章 4: Two

Oh Areum

I was left shocked at what the man in front of me had just said. I didn't know how to react or what to say.

My mind was instantly brought back to last month when I tried to take my own life. I had just finished work and I was walking home when those two men whom I have seen too often in my life showed up and blocked my way.

Loan sharks. I hated them. They harassed me countless of times and you want to know what's the funniest thing? It wasn't even my debt. My parents had taken a private loan of $100,000 to pay for our house, cars, and my college fees.

I didn't even know they had taken a private loan. I found out at my parent's funeral when they both died in a car accident five years ago. Not only did they leave me an orphan, but I was also left to pay off their debt plus all the ridiculous interest that kept piling up. And it just kept growing and growing to the point where now I was $250,000 in debt to them. I was told that since the money was used for my college expenses, I had to pay it back.

Those two loan sharks have been after me ever since. They even took away our house and cars but didn't deduct anything out from the debt claiming it was just part of interest. None of my relatives wanted me, because I became a burden on them with the amount of debt that I carried with me.

What was a 19-year-old girl supposed to do to get money and a place to stay back then? All I had at the time was a part-time job to support me while going to college, but that wasn't enough for housing, college, and paying back the debt.

I ended up quitting school and started working at any clubs that would hire me. I've danced, striped, and put on a show for all those thirsty men, but it still wasn't enough money. No matter how much money I made, the debt never seemed to decrease. I eventually ended up sleeping with customers to make more money. They'd bring me home for a night or two and that was my housing until I had saved enough money to rent a little home in the slums of Seoul.

After my encounter with those loan sharks that night, I had a weak moment. After their usual harassment, I ended up at a little blue food tent that was still open. I had a little too much to drink that night and my mind had wandered off.

I was angry with my parents. They left me alone in this world without a plan. They left me to deal with the mess that they made. I knew we weren't well off, but I would have never allowed them to get a private loan if I had known. I would have worked two jobs, heck three jobs if I had too.

I remember crying my eyes out that night. I remember thinking to myself that I wanted my parents to shine some sort of light on my life. And if they couldn't even do that, then the least they could do was take me with them.

I was walking home drunk when I had reached the crosswalk. There were cars that were speeding past and I just wanted to end everything. I wanted to leave and be together with my parents. Maybe if we meet again, I could cry and yell at them for leaving me alone.

I remember stumbling onto the busy street and turning to see two bright lights speeding towards me. I closed my eyes as I wait for the impact but instead, I was gripped and pulled to safety by a young man.

I was angry that my parents didn't even allow me to die. I laughed and cursed at the sky hoping they could hear me.

But it must have been my parent's way of shining light on me because that was how I met Namjoon. He was my savior that night. He helped me to my shabby little home in the slums. And as it turns out, he owns a hostess club and offered me a job on the spot.

I was skeptical at first, but I was desperate for money so I took his business card and went inside my home. I called Namjoon the next day and he told me to go visit his club first before I give him an answer to his offer. I didn't think his offer would still be valid, but he insisted that I go see him. So I took a wild chance and went to his club. It was different from any of the other clubs I've worked for. This one was more high end. His customers seemed of royalties and my mouth opened wide in shock. Why would Namjoon offer me a job at such a nice hostess club?

His answer to me was simple. I was a beautiful girl and he only allows beautiful girls to work in his club. Plus he was short-staffed for the meantime. If told me that if he sees potential in me, then he was going to hire me on full time.

So I took on his offer.

And it must have really been my breakthrough because I became the hottest girl overnight. Everyone wanted me, but Namjoon refused to let me do anything more than dance and a little striptease. I wasn't allowed to show a lot of skin nor was I allowed to drink with any customers because Namjoon didn't want me drunk on the job. He was more strict on me than with any of his other girls, he still took care of his girls better than any other places that I've worked at.

In the month that I worked for Namjoon, he had cared for me in more ways than my old boss ever did. At the old club, as long as the customers paid my boss, he allowed his customers to do whatever they pleased with his girls.

