Chapter 24: Check On.

“Oh, you're still alive” Himchan mocked as Daehyun came in Jieun’s boutique.

    “Not for much”

    “You're still obsessed with that?”

    “Of course” Daehyun said “Did you talk to Youngjae?”

    “He's away on business”

    “Call him”

    “His phone's off, and even if it isn't, he never answers when he's busy”

    “So I'm a dead man”

    “You aren’t” Himchan put his hands on Daehyun's shoulders “You just need to…”

    “Call the police? Beg for witness protection?”

    “No, this isn't a mafia film” Himchan said “The only thing you need is put your beautiful mind in this wardrobe fitting, you'll be so busy that you won't think of scary things”

    “I don't even know what a wardrobe fitting is”

    “It's a dress rehearsal, your measurements will be taken and you'll try on dresses. If they don't look good on you, they'll be fixed until they suit you seamlessly”

    “My body measurements need to be taken... again? Who will do that?”

    “Jieun, she's the designer...”

    “No way!!! She can't!!! She won't keep my secret!!!”

    “Calm down, that's why I'm here, I'll talk her into letting me take the measurements”

    “You're my lifesaver, as always”

    “That'll never change”

    “Dasom noona!!! Himchan hyung!!!” Zelo said as he entered the store and found them chatting in the middle of the lobby.

    “How's your hand?” Himchan asked.

    “Great, thanks Dasom noona who bound up the wound”

    “It was the least I could do after you saved me” Daehyun said.

    “Let's go out later as payment”

    “Dasom says yes” Himchan said.

    “Do I?” Daehyun looked at the stylist with a raised eyebrow.

    “If you’re with Zelo, your hot bodyguard won't kill you” he whispered in Daehyun's ear.

    “It's settled then” Daehyun said.

    “Hi” Jieun said as she came out from the back room.

    “Long time no see!!!” Himchan gave her a hug.

    “Yeah” she replied halfheartedly “I'm out of helpers…”

    “I'll be your helper” Himchan interrupted her “I'm not the best designer of Korea like you, but I know how to take measurements, so let me help you, in fact, you take Zelo's and I'll take Dasom's”

    “Fine. I have two studios, one in the east wing and another in the west” she said “The designs for Dasom are in the west. Please, go there and use all your magic to make her presentable”

“Is it my imagination or Jieun doesn't like you?” Himchan asked while helping Daehyun to try on a yellow floral dress.

    “It's not your imagination” Daehyun said “We had a fight”

    “Why?! When?! Why don't I know anything about that?! Where?! How?!”

    “She didn't want me to be her main model, she still does not, because I'm ugly, ordinary, basic, plain... I didn't give a damn, but then she started trash-talking Youngjae and I lost it and yelled at her...”

    “You really care about him, don't you?”

    “Friends do that”

    “Are you friends now?”

    “He said we are”

    “He said that to Dasom or Daehyun?”

    “Me, Daehyun”

    Himchan stared at Daehyun for a full minute that felt like forever.

    “Why are you looking at me like that?” Daehyun asked, nervous.

    “Why are you blushing?”

    “I'm not... I'm not... I'm not!!!”

    “Your ears are red”

    “They aren’t!!!”

Yongguk stood outside the boutique and waited for Dasom. He tried to look stoic, but it was hard with the people that passed by, some stopped and stared at him with interest, they even asked if he was a model, which flattered and embarrassed him at the same time.

    Suddenly his phone buzzed and he took it out of his pocket to see a message from Youngjae.   

How is Dasom?

You're really in love with her, Yongguk thought and replied with a fine.   

If there's lots of work, she forgets to eat sometimes

Make sure that she eats properly

It's raining here, is it raining in Seoul?

Bring an umbrella, don't want her to get a cold, or worse... Fever

If she gets sick, take her immediately to the hospital

Don't let those stupid paparazzi bother her

Keep the haters in line

Don't worry, she's in good hands, nothing bad will happen to your girlfriend

She is not my girlfriend

Then why do you behave like she's your girlfriend? Not even my last partner cared so much for me! Yongguk thought.

 She is not my girlfriend

She is not my girlfriend

She is not my girlfriend

She is not my girlfriend

She is not my girlfriend

She is not my girlfriend

She is not my girlfriend

I get it, she is not your girlfriend

I'll protect her with my life

You can bet on that

Something bad happens to her

Many bad things will happen to you

It’s not a threat :)

It’s a fact

Have a nice day

Seriously, man, you’re crazy about her, Yongguk thought as he put the phone back in the pocket and just at that moment, a woman on a bike showed up.

    “Hi, cutie” the woman gave him a playful smile.

    “Don't call me cutie, I'm your brother”

    “My little brother, my cutie pie”

    Some girls passed by and giggled, Yongguk was so embarrassed he wanted the earth to swallow him.

    “Let’s talk business” she said, getting all serious “I checked up on Park Dasom, there are many women in Seoul with that name... But the Park Dasom we know doesn't exist”

    “What...?”

    “Let me finish” she said “If Park Dasom doesn't exist, the twin's not real either, there's no Park Daehyun...”

    “But...”

    “Really, let me finish! As I was saying, there's no Park Daehyun, but there's a Jung Daehyun, he works at a newspaper called Noir. Dasom said she works at Noir, I know, she's fake, but the newspaper is real, so I looked in there just in case...”

    “And that's when you ran into that Jung Daehyun”

    “Yes” she grinned “You know what's going on, right?”

