♊︎Year 5067, Month 6, Day 3, Time 1:12 pm♊︎
☯︎︎
Gemini comes waltzing into the living room, humming a sweet tune that she's gotten stuck in her head from who-knows-where. It's been about a week since she's switched out with Kurenai and she still has yet to find something juicy on her or stir the pot. Already she's caused a couple of arguments between members but what she's most looking forward to is their next big assignment in a little over a week.
Until then, she still has time, she figures, it's not like she needs to find something on Kurenai soon. She can take her sweet time to mess things up a little. She isn't called the Agent of Chaos by her Meisters for no reason.
She comes twirling into the kitchen where all of the members sit around the table, getting ready to eat lunch together. Catching the eyes of some of the members on her and winking at them, she both perplexes and unsettles the members watching her.
"Well, someone woke up happy today," Yunho comments loud enough for everyone to hear him, including Gemini.
"Yeah, a little too happy," Yeosang adds on and earns a small glare from the clone, a small action that only he and Hongjoong catch on to.
"Why wouldn't I wake up happy?" Gemini asks innocently, sticking out her bottom lip in a pout and tapping on it with her index finger in fake thought.
"There's no reason for you to not be happy but you're usually grumpy all the time," Jongho answers her question as he stands up to grab some napkins off of the counter. "Now that I think of it, this past week you've been acting happier than usual."
Gemini laughs awkwardly when he mentions this and stammers as she tries to explain but it turns out he wasn't being serious, at least he wasn't according to him.
"I'm kidding. Loosen up." He gives her a gummy smile, nudging her softly. "At least you're not stealing my bikes anymore." He jokes and heads over to sit at the table once again, motioning for her to join them.
"No, but you're totally right." Hongjoong picks up from where Jongho left off as soon as Gemini pulls a chair up between Seonghwa and Candy, slightly brushing Seonghwa's neck with her hand as she holds onto the back of his chair for support while setting herself down.
"Totally right about what?" She queries cluelessly, watching Seonghwa side-eye her with a bit of a smirk clawing at his lips.
"About your change in behavior." Hongjoong stops briefly to take a bite out of his food. "You've been acting overly merry ever since the news came out about Max's death."
"Is there something wrong with that?" Her tone turns a bit dark as she begins to get irritated and Hongjoong smiles softly at her, faking his obliviousness to her change in tone.
"Nono," He waves a hand in front of his face. "It's just a bit strange, is all."
"To be honest," Gemini sighs, slumping forward and setting her chin dejectedly on her hand. "Max's death has just really opened my eyes. It made me realize that I should maybe enjoy the time I spend with you all more and appreciate my team."
It all sounds like a load of bull to Yeosang, Hongjoong, and Jongho, but the rest take it in easily without a second thought.
"That's really good!" Candy praises Gemini, also fooled by her acting. "That's a lot of growth considering how you thought of teams before." Gemini smiles kindly at her and that's when Yeosang decides he's had enough.
"The real Kurenai thought teams held her back. She'd despise being anchored to anyone and she's always thought that way."
"What are you implying, Yeosang?" Mingi quickly steps in to defend the woman, narrowing his eyes on the light-brown-haired man. The model has recently noticed that Yeosang has been acting a lot more ill-mannered with "Kurenai" ever since they came back from that time the three ran their errands together and it's an action that doesn't sit well with Mingi.
"I'm implying that she's lying," Yeosang states firmly. "Kurenai would never say something as cheesy as that, much less change the attitude she's had for the last years."
"I mean people can change." Wooyoung supplies in Gemini's defense, irritating his best friend. "You don't think the same things you did a couple of years ago."
"Exactly, a couple of years ago. People don't just change overnight, Wooyoung. And someone as stubborn as Kurenai definitely wouldn't change her mind in under a week about something she's been so adamant about." The young bomber argues, frustrated that no one listens to him.
"Babe, How would you even know that?" Candy retorts, finding it odd that her boyfriend is trying so hard to discredit "Kurenai" for her growth in mindset.
"Yeah, how would you even know that? You don't know her well enough." Mingi chimes in.
"Because I was her partner for the last 8 months so I know what I'm talking about." Yeosang defends himself but Mingi doesn't appreciate the way he keeps putting the woman down.
"What even is eight months? That doesn't mean you know everything about her."
"Oh? And what about you? You think you know everything about her just because you've slept with her a couple of times?" Yeosang shoots angrily, flipping the whole mood of the place over.
