introduction (1/1)

Joohyun was brought into the world without a flaw. She was born healthy and curious without the burden of a name on her body to yearn for. For the next three years, she was absolutely spotless, her flesh untainted with the sign of another. And as the next three years passed by, Mr. and Mrs. Bae started to worry, wondering when the name of her other half would appear on her skin.  It wasn’t until Joohyun cried out late into the night on February 10th, that the signature Seulgi was branded into her. Both Joohyun’s mother and father became plagued with the name; happy at first that it had finally appeared, and then quickly becoming bothered for it was clearly the name of a girl. They rejoiced eleven days later, in the early light of the morning when another name burned into Joohyun’s skin, waking her up with a searing pain. Seungwan, printed on the outside of her left forearm just above her wrist.  Her parents had thought that it was redemption, thinking that the universe had given her a second name to cancel out the first, giving her a boys name to mark her instead. And once again, they became restless when Seulgi stayed on the curve of Joohyun’s right shoulder. Joohyun was taught to only talk about Seungwan, to only think about Seungwan, to only love Seungwan. But the more she grew, the more she wanted to love Seulgi too. Just as much as she did Seungwan. She desired to have as much love as she could get. And give as much in return if not more.     When Seulgi was born, her umbilical