Chapter Four
A Scrapbook Full Of Short Stories
A few days later, in the HQ.
Li was busy showering when Siwan went to wake her up since she had not eaten breakfast yet. Siwan, who hadn’t heard
the water running, opened her door and looked around for her. He saw the bathroom door closed and sighed in relief that she
hadn’t escaped again. However, as he was about to go back to the breakfast table, he spotted the documents lying by
the side of her bed. He checked that Li was still showering before flipping the cover over and reading.
His eyebrows furrowed. So this is why she acted funny at first. She’s planning to capture us.
So the dragons gang can use us as their army to take over the country. He laughed bitterly.
He ripped out the page and shut the cover, exiting the room and locking her door.
How can I trust her now? I thought our friendship was genuine. I’m not the smart one after all.
Siwan pushed open Kwang’s door, taking a slow step towards where he sat in his bed.
“Kwang, you’re not going to like what I’m about to tell you.” Siwan started, catching his attention.
Kwang tilted his head in confusion. He saw the paper in his hand and took it, reading it over.
His smile fell. Siwan felt guilt wash over him as he saw Kwang’s heartbroken expression.
Kwang handed the paper back to Siwan and pulled his knees to his chest. “Go.” He whispered.
Siwan respected his hyung’s orders to leave and left him alone. Kwang shook his head in disbelief.
He reached over to the drawer again, pulling out his little sister’s bracelet. A tear ran down his cheek as he thought of Li.
“Sister, wherever you are right now, I love you. I’m sorry for trying to replace you. Nobody can replace you, not even Li.
No one.” He hugged the bracelet to his chest.
Siwan tapped Lee Hoo’s shoulder. Lee Hoo turned to the younger boy with a smile on his face.
“Hyung, I have something to announce to ZE:A. It’s important.” His smile fell.
He immediately called all of the members together. Everyone sat in front of Siwan.
“Everybody. Today I found something that hinders everything from now on.” Siwan pulled out the piece of paper.
Kwang hung his head down. Kevin patted his back comfortingly. “Our dearest friend Li,” Siwan spat. “Is planning to capture
every single one of us. And do you know why? She’s working for the dragons. They’re going to make us into their army and
take over Korea.” The gang fell silent. Siwan took a deep breath before sitting with the members.
“I think we should put her in prison until we can form a proper plan about what to do with her.”
Everyone nodded in agreement to their leader’s suggestion.
It looked like no one was left with a choice.
In Li’s bedroom.
After getting dressed and drying my hair with a towel, sitting on my bed. I reached out for the documents to read more.
I might as well know what I was going to do. I opened the cover and my jaw fell open. The page was ripped out.
Someone’s been in my room. And they now know my mission. I looked at my dragons badge. The dragon’s wings were a
royal blue and its turquoise blue eyes stared back at me. I threw it against the wall, wishing it was glass.
I stood up in panic and tried to push the door open. It wouldn’t budge.
Now I’m the prisoner. Why couldn’t I have burned the papers? Jongsoo was right, I’m stupid.
I kept banging against the door, hoping one of them might open the door and let me out.
“Yah!” I shouted out. After a few more moments, the door was unlocked.
All nine of them stood at the doorway glaring at me. DJ gripped my arm tightly and dragged me out of my room.
I looked back at Siwan, who looked back at me with disappointment in his eyes.
I looked at T, who shook his head and refused to even look at me. I’m not sure which is worse.
Kwang hit his head against the door frame and cursed. The other members scattered away.
But then he noticed a badge on the floor. He picked it up, admiring the dragon.
He noticed that it was scratched and some of the blue paint had come off. Why would she do this?
Away in the next room, T sat on his bed with head in his hands. His shoulders shook with his sobs.
Kevin sat next to him with his arm draped around the younger boy comfortingly.
Chul sat a little further away, looking down at his hands. He was never the best at comforting others.
