We left Seoul at 8 o’clock and drove for two hours straight. We stopped at a fast food place for some food and caffeine, then got right back in the car and drove for two more hours.

Yongguk asked me a stream of nonstop questions, checking to make sure that all of my memories had indeed returned. It seemed that they had, because I was able to answer them all.

It was nearing 1 o’clock when Yongguk decided to call it a night.

“We’re less than an hour away,” Yongguk said, pulling into the parking lot of a roadside motel. “We can get some shuteye and grab the kid in the morning.”

“Okay, there will be no ‘grabbing’ of Ren,” I interrupted, following him out of the car and stretching my legs. “We’re just going to have a nice talk with him.”

“And if he won’t listen?”

“Then…he will listen; he has to listen.”

The old man behind the counter looked up as we entered, probably surprised to see customers arriving this late. Yongguk took my left hand again and tucked it into his pocket, just as he had when he were going to the safe house.

“Ah, ajusshi, we got so lost coming here,” he sighed, dramatically. “My wife and I haven’t been back to Busan since we were little kids, and everything just looks so different. We need a room just for the night.”

“Of course!” the old man replied, immediately jumping to his feet. “Right away, sir.”

The room was simple, but not unpleasant. We each took showers, and ate a few bags of chips and granola bars from the vending machine down the hall. Yongguk’s eyes were already half closed, exhausted from the driving.

Sharing a bed with Yongguk wasn’t really even new to me, because we had done it many times before. However, things felt strangely different this time, even though nothing had really changed. The blankets were rather thin considering it was the middle of winter, and I cuddled into him for warm.

“I remember now,” I whispered, hiding my face in the sleeve of his shirt, even though it was dark and he couldn’t see my blush.

“Hmm?” he replied, shifting a little.

“What time, you know,” I muttered. “I wasn’t nearly as drunk as you probably thought.”

He was silent for a moment as he let the information sink in.

“When I dyed my hair red, it was just on a whim,” he finally said, voice hushed. “I really didn’t know why I did it. One day, I just walked into the salon and asked for something crazy. I think…I think I wanted to catch your attention.”

“Well that was reckless and stupid,” I replied.

There was a beat of silence, and then Yongguk chuckled.

“Yeah, I realize that now.”

“It looks nice, though,” I told him. “I really like it.”

“Me too.”

Slowly, Yongguk’s breathing evened, and I thought he had already fallen asleep when he spoke up again. “Ara, what if we find out J