Without my Soulmate

5) Birthday

Nat POV

I woke up feeling excited because I knew NuNew had something special planned for me. When we arrived at the amusement park, I couldn't wait to try all the attractions. NuNew had everything perfectly planned. We immediately jumped on various rides that were fun but not too fast, as he knew about my fear of fast rides.

Our first stop was the giant Ferris wheel. As we settled into the cabin and started to ascend, I felt my heart pounding with excitement. The view from the top was amazing; we could see the entire park and the surrounding landscape. I took many photos of the scenery.

After the Ferris wheel, we headed to the mirror maze. It was fun trying to find our way out, laughing as we bumped into mirrors and saw our distorted reflections. NuNew then took me to the shooting gallery, where we competed to see who could hit more targets. Of course, I won, and NuNew laughed, saying I cheated.

Our next stop was the haunted cave. As we entered the dark tunnel, I felt a chill run down my spine. NuNew tried to scare me, but I didn't give in. The spooky sounds and sudden screams made us both laugh as we tried to make it through the cave without getting too scared.

After a few hours of excitement and laughter, we took a break for lunch. We sat on a bench overlooking the entire park, eating our favorite food and talking about everything. Kuea had a small surprise for me—tickets to a special show in the park. It was full of magic and acrobatic acts, and I was thrilled. I couldn't stop smiling all day.

The show was amazing. The magicians performed tricks I had never seen before, and the acrobats flew through the air with incredible ease. NuNew laughed at my amazement, and I was grateful to have such a great friend who had planned such an unforgettable day for me.

After the amusement park, we headed to the mall. Kuea wanted me to pick out a gift for myself. First, we stopped at an entertainment center where people tired of shopping could play various games. We didn't forget the photo booth, where we took some crazy pictures. We walked through the stores, tried on different things, and laughed at some of the crazy ideas. NuNew is normally an introvert, but I felt he was trying to enjoy this day to the fullest, just for me, and I was glad fate chose us as brothers. In the end, I picked out a nice sweater, even though NuNew insisted I get something more expensive, but I didn't have the heart to drain my brother's wallet and insisted that it was enough.

Once we had chosen the gift, we headed to the bakery. NuNew knew I loved chocolate cakes, so he had a special cake made with my favorite flavor. We picked up the cake, planning to order dinner delivery at home and end the day by stuffing ourselves in front of the TV. I was happy and bouncing around like a little kid. I could already see myself devouring the cake. But as luck would have it, one of my feet tripped over the other, and the cake fell to the ground, landing right on someone's very expensive-looking shoes.

I looked up and froze.

Yi POV

One side of our business focuses on shopping malls. Zee was out of town on business for two weeks, so today it was up to me. I was going over the business results with the mall manager when suddenly a chocolate cake fell on my shoes.

WTF!

My handmade Italian shoes!

I looked up, ready to confront whoever was in front of me, and I froze. Standing before me was someone who immediately captivated me. He had delicate but striking features that made him unforgettable. His light, dyed, silky hair was slightly tousled, giving him a youthful and carefree look.

His eyes were deep and dark, but they looked quite frightened.

He was wearing simple yet stylish clothes—dark blue jeans and a white shirt that fit him perfectly, highlighting his slender but firm figure.

At that moment, when our eyes met, I felt my heart start to beat faster. It was as if the whole world around us disappeared, leaving just the two of us. Max inside me started shouting with excitement, and I inhaled the scent of dark chocolate mingling from the young man.

"Soulmate," I spoke first.

Nat POV

When he said it, I instinctively took a step back and bumped into NuNew.

The man in front of me was much older than I was. He had striking features that made him unforgettable. His dark, short-cropped hair was neatly styled, giving him an elegant and confident look.

His eyes were deep and piercing, full of calm and confidence. Suddenly, he smiled at me, a wide and genuine smile that revealed a row of perfect white teeth. That smile hit me right in the heart. His eyes lit up even more when he smiled, and I felt my heart start to beat faster. I felt Khondiao purring contentedly under that smile. I could smell his scent of fresh cedarwood and hints of vanilla. I had an urge to run to him, so I grabbed NuNew's hand.

"What's going on?" he whispered curiously in my ear.

"I think that's my soulmate," I quietly nodded towards the man in front of me. NuNew looked over my shoulder. He pointed at the man and shouted across the entire mall.

"This old man is your soulmate!? No way. Home!" And he started dragging me away.

Yi POV

I saw the other guy start to pull my soulmate away. This was right after he called me an old man and almost poked me in the face. I didn't know what to do quickly, so I looked down at my shoes, and there was a birthday cake with a "Happy Birthday" message lying at my feet.

"Wait, you two," I called out to them, and my soulmate made his friend stop. "I see I ruined your birthday cake. Can I invite you for some dessert or buy a new cake as an apology?" My soulmate's friend clearly wanted to refuse, but my soulmate put on the cutest puppy-dog face I had ever seen and tugged at his sleeve.

It didn't take long before all three of us were sitting in a nearby café. My cute little soulmate was devouring a piece of chocolate cake and looked adorable enjoying it. Next to him sat his friend with his arms crossed, not touching his piece. Instead, he was eyeing me suspiciously.

"Uh," I cleared my throat, never having been this nervous, even though I'm used to dealing with high pressure. "My name is Yi. Can I ask what your names are?"

"No," snapped the stormy cloud.

"I'm Nat, and this is my younger brother NuNew," said my soulmate while enjoying his cake. NuNew gave his brother a dirty look, which I found cute.

"Uh, Nat, I don't want to be pushy, but do you think we could exchange phone numbers?" I said with such boldness that it surprised even me. I was afraid the boy would refuse.

"Sure, why not," he said and smiled at me with a magical smile. A bit of chocolate was left in the corner of his mouth, and I had the urge to lean over the table and wipe it off with my finger.

"Nate, that's not sensible. You don't know him at all," NuNew whispered in his ear in a way that I could obviously hear.

Nat smiled at him and stuck out his tongue. "Khondiao and I agree, it's two against one." Then he reached out and handed me his phone so I could enter my number. I did, and immediately called myself so I would have his number too.

I smiled at my cute soulmate. "Thank you very much. I'm sorry, but I have to get back to work, but we'll definitely stay in touch." Nat smiled at me too and waved enthusiastically. His brother, aka the stormy cloud, just sent thunder and lightning my way.

As I walked back to work, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. I had just exchanged numbers with Nat, my adorable soulmate, and I couldn't wait to see where this would lead. The rest of the day at work felt like a blur, my mind constantly drifting back to the café and Nat's enchanting smile.

Later that evening, I received a text from Nat: "Hey Yi, it was nice meeting you today. Thanks for the cake! 😊"

I smiled at my phone and quickly replied, "The pleasure was mine! I'm glad you enjoyed it. How's NuNew doing?"

"He's still a bit grumpy, but he'll come around. He's just protective," Nat responded.

I smiled at my phone and felt like I was twenty again. I couldn't wait to see my little soulmate again.