Ji Hyo stands in front of the gate to the big mansion as Jong Kook stands behind her. She gulps, observing the plate sign at the door, Song Mansion.

She looks back to Jong Kook who stood behind her and nodded in assurance. She took one step in and another, but her chest clench. She felt so small in front of this door.

Ji Hyo nervously took another step forward, entering the mansion, passing the gate doors. She turns to look behind her, Jong Kook was somehow different today.

On the way to see her father, he kept telling her she will be happy there, that she will remember everything. Why wasn’t he coming in with her?

She sees a faint curve on the corner of his lips. The doors start to close as she realizes what was going on. He was leaving her there, abandoning her, throwing her away. She quickly turns around and runs towards him but he turns around and starts to walk away as the door closes in, locking right before she could reach it.

Tears stream in her eyes as cried in horror. She turned back to the place inside the mansion to see it covered in black fog. She couldn’t see anything. She backed up to the wall and sees the place nonexistent. Her name was whispered and echoed through the whole place.

“Ji Hyo,” a raspy voice called, “Ji Hyo,” another called, “Ji Hyo-ah~” the voices were distorted.

She covered her ears and shut her eyes, trying to block it all away. “No… Nooo!”  She felt her body shaking.

“Ji Hyo-ah!”

Her eyes shot open in a blurry vision. She blinks a few times before seeing Jong Kook in front of her.

“Did you have a bad dream?” he could the sweats all over her face and her antics.

Ji Hyo inhales and exhales deeply as she tries to register the situation.

“Ji Hyo-ah,” he calls her again.

Ji Hyo lunges herself at him, tightly hugging arms around his body, burying her face in his chest.

Jong Kook’s eyes widen and his body became stiff at her sudden action. She must have had a really bad nightmare. He raised his hand and lightly hugs her back, patting her back.

“It’s alright.”

Ji Hyo pulls back and shook her head. He sees the tears that welled up in her eyes as she shook her head and looks at him.

“It’s just a dream.” He tries to convince her.

“I dream that you left me*bawling*. You threw me away at that place and ran away. It was so scary *hicks*” She tried to stop crying but she couldn’t help it.

He wipes away the tears from her face. “It’s only a dream,” he repeated, cooing her.

“But it felt so real,”

He held her hand. “This is real. Me being here, holding your hand, listening to you cry about your nightmare and cooing you. This is what’s real.”

He moves her hair back slightly, “You’re just too nervous for tomorrow.”

Ji Hyo stares at him in between hiccups. “Don’t leave me alone okay?”

He nods, “I won’t.” Ji Hyo smiles as he smiled back at her. She looked so adorable, crying like a child, something he didn’t see often in her before.

Ji Hyo curls back in the covers as Jong Kook tuck her back in bed. She held onto his hand as she tried to fall asleep again.

He glances at her. His heart skipped a beat, gulping as he caught himself staring at her differently. Jong Kook turns away, holding his chest as his heart started beating faster, he turns back to see her sleepy face and grip on his arm.

Why am I…?

***

“We’ve arrived.” Jong Kook opened the drapes to the carriage. Nervous Ji Hyo stares at him, fidgeting with her fingers. He raised his hand for her as she hesitantly took it.

They stood in front of the gate as Ji Hyo clutched tightly onto his hand. The gate doors opened and they are welcomed by a group of servants.

Ji Hyo walked behind him, staying close and near.

“Welcome back, Miss.” they called her in unison, making Ji Hyo tense.

“Y-yes,” she answered meekly.

Jong Kook sees his father-in-law come out to the courtyard and in return he bowed his head.

Her father stopped, flabbergasted. His gaze turned grey and disappointed. He kept a stone face as he confronted them.

“That’s your father, Minster Song of the Justice court.”

Ji Hyo stood closer to Jong Kook as her father observes her intently. His intense stare makes her afraid but then a glint in his eyes made her feel familiar.

“Hello… father,” she called him.

Instead of saying anything else, he just waves for the servants to take their luggage. “And you two, follow me,”

***

Ji Hyo stood blankly in front of the blank white paper. What’s this?

“Calligraphy,” her father stated. “When I ask for a poem or riddle, write your answer down.”

Ji Hyo scratched her head.

