Chapter 23: Rewind.

Daehyun met Himchan at the cafeteria, he needed to tell somebody what was going on with his bodyguard-slash-criminal, however, the stylist didn’t heard a single word, all his attention was on Yongguk who stood in the entrance.

    “Oh my gosh, your bodyguard Yongguk is so hot that I melt like butter” Himchan said, ogling the man in a flawless black suit “Where did Youngjae get him? Jail? He’s so hot that’s a crime”

    “I’m glad you mention crime because he’s a criminal and tried to kill me days ago”

    “He's so delicious that I want to devour him like an ice cream”

    “Are you hungry or just a ert?”

    “I’m a hungry ert” Himchan sighed as he admired Yongguk’s in those tight pants.

    “That’s it” Daehyun said, irritated “Let’s change seats” Daehyun made Himchan to sit in his chair and vice versa, now Daehyun was the one that faced Yongguk “May I have your attention?”

    “I still can see him if I turn my head”

    “You do that and I punch you”

    “I like it rough”

    “You’re the worst friend ever!!!”

    “Come on, I’m just joking”

    “I’ll laugh in my grave”

    “What are you talking about?”

    “Didn’t you hear anything I said?”

    “Of course I did, you said your bodyguard is a criminal. You found him and another guy doing suspicious transactions in a dark alley” Himchan said “I'm a great multitasker, I can listen to you and drool over him at the same time”

    “Whatever” Daehyun sighed heavily “I took pics and those pics didn't come out with anything, so I threw them, but he doesn’t know and may want to kill me”

    “Ok, who took those pics? Dasom or Daehyun?”

    “Daehyun”

    “So stop worrying, you’re safe as long as you're Dasom” Himchan said, brushing Dasom’s hair with his fingers “Never take off the wig and behave more like a girl, you’ll be fine”

    “What if he finds out? I mean, you found out, Jongup found out”

    “I didn’t find out, you told me, and Jongup found out by accident while you were changing” Himchan said “Ha, the only ert here is Jongup”

    “But what if he is smart and find out by himself?”

    “Are you saying that I and Jongup are stupid?”

    “No, but he’ll spend a lot time with me, what if he gets suspicious?”

    “Come on, Youngjae has been with Dasom and Daehyun way more time and has never suspected, maybe you’re lucky and Yongguk is blind like him” Himchan laughed his off.

    “I wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for him” Daehyun looked at Yongguk who stood motionless on the threshold. It was Yongguk’s fault that Daehyun ended up passing as a woman.

    “Let me ask you this, are you sure that he’s the guy that chased you? It was a dark alley, you were high on fear and adrenaline, you were running for your life, did you even get a clear look at his face?” 

    “I’m sure, there’s no doubt he’s the guy!!!”

    Yongguk couldn’t hear what Dasom said, but he could hear screams from time to time, so he turned to check her out to make sure that she was ok. Daehyun froze as his eyes met Yongguk’s. Screaming like crazy in the middle of the cafeteria it was less than feminine, Daehyun gulped, nervous, and smiled to Yongguk and the bodyguard smiled back before returning his attention to the hall.

    “Criminal or not he's so hot” Himchan said, catching a glimpse of Yongguk’s bright smile.

    “He will kill me if he discovers my identity!!!”

    “He can kill me with his gun anytime” Himchan said playfully.

    “I’ll be on the news, my so called friend and my murder riding into the sunset”

    “I love the idea of prince charming Yongguk on a white horse”

    “I promise you, my ghost will hunt you down for the rest of your life”

    “Stop planning your funeral” Himchan said “You’re being paranoid, there’s no way he’s the criminal. He works for a security company, those people don’t hire delinquents or murderers, and I’m sure that Youngjae interviewed him”

    “Stupid Youngjae didn't” Daehyun said “He told me his father’s bodyguard introduced him to Yongguk, so he didn’t ask any questions”

    “Youngjae’s father is still alive, so you can trust in that bodyguard's word”

    “I do trust in that bodyguard, the one I don't it's him!!!” Daehyun yelled and pointed at Yongguk who startled by the yelling and e more time to see what was going on.

    Daehyun laughed nervously and waved to him. Confused, Yongguk waved back.

    “I really don’t know why you want to ditch Yongguk so badly, but if you insist, you can tell Youngjae that he’s hitting on you, Youngjae will be so jealous that he’ll fire him in a blink”

    “I already did that”

    “And?”

    “Youngjae said I was making excuses so that I don’t have to deal with a bodyguard… He said I must have one because of all the threats… He also said don’t worry, I’m sure that Yongguk got better taste than that, he’s a 10 and you’re ugly”

    “He’s so wrong! Yongguk is a 100!!!” Himchan said and Daehyun gave him a glare “You’re also a 100”

    “Anyway, I have to sleep with my enemy”

    “What?! You already have Jongup, Zelo and Youngjae!!! Yongguk is mine!!!”