“Tae. Don’t cry over her. She fooled us all, okay?” Chul tried to put his friend’s mind at ease.
“Heechul’s right, she played the game well, just luckily not well enough.”
T looked up at Chul. “No. Remember when we first kept her here. Heechul hated her. He wasn’t fooled at all,
he just pretended to be. He doesn’t know how I feel.” Chul hung his head.
He was partly right, he had suspected her at first, but he learned to trust her.
And now he understood T’s pain.
Lee Hoo sat with Prince and Hasun trying to get the younger members’ minds off of Li.
Chul exited T’s room with his eyes alight. His anger got the better of him as he connected his first to the wall. The sound of the
punch echoed through the HQ. It startled them all so badly that everyone crowded around Chul. Chul narrowed his eyes at
Siwan and Siwan took a step back. “You.” he pointed at the elder boy. “Why did you have to find out her plan?
You could have just let us live on in ignorance. Did you really ever trust her or did you use it as an excuse? Eh?”
Chul stumbled in front of Siwan. The look in Chul’s eyes was venomous as he continued his rampage.
Siwan was surprised by Chul’s explosion of rage, but he kept calm on the outside.
The longer Chul stared at Siwan, the more he calmed down. He fell against the older boy.
He felt as light as a feather; as if he no longer had control over his body.
It didn’t take him long to fall into a deep slumber.
Kwang watched the second hand on his bedroom clock tick by until he couldn’t bear it any longer.
Things had gotten more intense since Chul’s outburst. Chul barely spoke to anyone, T never looked at anyone and Kwang
never came out of his room. Hasun was so exhausted cleaning up and taking care of everyone that he rarely cooked
anymore. Everything had changed in a matter of a few days. Kwang finally made the decision to come out of his room,
but only so that he could read exactly what she was planning to do before they stopped her. He flipped through the pages
one by one before he landed on a page that had Li’s handwriting scribbled on it. No. Never. Tired. Fighting. Hurt. Won’t.
Refuse. Belonging. The words were scribbled erratically. At the bottom, a sentence.
I refuse to complete the mission. I won’t do it. Take my life but I won’t hurt ZE:A.
Kwang furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding. He kept flicking through.
No one can replace my little sister, not even Li.
Kwang ran his finger over the words printed on the paper. Birth certificate.
He looked down at the words below. Hwang Kyunghee. Next to it, ‘Yoon Kyunghee’ was written in different handwriting.
Date of birth, 25th August 1988. He had to see more. He looked at her parent’s names. They were exactly the same as his.
Li is… my twin? That’s impossible! His thoughts were confirmed when he saw his birth certificate below hers.
wins (identical). No, it can’t be. Is this why I’m so protective over her?
Kwang knew he had to get his twin sister out of prison.
"Guys I need you to get Li out. I'll explain later but I need you to let her go
Just hear her out, please?" He begged. Everyone looked at the leader.
"Kwang, are you mad? I'm not freeing that traitor." Kwang hissed at the word traitor.
"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate," Lee Hoo looked at Kevin. Kwang was right, he rarely asked for anything
unless it was urgent. But still, he wasn't prepared to give in that easily.
"Tell me why. Now. I can't let her out unless you have a flaming good reason for sticking up for her."
Kwang took a deep breath. "I just found out that Li is my identical twin."
The leader was shocked, but not yet convinced. "And she doesn't want to capture us.
I know she doesn't." Lee Hoo sighed, shaking his head. He felt sorry for Kwang right now.
"What are you basing that on?" he asked sceptically. It’s not enough, I’m sorry.
"Why would she throw her dragons badge at the wall? And why would she write this?" Kwang pulled out the notes
that had the scribbled handwriting on it. Everyone crowded to read it.
"She refuses to capture us?" Kevin questioned, shocked. He had thought she was heartless and selfish,
but it turned out she wasn’t as cold hearted as he thought.
"Can you hear her out? Please?" Kwang begged. I’ll get on my knees if I have to.
