赤い糸 - Red String of Fate

Chapter 7 - Oops

Jeongyeon steps into her classroom, but when she turns back, her jaw nearly drops.

Sana is right behind her.

"Eh?!" Jeongyeon blurts out, frozen in the doorway. "You... you're in this class too?!"

Sana blinked at her, tilting her head in that small, confused way that somehow made her ten times prettier. "Yeah? I've been here since the start of the semester..."

Jeongyeon feels her face heating up. How did I not notice her all this time?

Sana giggles softly at Jeongyeon's stunned expression before slipping into an empty seat. Jeongyeon hurries to her own desk, trying not to overthink, but her brain won't stop spinning.

Sana is my classmates? Is this a coincidence? No no, I don't think so, How many it has been? Coffee, Roommates, Bracelet, Classmates.
FOUR! Is Four a coincidence? Seriously who is she?

"Jeongyeon-ah," a whisper came from the side.

Jeongyeon snapped her head toward Nayeon, still looking dazed.

"ㅋㅋㅋ, what's with that face?" Nayeon grinned. "Don't you know tomorrow is your birthday?"

"Shhh!" Jeongyeon hissed back, waving her hand. "Don't let anyone know. I'll just treat you to dinner, okay?"

The class had grown restless, half-listening to the lecture, half-whispering among themselves. Sana sat near the window, pretending to copy notes, but her eyes betrayed her, drifting again toward Jeongyeon.

Jeongyeon shivered. Why do I feel someone staring at me again? She buried herself in busywork to shake it off. From her bag, she pulled out a small box of chocolates and casually passed them around. She saved one piece—planning to slip it to Sana later—but by the time class ended, Sana had vanished, leaving with Tzuyu.

Jeongyeon pocketed the chocolate with a small sigh. Mina was nowhere to be seen either. She had wanted to invite her to a little birthday-eve hangout, but that would have to wait.

—

By Saturday night, Jeongyeon found herself sitting in a dark cinema beside Nayeon. The two of them had picked a random movie without even checking the trailer. The glowing title on the screen read: You Are My Destiny.

"Seriously?" Jeongyeon muttered. "What are the odds..."

It was, of course, a romance. Two strangers crossing paths again and again until fate finally tied them together.

As the cheesy dialogue played out on-screen, Jeongyeon's mother's words floated back to her. The soulmate talk. The red string that would appear on her twentieth birthday.

Twenty... That's in a few hours.

Her stomach fluttered. Is that even real? Or just some family myth? But... it happened to Mom and Dad...

She leaned toward Nayeon, whispering what was on her mind. To her surprise, Nayeon's parents had told her the same story. That sometimes the red string appeared at midnight on someone's twentieth birthday. That sometimes, people still lived happily without ever seeing it.

The theater's romance felt suddenly too close to reality.

Later that night, Jeongyeon sat at a café near campus with Nayeon, waiting out a sudden downpour. The clock ticked closer and closer to midnight.

Jeongyeon makes a call to her sister, Seungyeon. To ask about that red string, "In case the Red String appears somewhere, am I the only one who can see it?

"Nope, your soulmates could see it too.. Pabo" Seungyeon chuckled.

"Ya! Yoo Seungyeon, Ahahah" Jeongyeon chuckled.

After a little chit chat, they bid farewell. And currently, it's raining outside. Though it's only a few minutes to Jeongyeon's 20th birthday. They decided to wait for that soulmates thingy and ended up in a cafe near campus for shelter. Jeongyeon had a feeling it would not appear for her. But she is still curious about it. As time gets near 12.00 AM, both of them are doing a countdown like New Year's.

"10, 9, 8 -" They count softly.

" 5, 4, 3"

" 2! 1!" Both of them shouted at 1.

For a moment, nothing. Jeongyeon almost laughed it off. But then—

A faint red glow shimmered against her skin.

Jeongyeon froze. A thin line had appeared on her wrist, no more than an inch long. It pulsed faintly, a weak, almost sickly red. Not glowing enough to light the room, just enough for her eyes to catch it.

Her throat dried. No way. No... way...

It didn't stretch or lead anywhere. Just a small mark, fragile, trembling as if it might disappear at any second.

Her emotions tangled into a knot—delight, fear, disbelief all at once. This is it? This tiny thing? Did I get the broken version of fate?

Across from her, Nayeon leaned forward. "It appeared, right? I can't see anything, but judging by your face—"

Jeongyeon could only nod, staring at her wrist, mind spinning in circles. She wasn't ready for this. Not at all.

Her phone rang suddenly, startling her.

MINA

Mina? She never called me before. Jeongyeon answered in a rush, only to hear Mina's weak voice asking for help. Without hesitation, she bolted upright.

"Sorry, Nayeon. I have to go!"

Confusion flashed across Nayeon's face, but Jeongyeon was already gone, running through the rain. Drenched and shivering, she burst into the dorm, sprinting down the corridor.

The door was unlocked. Inside, Mina was slumped on the floor, eyes half-closed.

"Mina! Mina, are you okay?!" Jeongyeon shook her gently.

"Sorry... Jeongyeon..." Mina whispered, voice faint. "epipen..kitchen rack"

Jeongyeon quickly rummaged through the rack to find a weird pen and gave it to her, Mina immediately used it, and she settled down.

Her skin burned with fever, rashes spreading across her arms. Without thinking, Jeongyeon scooped her up and carried her to her own room, laying her carefully on the bed. She fetched a basin of ice water, pressed a cold towel to Mina's forehead, trying desperately to cool her down.

Only when she finally sat down did she realize she was dripping wet herself. She changed quickly into dry clothes, dried her hair with a blower, but a sneeze escaped anyway.

"Achoo!"

She groaned. Seriously, Yoo Jeongyeon. You're this weak? Her body ached, dizzy from the cold rain. With Mina on her bed, she retreated to the couch, collapsing under exhaustion.

Much later, the door clicked open. Sana slipped inside quietly.

Her eyes widened at the sight: Jeongyeon curled uncomfortably on the couch, blanketless, skin pale and lips pressed tight. On Jeongyeon's bed, Mina lay asleep, fevered.

Did I miss something...?

She stepped closer, then froze. A faint red light glowed against Jeongyeon's wrist.

Sana's breath caught. She knelt down, carefully taking Jeongyeon's hand. The glow was real, warm, pulsing weakly like a fragile heartbeat. She held her wrist gently, feeling the heat radiating off Jeongyeon's skin.

She's burning up... She's sick?

Sana hurried to the fridge, pulled out an ice pack, and placed it gently on Jeongyeon's forehead.

"Whooa—what are you doing?!" Jeongyeon jerked awake, panicking at the sudden cold. She tried to stand up up, wobbling.

"You're sick, Jeongyeon," Sana said firmly, pushing her back down. "Stay still. I'll get medicine"

But Jeongyeon, stubborn as ever, staggered to her feet. She forgot Mina was upstairs. She barely made it a few steps before her vision blurred.

"yah!" As soon as Sana noticed Jeongyeon on the stairs. She dashes to her.

And in the next second, Jeongyeon collapsed right into her arms.