"How's my wifey doin'?" Saeyoung asked smiling from ear to ear.
"Considering I think she just threw up water. Not too good." Saeran's voice came through the earpiece.
Saeyoung sighed as he righted himself in the vanity mirror in his car. The wig was not sitting right. It seemed to be a bit off. As if it shrank when he had cleaned it. The white button down fit a little too tight in the chest. At least the colored contacts were not hurting. It always was something that had to go wrong during a mission.
"What do you need?" Saeran asked.
"Uh?"
"No, I doubt that would make you feel better," Saeran said a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Yes, I'm sure."
"What's going on?"
"Your almost wife just asked for a shot," Saeran said. "Hold on."
It was quiet on the line a moment with the ruffle of papers and Saeran chuckling in the background. Saeyoung waited in his car for Saeran to come back. "Oh, is that a promise? I can be a lot rougher than Saeyoung is."
"You have to be gentle with her," Saeyoung interjected.
"Saeyoung, she flipped me off. I doubt you would give me the go-ahead to sleep with her." This got a chuckle from the older twin.
"No, she's mine."
Saeran busted into a fit of laughter. "Sorry, okay, I'm back. She went back to your room."
Saeyoung went back to messing with the wig. It was still off, with a sigh Saeyoung gave up on the thing, it would be just a little bit off for the rest of the day. After he exited the car Saeyoung went to straightening his suit. With a last ruffle of the wig, Saeyoung set off to the Prime Minister's office. Not as Saeyoung Choi but as Luciel Choi.
On the trip to the building, he was getting into character. What would Luciel be like? Would he use the same character he played with the RFA? Maybe since he did not need to draw attention to himself it would be better to play this one quiet. He needed to be a background character that no one could picture or describe. A person that no one would pick. He did not pay any attention to the world around him. Everything was zeroed in on the mission.
Once entering the building, he went through the motions he did when he first entered a week ago. This time telling them about the hearing aid. Looking around he saw a group of people about his age in a crowd. Walking over to them asking if they were the new hires, thankfully they were.
The group was made up of men and women in their early twenties. Shuffling around nervously. Repletely adjusting and readjusting their bookbags. Looking down at their phones in failed hope to calm down. For many of these people, this was their first real job, unlike him, they had to make a good impression. A Couple of the women and at least one of the guys looked like they were about to break down in tears. Had he been this nervous when he entered the agency? He was upset at having to leave his brother behind, but unless he was on field work. Saeyoung could not remember a time that he was as nervous as the people that he stood with.
"Legal twin is coming." Saeran's voice whispering in his ear.
As soon as the words reached his brain the legal twin was standing before the crowd. What was her name again? Saeyoung had known it just a moment ago. Her long fire red hair was swept into an over the shoulder ponytail. Dressed in a pantsuit and heels that would make any runway model drool with envy. She was bred for this, speaking in front of crowds, moving them to her will. She was no better than their father. Just like their father, he had heard nothing but good things about her and her sister.
"Hello, my name is Chaerin Chon. Yes, I am the Prime Minister's daughter but today I will be your guide. I will be introducing you to your new departments. If you have any questions. Please just ask. If I don't know them then I will find someone who will." She wore a bright happy smile. Her butterscotch eyes catching the sun's rays in them. With that, she went off telling the group about how they were to enter when they came into work. How their badges worked. Everything an employee would need to know. Saeyoung was not paying attention to her. This would be the only day he would work here, hopefully. Chaerin was a happy bubbly person that with prolonged exposure to, might annoy some people. Saeyoung liked it, even wondering if it was her real personality or an act. As they walked her hair had come off her shoulders and bouncing and swaying as she walked. Her walk was more of a hop than anything. With each stop at every department, Chaerin would read a list of names. The people would come forward and they would be introduced to their new boss to start their work. The group got smaller and smaller. Until it was just him and Chaerin. She smiled at him.
"I guess you're the lucky one today, Mr…" Her voice trailed off to look at her pad. "Mr. Choi."
"Please just call me Luciel." He tried to reflect her smile. He had planned this. Saeyoung had made sure that he would be paired up in this department. Although he had hoped there would be at least one other person with him.
