Just a while ago right in front of her – in the place of this woman she didn’t know – had been her mirror image, her twin, her long lost sister, someone she didn’t think existed. Lee Choonhee, twenty-four-years-old. Adopted by a bleeding rich family and had everything she, Namjoo, would have ever dreamed of because she’d grown up in an orphanage and dumped on the streets when she was of age.

Namjoo had been shocked, struck, and dumbfounded but she hadn’t cried or readily wrapped her arms around her twin. For a week she got to know her because the mirror image kept returning to the hostel she stayed at. She was kind, giving, and most of all gentle. Namjoo had felt an attachment that was short lived before she stopped coming.

So now, here in the place of Choonhee, was some strange woman Namjoo never saw before in her lifetime. Long brown hair, tall, slender, curves in all the right places, and most of all dressed in brand name clothes Namjoo wouldn’t be able to afford even in her afterlife. As the woman neared Namjoo caught her eyes running up and down over her body. Old ripped jeans and a tee she’d possessed for over a decade. Her long scraggy hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, but she swore she washed her face that morning. If the woman was judging her, Namjoo wanted to judge her back.

“Kim…Namjoo?” the woman finally spoke.

“Who are you?”

The woman stepped closer so they were almost face to face. Standing her ground Namjoo stared right back and watched the corner of the woman’s lips rise. “It is you.”

Mind blank, Namjoo chose not to reply. On the streets she’d learned if one began assuming things they would end up on the lower end, disadvantaged. Humans always twisted one’s words. Among the world, the rich were the most vicious; the poor, the desperate.

The woman shifted her eyes to the hostel behind her and looked sarcastically amused. Namjoo stared, waiting for her to continue while simultaneously wondering if the woman was looking down on her.

“Excuse me,” Namjoo started impatiently. “Is there something you need? If you’ve had enough fun, I have other things…”

“Come with me.”

A moment of silence.

“What?” the words barely made their way out of .

“Come with me,” the woman repeated with more confidence.

What the hell was she going on about? Namjoo snorted, assuming the woman was inciting her to make a fool of her. She was probably a con or something of the like. From years on the streets Namjoo had been tricked enough. She wasn’t as easy anymore.

“Excuse me…” Namjoo relooked her over, “Miss. I’m really not in the mood for jokes. Please leave.” Namjoo barely walked past when she said, “Choonhee’s dead.” This time Namjoo swung toward the woman, eyes wide.

The woman let their eyes meet, but she remained utmost calm. “Only you can help.”

Namjoo let the words process through her mind. “With what?”

“Become her. Choonhee.”

They stared at each other before Namjoo broke out into exasperated laughter then her face turned straight and serious. With tensed brows she muttered, “You’re crazy.” Namjoo began walking away when the woman began shouting from behind.

“Aren’t you tired of this kind of place? Fighting, staying on the streets, and helplessly trying to survive each day? Don’t you want a second chance at living?! Aren’t you tired of living like this?”

The woman was crazy. Namjoo didn’t get her deal, but she still stopped her in her hurried steps. She let the words sink like an anchor before they plunged further into the depths of her soul. Then spinning around she looked the woman over again. Brand clothes, styled hair, perfected makeup, expensive shoes, and a bag to match. She was a Barbie from head to toe.

“Yes,” Namjoo replied quite matter-of-factly. “I am tired of living like this. On the streets you can be robbed, your dignity stolen, your hard work taken from you, and your humanity eroded. There are thieves and gangs ready to mob you. You can only survive if you join one of them, but the streets are where my friends are and where my home is. It’s the place I’ve only ever known as home. It may be a place that dehumanizes a person, may be a place of the immoral, but I know where the line is drawn. Choonhee is dead, you say? But you want me to steal her identity? Do I look stupid? Who do you take me for?”

She waited for the woman’s response, but there was none. After a moment of silence the woman calmly walked over. She almost seemed robotic, void of emotions.

“Choonhee cared about you.” The woman stated quietly, breathlessly so that they wouldn’t be overheard. “You were the only family she had.”

Was the woman…guilt tripping her?

“She has unfinished business, you’re the only one who can help.”

Namjoo glanced into the woman’s eyes, could barely see her own reflection. For a long moment she didn’t know what to say. Then finally, “What happened to her?”

“She was pregnant.” The realization made Namjoo’s eyes grow bigger. “I don’t know who the father was. All I know is he didn’t want the baby and she still wanted him, so she went to a clinic. She died. I spread her ashes yesterday.”

“Are you crazy?!” Namjoo screamed. “What about her family?! What about her friends?! How could you just get rid of her like that?!” Her lips immediately sealed when the woman grasped her arm firmly and stared her hard in the eyes.

“It was her wish.”

