Another thank you to my next two subscribers: Funnybunny123 and skydragon94!

____

Ji immediately avoided the topic of Dara and showed me around the store with newfound enthusiasm. He told me to get anything that I wanted from it; Chae’s discount would cause items to be nearly free! I admit, I guess we both like discounts and I couldn’t turn down stuff that was almost free! So we spent about an hour looking around for some clothes I could change into if I ever decided to sleep at his place; we also got a bit of my favorite foods because I do not like mushrooms or olives or tomatoes or any of that stuff. My mind almost left Dara’s double, but throughout the shopping I wanted to see what happened with her opposite. Who’s Chae in my world? Who’s Dara in Ji’s? Why doesn’t he love Dara? Why am I not in love with Chae’s double? These questions bounced around in my brain; I continued to blankly listen to Ji’s ranting on my taste in fashion as I unconsciously followed and murmured responses. Just as we finished with our shopping and Ji paid I asked about Dara’s double again which made him shift uncomfortably once more. “Alright, let’s drop these off and I’ll take you to her…or at least as close as I’m comfortable of going near her,” he mumbled and I raised an eyebrow. Ignoring his little comment, we dropped the plastic bags in his apartment and ran back outside. “I think, while we’re walking, I should tell you more about this place,” Ji told me and I nodded. “Remember that pretty fountain from like an hour and a half ago?”

“Ne, the one with the two cities,” I said and he nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets making him sag his pants a little. The drop in his jeans bothered me slightly but I looked up to see where we were we were heading. I still wasn’t able to see anything ahead of us but Ji confidently strode forward.

“Well we call this world ‘Bottoms Up’ because of that sculpture, and the fact the bad side tends to be the fun side,” I punched his arm and he chuckled.

“Bastard,” I muttered and he laughed a bit louder.

“Anyway, um, sometimes things here aren’t the exact opposite you know? I mean, I’m still you and you’re still me so we can’t have that much conflict right?” he shrugged and turned left at a corner of another apartment complex, leading me down another road.

“Yeah I get what you’re saying,” I nodded and he continued after that.

“Well, sometimes in here we’re able to predict some things…like in the future and like that,” he mentioned awkwardly and I raised my eyebrows at him.

“Does this have relation to Dara?” I wondered and he shrugged lightly but then nodded.

“Ne, it does a bit but that’s not my main point! I’m saying things that just happen here and correspond with your world!” all of a sudden his tough bad boy act broke and he was nervous, just like I always was. Maybe we’re not that different after all. “Look we’ve lived lives here in Bottoms Up, I grew up the same way you did but just in a different direction. People around here aren’t that different from people on Earth, we live, we grow, w-we die…” I stopped in mid-step, Ji waited for me. The human life span isn’t different from humans in my world, but why is he being so weird about it? The guy looked like he wanted to throw up his lunch.

“Just take me to Dara,” I mumbled and he nodded his head, guiding me through the paths.

The walk seemed long for me, maybe because I hadn’t walked in forever, but Ji informed me it was only a ten minute walk. The sky’s color didn’t seem to change; the magnificence in it didn’t even dare to falter which was something that was both nice and insignificant for me. Just as my legs began to get numb Ji pointed upwards to this huge building, my stomach churned. I wanted to throw up my lunch at the ominous feeling that used to be just in my stomach and now spreading throughout my torso. The walls were made entirely of dark grey stone, the minerals obviously peeking out to show a wider range of grey-scaled colors. The double doors seemed like a navy blue steel slate; the only imperfection were the door handles around the center to open. There were few windows and when there were some the lights were off. Around the building was black stone, some small sized others were boulders waiting to be picked down. Even the clouds on the floor surrounding the building seemed darker which frightened me a little bit. In such a bright and happy place this building seemed to stick out like a sore thumb. I stared up at it, clenching my jaw as I heard a sudden crash of glass and a shout though Ji didn’t flinch one bit. His sudden confidence impressed me, I could never be nervous one moment and cool the next. “What is this place Ji? You said you were taking me to Dara,” I muttered through clenched teeth and he took a deep breath. He glanced back at me, his eyes looking like they were splashed with cold water from waking up.

“You’re right, I said that,” he breathed and walked towards the building slowly as if anticipating me to catch up. He’s expecting me to follow him in that place?! I’m gonna get freaking murdered! I hesitated until my other half was all the way at the doors, he looked back at me. “Come on, I don’t wanna be here either,” he grumbled hastily; his mischievous and dark nature had returned so I wasted no more time to follow. Swinging the doors open we came into a bland, stuffy office with people in blue uniforms and gleaming badges strapped to their chests working on computers or looking at numerous files at one moment. My heart stopped as it occurred to me that Ji led me inside a police station. Did I do something wrong? Is he turning me in? Was everything he told me a lie and doubles were meant for prison? My fists clenched tightly, ready to punch whoever came near me when Ji stopped in front of an officer with a blonde tipped faux hawk typing furiously on his laptop. The man looked up and a light gleam in his golden (yes they’re actually golden) eyes sparkled as he smirked and turned back to his computer. He seemed like a laidback policeman.

“Ji, nice finding your double,” the man commented and Ji shrugged.

“He’s pretty damn good, Taeyang, except for one thing,” Ji informed. You’re allowed to cuss in front of officers? Damn…

“Yeah? What?” the officer, Taeyang, turned to face us in his swiveling leather chair and crossed his arms.

“He wants to meet Dara,” Taeyang’s grin disappeared and that gleam in his eyes went dull. His strong jawline seemed to stiffen up some more as he stood. The man was significantly shorter than us but more assertive according to the gun and Taser strapped to his black utility belt. The room felt even hotter when Ji mentioned Dara’s name as if everyone in town knew who she was and didn’t like her. That only pressured me more. Taeyang began walking to the back, Ji ensued so I hurriedly attempted to keep pace.