    “It's a figure of speech, sleeping with the enemy means that I have to it up and take it”

    “Did you hear yourself?” Himchan burst in laughs.

    “I should’ve talked to Jongup” 

    “Come on, stop the drama, if you’re this afraid, I’ll talk to Youngjae” Himchan said “In the meantime, it up” the stylist couldn’t help laughing hard “Oh my gosh, you’re so funny”

    “Thank you” Daehyun rolled his eyes “I’d like to be alone now though”

    “It’s easy, ask Yongguk to take you home and once you’re there dismiss him by saying that you want to sleep or watch a movie alone or take a shower… I’d like to take a shower with him”

    “You're right”

    “Me and him in the shower”

    “Not that” Daehyun got up from his seat “I’ll ask him to take me to the apartment, there’s no place safer than the place where you live, so he’ll have to call it a day and leave me alone”

Daehyun was received by Kanji when he entered the apartment, the dog his cheek over and over to show how much he missed him.

    “So you live here” Yongguk said, walking around.

    “Yeah” Daehyun said “Thank you for bringing me, now you can leave”

    “Do you live alone?” Yongguk asked.

    “No, I live with kanji, he's a very dangerous dog”

    “I'm sure” Yongguk kanji’s head and chuckled at how cute the dog was.

    Hell, why don’t I have a pit bull? Daehyun thought.

    “Any cameras in here?”

    Oh my God, he’s studying the place before killing me.

    “No, but there's some in the hallway. If someone comes here and kill me, the cameras will catch him entering and leaving”

    “There's devices that block cameras”

    Oh my God, he's got it all planned.

    “We're on the 16th floor, right?”

    Oh God, God, he's going to throw me right off the balcony.

    “There's no way someone can climb up the building and attack you” Yongguk said “You'll be fine as long as the entrance door is closed and locked properly”

    “All this talk makes me sleepy, I'll go to sleep now” Daehyun said “So you can leave”

    “Isn't too early? It's 4:00 p.m.”

    “It's too late for me. So leave, please”

    “My shift doesn't end for another nine hours”

    “You just said there's no way someone can come here and kill me, then it's ok if you leave. Don't you have family or a girlfriend?”

    “Yes, but my work comes first” Yongguk said “I won’t go anywhere, so sleep tight while I watch the place, I'll be right there” Yongguk pointed to the entrance door.

Daehyun went to his room and closed it, locked it and put the bed against the door. Kanji barked in confusion as he dropped on the bed and said:

    “I'm not paranoid, he's a dangerous delinquent that carries a gun, if he finds out who I am he'll start shooting”

    Kanji didn't understand a word, but he could feel his owner was uneasy, so he his hands and lay by his side.

    “Maybe I should have some sleep, although it's too early and I don't feel safe sleeping with my murder outside”

    Daehyun sat up and looked around the room searching for things that he could use to defend himself. There was a vase on the coffee table, a lamp on the nightstand, a porcelain bowl with fruits, and then there was the bathroom with scissors, razor, hairdryer, tweezers… Daehyun finally decided to grab the lamp and beat Yongguk with it in case that he past the door.

Unaware of Daehyun’s paranoia, Yongguk did his job, he stood still by the door like a guard at Buckingham Palace, he didn't move or blink for the next five hours until his phone beeped. Yongguk checked the text with a raised eyebrow.

    Come down. I'm outside. (≖ᴗ≖✿)

    Yongguk obeyed and went downstairs. A woman with short black hair and tattoos on her arms waited for him on a Harley-Davidson.

    “What do you want?”

    “That's how you greet your sister?” she raised her dark glasses and gave him a stink eye.

    “I'm working”

    “How’s it going so far?”

    “I prefer casual clothes”

    “And?”

    “I don’t have much say, it's my first day” Yongguk shrugged “Although this Dasom is kind of strange, very nervous and jumpy”

    “I would also be nervous with an attractive man like you by my side”

    “Don't say that, you're my sister” he said, grossed out.

    “I'm just joking” she chuckled “You know, if she's nervous it's because she's hiding something, so find out what it is” she said with a straight face “I had to call in a lot of favors to get you this job, so don't ruin it like last time in that alley”

    “I won't make the same mistake”

    “I hope so, you were lucky that the guy who took pics at the alley didn't publish any or you'd be dead”

    Yongguk clenched his fists, he was still ashamed of losing the guy that took the pics. There wasn't a day that he didn't think of him.

Daehyun ended up sleeping and dropping the lamp on the floor, he didn’t wake up till noon and to his surprise, he was still alive. Maybe he dreamed of the criminal, he thought and jumped off the bed and returned it to its spot before leaving for the kitchen with Kanji following him, both were hungry.

    “Good afternoon, Dasom-sshi” a man said as Daehyun entered the kitchen.

    It took a few minutes for Daehyun to realize that it wasn’t a dream, the criminal was right there, by the stove, making pancakes.

    “What time is it?” Daehyun asked while fixing his wig, he fell asleep without changing, so he was still Dasom “I thought your shift ends at 1:00 a.m.”

