Another day without that stupid red string. Another day without a soulmate.

My name is Y/N L/N. Unlike everyone else, I was born without the red string that connects soulmates. I never told anyone—not my parents, not my friends. Whenever someone asked who my soulmate was, I’d laugh and joke, “Pizza.” They laughed, I changed the subject, and no one questioned it.

Everyone around me seemed to have someone. Alexander and Eliza found each other in middle school and they are so cute together Others, like Angelica, simply weren’t in a hurry. I pretended I didn’t care, but deep down I wondered why I was different.

One afternoon, I got a random text.

Unknown: Uh… is this McDonald’s?

I laughed and replied no. The stranger apologized, saying they thought you could text McDonald’s for delivery. We joked back and forth until he introduced himself as John.

From that day on, we talked constantly. We shared stories, laughed over ridiculous conversations, and even survived his drunken texting. Somehow, despite being complete strangers, he became my best friend. Best of all, he never asked about soulmates or the red string.

Eventually, I couldn’t hide the truth anymore.

Me: Can I tell you something?

John: Sure.

Me: I don’t have the red string…

For a moment, there was no reply. I immediately regretted saying anything.

Then my phone buzzed.

John: Me neither.

The instant I read those words, something tugged on my finger.

A glowing red string suddenly appeared, wrapped around it, stretching out my bedroom window toward the city.

My phone buzzed again.

John: The string… it appeared.

Me: Mine too.

John: So I guess we’re soulmates.

Me: I guess we are.

From then on, John became my favorite person. Every text made me smile.

Then, without warning, he stopped replying. Days became weeks. I worried constantly until one night he finally answered.

He apologized and admitted he’d been busy.

Then he told me he was moving back to South Carolina in a week.

If he left, we might never meet.

I couldn’t accept that.

I packed a backpack with my wallet, food, water, and a jacket, then followed the red string.

The journey took hours. I crossed the city, rode two buses, walked through a park, nearly fell into a dumpster, and even tripped because a family of ducks waddled in front of me. By the time I reached the train station, I was exhausted, out of food, out of water, nearly out of money, and my phone was almost dead.

A train sped past.

I looked up.

The string ended just beyond it.

“John!” I shouted.

As the train pulled away, I finally saw him.

He had bright green eyes, freckles scattered across his cheeks, and curly hair tied neatly into a ponytail. He stared at me in complete disbelief.

“Y… Y/N?”

I smiled.

He smiled back.

I’m not the girl without a soulmate anymore.

I have one.

His name is John