The dimly lit hallway stilled as the echo of Win's voice reverberated off the peeling paint on the walls. Jay's heart skipped a beat, and for a fleeting moment, he stood frozen in place. It was safe to assume that Win, as Tay's best friend, would figure it out eventually, but he didn't expect it to happen so fast. It showed how well Win knew his twin. It was quite a gap from Art, who claimed to be close with his brother but could not help him with any useful information.

Finally, he slowly turned around to confront the inevitable. Win stood in front of him with confusion and concern etched into his face. The silence between them seemed to stretch on for an eternity, the unspoken questions hanging heavily in the air. Jay briefly considered whether he should be honest with him or play it safe. Ultimately, he decided that revealing the truth without ensuring that Win is fully convinced of his identity was stupid.

His eyebrow quirked questioningly. "Is this some kind of joke?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement, his lips curled in a playful half-smile.

Win frowned, unsure if his mind was playing tricks on him or if he was right. If this wasn't Tay, who else could it be? These few moments aside, his face was identical to his friend's. But was it? His hair seemed softer and well-looked after, same with the skin – this wasn't something Tay ever paid attention to or had funds for. Then, despite the same sharp and well-defined lines, his gaze seemed more distant than Tay's. Not to mention, since when was Tay so good at climbing? The last clue was the bike. Tay loved his bike more than anything, yet Win couldn't recall seeing him with it the whole week. He took a deep breath and decided to bet everything on one card.

"I could ask you the same. Who are you?" Win insisted, glaring straight at him, his brows furrowing as he examined him closely.

Jay sighed and wordlessly invited him inside. Win hesitated for a moment as if considering his options, but then, like countless times before, stepped inside and tossed his bag on the floor by the bed before hoping on it and sitting crosslegged in the middle.

"So, who are you?" he asked, looking expectantly at him. He couldn't help but notice the difference this person carried himself with. It was more refined and elegant but also confident than Tay. A few seconds was enough for Win to say that this person did not belong in a place like this.

"First, can you tell me when you last saw my brother?"

"Your what?!" Win exclaimed in shock. "Tay has a brother? Impossible."

Jay couldn't help but chuckle. "How else would you explain this?" he asked, amused, circling his face with his index finger. "Jay, Tay's older twin brother."

"Right," he mumbled, slightly embarrassed that the idea of twins didn't occur to him. "We had classes that day they went to the factory, but I haven't seen him since. I assume you know where he is now."

"He is in a coma in hospital."

Win turned ghostly pale, his eyes wide in terror, then suddenly jumped to his feet and dashed across the room, his trembling fingers gripping Jay's shoulders. "W-what? No, no... impossible... What happened to him?!"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Jay replied calmly, gently removing Win's hands from his hoodie. "He is still in critical condition after suffering multiple injuries in what I can only describe as needlessly violent assault."

"No...," he muttered, taking a few shaky steps back. "Is... is he going to be okay?"

"Unsure. I moved him to the best hospital in the city, but the doctors aren't optimistic. It may take months."

Win slumped back onto the bed, the reality of the situation crashing down upon him like a tidal wave. He sat there in silence, his mind struggling to process what had happened, while the room seemed to close in around him, and he couldn't tear his gaze away from the floor. His shoulders sagged with the weight of the news, and his fingers nervously tapped on the edge of the bed.

"I don't believe it...," he said, unable to accept the truth, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tay was too smart and good at vanishing when needed to end in a coma in the hospital. But then, more questions flooded his mind. None of this explained why Jay was here, pretending to be his twin. He has known Tay for over ten years. He has never heard him mention siblings or family besides his strained relationship with his father years ago. Also, it didn't escape his attention that Jay and Tay were worlds apart. If not for the same face, Win would never believe they are even remotely related.

Finally, Win took a deep breath and looked at Jay, expecting answers to all these questions. "None of this explains why you are pretending to be him. What's your goal in all of this?"

"I want to know who and why they wanted me to come here and how it relates to your group," Jay started but suddenly paused. "Do you mind if we switch to English? My Thai is not that good," he suggested. After Win's affirmative nod, he continued explaining how Art Thawin contacted him and insisted on pretending to be his twin, claiming that members of the group betrayed Tay.

"That's a lot to take," Win commented, looking at him speechless, his brow furrowing deeper as he processed the information. "I don't know this guy, but he may be one of Tay's old friends. Although, I don't see what he can possibly gain from you being here. Did he watch too many movies?"

Jay chuckled. "I asked him the same. This idea is so ridiculous that if not for my curiosity about his goals, I would be already back in London."

"So, you think it's related to SWIFT?"

