She had been sitting in front of her laptop for an hour, reading stories about people who had been burned and underwent surgeries.
Something did not give her peace of mind.
She kept getting this strange feeling that Jungkook was not Chansung. Even though he knew all about her past and remembered stories that were their memories, he didn't have the aura of a boy she knew better than her family.
They had been friends since childhood. They spent every day with each other, so she should easily find, at least one trait of Chansung, even if ten years had passed and they were both adults.
Is it possible for a person to change so much? Could the wounds of the past really have changed his character and made him into a revenge-hungry monster?
She looked at photos of people showing themselves after surgeries, and literally every person had visible burn scars.
How was it possible that Jungkook had a perfect face and body? Did he simply cover the areas where he had visible scars left? Was he helped by the tattoos that adorned his skin in several places?
Chanmi was uneasy when she thought about this. She needed to observe Jungkook for much longer and be 100 percent sure that he was Chansung because for that moment she saw him as someone entirely different.
She looked over her shoulder as someone knocked on the door to her room, and after a moment, walked inside. She closed her laptop energetically when she noticed it was her sister.
- Am I not disturbing you? - Jieun came closer, and Chanmi shook her head.
- I always have time for you.
The brunette leaned against the desk where her sister was sitting and lowered her face, focusing her gaze on her.
- I want to talk to you about something.
A strange grip appeared around Chanmi's heart.
- Is something wrong?
- I don't mean to have a scary conversation with you. Put your mind at ease. You are my sister and I just need support.
The redhead calmed down and curved her lips in a slight smile.
- I'm worried because I get the impression that Jungkook is pulling away from me. Since we flew to Korea, he has started to change. He is not as affectionate and loving towards me as he was before.
Because he was only pretending, Chanmi thought.
- We live in the same house, and he has less and less time for me. In days to come he wants to move because he found a great apartment. He stated that after the wedding we will live in it together, but I get the impression that if he continues like this, our wedding will not happen.
- Do you guys talk to each other at all? - Chanmi furrowed her brow, looking at her sister's depressed face. She must have been in a real hole because Jieun was always a walking volcano of energy. No doubt she loved Jungkook very much and couldn't imagine life without him.
- It seems to me that every day less and less.... I try to bring up various topics, but he dismisses me. For the moment, I think we only have sex in common.
The redhead felt embarrassed by her sister's words. She would have liked to tell her the truth, but she herself wasn't entirely sure if Jungkook was actually Chansung. Jieun wouldn't believe her in real life. She would have suspected her of making things up, and she would never confide in her again.
She would rather not destroy their sisterly bond.
For now, she kept all of Jungkook's words to herself. If he makes the first move, then Chanmi will stand up for the family. She certainly won't calmly look on, and she especially won't help him.
- I thought things were going well between the two of you.... You didn't seem to have any problems in your relationship.
- I try to hide it from my mother, so I ask you to keep it between us.
- I won't write a word, I promise, but are you telling me all this because you expect me to help you?
Jieun bit her lower lip.
- I want you to help me follow him. I suspect that someone has turned their head. There's a reason his behavior changed when we settled in Korea.
Chanmi moved restlessly. She didn't like her sister's idea, but she couldn't refuse her. She was afraid that she would be angry with her, thinking that she didn't want to help her.
- Do you suspect that he is cheating on you?
- I have no other explanation for this.
*
Chanmi took advantage of Jisoo's spare time and took her out shopping. The friend was reluctant at first, as she was still walking around nailed down over her feelings for a man who had to marry a woman on her level. The sight of his face made her heart ache, but for the moment she couldn't resign from her job, leave his house because she had nowhere else to go.
She had to suffer in silence.
- I took you to the mall so that you could forget about my brother, at least for a while, and have a little break. - Chanmi held her under the arm, leading her to her favorite store.
- Do you think this will help me? I only went with you because you asked me. You know me, so you should know that new clothes can't make me feel better.
The redhead sighed loudly.
- You were able to ignore my brother before, so now do the same.
- I can't when I think about him marrying another woman. I really hate her, and it shakes me to the core.... - she stopped in mid-sentence when her attention was caught by a blonde woman who was walking from across the street. Dressed in a red shirt, leather skirt and high stilettos, she stopped, looking at the girls with astonished eyes.
- Chanmi, why do you go shopping with the servants? Aren't you ashamed? - She asked haughtily, then shifted her gaze to Jisoo. - Her place is at the fair, not in the mall. Unless... you like to sponsor her clothes.
It boiled up inside the redhead. She looked at her friend, who bit her lower lip, not wanting to say words that would hurt her. She hated Yeeun with all her heart, and yet she remained silent. She had more class than a woman coming from the upper classes.
- Your recoveries make me wonder where you should go shopping. The only place that suits you is the barn. Isn't that where the cattle congregate?
Jisoo snorted with laughter, drawing the attention of Yeeun, who twisted her mouth in a slight smile.
- I'm sorry to hear you're addressing me this way, since we're about to become a family. I would like to make friends with my future sister-in-law.
- Future, would-be sister-in-law because I won't allow you to marry my brother for any reason. I may oppose my mother, but Jin's happiness is the most important thing for me.