    “Dasom and Daehyun are the same person... Jung Daehyun, the guy in the alley”

Jieun called it a day by nightfall. Zelo waited for Dasom at the exit, so did Yongguk. The young model searched online for nice places to take Dasom for their date while the bodyguard checked the latest message that Youngjae sent.

    Does he know she's not real? Yongguk wondered before answering she's fine, don't worry, it's not raining.

    Daehyun and Himchan walked out the studio and headed to the door where Zelo and Yongguk were. Zelo noticed Dasom's presence first and was about to go towards her until Yongguk beat him to it and grabbed her by the arm.

    “I'll take you home now, you have to wake up early tomorrow” Yongguk said, leading her to the black car parked outside.

    “Dasom noona promised she'd go out with me” Zelo went after them.

    “Some other day” Yongguk said and got Dasom in the car.

    “But...” Zelo didn't know what else to say, Yongguk got behind the wheel and drove away.

Yongguk's behavior was outrageous, but Daehyun was too tired to care, he didn't start worrying until he realized that Yongguk was heading to a place that he didn't know.

    Where you taking me? Daehyun wanted to ask, but he was so scared that he couldn't say anything. He took a look at the door on his right side, it was locked, then he looked at the door on the other side, locked as well.

After an hour, Yongguk slowed down the car and pulled over in a narrow street with street lights that barely lighted up the surrounding area. Yongguk unlocked the doors and got out of the car, Daehyun stayed still in his seat, not knowing what to do, then he remembered he had his phone with him. However, his relief died off when he realized that there was no reception.

    “Of course, he took me to a distant place to kill me” Daehyun said, getting rid of the wig, there was no reason to pass as Dasom if Yongguk already knew about his real identity “How did he find out? How?”

    “You've got to get out of there sometime” Yongguk demanded from outside.

    “Yeah” Daehyun said with his actual voice, there was no need to fake the girly voice anymore.

    He had some Kleenex in his pocket and used them to wipe away the make-up from his face, there wasn’t much though, and then he closed his eyes and counted to ten before finally getting out of the car.

    The first thing he felt was the sea breeze in his hair, he looked around and found himself at a port with sea and boats, yachts, ships, etc.

    “So when you said sleep you meant sleep with the fishes” Daehyun said defiantly, although deep down he was terrified.

    Yongguk didn't reply, he just stood there, gazing up and down the man in front of him.

    “No makeup? No wig? I really thought you were a woman”

    “Everybody does, but If I'm going to die, I'll die as me”

    “Yeah, Jung Daehyun”

    “How do you know...? Whatever, just kill me”

    “Why would I do that?”

    “Because of the pics I took, but for your information, those pics didn't come out good, I have nothing on you, but you're going to kill me anyway, so go ahead, make it quick”

    “What are you talking?”

    “Don't play dumb, I know you're the criminal in that alley and you know I'm the guy that took photos” Daehyun hissed “You tried to kill me in order to retrieve the photos”

    Yongguk opened his mouth to speak, but the ringing of his phone cut him off, it was Youngjae’s thousandth message. It was the first time that someone texted him so much, not even his ex did that.

    Daehyun took advantage of Yongguk being distracted and ran off.

    “The hell, not again!” Yongguk screamed and ran after the black-haired man.

    Daehyun didn't know his whereabouts, he ran blindly nonstop until he found dozens of shipping containers, it was like a giant maze, he thought and went deep inside.  

The sky was like the darkest soul, there were no stars and the clouds concealed the moon. Tired, Daehyun stopped with his back against one container, he closed his eyes and Youngjae was the first thing that came to his mind, why am I thinking about him? Right, he brought that psycho (Yongguk) into my life... and that psycho brought Youngjae into my life...

    Daehyun had many regrets, he didn't do very much with his life, but the moments with Youngjae were everything. If he could go back in time, he'd do the same; he'd take the pics, Yongguk’d chase him, he'd put on that stupid wig and he'd meet stupid Youngjae… and it was worth it.

    “You!” Yongguk yelled, emerging from the shadows and advancing towards Daehyun.

    The younger pulled the phone from his pocket and struck Yongguk’s head with it.

    “Why did you do that?!” Yongguk exclaimed with a little cut on his forehead.

    “I won't die without a fight!”

    “You think that I’m going to kill you?!”

    “You’re a criminal, after all, aren’t you?”

    “No, I’m not” Yongguk reached into his pocket and took out his wallet “I’m a cop” he said, showing his badge.

    “It may be fake, stolen or…”

    “It’s real”

    “So… if you aren’t going to kill me… Are you going to arrest me?” the photographer was baffled for the situation. There were so many lies, he didn’t know what to believe.

    “I’d love to” the elder said “You ruined my interview with my informant at the alley, you made me chase you, I’m not getting any younger, it was exhausting playing cat and mouse…”

    “Why didn’t you say you’re a cop when you were chasing me?” Daehyun interrupted, doubtful.   

    “I did that, you didn’t hear”

    “You chased me with a gun in your hand”

    “Well, I thought you were a criminal”

    “Me?!!! The only criminal here is you!!! I don’t buy that you’re a cop!!!”

    “Why would I lie about that?” Yongguk started getting angry in the face of distrust, he worked his off for years, he wasn’t going to let a brat question his integrity.

    “I don’t know, you tell me” Daehyun couldn’t shut the up, he was defiant by nature.

    “I will after we’re out of here”