"SWIFT? What is it?" Jay inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"That's the name of our group," Win explained, looking somewhat proud. "Sean, me, Izzy, Fort and Tay."

"Oh, it makes sense."

"You really don't know anything about him?"

Jay shook his head. "We were six-ish when I saw him last time. It's funny how easily you forget about things and people once they are gone from your life."

"You didn't see him at all?!" he exclaimed, staring at him in utter shock.

"Yeah," Jay shrugged as if he couldn't care less. "Our parents divorced, and each got to keep a child. He stayed here with our father while I moved to London with our mother. Then I guess we all moved on with our lives."

"That's so messed up... but I understand now why Tay hates his father so much," Win mumbled, still struggling to comprehend their family dynamics. "What are you planning to do now?"

"Dunno," he replied. "I'm supposed to be climbing in Peru, so probably continue with it. There isn't much I can do here. Tay is in good hands, and I took care of his medical bills while my friend set him up with good security. Plus, I couldn't pretend to be him much longer. Not to mention, I would rather not be involved in arson again."

"What if I would help you?"

"Huh?" Jay blinked, taken aback by the offer.

"I know, none of this is your problem, but Tay can't miss so many classes. He would lose his scholarship, and he can't afford to study without it," Win said, looking at him with determination. "He saved my skin more times than I can count. It's my turn to figure out what happened to him. I know I'm asking for a lot... but I can't do this alone. Besides, you seem smarter than Tay and me combined," he added with an awkward chuckle.

"Sorry, I can't stay here so long. I have a career in London, and I wouldn't put it on hold for someone I barely know."

"I understand," he replied, deflated, but still didn't lose hope. "What about remote work?"

Jay's mind instantly supplied possible arrangements to let him stay here. He could still work on cases, review all documents remotely, and fall back on video meetings if needed. It will take a bit of finesse to accommodate the time zone difference, but it wasn't impossible. Jay was sure his mother would agree to it since she was the one who insisted on him travelling. This could be seen as a compromise. But what about court sessions? Obviously, he couldn't just jump on the plane and attend the trial just to return here a few hours later.

"I'm a criminal lawyer, and as you can imagine, there are things I can't handle remotely," Jay finally replied with a hint of regret, which made him realise that he wanted to stay here longer and do things he would normally never do. "But I can talk with my boss and see if we can work something out. No promises."

"Should we tell the rest of the group?"

"The less people know about it, the safer it is for us and them," Jay replied, his voice unwittingly switching to a more professional tone. "Whoever did this to Tay has resources to cover it up and find his estranged brother on the other side of the globe. I'm concerned that the assault was not reported by anyone, not even hospital staff."

"Well, things like this happen here. Especially if he was admitted to a local hospital... they probably have a dozen cases like his a week with no one to pay for treatment. Here, no one cares if someone disappears. We are all disposable," Win added, his voice bitter and resigned, reflecting the harsh reality of living in the most deprived area of Bangkok. He leaned back, shoulders slumping, as if the weight of the world rested on him. "Honestly, I was surprised someone like you would hang out with us and stay in a place like this. But you don't seem to be bothered by it."

Jay raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued now. "Someone like me?"

"I saw you a few days ago on the market. One glance at you was enough to say you belong on the other side of the River," Win explained. "When you don't pretend to be Tay, you look so out of place here. But not in a bad way!" he added hurriedly, vividly waving his hands. "You are much more refined than your brother, like night and day. I always thought rich people were arrogant snobs. Yet, you don't look down on anyone."

"Where you came from does not determine who you are. Not everyone is fortunate to be born into a well-off family, but that doesn't make them any less human than the others," Jay replied with a slight shrug. "Besides, one should be only judged on his intentions and actions, not on their social status."

"Shame other people don't see it like this," Win said with a heavy sigh but then smiled as if trying to encourage himself. "But who knows, maybe we will change it someday."

"How did your group start?"

Win slipped into a more comfortable position, reclining on his left arm. "A few years ago, we just blended together. I met Tay in secondary school when we were 12, and then in the upper school, we absorbed Fort. Sean joined us during the associate degree, bringing Izzy and the garage. We all shared the same ideals and goals. The rest just happened naturally. I know that for Tay and Sean, the whole thing is much more personal than the rest of us, but neither of them will ever share details. We can be disorganised at times and make dumb mistakes, but we care. And if no one tries, nothing will change, allowing people like Somsak Thanarak and Niran Chaiyawat to do as they please."

Jay nodded in acknowledgement when suddenly something popped into his mind. "What's the deal with Sean and Tay? I just went along with Sean's behaviour, but it would be nice to know why he can't stand me."