"Okay, Luciel!" She bounced. Then quick to apologize for her unprofessionalism. Making the excuse that she has had a great week and was really hyper because of it. Also, she blamed it on the chocolate milk she had drunk, saying it was supposed to give a person energy. Like they had drunk an energy drink. If that was so he was going to have to tell Yeoja, she complained that she had to give up her caffeine for their kids. "So, my father isn't in at the moment but he should be in later. He's a really good and fair guy. You'll like him."
Oh, sweet child the stories he could tell her to prove her wrong.
They went down the pathway that he had taken a week before that lead to the office. Introducing the headmistress of a receptionist. When they entered the office where the Prime Minister worked, Chaerin introduced the office staff to him. His duties were basically a gofer. If they asked or needed something, it was his job to do it. This was fine with him. His first task was to shred documents which were a goldmine.
Saeyoung was set up in a closet with the shredder and a printer. In his book bag, he had brought a mini document scanner. Each page he scanned fell into the shredder. This went on for a few hours, a few long, boring, hours. Saeran was of little company as he made sure each document reached Saeyoung's computer. He had just got done with a box and started on a new one when Chaerin popped her head in the little space.
"Hey, you doing good?" Her voice made him jump. "So, we are taking our lunches now. Wanna come with me? I can show you the best food trucks in the city."
Saeyoung placed himself between Chaerin's sight and the mini document scanner. "Yeah give me a minute and I will be out."
"Okay." With a tap of the door frame, she was out of sight. That was too close. Where was Saeran, he should have told him that she was coming?
"Sorry, I was at your computer looking at something." Saeran apologized. As if reading his twin's mind.
Saeyoung grunted as he threw his bookbag under the table he was working at. When he exited the closet into the office there was no one there. Maybe everyone left already? If so he could take this and go hack into the server. As the plan was forming into place, Chaerin came out of the Prime Minister's office. Well, damn. Maybe he could ditch her and come back. Saeyoung began to reform a plan as Chaerin strode up to him.
It was hard for him to process that the bouncy bubbly human in front of him was his sister. He knew the bare minimum about this human. Yet, every movement she took made him want to know more. Maybe it was his morbid curiosity that drew him to her. Wanting to know how the other lived, that hopefully they were treated better than their male counterparts. She seemed so innocent in the way she talked and acted. Maybe this was just a show. One thing that did not pass his attention was the bump on her torso. She was not much further along than Yeoja was. She did not draw attention to the life growing inside of her. During the tour, he had only seen her touch it a few times. Saeyoung had not heard about it on any of the news stations or online. Was she denying that it was there? Last time he had checked she was not married.
"So, what'cha in the mood for. My treat." She chirped.
"No, I can't have you to do that." By this time, he was being led out of the office by his older sister. "I can pay for my own."
If this was a normal brother and sister relationship then he could see this happening. It was not, while blood connected them, they in no way were siblings. She was shaking her head but not speaking as she led him out the back. In a maze of stairways and hallways. Unlike the polished front where he had come in. The bare minimum was done to the current path that he was on. No dusty pictures or expensive rugs. Just hard tiled floors and white walls. Overly bright florescent lights buzzed over their heads.
"I do this for all the newbies. You just happen to be the youngest one we've had, so it's nice not to be the youngest in the office. So, I don't want you to think of me as the Prime Minister's daughter, I want to be your friend." Friend, that was a loaded meaning. Once he got the information that he was there for this woman would never see him again. As that thought passed through his mind it was like a flash of the time he was in the apartment with Yeoja. When he was planning to cut all ties and leave. There was a pang of guilt towards this woman. He did not know why, and that bothered him.
By this time, they had reached the outside. Saeyoung had memorized the path they had taken in case he would need it in the future. It had warmed up a lot since he had stepped inside the building. Almost not feeling like winter anymore. As if spring had come early to the world. He matched her steps as they left out the back gate. It was more crowded than it was a week ago. The same crowd of business people that was there a week ago mixed in with even more tourist and college students. It was hard to get through the mass of people. With a giggle, she grabbed him by the hand the dragged him down an alleyway to a small park like area. The park itself was not more than some grass and a tree with a wall around it. Mostly it was filled with corporate people but there were some college students hanging around. The food trucks were in a semicircle around the park and people lined up to get their food. There were some tables out for people to sit at. Some of them were put there by the truck and the others were in place for the park.
