Chapter Text
Everyone is born with a Soulmate.
Unfortunately, not everyone gets to meet their Soulmate in their lifetime. Some people never know the joy, the happiness, the utter completeness of having their Soulmate in their life, hearts beating as one and bodies in total sync. There is nothing else as sacred and pure as the Soul Bond, and some poor individuals have to live with the loneliness and emptiness for their entire lives.
One could have known their Soulmate their entire life, could have been best friends with them even, but unless they’ve made physical, skin-to-skin contact, they will have no way of knowing. They can pass their Soulmate on the street, even make eye contact and smile, but without the brush of flesh on flesh, their Soulmate can be on their merry way, never to be seen again.
Park Jimin suspects he will never meet his Soulmate.
He’s twenty one years old and has spent practically his entire life trying to find his, ever since he was five and his mother had explained what a Soulmate is. He’d spent the years “accidentally” bumping into as many strangers as he could without looking like a complete staggering drunk, casually brushing his fingers over cashiers’ hands as he passed them his money, and gently knocking shoulders with other students at school.
No such luck.
“It’s hopeless,” Jimin wails, flinging himself dramatically across Taehyung’s bed and burying his face in a Buzz Lightyear pillow. “I’ll never find my Soulmate.”
His friend watches him in exasperation, because they’ve had this conversation at least seventy times throughout the years.
“You’re only twenty one, Chim; you have the rest of your life to find them,” Taehyung says as always, having grown bored of this discussion around the fourth time they’d had it. Jimin rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling, bottom lip quivering.
“W-what if my Soulmate is…dead?” The question is whispered in horror, and Taehyung has to resist the urge to roll his eyes. “Or, what if he’s a gross, crusty old man?” The brunette opens this mouth to say something, but Jimin cuts him off again by moaning. “Or worse—what if my Soulmate isn’t even born yet?”
“Well then, I guess you’ll be destined to spend the rest of your life as a baby sitter,” Taehyung snickers, quickly dodging the pillow Jimin flings at him with an outraged screech.
“One day I’m going to kill you, Kim Taehyung!”
“Until that day, you’re stuck with me. And unfortunately, I’m stuck with you,” Taehyung closes his eyes and shakes his head sadly, expression looking tragic. Jimin grits his teeth in annoyance.
“Not if I kill you first!”
“Yes, but, until that day—“ the beginning of Taehyung’s speech is cut off by a Finding Nemo pillow that hits him square in the face.
“Yah!"
Jimin trudges tiredly into his psychology class, body aching and head throbbing from lack of sleep.
He’d slept horribly last night, tossing and turning for hours, his dreams haunted by his faceless Soulmate who was always just out of reach no matter how hard Jimin ran towards him. He’s been having nights like this frequently, increasing in intensity as the weeks go on.
“Chim!” Taehyung’s voice calls, and he looks up to see his best friend waving at him from one of the middle rows of the lecture hall. Jimin is a few minutes early, so he has his pick of seats. As he makes his way up to Taehyung, he spots Min Yoongi, a senior, sitting in one of the very back rows, head lolling as he tries not to fall asleep. His bleach blonde hair peaks out from a black beanie and a pair of thick, black-framed, square glasses slips down the bridge of his nose.
Jimin knows Yoongi because his friend, Namjoon, and Jimin’s friend, Seokjin, are Soulmates. The two had discovered their Soul Bond last year, when Jin was a senior and Namjoon was a junior. Their two friend groups, Jimin and Taehyung in Jin’s, and Yoongi and Jung Hoseok in Namjoon’s, had mingled frequently after that.
Now that Jin has graduated, Jimin doesn’t see as much of Namjoon and Hoseok, and especially Yoongi. Sometimes they’ll all still sit at lunch together, but Yoongi never joins in the conversations, and Jimin can’t help but feel disappointed at the older boy’s distance.
