“YOU’RE LATE.”
Shun wiped off the sweat on his forehead. “I’m sorry.” He’s slightly panting as if he just had been into a long run. He then stood straight in front of his manager at the pizza parlor. “I encountered some minor accident on the way.”
Shun wanted to grimace. Minor. He was almost kidnapped. Kidnapped!
Shun barely even believed himself when thought of that. Earlier, he was just casually doing his job—his other job as a delivery guy—when he was tasked to deliver pancakes at a squatter area, then he found out that the customers were gangsters!
Gangsters! Kidnapped! Shun shivered. The worse is, the leader of those gangsters was a burly man called Joe! Joe! The man he’s been hugely indebted to!
Although Joe wasn’t present earlier, his men really don't take it easy for a cute guy like him. They demanded the money! If he hadn’t escaped earlier and hadn’t run like death was after him (or maybe it really is), he might have been beaten up now and then caged inside their lair. Then he would never be found for a long time and by the time his sister woke up and found him he'd already be a rotten corpse—argh, he doesn’t want to think about it.
Goodness. He was freaking tired. He was working with the deliveries for 7 hours, then those gangsters just showed up. After fleeing from those gangsters, Shun originally wanted to take a leave for the first time in 13 weeks of being a waiter in this pizza parlor. But remembering that the manager grew a little fond of him because of being a hardworking employee, he retracted this decision.
More importantly, he can’t waste a single day in his life without working. His sister’s bills were more huge than his debt at Joe after all.
Manager David smiled reassuringly, “No it’s okay. I’m just surprised because you’re rarely late.”
Shun made a sound of relief. Manager David told him to start working and Shun immediately heed the task.
After five hours of shift at the pizza parlor, the sun gradually goes down. Shun was bidding goodbyes to his co-workers and to the manager with a bright smile. Once he stepped outside of the parlor, his smile plastered on his face immediately disappeared.
He spent almost all of his 13 hours working, his face showed exhaustion. His body was close to being numb but he managed to come to his apartment.
It was a three-story old building beside a wanton food stall. The owner of the stall glanced curiously at him and he just smiled awkwardly. He subconsciously touched his face. It seems like he didn’t recognize me again.
He shrugged and entered the building.
He went to the bathroom. The bathroom was just as small as one-third of his whole apartment. It was illuminated by a dim-brightened small bulb in the ceiling. The walls are filled with white tiles, which some are even broken and darkened because of old age and lack of renovation.
In front of him are a sink and a large fragment of a mirror that was taped on the wall above it. The size of the mirror was enough for him to see his whole face. He stared at his reflection. He can see the unfamiliar, yet the familiar face of a young man in his early twenties. The skin was lightly tanned, the eyes were as dark as an abyss, and the hair was pink.
Suddenly, he pulls the hair to remove it.
He put down the wig and revealed his black hair underneath. He then washed his hands in the sink. Next, he slightly pulled his lower eyelid and slowly pinched the dark contact lens out. What is revealed underneath is a golden-brown eye, similar to that of a cat’s. He did the same to the other one.
He removed his clothes, revealing his body with mixed complexions. If one can see him right now, one might think that Shun had gone into a beach just recently. It was because aside from his whole arms, legs, face, and neck, all of the other parts of Shun’s body were fairly skinned.
He went to a small space in the bathroom on the left, where the old shower head was hanging. He opened it and the cold water immediately gushed out. As he rubbed his arms and legs, the floor was continuously filled with a brown liquid.
Once he finished bathing, Shun rubbed a clean towel in his face and faced himself again to the mirror. The young man with pink hair, tanned skin, and dark-eyed was now gone and it only reflect a fair-skinned, androgynous-looking, dark-haired handsome young man with a pair of golden-brown eyes.
It was his real appearance.
“What a weird hobby,” some may say. But this ‘hobby’ of his is what he's been doing for almost five years now, to fill his stomach and continue living. Every few months, every month, every week, he’ll change appearance as he also changes his jobs. Because he doesn’t have a college degree and even a high school diploma, Shun was forced to do any racket jobs he can find. As long as there’s money he can get, he’ll take the job. Once he’s done with that racket job, he’ll change into a new identity again.
