“Hello, Hongki,” she greeted me in a voice full of longing, staring at my face as if trying to memorize every lines and planes in it. “You really look like him… a lot,” she said, walking towards me.

For a moment I thought she was talking about my father when her hands connected to the picture I was looking at earlier. The one that looks like me and at the same don’t.

“This is your twin, Hongki. His name is Mir.”

I stared at the picture at her right hand. My twin. I have a twin brother. A brother I haven’t even seen once. His face looks the same as mine. There are minor differences of course. His hair is dyed orange, he’s wearing clothes I’d never wear—because they look too cool, his nose seem wider than mine, and his lips much fuller. The photo seems to look back at me. His eyes, my brother’s eyes, are staring at me. Okay, that was silly. He’s looking at the camera during that time of course.

They say that at times like this, you’ll feel the connection and everything will turn melodramatic—that’s what happened to me. I suddenly felt longing. I want to see him, my other half. I looked at my mother, forgetting my resentment for her. “Where is he?” I found myself asking.

Putting the picture frame back on her table, she looked away from me and turned to sit at the swivel chair. When seated, however, her eyes are still busy staring at the view from the huge glass window in her office, as if what she’s seeing is very beautiful. She startled me though, when she spoke.

“He’s in coma,” trace of sadness mar her beautiful voice.

For a moment, I thought about what coma is. But when the words sink in fully, I went rigid. I was about to say something when she started talking again.

“Hongki,” she whispered my name, wonder, longing, and pleading in her tone. “Your brother needs you.”

I’d do whatever it is he needs, I thought. Blood donation? Organ donation? Sure. As long as I’d see the brother I long for.

“What is it that he needs?” I asked.

At last she looked at me. “I know you resent me, for letting you live seventeen years of your life without a mother, and I know you’ll hate me more for this, but can you promise me that you’ll do this, if not for me, but for your brother?” she pleaded.

I already had that in mind, didn’t I? That I’d help my twin no matter what. So I nodded and whispered the word ‘promise’.

Relief flooded her face. I watch as her chest rise up and down due to heavy breathing.

“You must not have known this, but your brother is a celebrity here in Korea,” she stated.

Yep. I certainly didn’t know that. I don’t even know I have a twin for God’s sake.

“Last Saturday, your brother fell into coma after a road accident. His manager did everything he can to pay off some press people who were at the scene, stalkers that they are, and made the fans believe that your brother is in Monte Carlo for vacation,” she took a deep breath. “They have no idea that your twin is lying at the hospital bed for three days now,” sobs racked her body. I felt the need to comfort her but I restrained myself. “Hongki, I am a very bad mother for asking you this… but could you pretend to be your brother while he’s fighting for his life?”

Oops, wasn’t expecting that. I was expecting more of a heart transplant or something, but not this. Not life transplant—as I want to call it. I raised an eyebrow at her.

“You want me to pretend to be my brother? Ha! After seventeen years of abandonment, you finally decided to see your son-- who is living his life peacefully at the US—and ask him to give his life up just to act as someone he isn’t?”

I saw her wince. Good. She must feel guilty for what she’s done.

“Hongki,” pleading is in her voice again. “Don’t do this for me, but for your brother…”

I scoffed. “Why do I need to pretend to be him? Why don’t you tell the people about his accident? It’s an accident, for Pete’s sake! Everyone would understand and maybe take pity on him.” I really don’t understand this. Why do I need to take his place when they can easily say Mir had an accident?

Tears fell from her eyes. “Your brother is driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs at that time. Once the press discover about his accident, they will do anything to search for its cause.”

Ah. That’s it then. Perfect brother illusion shattered.

“You promised,” she reminded me. “You promised you’d help whatever it is.”

I closed my eyes. I promised because I thought what my brother needs is something related to health. Turned out I was wrong. Still, I made a promise. Although it’s a promise I don’t want to keep, I have to help my brother until he recover. Anyway it’s not too hard right? This is all I can do to at least make up for the seventeen years he didn’t see me.

“I’ll help him,” I finally said. “But I’d do this for him, not for you.”

She nodded and stood on her feet. She went around her table to hug me but I refused. I’m not ready yet. It seems that she understood.

________________________________________________________________________

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

I distanced my phone from my ear, afraid my eardrums would explode due to Seunghyun’s loud voice. I finally had the courage to talk to him after talking to my dad. I expected this reaction from him though.

“Hey, calm down,” I tried to pacify him. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.

“Calm down? You are in a different planet now. You told me you’d join me here in Miami!” he yelled accusingly, making me feel guilty.

“It’s only Korea, idiot. Not a different planet. Besides, I’m also Korean.”

I heard a snort from the other line.

“Ha! Now you lecture me on being a Korean. I am a Korean too, so stop with the excuse ‘I went to Korea because I’m Korean’.”

I sighed. Talking to him at a time like this is draining all my energy. “Seunghyun, I’m sorry, okay? Can we not forgive each other? Anyway, I went here to meet my mother.”

He gasped. “You have a mother?”

I rolled my eyes. “Everyone has a mother Seunghyun. I am not an alien.”

“That’s not what I mean, idiot,” his voice is now calmer. “So, you met her?”

I nodded while saying yes, as if he can see me.

“Wow. You finally got yourself a mother. That’s great.”

Typical Seunghyun. His mood travels from one pole to the other. He should see a psychologist.

“And I earned a twin,” I said afterwards.

He gasped again. “A twin? You have a twin?”

“Yep.”

“That’s weird, I think.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “Why would that be weird?” I asked, perplexed.

“You have someone looking just like you, mutt. That means you are not unique.”

“Wow, thanks for saying those comforting words,” I said in a sarcastic tone.

He changed the topic. “Anyway, I’m right here in Miami, enjoying the scene of beautiful ladies. Sadly for you, you’re trapped in Korea.”

I smiled. “Good for you then. So, call you later? I have something to do.”

I can almost feel his irritation.

“Fine,” he said.

I pressed the ‘end’ button, ending the call. I looked around me. I’m sitting inside the dressing room, on a chair with a name ‘Mir’ printed at the back. I’m meeting with Mir’s manager, who knows that I am his twin brother. I’ve seen my brother this morning and it’s like seeing myself in him. He looks just like he does in the picture, except for his paler skin and some wounds from the accident. After seeing Mir, I promised that I’d help him no matter what. His doctors say that he’s out of coma now and that after two months, he’d be fully recovered. I’m glad.

I reached for my iPod at the dressing table and plugged my earphones. I still have twenty minutes before I meet with Manager Kang—that’s Mir’s manager’s name. The stylist is already done with whatever he is to do, which is to make me look like Mir. I sang with the voice I am hearing from my earphones but stopped when I felt something move from the corner of my eyes. I removed the earphones from my ears and looked at whatever captured my attention.

I was expecting it to be the stylist, instead a man, about 5’9 in height—I’m not sure, I’m not good at measuring things by eyes—that looks like a god in his black leather jacket and skinny jeans, is at the door. I don’t know where to put my eyes on, whether on his soft-looking lips or on his sharp, pointed nose or on his dark eyes who is now gazing at me.

“You’re back then,” he said sarcastically.

Okay, whoever this god-like creature is, one thing is certain: he doesn’t like my brother. It was at that moment that the stylist appeared behind him.

“Jonghun! I didn’t know you were here,” the stylist then walked towards me, the man called ‘Jonghun’ staying behind. “Come now, Mir, Manager Kang is waiting for you.”

I nodded, still looking at Jonghun, who is scrutinizing me with his black eyes.

A/N

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