"The burrito one is fantastic!" Chaerin pointed to one of the trucks in the middle. "Luciel what are you in the mood for?"
Saeyoung had not planned to actually eat while he was working. Figuring he would grab something on his way home. The smells of the food from the trucks were amazing. He had skipped breakfast that morning to make it there on time. Now his stomach was informing him about it.
"Surprise me." She nodded beaming from ear to ear before she went off in the direction of the trucks. He had wanted to follow her to make sure she did not do anything funny to his food. The last thing he wanted was at his funeral was for one of his friends to say that a taco killed him. She returned quicker than he had suspected she would with two cardboard containers. She handed him one and pointed to the corner of the park where no one was sitting. He quietly followed her wondering what was in the box. They had found a table and sat down.
"Thank you for coming with me." Did he even have a choice? "Before you, I was the youngest in the office, that and who my father is no one wanted to come hang out with me."
She sounded sad. Saeyoung wanted to shake her and explain what real loneliness was about. What stopped him was her eyes. The golden color that had caught his attention when he first saw her now seemed darker than before. The sun did not glow in them as he had seen it earlier in the day. There was something in there that told him that she too knew what loneliness felt like. Maybe not the way he knew it. The pain of being locked up in a room for days with stale bread by a parent. The pain of having to lie to the people closest to you that you were okay when in fact, you were dying inside. Still, in some sense, she knew.
The text message ringtone drew him to look at his phone. It was Yeoja asking for him to bring home soup. After responding with an 'okay' he looked back at the woman that was his sister. Whether this woman knew it, they were blood. Maybe they shared more in common than at first glance. A part of him wanted to know more about her and her sister. A small soft smile that had formed across Chaerin's lips made him stop.
"Your wife." It took Saeyoung a moment to remember he had not taken off his ring that morning. He nodded looking back down at his phone. "How long?"
"A few months." His voice was not above a whisper. He could lie all day to their father, but there was something about this woman that made him want to tell her everything. Saeyoung felt guilty lying to her. "How far along are you?"
This made her sit back and touch her stomach. Chaerin gave a nervous laugh, "I guess it's getting harder to hide her. I'm almost five months. Although I do feel bad for her. I have a twin so I have never known a time where there wasn't someone there with me. She's going to be an only child."
Saeyoung knew what she meant, up until he ran away he and Saeran were always together. While now their relationship was strained, they were still there for each other. He had never thought of it that way. His children would never be alone, they would always have each other.
"I swear to God if you get all warm and fuzzy on me tonight. I will make sure I will raise your children right." Saeran hissed through the ear piece. This caused Saeyoung to laugh. Chaerin looked at questionably.
"Sorry, I was thinking about my twin. We aren't as close as we were when we were kids." Saeran was now informing Saeyoung about how he was going to murder him and get rid of his body.
The news that the man in front of her was a twin made her eyes light up. "Oh, my gosh! I'm sorry. I guess I'm lucky, me and my sister have done everything together."
More like lucky upbringing. She did not have to hide who she was from everyone. She never had to worry about her next meal. She did not have to leave the most important person to her behind in a fake promise that they would be taken care of.
The next moments were quiet, their forgotten food now cold. There was a shared chuckle as they opened their meal to look at it. Saeyoung looked at the burrito before him. It was bigger than his forearm and almost twice as big. Covered in a green sauce with white something or other drizzled on top with sour cream. He had something like this when he was in the states.
"It's barbecued pork with rice and beans. I fell in love with Mexican food when I lived in America. This one is Korean barbecue, not American Barbeque. It's really good though. I hope you like it." Her voice was more restrained than it was before. Maybe in a way, she felt bad for bringing up something hurtful for him.
Saeyoung mutter a thank you and they ate in silence. It was good. She was right. It had the right amount of sweetness. "See!" Chaerin sounded more excited when she saw the smile on his face. Saeyoung nodded.