- Speaking of Jin's happiness.... do you mean this woman's heart? - She pointed dismissively at Jisoo, looking at her with superiority. - She is supposed to be his happiness for the rest of his life? She's just a maid who has been his toy so far.
- His only toy is you because even if he marries you, he will never love you. I will wait. I can become his mistress and still come first in his heart - Jisoo spoke up, fed up with the demeaning remarks.
Yeeun snorted a fake laugh.
- You are a very funny servant.
- Jin loves women with a sense of humor, so you are undoubtedly at a loss.
Chanmi felt like clapping her hands as her friend swept past the blonde and walked a piece away. She looked at Yeeun's embarrassed face.
- Remember that I am the person with whom my brother has the best relationship. You have no chance in winning his heart.
After these words, she joined Jisoo, pulling her into her favorite store.
*
It was late evening. All the groceries were in the car, and the girls were sitting in the bar, consuming huge amounts of alcohol.
Both of them needed it. And it was because of the men.
- I have to tell you something, Jisoo. - Saying this, the redhead leaned on the countertop with her elbow and looked obliquely at her friend. - It's not just my brother who is in the black ass. It turns out that Jieun is as well. My sister is up to her ears in love with an asshole who intends to hurt her. What should I do?
- After all, the naked eye can see that you have caught his eye - replied the brunette, not even pretending to be surprised. - He has been looking at you with saliva in his mouth since day one. I don't see any love between him and your sister there. Maybe she actually loves him, but he.... He doesn't even want to pretend well.
- And you are telling me about this only now! - Chanmi jumped on her, lightly poking her on the shoulder. - How could you see it so well if it escaped me?
- You know I'm good at this. Nothing can be hidden from me.
The redhead scratched her head and looked at her friend with confused eyes.
- The worst part, however, is that there is a good chance that this is my childhood friend.
- Chansung? - Only this sentence made Jisoo extremely surprised. - That missing boy you told me so much about?
- He revealed it to me. He confessed that he was, wanting me to be on his side at all costs.
- No kidding...
- I'm serious, Jisoo. Still, it bothers me that he wants to take revenge on my family, and Jieun is his first victim. - She tilted her whiskey glass, drinking the liquor to the end, then continued. - He told me a story that my mother and sister tried to kill him. They left him in a burning building, and although he managed to escape, he was burned all over. So, explain to me ... why is he so perfect now? Why doesn't he have any scars? How is that possible?
- South Korea is famous for plastic surgery? - Jisoo asked timidly, shrugging her shoulders. - Can miracles be worked these days? Do we have genius doctors?
- I don't know what to think about it, but it seems impossible to me.... especially since I get the impression that Jungkook is entirely different from my friend. He knows our past, but he can't be Chansung.... I swear I would have recognized him right away.
Chanmi jumped up in her chair when someone touched her shoulders. She felt large, warm hands on them, so she turned around and looked at her brother's friend with surprised eyes.
- Rowoon? What are you doing here?
Jisoo's attention, on the other hand, was caught by a man who appeared behind Chanmi's tall, extremely handsome admirer.
- Jin - she whispered.
- We need to talk. Now. - He grabbed her hand and forcibly pulled her off the chair. Too much alcohol made her dizzy, but he put his arm around her waist and led her to a vacant table.
- Shouldn't you be with your fiancée right now? - She asked in a bitter voice, at which he furrowed his brow. He sat down across from her, looking at her with depressed eyes.
- Do you think I'm jumping for joy over my mother's ideas? She ruined my plans.
- Plans? - repeated the brunette mockingly. - So I was part of your plan?
- If you weren't part of my plan, I wouldn't have fought so hard for you.
She lowered her gaze, swallowing her saliva harder, then raised it again and looked into his eyes.
- So what do you plan to do? Your fiancée is overconfident. Will you abandon her? Will you deny everything to avoid marrying this viper?
- I can't do that - he replied in a much weaker voice, to which she snorted.
- So what do you want to talk about? Everything is clear. Get married to that rich floozy and leave me alone. Treat me like air.
She wanted to get up, but he took her hand and held it by his side.
- In this situation I have no choice, but I can't give up on you. I love you, Jisoo.
The girl laughed nervously.
- What do you expect, Jin? - She asked, feeling tears gathering under her eyelids. - That I will turn a blind eye to your marriage to this woman and be your mistress? Do you want to repeat your father's fate?
He nervously licked his lips as he closed his eyelids.
- I just want to make you realize that for now I will pretend that I want to marry Yeeun so that I can calmly devise a plan on how I can spend the rest of my life with you.
She couldn't stand it. Tears ran down her cheeks.
- So I'll just make it easier for you. Forget about me. Get married to this woman and live the life you've led so far. Love burns out over time anyway. There's no point in you living stressed because of me. Let it go.
She got up from the table and returned to her friend, who was accompanied by Rowoon. She toasted the alcohol, then looked over her shoulder, feeling Seokjin's intense gaze on her back.
She had to give up on him. They came from two, different worlds, and in this life they were not meant to be together.
She had to find a man from the lower realms so she could finally be happy.