chapter nine ; 
               unlocked

How long has it been?

Leo leaned back on his chair, scanning his office. His eyes wandered around, as if he's not used to this similar environment he is enclosed in daily. He lets out a small sigh and averts his attention at the piles of paper greeting him the next second. Despite his emotionless mask, if one looks deeper and deeper in Leo's charcoal orbs, one can definitely be sure that he's nothing but a container of confusion, depression and never ending agony.

"Nearly a month and a half." he manages to mumble under his breath as he eyes the calendar quietly standing on the corner of his desk. Month and a half. It's been exactly a month and a half since Jinae officially broke up with Hongbin. Since then, he hasn't heard much about the dimpled waiter. He didn't want to ask Jinae neither. Surely, the female would be bothered to talk about her former boyfriend.

So he was left with nothing but to stay by Jinae, drowning in a sea of curiosity once again. It was his task to start off anyway. His main objective is to protect his mistress, who is now in a modern person's body named Seo Jinae. He is tasked to stick beside the female and to protect her, and guard her throughout everything. 

Especially because she's a cancer patient–

"Leo?" Hakyeon's voice brings him back to reality. His eyes found their ways to his tanned friend, who was now entering his office with a bunch of paper work in his arms. "Hey, dude, you seem pretty dazed these days. What's bothering you this time? Thinking of more creative ways to kill yourself?" Hakyeon managed to laugh this time , laughing at how idiotic yet how possible those words he had just let go could happen. Hakyeon did wish that suicide wasn't the thing running in his complex mind.

"Idiot, suicide isn't everything I think about." Leo clicked his tongue. "However, that would be a good thing to think about. On how I could try doing my next suicide more creative–"

"Jung Leo!"

"I'm kidding, okay? Stop being to worried." Leo snickered as he stretches his hand out. "Give me the new paper works and tell me what I'm assigned to do with them. Make it quick. I've got my schedule crammed up."

Hakyeon flashes a soft smile before he sits across Leo, handing him his paper works. "The boss said to finish those within three days. Think you can handle it?" Leo simply nods, which makes Hakyeon nod back. There was this awkward silence, which both of them were rather used to, before Hakyeon stood up and glanced around his ally's office, as if it was something new to him too. "Say, Leo. How're things with Jinae? Are you taking it to the next level already?" he playfully questioned.

"Idiot, that's not my mission." Leo monotonously answers, his eyes still scanning the papers. "My main mission is to–"

"Guard and protect Jinae like you did to Minhwa, I kno-ow." Hakyeon groaned before he faces him, arms crossed. "But still, you can't lie that you fell in love with Minhwa too, right? You told me that before. You fell in love with her and she fell in love with you. You two had mutual feelings for each other. And don't try to fool me."

Slowly, he makes his way towards the still emotionless Leo before he leans over, eyes seemingly blazing. "You're in love with Jinae too, right?"

It's a dead end. As expected of Hakyeon. Hakyeon could read him like an open book. Even if he tried to hide the lies mounting up in him, Hakyeon will still be able to sense those. On how he does that interests Leo greatly. He even wanted to learn the ways Hakyeon could read him oh-so easily. "Tell it straight, Leo. Look at my eyes and tell me that you don't like Jinae." Hakyeon's voice was firm.

"... I..." Leo's voice was broken. "I..."

"You what, Leo?"

"...I.... I do like her."

Hakyeon sighs and falls on the seat behind him. "You're just going to hurt yourself, Leo. What if you lose her again like how you lost Minhwa? You'll get hurt more. You'll get more depressed and that will just give you more reasons to try and kill yourself. I know. Jinae is actually the main reason on why you're toning down the cutting and all but she can also be the reason for those suicidal tries to get more and more dangerous and complicated. I know you can't die, but watching you bleed is seemingly like–"

"Hakyeon, stop." Leo stands up. "I'm not going to lose Jinae too. I vowed to protect her. I am making up from my mistakes before with Minhwa. I'm making up for my incapabilities​ to protect Minhwa hundreds of years ago. I repeat, I am not going to lose Jinae too." His eyes changed. It wasn't agony anymore, but of somewhat anger. Anger fueling in him. It wasn't towards Hakyeon though. It was for himself. "I'm not... letting someone... be lost...–"

"Calm down." Hakyeon smiles as he shows his phone's screen, flashing the time. "Look, it's lunch break. You go stroll around while I finish your work. Sounds good?" 

Leo flashes a faint smile before he nods and begins to walk off. "Thanks, Hakyeon." he says before he exits his office. Hakyeon could only sigh as he watches Leo vanish around the corner before he takes over his office, only the clicking sounds of the keyboard audible as he does Leo's work. He knew that with the things bothering his friend almost every second, he wouldn't be able to finish every single task pilled up on him.

