chapter ten ; 
               depiction

"Leo... who is this? Why does she... l-look like me?"

Leo found no words coming from his lips. Well, how can he? His mind is blank, lips quivering. He was just there, standing frozen, not knowing what to do. His eyes were just there, glued at a rather dumbfounded Jinae and at the painting of Minhwa silently hung at the pavement. 

It's funny. He saw Minhwa and Jinae at the same time, at the same place. Only that... Jinae is alive and Minhwa is, well, dead. Nothing but a mere painting, only made alive by those colors he had used.

He recalled the reason why he painted that painting. Caused by severe depression during the first few decades of missing his beloved, Leo tried to bring her alive once more by painting a rather life-like painting. Alas, he failed. A painting will be a painting and that's that. It wouldn't bring anyone or anything alive again. It's simply something done by mixing a few hues of colors and placing them on a canvas. Nothing else.

"Leo!" he hears Jinae cry out. He looks up and nearly fell when he saw Jinae's eyes with tears. Was he making this lady cry? "Answer me! Explain this!"

For some reason, he felt that Jinae was both confused and afraid. Who wouldn't be afraid if they saw their image painted and hung onto the wall? Plus, by someone they don't know that much yet. "Leo!" he hears Jinae call out again, this time, a bit louder. 

Leo breathes deeply. He needs to state the truth.

No more hiding.

No more secrets.

She needs to know.

"Seo Minhwa." he mumbles under his breath. "Do you remember that time we first met? When I suddenly wrapped you in my embrace and called you 'Seo Minhwa'? Do you recall that, Jinae?" he asks.

"I do. Why?" she blinks, wiping the threatening tears from her eyes. "What's the connection–"

"That's her."

Jinae lost Leo that time. She looked back at the picture and saw herself yet again. She needed a few more seconds–no, minutes– to realize what Leo was uttering. With widened eyes, she turns around to look at Leo with disbelief in her eyes. She was still confused, yes, that's a fact. Jinae sought to understand things further more.  "That's... Seo Minhwa?" she questioned, voice still trembling. "Are you saying that we... we look alike? Is that it?"

"Yes." Leo nods.

"... Who is Seo Minhwa?"

Leo gulped greedily before he gestures Jinae to sit down first. Once they were seated, Leo leaned back and began to explain things.  "Seo Minhwa is... the youngest member of the Seo's. Her family... they're one of those people we label as 'high ranking people'. She's... she's my most beloved one."

"... And where is she now?" 

"... She's dead, Jinae. Minhwa's dead. She's been dead all this time."

Jinae nearly choked. The lady painted and hung on the wall is deceased? Leo's beloved is deceased? Maybe she's the reason on why Leo acted so silent, so lonely, so cold. So mysterious and seemingly doesn't want anyone to interfere with his current life. "She's... dead?" she repeated. "Oh, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean–"

"It's okay. It's been a long time already, so don't mind it." Leo cuts off, sadness in his tone. For some reason, Jinae felt guilty for even asking who Minhwa is. But something still ran in her mind. Why does Minhwa share the same features with her? Why were they both a splitting image of each other.

"When did she die?" Jinae asked.

Leo smiled sadly before he leans forward, eyes still eyed far from Jinae. "If I told you so, you'd be weirded out and be more confused. Trust me, anyone who asked that had the very same results."

"Don't compare me with others, Leo." Jinae replies, trying to flash an assuring smile. "I suppose I can understand whatever you'll say."

"No. No you wouldn't."

"We could try, right?"

Left with no choice, and still hesitant, Leo nods. He recalled Hakyeon's words from before. He could still hear and see Hakyeon warning him to never tell anyone about such information. Either they'll find him crazy , weird or simply stay away from him. Hakyeon desired Leo to have a normal life starting this era of time. No more sadness, just moving on. 

And here he is, dealing with the past yet again and about to spill his secrets out to Jinae.

"... Why do you think..." he began as he pointed at the antique artifacts and paintings gathered in his room. "Why do you think I have so much things from the past in my residence, Jinae? How do you think I gained them?"

"You have connections?" Jinae tried guessing. "Or perhaps you've got relatives who are archeologists?"

"No."

"Then what?"

Leo sighs yet again as he grabs an album under the desk. He hands it to Jinae, who, with careful hands, flip each page carefully. She saw black and white pictures, some pictures already faded. Some were even torn.

The pictures raced from the early years of civilization up until the present time. Jinae was even more confused. Leo was in every picture taken, some looked like a few familiar faces of the present time, but obviously, they aren't. She was clouded with questions and more with confusion. Why did Leo let her see these? Why was Leo in every pciture?

"This is ridiculous." Jinae laughs as she closes the album and hands it back to Leo. "The pictures are fake, right? You can't simply be someone who lived over hundreds of years already. I mean, it's not like your some guy who is still alive after some period of ours like the Joseon Era, right, Leo?"

Jinae feared more when he saw Leo not laughing, and rather, serious looking. "Leo? You're joking right? It's impossible." she added, scowled. "Immortality? That's pure joke, right, Leo? You... no one can live decades alive. And besides, if ever you did, why aren't you wrinkly?"

Leo stands up and paces around the room. "It might sound weird, but yes, I've been living for decades now." Leo chuckles sadly as he eyes the antique objects around his house. "I've collected every single object in this house throughout my life, Jinae. Sounds weird and crazy, right? But some things that sounds equally weird and crazy turn out to be true, and I'm one of them."

