Chapter 3: One Shot.

“You’re dieting?” Geunsoo said as he saw Daehyun's lunch; an apple.

    “No, I'm just poor” Daehyun said.

    “Daehyun is saving money” Minchae said “He’s going to move from his relative’s house”

    “Are you mental? It’s very expensive to live by yourself” Geunsoo said as he sat down next to the chief photographer.

    “I know” Daehyun said, after all, he spent the night up searching places on Naver. It's not my choice to move.

    “I think it's cheaper if you live with other people, you all split the bills and food” Minchae said.

    “No!” Euna, the reporter for the sports section, said “Don't you know the story about that girl who lived in an apartment with other girls and they ended up murdering her and making soup with her corpse?!”

    “That's news! Why I’ve never heard of that?!” Geunsoo said.

    “Because it's a movie” Minchae said “Me and Euna watched it last night”

    “I think the worst scenario of sharing apartment it’s your roommate drugging you and selling your organs” Geunsoo said.

    “So sharing apartment isn't an option” Daehyun said “I thought about doing that a few minutes ago”

    “Well, you can share it with a friend” Geunsoo.

    “It’s not an option either” Minchae said “During my college years, I shared a study with my ex best friend, and she was the worst, always clubbing, shopping, never paid the bills, stole my food, stole my boyfriend...”

    “It’s not a problem, I got zero friends” Daehyun said.

    “That’s sad” Euna said.

    “I mean, I do have friends... One... She's getting married, so...”

Daehyun was discouraged to the idea of living alone, and the conversation with his coworkers exacerbated his fears. Thus his last hope was to take the modeling job, however, it sounded too good, he wondered if Youngjae meant for real when he said he wanted her to be Ego's next top model. Geunsoo always joked around, but he had a point, maybe Youngjae only wanted to use his position to sleep with her.

    “No way that fool wants to sleep with me; he made it very clear by saying that I'm the ugliest girl ever!!!” Daehyun blushed and covered his face with both hands “Then why does he want me to be the model for his magazine? If I’m so ugly, why does he want to hire me? Something is off”

    Daehyun looked at the card he recovered from the dumpster, the idea of passing as a woman and getting a job as model was unrealistic and bizarre, but it felt like his only chance to not ending on the streets. So why don't give it a try? Daehyun thought, the only thing that could go wrong was to be discovered and arrested by pretending to be someone he wasn't, and the idea of living in jail sounded better than living on the streets.

“Good morning, Geunsoo hyung!” Daehyun said with a big smile as he left coffee and sandwiches on his boss' table.

    “I didn't order sandwiches” Geunsoo said.

    “It's my treat, because you're the best boss ever”

    “I am?”

    “Of course”

    “Thanks” Geunsoo took one sandwich.

    “Can I take the day off?”

    “No. you can't” Geunsoo said “We’re short staffed and the storage room needs to be cleaned, so it’s all yours”

    “I’ll do that tomorrow, I really need to take the day off”

    “Fine” Geunsoo gave up “But if you don’t cleanup the storage at the end of the week, you’re fired”

    “Deal” Daehyun smiled.

Daehyun debated about passing as a woman or not to get a place to live all night long, and after much thought he decided to pass as a woman and get a place to live. It was crazy, but he had nothing to lose. First thing in his plan was to get women’s clothes and since he didn't have much money, he went shopping to Namdaemun, he heard from his female coworkers about the stalls along the streets where they sold cheap and trendy clothes, some were even branded, secondhand, but branded.

    However, Daehyun knew nothing about girls or clothes; it was hard picking out a wardrobe. Then his cellphone rang and he picked up quickly as he thought of Natalie, she promised to call and catch up, he needed to hear from her about the wedding. But it wasn’t her; just Geunsoo reminding him about cleaning the storage.

    “You need help?” a woman came out of the store where Daehyun was standing.

    “I guess, I need... girl... girl’s... clothes...” Daehyun wanted to dig a hole and die.

    “For your girlfriend?” the lady took a look at Daehyun's phone, its background was the pic of a beautiful girl (Natalie)

    “I wish! She isn't my girlfriend” Daehyun said and the lady gave him a disapproval look “I mean... I'm not a creep that carries pics of unknown women, she's my friend... I... It's her birthday tomorrow and I want to get her something, that’s all” Daehyun’s face became red like a tomato while the lady smiled.