And tonight was the night that Namjoon had told me that I was hired. He also told me that he has a special client for me and I have to fulfill whatever it was that his client requested. I was supposed to meet him today, but the client canceled our meeting. So I was allowed to come home early tonight.

"I'm sorry for your loss..." I spoke out softly towards the cute stranger in front of me.

He smiles sadly at me before asking me to dinner again to apologize for following me. He wanted to clarify that he really wasn't a stalker. His sad eyes were begging me to say yes and I pitied him so I agreed to dinner later at Kim's Steakhouse.

Fast forward to dinner time, I'm sitting across from him and he just keeps staring at me. It still is a little creepy but I'm trying to understand where he is coming from. If I had a brother or sister who had taken their own life and I'm seeing a replica of them in front of me, I'd probably stare at them too.

"Ahem, so um.... you said your name is Jung Hoseok?" I asked him trying to end the silence between us.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I apologize that I keep staring. You really do look like her."

I let a small smile fall upon my lips as I try to make things less awkward before he's shifting and I see him grabbing his wallet from his back pocket. He took out a photo and he smiles warmly at the picture before laying it face up on the table and sliding it towards me.

"This is my sister, Jung Yoona. You can see for yourself that you both look alike."

I took the picture from him and my mouth drops open in shock at the similarities. Everything looked identical from our eyes to our nose and mouth. The only difference that I could spot right away was that her hair was black versus my blonde hair. I also noticed that I have bangs and she didn't. She smiled so brightly in her picture and looked like such a happy person. It didn't make sense to me why someone like her could take her own life.

I looked it over and over again, not really believing my eyes. There was no way that this was me in the picture. How could two entirely different people, look so much alike?

I look back up to see Hoseok with his teary eyes again and I suddenly felt horrible for accusing him of being a stalker earlier.

"I really didn't know and was really mean towards you earlier. I'm sorry Hoseok."

He chuckles it off before smiling at me.

"It's okay. It'll be weirder if you didn't find me creepy."

He took the photo back from me and places it in his wallet before meeting my eyes again.

"I saw a glimpse of you earlier when you walked by and I just couldn't believe my eyes. My sister had passed away last month. I had to follow you to make sure that I wasn't seeing things. Then when you turned around and I saw your face clearly, I thought Yoona had come back to life for a second before realizing that she couldn't be alive because I was the one who saw her body..."

I was silent. My face that looked like his sister was hurting him, yet it was comforting him at the same time.

"Again, I'm sorry for your loss Hoseok. I really don't know what to say or do to help ease your pain of losing your sister."

"It's okay and thank you, Miss...?"

"Areum. Oh Areum," I say as I stuck out my hand to finally introduce myself to him.

Hoseok shook my hand and he held it a little longer. I knew he was thinking about his sister again. So I just let him hold my hand. He realizes that he was holding on a little longer, so he lets go awkwardly before apologizing again.

"Sorry Miss Areum. I'm still in a bit of a shock seeing you in front of me."

"Your sister..."

I paused before continuing my question. I wasn't really sure if it was proper for me to ask him or not, but I couldn't help but be curious.

"...why did she take her own life?"

Hoseok didn't answer right away. I guess it wasn't the best idea to ask him when she recently just passed.

"I'm sorry for asking. That was rude of me..."

"It's okay Areum. You'll need to know eventually."

"Eventually?" I asked unsure what he mean by that word.

"Actually, there was another reason why I asked you to have dinner with me..."

My eyebrows furrowed as I stare at Hoseok.

"...I'm Namjoon's client."

My eyes widen when he told me he was the client that I was supposed to meet earlier.

"How? I mean what? Wait, how do you know Namjoon?"

"Namjoon is my best friend. He was the one who told me about you."

"I don't get it. What do you mean he told you about me?"