It’s not a problem for Shun anyway. To have different appearances, different identities. He almost loved doing this. Although this changing into a different someone is hindering him to gain long-lasting friends or might even get his life in danger, he still doesn’t want to stop it.
He can’t.
Not until his sister woke up.
Shun just thought of his sister when suddenly, his phone rang. He fished out his phone and answered the call from an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Is this Mr. Montejo?”
Shun tensed up. “Yes…”
SHUN STAGGERED on his feet while wogging through the hall. Several patients, nurses, and doctors were shooting him a curious glance, but he paid it no heed. Soon after he turned to the left, he finally saw the room his sister was in. He sprinted towards the room and opened the door.
What welcomed him was an unconscious woman lying on the bed. Several tubes and infusion pumps were attached to her wrists, and there’s a nasal cannula attached to her nose. A tall doctor in his 40’s was standing before her.
“Mr. Montejo?”
He nodded.
Shun rushed to his sister's side and stared at her beautiful, sleeping face. Pale skinned, black hair, and an innocent face of a young woman in his twenties is what he had seen. Shun held a worried expression while his hand caressed his sister’s cheek. Shaine…
He turned to the doctor. “Doc—”
“It is what I’ve said in the call. Your sister is in a dire situation. She badly needs to be operated on.”
“Then operate her!”
The doctor sighed. “I’m sorry, Mr. Montejo. We still can’t proceed to the surgery not until you pay for at least fifty percent of the whole payment.”
Shun cursed in his mind. He glanced at his Shaine again and didn’t respond.
The doctor then continued. “It’s almost the fifth year since your sister was confined to the hospital and was comatose. Her head is what is injured the most, and there’s a fifty percent chance your sister will have amnesia the moment she wakes up. That is–” If your sister will still wake up. The doctor wanted to continue, but when he looked at Shun’s anxious face, he doesn’t have the heart to. He sighed. “I recommend that your sister will have the surgery in the next two weeks. If not, the machines that keep her breathing will worsen her situation.”
The doctor excused himself after saying the amount he needed to pay. When he left, Shun sat on the sofa beside the window. He placed his elbows on top of his knees, held his head using both hands, and shut his eyes tightly.
“What to do?” Shun mumbled multiple times.
He doesn’t have that huge amount of money for his sister’s surgery. His savings from his work these past few weeks didn’t even hold one-eight of it. What should I do now? Shaine’s life will be in danger if she won’t have the surgery soon…
SHUN FOUND himself in a playground inside a park.It was 7 PM when he left the hospital, so the cold winds brushed gently through his skin. Shun was only wearing a shirt and jeans; he couldn't help but shiver slightly.He walked towards the center of the playground where the swing and a big slide are located. He can see from far away the silhouette of two people. One is seated on the swing and swinging it back and forth, making a soft creaking sound. While one is seated at the end of the slide.Several lampposts illuminated the area, which made him see the faces of the people when he reached their place.“Sachi! Harue!” he called out.The two yo
“NO, OF course.”Maybe because of how loud and blunt Shun had said it, Lincoln froze for a moment before realizing what he had just asked.He waved his hands in a panic manner as if clearing some invisible clouds of tension in the middle of them. “N-No, I mean–I, I, that’s–” Words stumbled, and face flushed because of embarrassment, Lincoln didn’t how he should say it.“Calm down first,” Shun calmly said. He sipped in his cocktail and looked away from Lincoln.He wasn’t that surprised by the other’s question. In fact, he already anticipated this. He very knew what a man like him himself was fond of doing in a place like this. Of course, what cou
