Weather is predictable.

The next fashion faux-pas are predictable.

Heck, even the end of the human race is predictable.

But let me tell you one thing. Destiny is this one thing that is absolutely unpredictable.

Walk just a little slower, look at your phone for just a bit more or decide to stay home today, a small interference can change your entire life.

Now, guess what. Exactly, I didn’t stay home today.

The mall was filled with people from all over Seoul, the pile of humans growing steadily. One ran into Starbucks to meet up with friends, the other ran to catch the time that left him, obviously.

Right in between the fuss was my best friend and me, doing some usual shopping. School ended early and we decided to pursue the greatest thing you could do with some left-over money. Shopping.

“Sungah, could you take the change, I’m going to look for some snapbacks.” I smiled at my friend and she nodded, explaining it to the cashier giddily. Silently I checked out the caps and one caught my eyes. Dark hot pink on the lower side, green upper side and a big heading said “Brooklyn”.

“If you want a snapback, just take one. You’ve bought a lot just now.” The cashier smiled at me and I turned to her again. “Are you for real?” the moment she nodded I ripped the snapback off the stand and smacked it on my own head. “Thank you so much, I’ll remember to come here even more!”

We left the small store and Sungah held up her iPhone. “So, babe, I have to go now. My boyfriend has been waiting for me for more than a week because I keep on hanging out with you.” She paused before she clucked her tongue care freely, “He’s nothing compared to my best friend though.”

Sungah winked at me and kissed my cheek hurriedly. “I’ll text you!”

There she was, running. As time caught her, too.

I shook my head and checked my wrist watch. “Oh damn,” I remarked loudly, looking around, “I really need to get home.” The clock had struck five in the late afternoon by now and I brushed against a lot of passerby as I made my way through the crowd.

All of a sudden a hand stopped me; it rested on my left shoulder. I faced a young business woman and she motioned me to step to the other side, so we could talk.

We stood next to a wall as she took a deeper look at me. “It’s...it’s amazing. You’re like twins...”

“Excuse me?” I blinked and crossed my arms in bewilderment for her incomprehensible mumbled words.

“Could you – could you please put off your cap and the loose ponytail or bun you’re having?” she picked on both of her lips and I slowly did as told.

“It is indeed incredible.”  She cupped her heart’s spot, “Oh my, where are my manners? My name is Choi Bora, and I work for Park Siyeon. Do you know her by any chance?”

My lips parted but I didn’t say a single word, I just shook my head and she helped me with further information. “She was a former actress and model. Now she’s the manager of a new-generation model and host. Does the name Joo Yura sound familiar to you?”

I stared into the air and closed my eyes for a second as her name fell in front of my inner eye again. “Didn’t she have an accident, too? So many celebrities are having car accidents right now. Ladies’ Code, GOT7, Big Bang and now that poor girl as well.”

She paused a little. “Okay, so, she was on a ski trip and had an accident. This time it was no car crash. And you look like her long lost twin. I’d like to ask you something, but we can’t do that in public, people will be listening.” Choi Bora looked around before pushing a card my way; I took a quick glance at it. The calling card read “Choi Bora, Executive Secretary for Goody Entertainment” and in the end some contact alternatives from e-mail over a business number to even her own private number.

“Please consider talking to me, or better us.” She pushed another calling card into my hands, this time from Park Siyeon and I looked up again. “What is all of this about? Have I done something wrong? Is something bad going to happen to me?!”

Bora just chuckled sweetly. “The only thing you have done is to look ridiculously beautiful. Were you on your way home, or what is your target right now?” I scratched my temple as I put on my snapback again. “Uh – yes, I wanted to get home as fast as possible, to be real frank. I’m not quite sure about all of this though, but I will talk with my mom about it.” I nodded and bid goodbye from the – surprisingly serious looking – lady and went home quickly.

□ □ ■ □ □

My mom came my way and greeted me with a smile. “Late noon shopping, dear?” I just nodded. “Did I tell you about the new Nike shoes?”

She just gave me the flattest look she was capable of. “It has come to the point that you talked about them in your sleep, I don’t think I have forgotten about them.”

