Jeongmin’s POV

The next day……

6:45am.

I can hear my alarm clock ringing and I immediately got up from my bed. I took a quick shower and dressed into my work uniform. As I looked at myself with my pocket mirror before going outside to work, I fixed my hair to the finest.

“Hmmmm…” I said to myself. It was then I decided to go back into my bathroom and put on some eyeliner. I checked how I looked in the bathroom mirror and I was completely satisfied. I started talking to my reflection in confidence.

“No more being mister shy guy Jeongmin. From this day on, you will do anything to please No Minwoo…”

^^^

Jiseon seonbaenim made me the manager of Kona Beans so I always have to come early into the shop. I was riding a bus to work until my phone started to ring. I went to check on it and it was a message from seonbaenim.

            Jeongmin-ah,

             I won’t be coming into work for the next few weeks due to a professional meeting. I won’t be in Korea for a while so I trust you and the others will watch the shop for me. I forgot to mention this too, but there will be a new employee working for us once again. His name is Shim Hyunseong. I believe he’ll be coming in today so I want you guys to teach him what you do. I apologize for the last minute stuff, but I really appreciate it.”

-Kim Jiseon

“Wait?! We’re having a new employee? And that employee’s another…guy?!” Suddenly, the people on the bus all stared at me and I looked to them with a smile. Inside, though, I was really embarrassed…

^^^

The bus dropped me close to Kona Beans now. I was still shocked by the news seonbaenim gave me. I’m already getting distracted by Minwoo and now another guy is going to come into my life? Is this a blessing or is my life just getting more complicated?

I finally came to the front door of the shop and I was getting the keys out until I realized something. The door wasn’t locked as I had my hand on the knob. It was then I started to open the door and I froze to death by what I saw.

“What happened here?” I said to myself, witnessing the shop being a disastrous mess. The tables and chairs were all scattered around the shop like they were thrown, shards of glass on the floor, and drinks spilling and dripping everywhere. I remembered that Youngmin was left here alone yesterday and I was calling out to him.

“Youngmin!!! Are you here?!” I shouted, looking for him around the shop. I got scared as I heard groaning noises not too far from where I was at. I followed where the noise came from and there I saw…a body lying unconscious at the counter, bleeding, it was Youngmin.

“Oh my god, Youngmin!!!” I rushed to his body and checked if he was okay. I wrapped my arms around his body, with my hand behind his head. I can’t believe I saw my friend like this…

“Jeongmin…is…that you…?” Youngmin whispered, trying to open his eyes. I looked around him to check where the blood was coming from and saw his left hand, bleeding.

“Just…hold on…I’ll take care of you…”

^^^

I made Youngmin lean on the counter into a sitting position and went to get the first aid kit in seonbaenim’s office. Luckily, his place wasn’t trashed thank god.

I wiped off the blood from his hands and poured some peroxide on a gauze pad.

“This is going to burn a little so try to keep still,” I said to Youngmin, starting to dab the gauze onto his hand.

“YAAAHH!!! HYUNG?! THAT BURRRNNNSS!!!” Youngmin screamed, tearing from the burn of the peroxide and blood put together.

“I’m sorry Youngmin…this is the fastest way to prevent your hand from getting infected,” I said, wiping his tears with my work shirt. I then started dabbing a couple more times to wipe off the blood.

Youngmin starts groaning a little while I kept cleaning his hand. When there was no more blood, I grabbed a bandage wrap and started covering up Youngmin’s hand.

“There, that should do it,” I said, putting back all the materials in the first aid kit. I turned my back to Youngmin so I could put back the first aid kit when suddenly, I was grabbed by the waist. I looked to see and it was Youngmin hugging me, wrapping his arms around. I can hear him sniffling and feel his warm breath passing through my neck.

“I got to tell you something hyung…” Youngmin whispered.

^^^

Author’s POV

Youngmin and Jeongmin were cleaning up the mess in the shop. Youngmin, who was scared to tell him his secret, left Jeongmin to question.

“So, what were you going to tell me Youngmin?” Jeongmin asked, sweeping the floor.

Youngmin didn’t know where to start off with his ‘twin problem’ and led to leaving an awkward silence in the room.