    “You're a good friend” she said “And you’ve come to the right place, we have everything a woman wants, designer clothes, cosmetics, shoes, purses, jewelry, etc.” she grabbed Daehyun's arm and led him inside the store.

    “You have anything on your mind?”

    “A... dress?” Daehyun said uncertainly.

    “What kind of dress?”

    “I don't know...”

    “What kind of style you think that suits her the most?”

    “Any style suits her perfectly, she's perfect” Daehyun thought but the dress is for me, I don't know what suits me.

    “Being cute and feminine never get old” the woman said “Light colors are very in right now” she showed Daehyun a couple of dresses in pastel colors “This dress’ color is baby blue, a lot of girls like it”

    “There's too much cleavage” Daehyun said.

    “I understand, your friend doesn't have...”

    “No, she has” Daehyun said, ashamed. The dress is for me, I'm the one with no s.

    “We have this dress” the woman showed him a light yellow dress.

    “It's too short”

    “This one” the woman showed him a lavender one.

    “It’s backless”

    “For girls to show off their pretty backs”

    “I don’t think I got pretty back... I mean, my friend doesn't have...”

    “Don’t worry” she grabbed a pink dress “This got no cleavage, it’s not short or backless, in addition, most girls like pink, very cute and feminine”

    “I'll take it” Daehyun said. He felt if he said otherwise, that woman would explode.

    “Good choice” she said “You want something else?”

    “Mmm, tights and shoes?”

    “We have a wide range of shoes” she said and went down the hall.

    Daehyun followed her far out into the store where there was a MASSIVE shoe storage.

    “These heels are the same color as the dress”

    “I don't think I can... I mean, no way my friend can walk with heels...”

    “No problem, we got ballerinas, very popular” she gave him a pair of white shoes with black bows “Look, the bows are like the ones in the dress sleeves”

    “I'll take them?”

    The lady nodded and took him to the section with socks, pantyhose, tights, leggings, etc. and of course, Daehyun had no idea about what to buy, so the woman chose black tights for him. And then when Daehyun thought he had it all to become a girl, he remembered Youngjae's words at the party...

what kind of girl are you that don't even put makeup on before leaving home?

    “Hey, ma'am” Daehyun called the lady.

    “Yes?”

    “I think I need makeup too”

    “Which kind?”

    “I don’t know”

    “Don’t worry, I'm here to help you” she said and took him to the cosmetic division.

Daehyun went to a Coffee Shop near the store where he bought all that girl stuff. He had never felt so much shame and thought on bailing out, but then again he felt he had no choice. Daehyun sighed and finished his coffee, then he went to the men's bathroom and locked himself, he took his clothes off and wore the pink dress (to his surprise, it fit him perfectly), after he put on the tights (they were a little too tight) and in the end he wore the ballerinas.

    Daehyun dropped the makeup on the sink and went online to learn how to wear makeup. There were many videos on YouTube…

    First, put on concealer

    “What the hell is concealer?” Daehyun stared at the cosmetic products with no clue, but eventually he succeeded at doing the makeup.

    Then he thought about Youngjae again while he wore the wig, the younger had said:

What the hell are you?!!! You should at least comb your hair

    Daehyun combed his hair (wig) carefully and wore a diadem with floral pattern and a bracelet around his left wrist.

    “Get out of the bathroom!!!” a man yelled as he knocked on the door viciously.

    Daehyun startled and hurried up, took one last look at his reflection, he looked like a girl, but he wasn’t sure other people would agree.

    “Are you dead?! Get out, I'll call the manager” another angry man said.

    Daehyun closed his eyes and shook his head before opening the door.

    There were dozen men in a line waiting to use the bathroom.

    “Oh my God, you're a girl!!!” a man yelled at Daehyun.

    “A woman!!!” another said in surprise.

    “Is she indecent or blind? The women’s bathroom is to the right!”

    “What's wrong with her?”

    “If a man were found in a women’s bath he'd be beaten up!”

    “We should beat her? She's awful!”

    Daehyun opened wide his eyes and mouth, he was in shock; those men thought he was a woman!!!

“Oh man, I can't believe they think I'm a woman” Daehyun chuckled as he headed to Gangnam where Ego headquarter was “I should work on my voice though” Daehyun patted his throat and kept talking in order to find a voice that sounded nice and girly.

Youngjae hadn't slept in days, he went all over the city looking for the girl that crashed his party (he felt like prince charming, but without the glass slipper) Noir was a common name for business, there were dozen newspapers called Noir spread through Seoul, as well, dozen stores and restaurants called Noir too, even strip clubs and shops, and Youngjae covered all of them, he even got a bag full of toys from one of the shops as gift, but there wasn't any sign of that ugly girl.

