#verrers

Caught up in all the details, you nearly failed to observe the most crucial one – you were handcuffed. A chain was attached to the cuffs and bound to the leg of the chair. You shook your head as the adrenaline was finally kicking in. You were more so panicking because you couldn’t remember how you got here. Last thing you remember was falling asleep texting Dongheon!

Your head whipped around at the sound of metal screeching. A door opening and closing. You squinted to try and spot the figure in the darkness. The clacking of their heels echoed throughout the room, momentarily breaking through the ringing in your ears. They finally step into the light, and it was– 

“Dongheon?” you furrowed your brows. But he looked… different. Dressed up. He wore a dark striped suit jacket with a small brooch pinned to his chest. Silver chains draped along his neck, contrasting from the black turtleneck underneath. Your eyes momentarily fell to the thin belt that snaked around his waist. It proved difficult for you to pull away, but you forced yourself to meet his gaze. Your breath caught in your throat upon realizing how close he had gotten to you, and you could spot the glitter subtly shimmering across his eyes. In conclusion… he looked good.

However, there was a voice in the back of your head, a gut feeling, telling you something was off. This… isn’t Dongheon. It was unlike him to be quiet for so long. But you couldn’t just stare at him all day (well, you could, but-), so you eventually found your voice. “Um… is this like, a new thing we’re trying out, or-?”

He finally chuckled. Yet, it wasn’t a friendly one. “He was right, you are amusing.” The first words to come out of his mouth, and it was rather backhanded. He dragged out a chair from the dining table nearby and took a seat in front of you. One leg rested over the other, and he leaned back as he crossed his arms. You shifted in your seat as his eyes bore into you; you could see the gears turning in his head as he simply observed you. Curiosity twinkled within. 

“I don’t like to waste time,” he tilted his head up almost haughtily, “so, let’s get this done before your honey bear realizes you’re missing.”

You blinked feverishly. “Wait, hold on, so you’re not–?”

“Your Dongheon? Ha!” He laughed behind his hand, “No. Absolutely not… Well,” he removed his hand to reveal a chilling grin, “not yet, anyway. Almost there.” He sighed dramatically. “Only need a few more finishing touches. Although…” He rested a hand on his chest, “I’m a bit hurt to know he has never brought me up. After we’ve been through so much together…”

He paused in his rambling upon spotting your expression. “You look confused.” he hummed then leaned towards you from his chair. “Can’t fathom the thought of him withholding secrets from you?” He giggled. 

“Wh-What?” You shook your head. “N… No, he wouldn’t! We… We tell each other everything. No matter how weird.” You huffed at him, “Like him having some evil twin. He’d… He’d tell me…” You trailed off, gaze falling as realization sinked in. Why would he hide something like this…? Unless it was for your safety, but even then–

“Oh,” he clicked his tongue, “you have such a pathetic look on your face. It’s almost cute.” He leaned back again. “Let’s make this quick, shall we? Just answer some questions for me, and you’ll be back in your bed full of plushies in no time.”

Heat burst onto your cheeks at his comment. Again, it felt backhanded. You swallowed hard then turned your head away. You felt a sudden shift in the air. “Ohh, he did say you’d be a stubborn one.” You had no chance to react as he swiftly grabbed your face and forced you to look at him. Your heart pounded against your chest. His eyes were nearly identical to Dongheon’s, but this man held a cold gaze, it sent shivers down your spine. “Let’s not play this game, (y/n)... But,” his lips curled into a smile, “I think I like this spark of defiance in you. You have such loyalty to your man…” His smile quickly dropped, “It almost makes me jealous.”

His grip loosened. “Fine. Answer one question for me, and I’ll leave you with a nice parting gift.”

“Taking your kidnapped person home doesn’t count.” You scowled at him. His smile returned. He even let out a short laugh, “No, no, I’ll leave an actual gift. A token of my appreciation for your cooperation.”

“I don’t care about your gifts–”

You were silenced as he waved around your phone. “You care an awful lot about him, don’t you? And you’re toying with forces way outside your control. One phone call to him, and he’ll come running to your rescue.” He then shrugged, “As for him making it out with you, well, that’s up to you.” He finally pulled back to sit on his chair. “I know you’re smarter than you’d like people to believe.”