"Prime Minister is now entering the building. Do. Not. Forget. Why. You. Are. There." Saeran's words were sharp.
Just as Saeran got done speaking, Chaerin's phone went off. Her smile returned in full force, and he knew who had texted her. She sent a quick text back before returning to him. They finished their food and cleaned up.
"When we get back I have you meet my father. Like I said he is a really nice man. You don't have to be worried, just act normal. He likes people who act natural than people who are fake." Chaerin led the way back into the building. She walked them back to the office, taking the same way as they had come. When they returned to the office where no one had returned. She entered the Prime Minister's office first without him. He heard her tell him who he was. He must have given a silence acknowledgment. Chaerin opened the door and waved him in.
"Come on, Luciel." Saeyoung nodded and walked forward.
Making his way into the office, Chaerin said his name. At the sound of his last name, Chon's head popped up. Maybe in hopes to see the man he saw a week ago but was greeted by a brown eyed, brown haired man. Not the man he knew as his son. Saeyoung saw disappointment fill his face as he stood to greet him. Saeyoung did the same this time a lot more smoothly than the last time they saw one another.
After that, Saeyoung excused himself to return to the closet he was working in. With the Prime Minister there he would have to be more careful. He only had a few more hours left. Unzipping his bookbag completely and opening his laptop he got on the network. As the data from the computers came in he pushed the bag to the corner so unless someone was on all fours, they would not see the program running. Everything from the Prime Minister's office was making its way to his computer as he continued to scan the papers before shredding them.
The next four hours passed without anyone coming in to check on him. Which was a good thing, he could keep up what he was doing without having to hide it. Saeran would pop in every so often to tell him what was going on in the rest of the office or if someone looked as if they were about to enter. He had just finished the past page and was packing up his things when the door open. Saeran had told him he had to go to the bathroom so no one was watching. The voice behind him made Saeyoung jump out of his skin.
"Choi, I need to see you in my office as soon as you're done." It was Chon's voice booming behind him. The deep voice made Saeyoung's skin crawl and his stomach drop to the floor. Had he been found out? Saeran would have said something if it looked like they were being traced.
"Yes, sir." Saeyoung squeaked as he zipped up his bag.
Saeyoung waited a moment after the Prime Minister had left to follow. He needed that time for his heart rate to return to normal and for his stomach to go back to its normal place. The office was empty but for Chaerin who was at her desk typing out something. She shot up a quick smile as he passed. Seeing his expression, she mouthed a 'you're not in trouble'. This made him feel a bit better until he walked into the office.
Chon was sitting at his desk waiting on him. The older man's golden eyes bore through him, it felt like he knew who Saeyoung was.
"I've been looking over your background. You went to college for computer science, correct." Was that what he had put down. Saeyoung nodded, this made the older man smile. "Great! Now I don't have to call the IT guys! I have one here!"
"Umm, thank you, sir…" Saeyoung did not know how to respond to this.
"So my computer has been acting funny today. Tomorrow, when you come in, will you fix it for me?" Chon looked happy at the request. All Saeyoung heard was all access pass to the prime minister's computer.
Either Saeran had not come back yet or he had muted his mic because he was sure that his brother would be yelling at him right now. Saeyoung nodded unable to trust his words.
"Well, welcome to the family son. I will see you tomorrow." The term son made his skin crawl again. The man was so happy it was sick. He just wanted to punch him right then, at least he would be able to get into the computer tomorrow to get files that he might not have today. One more day would not hurt.
Exiting the building came with the yelling that he thought would have come earlier.
"You're a god damn idiot. You're really going back there tomorrow. For fuck's sake, how much of an idiot do you have to be?" Saeyoung deserved every single word his brother spoke to him. He was an idiot, but this was drawing him into it. He could not explain it but there was draw there to know more. Like an addict looking for their next hit. There were no words to describe how he felt, fear maybe interest. There were no words in the 17 languages he knew to express his feelings. Was he that fucked up that he was bent on making his life a hell just to satisfy this. At what lengths was he going to go before he was happy. Who was going to suffer for this sin?