Namjoo roughly shoved the woman’s hand away and glared, “Don’t give me that . You might as well be a murderer as well too, if you knew.”

“Do you think it was easy for her? Being pregnant, yet pressured and still trying to meet expectations? I told you,” the woman growled, “she has unfinished business. No one but you can do it.”

With a heavy set of eyes Namjoo turned to stare at her.

“Choonhee’s parents recently merged their corporation with the Kim’s. All you have to do is stabilize the merge as Choonhee. Once it’s completed, I’ll give you enough money so you can start over wherever it is you want. In another city, overseas, anywhere.”

“I told you,” Namjoo stated, “I won’t take her identity.”

“You won’t,” she was quick to interject, “you’re borrowing her name. All in all, you’ll never be Choonhee anyway.” This made Namjoo grit her teeth. Whoever this woman was, made it sound as if she was so eager to take her twin’s high seat.

“Why does it matter so much? Why can’t you just tell them Choonhee is dead? All matters would be solved.” 

“If the merge fails, everyone falls. Me, the family that raised her, and her friends. If you help the merge, everyone benefits. Choonhee would want that. It’ll help her spirit rest in peace, knowing everyone she ever cared about is happy and healthy. Help me help her.”

\\\\\

Oh Hayoung. That was her name. The woman who’d approached her half an hour ago so determinedly. The woman whose friend had been Choonhee.

Namjoo hadn’t been able to escape her clutches, so giving in had followed her to her black BMW to find out what the hell this was all about. Namjoo didn’t want to admit it, but she was curious about what kind of world Choonhee had come from. Why hadn’t she been able to tell anyone about her pregnancy? Who had been her lover? Who had gotten her pregnant and threatened to leave her if she didn’t get rid of the baby? What had her world been like?

“This is Kim Jongin, we call him Kai. He’s son of Kim Sungsik, President of Power Printings and is currently Team Leader of the publication group.” Hayoung handed her a picture of a slender, but built man with lanky brown hair. His smile was small and his expression playful, but he also looked serious and ready for business. Hayoung shoved another picture into her hand. This time the man looked cold, mean, and scary. His eyes were blankly set, his lips a firm line, and his face grim.

“Oh Sehun. His father, Oh Sanghyuk, holds stocks in Power Printings. They’re currently planning to promote him to Vice CEO later in the year. You’ll see him a lot because he and Kai are good friends, and he’s also Choonhee’s ex-boyfriend.”

Before Namjoo could observe more another picture was placed in her hand. This time cool brown eyes stared back at her with the face of a menace. Unlike the other two, he was in casual wear. Hair dark black, his brows formed a slight frown, and lips crooked.

“Just call him Tao. Choonhee held sympathy for him when he was chased by loansharks one day and they knocked into her. She stayed in contact with him since. Her parents dislike him as much as every person around her. You best be careful when around him too. If you get cozy with him, things won’t end well. Don’t forget that Kai, Sehun, and Tao are all Choonhee’s good friends. One mistake and they’ll be suspicious of you.” Then another picture into her hands. A small woman with heavy makeup and a tall man round at the belly, both of them dressed fashionably in business attire.

“Choonhee’s parents,” Hayoung explained. “They’re known to have a distant relationship, but not on bad terms. Don’t worry about them too much; I’ll be around as often as I can to help you. I’m secretary after all.”

Namjoo mused over the thought. Relationships and networks did get one far in the world of business and the rich.

“Choonhee’s a feminine person, you’ll be using her wardrobe, not your own. She likes seafood and coffee. She hates spicy food and loves sour food, reads, exercises, and likes outdoor activities. Choonhee’s never liked staying in, so she’ll go out at any moment she can. Spiders, insects, any of that she hates. She’s interested in flowers, herbal tea, and health foods.” As Hayoung went on Namjoo mind continuously spun dizzily. It would’ve been easier if she just brought a list of what Choonhee liked and dislike. This was too much for her to remember and far too different from what she, herself, liked.

Exercising wasn’t her thing and she’d rather stay in and laze about than commit to outdoor activities. Flowers…she’d never quite been around them. She never had tea or coffee or health foods. She knew nothing about health foods. As for seafood, she only liked shrimp. Sour foods were her worst enemy.

If she had gotten close to Choonhee they would have been opposites.

Namjoo returned to reality when Hayoung grabbed her hair, “Choonhee had redder shade of hair. Lets get your hair trimmed and dyed before going home.”

“W…what?” Namjoo stammered. “Hey, I didn’t say…”

Ignoring her, Hayoung called out to her driver, “To the salon.”

Her heart picked up pace. Quickly turning to Hayoung she demanded, “Are you crazy?! I didn’t say I would be Choonhee. I won’t be Choonhee! I can report you to the police!”

