‘The children have really taken a liking to you,’ Taekwoon told him.

‘Huh? Uh, yeah… I guess so.’ Hakyeon was unsure.

The children fell in love with the small drawings that were on their cookies a few days ago and have been constantly nagging Haerin to bring the artist back. When the children finally met Hakyeon, they instantly fell in love. They pleaded and clung onto Hakyeon for the boy to teach them how to draw and sketch. So, Haerin offered that Hakyeon could stay to teach art classes during his temporary stay in Pinewoods.

Hakyeon agreed since he didn’t have anything else in mind to do and that he did indeed love art but he was also worried at the same time. After all, being here also meant seeing Leo’s doppelganger, Taekwoon.

The two of them were taking a break from their class and while Hakyeon was nibbling quietly on his own lunch in which Amelia had prepared for him, Taekwoon walked by and sat across him.

 ‘You’re really natural with the children. It took me awhile for them not to get scared of me…’ Taekwoon sighed with a dejected look on his face.

‘I grew up in a small district back home so taking care of our neighbor’s children was a normal thing to do. If I wasn’t helping at the boutique, I thought it would have been nice to be an art teacher instead.’ Hakyeon said. ‘But the children loves you now so you shouldn’t worry?’

Hakyeon really didn’t know how to cheer Taekwoon up since he was so natural and loved by children himself that he never had the same problems. But as Hakyeon looked at Taekwoon’s sad or depressed expression, it resembled Leo’s even more. In fact, after the past few days, Hakyeon was almost convinced that they were the same person.

That the Taekwoon in front of him was Leo.

As the two was finishing up with their lunch, Hakyeon rushed to clean up after himself and leave. He wanted to avoid Taekwoon as much as possible because he was worried and scared that he wouldn’t be able to control his feelings just looking at the latter’s face. But just then, Taekwoon pulled onto his wrist to stop him.

‘Wait! What are you doing after classes?’ He asked Hakyeon.

‘Huh? Nothing much. I’m just going back home to the bakery to help Amelia with some chores per usual. Why?’

‘…’ Taekwoon hesitated. ‘Do you mind if I come as well?’

What was Taekwoon thinking? Just when Hakyeon thought he could see as less of Taekwoon as possible…

‘Sure.’ Hakyeon could only say.

It wasn’t like Hakyeon could say ‘no’ to the poor fragile man.

‘Welcome back Hakyeonie. How was your day?’ Amelia came to greet him back home and noticed someone unexpectedly came in after Hakyeon. ‘Hello Mr. Taekwoon. What brings you here?’

‘Um. Ms. Amelia… I have a small favor to ask if I may…’ Taekwoon was stuttering with his request.

‘What is it?’

Even Hakyeon didn’t know why Taekwoon wanted to come here.

‘Can you teach me how to bake a cake?’ He finally asked.

‘Oh? Sure but why so suddenly?’ She asked back.

‘It’s going to be the Father’s birthday soon and I was thinking of making something for him in order to thank him for taking me in and nursing me this entire time.’

Amelia and Hakyeon looked at one another and broke into an adoring smile for the tall man.

‘Sure! But I’m a rather strict teacher, so be prepared!’ She warned him jokingly.

Hakyeon didn’t know much about cooking or baking so he say by the counter in the kitchen and drew quietly in his sketchbook. He couldn’t resist doodling the scene that was in front of him. It was so happy and peaceful that he didn’t want to forget any minute of it.

From time to time, he couldn’t help resist the urge to look up at the two who was busy making a mess in the kitchen. The scene really brought back so many precious memories for him that he was beginning to feel the nostalgia.

Taekwoon was standing next to Amelia obediently listening to her instructions like a good child would.

Leo and Amelia was going to be married once but after much has happened, it obviously did not work out. Yet, that didn’t change the fact that even after Amelia had ran away from home, that she and Leo was still friends and contacting with one another from time to time. Due to Leo’s introvert-like personality, he didn’t have many friends. In fact, it was only Ken and Amelia. Amelia unlike most of the fragile innocent young ladies in Brampton, was a lot tougher and bold. She teased and joked with Leo often and the two were great friends.

Although the person next to her now goes by a different name, even Hakyeon could see that Amelia was happy and familiar with Taekwoon as she had always been with Leo.

They laughed and played, made a mess and much more but it was all a wonderful sight to capture for Hakyeon. He hasn’t felt this happy in a very long time.

* * * * * *

After the lesson, Taekwoon finally left and had promised to come back another day for further practice.

‘He really is just like Leo, isn’t he?’ Amelia said after she had cleaned up the kitchen and settled down. She was obviously a bit sad though.

Hakyeon nodded.

‘Do you think that Leo really survived and that that Taekwoon is him?’ She asked.

‘I think so. Besides their name being different, everything about Taekwoon is just like Leo. There’s almost no mistaking it.’ Hakyeon confirmed.

‘What are you planning to do?’

‘Nothing. Seeing how happy is he right now, living here in Pinewoods… I don’t wish to ask for anything more. I don’t want him to be burdened by his past and traumas, remembering all those horrible things that had happened during the war. I think that forgetting everything is only for the better.’

‘And you’re okay with that?’

‘It would be a lie to say that I’m completely fine but it’s for his sake. I only want what is best for him.’

‘Hakyeon-ah…’ She sympathized with the boy.

‘I’m alright Amelia. Don’t worry about me. I never accepted Leo’s confession in the first place and to be honest, it’s now too late to do so. Jung Leo has died and the man that’s now living in front of us is Taekwoon. Let’s just forget about everything and accept that. Plus, Ken and Ravi are still investigating about the case back in Brampton…’ Hakyeon sighed.

