You found it very difficult to concentrate on your classes the next couple days at school. You were too distraught about the two parties that you had to attend. You voiced this concern at lunch with Jonghyun, Key, and Amber. The four of you were eating your lunch on the lawn under the protective shade of a big tree.

“I just don’t know what I’m gonna do!” you wailed. “I can’t miss my own engagement party, but I also owe Himchan.”

“Maybe you could leave one party early and then go to the other one,” Key suggested. “It’s never fashionable to attend a party for its full duration anyway.”

“She can’t leave her own engagement party,” Amber reasoned. “People are there to see her, they would notice her absence.”

“Augh!” You were just so frustrated by this dilemma. “If only there was a way that I could attend both parties!”

“Yeah,” Jonghyun agreed. “If only you could be in two places at once.”

The two of you stared at the ground defeated. Of course you couldn’t be in two places at once. That was just impossible, and it was silly of you to even suggest it as a remote possibility.

Key and Amber then exchanged glances with each other, then turned toward you and your brother smiling.

“You can be,” Key said.

“What are you talking about?” you asked.

“In two places at once,” he explained.

“What? That’s just silly. Being in two places at once is impossible,” you said.

“Not you, exactly,” Amber explained further. “Just somebody who can pretend to be you. Sort of like a stand-in.”

You looked at the two of them befuddled. Had they gone insane? Who could possibly be your stand-in.

“Somebody who looks exactly like you,” Key said.

“That person will act as you at one party, while you attend the other one,” Amber said.

This seemed like a good idea to you, but you were left with just one question. Who would be you at the other party? You pondered this for a moment, before your brother let out an exasperated, “Oh!”

You turned your attention to him, and he seemed to be trying to figure out what Amber and Key were getting at as well.

“So Amber is going to pretend to be Mary—“

“No, stupid!” Key shouted. “You are going to be Mary!”

“What? Me?” he shouted.

“You two are identical twins,” Amber said. “We just have to dress Jonghyun up a little bit, and everyone will think that he is Mary.”

It was true. You two looked exactly alike. If somebody put a long wig on Jonghyun, nobody would be able to tell the two of you apart. Nobody.

“That’s a pretty good plan,” you concluded.

Then left the question of who would attend which party. It wasn’t a very difficult decision, however, as Jonghyun immediately volunteered to go to the engagement party. He really wanted to get to know Donghae better if he was going to be his brother-in-law soon. That was what he gave for an explanation anyway. You decided it was for the best this way, because Himchan had told you to dress ty, and you didn’t really like the mental image you got of Jonghyun in a tight minidress and stilettos.

You were a little nervous that it might not work—would Mom and Dad recognize Jonghyun? What if something went wrong? How could this all come crashing down on you?

“And if you guys need any help at the parties,” Amber offered, “don’t forget that I’ll be going to the engagement party, so I can coach Jonghyun on pretending to be a girl if he needs it.”

“Yeah, and I’ll be at Bom’s party,” Key added. “I can coach you on pretending to be a girlfriend,” he said cheekily.

Saturday arrived, bringing with it nerves and gender confusion as Key tried to find the perfect outfit for Jonghyun to wear at the engagement party. He had brought a wig over, one that matched your hard-to-achieve hair color quite well, and when Jonghyun wore it you swore you were looking in a mirror.

Jonghyun was being dressed first because the engagement party started much earlier than the trashy high school party. You got the feeling that Key was enjoying seeing Jonghyun in drag a little too much, because he kept choosing absurd things for him to try on, like miniskirts and tight cocktail dresses, which wouldn’t really fit in at the oh-so-formal engagement party with the wealthy families and higher ups.

To explain away the reason Jonghyun wouldn’t be attending his sister’s engagement party, he lied and said he had a detention at school and would have to stay late into the evening to study. Your parents scolded him, but they didn’t ask questions, which you were grateful for.

It was about 3 o’clock when Key finally cried out, “Perfect!” and you turned to see Jonghyun dressed in a tasteful lace summer dress and a knit wrap tied over his shoulders.

“How do I look?” he asked, grinning.

“You look just like a girl,” Key remarked, “but you still sound like a man. Speak like a girl.”

Jonghyun cleared his throat and tried again. “How do I look?” he asked in a much higher voice.

Key grimaced. “Try speaking less tonight, ok?”

Jonghyun nodded.

The engagement party started in 2 hours, which Key spent styling Jonghyun’s wig and pouring makeup on his face. Your party started at 8 in the evening, so you had 3 hours to hide in your room from the rest of the party.

Key finally left at 4:30, and at five, Jonghyun gave you a good luck smile as he went downstairs to be you at your own engagement party.

At 6:30 you received a text message from Himchan.

I’ll pick you up at 8. Remember to dress ty.

You rolled your eyes and huffed. You hadn’t forgotten, and were already in your miniskirt and sequined halter top. You had applied dark eyeliner and shiny lipgloss and were halfway through teasing your hair into an unrecognizable mass of volume. Your blue eyeshadow brought out your striking hazel eyes.

You could hear the soft chatter from downstairs and the occasional clinking of glass, and it set you on edge. You hoped Jonghyun was doing a convincing job of being you.

At 7:55 you realized that you had never given Himchan your address. How would he know where you lived? Would he wander around aimlessly until he found you or would he ask someone or would he call you and ask you where you lived? You had only lived in this town for a week now. You didn’t know how to give directions!

Your phone rang. It was Himchan. You began to panic, frantically trying to remember street names and turns you might have taken as you pressed the answer button. “Hello?”

“I’m here,” he answered.

Oh. You looked out the window to see a monstrous motorcycle. Damn. You were not excited about this.

Rather than risk being seen downstairs by the party guests or your parents, you climbed down the vine on the side of your house out the window, your five inch heels scraping the bricks. You made it down safely and walked clumsily to the motorcycle and Himchan. He smirked at you as you approached.

“Breaking curfew?” he asked cheekily.

You ignored this. “How did you find my house?” you asked.

“I have my ways,” he said cryptically.

“School directory then?” you said, taking the spare helmet he offered you and putting it on.

He just smiled as he revved up his motorcycle. When you were safely seated with your feet off the ground, he said over his shoulder, “Actually I just followed you home.”

“What?!”

Gonna start using a different point of view next chapter. Brace yourselves.