Ardor Chap. 1

[kumo_is_kumo]

Title: Ardor

Pairing: Kaisoo, implied!Chanbaek

Genre: Soul mate!AU, Romance, Fluff, Angst, Smut

Length: Series

Summary: People are going to meet their soul mate at the age of twenty. Kyungsoo thinks he has lost his soul mate even from the beginning. Jongin thinks he has found his soul mate, but turns out he has not. Weird things happen and chemistry strikes before they meet their true soul mate.













Poster by: ░ spearmint ░ graphic shop









Chapter 1



It’s a common knowledge that people are going to find their soul mate by the age of twenty. Two people will share a strong chemistry between them even before they could find out that they are soul mate. In some cases, people don’t really feel the chemistry but that’s rare. In some other cases as well, people don’t meet their soul mate until they finally open their eyes after the ritual and find a complete stranger to be their soul mate. They are going to share the same color in their eyes, shining so bright.

People who haven’t feel the chemistry with someone before twenty would believe that they would find their one after the ritual, for sure.

Kyungsoo doesn’t think so.

He has not felt the said chemistry in his full nineteen years of life. Sure, he has crushes once in a while but it all disappears right after the next week. Not even one has sent him the spark of chemistry.

Soul mates tend to want to share their time close and keep sticking together. They have the urge to be by the each other’s side, just to hear their voice.

Do Kyungsoo spends the first year of his university life slaving himself with various pat time jobs and trying to keep his grade with A’s to maintain his scholarship program. He has had enough of his sick and weak father paying for his whole life and he wants to spare his old man from suffering more. His father has been the best thing ever in his life.

On the second year of his university life, Kyungsoo meets someone and he considers it as another crush of him and he thinks that it will disappear soon just like always. But boy he is wrong, because he couldn’t shake the image of that someone out of his mind even after a month.

He shares a few classes with that person and Kyungsoo ends up battling with his inner self in between jotting notes down into his book or staring at the way that person yawns cutely.

Kyungsoo has never met someone as beautiful as that person.

They have never talked before but that person comes up to him once the professor tells them to pair up in a group of two for an assignment. Kyungsoo jolts up in surprise when the beautiful person taps him on his shoulder and asks for his permission to be paired with him.

Who is Kyungsoo to refuse him?

The person smiles down at him and introduces himself.

Jongin.

Even his name is so beautiful, Kyungsoo muses in his mind.

They work together for the assignment for the whole two weeks and they finish it completely (despite Kyungsoo trying not to ogle at him for the whole time). By the end of their work, Jongin has been so comfortable around him and starts being friendly with him. Kyungsoo thanks the heaven for that.

Jongin often comes up to him and offers him to spend their lunch time together. As friends of course, Kyungsoo wouldn’t dare to imagine them being more than friends.

It takes the whole two months before Kyungsoo finally concludes that he is having a maddening crush on Jongin. It scares him.

He finds that Jongin is such a cute boy. He laughs at every single thing he sees or hears. He jokes around and he likes making up three-line-poem from someone’s name. He has three puppies and they are all poodles. Kyungsoo always ends up laughing by the end of the day, be it because of Jongin’s jokes or simply just by watching Jongin laughs.

Kyungsoo wouldn’t dare to cross the line. They are too comfortable as friends.







It’s not too often at the beginning, but Kyungsoo realizes that Jongin always has his eyes on the corner of the lunch room. He would stare in a minute before cracking jokes to Kyungsoo again.

Kyungsoo notices it then. About what Jongin is staring at.

It’s a boy. A very beautiful boy sitting with a few people and laughing softly.

Then it hits Kyungsoo that Jongin likes that boy.

No wonder. That boy is so beautiful. His eyes crinkle when he laughs, his nose scrunches up cutely when he frowns, his cheeks curve up when he smiles, and his laughter sounds so refreshing.

Kyungsoo couldn’t even dislike the boy, because he finds they boy is way too perfect.







The boy comes up to him at one fine day. Kyungsoo blinks his eyes questioningly when the boy smiles at him while politely calling for his name. Jongin chokes on his yogurt at the sudden arrival of the boy.



“Do Kyungsoo-ssi?”

Gosh, his voice is so soft, so velvety-like, so calming.

“Y-Yes?” Kyungsoo croaks out. His voice sounds so bad and it cracks.

The boy smiles again, eyes doing that cute crinkle again and Kyungsoo notices Jongin is frozen on his seat.

“I was told by Professor Kang that you did some helpful tutoring sessions a while ago. I’m wondering if you could help me?”

Kyungsoo secretly glances at Jongin who is staring blatantly at the boy. It sends a quick pinch to his heart.

