The only gossip in the school that has persisted for a long time, and no one is bored, is the subject of the boarding school caretaker. The students are shocked when it comes out that the woman had an affair with Joseph. In addition, it does not fit in their heads that she was the one who stalked the female students.
Because of this, she made problems for herself and her father, who is the headmaster of the school.
Hannah managed to come to her senses. That evening, when Jin took care of her they finally managed to talk frankly.
- I'm sorry - she exclaims unexpectedly as the boy escorts her to her room and helps her sit on the bed. This is not the right time to start a conversation and Jin intends to hold off on it until another day, but the girl surprises him because she starts talking herself. - Lately, I've started behaving meanly towards you. I would rather not be like Danielle. I got too carried away. - He looks at her with curiosity in his eyes. He decides to stay and listen to what she has to say. - All the time I was faking it and lying to you, I'm sorry. I did it because I thought you noticed Danielle in me. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I couldn't tell you that she was dead, that's why I pretended to be her.
Jin closes his eyelids.
- I know you are her twin. - Hannah lifts her face and delves into him with a contrite look. - The first day I saw you at school I was excited to see you and that's why I took you for Danielle. The next day I realized that something was wrong. You were different from her, yet you confused me because there were times when you acted like her and also knew our secrets. I was confused and tried to understand it. When I saw the scar under your ear.... - at this point she breaks off and touches it with her fingers - I was more and more convinced that you were a different person. It was puzzling to me that you looked like her. If I had known at the time that Danielle was adopted and has a twin sister, I would have understood it right away.
Monozygotic twins are identical, but there is always something different about them. Jin noticed this, however, he kept it to himself until he discovered the truth. He wanted to find out what was behind Hannah's strange behavior.
- Danielle was playing a game with you. I decided to continue it, which was immature on my part - she announces, not intending to mention to him what she sees every night. - I heard from Danielle that you loved her very much, that's why I wanted to make you happy.
Jin laughs nervously. He sits down on a chair and rubs his face.
- She was throwing a party for herself. She acted selfishly towards me and never really loved me - he says, perfectly aware of this. - She told you about it, didn't she? - To confirm the words, she nods uncertainly. - You decided to continue playing the game to make me happy?
That's precisely what happened. She doesn't need to explain it to him. He realized.
- Yes. I felt sorry for you.
The teenager lowers his face as his gaze turns sad.
- As I mentioned before... for a long time something didn't suit me about you. And I don't mean your face or the fact that you behave differently, but I noticed that to other people you can be nice. Danielle looked down on everyone and hated every person. She had no mercy in her.
With this, Hannah must agree. Despite their short acquaintance, she managed to get to know her sister perfectly and saw the worst flaws in her. But who doesn't have them?
- If you realized that I am not Danielle, why didn't you ask me about it earlier?
- At first I took you for Danielle, but over time I tried to get closer to you and find out whom you really were. It was incomprehensible to me.
Hannah realizes that he wasn't honest with her either. Although he suspected from the beginning that she was a different person, he pretended to her that he saw her as a sister.
- So we both lied?
The boy nods his head. He clenches his hands into a fist and looks at her with sadness in his eyes.
- As it happened... - at this point Jin breaks off his sentence and nervously swallows his saliva - you know... I mean the accident. Do you know anything more about it?
Hannah bites her lip and lowers her gaze. This is a topic she does not like to talk about. It reminds her of the worst time that took her twin away from her.
Out of the corner of her eye she glances at the boy. And that makes her finally force herself. She feels sorry for Jin. She understands that he also wants to know exactly what happened that day.
- Danielle was on her way back to New York. It was late at night. At an intersection, a speeding truck drove into them.... - Her voice breaks down. She closes her eyelids. - She was sitting in the passenger seat, and that side suffered the most....
Jin imagines what it looked like, so he takes a deep breath as he gets weak for a moment. He glances at the watch he has worn on his left hand and without a word heads for the door. As he grabs the handle, he looks over his shoulder and speaks to her:
- We both made a mistake. You claimed to be your sister, I unnecessarily continued the game. By doing so, I wanted to get closer to you and find out whom you really are. Despite everything, I can't be angry with you. I shouldn't.
After these words, he leaves, and Hannah smiles under her breath. Nothing is lost yet. The most important thing is that Jin is not angry with her. With this, can she make him and her sister, to whom she promised it, happy?
*
The first semester ends with Hannah placing third in her exams. Recent events contribute to the girl's inability to focus on her studies. She has never had problems with this, but living in a boarding school and sleepless nights, contribute to the fact that she loses a bet with Joseph.
What bothers her most is that the boy knows her secret and has announced that if she performs worse than him in the exams, the whole school will find out what her issue is.
Will he really do that?