Win burst out laughing. "Actually, no one knows. They just hated each other from the beginning, and it got worse as time passed. Sometimes, I wonder if they even remember what started it or just quip at each other out of habit."

"What the...," Jay muttered in disbelief. "Are they little kids or what?"

"That's what we all keep asking ourselves," he chuckled. "But I must say, you handle him much better than Tay. Despite not knowing him, you seem to know which buttons to push to get what you want, while Tay just mindlessly aggravates him out of spite."

"Yeah, it was the perfect opportunity to get out from talking about things I have no idea about – like supposedly my plan," he added, making air quotes.

"Well, you played it well. I only got suspicious when I heard your English accent during the fire. I can imagine it must be hard to hide it."

"A bit."

Win beamed at him. "Then you will be pleased to hear that Tay isn't very talkative outside his fights with Sean... I mean, if you decide to stay," he added, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "You don't owe him or us anything, but Tay worked hard to get where he is. He studies corporate law to help people suffering under business tycoons who don't care about anything but income. If he can't attend classes, he might have to drop it so close to the finish line. Is there any chance you can stay here till the end of May? Just to get him through this year."

"You do realise I can't read or write the script? Attending a few days of your classes and pretending I understand it was tough, borderline impossible."

"Oh... I didn't think about it."

Jay sighed, his thoughts echoing with a haunting familiarity. The more he talked with Win and considered staying in Bangkok, the more he wanted to break free from the numbness that had gripped him for so long. It was as if some invisible force was pulling him towards the group, stirring emotions he had long buried beneath layers of detachment and emotional self-sufficiency.

'Is it better to do something risky and face potential consequences but feel alive for a moment, or choose the safe path and live with possible regrets?' Jay questioned himself, his internal struggle mirroring the external one he faced. The allure of the unknown and the chance to uncover the truth about his twin's predicament were like a siren's call, drawing him into uncharted territory.

It felt as if he stood at the precipice of a life-altering decision, a choice that would challenge his detachment and confront the void that had long defined him. The path ahead was uncertain, risky, and filled with potential consequences, but it was also filled with the promise of feeling truly alive for the first time in years.

"Where do we start?" he finally asked as he came to a sudden decision that any risk was worth it if he could escape this icy numbness, even if it was just for a moment.

Win blinked twice, surprised by his sudden agreement. He was prepared for refusal, something he would fully understand, but not this. It was unbelievable that someone of Jay's status would willingly hang out with them for the sake of something that didn't even concern him.

"There are few things you need to know about Tay," he started with an appreciating smile. "First, he loves his motorbike more than anything. Second, he is incredibly serious about his studies. Third, he always has a girlfriend, sometimes even two. It's something everyone knows about him, so any deviation from it will be suspicious. Four, he absolutely hates Sean."

"Then we have a massive problem," Jay replied, starting to regret his decision.

His eyes widened as he realised why Jay didn't use Tay's bike. But this was easy to fix. "No worries, I can teach you how to ride it."

"I'm gay."

"Oh!" Win exclaimed, freezing momentarily as his brain raced to find a solution. "If anyone asks, I will jump at them like a possessive and jealous best friend who is fed up with you never having time for me and constantly skipping our tutoring sessions. Just let them face my wrath."

"Works for me," Jay laughed, agreeing with his plan as long as no one would try to force a relationship with a woman on him. "What about classes? There is no way I can learn the script in such a short time, plus I will be busy with work."

"I will deal with assignments, and you can copy my answers during exams. It's mostly a multiple-choice test and relatively easy to cheat. His grades so far are spotless. All you need to do is be there and get a passable score. Just enough to keep him above the surface."

"Anything else I should know?"

"You need to be careful around Fort. He knows Tay well and will notice if you act out of character. Same for Izzy. It's easier with Sean since he doesn't give a shit about him, and they don't interact outside jobs or their petty squabbles," Win replied, trying to think of anything useful. "I will cover for you just in case. If anyone gets suspicious, I will convince them otherwise."

Part of him thought it sounded too easy to be true, but there was no turning back. Besides, it could be fun and refreshing.

Win spent the rest of the evening telling him stories about his brother and everything their group had done. Unable to accept the path his father chose for him, Tay left the house when he was barely sixteen and never looked back. He survived on part-time jobs and scholarships, always following his own path... choosing freedom above anything else. Tay seemed his polar opposite. It was amusing but also sad at the same time how different they were despite being identical. But also made him realise that without an ally who could cover up for him, this whole thing would never work... now they seemed to have a solid chance of finding out why he was there.