“S-Sure. I would be glad to help you.”

The boy grins cutely and shakes his hand thankfully.

“Thank you so much! My name’s Baekhyun, by the way! Can I have your phone number, Kyungsoo-ssi?”

He couldn’t say no. Tutoring some people would give him more credits for his points and Kyungsoo couldn’t refuse that.

Once he gets an addition in his contact under the name of ‘Baekhyun’, Kyungsoo ends up being stopped by Jongin when the boy is away from their table.

“Kyungsoo, I-I also need your help!” Jongin begs, eyes wide in distress and face hoping.

“W-What kind of help?”

Kyungsoo has a mind or two about what’s going to be Jongin’s next words but he still prays for it to be different from what he is thinking right now.

“That tutoring! C-Can I join it? I-I think I also need help with the subject, I mean I –”

“Sure.” Kyungsoo cuts him off, not wanting to hear any other silly excuses Jongin is about to utter. It’s enough.

The smile blooming on Jongin’s face is so pretty and Kyungsoo almost frowns at that. He is sure the cause of that smile is not because he is agreeing in helping Jongin, but because Jongin could be spending time with that pretty boy with the name of Baekhyun.

“Thank you, Kyungsoo! You are the best!”

Kyungsoo? The best?

No way.







It takes less than a week before Kyungsoo finds Jongin attached to the hips with Baekhyun. They are becoming best friends in no time because of the same interests in some things, and also because Baekhyun knows how to throw back a joke at the one Jongin cracks.

The tutoring session becomes a double helpful for those two, because their grade is increasing and their relationship is blooming.

Kyungsoo doesn’t dislike them. No.

He just can’t.

Those two are too beautiful.

And they have such a strong chemistry between them.







Baekhyun is a popular boy. He sings in some shows held by the university and people love him for his cheerful self.

Jongin is a popular boy. He plays in some sport tournaments held by the university and people cheer on him a lot.

With them being close to each other, people start to make a conclusion and soon start thinking that they are dating.

Kyungsoo is often being asked by some random people about his two friends dating fact and he could only smile at those people because he himself doesn’t know the answer. He doesn’t know and he doesn’t even want to know.







Watching Jongin chatting lightly with Baekhyun is such a beautiful sight. The two of them are so beautiful and they fit each other so perfectly.

Kyungsoo always finds himself being the third wheel before he excuses himself with some library duty, not that those two listen to him. They have gone to their own world to even care about their surroundings.







Sometimes Kyungsoo is wondering.

People are gifted with good looks, smart brain, and rich life. How could people be so perfect?

Kyungsoo is fighting. He is fighting to survive. He has three part time jobs. One in the bakery across the train station, where the payment is not too much but it still helps him. One in the bookstore in the center of the town, where it’s boring but standing behind the cashier gives him money. One in the small restaurant near the university, where it’s tiring and requires him to be home at late night but the payment is quite big. It’s four jobs if he counted the tutoring one.

He lives quite far from the university, at the outskirt place where the rent is quite cheap but the building is also too small, too ugly, and too dangerous. Some people have been staring at him for the past months when he gets back from his late night shift.

That Kyungsoo’s life and he starts wondering what makes him so different from other people.







Baekhyun is clingy, but he is cute. He is too adorable and pretty at the same time. Everything he does screams ‘cute’ and even the biggest mistake he makes would make people coo at him. He is just that likeable.

When he smiles, his droopy eyes crinkle at the corner and it makes a refreshing image for him. People would always smile back just by watching him and their day would be concluded great.

Kyungsoo could never hate him. He might even hate himself.

Baekhyun never treats him bad. Kyungsoo is a poor boy, he realizes it and he has gotten a few mistreatments from some bad people all around the university but none of them have caused him any harm so he lets it go. Baekhyun treats him as if he was the same as him, considering that Baekhyun’s family comes from the rich one.

It’s ridiculously cute, because Kyungsoo has another reason to not hate him.

But at the same time, Kyungsoo feels so empty in his heart. There’s a hollow feeling in his chest and he doesn’t know how or where he could let it out.

He treasures Baekhyun dearly. He is the perfect example of the perfect boy. Maybe that’s also the reason why Kyungsoo feels so empty.

Because Baekhyun is everything he wishes to be.

He has everything and he even has a kind heart. And he has Jongin.

This is supposed to be a secret; but Kyungsoo has been trying to find anything from Baekhyun to hate.

He fails.











His twentieth birthday is coming in a week.

The annual ritual of meeting soul mates is coming in a month.

Kyungsoo fears that day.



He doesn’t want to open his eyes and finds the spot in front of him to be empty. It would hurt him so much to not being able to have a soul mate, even though he has known that he has none.