Saeran did not speak to him on the way home, but he knew he would get an ear full as soon as he stepped in the house. Shockingly enough Saeran was not waiting on him in the garage when he pulled in. Though he was waiting for him at the door to his bedroom. Saeran stood in the doorway blocking it.
"She's had a bad day you will not bother her." Saeyoung tried to reach for the door knob but Saeran grabbed his hand and yanked it away. "I said you will not bother her." Saeran's voice was low, almost a growl.
"I just need a change of clothes." Saeyoung could not look his brother in the eye.
"There are clothes in the bathroom." Saeyoung met his brother in the eye. Mint green eyes narrowed, full of the same hate that once looked at him when Saeran first got there. "You will also not be sleeping here until you pull your head out your ass."
"So, you're going to kick me out of my own room. My fiancée who is pregnant with my children is in there and you're going to keep me from them?" Saeyoung tried to laugh but it felt weak.
"If you did a DNA test on those kids to find out which one of us was the father. It would say that we were. Since the man who helped bring them here is acting like an ass hole. I will step in and be the protective father these kids need right now." Saeran moved to block the door knob. "I will not be helping you tomorrow. You also will not be sleeping in here until you stop this shit. You're opening a Pandora's box and we don't know what will come out of it."
Saeran was right, but still, he was going to do this. This was the only way he knew he could protect his fiancée, brother, and children. The more he knew about this man and what he was up to the better he could protect his family. Why after all these years was he doing this. He had always checked on him from time to time just to make sure he did not find either of them. Now, it was different, he just could not tell anyone why.
Saeyoung left for the bathroom, feeling the watchful eyes of his brother behind him. After a shower and a change of clothes, Saeyoung grabbed a soda and set to work. Saeran was not at his computer behind him. Saeran was nowhere to be found in the bunker, but Saeyoung was not too keen on the idea to find the pissed off redhead. The data he had collected popped on the screen, at first glance it was information that any country would have given him anything for. That was not what he was here for, as tempting as it was. There were some files from what looked to be his home computer mixed in. Still, nothing that grabbed him. He just needed one thing. That one thing he did not know what it was but he was sure he would know when he saw it. Then he saw it. A file with a Russian word as its title, 'sons'. Saeyoung clicked on it and the screen was filled with pictures of the Choi's when they were younger. Even a handful of baby pictures were in there. There were pictures taken by the men that followed him when he left the house. There were some even taken in the home. One was of them in the arms of their mother shortly after they were born. Another was of Chon and his mother together, looking happy. The last one in the file was of Saeyoung and Saeran in the arms of their parents. Also, mixed in was his mother's obituary, His application for marriage, and Saeran's college application. None of the files had names, but there had to be at least 200 of them.
Sitting back Saeyoung just looked at the pictures, this man had kept everything he had on them. Saeyoung did not know how he felt about this.
Saeyoung offered his arm to Yeoja as they walked into the party. What greeted them was their friends dead on the floor. All shot in the head. Saeyoung felt Yeoja leave his side as she backed away. He turned to look at her. She was crying and he tried to reach for her but she pulled away.
"It's all your fault" her words echoed as she fell limp before him.
Saeyoung gasped and struggled in his chair something was around him hold him back. Arms and legs flailed as he tried to free himself. When he fell to the floor his stomach reeled. The dry heaves started as he ran into the bathroom to expel whatever was in his stomach. After what felt like forever he stood up and went to brush his teeth. He took a good long look at his reflection in the mirror. The fuzzy blur he knew as himself. His glasses must have come off in the struggle when he first woke up. While Yeoja's words bounced in his head.
'It's all your fault'
On the counter was a glass of water. Had that been there when he came in? Whenever it had gotten there he was happy it was there. Saeran had his back pressed against the wall when Saeyoung exited the bathroom. Arms crossed and still had the pissed off expression that he had the night before.
"Do you still plan on going in today?" Saeyoung nodded, "I'm not going to help you with this anymore. You need to stop."
Knowing that his brother was in no condition to listen to him Saeyoung nodded again and began to get ready for the day. Yeoja had already left when Saeyoung went into his room. Fumbling around his closet to find something to wear.
