was feeling, Mina added a little more saying "Yeah, maybe I will."
Dahyun can see Chaeyoung's shit-eating grin peek on her lips and raises an eyebrow, trying to say that she was right and everything had turned out fine. It didn't change the fact that Dahyun still wanted to hit her for the teasing she received from her.
"Don't you have somewhere else better to be Chaengie?" Dahyun asks with fake kindness.
The arts student shrugged. "We got a rumor that Jihyo maybe found out what we did, so Jeongyeon and I are hiding from her...just until she gets over her anger."
"I'll make a reminder to send your favorite flowers at your funeral bro."
"Thank you, now if you'll excuse me I have to go hide. See you soon lovebirds. Ah, if Jihyo asks for me, pretend you didn't see me!" she half-whispers as she walks away down the hallway with hurried steps.
Mina and Dahyun can only laugh before continuing on their way.
"Do you think we should tell them the truth?" Mina asked in a whisper, clinging with her hands to the arm Dahyun was offering her.
They walked out the front doors to the outside, starting to walk back to Mina's house, with the plan to have an evening with Marvel movies, Mina's favorite saga.
"About what?"
"About us being girlfriends" even after a year of relationship with Dahyun, Mina can't stop her cheeks from turning pink when she says it out loud.
Dahyun laughs and shakes his head before looking at Mina, "No. Let's let them find out themselves, it'll be fun to watch."
Mina matches Dahyun's amused smile and leans in another little bit to kiss her cheek briefly. Then she looks at her again and says, "I'm happy that you're my soulmate Kim Dahyun."
Dahyun doesn't respond with words, she finishes sealing the small distance between them with a kiss, soft and slow. Dahyun's heart flutters in his chest as she feels Mina's smile against his lips before returning another kiss.
At the end of the day, Dahyun knows she wouldn't want to be anywhere else but where she belongs next to Mina, his soulmate.