Stiff in the passenger’s seat Namjoo nervously fiddled with her fingers. Glancing back she spotted the classic picnic basket sitting obediently in the backseat, like a child for the nth time. Kai had come for her at the promised time but she had been highly unsettled upon seeing his face. Not a nerve in her could relax after reading Choonhee’s thoughts What if he hurts me? Will he hurt me?

“Just be careful,” Hayoung warned, “Sehun and Kai might not be as nice as they seem.”

Now she was starting to become overly suspicious of them again. Namjoo admitted she was feeling more than just uneasy. She was scared. Everyone thought she was Choonhee. What if by mistaking her identity, they hurt her instead?

Namjoo chewed on her lower lips and peered up into the sky. It would rain, she could feel it. Today, instead of the nice little BMW Kai drove he’d come with a white SUV. Becoming overdriven by her thoughts she wondered if he was going to possibly kill her and stuff her into the back.

Moving her eyes to the corner of her lids she wondered how he would have hurt Choonhee. He wouldn’t do that to her, would he?

Namjoo wanted dead assurance but she felt uncomfortable talking. swelled up with restlessness. Her number one priority right now was caution.

“Come out,” Kai’s voice popped up into her ear. She turned to see him leaning in through the open space of the car door realizing that they’d reached their destination. “It’s nice, isn’t it? I don’t see anyone else around.”

Turning to look out the window she saw that the park was indeed abandoned for the day. It was going to rain that was why. She panicked, thinking he’d purposely chosen today in order to get rid of her without anyone being aware. Why, she suddenly wondered, had he told her not to let Hayoung or Sehun know that today they were having a picnic?

Overwhelmed with endless worries she pushed her door open and stepped out and watched him pull out the picnic basket along with a blanket. He looked carefree and glad. Though no matter how suave he may seem Namjoo couldn’t seem to shake off the feeling that he had something planned. Deep down to her bones she could just feel it, the sense of incoming dread.

Something was going to happen and it wasn’t going to be a good thing.

“Come on,” he urged. Namjoo forced herself after him and sat down onto the blanket watching him unpack the sandwiches he prepared especially for her.

She would admit even if this was such a cliché idea he was being romantic about it. Preparing every detail by himself without any assistance. Even if she appreciated his kind act she couldn’t help but want to know what he was after.

What did he want from Choonhee that he was doing this?

For the first time since taking on Choonhee’s image she found the food bland in . Kai’s eyes sparkled when he looked at her. He was every bit of a boy on his first date. Heart thumping, blood rushing, and grins stretching from ear to ear.

“Ah…you left your purse behind yesterday. It’s in the back of my car,” Kai told her. “Remind me to give it to you later.”

“Oh…” Namjoo slowly nodded and continued nibbling on the sandwich, hoping to avoid talk.

“You disappeared last night. I was worried. You should have told me if you wanted to go home,” he sounded disappointed but hid it behind his gentle smile.

Now that he mentioned it, Namjoo realized she couldn’t remember anything from last night. After her second drink last night she had out. She thought he’d taken her back home. If it wasn’t him, who had?

“Oh…” Namjoo breathed and blinked rapidly, confused about it. “I guess…I must have been tired. Sorry.”

“Are you feeling better today?” he leaned over to touch her forehead, unintentionally making her shy. She hated how the feeling fluttered over her. “You don’t seem sick. You’re not hung over?”

“N…no. I don’t think so.” Namjoo was sure she’d slept it off, having felt better after vomiting and sleeping again.

She watched him tilt his head back and stare up at the sky when a dew drop splattered onto his head. “Gosh, it’s already raining.”

Immediately getting to his feet he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the car, abandoning the picnic basket and blanket which she thought to grab first. Pulling the back open he told her to get inside first and headed back through the drizzling rain for the picnic basket and the blanket. The rain was her ultimate nemesis. Cold, unkind, and sharp to the touch.

Namjoo shivered and hugged herself while waiting for Kai to return. When he did the weight of the shifted. Kai quickly brushed off the raindrops on his arms and shook his wet hair before moving further into the back of the car with her. When he glanced at her he smiled, again gladly.

He was being sweet, but she couldn’t feel it like she usually would. She was more distressed by what she’d discovered that morning. Choonhee’s written words haunted her. Namjoo felt guilty toward the sister she didn’t know for wanting to believe that Kai was the ultimate kind person she wanted him to be.

Because she liked him. He had been good to her, even if he had been first on her list of suspicious peoples.

Namjoo’s attention returned when she felt something warm around her. Lifting her head up she saw that Kai had taken off his cardigan, wrapping it around her, even covering her head to keep her dry and warm. And her heart melted without her control.

