Part IV: The Art of Self-Deception

The building is burning, the floor they’re on is minutes from collapse, and Eunju’s dislocated shoulder is screaming in agony. All she can think about is that Kinese’s voice, without the distortion of the voice changer, sounds exactly like Byun Baekhyun’s.

The wailing of sirens grows closer. Kinese is staring at her as well, but not at her face—at her hand. Her gloves have been lost in the explosion after she initially took them off. She has a creeping suspicion of what he saw.

Amidst the shock and disbelief and the growing mantra of their voices are just similar, she has enough sense to pop her shoulder back into the socket, wincing at the pain.

“We need to get out of here,” Kinese says finally, and it’s so familiar because she’d heard that voice hours before, didn't she? He doesn’t offer any other comment. Does he know? Am I right?

“You go,” Eunju replies thickly. “I need to explain to the police.”

Part of her must’ve expected him to stay as well, because that’s what Baekhyun would’ve done. But Kinese only offers her a brief nod before he turns on his heel and disappears.

***

Byun Baekhyun is kind. Byun Baekhyun is a good cook. Byun Baekhyun walks to class with her and explains concepts that Eunju doesn’t quite understand. He listens attentively as she rambles on about the lab and still manages to look interested and be engaged. Byun Baekhyun plans the most thoughtful dates.

Kinese is ill-tempered and cynical. Kinese hurts people—bad people, yes, but hurts them all the same—and isn’t interested in helping, only taking. Kinese hates her and doesn’t have an ounce of patience for her.

Byun Baekhyun has a dead brother. Kinese chases after someone with single-minded determination. Byun Baekhyun sleeps early and gets up early, and in the hours right between, Kinese roams the city. Just like Elektra does.

Eunju repeats Kinese’s words, give me your hand over and over and no matter how hard she tries to convince herself otherwise, she hears them clearly in Byun Baekhyun’s voice.

***

Baekhyun does not come to the cafe the next morning.

Eunju’s shoulder is a bit sore, but she heals at an incredible pace anyway, so all she has to do is make sure she doesn’t strain it too much.

Jongdae appears a little past six. “G’morning,” he greets, and catches Eunju looking behind him. “Ah, Baek’s not feeling super great so he’s sleeping in for once. He might go to lecture later if he’s feeling better.”

She swallows the disappointment.

Eunju’s disoriented all morning. Her thoughts loop back to the night before, to Kinese, to Baekhyun. It’s not possible, because Baekhyun is sweet and caring and smart and sociable and Kinese is so wrapped up in his grudge that the only thing Eunju knows about him is that he’s bitter and angry. And besides all of that, she’s spent over a year chasing his shadow, put off by the cold-hearted way he had dealt with criminals. It doesn’t match up, that she’s spent a year hating Baekhyun.

She arrives at their neurochemical class early, with only a splattering of people in attendance. The classroom gradually fills, but Baekhyun is nowhere in sight.

She’s only half-listening to the lecture, as if looking at the door will summon Baekhyun.

It doesn’t.

***

It’s eight in the evening when her phone buzzes. Eunju’s exhausted, dejected and uncertain, but wakes up when she sees the name on the screen.

Baekhyun, 8:09PM
can we meet tonight?

Eunju, 8:10PM
sure, where?

He sends her a location, along with rooftop, 1am and that’s that.

***

There’s no avoiding the truth, but it doesn’t mean something doesn’t stir uncomfortably in Eunju’s chest when she sees Kinese’s familiar silhouette. But now that she looks at him, she can tell that he’s the same height as Baekhyun, with the same build. Even the way Kinese stands is a shadow of how Baekhyun does.

He turns around when he hears her. It’s such a familiar scene; Kinese glancing at her unwelcome presence, two seconds away from expressing how much he wishes she weren’t there. Eunju almost expects some variation of those words to come out.

He doesn’t say them. Instead, he reaches up and pulls the mask off.

Byun Baekhyun stares at her in a stranger’s suit and with a stranger’s personality, brown eyes black under the faint moonlight. There’s bruising on his cheekbones and dark smudges under his eyes. He’s always looked cheerful, even at 5 in the morning. But now…

Eunju knows that he knows who she is; it’s much too clear. But she still hesitates for the longest moment, half unwilling to tak