You left Hakyeon's room and ran towards yours, tears still flowing down your cheeks. You couldn't remember any of the things he told you about, but you were sure he wasn't making things up. It was upsetting to think of all the pain your family caused Taekwoon just to keep you away from each other. It wasn't his fault to come from a family of a lower social status. You huffed in annoyance at the thought. Who cares about social status now? You flopped on your bed as you recalled every instant you've witnessed a family member treat a servant badly and you cursed them for being so ignorant.    

What hurt you the most was Taekwoon. To think that everything that happened to him was somehow caused by you intensified your guilt. This is why he doesn't want to talk to me, you thought to yourself. You remembered how distressed he looked when you locked him in your room. He was afraid he'd get in trouble because of you, again, maybe even get fired. This only made you wonder why he had to stay after all this time. Your thoughts of him didn't cease until you heard a knock on your door. You jumped of bed not knowing whom to expect. Your eyes were met with one of your cousins. Upon seeing tears wetting your face, she asked in concern:  

- Oh! Were you crying? 

You wiped your tears and faked a smile as you answered: 

- It's nothing. I was just thinking about my mother. 

She patted your shoulder and pouted her lips before saying: 

- Aw! I'm really sorry. 

- It's ok. Don't worry.

She then remembered the reason behind her visit so she smiled at you and then asked: 

- We're going out for lunch. Do you want to come? 

- But... won't Nana get upset if we miss lunch? 

- No it's okay. She's having lunch with her friends, so she won't be home. 

- Okay then, I'll change and meet you down stairs. 

- Sure, we'll wait for you. 

She said and then left as you walked into your room, picked a dress to wear and followed her downstairs. 

During lunch, you couldn't stop thinking about Taekwoon. You wanted to ask your cousins about him. They must know what happened to him after you traveled. Did he ask about you? Was he forced to work to make up for what he did? How were his parents treated after what happened? Did they also have to suffer for what you and Taekwoon did as children? You had so many questions to ask, too many things you wanted to know. You were eager to find answers for your questions, but then you remembered that you promised Hakyeon not to speak of it at all, not to Nana, not to your cousins and not even to him. You appreciated that he was the only one who could share this secret with you, and for that you didn't want to get him in trouble. 

One of your cousins, Yura, who was about your age exchanged glances with her sister and then looked at you.

- We want to go check a couple stores before we go home, do you want to come along or...

Her sister paid the bill and you realized it was their way to distract you in order to pay your bill.

- I wanted to pay too!

You protested. They were still treating you like a guest and you didn't appreciate that. Yura placed a hand on your shoulder and then said: 

- Next time it's your treat. 

You forced a smile and then said:

- I want to have some coffee. Can I go and then meet up with you when you're done? 

- Sure. Do you know where the coffee shop is? 

- Yes. I'll call you when I'm done. 

You waved at them and headed toward the coffee shop. You weren't in the mood for shopping and your mind was still busy thinking about Taekwoon. You needed to sit alone and clear your mind of all the negative ideas you've been having all morning. To think that you haven't seen him smile ever since you walked into this house broke your heart. It must have been really hard for him to live like this for the past 15 years. 

Walking into the coffee shop you smiled when the scent of coffee went through your nostrils. You've been craving coffee ever since you arrived. You ordered a latte and then sat down to one of the tables as you enjoyed your drink and thought of the new revelation. 

You didn't feel the time pass as you drank your coffee and looked at couples walking outside the coffee shop. By the time you took your phone out of your purse you noticed it was on silent. When you unlocked the screen you found 8 missed calls from Yura. You dialed her number and waited for her to pick up:  

- What's wrong? 

- Where are you? 

- At the coffee shop. Why? What happened?

- We're home. Eunji felt sick and we had to leave.

- What? You left without me? 

- I'm so sorry but Eunji felt nauseous and we had to take her home. We'll send you a driver to pick you up. 

You sighed audibly. Eunji hasn't been feeling well lately.  

- No problem. I'll wait. 

Around half an hour later you saw Taekwoon run in your direction. Why is he here? You thought to yourself as you stood up to meet him. You greeted him but he didn't greet you back and simply said:  

- The driver is waiting outside. 

He turned and walked toward the exit without exchanging another word with you. You picked your purse and followed him. You wished you could use this chance to talk to him since none of your family members were around. However, his long strides forced you to run after him without leaving you a chance to say anything. While trying to catch up with him, you almost slipped as your foot twisted. You let out a short 'oh' as you balanced yourself. He stopped in his tracks and ran towards you. He instinctively held your hand and asked:

- Are you okay?

