Choonhee’s parents weren’t exactly what Namjoo imagined them to be. They appeared hearty in appearance, but their personalities were very stoic. They brought with them winter, a long impending cold. Usually when families reunited after a period of being apart they hugged happily, faces grinning from ear to ear with exclamations of glee. They lulled in spring, warmth, and coziness.

Choonhee’s parents merely bowed toward Hayoung before her father resumed his task of pushing the car with their luggage stacked atop each other. Namjoo received no greeting as their daughter, not even a glance, not even a smile.

Outside Hayoung helped load the suitcases into the back of her car and even went as far as opening the back door for them. Namjoo watched numbly, quite surprised with the formality Hayoung treated her friend’s parents with. The atmosphere was rigid stiff without any hint of friendliness and to say Hayoung had been Choonhee’s close friend. The picture felt and looked as if they were strangers, nothing more than people who worked together.

It was oddly unsettling. Most of all, it developed more questions in her head.

Back in the passenger’s seat Namjoo sat quietly. If Choonhee’s parents had seen the red of her cheek they said nothing. She had to wonder if they ever said anything about any physical markings on Choonhee if she ever had any. Namjoo quickly assumed this was one reason why Choonhee was distant from the parents that had adopted her.

“Lets not head home yet,” Lee Eungi, the petite woman – Choonhee’s mother – spoke, “head over to the Kim’s, Hayoung.”

Her face was pearly white with pink blush smoothed over her cheeks for a feminine effect. Lips were painted in a shade of light red that gave off a fierce vibe in contrary to her soft eyes. She was dressed in business attire, blazer and skirt to match with a sleeveless blouse underneath and black heels which was the highlight of the outfit. She gave off a stoic appearance, a woman not to be easily looked down on.

Namjoo couldn’t figure out what kind of a mother she was. Eungi was soft spoken, her voice carrying an undertone of absolute calm. And like her eyes, was a contrast to the painted lips that made her look sharp.

Lee Kwan, Choonhee’s father, was just tall. That was all Namjoo saw in him. His face was expressionless, as if the man harbored no feelings at all, was incapable of it. Brows set straight, lips in a firm line. His nose was thin and high. He had double eyelids that enlarged his eyes. Namjoo also noticed that his ears were quite small for his peculiarly big head, but he was a handsome man thanks to his helpful sharp cheekbones.

The couple looked odd to her, and other than that Namjoo didn’t have much to say about them. The parents hadn’t spoken a single word to her.

“Did you have an appointment with them?” Hayoung questioned. “I don’t recall…”

“We spoke earlier on the phone and decided to have lunch together,” Lee Kwang cut her off, his voice brusque and authoritative. He almost sounded similar to a teacher cutting off a student who’d spoken up in the middle of class. Namjoo’s eyes jumped toward Hayoung who seemed unaffected by the way she was treated so coldly.

“Just drive.” He ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

The so-called friend didn’t so as much shoot her a glance and in response Namjoo didn’t bother to say anything. She was a nuisance, she realized, in Hayoung’s eyes. Just someone she needed to take Choonhee’s place because she looked like her, a mere substitute for a temporary problem. Until everything was perfect she was like a dog under the power of a menace.

There was no choice left. Namjoo was backed into a corner and whether she wanted to admit it or not, she was already being controlled.

Namjoo’s attention returned when the streets disappeared as they turned around the corner and tall walls of red and orange bricks became the view outside her window. Hayoung put the car into park just before the granite stairs hidden by the side that led up to the black gate ahead. Following them out of the car Namjoo turned to peer around the silent neighborhood, wondering about which family lived in the house across the street.

Going up the steps she paused behind Lee Kwan when she spotted something moving from the corner of her eye. Lifting her head up she stared at the motion activated spy camera. Part of her remained surprised that such an exquisite house would have the need for such machine. Then on the other hand, rich people were always careful for thieves prowled around them.

She listened to a voice come through the intercom by the gate. A few seconds later the heavy door clicked open and they entered the Kim household. An ancient Japanese Maple stood beside an artificial pond, its branches hanging above it. Small round rocks bordered the pond prettily. Namjoo wanted to walk over to see if any fishes resided in the water, but the others were quickly leaving her behind.

The yard was wide and green, empty mostly but the yard had been freshly cut. She could smell the grass piled up at the side nearby the shrubs that surrounded the left side of the house. Pine trees lined the brick wall but the house stood alone magnificently. Like Choonhee’s home, Namjoo never imagined she would have the chance to approach such fine architecture in her life. Its lower half was built in various shapes and sizes of silver stone, the upper half with pastel white slates.

The roof was slated and a large glossy window offered a great view of the city lights from the second floor. From where she stood she spotted a sitting room – the furniture white – and a television set.

“What are you doing? Everybody has gone up, Young Miss.” A voice called. Namjoo turned and to her dismay, saw another flight of stairs leading up to the home. The maid dressed in formal black and white attire with an apron tied around her torso, stared down at her from the top. Her hair was short, disabling her from tying it back. She didn’t look too old or too young either. Maybe middle aged, Namjoo guessed.

