#love triangle reader

“They really do have purple strings.”

After going to the school nurse and explaining their whirlwind of a situation, they had been escorted to the nearest clinic to check if what they had said about their strings were true. The two sat in the chairs in front of the desk, anxiously awaiting the results as their parents stood behind them, concern clear on their faces.

The doctor takes one last glance at the paper, then looks up to address them.

“Well, this sort of appearance is quite rare…” He tilts his gaze to Y/n. “You said you had met your soulmate already?”

A lump forms in their throat, but they manage to let a mumbled ‘yes’ slip through. The doctor hums in thought, focus going back to the x-ray vision of their string. There was no denying that it was there, but such a situation only occurred if their previous soulmate rejected them. By prospect, Y/n’s previous string should have cut off and turned black by now, but it was not as such. In fact, their string had even regained some of its red hues after being scanned, a soft tinge of crimson soaking back into the white yarn. The doctor rubs his temples in attempts to smooth out his wrinkles. He should’ve taken a day off.

“Well,” the doctor stands up and the two children follow his movements, “all this means is that Sugawara is your second chance at having a soulmate. The purple colour comes from your light blue string merging with your red string.”

He stares at Sugawara. “And you had a white string before this, yes?”

Sugawara nods. The doctor nods with him.

“That explains the lightness of the colour.”

He walks to the door of the room, leading the group out. “Your string will darken in colour in a few weeks, it’s still getting used to having a connection. Nothing more to do there.”

Just as they were about to leave, he pauses, as if thinking.

“One moment-“

But they had already left the clinic, the two feverish to go home. He sighs, placing folding his arms together.

“Well, that string will probably die off soon, otherwise…”

He hums. “The two partners will have to win them off.”

He ponders upon the situation a bit more before chuckling. “Lucky them, I suppose.”

“Not everyone can get people to fight for them.”

Outside the clinic, the two had separated ways. One pair left ecstatic, the other, baffled.

“You had met your soulmate?!” Y/n flinched from their mother’s words, feet shuffling against the tarmac road.

“It was Iwaizumi-san.”

This only seemed to anger her further. Meeting your soulmate meant a happy, successful life. Meeting your soulmate meant that Disney happy ending, just like she had done.

Why did her child not get the same?

To be honest, she wasn’t even angry, she was more scared than anything. Those who had two strings were considered defects. They were called whores or sluts because they had more choices than the rest of the majority. It was even worse for those who had more than two, but those were one in a billion chances. Having multiple strings meant either one or most of your soulmates will reject you at some point. Possibly even all, if you’re horribly unlucky. It’s quite a cruel process, physically and mentally hurting those who got rejected, thus why the gene had died out along the years.

The multiple-string gene ran in their family. It skipped her generation, thankfully enough, but she wasn’t expecting her child to get it. She remembered hearing about her great-grandmother marrying a man who didn’t believe in soulmates. She had been rejected by all three of her soulmates, thus leaving her with no guidance to her one and only. She was lucky to still have men who enjoyed her presence, one so much that he married her. Though she seemed happy, cheery and grateful, she knew it was different.

She passed away at a young age of forty-nine. It was diagnosed that her heart had eventually slowed down its beating so much that she couldn’t get blood to circulate fast enough, thus leading to her death. All because her soulmates had rejected her.

She didn’t want her child to die in such a state.

Before she could lecture them, their father placed a hand on her shoulders, holding her back. He smiled at her, then at their child. It was a warm smile, the one you give to a kid when they drop their ice-cream and the shop had closed for the day so you couldn’t buy them a new one.

“He didn’t believe in it, right?”

Tears pooled inY/n’s eyes, the first few droplets dribbling down their face and creating a silvery stain across their cheeks. They shook their head, but produced a smile anyway.

“Let’s just… go home.”

Sneakers scuffling against the gravel, they get into the car for the silent ride home.

‘Plink!’

Y/n’s phone lights up with a notification. They peer at it in curiosity.

Y/n squints at their phone, baffled. Who was this random stranger who coincidently texted them at such a vulnerable time?

Oh.

They quickly change the contact’s name and types back.

Though it was merely a text, Y/n could feel Suga’s worry through the glass screen clearly. They smiled to themself. Sad that he had to have a soulmate like them, rather than someone he really deserved. Worse yet, Y/n might just ruin Suga’s chances, just like they did for Iwa; and Suga actually WANTED a soulmate.

They had to make this work. Not just for themself, but for Suga.

Y/n waited patiently, wondering what Suga would say. The three dots flashed across the screen for what seemed like an eternity, blinking, blinking, blinking.

Odd.

Y/n placed their phone into their lap. Whatever, they’d care about it later. Probably wasn’t important.

If only they knew how much Sugawara was struggling to word every single anxiety in his heart. Struggling to tell them that he was sobbing in the car but he didn’t know if it was because he was happy, or because he was afraid.