A shiver went through your body when you looked at him and found an unreadable sparkle in his eyes. You opened your mouth to answer but no words came out of your lips. You could suddenly feel his hand shaking as it held yours tightly. It took him a couple of seconds to go back to reality and let go of your hand. He dropped his gaze as a blush crept into his cheeks.

- I'm sorry.

He said in a whisper and then turned around and walked toward the exit of the shopping mall. He was walking slowly, giving you the chance to follow him. He turned around a couple of times, the rosy blush still adorning his puffy cheeks. You couldn't understand the reason behind his actions. He couldn't possibly have feelings for me, could he? you thought to yourself as you followed him toward the car. It's been 15 years! He opened the backseat's door for you as you stared at him. Could he? He met your confused gaze and then said:

- Are you okay?

You gave him a tiny nod before getting into the backseat. He closed the door and then sat in the passenger's seat next to the driver. You looked at the back of his head while thinking of everything Hakyeon told you, the concerned look in his eyes and the sparkle that made his eyes shine when he held your hand. Hundreds of thoughts floated inside your head, while feelings of guilt took over your heart.

As soon as the car pulled over in front of the house's gate, he jumped off his seat and opened the door for you. You whispered a 'Thank you' but he didn't answer and went inside the house using the back door. Your heart clenched when you remembered that he wasn't allowed to talk to you now that you're back home. You were dying to talk to him; to apologize for all the hurt you'd caused him and his family. Seeing how he continued to avoid you, you had to think of a time to talk to him without getting caught, not wanting to cause him more trouble.  

After a long day, you decided that it would be best to talk to him at night, when everybody was asleep. You left your room and went downstairs toward the kitchen. As you were getting close to the kitchen you saw him come out of it, oblivious to you watching him, and go inside the study room. You thought it would be better to wait for him in the kitchen instead of following him inside the study room. He'd probably hate to be locked up with me again. As you walked into the kitchen you noticed a book lying on the kitchen counter. It was the same book you've seen him read before, the one with your name on it. You looked behind you to see if he was back before walking toward the counter. You hesitated for a second before reaching for the book and taking it in your hands. Staring at it for a couple of seconds, you wondered about the reason that made Taekwoon keep the book all this time. Once you opened the book you realized why. In the hand writing of a kid, you read the message you left Taekwoon fifteen years ago: 

'Taekwoon.. I am sorry. I'm so sorry. I like you. I really do but I didn't know this would happen to you. Mom said we're leaving. I don't want to leave. I want to stay here but she says we can't stay anymore. Taekwoon if you really like me then wait for me. I will come back to you. I will write to you. Read my letters every day and don't forget about me.' 

You collapsed on the kitchen stool, crying uncontrollably. How could you not remember any of this? Why did you ask him to wait and never forget about you when you couldn't even remember his name? How much pain did this letter cause him every time he read it and knew you're never going to come back to him or feel the same way about him ever again? 

When he came back to the kitchen, he was shocked to find you crying while holding the book in your hands. His heart clenched when he realized what happened. He bit his lower lip before knocking on the door lightly. You darted your gaze in his direction, your vision blurry with tears. He stared at you silently, unable to think of anything to say. You stood up and put the book on the table as you said:  

- Why didn't you tell me about this? About us? Why?

He averted his eyes away from you before saying: 

- I have no idea what you're talking about. 

- I am talking about the book, the letter I wrote you, us. 

- There is no us. I found this book in the study room and came across the letter by mistake. 

- Don't lie to me. 

- I am not lying. Now please leave before they see us. I don't want to get in trouble.

He was staring at the floor under his feet, waiting for you to leave the kitchen. It hurt you to see him avoiding eye contact with you, and those feelings confused you. What else did you expect him to do? Did you expect him to wait all this time for someone who didn't recognize him or even remember his name? You couldn't understand the pain in your chest when a couple of hours ago you had no idea who he was. You had no feelings for him, you barely knew him, so why were you hurt? Why was his denial causing you so much confusion?

You remained silent as you continued to stare at him. He didn't move or stir as his eyes were still fixed on the floor beneath his feet. You wished you could read the thoughts floating inside his head. What is he thinking? Is he telling the truth?

When you finally figured that he's not going to say anything, you walked past him on your way out of the kitchen. He lifted his head up slowly and whispered as you were inches away from him:  

- I am sorry. 