"Areum, please let me explain. I'm sorry for canceling our meet up earlier. When Namjoon told me that there was someone who looked exactly like Yoona, I just couldn't believe him. He told me about you when he first met you. I was still mourning for my sister in America and pushed him away, not believing him. He was consistent with his story of you and Yoona so I told him I'll meet you after I return to Korea just so he would stop pestering me about the whole Yoona's lookalike thing. I had told him I have something that I would need you to do for me if what he was telling me was true. But when I was on my flight back to Korea, I thought about it and no matter how persistent Namjoon was about you, I just couldn't see that there was going to be another girl who would look like Yoona. So I canceled our meeting, and I was so wrong because you really do have my sister's face."

I sat still in silence as I waited for him to continue.

"My family had sent Yoona abroad to study because that was what she wanted. When she was still here in Korea, she had such a passion for music. She especially loved playing the guitar and piano. One day, she came home and suddenly smashed and broke her guitar. That day, she said that she refuses to play music ever again. She wanted the piano gone and out from her sight. We got rid of the piano for her but she still wasn't happy. She had said that she wanted to go to America. So we sent her and let her do what she wanted. She would write letters telling us about how the American lifestyle was and how she made many new friends and for us to not worry about her. And suddenly, the letters stopped coming and she didn't pick up any of our calls. I was sent to check up on her and that was when I found her..."

His voice had trailed off and those dry eyes had welled up with tears again.

"I called my parents and told them. They took the earliest flight to America and we had her body cremated. Her urn was brought back to Korea with us."

I let Hoseok calm down from his small breakdown. He wipes away his tears and faces me. He places both hands on the table and gestures for my hands. I let him take my hands in his and he held them gently while caressing them. His eyes never left mine as he spoke softly.

"Miss Areum, my Grandma is very sick right now. She has a weak heart. Yoona was the dearest grandchild to my Grandma. She spoiled Yoona and loved her so much. If she hears the news of my sister..."

Hoseok pauses and he closes his teary eyes for a second before opening them.

"I just lost Yoona, I can't lose my Grandma too. Please Miss Areum, I need you to be Yoona for just a little while. Just until my Grandma's heart is a litte stronger to take on the news of Yoona."

I was left in shock at his request. He wanted me to pretend to be his sister? His sister who is no longer alive and in this world? What the hell is this, some sort of fanfiction or kdrama?

I immediately let go of Hoseok's hand and got up from my seat.

"I'm sorry Hoseok, but I can't do it."

I felt like shit turning down Hoseok, but this was wrong. I grab my purse and started walking towards the door to make my exit.

"Please Miss Areum! I'll pay you! Any amount you want I'll give it to you! Just please, help me. I'm begging you."

I stopped dead in my track.

Money, oh how I hated you so much right now.

The temptation was too much when I heard him. I could pay off my debt and start earning money for myself if I just take Hoseok's offer. How my life would be so much different if I could just get rid of the stupid debt.

God, I hated the idea of lying to a sweet little old lady, but I was desperate. I needed the money. I don't want to live in this hellhole of life any longer. I don't want to waste my life away trying to get rid of this debt.

Please don't let me regret this...

"Quarter million dollars and you got yourself a deal."

Hoseok's face lit up as he let the brightest smile fall upon his face. He runs up to me and pulls me into his arms and he holds me tight.

"Thank you Miss Areum. I'll never forget your kindness."

"It's not really kindness. I'm lying to your grandma for money."

Hoseok lightly chuckles before pulling away from the hug.

"You may look like Yoona, but your personality is definitely different from hers. I'll teach you to become more like Yoona and I'll protect you like I should have done to Yoona."

Hoseok pats my hair before he's rustling it with a small weak smile upon his lip.

"Give me your bank account number Areum. I'll wire the money tonight."

"What are you? Some sort of rich chaebol?"

He chuckles at my remark and gently pats me on the top of my head.

"Make sure you call me Hoseok Oppa. I'm your older brother from now on."

To Be Continued...