Lee Hoo sighed before nodding."But she has to be held back by someone and if I'm not pleased with her excuse..."
Kwang shuddered. They would kill her. I must save her, I must. "Believe me; I don't want to hurt her. She's your sister
that you never knew of. It wouldn't be fair, but you have to understand that her actions put us in danger."
In the HQ prison.
Drip. Drop. I could hear the rain patter against the window glass. I breathed in the scent of nothing. I’m not sure if I would
prefer it if the cell had a nasty smell, or if I should have been glad. I curled up into a ball, trying to make myself as small
as I could. I just wanted to disappear. My stomach growled loudly in protest. Why am I such a pig? I can’t even last a few
hours without food. Still, if I am to stay in here forever then so be it. I’m not running away again.
I took off my shoes, feeling my feet go from boiling hot to feverishly cold in seconds.
Against the smooth icy floor, my feet felt rough and warm. A shiver went up my spine as a breeze blew by. I was alone, and
this time it would be a long and dark loneliness. Would I die before they decided to eliminate me? Maybe I’d survive
enough to see their faces one last time. A few hours had dragged by like a few weeks until I heard a sign of life.
I closed my eyes, feeling exhausted already. I had been thinking of a way to speak to them and I had paced up and down
the cell so many times that now, the coldness and tiredness took over me. My limbs felt limb due to the constant change
of hot to cold, and back to hot again. The door opened. I still did not move. I heard the sound of boots against the floor.
Someone gently tucked hair behind my ear. My eyelids fluttered. “Kyunghee?”
I looked at the person who said my name. “Come with me,” It was Kwang.
“A-are you guys going to kill me?” I asked, feeling defenceless. Kwang shook his head.
“Nobody’s going to hurt you. I won’t let them. I just need you to tell them you don’t agree with the dragons plan.
It will take time, but if you tell them honestly they can forgive you.”
He took my hand, pulling my body from the ground. “Why are you doing this?” I asked.
Kwang smiled, slipping a silver bracelet onto my wrist. “You and I, we’re the same.”
I shook my head. “No we’re not. You’re much nicer than I’ve ever been.”
He shook his head, laughing to himself. “We’re the same.” He repeated. I tilted my head.
He sighed, pulling out a piece of paper. “See? We’re the same.” I read the words printed on the paper.
We’re twins? Identical twins? Is this how we’re the same? My jaw hung open.
I hugged him tightly, letting my tears fall down. “Are you not mad at me?”
Kwang my hair comfortingly. “No. I could never be mad at you. I love you sis.”
He pulled away from the hug and led me upstairs to where to boys were sitting quietly.
I wiped the tears from my eyes. Everyone stared at me. “When I was a baby, I was brought up by the dragons, mainly
their leader Yoon Jongsoo. I lived a strict childhood, where I rarely got to see the outside world. I only once ever got
to meet other kids. Jongsoo wasn’t the most affectionate ‘father’ I could have wished for. As I hit my eleventh birthday,
I was trained to be sent out on missions. Once I remember being badly injured, and Jongsoo scolded me for it. I rarely spoke
to anyone there at all. I barely know anything about them. Any of them.” I looked at Kwang, who was nodding along.
“And then I reached twenty and the dragons wanted to send me out on my first big mission but I told them I wasn’t ready
nd so they postponed it. This was supposed to be my first big mission. When I first arrived here, I was determined but
clueless. And then I met you guys and I tried to get into your heads, but I found that you were all too clever to let me in.
As I continued to stay here, I started to open up to everyone and I even got attached to a few of you. I was torn, I really was.
I didn’t know what to do so I held out for a while. I kept thinking of Jongsoo, and that’s when I tried to capture Lee Hoo by…
by drugging you all.” A few of them gasped. “But I didn’t. I was too weak.”
I held my head high. “It wasn’t only that that stopped me, but I also learned Jongsoo’s plan. His twisted, brutal plan.
