four
Preparations

Suyeon met up with Hoseok during lunch break the following day. She had asked the human if he was sure of his decision that morning and he had immediately answered yes.

Hoseok was excited. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.” He laughed. “Let’s go find talk to my friend.”

Suyeon’s stomach was full of bad butterflies. She was so nervous she felt like she had to throw up. Hoseok didn’t seem to care about that. He dragged her towards a secluded area on University ground – somewhere Suyeon was not allowed to be. But since they were about to break even bigger rules, it really didn’t matter, did it?

“He should be here any minute,” Hoseok said, taking a seat on the bench. Suyeon followed.

Soon after, a guy showed up, making Suyeon’s jaw drop. Even though his whole look was now entirely different from before, she recognized his face.

“Hobi!” He greeted Hoseok before turning to the girl. “And you must be Seohyun.”

“Suyeon,” she corrected with a tight jaw. Hoseok’s friend was this guy?

He smiled with full teeth showing, a dimple forming at the side of his mouth. “My mistake. Nice to meet you, Suhyun.”

Suyeon held back the urge to correct him again.

“Suyeon, this is Namjoon Kim. I believe the two of you haven’t met before?”

“We have,” she said at the same time Namjoon said, “we haven’t.”

“We have?” The guy asked. “When might that be? I believe I would have remembered a pretty face like yours.”

“Oh, shut up. You were that kid from elementary school who’d make up stuff about people and everyone would believe you just because you can read minds,” she spat. “Thanks to Taeyeon Kim didn’t want to be my friend anymore and everyone started hating me.”

“Oh?” He laughed. “You were the one who always hung around Taeyeon? I was actually doing you a favour. The girl was thinking bad thoughts about you all the time.”

“Liar. We were best friends.”

“I can tell for a fact that she did not feel the same way,” Namjoon said, once again showing off his annoying dimple.

Suyeon opened only to be shut up by Hoseok’s hand.

“Well, let’s not dwell too much on what happened in elementary school. That’s way in the past.”

Namjoon held up a hand. “I am a full believer of moving on.”

Suyeon removed Hoseok’s hand and threw both of the guys a glare. It had no effect on Hoseok and Namjoon’s smile only grew wider.

“What could I help you with?” the guy asked as he plumbed down next to Suyeon on the bench. She moved a little.

“Suyeon, why don’t you tell him?” Hoseok said.

“Me?” She pointed at herself. “Why? It was your idea. I just went along because you asked me to.”

“Reconciliation,” he answered.

“Yes, reconciliation,” Namjoon agreed.

She scoffed but it seemed the two of them were serious. So she furrowed her brows and took a deep breath. So they were really doing this. “Is it possible for you to create a new identity for someone?”

“Anything is possible for someone like me, Suhyun.” He leaned back and put an arm around the back of the bench with an arrogant smirk. Suyeon wanted to slap it away from his face. Usually, she wasn’t this annoyed. But this guy… First, he ruined her social life as a young girl. Second, he had an annoying grin. Third, he was a cocky piece of garbage. Fourth, he was calling her the wrong name on purpose. Fifth, he was an annoying .

“Please hold back on your curses,” Namjoon interrupted her stream of thoughts. “I can read you.”

She widened her eyes. “You’re reading my thoughts?”

“No, I’m reading you face.” He grinned. “But I can read your thoughts if you want me to.”

Suyeon felt something something snake inside her head. It was foreign and uncomfortable and absolutely disgusting knowing what was actually happening. “Get out!”

The feeling disappeared and she glared at the older guy. What an idiot. She didn’t need help from someone like him, so she stood up from her seat and started walking away.

Hoseok stopped her before she could get too far.

“He’s just joking, Suyeon,” her friend chuckled and gave her an encouraging smile before turning serious. “We need his help. We don’t have any other solution, do we?”

She looked at Hoseok, then back at the guy on the bench a little further behind them. He was waving at her with a grin. Suyeon turned back to her friend, who was looking at her with such puppy eyes she had to give up.

up her pride, she walked back to Namjoon along with Hoseok. “So it’s possible for you to create the identity?” she asked.

“Yup,” he popped the p and added, “I don’t do anything for free, though.” He wiggled his brows excessively and even sent her a wink to hint a certain kind of payment.

Suyeon dropped her jaw for the second time that day. “Hoseok, is he your friend? I’m not doing that! I’m out.”

“What? You’re thinking of that kind of payment? Ew, Suhyun. That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s Su-Yeon!” She shouted. What an obnoxious piece of garbage. He was clearly signaling that kind of payment, so of course she was thinking in that direction.

Hoseok had the nerve to laugh at the situation and if looks could kill, he would be dead on the spot. Unfortunately, they couldn’t and Hoseok didn’t even care about her glares.

“Hobi was right. You’re really too easy to tease, Su-Hyun.” Namjoon chuckled.

She stared wide-eyed at her friend. “You told him to annoy me?”

Hoseok held his hands up in defense. “I just thought you’d need to let out some of the frustration you always bottle up.”

Suyeon let out a frustrated groan and flipped the bench where the two boys sat. They fell on the ground but laughed it off. Suyeon huffed.

“Jokes aside, I’m willing to help for something in return.” Namjoon had a serious face for once. He still looked annoying to her.

“What did you have in mind?” Hoseok asked.

“Since you’re my friend, Hobi, it’ll be something simple. Normally, I won’t ask any questions and just get things done. But this time I’m curious, so instead of money, why don’t we trade a new identity for information about the past of this person? Who would make two good people like you do something this risky?

“It’s risky?” Suyeon asked. “There’s a chance we get caught?”

“It would have been risky if you went to someone else. But I’ll make sure no one will knows about it. Well, the paper stuff won’t be a problem, anyway.”

Arrogant .

“What do you say?” Namjoon smiled. “Care to share who the person looking for a new life is?”

Suyeon did not want to tell the guy anything about Jungkook. She didn’t like him and due to their past together, she didn’t trust him either. However, Hoseok had already shook hands with him with a bright smile. She ran a hand down her face.

Namjoon stuck a hand out for Suyeon to shake as well but retreated it again when his phone rang. Not that she would’ve shook it in the first place.

“Jin, my friend!” He greeted the caller.

Hoseok stood up and the two males exchanges some looks and signs, before he put a hand around her shoulder and dragged her away while waving at his friend.

“Hey, cheer up.” Hoseok smiled “Trust me, Namjoon is a good guy. I’ll take care of the details, okay?”

“Okay,” was all she could say and then they had to go back to class.

Hyomin looked at her with a worried expression once she entered the room.

“You alright? You don’t look too well.”

“Oh… yeah, I just didn’t get to eat.” Though Hyomin was definitely a good friend, Suyeon did not feel like sharing this particular situation with her. The fewer people who knew about it, the better.

Hyomin frowned but let the girl be.

Suyeon mentally knocked her head on the table a few times. They had just made a deal with her childhood enemy that could potentially put them behind bars. Great.

***

“Can I ask you something, Miss Kim?” Jungkook whispered. They were in her room and had managed to not get found out before her parents went to bed.

“Suyeon,” she cor