That day, Hannah didn't tell him the entire truth. She only mentioned that she was in touch with her dead sister, but it doesn't quite seem that way. The real Danielle passed away the day before she left for boarding school. She warned her about her dark reflection. And she was right, as this entity comes to her every night. At first, Hannah was afraid of it because she realizes that it is not Danielle's soul. Something is claiming to be her and trying to drag her to its side at all costs....
The worst part is that she has already succumbed to it.
Her dark side of her mind is taking control of her. Is there a chance that she will break free from it when she returns home for the Christmas holidays and forgets about Jin for a period of time?
The 16-year-old begins packing her belongings in a suitcase, as the day has come when she can finally leave her boarding school and take a break from everything. She needs a break, and returning to Chicago and spending a month's break with her mom is the best treatment before she starts her second semester.
The girl looks over her shoulder when someone knocks on the door and walks inside. She is surprised to see Jin. The boy walks up to her and places the gift on the bed. Hannah can't understand why he's doing this, why he's being so nice to her if she's been cheating on him all along.
— Why do you look surprised? — She notices a friendly smile on his face. — You are not the only one who sinned because I also played games with you all the time. My way of approaching you was inappropriate.
The girl looks at the small package he placed on the bed.
— Nevertheless, she does not deserve a gift.... I pretended to be my sister to get closer to you. You should be angry with me.
— It's best if we just put it behind us. Now that we both know the truth, at this point she falls silent and sees that the girl opens her eyes wider, waiting for what else she has to say. Should we start our acquaintance again when we return for the second semester?
Her heart beats harder. This moment makes her happy.
— Really? — She asks to confirm his words. - Is there a chance for you to be my friend, although I am Hannah?
— Yes, and never try to pretend to be Danielle again because your soul is more beautiful.
He gives her a friendly smile, then leaves the room, wishing her a "Merry Christmas" as a farewell.
Hannah tightens her lips to keep from screaming with happiness. She stamps her feet cheerfully and takes the gift she received from Jin into her hand. The girl tears open the paper, and her eyes seem happy as she throws her back on the mattress and lifts the glass ball. She turns it upside down, watching the white snow fall in it.
This enchanting moment is spoiled by the entrance of Joseph, who does so without knocking first. He slams the door, looking at Hannah from under his eyes.
— So this shindig was for you? — she asks, crooning at the sight of the gift she received. — If I were him, I'd give you a kick in the ass for what you put away.
The 16-year-old hovers on her elbows and wrinkles her nose, dissatisfied with his opinion.
— And you have something for me? — She pulls down her eyebrows, looking at him closely.
— Of course. After all, you took third place.... what an embarrassment. And you supposedly turned out to be the best student?
— You are no better because you took second! — she defends herself, disregarding his angry face. — You will never beat Jin. You failed, even if he was going through a difficult time. What an embarrassment — he bites back, at which the boy tightens his lips.
— Keep quiet girl because I came to you in a friendly manner, but you will bark for a while longer, and I will indeed turn the second semester into hell for you. After all, that was the deal, right?
Hannah grimaces like a child.
— Okay, you had a rough time too, since your woman turned out to be a bitch.
Joseph grabs a pillow and callously throws it in the teenager's face.
— Pay attention to your words, puppy.
The girl jumps up nervously on the bed. She feels like giving it back to him, but she can't do it. Not to him. Even though he knows her secret, he's still the dangerous guy.
As Joseph sits down in a chair, Hannah looks at him for a long moment and notices that his eyes are not highlighted with crayon. He looks much softer, friendlier.
The 18-year-old looks around the room. He ignores the girl, who doesn't take her eyes off him. His attention is drawn to the suitcase, which is wide open and all the things in it carelessly stacked.
He snorts under his breath.
He is about to tell Hannah what a slob she is, but he becomes speechless when one thing catches his attention, namely the handkerchief. The boy opens his eyes wider and, without a word, rushes out of his chair. He runs over to the suitcase and takes the piece of cloth in his hand.
He is devastated.
The white handkerchief has gold flowers embroidered on it, and the initials of the person who embroidered it are at the bottom. It is the same as his.
His hands are shaking, which Hannah notices. The girl crinkles her eyebrows, wondering what's going on.
— Where did you get this? — asks the boy in a trembling voice, and she gets up from the bed and snatches the handkerchief from his hand.
— It's the only memento of my biological mother, why? Do you like it? — He asks, tucking the cloth back into the suitcase. — It's rude to touch other people's things. You would kill me if I did something like that.
But he doesn't listen to her. Shocked, he takes three steps back. Hannah looks over his shoulder and sees that something is wrong with him. He has gone pale and looks as if he has seen a ghost. His eyes are wide, fixed on her, and it causes Hannah to shiver. He begins to frighten her.
— What's wrong with you! — she screams, approaching him slowly. - You look like you've seen a ghost.
Joseph opens his mouth, but does not say a word. He hesitantly grabs the door handle and leaves the room with all his speed. He slams the door and, breathing loudly, leans with his back against the wall.
He is shattered.