chapter five ; 
               where are you? how are you?

"Hongbin."

In a blink of an eye, the dimpled waiter turns around to the owner of that angelic voice. He quickly sees the majestic female waitress infront of her, a small pout somewhat forming on those perfectly drawn rose-colored lips. "Yes, dear?" he answers back in a soft and calm tone, a small smile flashed at her.

Jinae slowly walked towards the male, those glimmering black orbs meeting Hongbin's. "Are you sure you'll be fine if I take my early leave today? You know, you don't usually do well whenever you worry for me." she breathes out.

Hongbin could only laugh before he places a hand over his ladylove's head. "I'm sure, Jinae. You shouldn't stress yourself out worrying about me worrying for you. The worrying part's my role here." he giggles.

"You lost me there." she pouts more.

"Nevermind that then." he smiles once more. "I promise I'll be fine without you watching over for me. I suppose I can serve the coming customers while still worrying on how you are at your place."

Jinae sighs before she crosses her arms on her chest, eyeing her beloved. Hongbin saw through the female's eyes and with that, his smile grew a bit smaller, his visible dimples slowly fading off. "Alright, alright. I won't worry much over you as long as I know that you're safe, okay?" he chuckles, assuring Jinae once more.

"Better do, or I'll be mad for a total of one week at you!" she cried.

"I bet you can't even last a minute without talking to me."

"Yes I can!"

"You barely survived fourty seconds before..."

"Don't remind me of such... such foolishness!" Jinae whined, hitting Hongbin's shoulder. The male simply laughed on how Jinae reacted cutely, throwing weak punches on his shoulder. Hongbin knew that Jinae was always weak, and that's what makes her a lot more likeable to protect and watch over. He always loved this persona of the female. "Promise you'll do a hundred percent of your best?" Jinae asks, those puppy-like eyes staring up at Hongbin.

"Of course." Hongbin smiles. "I promise."

"Jung Leo! Stop that!"

Hakyeon's cries were seemingly blocked by an invisible barrier shrouding Leo. Hakyeon tried to reach out for his ally, but all he got were violent pushes from a raging Leo himself. He tried to retreat at first and charge him again,  but all efforts the tanned latter were seemingly uneffective and had fallen useless. His eyes watched as Leo broke everything in his sight.

It was painful.

"Leo!" Hakyeon finally bursts out as he grabs Leo by his arm forcefully, pushing aside the thought of him being capable of hurting the other physically. All he cared for was for Leo to calm down. For the first time, he actually thought that a crying Leo falling on his knees and weeping on his shoulder was a lot of a better scene that this. Or was it the fact that Hakyeon wasn't used to this side of his bestfriend?

Leo is often seen calm and collected, if not, extremely depressed and seemingly deep in thought. 

But never violent.

"Please, can you just calm down for a second?" Hakyeon pleaded, eyes staring straight at those of Leo's. He was sure that he saw how fury slowly consumed his dear friend. He knew that Leo was not only filled with fury.

But sadness. 

And fear.

"Tell me about it." Hakyeon begs. "Tell me what's bothering you as of now. I'll listen as long as you promise that you'll be as calm as you can. Will you tell me?" he asks. Leo pauses for a while, lowering his head as he lets out a deep sigh. After a few seconds, Hakyeon saw Leo nod before he raised his head again, those sharp eyes gone as if they were never there in the first place. Hakyeon slowly and hesitates to let go of the latter's broad shoulders, but alas, he did in the end. 

Hakyeon waited for Leo to begin, but the words he longed to hear and listen to seemingly never came slipping out of those lips of Leo's. He decides to wait a bit more. And longer. And more...

"It's Hongbin, isn't it?" he takes a guess. Leo freezes before he averts his eyes, confirming Hakyeon's suspicions. "You're jealous, I suppose?"

"What am I to be jealous of?" Leo asked, raising a brow.

"Don't play cool about it, Leo. Your eyes say it all." Hakyeon frowns, crossing his arms as he eyes the other. "Perhaps it's the fact that Minhwa's doppleganger is his, well, girlfriend?"

Leo freezes in place. His eyes slowly wavered and slowly, they averted away from Hakyeon. He didn't want the latter to see those eyes of his slowly pool with tears of agony. Unfortunately, Hakyeon saw through his actions and hurriedly, he made up a plan that consisted of him following Leo's eyes to wherever they turned to. "You don't need to pretend, Leo." Hakyeon frowns more. "You've shared lots of things about you to me these past years. How come you can't share this one?" 

"It's... different." Leo whispered.

"What's different about this?"  Hakyeon asked, eyeing the other. He knew very well that for centuries, Leo had tried to live this painful life of his. He knew as well that Leo only lived in sufferring, the memories of his beloved's death forever lingering in his head. With a look-alike Jinae living the modern world with a similar presence as Minhwa, it'll be two times the pain. And with the fact that Jinae's heart now belongs to a dear friend of theirs, who wouldn't be hurt more?

"She has Hongbin to protect her now." Leo mumbles. "And protecting Minhwa is my duty."

"But she's not Minhwa." Hakyeon explains. "She's Seo Jinae. She's not Minhwa. She and her are different perhaps in lots of aspects except their personality and appearance... and aura maybe."

"Your point is?"

"My point is that you shouldn't let those be a bother." Hakyeon sighs. "Sure, she's Hongbin's girlfriend, so what? You're just gonna sit there, crying and cutting yourself forever more? What if Hongbin can't protect her enough? That's your job then, to protect her when Hongbin couldn't. It's still your job."