You rubbed your sore cheeks from where he grabbed you. Damn, he really backed you into a corner. But he was right; you care too much about Dongheon to risk his life, let alone him risking it for your sake. You closed your eyes to take a deep breath and sigh. “Okay. Fine. Whatever.” You opened your eyes to glare at him. “What’s this one question?”

His smile briefly resurfaced at your compliance, only for it to be replaced with an unamused frown, “... Why do you trust him?” He asked. Your brow furrowed. It… honestly was not the type of question you were expecting. Then again, you weren’t sure why he was asking. He seemed to understand your confusion, so he elaborated, “Your Dongheon is so… him. Why in the world would you trust someone like him? Why would anyone?”

You almost felt offended by the question. You couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Really?? The real question is how could you not!” The imposter’s confused look almost made you burst into a fit of giggles, but you held back. You sighed. “I know he might not look like it, but he’s a good person. On the outside, people may see him as totally awkward or a goofball, but he’s hard working and wants the best for everyone.” You shook your head. “He wants to see everyone succeed, and he’s always willing to work around to find solutions.”

You fiddled with your hands. “He understands when to be goofy Dongheon and when to be serious, and it’s hard to hate him, in my opinion. Watching him work, you just can’t help but view him as trustworthy.” You ended your ramble and locked eyes with the imposter again. You… struggled to understand the emotion he was conveying. He was fighting back a scowl; his lips held together tightly in a thin line. Eventually, he parted them to quietly answer, “I see.”

He raised his head to deliver a smile. “Thank you, that was incredibly insightful.” He stood from his chair to walk behind you. “I enjoyed our little chat, if I’m being honest. I suppose I’ll keep you around…”

“Huh?” You whip your head to him, “I thought you said you’d leave us alone!”

His smile remained. “That wasn’t a part of our deal. What, you don’t want to see me again? How hurtful.” A sigh, “And after I went through all this effort for you.” He held his head up smugly, and for a brief second, you were reminded of your Dongheon. This whole ordeal was something you were still struggling to understand, but it appeared as if he wasn’t going to bring harm to you. 

At least, not tonight, you hoped.

You were pulled out of your thoughts when he reached to grab your face and gently bring you closer to his own. You shuddered at his cold touch, and you could smell the cologne he wore- Dongheon’s cologne. “You’ll see me soon enough.” He hummed, “Doesn’t matter if it’s in your dreams or your nightmares…” He then chuckled softly, “Just watch, you’ll miss me, and then begin to wonder when you’ll see me again,” His voice lowered, “Just as I will with you.”

You were hardly given a chance to respond, for you suddenly felt your eyes grow heavy, and the world went dark. 

Your phone buzzed violently from the nightstand. Your head shot up from the pillows as you squinted in the morning light. All you could do was groan as you groggily reached for your phone. You answered without even checking, “Hello?” you mumbled.

“(y/n)!” Dongheon sighed in relief. “I figured you passed out last night, but then you didn’t answer this morning. I was starting to get worried–”

“Hm?” You slowly sat up. “What time is it…?”

“Definitely not morning… It’s 2 pm.”

“Huh??” You checked the time on your phone. “Damn…” you whispered to yourself then brought the phone back to your ear. “Yeah, sorry, I didn’t realize how tired I was. And then like, I had the weirdest dream–” You paused in your words. Was it a dream?? It certainly felt… real.

“A weird dream, huh? Was I in it?” Dongheon joked.

“... Actually, yeah…” You slowly answered. He became quiet for a moment before letting out an awkward laugh. “Well, if you got enough rest, you okay with me bringing you brunch? We can talk about that weird dream.”

You felt your nerves begin to melt away. “Yeah,” you sighed, “yeah, I’d love that, actually.”

“Well, good, because I’m outside your door. Like, right now. Please open up, it’s hot outside…”

You couldn’t help but laugh at his antics. You quickly hung up and crawled out of bed to go greet him. But you couldn’t get rid of that strange feeling. The dream felt like it was fading away already; the image of Dongheon blurring in your mind. When you stood up, you spotted something glimmering from out of the corner of your eye. You curiously approached it, but your stomach sank as it came into view. With a trembling hand, you raised the exact same broach you saw on the imposter Dongheon in your “dream”.