As her eyes drew up his face she felt her heart pick up pace, the rest of her drowning into those deep brown eyes of his. For a second all she’d been pondering about all morning vanished and she thought about how lucky she was to have this handsome person in front of her.

Her eyes subconsciously closed when kissed her, sinking in the gentle touch of those tender lips on hers. Her insides screamed when he pulled away, his hands still clutching onto his cardigan wrapped around her. And when his eyes locked with hers she knew she lost.

“Lets get engaged.”

Namjoo could feel herself spiraling into space, spinning farther away from herself. The silence echoed into her ears, became heavy. The miserable sky continued to spread over the vast world, as if telling her her predictions were right.

Everything would start to go down from here.

“What?” she gasped.

\\\\\

Sehun stared at Hayoung when he opened the door. With no choice he let her in and they walked into the kitchen, where she set down some soup she’d brought over. After pouring it into a bowl for him she joined him at the table.

“I brought some for Choonhee as well, but I found out she left with Kai this morning.” Hayoung intentionally explained. “Then I thought of you, thinking you might have a hangover. You were drunk last night and I was worried.”

“I told you, I wasn’t…”

She quickly cut him off, “I wonder what Choonhee and Kai are doing. Do you think he’s doing what I think he is?”

Shooting her a mere glance full aware about why she had come he picked up his spoon and the soup into his mouth. After showering he had quietly laid in bed last night thinking and dissecting his thoughts.

Choonhee might have unusually gotten drunk and passed out last night, but he was confident he had been in full control of himself. He had brought her home, kissed her, and sat with her.

And he was full aware of every second of it.

“Did Kai tell you about his plans or are you assuming?” Sehun asked not wanting to hear anything more about Choonhee or Kai from her.

“Suppose I do know something.” Hayoung said. “And I’m pretty sure he chose today to do it.”

Sehun’s spoon hovered in midair before he eventually set it down into his bowl and glanced at her. At that exact time her phone started ringing. Sehun’s eyes darted toward the mobile device sitting on the table top.

A smile climbed onto Hayoung’s face, “Speak of the devil.” Taking the phone out of his sight she held it to her ear, “Kai. I was just thinking about you.” After a second she said, “Oh? Well then, I guess I can.”

Then she hung up and glanced at him, her eyes shining victoriously.

“I would like to stay and chat longer with you,” she told him as she stood, “but something’s come up. I’ll see you later.”

Hayoung walked away gleefully and once she disappeared from the kitchen he grabbed his bowl of soup, headed over to the sink, and poured it out.

\\\\\

Choonhee’s reaction hadn’t been what he’d been expecting. She was supposed to jump in joy, hug him, and nod her head yes happily. Choonhee was supposed to look like the happiest woman alive and he was supposed to see the emotions flow through her entire body.

Instead, her answer had been, “What?”

The word screamed itself in his head.

“Don’t you think we…it’s too soon?” she asked nervously. She quickly explained herself in a rushed manner, obviously shocked, maybe panicked. “I mean…I…I’m…I can’t. I mean I’m not ready. We should wait. I think we should wait.”

Kai bit onto his tongue warily, unappeased as he listened to the door close. Choonhee hadn’t smiled at him this morning. Her mind seemed elsewhere, occupied with something else. And he couldn’t help but feel that she was drifting back to Sehun. His insides constricted upset. He also hated that Hayoung was right. Choonhee was doing the opposite of what he wanted her to.

They had been doing well, he thought. Lately she had been happy with him, been willing to listen to him. Something was getting to her and he was worried.

Quickly driving away he called for Hayoung, fearing that if he delayed again  Choonhee would really change her mind. Kai didn’t want to risk losing her now when it had been difficult from the beginning to gain her feelings. No matter what, he had to hold onto her for both the money and power, and for himself.

\\\\\

Hayoung found Kai inside the coffee shop sitting alone at the back corner. The shop wasn’t full of pending or noisy customers today. A perfect day for a private chat without anyone eavesdropping on their affairs.

Sitting down she slid her bag off her shoulders, settling it onto her lap, and leaned back with a vehement smile. Crossing her arms she started, “I had a feeling I might hear from you some time soon.”

“Fine, whatever,” Kai sounded irritated, which made her smile again. “You said you’d help, so help me.”

Further smiling triumphantly Hayoung tilted her head forward in a nod of understanding. “You’re in a rush. Is it because of Sehun?”

He stared at her miffed. “Yes.”

Hayoung barely laughed, amused with how her words had gotten to him so easily. “But you know, nothing’s free in this world.”

