She could see the polished leather of the shoes from between her fingers and when they didn’t move, Ha Jin looked up to see a dark blue and white polka dot handkerchief being offered to her.

Ha Jin reached out and used it to wipe her face hastily. She was sure her make up was completely ruined by this time but she stood up, clearing while still looking at the ground.

“Thank you for the handkerchief. I apologize for disturbing your time here.”

“That portrait must have made you very sad.”

That voice sounded eerily familiar to her, but Ha Jin figured it was because she had remembered so many memories that she was hearing things. She tugged at the handkerchief with her hands, still looking at the ground.

“Not the portrait per say but just the memories associated with it.”

“What type of memories?”

At those words, Ha Jin slowly turned to see the face of the man speaking to her. dropped open in shock and her eyes combed every inch of his face to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. When her eyes met his, she felt as if she was right back in Goryeo.

“You’re..!”

Was she dreaming right now? She blinked hard and opened her eyes again, still seeing the same face in front of her. The man seemed to be looking back at her with an amused smile on his face, just like he always did.

“Are you going to keep staring at me?”

Ha Jin blushed and diverted her eyes.

“I’m sorry for being rude. This is probably going to sound like I’m using a pick-up line on you, but you just look a lot like someone I’ve met before.”

“Someone like him?”

So pointed to the portrait.

“Do we look alike?”

“The likeness is certainly uncanny…but you aren’t suggesting that I’ve met the 4th emperor of Goryeo, are you?”

Ha Jin became uncertain, wondering where this So look-alike was going with this conversation. Did he know something that she didn’t?

“What if I told you that I have met you before?”

“You…have?”

Did she meet him somewhere before her coma? Or was he suggesting something else entirely? Something she was hoping for with all her being?

“I have. I don’t know if you remember it though…it was a long time ago.”

“Where did we meet?” Ha Jin asked hesitantly. She was still unsure if this was the person she was waiting for.

“Oh you know, it was on the side of the road. I might have saved you from falling into the river,” he said before scratching the back of his head. “Then again that probably wasn’t the best meeting…given I unceremoniously pushed you off a horse.”

Ha Jin couldn’t believe her ears. There was only one person to have ever done that to her, and it led to another wave of tears.

“So ya?”

He smiled and nodded.

“I’ve found you, my Soo ya.”

Ha Jin reached out to touch his face, just to make sure that he wasn’t a figment of her imagination. When she felt warm skin underneath her palms, she launched herself into his arms and buried her face into his shoulder.

“You’re here. You’re really here!”

She felt his arms wrap around her waist tightly to return her embrace. They stood there for a few seconds before she pulled back and looked at him again, just to make sure it was real and she wasn’t dreaming. Once their eyes connected, it wasn’t long before they both leaned in to share a very long-due kiss. 

“I don’t have a scar this time around, so I hope that doesn’t make you like me any less,” he said jokingly after they pulled apart.

“Of course not! But, how did you get here and how were you able to find me?”

So pulled away from the embrace but kept one hand firmly around that of Ha Jin’s.

“I think we both need to sit down and talk. Are you free now?”

“Yes, I wasn’t feeling well earlier so I was excused from work.”

So’s expression grew concerned.

“Are you sick? Maybe we should take you back home instead.”

“No, I’m not sick. I think I was just overwhelmed by the memories that started coming back while I was working. I’m feeling better now, and besides, if you thought I was just going to send you off after only just meeting you again, you are sorely mistaken!”

So chuckled at her statement.

“All right, but you must let me know immediately if you are feeling unwell.”

Ha Jin nodded and with another smile, So led them out of the exhibit. They had almost reached the exit of the building but before they could leave, someone approached them. It was only then that Ha Jin realized the man she was talking to at the booth earlier was someone she already knew.

“Ji Mong!”

Ji Hyun grinned and indicated to the reunited couple.

“You can call me Ji Hyun here. But I see that you have found each other, and regained your memories.”

