Soulmate

Epilogue: Hoseok

a/n: finally, some info about hoseok. he's been absent for a lot of the story 

December 8, 2012
Seoul, South Korea

My muscles are sore and my eyes are heavy and exhausted from dancing all night. When I woke up after my few hours of sleep, my muscles were so sore I could hardly slip my worn out shoes on my feet without cringing. My legs and hands are shaking with exhaustion as I stand in the middle of a lonely apartment. I climbed three levels of stairs to see her, to feel the familiar exciting tingle up the inside my arm. It's been so long since we've seen each other, I've been craving her company and her comfort. But I'm not going to get it.

"What...what do you mean you want to break up?" I ask. My voice is weak as I speak. I can't find any substance to really ask her anything. I'm confused by her words.

She's crying, thick trails of tears streaming down her cheeks as she hiccups her breaths. "I don't like being away from you," she mumbles. "It's been two months since we saw each other last. That's the longest it's been."

"But I'm here now," I say, reaching out to take her hands. My heart aches when she pulls them away from my reach. "Sora..."

"It made me think," Sora says. "I don't know if I can do this when you debut. I don't think I could go months and months without seeing you."

"Then I won't debut," I tell her immediately. It isn't even a question for me. "I just won't do it."

"Hoseok, are you insane? You've worked so hard to get here and you're gonna leave it all behind? That is completely ridiculous. You'd rather be with me than live your dream?"

"You are my dream! I have lots of dreams and you're one of them. I'd rather be happy with you than be on stage miserable without you."

"You expect me to be able to live knowing that I caused you to stop pursuing your childhood dream? You've worked for this your whole entire life and you're amazingly talented. What if this group you're in becomes the biggest KPOP group in the world, huh? I could never live knowing I took that away from you!"

"Sora, that would never happen," I return. "We were supposed to debut earlier this year and here we are, still with nothing. Nobody's looking at Korea, anyway."

"But Korea could look at you. You're one of the best dancers I've ever seen. I could never ask you to give it up for me."

"You say you can't live with that thought, but I don't know if I could live without you." My voice is shaking and I watch her shrink into herself as she just cries. "We're soulmates, Sora. We're not supposed to be apart, it's unnatural."

"Hoseok," Sora finally says. "If we're really meant to be together like the soul marks say, then we'll see each other again. If the legends are really true, we'll never be apart from each other. We'll find each other again."

"We've found each other now," I protest. I grasp her hands tightly and hold them against my chest. "I'll have other dreams. I'll never have another soulmate."

"I love you, Hoseok. More than anything." Sora's hand reaches up to touch my cheek lovingly and she runs her thumb along my face. "And it's because I love you so much that I can't allow you to quit. I would never forgive myself if you did."

The tears in my eyes finally start to fall and I lunge myself forward to hold her. Her arms go around my neck and mine go around her waist. We just cry into each others' shoulders.

"I love you, Sora," I whisper into her neck. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Hoseok—"

I pull away just enough to kiss her. I hope it's enough to show her my determination before I leave the apartment.