You froze in your place for a second before turning around to look at him, but he didn't turn back. He grabbed the book and left the kitchen, leaving you standing there, your confusion intensifying at the tears flowing down your cheeks. 

You went back to your room and lay on your bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about what just happened, not knowing he was lying on his bed, tears running down the sides of his eyes, as his arms clutched the book close to his chest. You were both in pain without either of you realizing it. He was in pain because you didn't remember him, you had to read the book to know that you used to like him, that you promised to come back to him. It hurt him to remain silent in your presence when all he really wanted was to pour his heart out in your hands and take you in his arms forever. You were in pain because you couldn't remember him, leaving him waiting for an illusion. You hated yourself for not being able to remember someone who used to mean this much to you, and for probably losing another link to the part of your childhood you lost along with your mother. 

A week passed since your last encounter with Taekwoon, and ever since he was trying his best to avoid you. You saw him around the house but you both pretended not to see each other. You didn't go to the kitchen ever since either, making sure to make use of the phone in your room in case you needed anything. If it was hurting him to remember you then you'd make sure he didn't have to. You'll stay as away as possible from him, keeping things the way they were before you knew who he was and what you used to mean to each other. You'll pretend you didn't see the book, nor the letter. These were to be left in the past where they belonged. 

Your days were spent with your cousins and sometimes with Hakyeon. Even though none of them talked about that part of your childhood, you couldn't stop yourself from thinking about the part each one of them knew and kept for himself without ever considering sharing it with you. No matter how much you tried pushing the revelation to the back of your head, you couldn't prevent yourself from thinking about Taekwoon. Sometimes you thought it would have been better if you weren't so curious and if Hakyeon didn't answer your questions. 

A couple of weeks later you started noticing that Taekwoon disappeared in the morning, yet you could see him enter the house at around 4 in the afternoon. This continued for a couple of days before you cursed your curiosity and decided to ask Hakyeon. His answer surprised you, knowing how ignorant your family could be when it came to servants: 

- He's attending college. 

- What? 

- Yeah... Nana allowed him to attend college in the morning. 

- Why? Are the other servants allowed to attend college too?

- No. Only Taekwoon. Why are you asking any way?

- Nothing, I'm just curious. 

Hakyeon looked at you suspiciously, but you ignored him as you continued eating your breakfast. He attends college? If he was older than you, this meant that he was either late into getting to college or was probably doing his MA. What could he possibly be studying and why only him? You had to keep your questions to yourself. First, because Hakyeon was suspecting your sudden interest in Taekwoon, and second because you had to stop yourself from continuously thinking about him. 

- I'll go out for coffee; do you want to come along? 

You asked Hakyeon, trying to change the subject, but he shook his head 'no.'

- I am meeting some friends in half an hour. Do you want me to drop you? 

You thought for a second before answering 'Yes.' He then told you to get dressed while he called his friends and confirmed their meeting. You went upstairs to your room, got dressed and met him downstairs. He walked you to his car before getting into the driver's seat as you got into the passenger's seat. During your way to the coffee shop, he asked:  

- Did you manage to remember anything? 

You looked at him and thought for a second.   

- Not really. 

- What do you mean? 

You took a deep breath before saying: 

- Sometimes I have dreams about things that happened in the past but it's always something you or Nana told me about, so I don't know if I'm remembering them or just imagining them based on your stories. 

- Ah! That's confusing. 

You giggled. 

- Very. 

He smiled as he glanced at you before turning to look at the road in front of him as he said: 

- But you don't have to worry about it. It doesn't matter if you don't remember. 

- Do you think so? 

- Yes. Live the future and forget about the past. 

- How wise! 

He giggled and then said: 

- I am serious. 

He gave you a reassuring smile and it was enough to make you feel better. You appreciated his attempts to comfort you. He knew how difficult it is not to be able to remember your loved ones, which is why he made sure to tell you a lot about your family during his stay at your house abroad. 

- Do you need me to pick you up when you're done? 

He asked as you got out of the car. 

- I'll call you. Thank you! 