Hayoung stared back coldly and hissed confidently, “Go ahead and try. Who do you think will win? The one who has money or the one no one knows about?” Namjoo shut her lips and stared back. The threat ran rounds in her head. No one would obviously listen to her. Money could do anything, even manipulate the law.  

“You,” Hayoung stared at her with cold slit eyes full of steel and command, “from this moment on, you won’t be able to leave until I say so.” Then she slowly enunciated each syllable, “Lee Choonhee.” 

\\\\\

“Yes, she’s fine. Take your time.” Hayoung smiled, laughed in a girly manner into the phone behind her. Namjoo’s heart was still beating madly. Her hand balled up into a nervous fist underneath the black cloak as she stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was being dyed. She’d never dyed it before till today, had never planned on it till today. Her appearance wasn’t changing drastically, but her identity was being washed away along with her once bountiful brown hair.

She didn’t want to become Choonhee. She didn’t want a new life. Even if hers hadn’t been perfect, she had been content. Hayoung hadn’t given her a chance to speak, but had bombarded her with pressure and information left and right. And here she was…in the process of becoming Choonhee. She despised herself for letting it happen.

Finally hanging up, Hayoung explained as she turned attention to her, “Choonhee’s parents’ flight is coming in tomorrow morning. Spend tonight adjusting to the house. And don’t forget, from now on you’re using Choonhee’s wardrobe. Choonhee doesn’t dress,” she ran her eyes over her outfit, “like this.”

Namjoo fought from frowning due to the tension building up in her. Keeping shut she quietly stared at herself in the mirror, wondering when she would be able to use the name Namjoo again.

\\\\\

High black gates opened up for them and they drove down the long winding driveway. Trees and bushes of all shapes surrounded the drive like a forest. Namjoo found herself in awe from the gigantic yard full of spring and life. The large two-story mansion up ahead expanded in size the nearer they got. All the windows appeared new and cleansed, deflecting the sun’s blinding rays as it shone over the house. The Lee Manor held the image of a summer palace pure, innocent, and heavenly. This plot of a thousand acre land belonged to a long extending generation and those yet to come. As they drove closer Namjoo could only imagine the view from the backyard.

When the car stopped Namjoo stared at the steps leading toward the two front doors that appeared heavy and sturdy with lion head shaped doorknobs. Hayoung stepped out first and called for her when she didn’t follow. Sliding out of her seat onto her feet, Namjoo tilted her head back to gaze over the house she would have never dreamed of approaching. She hadn’t been worthy of this kind of stature. It was why Choonhee had been adopted without her.

“What are you doing?” Hayoung asked with impatience in her voice. They were interrupted when the roar of an engine approached. A red Ferrari stopped just behind Hayoung’s. Namjoo felt her eyes ogle over the car enviously as the door opened and a man stepped out.

“You’re here?” the man greeted. “Should’ve known you two were together.”

“Oh…were you waiting here the whole time?” Hayoung asked quite innocently.

“Outside the gates then I saw your car and decided to follow.”

Hayoung laughed quite loudly as if she enjoyed the attention, “So you waited. This whole time?”

“Of course,” he nodded, “you know these days I can’t stand being at home or the company. The adults are too much.”

“As if you aren’t one yourself.” Hayoung smiled.

“But why are you so quiet?” the man glanced at Namjoo who was still ogling at his car. “Choonhee?”

Oblivious, Namjoo didn’t turn until Hayoung grabbed her arm and shook her. That was when she shot her attention toward the man by the car, standing like some sports model. Namjoo glanced him over blankly before it finally lit up in her head. The name, she’d forgotten it. She tried to think harder while awkwardly smiling. “Hi.”

The man’s grin grew wider until he broke out into a laugh. “What’s with you? You seem so out of it. Have you and Hayoung been doing something girls shouldn’t be doing?”

“Hey, what do you mean by that!?” Hayoung inquired as she went along with the joke, and then grabbed her quite playfully before whispering into her ear, “You better not mess this up.”

Namjoo suddenly broke out into laughter as if Hayoung just told some never heard before joke, glanced at the man, and slapped Hayoung on the back. She watched the woman’s face turn stern from the pain and laughed even harder, exclaiming with gritted teeth, “You’re so funny!” Then went on to whisper, “I can’t remember his name.”

Hayoung shot her a hard stare before grinning widely and let go of her. Turning to the man she called and loudly emphasized his name, “So, Kai, what are you doing here?”

Kai…right, that was it. Namjoo pulled a smile on and waited for him to reply. He smiled back and glanced at her before going on to say, “If you didn’t have lunch yet, why don’t we eat?”

“Oh? That sounds like a good idea.” Hayoung chirped up.

“Actually…I wanted to have lunch alone, with Choonhee,” he gestured his head toward Namjoo before looking at her again. And in all that moment all Namjoo could think of was, crap.