As told, Leo strolls around the city. His eyes were locked up on the cerulean skies, painted with cottony white clouds. The sun was shining rather brighter than the previous days and the surrounding was rather a lot more peaceful. The chirps of the birds perched on those green trees were his music, the taps of feet of passing citizens were his rhythm. 

"The sun will forever smile at me. That would probably be one reason why I am often seen to be full of bliss." Leo recalls Minhwa's words. He could agree, Minhwa was always a cheery lassie. She would always be the one who would remain smiling and trying to brighten up the mood when almost everyone in the village is mourning. She'd always be the one to first see the silver linings in the clouds. She would always be the one to see the positive things behind the almost impossible and saddest things existing. That lady... she didn't deserve to die. She was the village's, no, the world's happiness. Her death meant that the world had somehow lost its happiness.

And whose fault was it?

Leo's. Mainly because he's tasked to protect her.

"Leo!" he hears Jinae's voice calling him through the other side of the road. She was waving her hand up in the air, a smile carved on her petite face. When the traffic light showed her the signal that the pedestrians could cross the road, she hurriedly ran towards him, grinning. "It's odd to see you at the middle of the day! Are you out for lunch break perhaps? Also, where's Hakyeon? Isn't he supposed to be with you at almost every time?"

"Ah, he insisted on staying back at the company." Leo answered, trying to patch up a satisfying smile on him. "He said that he'd do the honors on continuing my work. I had no choice, so I let him be." he smiles. "And you? Aren't you supposed to work back at the café? Perhaps it's your break too?"

Jinae giggles as she shakes her head. "No, no. It's already the end of my shift." she smiles.

"Isn't it too early to end your shift though?"

"Hongbin told me to leave early to avoid stress."

Leo was caught in shock as he hears the dimpled waiter's name escape from Jinae's lips. "Hongbin? He did? So... he still worries about you despite you cutting off your relationship?"

"Of course, silly!" Jinae continues to chuckle. "I don't know if you have any vast knowledge about being in a relationship, but you really sound like a clueless monk. Relationships don't work out as how you imagine it. Despite cutting off everything with him, we both came to an agreement of staying as friends, putting aside our pasts. Besides, we're nearly like siblings. He's like a big brother to me and surely, he'd worry over me, especially because, well, I'm–"

"I get it." Leo smiles. "It's good that you two decided to keep it smooth with each other." Inviting her to stroll around with him, Leo slowly interrogates her. "So... how's Hongbin dealing with the break-up?"

"I can still sense the pain. It hasn't been that long." Jinae's smile slowly fades away. "But... it's better than him continuously lying over his own feelings, right? At least now, we're both free."

Leo nods. It was rather abnormally sunny today. The sun was seemingly shining brighten and things were just too peaceful. He never really expected to run across Jinae today. Based on their chats before, he learned that Jinae is too busy with either work or her constant visits in the hospital. She is in need of constant medication. "Aren't your parents rather worried for you?" Leo asks. "I mean... you're out here, wandering to who knows where, hanging out with a guy you just met because of Hongbin. Plus, you're hanging out with me, whom you're not actually much familiar of." 

"I suppose they do worry, but not much." Jinae giggles. "But with the fact that my days are counted, they do give me the freedom to wander around as much as possible. And puh-leese, despite me not knowing much about you, I feel like..."

"..Like?"

"Like I've known you so well already. Like in a previous life, I've been so close to you. Do you catch my drift?" 

Leo nearly choked on his own spit upon hearing that. Jinae didn't seem to recognize that as she was too busy having her mind wander off like her. In fact, Leo can't somehow read what is running in her head. Perhaps a breakfast she had three years ago? Asking herself such weird questions like putting a plant inside a plastic bag and breathing in that. Will she have eternal oxygen supply by then? Who ever knew what random things was she asking herself? "So," he tried to break the ice. "Want to grab a coffee at my place?" 

Jinae's eyes seemed to glimmer with a hint of interest. "I would sure love to! I've never had a clue on how your place looks like. It must be something grand! Let's hang there!" she literally cried out in happiness, grabbing Leo and dragging him behind as she happily runs down the streets with him. 

Well, missing another day in work wouldn't hurt, would it?

"I knew your house is grand! It's like a mansion for crying out loud!" Jinae complimented as she twirled around the living room, eyeing on the paintings and furniture peacefully laying around the corners. "I never knew you had a thing for antique stuff! We, like, have the same interests! I love things of the past!"