I held up a box of shoes. “I love them, too!” My mother rolled her eyes and put out a pan. “You just earned some more money this weekend and you bought useless and most of all ugly shoes from that money. Couldn’t you just save that money for bad times?”

Now I was the one to shot her an annoyed glare. “I have two pairs of shoes including the ones I bought last month. This is a bad time.” I put off my black leather jacket and the two cards fell out, I just blinked at them again. “Then there was a woman,” I picked them up and glanced at my mom right away, “she told me to call her once I’m home.”

She walked over and checked the calling cards. “I know that woman, Choi Bora, from my past, but it was just a loose contact. It is a serious number and agency, a call won’t hurt.”

I nodded and picked up our phone from the charger, plumping down on my couch when I arrived the living room. I dialed the number carefully, so I wouldn’t mix up the numbers, what was a known mistake of mine. When I was sure that I was right I pressed the green button and waited for some time when a known voice spoke up.

“Choi Bora, Goody Entertainment’s accredited office. With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?” Bora smiled through the phone and I stuttered slightly. “Hi, uhm, h-here’s the girl you’ve been talking to earlier about Park Siyeon and Joo Yura and, I think I haven’t told you my name. I’m Kim Hwasoo, current student at Seoul High, Senior Year and sweet eighteen.”

“The admirable girl from the mall, right?! Really, I’m delighted to know you didn’t just throw away the calling card! Can we make up a date to meet?”

She was talking quite fast and I opened my mouth to reply, but just like an hour ago I was too puzzled and confused for the situation. “I-I don’t know, I’m free – actually – so, I cou-“ Bora seemed to explode out of joy, I could sense it from the high-pitched voice she took on suddenly. “Please kindly tell me your address and Siyeon and I will be at your place. Just the two of us, so don’t be afraid. If you’ll say no, we’d burn down your address and no third person would see it.”

Inhaling deeply I started to tell her my address and lastly she thanked me, hanging up.

My mom entered the living room and leaned against the door frame. “Did you call them?”

“Yes, ended the call just now, they’ll be on their way now.” I stood up and trotted past her, back to the telephone charger to put in the phone.

“Where to?”

“To our house.” I answered and she stared at me, going back into the kitchen silently. “I’ll just finish my tea and after that I’ll teach you to not just invite strangers over. Oh, by the way, you’ll be at your father’s this weekend.”

I sighed in anger, took the few shopping bags including my all-day school bag upstairs and just waited for the women to arrive.

□ □ ■ □ □

After half an hour I heard from my window a rather quiet car parking in front of our house, so I quickly took a look outside, hearing two women talking.

“...Eighteen, are you sure she said eighteen, you know kids’ slang nowadays. Horrible.” Said one and I recognized the other lady as Choi Bora. I ran a marathon to arrive at my door to greet them with a low bow. “I just heard you and – well, come in, I guess.”

The unknown female stretched out her hand my way, smiling brightly. “It’s like looking at my angel! I’m Joo Yura’s personal manager and founder of Goody Entertainment Park Siyeon. We’d like to explain some things to you and if you say 'no' to us we’ll leave right away. You can also just sleep a night over it.”

I turned quiet, looked at the two and just stopped doing anything. After a long pause I took a step back. “First of all, let’s just go into the living room.” I suggested and after putting off their monstrous high heels they followed me.

The two of them sat down on one couch while I placed myself right next to them on a smaller couch.

Park Siyeon started to speak immediately. “I will make this short. Have you heard about Yura’s accident?” I nodded in response and she continued quickly, “Well, the accident didn’t happen just last week, it happened a month ago.”

My eyes widened and I took a deep breath, blinking afterwards. “One month, so I suppose that girl is kind of alright by now.”

“Uhm,” Bora interrupted, “wrong. Yura’s condition is critical, but she will survive. She’s alive and all, her heart’s doing well, but she isn’t able to talk to anybody. Yura has woken up already yet fell back into minor unconsciousness. We can’t even go to her to talk to Yura because due to her injures we could infect her with some viruses. She will need at least seven months of treatment, some more months for the scratches to heal completely, so Yura can appear without looking like a ripped corpse, the condition of her right at this moment.”