Afraid that he was kneeling before a throne unaware that it was born of lies.

Afraid that he was nothing but a gullible, trusting lamb, following a charming wolf in disguise.

Fear had struck him. It struck him harder than any volleyball match, it struck him harder than the day he was told he might not find his soulmate.

“Wh-wh-“

They stare at the hand in pure bewilderment, holding it far away as if it were but a monster attacking them. The constantly fading pink string Y/n had twirled and played with multiple times turned white, while the other string stained itself with a lavender colour. The two stare at their fingers, then at each other. Suga was the first to speak.

“Is… Is this a prank?”

His eyes were watering, he was ready to burst. Was this really real? What was even happening right now?! He could hardly tell if he was happy, relieved, or downright depressed. Sure, he might’ve found them, but what if they didn’t like him? Or they weren’t into the whole soulmate thing? And it was purple! What does that mean? They’re friends? They’re soulmates? It negated into nothing? The questions flew around his mind like a hurricane, but all he could do was sit and stare.

After a long moment of silence, Y/n speaks, “What… Just happened?”

They get up off the floor, walking around and staring at their pinkie. Just like a string should, it grew and shortened according to distance. They pull on the string. Nothing happens.

“Can…” They struggle to word their sentence. “Is the nurse able to, cut this off? Or something?”

Sugawara’s heart drops to the floor at that, but he was expecting it. When did the world ever give him anything?

“Maybe.” He tries his best to hide the crack in his voice. “They should still be there.”

Y/n nods their head gently, seemingly zoned out. They walk back over to him, offering their hand.

“Well,” they let a smile creep upon their lips, “let’s hope they don’t have to cut the string.”

Suga screws his eyebrows together as he gets up. “Why?”

They kick at the floor absent-mindedly, the smile retreating as quick as it came. “I think you’re a great person Sugawara, and if this turns out to be something along the lines of soulmates…”

A small, sad laugh leaves them. “If you wanna try, that is. I won’t force you. You probably don’t even-“

“YES!”

The setter immediately places a hand over his mouth at his outburst. He composes himself, but the grin he had was blinding.

“I’d love to try, if this turns out to be a soulmate thing.” He says, cheeks reddening. “You’re a great person too.”

Two hearts, light and airy with the thought of a new beginning.

They finger-gun him. “IF this is a soulmate thing.”

He rolls his eyes. “Well, considering my string’s been white for years and it suddenly attached to someone as well as turning into a new colour…”

Y/n cuts him off. “Wait, your string was white?”

He nods. “Apparently, I was one of those rare people that the universe decided to screw over. My soulmate was destined for someone else.”

The male looked over to them. “Well, I’m assuming you were supposed to be with someone else, and I just so happened to stumble upon you before you found them.”

A heavy silence lowers upon the two at that statement. From light and airy, the mood became thick with tension. Y/n clenches their hands on their slacks, small wrinkles creasing the fabric. Despite their obvious discomfort at the statement, they only give him a warm smile.

“Yeah, I was.”

Their hands clench harder, nails digging into their trousers. Their smile never left their face. In their ears, all Y/n could hear was their own rapid heartbeat, pounding against their ribcage like a broken record. It was so loud, they were sure Suga could hear it.

They begged it to stop beating so loud. They pleaded for their heart to just shut off for a moment. They should be happy! The universe seemed like it was giving them a second chance! If anything, their smile shouldn’t feel so forced or so fake!

So… why did it feel like, it was crushing them?

Y/n was trembling, but they got up, looking towards Suga with that same smile they gave him the day they met.

“Let’s go.”

Y/n begins to walk to the gym doors, but Sugawara holds them back, hand holding their wrist.

“If you wanna talk about it,” he steps forward until he’s beside them, “I’m right here for you. Whatever’s happening now doesn’t mean it negates whatever happened then.”

The setter returns the smile. “Soulmate or not, we’re friends, right?”

Y/n could only hear their heartbeat grow louder and louder as those gorgeous hazel eyes locked with theirs. Their heartbeat filled their ears, their lungs, their mind, until all they could feel was the da-dump pattern of the beat. Yet, it felt calming. It felt serene, despite the chaos that had happened just moments ago. Sugawara was smiling, at them, nonetheless. They could feel their ears begin to burn.

“Right.”

His eyes crinkle.

“Then you have nothing to worry about.”

He walks in front, slipping his hand casually into theirs. Y/n felt so goddamn stupid. They were an idiot. They didn’t know that much about the silver-haired boy in front of them, but in the span of two hours, they had shown him how vulnerable they could be. They played the weak damsel in distress, and Sugawara the knight in shining armour. Had they not learned from their last escapade? Had they not learned that this kind of story never has a happy ending? Why were they even letting this happen when they KNEW they were just gonna get hurt all over again?

