#kang dan

Identical twins are supposed to be alike in all genetic characteristics and appearance. From first glance, the two sisters fit this description. Their mother often dressed them in identical sets of clothes, identical hairstyles and identical shoes.

The only way they could differentiate based on appearance was through their hair; coincidentally, their hair described just how dissimilar the two were. Kang Dan’s midnight hair described her personality best: focused, calculating and enigmatic. Kang Sol’s much lighter hair matched hers well: bubbly, expressive and honest. Kang Dan was quicker, smarter in ways that Kang Sol could never match. Many would say that the twins didn’t fit the definition of identical twins very well.

But Kang Sol has always found an affinity for the alternate definition: twins are something containing or consisting of two matching or corresponding parts. While their facial features were matching, their personalities fit together like a puzzle. Kang Sol’s bravery and loyalty in defending her sister during the times she would get bullied. Kang Dan’s cunning and defensive nature when boys at her school found her sister’s lack of grace hilarious. They were light and dark, yin and yang. Kang Dan and Kang Sol were a set, unbalanced without the other. Despite their differences, it was always clear that neither sister would leave the other.

Until one did.

It’s been 4 years since Kang Dan left, but when Kang Sol saw her at the entrance of their hideout, it was clear nothing had changed. Her sister’s expression was as guarded as ever, her posture straight and her movements with an air of grace that Kang Sol was never able to replicate. Yet as their eyes met across the room, it was like their twin senses clicked back into place, as if nothing had ever changed. As if she had never left.

“Hello. My name is Kang Dan, and as you might be able to tell, I am Kang Sol’s twin. Nice to meet you,” she stated with a curt nod in greeting, scanning the room. She did not smile, in typical Kang Dan fashion, but took a seat across from Sol, her sister’s gaze boring into her.

For a moment, the whole room was silent, as if they were gazelle’s startled by a sound, wide eyed and curious. But as soon as Kang Dan reached for a file from across the table, they resumed their work.

Internally, Kang Sol sighed. This was a usual routine for her, of course. Despite all the love she carried for her sister, she knew that Kang Dan will always be the one she can’t reach. It was no secret, the whole school knew as soon as Erica Shin was revealed as a guest lecturer at Hankuk Law School. As they grew up, it was clear that Kang Dan and Kang Sol were on two different levels.

Not that Kang Dan ever cared. For her, her twin was always at par with her, but Kang Sol knew that at some point, she would have to stop dragging Kang Dan behind. She just assumed that she would get a warning before Kang Dan decided to abandon her.

It was a common phenomena in her life, people always stepped over Kang Sol just to get closer to Kang Dan. Kang Sol was fiercely loyal to everyone in her life, and believed in everyone’s ability to do good. As a result, Kang Sol always got her feelings hurt the easiest, despite her tough and brave exterior. As much as she protected Kang Dan from incessant bullying or jealousy from other classmates, Kang Dan protected Sol’s feelings. She’d double check who Kang Sol decided to trust, always vetting out the groups she hung out with.

Of course, after Dan disappeared, she assumed that people would stop trying to get close to her to get close to her twin. And for some reason, she had thought she could exclude her study group, but of course they were no different.  It wasn’t apparent yet but she knew they would be clamoring to impress her in due time. Who wouldn’t want to impress a Harvard Law School graduate? Sol couldn’t even blame them for wanting her twin opinions and approval. Just as long as she still has Ye-Seul and Han Joon Hwi.

Someone cleared their throat then, shaking her out of her thoughts. “Hello. My name is Han Joon Hwi, it’s nice to meet you,” Han Joon Hwi had spoken, facing her twin sister with an outstretched hand. His eyes flickered towards her just for a moment before he met Kang Dan’s gaze head on, refusing to yield to her. Please don’t tell me she caught that look.

But nothing escapes her twin’s eyes, especially  when it concerns her twin sister. She pursed her lips as a silence stretched on and Kang Sol held in a breath. But Kang Dan offered a hand to him, and Kang Sol felt her shoulders relax. Why do I care so much? He informed her of the case at hand, the challenges they’re facing and helping her sort through the documents. Watching them work in tandem made a green feeling arise within her.

To an outsider, he looks confident in himself, like he’s challenging her but Kang Sol knows better. It’s clear to her he’s nervous, his weight slightly shifting on his feet, his other hand thumbing a repetitive pattern on his sweatpants. Seeing just how nervous he is in front of Dan made her want to scoff. Why did I think he’s different again? Of course, once he realizes how much more beneficial and less of a waste of time Kang Dan is, he’ll go skirting to her, walking the halls with Dan, like he used to with her. It’s only a matter of time. She shook off the feeling, shoving it into a deep corner of her mind where it won’t ever surface again.

Their group continued on working, slowly gaining confidence to speak in Kang Dan’s presence. Their day concluded just as it started, with them sitting around the table speculating about how they can prove Prosecutor Seo and Assemblyman Ko’s involvement in the hit-and-run case. Sol assumed that as the week progressed, the group's curiosity with her twin would only die down, but oh, how wrong she was.