Chapter 4“I’M REALLY sorry, I’m late.”Shun looked up at the man who emerged from a Mercedes. Although Lincoln wore extremely casual clothes: a red dress shirt and black denim jeans partnered with leather shoes, the man looks beyond handsome.Shun cleared his throat. He remembered he was currently disguised as a woman now. “Don’t mention it.”Lincoln stared at his face and Shun had to look away because of the awkwardness and slight nervousness. He knew his disguise is flawless, but he can’t stop feeling a bit guilty.A few days ago, when he told Lincoln he finally agreed to his offer, the other bombarded him with different kinds of thanks—with a bit of flirt, of course—and told him they had to make their relationship ‘realistic’. Shun doesn’t refute when Lincoln asked him to go to the mall together, to polished his cover.They both entered the mall and Lincoln was already talking a lot. “To b
Chapter 5****SHUN WAS humming happily while walking down the street. His lips were stretched into a big smile, both hands were inside his pockets. He was very happy he was able to pay his sister’s bills today. His sister will be operated on soon.Yesterday, Lincoln transferred the money he promised Shun. Because of that money, he was able to pay Shaine’s bills and his apartment rent. What a good day. Although today is also the day he will meet Lincoln’s parents, he wasn’t nervous. It’s a really good day for him to be nervous.Not until he passed on a alleyway, and heard voices of some men.“Is that him? He doesn’t look like that one.”“That’s him I sure! Haven’t I told you he’s always changing his appearance?”Shun turned to look at where the voice is coming from, and his eyes immediately widened in horror.There was a clusters of men on the alleyway, looking so ‘gangster-ish’ as some of t
THE TIME had stopped. Or so Shun thought. Shun’s body is very still when Lincoln’s cold lips are pressed against his. He almost forgot how to breathe. His pupils shook, his fingers trembled. He was taken aback. He doesn’t know what to do. Why? What? How? What the hell? What the fuck? Shun’s mind is a mess but one thing had never left his brain: Lincoln is kissing him. The
LINCOLN VEGA gazed outside through the glass window of his office. It wasn’t that bright that afternoon. He can see from above the high skyscrapers beside their own company building. Then his eyes went to the highest building he can see from afar. He can barely read the four-letter word on the top.Fengs.Lincoln blinked. He remembered that he once again bought clothes from that brand even though his family owns their own clothing brand. Well, that’s okay, I guess.It’ll be slightly suspicious if he brought Sheen to their own store and present her to his parents. Sheen.Lincoln didn’t notice that his lips curved slightly upon picturing the young woman in his mind. Ah, he missed her. It’s been a few days since they saw each other. When he’s trying to call her in the middle of the day, sometimes the woman wouldn’t answer or answer after a couple of rings. But if she answered, she always told him she was working and
“YOU’RE KIDDING me.”It was the first thing Shun said after Lincoln explained his conversation with his mom.“I wish I am,” Lincoln said, head lowered as if he can’t meet Shun’s eyes.Shun looked away, pursing his lips. He doesn't know what he’s currently feeling. Emotions were mixing inside him; annoyance, confusion, dismal. Marriage? That was clearly out of the question! He doesn’t want to get married—no, he can’t be married.Especially to Lincoln. To a man.For effing sake, he is a man too! They can’t be married. No. Pretending to be Lincoln’s girlfriend is one thing. Marrying him was another. And the worst part is, Lincoln doesn’t know he’s a man. He can’t just forge his documents to prove he is a woman. He isn’t, and he doesn’t have the ability to do so.A thought hit Shun.He looked at Lincoln, his eyes w
SHUN DIDN’T know when he had stood up and walked, but maybe he did, considering how he end up in front of a door. And it wasn’t his apartment’s door.Shun gulped and raised his hand to knock but stopped in midair. Is she still awake? It’s almost 12 AM by now. He shook his head and knocked.Moments later, the door opened.Shun expected a somewhat disheveled and had just gotten off the bed from a deep sleep look, but he was welcomed by a fully awake Sachiko.“Hey,” Shun greeted softly, slightly surprised. He sniffed lightly and a liquor smell filled his nostrils. His brows creased. “Have you been drinking?”Sachiko gave nothing away as she stared at Shun’s face. “Are you one of the girls I dumped before?”Shun cocked his head to the side because of confusion, but his lips parted when he realized what was happening. Chuckling, he said, “Silly. It’s me, Shun.&