Mirrored Match // ATEEZ ✔

= 21 =

It's a big day for the whole country and its citizens, the people in the Bae and Jung household no exception as they join the people crowding the voting centres. For the people in their country - Mekar - democracy in choosing a leader who will be their face and who will be overseeing the choices made pertaining to the country's wellbeing.

The bodyguards, the two housemates, Yeosang and Wooyoung have woken up early to cast their votes. The only one who's exempted from joining the crowd is Danbi; the eligible age for voting in the country is 21 and with the recent slight change of her identity, her name is not registered among those in the list allowed to vote.

So while she's still a nameless face to the public, she lingers around the area of the voting centre, waiting for Mingi and Hongjoong to be done. The rest are dispersed to vote based on their place of residence, so for now she decided to tail both of her housemates instead. Living cooped up inside the mansion for several days is enough to make her suffocate so she decides to go out while waiting for her two friends, and maybe they'll spend some time together around the district while waiting for the results that will be announced in the evening.

It's only 10 in the morning yet she enters an ice cream parlour, gets a cup of double scoop of butterscotch ice cream for herself before taking a seat near the window overlooking the street. She sees most people passing by having their forefingers inked, as a sign that they have already played their part as a citizen in voting.

She finds it funny how her father - as that what she has learned to call him despite not having any relation by blood - is one of the candidates running to become the leader of the country, yet she feels distant from the voting atmosphere. She wonders if she does get involved, will she be biased in casting her choice and pick the most obvious one? Then her mind wonders about the rest; whether they'd be picking the person they've closely worked with, or would turn the other way now that they're given the insight of how things work from inside.

She leans forward over her ice cream, biting on the pink plastic spoon, her teeth clacking as she thinks about it. She'd love to vote; to have the power of determining the fate of your country simply by voting the leader you think would be the best. Some tend to think how one vote wouldn't change anything, when every vote counts; even a difference of one vote can change a winner to a loser.

Her eyes follow the crowd as her hand feeds herself with the ice cream, letting it melt in her mouth as she studies the people passing by the window. There are some with their families, seemingly looking to spend time together after the adults are done with voting. Meanwhile, there are some group of friends laughing along, proudly showing their stained fingers as they brag to their friends that they've done their part. Unknowingly, she smiles together with them before her eyes drop to her ice cream.

She dumps the spoon in her ice cream cup, suddenly feeling like the ice cream is too sweet now. She has barely touched the second scoop, playing around with the food as she thinks about how easier it is for her to gain access to the Bae mansion than she had expected. Before she knew it she's already a Bae Danbi, certified daughter of Bae Wonshik.

The dream that she had for long, to have someone she can call as family that's related to her by blood, to live without having to worry about whether they'll have enough money to eat or continue to have a roof over their heads. It all came together with claiming herself as the daughter of Bae Wonshik - a family and wealth...

But at what cost? Someone else's life - my twin's?

It's not my fault she's missing.

Another group of family passes by the window, before they decide that a treat with ice cream would be nice on a hot but pleasant day like this. The doorbell chimes as the father enters first, holding the door open for his wife and their two sons, looking no more older than 10 years old. The sons are jumping in joy as they make their way to the display, already shouting out the name of the ice cream they want to eat.