You waved at him before turning around and entering the coffee shop. This coffee shop was one of your favorites. It was always quiet and cozy which is something you appreciated. Your eyes fell on one of the couples sitting to your right and you froze in your place when you recognized one of them. Taekwoon was sitting at one of the tables, oblivious to you watching him as he chatted and smiled to the girl sitting in front of him. You've never seen him smile before, not that you could remember, but ever since you got home you didn't see him smile, not even for once. It took him a couple of seconds to notice you standing at the entrance of the coffee shop. He seemed flustered to see you staring at him. He stood up clumsily and waved at you. You waved back before taking a quick glance at the girl sitting with him. A weird feeling engulfed your being as you looked at him again. A faint shade of pink crept into his cheeks when he noticed you looking at the girl. The girl looked at him as she said something so he sat down as you moved toward the counter to place your order. You couldn't hear what the girl said but you could somehow tell it had something to do with you. Was she his girlfriend? Did he tell her he works for your family? Was she okay with that? You took your seat and sipped your drink in silence as you stole quick glances at them. They look good together, you thought to yourself.

A few minutes later you saw the girl stand up and leave after giving Taekwoon a quick hug. You pretended not to see them as you busied yourself with your phone. You waited for Taekwoon to come and talk to you but he didn't. You looked up to where he was sitting and found his table empty. It somehow left you disappointed. You thought he'd take this chance and talk to you since nobody of your family was around, but he simply didn't, which meant that he didn't really want to talk to you, not at home, and not anywhere else. It's probably time I forget about all this.  

But it was the complete opposite. Taekwoon hadn't left. He was hiding behind a corner, looking at you and wondering if you were waiting for someone. His heart clenched every time a guy walked into the coffee shop and his eyes followed him to see if he was the person you're waiting for. He'd sigh in relief when none of the men who walked into the coffee shop approached you or spoke to you. 

An hour later you picked up your phone to call Hakyeon to take you home. You looked around one last time to see if Taekwoon was waiting outside the coffee shop, not knowing he was still watching over you. When you couldn't see him, you called Hakyeon. You huffed in annoyance when he said he was still with his friends. You hung up when he asked you to call home to ask for a driver.

You weren't too eager to go home so instead of calling the driver you decided to take a walk around the area. You wanted to explore the area and get familiar with your surroundings so you could leave the house on your own without having to ask Hakyeon to drop you or pick you up. Half an hour later you were starting to feel tired, so you took your phone out of your purse to call home. Before you could dial the number, you felt a hand tapping your shoulder lightly. You flinched and stepped back as you stared at Taekwoon.  

- Are you ready to go home, ma'am? 

You placed your hand over your heart and could feel it racing in your chest. You didn't expect to see him here when you thought he had already left. 

- You scared me!

His cheeks turned a light shade of red as he muttered: 

- I... I'm sorry.  

- I...  I was about to call the driver. 

You said as you felt your heart pound in your chest for no apparent reason. His presence was starting to cause you weird feelings, which was very confusing.  

- I'll drive you. Wait here; I'll go get my car. 

He said and left without another word. A couple of minutes later he was back. He pulled over in front of you, got out of his car and opened the backseat's door and waited for you to get in. 

- But... I want to sit at the front seat. 

- But ma'am... 

- I don't want to sit at the back. You're not my driver.

He gave you a tiny nod so you opened the passenger's door and got in. He got in the driver's seat and started driving in silence. After a couple of silent seconds you asked:

- Was that your girlfriend? 

You wanted to talk to him but you had no idea why you chose this question to start the conversation. He didn't look at you, but you could see the expression on his face change at your question. He was surprised but remained silent, so you said: 

- I'm sorry. I'm just curious.

It took him a couple of seconds to answer.

- She's just a friend, from college.

You let out an 'oh' and silence prevailed again. You caught yourself taking quick glances at him as he drove you home. He was handsome, you couldn't deny that, but he was also very mysterious. He broke the awkward silence as he asked: 

- When is the wedding?

His question made things even more awkward. You looked at him, puzzled.

- What wedding?

- Yours and Hakyeon's?

You frowned as you stared at him. Why is he asking me such a question? You smiled as you answered: 

- Hakyeon and I are not getting married.

He remained silent, something he does quite frequently, so you asked:

- Why are you asking?

- Mrs. Jung talks about it all the time. I'm just curious.

You frowned again at his last sentence. Did he say that on purpose? Was he upset that I asked him a personal question? It bothered you that the only thing he asked you about was the 'wedding' as if he's stressing, again, that he didn't really care much about you. You were suddenly wondering if he really moved on and forgot all about you when you were away. The rest of the drive was silent, none of you speaking a word to the other, while your minds were busy with contradicting matters. He parked in front of the house and you got off the car and ran inside the house before he could open the door for you. You felt annoyed for no specific reason and wanted to be left alone.