I wasn’t prepared to hurt any of you lot to save my skin. He wants to experiment on me. I’d be his lab rat. Then, if he succeeded,
he’d turn you all into his army too. I’m no saint but the thought of manipulating people into his own little army to take over the
country for his selfish reasons made me sick. I’ve never been all too fond of the dragons, but now I hate their blood.
I hate what they stand for, and I hate that they want to hurt you guys.” Kwang patted my back soothingly,
humming a lullaby into my ear to calm me down. Strangely, it worked.
Kevin stood up. “I don’t know about you guys, but that speech sounded pretty genuine.”
My eyes scanned across each of them. T, Prince and Hasun all smiled at me. Siwan bowed his head and DJ saluted me.
Was everything that easy? After everything I’ve done, don’t they hate me?
Lee Hoo stood up, pinning an orange phoenix to my t-shirt. “You’re a part of us now.”
I looked towards the only person here that hadn’t shown me a sign of acceptance yet.
Chul. His dark eyes bore into mine. It was impossible to tell if he was mad at me or not.
I sat with the gang, listening to a long list of DJ and Hasun’s pranks on the other members, especially on Kevin.
“You don’t have to call us by our code names, you know.” A smile tugged at my lips.
Lee Hoo went around the circle telling me all of their real names so that I could call them by their real names from
now on. The laugher was interrupted when a knock sounded at the door.
Everyone’s smile fell. Kwanghee stood up abruptly. “Get Kyunghee in her room until they’re gone.”
I rolled my eyes at his protectiveness and kissed his cheek lightly. Once in my room, Heechul, who had strangely
volunteered to stay with me, sat on my bed next to me. I stayed quiet, listening in. “Hello? Sir? Who are you?”
I could hear Woongjae ask whoever was at the door. “I forgive you,” Heechul mumbled, his voice soft. I turned to face him.
He, for the first time since we’d met, smiled. My cheeks felt hot at the simple gesture.
Heechul moved closer to me, pulling me to him. He rested my head against his chest.
“I’m sorry for being so nasty to you all this time, Kyunghee noona.”
I shook my head, pulling away. “You saved my life. I can’t thank you enough.”
Our talk was broken when Hyungsik flung the door open. “Umm, your uncle is here. He wants us to leave
you two in peace to talk.” He looked at Heechul, who reluctantly nodded.
“If you need us, any of us, just shout us, alright?” Heechul planted a kiss on my forehead.
Shocked at how caring he was towards me, I stepped out to face my visitor.
I crossed my arms, laughing in amusement. Now we were alone. “Jongsoo. It’s nice to see you, uncle.”
I scoffed, showing off the phoenix pin I was wearing. He glared at me.
“Well I had to get in to this place somehow. You haven’t called me in so long. I was worried.”
He stepped closer. I stepped back. “No, you just want me to hurry up so you can use me as your guinea pig.” He looked stunned.
“Oh, yeah, I know about your sick plans.” I pulled out the mission plans and tossed them onto the floor, in front of his eyes.
Jongsoo regained his composure, moving closer. I moved away again. He sighed in frustration, reaching out to grab my wrist
in a death grip. I yelped in pain. The door clicked open in a flash, revealing the ZE:A members again.
“ZE:A? What are you doing here? I thought you went out.” I was surprised.
“We had a bad feeling about this man. Especially Kwanghee, Woongjae and Mr angry pants.” Minwoo explained,
pointing to Heechul when he said ‘Mr angry pants’. I raised an eyebrow at Heechul.
“Leave us in peace.” Jongsoo spat at them. I stepped in front of them to protect them. I retreated, falling silent.
Jongsoo smirked. “Ah, Kyunghee sweetie.” I felt like throwing up. “You were always the quiet one.” He smiled in reminiscence.
I folded my arms over my chest.
“So, tell me. Are you going to complete your mission like a good daughter?” he narrowed his eyes at me.