“Young Miss?”

“Huh?” Namjoo finally managed. She’d never been called Miss before in her life. This was highly unusual and foreign, but she didn’t dislike the ring of it. “Oh…yes, I’m coming.”

Choonhee’s parents and Hayoung were nowhere in sight, which only meant that they’d already gone in. Hurrying up Namjoo entered the home and paused, yet again, to look around the wide corridor.

“Please take off your shoes,” the maid said.

Namjoo awkwardly and slowly did as told, could even feel the maid bursting with annoyance while waiting beside her. With shoes finally off the maid hastily grabbed them, replacing them with a pair of uncomfortable and thin blue slippers.

“The dining room is in the process of lunch preparation. Everyone should be gathered in the lounge by now. The President and his wife should be awaiting you.” With that the woman walked off, leaving Namjoo by herself.

Silently lost and confused Namjoo slowly wandered forward, eyes searching the empty walls. They were of fine material; that should could tell. Beige marble with a darker shade of swirls. Curiously, Namjoo ran her hands along the walls as she walked along and wondered why the maid had treated her so.

Right, she stupidly reminded herself. The maid knew Choonhee and Choonhee had been here a hundred times. It only meant she knew her way around. But that had been Choonhee then. Now she was Namjoo, clueless and spineless.

Suddenly pausing in step Namjoo wondered to herself what she was actually doing. Now that she was alone she could run. No one would notice. And Hayoung couldn’t come back for her without explaining the problems caused.

The real problem rooted her to spot. She couldn’t ditch Choonhee’s spot yet. Whether her sister had been intentionally killed or if it had been an accident, Namjoo still had to find that out. Wouldn’t justice be the last thing she could do for her sister? But on the one note, she barely knew her twin. They owed each other nothing. The voices argued within her.

But Choonhee…her life was a jumble of mess, shards of puzzle pieces difficult to put back together. Whatever it was, Namjoo was a righteous person with a conscience. Something had been wrong, very wrong.

She was already in her dead twin’s spot. How could she just ignore it when it was already crashing on her?

Tao.

She had to talk to him. Suddenly spinning around Namjoo whipped out her phone and started searching for Tao’s name, determined.

“What are you doing?” a voice popped up from behind. Utterly surprised from being so concentrated Namjoo spun around. Out of shock she ended up dropping the phone in the process. As the machine clattered to the phone loudly she gasped.

Kai looked back at her with that smile of mischief, she wasn’t sure what it was. Maybe she was reading the smile wrong, but what mattered more at that moment was that Choonhee’s phone needed first aid. To her luck, Kai beat her to picking it up. She helplessly watched him flip over the phone before handing it back to her.

Namjoo pressed her lips together nervously when she saw that the phone hadn’t turned off from the fall. Tao’s name was still on the screen with the words “I need to talk to you…” in the empty text box.

Silence droned on. Clutching tightly onto the phone she glanced up to find Kai still smiling at her. His hair was unevenly combed today with his fringes falling onto his forehead. He was dressed in jeans and a casual red and white button up. For a moment Namjoo feared she was in trouble.

“You still talking to him?” Kai wondered, tone friendly. “Thought I told you to stop. You still won’t listen to me?”

Namjoo opened to defend herself, but let out a throaty gasp when he abruptly put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. She was helpless as he wheeled them around toward the front door.

“You’re always so bad,” he said slightly letting her go only to grab his shoes from the top shelf before throwing them down and slipping into them. Then grabbing hers said, “Take those slippers off. God, they’re hideous.”

Before she could do so, he literally grabbed her slippers and removed them off her feet. Once her shoes were on he tightened his arms around her shoulders and together they were out the door within a flash.

“What are you doing? Where are we going?” Namjoo questioned worriedly as he hauled her down the stairs with him. This hadn’t been in the plans. All she could think about was how Hayoung would kill her later and how she would mess something up, and how Kai would notice that she wasn’t Choonhee but some imposter.

This was bad, bad, bad. Bad!

Right then they diverted from the path leading to the gate. Underneath some bigger pine trees she spotted his red Ferrari. The lights turned orange along with a loud beep. Separating from her he headed toward the driver’s side.

“Get in,” he urged, turning back to look at her. Namjoo watched him open the door and get in, debating about what to do. A voice within her head told her to run for it, but her feet didn’t budge. Her eyes lay on the red vehicle, a surge of all sort of emotions building up within her.

Namjoo knew that nothing good would happen if she continued this charade. Yet nothing awaited her on the streets either. She was stuck on luck.

“Nope, you’re not sick,” she felt Kai press his body against her from behind, his hand pressed against her forehead. “So,” he tilted his head to the side to look at her, “care to tell me your condition today?”

Namjoo allowed herself to gaze at him. She had no idea what she was doing, but she was here. And she also had no idea what would happen, but it was already happening. Whatever it was and it was out of her control.

His brown eyes drew her in unconditionally and she felt like a bird drowning in quick sand. There would be no rescue. Her wings were already torn off and very soon the rest of her feathers would shed from her body.