    “And starts over at 9:00 a.m.” Yongguk said “You don’t have work until 3, so I didn't wake you up”

    “I see... You have been making pancakes” Daehyun approached Yongguk against his will, his hunger was bigger than his fear “Too many pancakes” the photographer said as he saw thousands of stacks of pancakes on the table.

    “I know, I thought I’d make a few, but Youngjae-sshi told me to make a ton” Yongguk said “He said you eat like a marine mammal”

    “He said what?”

    “Mmm… He said you eat like a whale. I thought marine mammal would sound better, but not”

    “He said I eat like a whale? Let me tell you, he eats like a chipmunk that always makes annoying nibbly noises!!! I have a video, do you want to see it?!”

    “No, I believe you” Yongguk said, frightened “And I can put the pancakes in the fridge for later”

    “There’s no need” Daehyun said “Actually, you can make eggs and bacon too”

    “Now?”

    “Now”

    “Yeah, of course” Yongguk looked eggs and bacon in the fridge at the same time as he thought if Dasom was really able to eat all that.

    It’s a good chef for a criminal, Daehyun thought as he savored the pancakes. Hold on, what if this got poison? The hell, at last my last meal is great.

Yongguk cleaned up the kitchen while Daehyun ate, then the bodyguard-slash-criminal-slash-the best chef ever’s cellphone rang. Yongguk checked his phone, typed something and returned to work.

    “Who was that?” Daehyun asked, curious.

    “It was Youngjae-sshi”

    “What did he want?”

    “He wanted to know if you’re awake yet, how did you sleep and how do you feel”

    “Really?”

    Yongguk showed the last message on his phone to Daehyun. The elder didn’t lie, it was indeed a message from the editor asking about Dasom.

    “He texts me every hour to ask if you’re doing fine or if you're eating well”

    “So he’s stalking me through you” Daehyun frowned “I’m not sure whether this is sweet or creepy”

    “It’s sweet, he worries about you”

    “I think it’s creepy” Daehyun pouted “He worries too much, I don’t even need a bodyguard”

    “I read all the hate mails, they sound awful”

    “They’re empty threats”

    “Youngjae-sshi doesn’t think so”

    “Like I said, he worries too much”

    “People do that when they care for someone”

    You know nothing. Youngjae doesn’t care about me, he only cares about my imaginary twin sister Dasom. I bet he can’t even remember me. He hasn’t texted me since last time I ignored him when he asked me out.  

    “If you’re done eating, please get ready for the meeting in Jieun-sshi’s studio” Yongguk said.

    “Do I have to go?”

    “Yes, for the wardrobe fitting”

Neither Daehyun nor Zelo did the wardrobe thing the other night because of the accident, so Jieun set another date. And the day finally came. If Yongguk didn't kill Daehyun first, Jieun will. She blamed him for breaking the mirror and bringing her seven years’ bad luck.

    Daehyun took a quick shower and wore a sweatshirt, Jieun hated that, but he thought if he was going to be murdered, he wanted to be comfortable.

    Yongguk waited for him at the door and left together. Kanji wanted to go too and followed Daehyun down the hallway.

    “I want to take you with me, but I’m sure that Jieun will hate you” Daehyun said, picking him up “I promise I’ll be back soon, in the meantime you can stay with Mrs Kim, she'll love your company” Daehyun headed to the apartment across the hall while Yongguk stayed close.

    Daehyun rang the doorbell and a middle-aged woman opened.

    “Oh, Dasom, Kanji, nice to see you” she said.

    “As well” Daehyun replied “I have work, could you, please, take care of Kanji?”

    “Of course, I love this little guy” she took kanji in her arms “And how is your brother?”

    “Do you have a brother?” Yongguk asked in surprise as he overheard the conversation.

    When he got the job and Dasom’s information was delivered to him, there was nothing about a brother.

    “Dasom has a twin brother, he's cute like her” the neighbor said “His name is Daehyun-ah”

    “Daehyun?” Yongguk mumbled, lost in thought “Twin brother?” he studied Dasom up and down, he tried picturing her with short hair and the familiar face of a young man in his 20s went through his head.

    I feel like I know a guy that looks like Dasom… Yongguk thought and looked at Dasom with different eyes.

    “Yeah, yeah, my brother, he’s out of town” Daehyun said as the fear seeped into him. He knows.

    “We better go, I heard that Jieun-sshi doesn’t like people who are late” Yongguk escorted Daehyun to the elevator, however, he didn’t go inside with him “Please, Dasom-sshi, go ahead”

    Daehyun didn’t have time to reply, the doors closed and Yongguk remained alone in the hallway. He took out his phone and texted his sister.

    I found something about Dasom, maybe it's nothing, but I want you to run a check.

    On?

    She has a twin brother named Daehyun.

    The information that I have on her says nothing about a twin.

    Dasom’s face is very familiar to me and when I picture her with short hair, it’s like I can see her brother and I think I've met him somewhere before.