Bok-gi and Ye-beom were obviously the first to bombard her with questions, trying to absorb as much information about her as possible. She would roll her eyes at every question, their curiosity only ever growing the more she answered. A few more questions and they’d probably start asking about her social security number. Ye-Seul, ever the loyal one, only went as far as to make small talk with her. Ye-Seul was always the one who listened to her pains and troubles at home, often ranting about Kang Dan’s departure left her scrambling, so it was safe to assume that her best friend was weary of her twin sister. Ji-ho, of course, was the least starstruck one. Figures considering that Kang Dan is in his league intellectually, so she often stumbled on them talking about the latest cases.

Her roommate was the oddest one out of her friends. The first day she met Sol B, she wouldn’t even spare her a glance, let alone a few words. From the year they had spent together, it seemed nothing could ever shake the girl. She always sported a neutral expression, her voice never betraying her emotions. Yet, the calm, collected Sol B was somehow shaken at Sol’s sister’s presence. Most people couldn’t tell, but Sol has been living with her long enough to recognize changes in her roommate’s behavior. She would watch as her eyes widened when Kang Dan approached her, and the shaking breath that would leave her after a short conversation with her twin. It was… odd.

Last but not least, it leaves… Han Joon Hwi. His reaction to her sister was the one that hurt the most. Han Joon Hwi was one of the smartest students at their University, with a sharp mind and a friendly demeanor. Mr. Second Round Judicial Exam was built to work in law so it came as a shock to the majority of students when they would spot the bottom-of-the-ranks Sol A hanging out with him. But when she was with him, it didn’t matter what everyone else thought as they were too busy bickering and teasing.

But now, the boy who always waited for her in the halls, the one who spent his free time at her side, talking about nothing and everything was at Kang Dan’s side instead. Every moment she saw him, he was accompanied by her twin. It seemed like he saw Dan more than she got to interact with her. Sol was definitely not jealous. It didn’t bother her that his smiles were supposed to be reserved for her. She definitely did not mind that he sat next to Kang Dan and not her when they planned for the case in the hideout. She wasn’t hurt, not at all, when she saw him huddling with her in the break room, his ramyeon in front of him as they spoke in hushed tones. It didn’t matter right?

But watching Han Joon Hwi work with her sister, laughing together, only distracted her from her work. Soon, she spent more time watching them than reading her textbooks, stewing in the familiar feeling of that should be me. So she started finding her isolated desk at the library, opting to stay away from her study group. It’s for the best, she convinced herself, as the small corner of her heart hoped that he would search for her.

“Do you know her favorite flower?” Kang Dan asked him, after a moment of silence as they worked through preparation for a separate case. The corners of his lips lifted, but he stifled his smile as he looked up at the girl he once thought was an enigma. It’s been almost two weeks since Kang Dan had arrived at Hanguk Law School and it was obvious that the whole school was enamored with her. You couldn’t expect any less from a school filled with some of the best and most competitive students from across the country.

When he first shook hands with Kang Dan, he could tell that she was the exact opposite from Sol. The warmth and bubbliness was a signature of Sol’s that was nowhere to be found in Kang Dan. Sol had a specific way of speaking, often teasing towards him but with an underlying sense of care and trust. Instead, her twin was the exact opposite; her demeanor was cold, calm and efficient. Her voice held none of the speech intonation that Kang Sol’s did. Her intelligence was admirable but the tenacity and passion that he was in Sol’s eyes was nowhere to be seen with Kang Dan. In a lot of ways, she resembled Kang Sol B more than Sol A. He, of course, wasn’t blind. From the moment that Kang Sol B and Kang Dan had shook hands he could tell that there was something between them.

The first time Kang Dan had approached him, it was in the cafeteria and asked about none other than Kang Sol B. They started off with small talk but, as collected as Kang Dan was, it didn’t take a genius to see that she was more interested in Sol B than she ever was with him. Nevertheless, since this was Sol's twin, he had an impression to make, so he helped her out and played innocent, answering her questions. Kang Dan being an intelligent and sharp girl picked up on his feelings for her twin.

“Am I that obvious?” he had asked her, when Kang Dan confronted him about his (not-so-subtle-as-he-thought) feelings for Kang Sol.

She snorted. “I think everyone but her knows about it. Trust me, my sister will not know unless you put it right in front of her,” she had replied, eating some of her noodles in front of her. “I’ll help you out with her, if you help me with Sol B.” she propositioned, and he, eager to know more about Sol, accepted.

“What will I get from telling you her favorite flower?” he quipped back, shaking away his thoughts and continuing to type away at his laptop, his eyes flicking up to her just for a moment.

“I’ll give you some advice,” she replied, her voice calm. “If you really want to impress my sister, you should consider spending more time with her instead of her twin.” Kang Dan shot him a look when he finally lifted his head from his laptop.

