.  * * *

  We decided to sneak into the club on Saturday night.

  On weekdays, we had to go to school as a student, so we had no choice; besides, once we took the cardkey, we should sneak into Yi Jenny’s place immediately before the employees reported a burglary to the police. We, therefore, allotted enough time for the plan, which was until the next day morning.

  However, how could I get out of my house on Saturday night when my family was at home? There was a problem from the beginning.

  That was, however, simply solved by Lucas’s brilliant ability.

  On the night when all my family members were asleep, I walked tiptoe on bare feet while carrying only a bag with a change of clothes and holding my shoes to avoid any noise. Stepping out to the apartment corridor, I flung a question when the door closed.

  “How on earth did you open the door so quietly? Aside from that, how did you open our door in the first place? I think I never told you the password.”


  Putting his forefinger on his lips, Lucas smiled as if he felt sorry.

  “I don’t do this to any other houses. I mean it.”


  “…”


  ‘Only having such terrifying abilities, what were the characters in web novels trying to be when they grew up?’


  With that thought in mind, I turned my head when I heard footsteps coming from behind me.

  “Ta-da! I just came out while telling my parents that I’m gonna sleepover at your house, Donnie.”


  Looking at Ban Yeo Ryung, who came right in front of my face and sent me a dazzling gaze as if she wanted to get my compliment, I thought, ‘And what is she trying to be when she grows up with this fascinating appearance?’


  Anyway, it wasn’t the time for me to get captivated by Ban Yeo Ryung’s beauty. In fear of encountering other neighbors in this apartment, we descended the outdoor stairs stealthily. In the parking lot, Jooin was waiting for us while pulling his hat over his eyes with a bag on his back just like me.

  Getting on the cab, we uttered, “Apgujeong station, please.”


  Club Papillon was in Gangnam but going to Apgujeong station was the fastest way to get there.

  Lowering his voice, Lucas quickly reviewed our plan.

  “It’s only ten in the night, so let’s first store our bags in the subway lockers then finish our makeup in the women’s bathroom.”


  Lucas then glanced at Jooin for a second and added with an enigmatic smile.

  “Hmm… you look fine. You didn’t wear any makeup, but wearing the hat and skirt doesn’t look strange. That’s good. They won’t see you suspiciously even in the women’s bathroom.”


  Jooin whispered somewhat savagely, “I don’t need your words of comfort, so would you just… shut up?”


  Looking at us, Jooin quickly changed the intonation at the end of his sentence. I thought, ‘Oh, Jooin is so stressed out that he’s even speaking out of control in front of us. I feel you though.’


  The taxi driver in front began to glance at us through the rearview mirror, so we stopped our suspicious conversation at that point.

  While there was a moment of silence inside the car, I stole a look at Lucas, who was sitting beside me. He was also dressed in a female outfit in order to avert suspicion, but since he had such an oval face and his long sky-blue hair almost covered his ears, Lucas really looked like a high school girl with short hair.

  He obviously looked like a guy until yesterday, but how could he change this much just by wearing a skirt? Perhaps he also altered his attitude and behavior covertly, which I couldn’t even imagine what kind of talent he had.

  As soon as we got off the cab, we quickly headed to the women’s bathroom.

  That was when each of us went into the stalls while taking the change of clothes and came out with different outfits. Holding on to the wall, Ban Yeo Ryung and I soon sank our heads on our chests. Jooin, who stood in front of us with a grimace, touched the hemline of his skirt and asked, “I know… I look so… ridiculous, right?”


  “No, not at all,” I replied with a subsided voice. Yeo Ryung then said, “True. You don’t look ridiculous at all, Jooin. You’re just so pretty right now.”


  “But why aren’t you guys looking in this direction?”


  Listening to Jooin’s rarely icy-cold voice, I murmured, ‘It’s just that I feel so ashamed of myself…’ I then turned my head.

  Jooin was wearing natural makeup that went along with his light brown hair. His lips were glittering with a lip gloss on. On top, he wore a green cable knit sweater and, on the bottom, he put on a black skinny jean. Putting his hand together in front like a coy girl, Jooin looked––without joking–– fiercely gorgeous.

  He then asked back in a lack of confidence.

  “Would I get caught?”


  “No, never…”


  While I replied to Jooin with all my heart, Lucas came out of the stall and said to us, “Why are you all standing like that? Does my masterpiece look weird?”


  “No… we’re fine, but Jooin is…” Speaking to that point, I suddenly became speechless when I saw Lucas.

  I had no idea what he did to his sky-blue hair since it turned into a short black hair. Even wearing a pair of black color lenses on his eyes, Lucas looked stunningly hot.

  Mix-matching a white ruffle blouse with a choker and a leather skirt with boots, his overall style looked odd and fabulous at the same time. Anyway, both Jooin and Lucas didn’t look like high school students maybe because they were tall or had a mature vibe.

  Looking into the mirror, I adjusted my bangs.

  “… Isn’t it me who matters the most?”


  The problem wasn’t the unexpected cross-dressing; it was me. Honestly, Yeo Ryung was too captivating that the club would just let her in without checking her age.

  Re-arranging my hair extensions awkwardly, I heaved a sigh. As long as I was here, the dice was already thrown. As of now, I just wished I could get into the club while being accompanied by these guys.

  After all that preparation, we finally headed outside. It was the start of our plan.

  * * *

  Making us stand near the club, Lucas whispered, “I’ll first go inside to check the overall atmosphere and if Reed employees are also in there today. All of us don’t have to go in. We can get involved in such hassles, which is needless.”


  “Yeah.”


  “Anyone else who wants to go with me?”


  He then switched his gaze to Jooin and asked, “What about you, Joo… sun…?”


  “Would you please stop calling me like that when we aren’t in the situation yet?”


  ‘Don’t you hear the fuse of my patience burning?’ When Jooin added the sentence savagely, Lucas shut his mouth and flaunted a smile.

  On behalf of Jooin, who was having a big difficulty of controlling his patience after cross-dressing as a girl, Yeo Ryung raised her hand. Walking toward to the club, Lucas then shouted to the rest of us.

  “Don’t follow anyone even they ask you to do so!”


  “We aren’t kids, are we?”


  Without listening to my response, the two then disappeared through the building light.

  Watching them leave, we soon turned our heads to glance around. When we realized that it was our first time to come here at late night, everything looked unfamiliar out of the blue. Feeling embarrassed somehow, I rubbed my arm and said, “There’s a lot of people even at this time of the day.”


  “Yeah, and a lot of cars too,” replied Jooin with a nod. He also seemed to find this scenery quite interesting.

  Well, the only place we could hang around at ten or eleven in the night was a public park, so although we lived in Seoul for our whole life, it was our first time to encounter the night of Gangnam.

  The dazzling building lights, clothes and accessories displayed inside the glass window, couples linking their arms, and the young crowds wandering around with shopping bags on their arms… Glancing at them one after another, I suddenly fixed my gaze at something that grabbed my attention.

  Inside the moving crowds, I spotted a familiar face and quietly opened my mouth.

  “Eh?’


  Jooin, who was standing beside me, turned around to look at me.

  “What’s wrong, mama?”


  “There’s Yoon Chun Young.”


  Jooin’s face tinged pale as soon as he heard my response. Asking me back, ‘What?’ he turned around to look in the direction. A feeling of frustration soon spread out on his face.

  It was really Yoo Chun Young. Putting his phone on his mouth, Yoo Chun Young said something over the phone. Meanwhile, some people were getting close to him and, at the same time, stepping back from him over and over.