Double Lives

Hi! I'm Park Jaehwa. I’m a martial artist and a high school student living in Seoul, South Korea. Life’s pretty normal—except for the fact that I’ve got a soldier for a dad. He’s strict, disciplined, and one of the most dignified people I know. I admire him more than anyone. I also have a sister, Jesoo. We’re total opposites. You’ll see what I mean...

"Jaehwa! Wake up! Your friend is here!" my sister yelled from the hallway.

I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "What time is it?" I mumbled, glancing at my phone. The moment I saw the time, my eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! I’m late!"

I sprang out of bed, grabbing clothes and rushing into the bathroom. Thank goodness I had rinsed my hair before bed—it still smelled fresh. In under five minutes, I was dressed and out the door.

Jesoo gave me a look. “We need to hurry! What time did you sleep this time? The team’s already waiting.”

“I know, I know!” I huffed as we hopped into a cab.

We were headed to the university campus for a big exhibition. Our school had been invited to compete in the dance division—and I was part of our hip-hop team. Dancing was my escape. It let me express emotions I couldn’t put into words. And yeah... I’m actually good at it.

"Congratulations! First place!" our coach, Mr. Kim, beamed. "You were amazing out there. So proud of all of you!"

"Thank you, teacher!" we cheered in unison, catching our breath from the high.

Then Jesoo nudged me. "Hey... look who's coming."

I turned my head slightly—deliberately slow—and there he was. Kim Minjun. The heartthrob of our class. Tall, confident, with that smirk that made girls swoon and my heart skip for no good reason.

“Congratulations,” he said, handing me a bouquet of soft pink flowers.

I blinked. “Th-thank you.” I took the bouquet but couldn’t meet his gaze.

Jesoo immediately snatched the flowers from my hands. “Ahh! Let me hold them. Thanks, Minjun!”

He smiled, eyes still on me. “Okay then. See you around.” And he walked away.

Only Jesoo knew I liked him. I kept it buried deep, never showing it. I couldn’t risk the teasing or the gossip—not with how many girls adored him. Besides, I wasn’t comfortable around guys. Crushes were fine, but relationships? Way out of my comfort zone.

Jesoo pouted. “Seriously, what was that? Not even a little smile?”

“What do you expect me to do? Hug him?” I said, brushing her off. “You know I’m not into public affection.”

“Ugh! That attitude of yours! You’ll be single forever. You like him but you act like you don’t even care!”

“I just don’t want any drama.”

Jesoo sighed dramatically. “Sometimes I feel like you’re from a different planet.”

“Come on. Let’s just go home. I have Taekwondo training tomorrow. Wanna join?”

“Psh, no thanks. I’ll only tag along if there’s a hot guy involved,” she teased.

“Geez, never mind then.”

Later, after a quick shower, I threw myself onto the bed. My thoughts wandered to Minjun again. Why couldn’t I just smile back or say something cute? Maybe because I was afraid. Afraid of losing control, of messing up my studies, of upsetting my father. I was always the top student—people expected discipline, not romantic distractions.

Forget it, Jaehwa, I told myself. It’s not worth the trouble.

---

Meanwhile… Somewhere far away

"Black Panther, can you hear me?" whispered a voice over the comms.

"Loud and clear," replied Alex, codename Black Panther, eyes narrowed and locked onto a balcony across the street.

"Wait for my signal before you pull the trigger. I'm going in. We need to catch him—no matter what," said Nighthawk.

The sun blazed over the Moroccan skyline. I’m JZ—codename Nighthawk—and we were deep into an operation targeting Mr. Lee, a former insider turned criminal. He had vital intel and, from the looks of it, a highly dangerous substance.

I leapt from a rooftop to the building’s balcony with silent precision. Inside, Mr. Lee stood with two armed guards.

“Nighthawk,” Black Panther’s voice came through. “Two more men just arrived. They’ve got a briefcase.”

“There must be something in it,” I replied, watching from a shadowed corner.

Inside, the conversation began.

"Mr. Lee," one man said. "I brought the money. You have the product?"

Mr. Lee grinned, nodding. He hunched down and opened a small box—a thin glass tube with white powder shimmered inside.

“That can’t be…” I whispered. “Explosives?”

“We weren’t briefed for this level,” said Black Panther.

I moved closer—but stepped on a curtain. It ripped down loudly, catching everyone's attention.

“Oh, sh*t.”

Bullets flew instantly.

“Black Panther! Now!”

My partner took out one of the armed men with expert precision while I chased after Mr. Lee, who bolted through a back exit.

I fought my way through his guards—one by one, each fall quicker than the last. But by the time I reached the outside alley, Mr. Lee was gone, speeding off in a black sedan.

"Nighthawk! Are you okay? Where did he go?" Alex asked, panting after the sprint.

“I lost him,” I growled. “But he dropped the briefcase. That powder’s the real deal—we need to know what it is.”

“I’ve got Mr. Hong. He didn’t get far.”

“Handle him. I’ve got to prep for the storm of questions coming my way.”

“Where are you going?”

“Somewhere,” I smirked, walking away.

“Somewhere?? Again with that?”

I ducked into a nearby hotel and collapsed onto the bed. My body ached, but it was my mind that was spinning. That powder… it wasn’t just some petty deal. It felt bigger. Strategic. Dangerous.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Ten missed calls.

“Ugh. Here comes the nagging.”

I finally picked up.

“Where are you? The old man wants a report,” said Black Panther’s annoyed voice.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming. Can’t wait to hear him yell,” I said with a chuckle.

---

Back in Seoul…

I stared at the ceiling, my mind drifting between Minjun’s awkwardly sweet gesture and the weight of expectations from my father. I didn’t know it yet, but somewhere out there, my story was about to crash into someone else’s. A boy with a gun, a mission, and secrets deeper than my own silence.

Two lives, two worlds. But fate? It doesn’t ask permission before changing everything.

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