‘About that. Ken called the other day to say that they’ve found evidence to prove Leo’s innocence and that he really didn’t betray the country in the end.’

‘What do you mean?’ Hakyeon have never heard or been told of the investigation in detail except that Ken was looking for a way to prove that Leo was not the traitor that people made him out to be.

‘Actually, Ravi had suspected one of the higher ranked officials to be selling out our country’s secrets to the enemy even before the war had started. He sold every bit of information he could to the enemy, which was why it the war took so long. It was strange enough to Ravi that the enemy seems to know all of their movements and more. The traitor gained a huge sum of money to last him a lifetime and if our country had lost, he could have easily escaped across the border and hide inside enemy territories. But no one could’ve calculated the fact that Leo would sacrifice himself and ended the last battle… so that guy got not only didn’t receive anything more from the enemy but was threatening to reveal him as a traitor to his own country. He was mad at Leo for ruining his plans and in order to protect himself from being caught, he put all of the blame onto Leo even though Leo have died.’

Hakyeon could feel his anger fuming up after hearing the full story.

‘Why didn’t Ken tell me anything?’ He asked.

‘They really didn’t want you to worry nor did they have enough proof back then to defend Leo either. Ken was worried that you might break down even more if you knew the truth. They were scared that you might even lose your mind…’

‘Who do they think I am… I’m a lot stronger than I look you know,’ Hakyeon sighed.

‘They were just worried. Don’t be mad at them for it.’

‘I wont. In fact, I can’t even start to say how thankful I am for their consideration.’ Hakyeon assured her with a smile.

‘Also. I told them about Taekwoon.’

‘What did they say?’

‘We think the decisions are yours to make. You have a point Hakyeon-ah. This Taekwoon that’s here with us in Pinewoods, is a lot more free and happier than the Jung Leo I knew of back home. If you think that it is best for not recalling the past, than we respect your decision.’

* * * * * *

Everyday as Hakyeon looked at Taekwoon from a distance while the latter was playing with the children at the orphanage, he couldn’t help but feel that the current situation was really the best for Taekwoon or for Leo.

Plus, Leo have always loved music and wished to pursue it so by him becoming Taekwoon, he was able to play the piano all he wanted to the people whom he loved the most.

I’ll be leaving soon Leo-ah, no, it’s Taekwoon now isn’t it. I have a lot I really want to talk to you about but I guess that will have to wait. I’m just happy seeing that you’re alive and well. Happy with who you have become. It doesn’t matter whether or not you remember the past but what matters is that you’re happy right now…

The tears fell down on Hakyeon as he watched the peaceful scene play through in front of him. While watching Taekwoon so elegantly play the tunes on the piano, it reminded him of the past even more. It reminded Hakyeon of the first time and every precious moment he had with Leo. Hakyeon knew he wouldn’t be able to stop the slight tingling pain he felt and the tears that kept on falling, so he quietly left the room to stop his reminisce.

‘Stop. I’ll be alright. Gosh, how old am I to still be crying like this, I’m not a child anymore.’ Hakyeon told himself as he tried to wipe away his tears and sniffles.

‘Why are you crying mister?’ Suddenly, a little girl was standing by Hakyeon’s side, looking up to him while he was still in the middle of drying away his tears.

‘Huh? Nothing. Something just got into my eyes. Why are you not in class right now?’ Hakyeon said but he couldn’t recognize the child so he assumed that she might be a new child from the orphanage.

‘I’m not from here. I head the piano playing and was seeing where it was coming from,’ she commented.

Hakyeon couldn’t agree more that Taekwoon’s music was mesmerizing.

‘Where are your parents?’ He asked her.

‘I don’t know. I think I lost them.’ The little girl showed a sad expression. ‘Can you help me look for them? Pretty please?’

‘Alright.’ Hakyeon smiled at her reassuringly.

Hakyeon was looking all over town with the little girl to find her parents but they were nowhere to be seen.

‘This way!’ The little girl suddenly pointed in a direction and ran.

‘Wait!’ Hakyeon followed in a rush.

Hakyeon continued to run after the little girl with the direction she was going but before he knew it, he was outside of Pinewoods.

‘Where are you going?’ He noticed and got worried.

‘Come this way!’ She took Hakyeon’s hands and made him follow her.

‘But this-‘ Hakyeon gulped as he was beginning to realize where she was taking him.

Those tall towering trees that blocked the light and the leaves that crackled beneath his feet… Hakyeon had an uneasy feeling.

‘Come.’ The little girl said again.

She had led him into the forest that was usually an hour away from the town. It took him quite a short amount of time to get here though… was it because he was preoccupied with chasing after the little girl?

He never went into this forest before and it was obviously too scary even from the outside for him to dare walk in. But the autumn colors that was painted across the forest began to make him forget about the uneasy feeling he was having just now. As he was mesmerized by the beauty that the forest turned out to be, he walked along the paved road before him.

Hakyeon felt a strange atmosphere coming from this forest though. It was as if he has been here before. Perhaps in a dream or déjà vu?

‘Hey! Where did you go?!’ Hakyeon called out to the little girl after realizing that she was nowhere to be seen.

There was no response.

Hakyeon started to panic and he rushed throughout the forest to look for her. What do I do? What if something happens to her? Please let her be all right.

‘Over here!’ He could hear the little girl call out from a distance.

Hakyeon took notice of her voice and the direction that it was coming from. Immediately he went to look for her.

‘Where are you?’ He calls again to make sure.

‘Here! Over here!’ Her voice could be heard louder this time.

She’s nearby. She must be up front-

‘AHHH!!!’ Hakyeon yells.