Just because Sugawara had reacted positively to soulmates, doesn’t mean that any of this could last.

Cookies and milk. A beautiful combination, but the cookie crumbs ruins the purity of the milk, and you never have enough cookies to finish the whole glass. You’re only left with a glass full of cookies crumbs and milk that leaves a bad aftertaste.

“Let’s go see the nurse, hm?”

Y/n’s cheeks flush. They were an idiot. A stupid, happy idiot. An idiot who’d never learn.

Guess they really were a completionist, like Iwa said.

“Yeah.”

“There’s no such thing as soulmates.”

They had spent their whole childhood daydreaming about their future soulmate. They wondered if they were gentle, whether they were kind, whether their eyes blue, green or brown, whether they had a soft, charming voice. They wondered if they’d find them in some special place, in a waterfall? At a park? On a mountain? In a field?

What (Y/n) never once thought though, was that they would be face to face with their future soulmate, their forever partner, their one and only, with tears streaming down their face. They never thought they would be arguing about how being together might be the best thing that could ever happen in their lives, and that finding your soulmate is a once in a lifetime opportunity. They would’ve never thought that their soulmate, their best friend, would say such a horrid, cruel statement.

A crimson red string curled around both pinkies, their last connection, their last hope.

“What do you mean, Iwa?” They rasp, eyes threatening to spill even more tears. “You can see the string can’t you? We’ve been friends for so long now, why are you being so…!”

They clench their fists, knuckles turning pale from holding back.

“Are you really letting the universe play you like that (Y/n)?”

They look at him, the disappointed look in his eyes, the frustration that used to be playful, his goofy grin that was nowhere to be seen.

“Do you really think the world works like that?” He asked. “Do you really think that destiny or those fairy-tales of ‘finding true love’ exists?”

Iwaizumi sighs. “Grow up. We’re going to high school; we don’t have time to think about things like soulmates. We need to get into a good school, a good uni, and forget about this stuff.”

They grit their teeth together. “Why don’t you even wanna try?” They try to hold his gaze, desperate to make this work. “Don’t you want to at least SEE what happens? Do you know how RARE it is to find the person at the end of your string, let alone be in the same country? The same city? Heck, the same school?!”

They arch an eyebrow. “You’ve been going at this for at least ten minutes now. How attached can you be to this stupid string?”

His words moved faster than his brain, but he couldn’t take back what he just said.

Their eyes flash. “Stupid? Stupid?!” They tremble in rage. “Has nothing I said clicked with you? Are you really just willing to let this thing go?!”

They open their mouth to continue, but promptly shut it.

“Fine.”

Their last tears manage to escape and fall to the floor as they breathe.

“I can’t force you. I can’t make you live out a dream that I’ve wanted since birth. That’s cruel. I’m sorry.”

They let their eyes drift to their worn-out sneakers. “Soulmate or not, I can’t just tell you what to do. I’m sorry I burst out at you. I just…”

The tough façade they wore cracked in two, crumbling back into the hot mess of emotions they were on the inside. Their forever, their one and only, their caring friend could only watch. They did nothing to help them, they did nothing to comfort them, they were the complete opposite of who (Y/n) knew they were. Then again, why would they help someone who screamed at him to get together because of ‘fate’? Because of ‘destiny’? Something that people have been failing to prove for centuries?

They shake their head.

“I’m sorry. I’ll leave.”

Their legs ached from standing, and their heart was heavy, but they ran. They ran until their lungs were gasping, they ran until their head was dizzy, they ran until the world was nothing but a blur. They could feel his eyes haunting them, watching them run far away.

Their string kept them connected, but it tore them apart.

In a large, familiar neighbourhood, they collapse on their favourite field, spluttering for oxygen. The sweet air seemed so refreshing, but it hardly made any difference with the misery they held in their heart. Tear after tear, they watered each blade of grass, salt seeping into the earth. A zelkova tree sways gently in the wind, orange leaves fluttering down towards them.

They could call Oikawa, but he knew that it’d lead to a similar situation. They knew they’d try to comfort him, but ultimately, Iwaizumi was right. They were in the wrong, they shouldn’t have thought life would lay out a red carpet for them. Iwaizumi was only trying to protect them, right?

They sat up, brushing off the dry grass from the back of their shirt. Memories were abundant here, prancing around like wild deer. Memories of kicking a volleyball into the pond, memories of playing tag, memories of practicing how to receive and the stinging, yet invigorating pain on their arms later.

They shouldn’t be angry. They shouldn’t be sad. They shouldn’t have made this situation appear in the first place. They were greedy for their dream to come true; they were greedy to think that one day, they’d find their knight in shining armour and live happily ever after.

They glance at the string on their pinkie. Crimson had turned into soft, baby pink, all the passion, the potential was washed away.