——
saturday, 9:45am |
city square.

15 minutes left.

the square had been crowded, overly crowded rather, with people closest to seoul's centre. like every other time that this had happened, everyone had dropped everything they had just to be standing in their current spots. works called off, schools cancelled—as if the city was in a sense of a shutdown.

a holiday.

and everyone included even some other people from different parts of the world. some heading to different parts of korea as well to be able to register in the first place. many wanted less crowded places, but others often headed to where they knew best;

seoul. that's where everyone else was. idols had even taken their time off to see if their name was put on the roaster, and other important professions even had taken time to see their name in case it showed.

it was almost time. the yearly festival.

it was time for the opening of this year's summer soulmate camp. the place to determine a big part of several peoples' lives. or, more specifically, their love lives.

"jisoo! jisoo, there you are! i've been looking all over for you, were you present at the front entrance for the arriving idols?"

"of course but.. uh.. i.. ran out of space on the team's camera."

"that's- okay, can you list the people you've seen?"

"..i ran into twice, red velvet.. maybe two-thirds of the nct members when they were still getting out of their car-"

"did you get her?"

"..get who?"

"jennie kim, jisoo."

10 minutes left.

"jisoo! why are you working on a holiday?"

"you always ask this question, lisa" jisoo would say with a roll of her eyes, being captured by the excited girl who had her arm around her neck. "yah, yah, be careful! this camera is expensive!"

"i have a good feeling we're on this year's list" the girl would say cheekily, attempting to be discreet about it by whispering. "my fortune cookie yesterday said something good will happen to me tomorrow. and today's tomorrow!"

"you, not me."

"the universe doesn't know that" lisa says, nudging the other with a smile as she dragged jisoo over to the crowded front rows.

"hey, i'm still working-"

"working can come after we find out that we're finally going to meet our soulmates!"

5 minutes left.

jisoo wasn't sure how she found herself standing at the very front, past the barricades holding everyone else back. she means, sure, she supposes she could be considered some sort of vip since she was part of korea's popular 'dispatch' team.

not to mention, too, that she was bestfriends with a famous dance leader too. she also had various other connections with some idols, but other than that, it still felt strange to be with other celebrities. people that she's assigned to get the latest scoops on.

and here she was, standing with everyone else, curiously staring up at the large screen being projected. a countdown.

and jisoo, like every year she wasn't picked, prayed that her name would finally show up.

she wants to go.

"5!"
"4!"
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"

the once brightened screen dimmed, many around the girl shouting and cheering for what seems to be their own names to pop up soon. it didn't take long for it to turn back on, and there it was.

the 2022 soulmate camp.

various idols popped up this year it seemed. the names seemed to have been in alphabetical order in terms of first names.

she didn't know a couple names, but she could make out the ones that looked familiar. lisa was on there, so was her good friend, haein.

but there she was. the j section.

kim jisoo.

and right above her? kim jennie.

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