In this world, soulmates aren’t an actual thing, but Jeongguk is pretty sure they exist nonetheless, for he’s witnessed not one but two pairs soulmates come together, his own best friends. And he’s a romantic at heart, so maybe blame that as well.
He was 10 when he met his first ever friend, in Busan on a stuffy, hot summer morning as he was skipping his way to school. He had bumped into this kid, almost the same height as him, who was merely two years older than him. Park Jimin, who is now one of his best friends found family. They’re a family.
Jeongguk was a little grumpy at that, but he was at fault and even so Jimin, ever the angel, had taken complete blame and apologized furiously. The younger had felt bad and somehow they ended up walking to school together every morning, and eventually becoming the bestest of friends.
Then Jimin had to move to Seoul during middle school and he had found his soulmate there on the first day.
As Jeongguk thinks back, he realizes how Taehyung and Jimin are so different yet the very same. Jeongguk had been jealous to say the least. Jimin was his friend first, then Taehyung’s. But Taehyung is nothing if not charming, and he had managed to charm his way through Jeongguk’s million shells as well.
The maknae still remembers them being 17 and him 15, just finishing up with middle school on his part as they moved on to their last year of school, how puberty and academic pressures from all sides had finally made them burst and confess their feelings for each other. He still remembers sighing a sigh of relief that his two dumb best friends had finally, finally decided to get a move on or Jeongguk swears he would have locked them in a closet until they did.
It’s three years later, Jeongguk’s in his last year of high school, Vmin are in college, still going strong as ever, when they meet Kim f*cking Namjoon. It’s love at first for one Jeon Jeongguk, freshly adult. Then it’s a sudden barrage of friends in their small little group, suddenly going from a mere three to an overwhelming seven. (It doesn’t feel overwhelming now though, just right.) Jeongguk’s obviously the last one to open up, it being his nature to stay in his shell till he’s been forced out of it, and he’s grateful for that really.
By the time, they’ve all graduated college, including Jeongguk, especially Jeongguk, they’ve been friends for over half a decade now. He’s 24 now and he’s only realizing it now how quickly the time flown by.
He reminisces the time he and Yoongi had decided to go out for lamb skewers and Namjoon, oh dear god Namjoon, had practically begged him let him join as well, when he didn’t even /like/ skewers in the first place. And the chaos that had ensued ended with Jeongguk witnessing one of the most heartfelt confessions in his life. A drunk Yoongi and an equally drunk Namjoon trying to navigate their lips for a proper first kiss. Yoongi’s slurred ‘I like you’s and Namjoon’s drunk lopsided dimpled smile, oh Jeongguk might have died little that day.
Hobi and Seokjin aren’t soulmates per se, but they’re equally entertaining, their daily bickerings, them competing to see who’s better at housework, they’re basically an old married couple in Jeongguk’s eyes (the rest of them agree wholeheartedly) and soulmates or not, they’re perfect for each other.
If Tae and Jimin are the obvious soulmates, the loud ones, the ones whom everybody can tell how they’re part of the same soul, then Namjoon and Yoongi are the quiet ones, the way they share their similarities in such minute things, be it their favorite colors (both blue) or the color they use to describe themselves (black) or their taste in music (both fans of 90’s hip hop). The quiet habits that they share, their similar personalities. And the things that are different about them also somehow compliment each other perfectly. Namjoon being two sizes bigger than Yoongi is just about the best thing the universe has ever done, in Jeongguk’s opinion.
And now as he looks back, all these 7 years that they’ve been together has been nothing but bliss. Yeah, they’ve all had their differences, be it a fight over something life altering or something as small as dumplings (cough cough), but overall he’s happy, he’s grateful. But most of all, he loves them all so so much.