    “Good afternoon, sir” Youngjae's secretary said when he showed up “Are you ok?” she asked after seeing dark circles under his eyes.

    “Why shouldn't I?” Youngjae yelled at her.

    “Sorry, sir” she lowered her head.

    “I'll be in my office, no calls or visitors, if someone calls I’m not here, if someone comes I’m not here”

    “Yes sir”

    “If you let anyone in I'll fire you and I'll make sure nobody in the city hires you”

    “I’ll follow your orders to the letter, sir”

    Youngjae entered his office and slammed the door.

    Minutes later, the secretary was still shaking by Youngjae's attitude, and then a girl in pink dress showed up.

    “Good afternoon” Daehyun used the girliest voice he could get on his way to Ego.

    “Good afternoon” she frowned.

    “I came to see... Yoo Youngjae” Daehyun showed her the card.

    “And you are?” she contemplated the card with coffee stains.

    “I'm... I... am...” Daehyun didn’t have a name, he had to improvise, then he saw the magazine the secretary was reading, it was an article about Sistar and the first name he saw... “I am... I'm Dasom”

    “Dasom what?”

    Daehyun scrutinized the magazine again and found a last name...

    “I'm Dasom Park... I mean Park Dasom...”

    “My boss isn't here. You can try tomorrow or make an appointment”

    “Oh no, it took me a lot to come here” Daehyun said “You don't know the things I did... I need to see him Today”

    “He isn't here” she regarded the door behind her, Youngjae was inside, but he warned her about not letting any calls or people in.

    “You're lying” Daehyun crossed his arms “I saw him getting into the elevator not so long ago. I even called for him to stop, but he shut the doors in my face. I'm sure he saw me and did it on purpose”

    “You must be mistaken. Yoo-nim isn’t here”

    “Open that door and let's see”

    “No way” she said, terrified “Leave or I call security”

    Daehyun pouted and left.

“I can't believe this! All the things I did were for nothing?! I'm sure he's the guy who took the elevator, he must have seen me and told his secretary not to let me in!” Daehyun headed to the elevator.

    The tights were uncomfortable and he felt like taking them off, but he stopped it when he saw a man watching him with creep face.

    “What you're looking at?!” he yelled and rushed to the elevator, but before pressing for the 1th floor, he decided to try to get to Youngjae one more time.

    Daehyun went to the lobby, the secretary wasn’t in her place, maybe she was having lunch, Daehyun thought and approached the office.

    “I know you’re inside” Daehyun said and opened the doors and entered the office.

    It was the biggest office he ever saw, it looked more like a loft than an office; there was a living room, a kitchen and a big aquarium with colorful fishes swimming back and forth in a very hypnotic manner.

    I'm here for him Daehyun looked around for Youngjae, there was a balcony with plants and shelves loaded with trophies, but there was no sign of Youngjae.

    Maybe the secretary was right and he isn’t here Daehyun felt bad for yelling at her, and turned to leave, but at that moment he heard noises coming from the desk, no one was there. Daehyun moved closer and the noises were actually snoring.

    Daehyun rounded the table, pulled aside the chair and found Youngjae napping in a sleeping bag under the desk.

    “So you're here after all! I knew it!” Daehyun went down on his knees and leaned against Youngjae “Wake up” Daehyun shook Youngjae’s shoulder.

    Youngjae frowned his forehead at the feeling of locks of hair brushing his face and then he opened his eyes and met the girl he was looking for before him. He woke up so abruptly he startled and jumped, forgetting he was lying on the floor under the desk, so he hit his head against the furniture. The pain was proof he wasn’t dreaming, the girl that crashed his party had crashed his office.

    “Are you ok?” Daehyun asked, concerned.

    Youngjae just stared at her, her hair wasn't messy like the last time, it was combed, and she wore a pink dress, black tights and white ballerinas, she even sported makeup and yet she still was the ugliest girl he’d ever seen. The makeup was spread chaotically through her face, her eye shadow was icy blue, her lips were heavily painted in red, her contouring was one side lighter than the other... She not only dresses herself in the dark, but does the makeup too… What kind of hopeless woman is this?

    “Stop staring at me” Youngjae finally said.

    “Uh? You're the one who's staring at me”

    “I am not” Youngjae said as he stared at her.