In this world, everyone met their soulmate at 18—not through a first conversation or some magical dream, but through a name. At the exact moment you turned 18, your soulmate’s name would appear tattooed somewhere on your body. No one knew exactly where, and no one could control it. Some said it burned, others said it tickled. All you knew was that it meant everything.
And tonight was your night. With only ten minutes left, you sat cross-legged on your bed, texting your best friend Jeno like your fingers were on fire.
You Is it gonna hurt??? Be honest.
Jeno ♡ Mine did. Not bad, tho. Just a sharp sting.
You UGH.
Jeno ♡ You’ll live. I’m excited for you lol.
He told you last month that his mark had appeared early one morning—just under his collarbone. The name belonged to a girl from another school. You tried to be happy for him, but your heart had sunk for reasons you didn’t want to admit.
At the five-minute mark, you were about to type another nervous message when a soft tap tap hit your window. It was Jeno. Standing there on the fire escape with that same stupid, charming grin, hoodie half-zipped, hair slightly messy from the wind.
You quickly opened it. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see your reaction.” He said with a shrug, slipping into your room like he’d done a hundred times before. “Five minutes, right?”
You nodded, heart racing. He sat across from you on the edge of your bed, watching you closely, and the room fell into a tense silence. Then—00:00
A sudden, sharp pain bloomed across your lower stomach. You gasped, hands gripping your hoodie. It wasn’t unbearable, but it was definitely real. Jeno didn’t move, just stared. After a few minutes, the pain faded. Your breathing steadied. With trembling hands, you stood in front of your vanity, lifted the hem of your shirt just slightly, and—
There it was. “Lee Jeno” Etched in soft, black ink against your skin, right along the curve of your lower abdomen. You turned around slowly, eyes meeting his in the mirror.
He was already smirking. “Surprise.”