I squinted my eyes, trying to digest what I just heard. “But, what – you told the press and whatnot that she’s alright and she’ll be on a show soon, or something.”

Siyeon nodded with worries written in her eyes. “That’s it, exactly. And this is a show agency over agency has planned for so long. If this wouldn’t work out, the heads of KBS would delete this program from their list and it would be a good opportunity to bring the Hallyu wave to other countries since Arirang also thought of airing this.”

“So, what are you pretty much trying to say, like, why have you talked to me?” I wondered and crossed my arms again. Siyeon sighed in distress, rubbing her neck. “Listen, sweetie. You look like a perfect clone of Yura. And we need someone to learn her actions and pretty much be her double. We have searched everywhere and when Bora told me she found someone who looks exactly like her – I exploded out of joy. If you think of this as wrong, as in, what does even Joo Yura think of all of this? Well, I can tell you, we’ve talked about this before and she said, as long as nothing happens everything is fine. She wants to bloom in public and well, Yura is a very bright and natural girl and we do believe you could assist us so well.”

“So, my daughter should work herself off for another person?” my mother stood in the living room with crossed arms as well and Bora gazed at her helplessly. “We really want to help you as well, do you have money problems? Because we were going to pay you guys, of course.”

My mother got speechless for a second. We really had money problems at the moment.

“My husband and I just got divorced two years ago and he doesn’t pay alimony. I have a big job at an office and a small job at a diner while my daughter also starting working some months ago because...we got too less money. It’s a wonder I’m actually home already.” My mother replied with almost no emotion and Siyeon stood up. “Mrs. Kim. We will take good care of your child and don’t pressure her too much. We are a promising company that earns a lot, but with this show we could bring in more money, what means, if she is going to join this whole situation we can pay you even more. Please consider this if you have problems. If you also need a tax adviser, we will provide one and he or she will help you perfectly.”

My mother eyes met mine and she was close to cry. “Whatever my daughter will say to this.”

Three pair of eyes were only focused on me and I gulped loudly. “I-I-I don’t know yet. I need to – as you said – sleep over this. I have to learn to be like her and I’m very lazy, I don’t know if I'll manage that.”

Siyeon took my hand as I stood up. “Sweetheart, you would do us a really huge favor; you’d do our company and most of all, some fans a favor.”

I looked into the faces surrounding me and shrugged. “I’ll just think of it. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Siyeon and Bora nodded and quietly walked over to our front door again, putting on their shoes. “Like we told you, if you say no, don’t feel bad. It would help us and, just think, we’ll leave you alone when your answer is 'no'. You have Bora’s number. And we hope to hear from you again.”

With this the two of them went out the door and I was left dumbfounded. I looked at my mother and she shook her head. “You’ve always been great in school musicals, like, in acting.”

“Mom!” I gasped and exhaled briefly. “This...this is absolutely not the same.”

My mother sniffed bluntly. “Hwasoo ah, we are in need of money. Your father is being a big, ignorant kid and you’re an only child, my child, which is hard enough already. I’ll support you all I can, but it will be your choice, only you know what’s wrong and what’s right.”

I nodded and hugged my torso as I lumped towards the stairs. “I’m not sure about all of this, it seems so wicked and odd and strange and all.”

□ □ ■ □ □

The door shut loudly and I plumped down on a chair in my kitchen. I just came back from school and checked the clock, 3:36PM. I shook my head. “Insane .”

I pressed the green button on my phone and waited for someone to pick up.

“Choi Bora, Goody Entertainment’s accredited office. With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?” the known voice rang in my head and I parted my lips, this time, I spoke loudly.

“Choi Bora, here’s Kim Hwasoo. I will do it. I will learn to act like Joo Yura, and I will try my best to take her part in the show. I am ready.”

The line went quiet, but only for a short moment, in the next second she cheered and announced happily, as if she was seated in a room with some more people. “Kim Hwasoo is ready!”

I heard loud shouts and other sounds when Bora gave her attention back to me again. “Alright, stay where you are, we are going to get to your house again!”

She hung up quickly and I did as well, looking back at my mother that sat next me. “Am I ready?”

She smoothed my hair. “You are a super girl. You are ready.”

But it’s so wicked and odd and strange and all.