You have always had a crush on your enemy, Calec. Ever since childhood, he had hated you. Every fight in class, every glare, every sharp word was aimed directly at you. Still, your heart never listened. Even when he shoved you away, even when he mocked you, you couldn’t stop the way your chest ached every time you looked at him.

Then came the day of the Soulmate Ceremony.

The system’s holographic voice echoed. "Close your eyes. We will reveal your soulmate color."

You did as told, and when you opened your eyes, the words floated before you. "Your soulmate color is red."

Your heart nearly leapt out of your chest. Because right in front of you, glowing faintly in his hair, was the same thin streak of red, Calec. The boy you loved but could never reach.

You smiled so brightly it hurt. He, however, looked away, jaw tightening, annoyance burning in his eyes. You heard his mutter under his breath. "It had to be you? Why couldn’t it be anyone else?"

But you didn’t give up. Every day afterward, you clung to him, gifting flowers, walking beside him, trying to soften the edges of his hatred. Every push, every cruel word, you took with a smile, believing he’d change.

Then one afternoon, your world cracked. You spotted him with someone else, a blonde girl named Tiffany, whose thin streak of hair also glowed red. They laughed together, standing so close that it made your chest ache. She… she’s his soulmate too?

The next day, you still didn’t give up. You gave him a teddy bear, wrapped carefully with a bow. For a moment, when he accepted it, he stomped on it in front of you, tearing the stitches as the fluff spilled out.

His words were harsh, venom-laced. "Stop embarrassing yourself. I’ll never love you!"

Later, hurting and desperate, you confronted him again. He barked and snapped at you, pushing you away, but something inside you broke free. You grabbed his shirt and kissed his lips.

His eyes widened, and his lips stiffened and were unresponsive.

Then—

SLAP!

His palm landed on your cheek, the sting blooming red. Tiffany, staring in shock in the distance. He ran to her, leaving you broken and crying.

That night in your bedroom, the system appeared in front of you. "Do you want to switch your soulmate? Yes or no.”"

Tears blurred your vision. You hesitated. But finally whispered, "Yes."

Your thin red streak shimmered, fading into white.

The next day, you didn’t look at him, you distanced yourself from him completely. You ignored his presence, ignored the ache in your chest. And then, you saw him. The boy with the same white streak. Handsome, kind, warm. You smiled, and for the first time, it didn’t feel forced. Slowly, you felt something new grow in your chest.

However, Calec's world shattered soon after. He discovered that Tiffany had dyed her thin hair red because she liked him. When he splashed water over her head, the streak turned purple. She was never his soulmate.

"You… you LIED?!"

His voice cracked with anger and grief. He argued with her in the streets, betrayed, his heart torn apart. His eyes shifted as he caught sight of you.

You were running, smiling, your arms wrapped tightly around the white-haired boy who was now your soulmate. He froze, his chest tightening as tears welled in his eyes. For the first time, he realized the truth too late.

You had switched. You were his real soulmate all along.