People start talking about the ritual.

They start taking guesses about who’s going to be paired up with whom.

And of course; Baekhyun is most likely to be destined with Jongin. Who is he kidding? Those two have hit the highest peak of their chemistry and people just have to wait for the official thing to happen.



Kyungsoo doesn’t have any chemistry with anyone.

His friendship with Jongin is too thin to be even considered as a chemistry bond; but as soon as Baekhyun starts coming into their small circle, Jongin is no longer his friend. That might be the harsh way to say it, but simply to say that Kyungsoo has stopped hanging around Jongin.

It’s not because he is a jealous sick or what; it’s to spare himself from feeling heartbreak. It’s ridiculous because he has never felt this kind of feeling for someone else and now that he starts to understand that the feeling is called love, Jongin’s true soul mate comes just at the right time before Kyungsoo could make a fool of himself with falling even deeper.

They are perfect. Kyungsoo loves the way Jongin would act so gentle around Baekhyun. It pulls a smile on his own lips because the way Baekhyun stares at Jongin is also so sweet.











The day comes before Kyungsoo could even prepare himself.

The mass ritual.

Every year, the ritual is held. Soul mates are supposed to be very close to each other, even though some might not realized it yet. The unseen bond between two people forces them to be close with each other physically and it helps them to build the chemistry between them.

Some unlucky people might not have their soul mate close to them, either their soul mate is simply at the other side of the world; or maybe their soul mate has died. That’s a special case and only them who are allowed to be with someone other than the destined one with them.

Kyungsoo’s sure his soul mate has died.

But he is not sure whether there will be someone who wants to be with him.







Jongin is too excited for his own good. He is clingy even in the morning and Kyungsoo forces a smile because he knows the reason behind Jongin’s giddiness.

If anyone would treasure their soul mate the most, it’s going to be Jongin.

That boy is a romantic at heart.

Baekhyun is lucky to have him.











They sit along with hundreds of people. The buzzing sound of people chattering is deafening Kyungsoo’s ears as he tries to calm himself.

There’s a nudge on his side and Baekhyun sends him a questioning yet a worried gaze. Kyungsoo shakes his head and sends him a small smile to assure him that he is fine.

At least from the outside he looks fine.







The ritual starts sooner that he expects it to be.

Kyungsoo, along with the other hundreds people, closes his eyes yet he could not stop his trembling hands. He can feel the body heat radiating from Baekhyun who sits beside him. He is just glad because he couldn’t feel Jongin’s body heat because Jongin chooses to stick by Baekhyun’s side.

The ritual leader speaks with the microphone and his voice resounds from the loudspeaker:

“Today, you and the other people around you gather here to be able to find your own soul mate. You have reached the age of twenty and it’s time for you to be the one you are destined with.”

Kyungsoo squeezes his eyes close from fear. Please, just make it fast.

“You will feel called towards your true soul mate and when you close your eyes, your body will move unconsciously towards your destined one. It’s your inner urge to be close to them.”

He could hear some people standing up from their seat and blindly walk towards their own soul mate. Even the stranger sitting beside him moves all too sudden and Kyungsoo flinches in surprise.

He waits for his body to move.

It doesn’t.

He doesn’t have a soul mate.



“The moment you open your eyes, you will see your soul mate and you will find the same color shining in their eyes as the one shining in your own. Open your eyes anytime you feel ready.”

Kyungsoo’s definitely sure he won’t be seeing anyone the moment he opens his eyes. Just the thought of it hurts his heart but what could he do? It’s already written in his destiny that he won’t be having someone to hug, to kiss, to love, to spend the rest of his life with. He is even sure his soul mate has long died years ago.

He starts to hear people cheer when they open their eyes.

I’m not ready yet; he tells his mind.

Feeling his nails dig into his palm, Kyungsoo starts to lose his breathe.

Another second passes and people start chattering again.

Alright. Don’t be sad when you find no one. You know this already; Kyungsoo keeps telling himself.



Kyungsoo has a mind of forcing his eyes to keep closing but the inner force in him is so unbelievably so strong and it makes him sighs in defeat.

Congratulation of not having a soul mate; Kyungsoo muses mockingly.



But the moment he opens his eyes, Kyungsoo finds himself gasping because he sees the flicker of mint in the pair of eyes belonging to the person in front of him.

The look on Baekhyun’s face is troubled and he looks pale.



Why?

Because Kyungsoo sees Jongin the moment he opens his eyes.









***








A/N: First chapter, kinda like the prologue. Let's see how this turns out because I'm currently anticipating this so much <3
Hope you enjoy this story and kindly comments ^^
Thank you for reading!