Leo simply smiled as he carefully pours the freshly brewed coffee in the cups in front of him. Afterwards, he carefully places them in a platter and serves one to Jinae. Afterwards, he falls back the couch and sips his coffee. The aroma from the his drink soothed Leo's tensed self, not simply his muscles, but his whole being. His tired mind was somewhat cleared from his sick and dark thoughts, which was quite rare to happen. His eyes were glued at the giddy Jinae, who had a wide grin on her face as she eyed the antiques. "What made you like those?" Leo asks in a soft yet audible way. The female's eyes were still locked on a particular wood sculpture laying quietly on top of a wooden chest. 

"I don't know what made me attracted to these, but somehow, a part of my soul somewhat tells me that I've been, or a previous life of mine, took great place in the past." she spoke in a low tone. "Weird, huh?"

Minhwa. "No. No, I've heard way weirder stuff than that." he chuckles as he sips yet again. He eyes Jinae once again, who was now looking at a few scrolls hanging on the wall. He isn't really that sure if she could read whatever was written on them. It was an ancient text, a way of writing that came right before Hangul. Of course, Jinae should know that. "You look extremely fascinated over them. Do you really adore such that much?" Leo laughs.

"Oh, more than adore!" Jinae smiled before she sips her coffee, smiling at the familiar taste. "I wish I could be given a chance to claim antiques too. How'd you get these much, Leo?"

"I had my ways. And connections." he smiles before he stands up, placing his half-empty coffee mug on the center table. He walks towards the wooden chest and opens the second drawer, goes through a few things before he grabs a small item and closing the drawer once again. Jinae's face shouted curiosity as she tried to see what Leo had in his palm. 

"What's in your hand?" she asks, tilting her head as she watches Leo walk towards her, sitting beside the young lady. After gesturing her to stretch out one of her hands, Jinae watched Leo place his empty hand underneath hers before he puts his closed fist over, dropping something cold on her palm. Carefully, Leo closes her palm before he retrieves his hands. Jinae slowly opens her small hand and sees a small, metal-like and old looking emblem sitting on her palm. It was an emblem that is probably a hundred years old already, based on the growing rust and the unique design carved on it. "What... are you giving this to me?" she blinked. Leo simply nods.

"The words carved there reads eien." Leo began to explain. "It's the Japanese of eternity. Everlasting." he pauses before his eyes averts away from the emblem. "That emblem... it's believed to grant wishes. One wish. One wish per owner. And since the word there is 'everlasting', it'll grant a wish that goes in relaton to the said word. For example, you'd like to have happiness forever. But, the wishing part isn't proven yet so–"

"I appreciate it." she smiles as she clutches the embelm close to her chest. "But for now, I don't know what to wish for that I'd like to last forever." she smiles as she stands up once again, looking at a few things hanging on the wall. 

Leo, meanwhile, had his smile slowly withering away. He remembered Hakyeon's words. "If you want the pain away, you must move on", he hears Hakyeon say in his head. He eyes Jinae. She was indeed a splitting image of his beloved Minhwa. That emblem? It was once Minhwa's. He wasn't sure if Jinae noticed it, but a part of the emblem is incomplete. The emblem was original made to be connected yet appear as two independent objects.

His emblem had jikan carved on it, meaning "time". Together, it says "eternal time", no end. Minhwa and Leo had eternal time in them and now, he wishes Jinae and him to have one too. He wished for that and that alone.

With his eyes focused on the petite looking Jinae, he sips yet again on his cup of coffee. He saw Minhwa through the female. She was the exact similar person as Minhwa. She is the curious type, based on how she paced around the room, eyes glued at the paintings and figurines displayed. Her eyes glimmered in amusement. With careful hands, she picked up a wooden figurine, inspecting it with sharp eyes. A small smile would always form afterwards, which Leo rather adored.

"Are you really serious that you're giving this emblem to me?" Jinae questioned, eyes still glimmering with joy.

"Of course." Leo answered in a reserved tone. He buried his other hand in his jeans' pocket, holding tight on his emblem. He had a small feeling that he should stand up, man up and show Jinae his emblem. That one, simple action can explain lots.

And he does win over his mind to do so.

Putting down his cup of coffee, he breathes deeply and stands up. 

"Jinae," he calls out, bravery finally running through his veins. He pins his eyes at the seemingly frozen lady just a few feet away from them.

And time seemingly froze by the next seconds Leo had witnessed himself.

Jinae's arm was shaking and an index finger pointing and trembling at a specific spot made Leo wish that he didn't look up. He saw the paleness in Jinae's face, all of her vivid colors somewhat running down the drain. Her lips were quivering as she tried to spill the words out. 

Leo feared more when he saw the "thing" Jinae was pointing.

"Leo," her voice was shaky. "W-what's the meaning of this?"

She was pointing at a painting of Minhwa.

[A/N] I've dropped the bomb guys! Now, I want to hear your opinion. 
            That's all.
   I demand feedbacks, and if not, Leo will eat your soul. 

...Just kidding, he won't. He'll just let you die by showing his inner playful kitten.