Yoongi is quiet, grumpy, and always looks like he’s on the verge of falling asleep. Jimin thinks his curved cat lips and tired, droopy eyes are adorable, and has always gone out of his way to try to talk to Yoongi, to engage him in conversations, to make him laugh, but to no avail. The older boy will just glare at Jimin until the redhead slowly trails off, his cheeks burning at the look of annoyance in Yoongi’s eyes.
Jimin knows he talks a lot, laughs a lot, and is one of the clumsiest people alive, but it seems Yoongi has taken a particular dislike to Jimin’s sunny personality. The younger boy doesn’t let it bother him too much, because he doesn’t see Yoongi that often and so he has less chances of being reminded how much the blonde doesn’t like him, but the irritated looks and sighs of exasperation still sting.
“Wah, you look awful!” Taehyung chirps cheerily as Jimin slides into the seat next to him, earning a glare from the older boy.
“Gee, thanks, Tae,” his asshole of a friend just grins before looking behind him at an unfamiliar student.
“Hyung, this is Jungkook, he’s a new transfer student!” Jimin turns to look at who Taehyung is talking about.
The boy is tall and handsome, has almost purple-black hair, and smooth, tan skin. He smiles shyly at Jimin, revealing cute bunny teeth.
“Hello, Jimin-ssi,” Jungkook says quietly, and Jimin practically coos at the way the kid ducks his head shyly and blushes slightly when the older boy smiles back.
“Hi, Jungkook,” he says warmly. “You can call me hyung.” Jungkook looks up and grins, the act making the bridge of his nose crinkle adorably.
Jimin finds himself wondering if this boy could possibly be his Soulmate. Of course, Jimin finds himself wondering that about everyone.
He’s trying to figure out a way to make physical contact with Jungkook when one of the girls in the row in front of them turns to hand Taehyung the pile of papers the professor had handed out a few moments ago. Taking them from her with a smile, the brunette hands one to Jimin before turning to pass them to Jungkook.
As the younger reaches out to grab them, his fingers brush Taehyung’s.
Immediately, both boys gasp, and a shudder seems to pass through their bodies as they stare at each other, wide-eyed. Taehyung’s mouth drops open, and Jungkook’s face has drained of all color, their arms still frozen in an outstretched position, fingers touching. Jungkook doesn’t even notice when the pile of papers slips from his hand and flutters to the floor.
Jimin stares between the two of them in confusion, before realization dawns on him that he just witnessed their Soul Bond, and his jaw goes slack.
No fucking way.
“You…” Taehyung croaks as Jungkook blinks at him slowly. Then, as if on cue, both boys shoot up from their seats, and Taehyung shrieks, the awful sound echoing around the lecture hall and earning an annoyed look from the professor.
Far behind them, Min Yoongi jerks awake with a start, looking around wildly before his eyes settle on Taehyung, shooting him a disgruntled glare.
Taehyung, oblivious to anything but Jungkook, actually clambers over his seat and engulfs the younger boy in a bone crushing hug, squealing happily. Jungkook laughs breathlessly as he wraps his arms around Taehyung and pulls him even closer, looking dazed before he buries his face in the brunette’s neck.
Jimin watches in shocked silence, at a loss for words. From the corner of his eye, he can see Yoongi watching as well with narrowed eyes. Taehyung pulls back slightly to stare at Jungkook’s face, eyes wide and filled with wonder. He reaches up a hand to gently stroke the boy’s cheek, and Jimin sees a tremor pass through both of them at the contact. The pure and absolute look of adoration and awe on both of their faces has Jimin’s heart aching in longing.
So much for Jungkook possibly being his Soulmate.
With another laugh, Taehyung peels his eyes from Jungkook to look at Jimin, the smile on his face threatening to split it in half. He is practically glowing, his eyes filled with light as he holds tightly onto both of Jungkook’s hands.
“Hyung, look,” Taehyung hisses in excitement. “It’s my Soulmate!” Jimin isn’t sure whether or not he hears a scoff coming from Yoongi’s direction as he grins back at the brunette.