“Um…Youngmin? Are you okay? Do you remember what happened yesterday when Minwoo and I left you?” Jeongmin asked, stopping what he’s doing and going up to Youngmin.

Youngmin saw Jeongmin’s facial expression and knew he was being serious, so he talked.

“If I tell you, then promise me you won’t tell Minwoo or anyone else,” Youngmin said, looking down.

“Youngmin, look at me,” Jeongmin replied. Still, Youngmin was still nervous talking about it and kept his head down.

“Look into my eyes Youngmin…”

As Youngmin saw Jeongmin’s hands on his shoulders, he finally looked up at Jeongmin. In just a moment, their faces met eye to eye. Youngmin was getting nervous by the tension of the two’s closeness. It was like they were about to kiss.

“Listen, knowing you’ve been working alongside me for two years now, you can trust me with whatever you bring up to me and I’ll totally understand. I told you my secret because I trust that you’ll keep it. I love you more than just a friend. You’re like a brother of mine. Can’t you do the same to me?”

Youngmin looked down and a tear was forming, sliding down onto his cheek.

“Yeah…I trust you,” Youngmin said, looking at Jeongmin again. Jeongmin then wiped Youngmin’s tear with his thumb.

“Then tell me what’s going on then…”

It was quiet for a few seconds until Youngmin finally confessed.

“I was born with vanishing twin syndrome. It’s when one twin dies while the other one is born…”

“So you were supposed to have a twin, I didn’t know that…” Jeongmin interrupted.

“Yeah, supposed to, but somehow... part of my twin went inside of me before his body died. Now…he’s growing inside me, ruining my life.”

“How is he ruining your life?”

“He hates me…jealous that I was born and not him. He comes out only at night, that’s why I’ve been denying your requests to go hang out during dark hours. He’s dangerous, he’ll do anything to ruin my reputation. That’s why I lock myself in my room at night, with my father watching over me. I don’t want him hurting anymore people I hold close to.”

“Any more people? Are you saying that…”

“Yeah…he hurt people, including my mother, which led to her death.”

“Oh my god……have you seen him? What’s his name?”

“Kwangmin, he says that’s his supposed to be name. Well, sometimes we can see each other anytime when we look in a mirror. Our faces look similar, but his hair is black, while mine is blonde.”

“I have a mirror right now, we can…”

“No, Kwangmin is smart enough not to let him be seen, only at night. He knows everything about me. What I’m feeling, thinking, all of that. Even right now, he knows that I’m telling you all of this.”

Jeongmin was quiet as Youngmin talked about his evil twin brother, Kwangmin.

“And the mess that was made here…was all because of me and Kwangmin. Though I can never remember what happened at night when Kwangmin takes over my body…”

“……”

“Jeongmin, are you okay?” Youngmin sees Jeongmin closing his eyes, leaving a couple of tears passing through his face. “Jeongmin…?”

“That’s…horrible…why would he do such a thing?” Jeongmin said, wiping his tears.

“Like I said, he’s jealous I lived and not him…”

“I’m…sorry you had to go through all that in your life…thank you…for telling me this.”

“You trusted me and I trusted you, but you shouldn’t have,” Youngmin said, looking down.

“No, don’t say that. I promise I’ll keep it. Like what you did to me. I swear…” Jeongmin said, hugging Youngmin in sympathy.

Youngmin’s POV

The hug you just gave me right now…I don’t deserve it. I feel guilty that I broke your promise. I’m not a good friend…I should just kill myself and let this ‘Youngmin and Kwangmin’ thing be over with already. I can feel his evilness lurking into my body more as the days go by. Maybe I should…Kwangmin won’t hurt anyone if I die, which is good right? I don’t want him hurting Jeongmin, dad…or Minwoo, especially not Minwoo. Maybe it’s for the best if I just…end my life…

Author’s Notes

Sorry it took a while to update the chapter. I was completely in writer’s block mode and even tried to take many naps just to see if I get any ideas. So, what do you think of this chapter so far? (For you Hyunseong lovers just waiting for him to show up, he WILL most likely appear in the next chapter. So stay tune, Gamsahamnida, thank you!!!