Yoosung peaked his head in the room that he had heard her voice come from. He had come to the library to study. At first finding his normal spot in a corner of the first floor. Only to stop when he heard Yeoja's voice come from overhead. The second floor had conference rooms that students used for study groups. It was also the only place in the building that a student could have food and drinks. Since there were no books in the area. Like a puppy following their master's call, Yoosung followed Yeoja's voice. The smell of pizza hung in the air as he reached the second floor. There were other students in the other rooms. It was crunch time for term projects and finals almost a month away these rooms would be harder and harder to come by as study groups filled them.
"Oh hey Yoosung," Yeoja waved at him. "Come on in we need some willing victim!"
"You're not going to play some trick on me." Yeoja shook her head. Yoosung stepped further into the room. There were about ten other people crammed around the circle table in the middle. Papers litter the table. A few markers laid on the floor from being thrown. Books scattered among the people turned to different pages.
"Nah, we are working on the project for the senior symposium. Maybe you could hear it and tell us if it sounds good?" A male student said. His hands full of papers. "There's pizza in it for you if you help us."
No college student has ever turned down free food.
"Yeah, I'll help, what is it about?" Yoosung found a seat next to Yeoja.
"About the effects of poverty on children. Ya know a happy topic." Yeoja stated a smile beamed from her. Yoosung sat there as the male student read the papers in his hand. It was about how the economic class that a child was in from birth could greatly impact their success in life. By the end, Yoosung was in tears. Yeoja patted his head. "We're not saying this happens to every child just the ones the studies we read. Even in the studies, it says that there were some kids that didn't stay in the same as their parents."
Yoosung nodded in his hands. As one in the group announced that the pizza had been delivered. He did not hear the group get up and leave. All he knew was Yeoja was still patting him.
"Hey, your drink is on me what'cha want?" She coaxed.
"Whatever."
"Okay, a bottle of whatever. I have to run out to my car and grab my wallet. Anything else?" Yoosung shook his head. With an 'okay' she left him and went outside. Nearly getting trampled by her friends in the longest pizza Congo line in school history. Their group must not have been the only ones with the same idea. She made her way out into the parking lot. Thankfully she had the foresight to park close to the library this morning.
On the windshield of the car was a letter, in the letter was a note with newspaper letters. This made Yeoja laugh. So, there were senior pranks in college as well. Truly high school never ends.
The letter read:
Your family is going to be the ruin of mine. I don't plan to let this happen.
Someone had been watching way too many horror movies. She looked around to see if there was anyone watching her. When she saw that no one was there she just threw the note away and grabbed her wallet.
The pizza party was in full swing when she got back, handing Yoosung his drink and getting a slice for herself. Yoosung was hunched over his phone giggling. He was on the messenger with Jaehee and Jumin.
"I sent a pic of the pizza and sent it to them. They're saying how you need to eat better than this." Yoosung kept his voice low while still laughing. "Oh, they're asking where is Saeyoung?"
"He's been busy this last week. He even slept in his chair last night."
"He was always busy before but he always seemed to come in at least once. I haven't talked to him in a couple of days."
"Yeah, him and Saeran seems to have this big project or something. Saeyoung even went undercover yesterday." Yeoja was happy her other friends were not paying attention to them. They were lost in the world of classes and the pizza. The topic about what they were going to do when they left in the spring came up. If they were going to carry on with school or enter the workforce. Yoosung looked worried.
"I hope they'll be okay." Yoosung sounded sad again as he went back to typing to their other friends.
"It's what they do. They'll be fine."
Yeoja walked into the living room later that afternoon. After the pizza was gone her and her friends thought it would be a great time to part ways. Turning on the lights to see Saeran sitting at the dining room table. Hands clasped, he looked ready for business. Yeoja smiled but it only faded as Saeran stared at her.
"What's wrong? Is Saeyoung okay?" Her hand went to her stomach as she spoke. Blood pumping as her legs shook. Saeran stood and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her smaller frame. "Oh, god Saeran what's wrong." Tears began to threaten to fall.
"He's fine. I need you to ask him to pull out of this mission. He won't listen to me but he will you. It's too dangerous." Saeran said in her ear as he pulled her closer. She relaxed and moved her arms that were pinned between them so she could hug him back.