So that's what she was hiding, Gemini thinks to herself as they continue to argue, sitting back and enjoying the show. I didn't even have to stir the pot for something to broil.
All of the members have been wedged into an uncomfortable position, especially San who feels a sharp pain in his chest at the mention of Kurenai sleeping with another man. The model, on the other hand, stares incredulously at Yeosang with eyes open wide and a slacked jaw, offended deeply.
"How do you know—?"
"Because she freaking told me so! I'm the one she would come to, to share her worries with. I'm the one she actually freaking trusted. So why don't you all believe me when I say something is going on here?!" Mingi seethes in his seat, silently lifting himself from the table and walking away as everyone else is left in astonishment at what just happened. "Yeah, that's right, walk away!" Yeosang calls after him and stands up not long after to leave as well.
"Wait, babe—!" Candy calls after her boyfriend, standing up to chase after him while everyone else is left to eat their food that's turned sour because of the argument.
"That's was... quite the spectacle." Yunho whistles, trying to lighten up the mood, but it's too late at this point.
"I'm gonna go eat in my room." Hongjoong excuses himself when the tension becomes too unbearable and Wooyoung leaves, too, heading after Yeosang which leaves Yunho, San, Gemini, Jongho, and Seonghwa to eat the remainder of their food in awkward silence.
A faint smile remains on Gemini's lips the whole time they eat and Jongho scrutinizes her from afar, thinking about the words that Yeosang said.
Although he didn't say them in the best way possible, the bomber's words had some truth to them. Kurenai was stubborn and she'd never change her mind so easily much less the way she acted, so why was she doing it now?
☯︎
It was late in the evening and Gemini had been scouring through all of Kurenai's belongings, overturning everything in the room from folder to drawers to bedsheets, but besides what she heard from Yeosang about Kurenai's affair with Mingi, there was no other incriminating evidence she could find.
At some point, she started to get bored and decided to call one of her Meisters to talk through her boredom but none of them answered which left her with only one option left.
She would have to bug one of the people in this team to get through with her boredom.
Sifting quickly through her mental list, Gemini crosses out the first few people she's concluded were not good to talk to.
Mingi: he was obviously romantically attracted to Kurenai and being her clone it wouldn't be smart to let him too close out of wariness that he might realize she's not really Kurenai.
San: he was her target so that's a hard no there.
Jongho, Hongjoong, and Yeosang: they were the most suspicious of her and she didn't know their relationship with Kurenai so it'd be best to stay away in the meantime.
Wooyoung, Candy, and Yunho: it would be a gamble of who knows Kurenai the least.
So she was only left with one option at the end of her assessment.
Park Seonghwa.
Her lip twitches up in a smile as she thinks of him that she had to bite down on her lip to keep from grinning like an idiot to herself.
Getting up quickly from where she was sitting on the bed, Gemini hurries over to her door, opening it and stepping outside while leaving the room a complete disaster behind her.
She silently closes the door and tiptoes on over to room 1 which is where Seonghwa was currently hiding.
Opening the door to his room surreptitiously, Gemini slips inside, noticing immediately that he's hunched over his desk and muttering inaudible words to himself— a sight that makes her heart beat faster.
Quietly, she tiptoes over to him, hearing his voice grow louder the closer she gets to him and when she close enough, she shoots out her hands to grab him. She slides her hands under his shirt, feeling the warmth coming off of his bare skin and chest as she wraps her arms tightly around him, setting her chin on his shoulder.
Seonghwa gets startled at first, grasping her hand suddenly and then letting it go when he realizes it's just her.
"What are you doing here?" He raises an eyebrow in her direction, his lips turning up in a smile at the sight of her.
"Doing what the Meisters ordered me to do while they took care of Kurenai. They did tell you didn't they?" Gemini sticks her lips out in a pout and he chuckles, a low, throaty sound that makes her stomach flutter.
"I know what the Meisters sent you here for. I meant what are you doing here in my room. If another member catches us, they'll become suspicious of me too since I don't get along with Kurenai."
"I was bored. And lonely." She complains with a pout, making doggy eyes at the man she's holding onto. He laughs at her, resting his head back as she moves her face closer to kiss down his neck seductively, her hands sliding down his torso teasingly.
"I've missed you so much, Seonghwa," Gemini whines as she bites down softly on his ear lobe, smirking when she hears him hum. "How long has it been?"
"A month," Seonghwa answers her question, closing his eyes as he feels her lips brush against his neck once again. "It hasn't even been that long. You're quite a needy person."