Hakyeon watches as Leo averts his eyes before he stands up and tries to walk away. "Jung Leo." he calls out, making the other stop in his tracks. "You said it yourself, didn't you? Your job is to protect Minhwa, and perhaps, this Jinae is Minhwa's second life. A reincarnation, though it's really foolish to think of. This is your chance to protect her once again. To make it up to her for not being able to save her life before."

Leo sighs and faces Hakyeon. "How can I if seeing her hurts me?" Leo questioned. "Hakyeon, all I want is to forget the past. I want to forget everything...–"

"Including Seo Minhwa?" Hakyeon cuts off. 

Leo blinks and shakes his head. "I thought so." Hakyeon nods before he stands up as well and walks towards Leo, patting his shoulder. "Well, you better get a grip as soon as you can. Whether or not Jinae is Minhwa's reincarnation or whatever, if you want to make it up to your incapabilities before, you've got to make a move now."

Leo knew that Hakyeon was right. He always was.

It was four in the afternoon.

Leo decided to clear up his head right after Hakyeon had told him earlier that day. Leo had thought of walking around the city, taking a breath of fresh air and watching Seoul get clad in those colorful lights as soon as the sun finally takes its set. He hasn't seen the stars up in the night sky for quite a while too. It'd be nice to see then once again. 

Everyone was buzzing off home now, if not, were getting ready to take their leave from their own jobs. Some shops were beginning to simmer down from their business spree, some people were heading home after some shopping or what. 

During his stroll, Leo found himself in the peaceful park not far from his residence. It was a bit far from the buzzing part of the city but it didn't bother him. The park showed a better view of the sun setting and the change of the cloud's colors– from cerulean blue to a fiery orange hue. It was majestic and that made him smile. 

Sitting down on a nearby bench, he saw a few couples taking a stroll as well. Lots had smiles on their faces as they walked hand-on-hand. he heard those sweet exchange of laughs, giggles and a few playful jokes.

If not couples, he saw families walking together. Almost all of them still had toddlers with them. One, two or three children playfully walking beside their parents and siblings. 

He remembered his life before it was crushed.

He recalled all those dear ones that accompanied him before they were gone. 

Leo looked up and decided to close his eyes for a while.

Memories flooded back to him. He saw right before him how his mother and father walked beside him, strolling around the town all together, and sometimes, in nearby meadows. If his mother and father were too busy serving the nearby palace, Leo would have his three sisters take him around the small village. 

And in rare occassions, the whole family would watch the sun set all together in a nearby meadow.

But after this one incident, only a month or two after the respected Minhwa's death, his family was targetted by the suspected same assassin groups. Leo could remember clearly on how one of the guards quickly informed him about the said attack. He came too late though. His parents were both laying down on the ground, lifeless and drenched in blood. Two of his sisters were laying down on the same group, their white clothes drenched in their own crimson blood. 

He acted quick and tried to look for his other sister. Only two of them were dead, so he figured out that the last one was still alive.

Leo found his sister rather quickly and driven by emotions, he hurried to wrap her in embrace. He saw how she was intensely wounded, lots of scratched and blood dripping from her fair skin. 

But not less than a minute of their dear reunion, an arrow was shot straight to her chest, stealing her life away in a blink. "You will never be alone, dear brother. We will forever be beside you." those were the last words that slipped out of his sister's lips before she finally takes her last breath and ceases her earthly existence.

"Leo?"

The voice nearby snaps Leo back to reality. The tears that were about to pool out of his eyes were held back as he saw the figure standing about three or four meters away from him. The familiar female standing quite far from him made him gasp in surprise. "What're you doing here all emotional, hm?" Jinae laughs as she makes her way to the astonished male sitting on the bench. "You were acting like you were supposedly shooting a drama or some sort." she giggles.

Leo could only stare at her, no words being replied to the other. "Well? Are you just going to pretend that you're mute or something?" Jinae grins. "Can I sit down beside you?" 

Leo nods.

Jinae sits down and eyes him, a faint smile forming once again. "I see Hongbin was right all along. You are a quiet type, aren't you?" she grins, grabbing Leo's attention. "Hongbin talks about you a lot, and about Mr. Hakyeon too and the rest of you guys."

"He does?" Leo asks back, seemingly surprised.

"Mhm! Hongbin talks about you the most." she smiles. "I've got it figured out that you're someone he looks up the most. You must be an interesting person."

"Yes, you once told that as Minhwa too." "Do I? Thank you then." Leo softly says. 

"You're a shy type too." Jinae giggles. "How adorable."

Leo soon finds himself slowly starting up a conversation with Jinae. Yes, he did feel quite hurt talking to Minhwa's doppleganger but it made something in him light up again. He felt a bit lighter talking to her. He loved this moment despite that small spark of pain forming in his heart once more. 

And despite the thought of having Hongbin capture her heart already, Leo somewhat forgot that part.

"Is Hongbin treating you well?" Leo asks.

"Yes." Jinae smiles. "He's the best one any girl can wish for." she giggles. "How about you? Do you have a special someone?"

"No. No intentions neither." Leo bluntly responds, despite a few lies lingering in it. "Why?"

"None? A cutie like you? You're joking!" Jinae laughs.

The laugh Jinae just makes Leo  smile faintly. 

Hakyeon was right.

If he failed to protect Minhwa before.

Despite having Hongbin by her side, Leo promised to protect Jinae.

And not fail to let her life slip away so easily.