“Or do you dare to disobey me like this? What is this anyway? Which one is your lover?”
I shook my head. “No one. But you lied to me all this time. You knew that Kwanghee was my brother; you knew he was
my twin and you told me that I was an only child who was unloved by my parents. Well guess what? I saw my mother
in my dreams, and I know you killed her. For what? A personal slave?” I hissed at him, moving forward, closer to his face.
“Yes I did. But I’m still waiting. Which ones of these morons is your lover?”
“Will you just shut up? I love these people because they have treated me like a part of a family. For once. Where were you
when I nearly got beaten to death in a mission? You were never there for me, not once.
And now you show up here and expect me to care what you say?”
Jongsoo’s eyes darkened. “You will complete your mission, and I will say a lot when you do.”
I looked down at the pin again. “I’m tired of doing what you say! It’s always ‘do this, do that’, ‘you’re not doing it right!’,
‘you stupid little girl’. Who do you think you are Jongsoo?”
Jongsoo chuckled darkly. “Come on Kyunghee. Don’t make your father angry, now.”
I landed a punch to his gut. I watched as he stumbled back, hitting the ground.
As he was about to stand up again, I rested my foot on his chest.
“You liar.” I whispered, my voice full of hatred for him.
And then he was dead.
I dropped the gun to the floor and hugged Woongjae tightly. Taehun patted my head and made soothing noises,
like a mother would to her baby whenever it cried out. “It’s alright,” Jiyeop comforted me.
I pulled away from Woongjae and held my head in my hands.
“No, no, it’s not. I killed the leader and now the rest of them will want vengeance.”
Junyoung’s face fell in defeat. He knew I was right; they’d want to kill us all.
I had only made things worse for everyone.
“Right, so Woongjae and Taehun will carry the documents showing the dragons plans. Jiyeop, me and Dongjun will
stay nearby them so that the documents survive and get to the police in one piece. Hyungsik and Siwan
will scout to the left for any sign of the dragons members. And Hasun and Kwanghee will scout to the right for any danger also.”
Junyoung turned to face me and Heechul. “Heechul, it’s your job to protect Kyunghee and make sure she doesn’t get harmed.”
“Ooh, the two lovers get left on their own!” Dongjun joked, smacking my . I pulled out a bottle of pepper spray and held
it in front of his face, watching him stare at me in terror. “Don’t you dare touch my again or I will spray.” I threatened playfully.
Jiyeop laughed at the two of us and grouped everyone in their respected groups.
Heechul rested his hand on my back as the two of us followed behind Woongjae and Taehun.
I fiddled with my clothes. “Give me one good reason why I’m wearing a dress for this.”
Heechul smiled down at me and twirled me around. “You look more feminine this way.”
I cocked my head. “And what has that got to do with this plan?”
“The dragons would notice you if you wore your gear. At least this way they won’t recognise you.”
I nodded and kept walking. Every so often I caught him glancing over at me.
All of a sudden he noticed a group of suspiciously dressed men approaching us.
The scouting team was a little far behind us to have spotted them, so I suggested that we hide.
Heechul shook his head. Any second now they would look in our direction and then they’d attack.
Just as they got close to us, Heechul flipped us around and pushed me against the wall.
He cupped my cheeks in his hands and pressed his lips against mine desperately.
I played along and pulled his face closer. He isn’t a bad kisser… I was about to kiss him back when he pulled away and
nodded, signalling that the coast was clear. I sighed in disappointment. Heechul took my hand in his and we walked side
by side, more relaxed since we had gotten past them all. The gang finally collected together and arrived at the police station.
Woongjae slapped the documents down on the table. “I have reason to believe that a gang called the dragons are planning
to build an army to take over Korea.” This was it. Now we could all live in blissful peace. I looked over at Heechul, a
blush rising to my cheeks. Heechul dipped his head down and stole another kiss.
I have everything I could ever wish for.
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