“Congratulations, Tae!” Jimin beams, feeling genuinely happy for his best friend. However, he can’t help the surge of jealousy that shoots through him at the downright sappy look Taehyung gives Jungkook, body practically glowing and eyes filled with awe.
Jimin wants that so, so bad.
Taehyung and Jungkook spend the entire lesson pressed as close as the wooden chairs will allow, hands clasped and staring into each other’s eyes. Jimin has a hard time focusing on the professor because Taehyung keeps cooing softly every few seconds.
Taehyung and Jungkook are inseparable after that day.
They are always together, always touching in some way, whether it be holding hands, stroking the other’s hair, or even just shoulders pressed together, the need for physical contact keeping them practically glued to each other.
Jimin has seen it before with Jin and Namjoon, the long, loving looks, the pure adoration on their faces when they gaze at each other, the way they glow in the presence of the other. Jimin thinks it’s cute, but also kind of annoying at times.
“Aigoo,” Taehyung croons, pinching Jungkook’s cheek when the boy literally does nothing but breathe. “My Jungkookie is so adorable.” The black-haired boy blushes and ducks his head.
“Hyung…” he whines in embarrassment, but leans into Taehyung’s touch nonetheless.
“Wah,” Hoseok breathes in wonder, looking at the two of them from across the table. “You guys are disgusting.”
The three of them, plus Hoseok, are in the cafeteria eating lunch, and Jimin can’t help but agree with the older boy.
“Who’s disgusting?” Comes a deep voice from behind Jimin, and he glances back to see Namjoon, Yoongi trailing a few steps behind him, carrying trays of food as they arrive at the table. The two newcomers slide into the seats on either side of Hoseok, Namjoon looking curious while Yoongi just looks down at his rice in boredom.
“The new Soulmates,” Hoseok replies, pointing at the oblivious couple with his chopsticks. “They’re sickening.”
At the mention of Soulmates, Namjoon’s face softens and his eyes become distant. “You’re thinking about Jin hyung, aren’t you?” Jimin asks in amusement, and Namjoon’s cheeky grin and light blush is enough of an answer. Next to him, Yoongi snorts, but Jimin is the only one who seems to notice. He shoots the blonde boy a curious glance, blinking when Yoongi looks up and narrows his eyes back at him, an annoyed expression crossing his face. Jimin’s gaze drops back down to his food in embarrassment, cheeks heating up. Something about Yoongi and his intense eyes always makes Jimin flustered.
“Hey, let’s all go out to dinner tonight!” Hoseok suggests suddenly, and the two Soulmates finally break eye contact to look at him.
“Yeah!” Taehyung agrees enthusiastically.
Jimin frowns slightly, not really feeling up to being surrounded by infatuated, lovey-dovey Soulmates, but it’s also been awhile since all seven of them have hung out together, and he’s not sure when the next chance will come around, so he nods with a smile. “Sounds good.”
“Can Jin come too?” Namjoon asks dumbly, and Jimin rolls his eyes mockingly.
“No, hyung, Jin can’t come,” he deadpans, and Jimin’s not sure if he imagines the slight smirk that crosses Yoongi’s curved lips at his sarcastic remark. Namjoon looks hurt for a second, and the redhead sighs in exasperation. “I’m joking.”
The older’s expression brightens immediately, and he whips out his phone to text Jin. Namjoon may be a genius, but he can be kind of oblivious to humor sometimes, which makes him an easy target for the others to tease.
Hoseok turns to Yoongi with an expectant expression. “Hyung?” Yoongi looks up at the question and purses his pink lips slightly, drawing Jimin’s attention to them as the blonde seems to debate whether or not he wants to join. “Oh, come on hyung, be social for once,” Hoseok pouts cutely, giving Yoongi a puppy dog look that makes the older sigh.
“Fine.” Yoongi finally grumbles before returning to his food. Hoseok smiles brilliantly and claps his hands together.
Jimin isn’t sure whether to be excited or annoyed that Yoongi is coming.