“I could say the same about you,” he replied back. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Which is why… ah Sol B! Over here!” Joon Hwi held up his hand as he spotted Sol B across the cafeteria.

“What are you doing!” Kang Dan hissed at him, trying to reach for his outstretched hand.

“You want to know about her favorite flower so badly? Ask her yourself,” he smirked at her as Sol B reached their table. “Ah Kang Sol, do you think you can show Kang Dan around the botanical gardens on campus? She mentioned she never got to see them during her time on campus,” he smiled up at Sol B, and before she could respond in the affirmative, he started packing up his stuff. “Great, thank you!” he exclaimed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, “I’m going to check on Sol A, have fun!”

It was a quiet weekend at Hanguk Law School, as Sol entered the school library. It being a lovely day out, none of the students opted to stay inside the stuffy library.

Everyone except her, of course.

The past two weeks were harder on Sol and she could feel it more today, the sun and birds outside mocking her gloomy mind. She hated to admit it, but she was wrong. Not having Joon Hwi at her side was affecting her more than she ever wanted it to. She didn’t know when the lack of his presence in her life became unnatural to her but his absence left a hole in her life. Wherever she turned, he was always there. He was a constant and unyielding presence in her life, helping her through the worst moments and laughing with her in her happiest moments.

There was no denying it anymore; Kang Sol A liked Han Joon Hwi. She didn’t know when it started and despite the pang in her heart as she watched him interact with her sister, she didn’t want it to end. She wanted to keep liking him, even if it was from afar, the happiness that bloomed in her heart at the sight of his face is something she clung to.

She dropped her head onto the desk in front of her, inwardly groaning about how she got into this situation. Until two weeks ago, she was content with every moment, every smile that she got from him but these couple days, she found herself craving more. Sigh. Sol A, you will just need to relearn to be content again.

“Why the long sigh, sunbae?” his voice echoed out, and there he was, standing behind her desk as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t ignored her for the past week, he casually strolled up to her, spinning her rolling chair to face him. She lifted her head to meet his towering gaze, a scowl spreading across her face as she faced him.

“It’s such a pretty day out, Sol. Why are you cooped up inside?” he asked her, his head in his signature tilt. Because you were too busy chasing after my sister to bother spending time with me.

She cleared her throat instead, trying to keep her face as neutral as possible. “I need to brush up on some of the older codes we learned. Not all of us have memorized Korea’s laws, you know?” she almost winced at how bitter her voice sounded, but no matter. He deserved it for abandoning her so quickly when her sister arrived.

“Ahh. Well, I think you deserve a break! Let’s take a walk around campus, hm?” he asked her, smiling softly, his bangs almost in his eyes as he brought his head closer to hers. Her heart rate spiked as she felt the soft pufts of his breath. No, no, no, you can’t give in, Kang Sol. Stay strong.

“Why don’t you go with my sister, instead?” she asked, keeping her voice as casual as possible, as she shifted her head away from him, choosing to focus her eyes on the pillar.

“Ahh,” he replied instead, and she closed her eyes, knowing that she’d given herself away. Joon Hwi pulled the chair closer to him, bracing his hands on each arm of the chair, trapping her in. He leaned in closer to her, his proximity throwing out all her bitterness. “Do you think I’m in love with Kang Dan, Sol-ah?” he asked, his voice overly sweet and she could tell that his face held that infuriating smirk.

She pursed her lips, partly because her mind couldn’t think of a response. But no response came. Instead, Joon Hwi pressed his lips to the curve of her neck and she gasped. Just like his unrelenting presence, so were his kisses. He continued trailing the curve of her neck, and she swallowed as the pace of her breathing increased. All her thoughts of jealousy were replaced with the need for more from Joon Hwi.

“And what evidence do you have to prove this claim, hm, sunbae?” he taunted her, pulling away slightly, the smirk still not washed away from his face.

“How do you explain the amount of time you’ve spent trailing after her?” she questioned, cursing herself for how breathy her voice came out.

“Have you noticed that your sister has a particular affection for your roommate?” he asked in response, a slight smile spread across his face.

Sol B?Of course, she never acts like that… unless she likes her… Oh. Oh. The realization of her sister’s feelings for her roommate slapped her. Joon Hwi laughed in response and she cringed at herself, for being so jealous this whole time when he had only been helping his sister. How could she have been so blind?

“So you don’t…” she trailed off, finally meeting his gaze as she felt her face heat up from embarrassment.

“No, I don’t like her,” he answered, “For me, it’s only you Kang Sol-ah.” He kissed her softly then, their lips meeting for just a moment before he pulled away. He smiled brightly at her, his gaze softing as she relaxed, a small smile spreading across her face. “Now, will you come roam the campus with me? Or are you going to sit inside all day?” he challenged her, pulling away to grab her hands and pull her up from the chair.