His brow twitched in further irritation but he remained silent. Shifting in her chair she leaned against the table, eyes on him testing him for the truth. If he couldn’t look at her she’d know he wasn’t intending to keep his word.

“I,” she began, “know you don’t intend to keep me in Choonhee’s family after you successfully marry her like you planned.”

“I never said that.”

“But I know,” she coolly stated. “Because I’m different, isn’t it?”

Kai didn’t respond, which she took was his acknowledgement.

“We all know I come from the middle class and I absorb my money from Choonhee’s family. Yes,” she admitted, “I want their money. We all know Choonhee’s mother couldn’t have children and she always wanted kids. I’m sure if one of them passes they won’t forget me in their will. Look at all the money they have. You want that too, don’t you? And you want Choonhee to have all of that, but I’m in the way.”

“What do you want?” he demanded coldly.

Hayoung’s smile grew ever so victoriously, knowing she had secured him into her hands. “Don’t remove me from their family, and I will promise you that you’ll get Choonhee.”

\\\\\

Namjoo’s heart pounded ferociously. She was near the edge of panicking. An engagement was the last thing she had foreseen besides getting murdered by Kai. She hadn’t stepped into Choonhee’s world to get her men. She hadn’t asked for this.

Her life…was her life so meaningless?

She wanted to return to the Namjoo on the streets. If they tied her down…she could only imagine living the rest of her life under all their eyes, faking a smile, feigning politeness, and doing what they all wanted her to. She didn’t want to be a doll. She didn’t want to be the good girl.    

Choonhee’s entry haunted her.

No one will listen to me, I feel like I have no voice. I’m only a ghost crying for help. I want to give up, I want fly free somewhere. I want to go to a place where I don’t have to weigh everything. I just want to be free, so why is it like this? What do I do?

What kind of high life had the twin lived? Surrounded by so many people, flowers and gardens, all except for being able to do what she wanted?

The girl had sold her beloved piano to go into business. Given up her dreams and her passions. Namjoo knew that she wouldn’t be able to sacrifice what she loved most for anything else. She wasn’t Choonhee. She wasn’t like Choonhee. She loved what she loved and if she loved anything she would keep it. And she had loved her previous life.

Turning away from the front door Namjoo intended to hit the streets and disappear but stopped when her phone buzzed. She let out a cry of exasperation and pulled the borrowed phone from her pocket. Sehun’s name was flashing on the screen.

She was annoyed and wanted to ignore it, but the more it rang the more antagonized she became. Heaving a deep sigh she held it to her ear without bothering to answer.

“You,” he said, “are home, aren’t you?”

How the hell did he know? Had he had someone keep an eye on her?

Namjoo spun around to look at the Lee manor. It was silent. Not even a person appeared through the windows.

“You said you take responsibility for your wrongdoings the other day.”

Namjoo frowned. “What about it?”

“Then come over and clean up the mess you made in my car yesterday. I’ll expect you here in half an hour.” He hung up, leaving her both appalled and piqued.

\\\\\

Right after dumping his bowl into the sink Sehun pulled out the garbage and started outside with one hand clutching onto the bag, the other onto gloves. He was crazy, he was sure about that. Insane and out of his mind.

As he pulled open the passenger side of his door he couldn’t believe he was actually going to do. Never since the time he was born did he imagine he would go to this extent for any woman. He was prideful and could care less about anyone who didn’t mean anything to him. And in all these years since he’d known Choonhee, she had never meant anything more to him than a friend.

Yanking the garbage bag up he turned away and tossed all the garbage onto the seat. Sehun let it sit there for a few minutes in order to let the chair soak in the horrible smell of all the foods, rubbish, and waste. Walking back into the house he grabbed another fresh trash bag and pulling the gloves on, threw the trash in then slammed the door shut. He lugged the whole thing over to the garbage bin and waited for Choonhee to arrive.

Almost twenty minutes passed with him pacing back and forth in the empty house, pausing every so often to peer out the window impatiently. When a cab pulled up to the front of the house he straightened up and shook himself steady. The doorbell rang and he purposely let her wait on the doorstep. After a few seconds he finally opened the door and pulled on a defiant expression upon seeing her, his insides relieved.

“You’re here?” he stated. Choonhee stared up at him trying not to looked irked. He wondered why she appeared dissatisfied with him. Setting the thoughts aside he said, “Follow me.”

Walking pass her he led her to his car, dreading what he’d done to his beloved vehicle. Pulling the door open he stood by quietly watching her frown at him before stepping over to peer inside. A smug smile crossed his lips as he listened to her let out a surprised cry at the smell reeking off his seat.     

***Other than their conniving schemes...HAHAHHAHAHAHHAAH