Again, he pauses and turns to see Jinae. "I was born during the Joseon Period. Seo Minhwa is considered somewhat like a princess in our village. She died after being assassinated. She's not a major character in the past so she's not that known in history, not was she noted down in historical books. Neither was I noted. I lived a life as a fugitive. No one kenw my real identity. I ran and–"

"You're immortal?" Jinae cuts off, still confused. "No, no, no, it's impossible."

"I thought it was too. But here I am, living hundred of years and still well and alive. No wrinkles and not even aging a bit." Leo continues. "And I... watched and has no one left beside me."

"What do you mean?"

"Minhwa was assassinated. My family was assassinated as well just after a few days since Minhwa's incident. Whenever I meet friends throughout the years I cross, they either forget me, go away or die due to some reasons. That's continuously happening up until now. Sooner or later, everyone will age and will go underground, resting forever. Me? I've been trying to kill myself all these time but I never succeeded."

"Why... why do you want to die?"

"I'm in pain, do you not see? They cursed me to feel more pain. I can't die, you see. No matter how bad my condition will be, no matter how weak my body will be, I'll never die. Saddening, right?"

Jinae was just there, sitting not knowing what to reply. It was too much information to absorb at one sitting. First, she saw a painting of this lady so-called "Seo Minhwa" who shares not only the same family name but the same exterior looks. 

Next, she had Leo telling him that he's an immortal guy cursed to live his pain forever. 

What's next?

"And we're suspecting something." Leo confesses. "That you're a reincarnation of Minhwa. And my main mission is to succeed in protecting you this time." 

Jinae blinked.

"Reincarnation? That's not true, is it?" she asks. "There's no such thing–"

"That's what I used to believe too." Leo sighs. "We're not a hundred percent sure though. There's still a chance that it's just a coincidence."

Jinae slowly blinked as she stood up, the emblem still in her hand. "Tell me... more about this Minhwa lady."

Leo knew that things will go down pretty bad this time.

"Leo!" a rather furious Hakyeon shoots from the door. Leo was just sitting there, silently reading a book with a cup of coffee laying silently on the table.  Stomping towards the latter, Hakyeon rather hits Leo's head hard, making a loud smacking sound afterwards. Of course, the other winces in pain as a reaction. "You idiot! I got so worried when you didn't return at work! Do you have any ideas on how I nearly died in worry looking for you? I roamed the whole Seoul, even asking strangers if they came across you!"

"I'm sorry, I had something to do." Leo says as he continues to rub his head. "And a few things to explain to someone."

"Someone?" Hakyeon scowls as he plops beside Leo. "Who? Someone important? A client perhaps?"

"No." Leo shakes his head. "Jinae."

"Jinae? What serious business do you have with her for you to leave work like that?"

"I told her things."

Hakyeon nearly forgot how to breathe when he heard Leo. Through those eyes, Hakyeon knew what Leo was talking about and immediately, he shoots right back to his feet, eyes widened in disbelief. "Don't tell me... you told her that? Leo, I told you it wouldn't be safe to tell her those kinds of things! She'll think you're crazy–"

"She believed me." Leo cuts off rather quickly. "Surprisingly, she believed me and offered me trust."

"... Say what?"

Leo clears his throat and shows his emblem to Hakyeon. Knowing that Hakyeon is familiar with the said object, he expected Hakyeon's eyes to grow wider. He knew that Hakyeon would soon realize that the other half is now wielded by the female. "So what are your plans now? Court her again like you did to Minhwa?" Hakyeon asks.

"That's not basically my major objective, but if that cannot be avoided, then perhaps I might." Leo cooly answers, sipping his coffee. "I'm sorry, I know it was reckless but it came out of no where. She saw Minhwa's painting and I had to explain things."

"... How'd she exactly react?"

Leo slowly lowers his head as he looks around, remembering the scene from earlier. "She... took it rather easily. She was first confused and was hesitant to believe but in the end, she trusted me. Being someone who's interested in myths and tales from the past, she found clear explanations to support my informations... so–"

"So she believed you?" Hakyeon asks, to which Leo nods. "... How about Minhwa? How'd she react to Minhwa?"

"Normally."

Hakyeon could only sigh. This friend of his is definitely too unpredictable. "You know what, you should rest for now. I'll prepare dinner for the both of us, okay? You must be famished."

Leo smiled before he stands up and thanks Hakyeon.

Things were just taking up a notch here.

The scene from earlier never left his mind. Leo continuously remembered the scene and was kept replaying in his mind over and over again as he lays down his bed, eyes on the ceiling.

"How are you dealing with life then?" Jinae asks as she eyes Leo. "It must be painful, more painful than my case of being someone with cancer, right? How are you dealing with it?"

"I want to forget." Leo confesses. "I just want to throw away the pain, forget and start anew."

"But won't throwing your memories like a piece of paper in the trash be more painful? Minhwa is a part of your memory and turning your back on her will be... hard."

"I know."

"... Then let me help you." Jinae smiles as she eyes Leo with those life-filled charcoal orbs. "I'll help you while you're helping me live my life to the fullest before I leave."

"... How?" Leo questioned.

"I'll help you forget the past." Jinae grins. "While you help me change my life."

Leo slowly smiles before he nods. "Deal."