"Oh, that's rich." Gemini giggles at his ear, letting go of him and crossing her arms. "You're the one that calls me almost every night."
Seonghwa swivels his chair to look at Gemini, his body visibly relaxing with her presence. She steps forward, setting a knee between his legs and cupping his face when she leans down to kiss him, merely brushing against his soft lips at first.
She takes her time with the kiss, letting herself savor the moment as long as she can as she feels his lips on hers. Her arms travel to the back of his head, her fingers curling up in his hair as she feels him move his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.
Their lips move in sync but after a moment, she gets bored of it, not feeling the usual energy from him today.
Gemini pulls back from the kiss, dropping the hand that was at his cheeks to his shoulder and looking down at him worriedly.
"What's wrong?" She asks softly, looking for the response in his eyes but he casts his eyes in another direction, avoiding eye contact with her.
"Nothing's wrong." He assures her but as much as he tries to sound firm, she knows he's not telling the truth.
"No, something is definitely wrong. What is it?" She asks more forcefully this time, cupping his face once again and forcing him to look at her while she squishes his cheeks. "You know you can trust me."
"Gemini, that's not why I don't want to speak—."
"Then what is it? Because I'm trying to kiss you but you're not kissing back." She demands, forcing him to tell her.
"Can you promise you won't get mad at me?" He looks up at her doe-eyed.
"I promise." She agrees without much thought, combing her hand through his silky, raven-black hair. He sighs, pursing his lips as he battles with himself on how much he should tell her.
"I'm... conflicted." He admits and Gemini nods, listening intently to every word that her boyfriend has to say. "I feel like we're doing something wrong that might even be irreversible by going through with this plan."
"Seriously, Seonghwa? Again with this?"
"Yes, again with this. You know that all the Meisters are doing is delaying Kurenai's memory from coming back." He warns. "One day she'll wake up and remember everything. What then?"
"Simple. That's not gonna happen." Gemini tries to assure the raven-haired man but he remains persistent.
"No, what's gonna happen is that she'll want revenge and we'll be the first ones to go down for it. You don't seriously think the Meisters will protect us, do you? We're replaceable."
"Stop! Stop that! You're doing it again!" The woman steps back from him, clearly pissed off.
"Doing what? Telling you the truth?"
"The truth?" She scoffs. "No, you're assuming. And fear-mongering. You care more about what happens to that damned girl than you care about us."
"So what if I do care more about Kurenai? I knew her before I knew you!" Seonghwa retorts and he instantly regrets it when he sees Gemini's expression.
"So you admit that you still have feelings for her?" She asks, already knowing the answer. "Even when you swore you were over her. Even after she killed you in those trials?"
"Yes." The raven-haired man gulps from where he sits on his chair, refusing to look at Gemini out of guilt and shame. "No matter how hard I try I— I can't get rid of my feelings. Even when I hurt her or when I force myself to act like a douche-bag toward her, I can never get her out of my thoughts." He hangs his head, hearing Gemini grunt in anger as she kicks something close to her.
"It's always the same with you!" She roars.
"You promised me you wouldn't get mad." He reminds her softly and it only enrages her further.
"Well, I have the right to be mad! I'm you're girlfriend and yet you're hung up on some chick that doesn't even remember who you were to her. She's your past, I'm your future!"
"There won't be a future if any of this goes sour."
"What the hell is wrong with you!" Gemini finally shouts, having enough of his nonsense. "I'm trying to lighten up the mood, but you're always so damn gloomy. It's always 'Kurenai this' or 'Kurenai that', what about me? Hm?"
"Gem, baby, please—!"
"No! I've had it! If you really love me, you would stop mentioning that stupid Kurenai because although I may be her clone, I am Gemini. My own person." She fumes, clenching her fists and swatting Seonghwa away violently when he reaches out to her.
"I do love you, though." He presses on and she shakes her head, her eyes already tearing up.
"Lies." She accuses. "You don't love me, you love the person I'm based on and only stuck with me because I'm the closest you'll get to her."
"No, that's not— how do you want me to prove my love for you? I've done all I've could." Seonghwa pleas.
"You can start by killing Kurenai. Then you can say you truly love me." Gemini storms out of his room, slamming the door shut behind her as she leaves and leaving Seonghwa to his own evil thoughts once again.
Kill Kurenai.
Those two words remain in his head for the remainder of his night, not knowing the effect they would have on him the day after tomorrow.