“Did you know it was me before when we were at the counter?”

Ji Hyun nodded.

“I was trying to get a gauge of what you remembered, but it seems like I must have triggered something. I apologize for making you feel unwell.”

Ha Jin shook her head and waved her hands in front of her.

“Oh no, you don’t have to apologize. If you hadn’t done that, who knows if I would have met So today,” she said as she looked up at So with a serene smile on her face. 

Ji Hyun smiled at them both before checking the time on his watch.

“Looks like I need to head to my next tour. I will leave you both to it. We all can catch up later after Joon So has filled you in.”

With a wave, Ji Hyun walked away but if one looked closely, they could see he had a light bounce in his steps. Ha Jin looked at So curiously after he left.

“Joon So?”

“It’s a long story, sort of. Did you want anything in particular for dinner? Perhaps somewhere on the quiet side so we can chat.”

“Hmm, I know just the place!”

Ha Jin took them to a traditional Korean restaurant that specialized in serving dishes just like they did in the olden days. As they were led to their own room, Ha Jin and So settled down on the floor with their cushions and waited for the server. So looked around in amazement as he took in the familiar bamboo screens and sliding doors.

“I’m surprised they have places like this. There seems to be endless surprises here in this world.”

“There’s definitely a lot more from where this came from. I can’t wait to show you around! But before that, how long have you been here? Was it just recently that you arrived?”

So then launched into a long story of how he woke up as Joon So, and spent the last year learning how to adapt in this new world. He explained that Ji Mong had been his guide this entire time, and helped So with his search to find her.

When he revealed the first time he had seen Ha Jin in this world was at the lake, she was shocked.

“Why didn’t you approach me then?”

So shook his head.

“I could not. You looked at me and didn’t even bat an eyelash before looking back out on the lake. I surmised that you did not remember me at all, and I could not approach you with ulterior motives. It felt unfair to the present you.”

Ha Jin nodded before getting lost in her thoughts. After a few moments, realization dawned on her face.

“Wait, does that mean you’ve been following me ever since, and I just never noticed?”

“Yes, and no. I didn’t know how to find you after seeing you at the lake. It wasn’t until recently that I happened to see you working at one of the shops at the mall. I didn’t know you were working at the booth for the Goryeo exhibition either. Ji Hyun just told me to go and see since he claimed there were paintings that survived till now. I had no idea I would meet you there in front of my portrait.”

“No wonder I kept feeling someone’s stare on me while I was working that one time. It was you, wasn’t it.”

So blushed and nodded in embarrassment. Ha Jin sat back in a huff.

“I can’t believe you’ve been here all this time and I never knew!”

“It wasn’t your fault you didn’t remember.”

“That’s the frustrating part. I have been dreaming about you for months now but all the other details were hazy.”

“You dreamt about me?”

Ha Jin noticed a big grin on So’s face and she rolled her eyes.

“Yes, I did. You were all I dreamt about. My subconscious was clearly trying to get me to remember, but I couldn’t connect the dots until today. Are you happy now?”

“Of course I am, I have been waiting for this moment since the day I woke up in this world.”

Ha Jin frowned, feeling guilty. She had made him wait back in Goryeo, and here again. 

“I’m sorry for making you wait all this time. I don’t have a great track record when it comes to that, do I?”

So shook his head and reached over to grasp her hand on the table, giving it an affectionate squeeze.

“It doesn’t matter how long it takes. You came to be with me in the end both times, and that’s all I could ever ask for.”

The rest of the evening was spent with each other’s company. When it was time to head home, So made sure that Ha Jin got home safely, watching her walk through the front door before heading home. Although they wanted to spend more time together, So knew that there was no rush and they still had the rest of this lifetime to do so.

As Ha Jin drifted off to sleep that night, she found she had the most restful sleep in months, free of dreams. This was just fine by her, because her dreams had become reality and she couldn’t wait for what her life had in store next, all with So by her side.