Her feet moved forward when he pushed her from behind, “Goodness, you’re so slow.” Opening the door he urged her in, closed the door, and raced around the car before sitting behind the wheel.

That was when Namjoo finally found her voice. “Where are we going?”

Kai handsomely smiled at her yet again, “On a date.”

\\\\\

All that mattered was the opening this Saturday. Kai and Choonhee’s parents were so immersed in their own affairs that they barely noticed her. They barely budged or responded when she excused herself. Bitterly walking out of the room Hayoung sought for Namjoo, but didn’t see her anywhere. She was sure that girl had followed them in.

Walking toward the kitchen she spotted the maid that had earlier opened the door for them. “Did you see Choonhee?”

“The Young Miss was on her way to the lounge.”

“Was she?” Hayoung said then walked away. She prowled around the empty hallways for some time then finally wondered if she was with Kai.

Inviting herself up the white staircase she started toward Kai’s bedroom. In her younger years along with Choonhee and Sehun, they hung out everywhere; went to each other’s home and spent hours together. The carefree days of innocence was so long gone, all died when Sehun and Choonhee got together and received the encouragement of their parents.

In those days of youth Hayoung hadn’t been aware Choonhee and Sehun had feelings for each other. The pair had seemed like regular friends with similar hobbies and interests. Hayoung never felt the intimacy there until they suddenly came out one day that they were dating. Then two years down the line, they broke up like the relationship meant nothing.

The two never did appear close or loving; never held hands, never hugged in front of anyone. They just came off like regular friends who met up occasionally when time bid it. What they did behind the scenes Hayoung didn’t know of, but she wouldn’t lie that she had been suspicious of their relationship.

Before the relationship, their parents were never quite close acquaintances, just merely people who associated with each other in business terms. Then when the relationship started, Choonhee’s parents suddenly got close with the Oh family. Even now, after the breakup, the families still remained tight and Sehun, who was more skilled with business affairs, was going to be promoted to Vice CEO when Kai was the team leader of the Publication group. Did it make sense when Kai was the son of the President?

Hayoung was sure there was a scheme. There had to be a scheme, because all along she never felt anything romantic between Choonhee and Sehun. It wasn’t denial because of her one-sided feelings for Sehun that she felt this way. She was just so damn sure Choonhee and Sehun never did have real feelings for each other.

And if it hadn’t been for such a petty thing, the four of them would still be friends. Sehun might have noticed her if not for Choonhee.

Knocking on the door she called out, “Kai? You in there?” and she hoped Namjoo wasn’t in there with him either. She just wouldn’t stand for it, for such a lowly person to be with someone like Kai who had merits and wealth. Namjoo was nothing compared to the rest of them. She was just a mere tool until she rusted.

There was no reply, so Hayoung invited herself to the doorknob. Opening the door she peered inside to find the room empty.

Heading back downstairs she stopped in the hallway trying to figure out what was going on; where Namjoo had disappeared to and where Kai had gone. Were they together or not?

“There you are,” Kai’s mother, Kim Areum, stepped toward her. She was a pretty thing with just the perfect lips, eyes, and face a woman would love to have. Too bad there was no daughter to take after her.

“Where’s Choonhee? Lunch is finished a little early, so lets go sit down and eat. Go find Kai too, will you? Oh, he must be in his room. I’ll go get him.”

“He’s not there,” Hayoung said then assured, “don’t worry. I’ll call and see what he’s up to.”     

She smiled and nodded then waited for the woman, tall like Kai, disappear down the hallway. Then turning away pulled out her phone and dialed for Kai. Wherever he was, she was sure he’d be with Namjoo. Hayoung’s instincts told her just that.

The phone rang almost five times before Kai finally picked up with his cheery, “Hayoung. What’s up?”

“Where are you?” she demanded. “Lunch is ready.”

“Can’t find me, can you?” he teased.

She rolled her eyes, “Stop playing around. Your mother is looking for you.”

“You go sit down in my place and enjoy the meal,” he prompted.

Hayoung felt her eyes narrow, “Is Choonhee with you?”

“Oh sure, right here beside me.” she could hear him smiling from the other side. Hayoung bit her tongue. This was another scenario she hadn’t imagined. First with Sehun stopping by this morning and now Kai had taken Namjoo somewhere. What if that girl messed up? What was she going to do when she wasn’t armed with anything about Choonhee?

“How far have you gone?” Hayoung questioned. “Come back. Your parents are eager to have lunch with you and Choonhee.”

“Can’t.” Kai replied. “Oops, traffic. Talk to you later, Secretary Oh.” Then the line went dead.  Hayoung bit her lip and stared at her phone helplessly.

Swiveling around she started for the dining room to announce that Kai and Choonhee were no longer there. The second she reached the entryway she heard the parents chuckling happily amongst themselves.

“Kai just spoke to me about it a month ago,” Sungsik joyfully shared, “he’s waiting for the perfect timing to talk to Choonhee about the engagement.”