“Meet Dara, what a piece of work,” I heard Taeyang grumble and jingle in his hands what seemed like a chain full of copper keys. Not a police station, a prison. I ground my teeth together as I mentally prepared myself for what I was about to see. Dara’s a prisoner, a criminal. What did she do? How long has she been in? Who is she? Definitely not the Dara I know and love! “Who’s Dara to you?” I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Taeyang who waited patiently for my answer. I almost couldn’t speak, it took a moment to recollect myself.

“My girlfriend, my best friend,” I said simply and he whistled; running up the stairs and the three of us created an arrangement of thumps and stomps. Now I could see that this place was definitely jail. The moans and groans of rasping voices belonging to those who’ve just entered their cells, the jeering and threats to Taeyang from people who weren’t novices yet not “experts”, and even the slight snores of the everyday criminals who looked at this building and thought of it as "home".

“Dara, she’s something. Definitely different from the one in Seoul,” Taeyang noted but he seemed to be almost warning me. Once we reached the top floor I noticed how empty it was, only three cells were occupied. The hall was short and in all there were 14 cells, at the end of the hall was a large metallic door having only one barred window and it not only had a complicated seeming locking mechanism but a plate of titanium holding it shut as if the police planned on either one not working. “This floor holds the most ruthless, disgusting, and bloodthirsty criminals in the Seoul of Bottoms Up,” Taeyang announced to me and Ji.

“Aw, I’m touched Taeyang,” one inmate said sarcastically, earning a boot in the face from said officer. The prisoner didn’t seem old, maybe even younger than I was. He had short cut black hair and deep dark eye bags from lack of slumber or any kind of rest for weeks maybe even months. I didn’t know how long he was in for but he didn’t seem that comfortable. His chest and shoulders were still pushing out of his lime green jumpsuit (a weird color for criminals but I didn’t say anything) and his short sleeves seemed even more menacing than his piercing ice like eyes.

“ yourself Seungri, that’s what you get for killing off your double,” I froze. So on the contrary of imprisoning your other half, killing your double seems even worse than killing someone in Bottoms Up. What did this Dara do then, if her double is fine?

“Oh, Ji seems like yours is a bit shaken up,” Seungri smirked and stood up, dusting off his hands then sitting on his bed. Ji didn’t seem afraid of anything, like he was friends with even these guys.

“Meeting Dara,” Ji explained quickly and Seungri made a face then clicked his tongue while shaking his head. His eyes met mine and my heart stopped in fear, they were just so strong.

“Bad choice man, Taeyang you better not open that door,” Seungri warned as the officer punched in a number code on the electronic device. Taeyang pulled out his gun and cocked it before pushing up the creaking titanium from its slot. “.”

“You better stay put Dara, not afraid to pull the trigger,” Taeyang warned as he backed up slightly and opened the door so he, Ji and I could enter.

She just sat there on the plain bed, playing with a deck of cards in her hands as if she’s been doing it her whole life. Everything about her seemed the same, her half shaven dark brown hair, smooth face, thin lips, her petite body frame how could she commit this bad of a crime for other inmates to fear her? She glanced over and smiled almost mockingly warmly as she set the cards on her window sill, also barred. She bore the same lime green uniform as Seungri, was it bad if I thought she kind of rocked the look? "Been a while, huh guys?” she addressed Ji and Taeyang personally, I felt both of them shiver uncomfortably.

“Ne, come on Jiyong let’s get going I’d rather talk to Seungri,” Ji pulled on my arm but I shook loose of his grip.

“What did you do?” I blurted and she looked at me, almost with suspicion. Dara stood up and Taeyang aimed his gun at her as she did so causing her to sit back down.

“I think they can tell you, how’s the other doing?” she asked me, looking at her nails. She’s talking about Dara on Earth.

“F-fine, better than you,” I said and she laughed a little.

“Everyone is,” she stated with a smile. Her casualty about such a powerful topic disturbed me; I was beginning to agree with Ji that we should !

“Had enough yet?” Taeyang asked me sternly and I nodded quickly, turning on my heel and almost ran out of there with Ji. Taeyang continued to back out of the cell; keeping his finger on the trigger until Dara was all locked up again. He took a deep breath and pressed his forehead on the cold door, gasping for life. Ji shook violently from the chills he experienced and took a moment to collect himself.

“Told you not to go in there,” Seungri said to me, I was sure my face was as pale as a vampire by now.

“What did she do? Do you know?” I asked Seungri and he nodded then searched his brain for a short second to think.

“Ne, she ing a cop, ing slaughtered her mom, went on a ing rampage with a gun, and ing cut some guy’s heart,” I’ve never heard the word “” used that many times in one sentence but now, I could say all of those s were appropriate. Seungri folded back the four fingers he had held up. “Think she killed up to 20 people excluding her mom,” I let out this sort of high pitched screech and backed up into Ji.

“Calm down man,” he mumbled and I turned back to him.

“Calm down? Dude she’s nothing like my Dara! Do you know how weird this is? It’s pretty damn crazy!” I shouted and he ped his jacket which shut me up then pulled down his shirt to reveal a long milky white scar on the left side of his chest, where your heart beat. I dropped my mouth and looked up at Ji’s face; he stared at the ground without looking at me.

“She cut my heart—.”

“And me,” Taeyang whimpered suddenly and I turned to him with even wider eyes.

“The ? How come I didn’t know that?!” Seungri yelled and poked his head through the black bars of his cell. Is this really who Dara’s opposite was? A , murdering, heartless woman? That’s not my girlfriend, that’s not the love of my life.