He turned away, holding his hands behind him as Jong Kook stood outside of the room. Her father asked him not to interfere them for the time being.

“What puts on clothes in the summer and takes them off in the winter?”

Ji Hyo didn’t know what to write and instead of writing, she just stood there. Her father turns around.

“Do you not know it?”

Her eyes looked away then back up at him, “I… I don’t know…”

He stepped closer. “What don’t you know?”

She gulped down. This was when she realize something about her. She does not know anything at all. “I, I don’t know how to write.” She anticipated hope and wished for his understanding.

He observes, “No.”

“You do know, you just don’t remember.” Ji Hyo looks at her father, wondering how he was planning to help her.

Ji Hyo’s father makes her learn calligraphy again.

“Again.” this is probably the 100^th time she had tried to write again.

“Nneh…” she mumbled to herself as ink splatter over her hands.

He made her learn how to cook in the kitchen.

“Again.”

Ji Hyo sighs, “Nneh.” She pouted her lips and miserably walks back to the stove, putting in more fire.

Her father even retorted to her learning how to shoot arrows.

Ji Hyo gulps. “Do I really have to do this?”

Her father gave her a dead stare. “Get ready,”

Ji Hyo didn’t know why but her hands started sweating. She started growing cold sweats as she raised her hand to hold the bow firmly.

She stops, looking at the arrows then back at Jong Kook who stood by her father’s side. He nods at her, assuring her.

Ji Hyo gulps and takes the arrow, setting it on the bow string and pulled back slowly. It was almost as if she was the same person but her gaze was different, like she was scared.

“Shoot,” her father ordered.

Ji Hyo panics and fidgeted and closed her eyes as she pointed at the board, letting go of the string and arrow.

-Pluck!

The arrow fell on the ground at her feet.

Her father and Jong Kook look away, clearing their throats.

Ji Hyo squints her eyes open to look at the board and it was empty. She looks down at her feet. She looks back down at her husband and father, faltering a sheepish smile.

“Again,” her father turns away in embarrassment as Jong Kook scratched his head.

Ji Hyo cowered down in almost a whimper.

***

Later that night…

Exhausted, fatigue, and wrecked, Ji Hyo stumbled back to the courtyard stairs. Jong Kook watches her from behind. Today was the first day she returned home and she had to work a lot.

“Boo!” he yelled at her again, making Ji Hyo scream.

“It’s you,” she sighed, “It’s not funny.”

He jumped to her side, “Why?”

She curled her knees to her chest as she crossed her hands, leaning down, resting herself on her knees. He nudged at her, trying to cheer her up.

“Are you not happy?”

Ji Hyo turns to him, “The minister- my father, does he hate me?”

He stares, agape, “Why would you think like that? Your father really loves you, he’s funny too.”

“Really?” Ji Hyo looks up at the sky, “Do you think that behind that smile that you saw, there could have been hate?”

“I can’t write, can’t paint, can’t cook, or shoot arrows.” She brings up her hand, looking at it. “Oppa, what kind of person was I? What did I know?” She turns to him.

Their eyes lock as he looks at her hopelessness.

“You’re Song Ji Hyo.” He said, his heart skipped a beat, breath almost stopping, “You’re my wife.” Jong Kook caught himself saying that.

Ji Hyo curves her lip into a thin smile. Before he could say another word, she leaned onto his shoulder.

Jong Kook sat still as he felt her rest her head on him.

Silence and crickets chirped. In that moment Jong Kook could feel the similar feelings, his arm moving up to hug her shoulder.

But Ji Hyo quickly stood up before he could put his arm around her. She turned to him and smile.

“I feel better now.” Ji Hyo smiled happily. “Thank you… for cheering me up. Goodnight, Sir Kim,” she bowed and turned away.

“W-where are you going?” he stood up.

“To practice!” her voice echoed through the courtyard.

“It’s too late, you need to rest! Ji-“ Jong Kook chuckled to himself as Ji Hyo ran like a child away.

He keeps finding himself smiling at her.

Ji Hyo ran without looking back and when she disappeared from the courtyard, she held onto the stone structure of lamp.

Pressing her back on it, Ji Hyo catches her breath. Heavily breathing in and out, she touches her chest, patting it. Then smiles to herself.

“Song Ji Hyo,” she repeated her name, “Jong Kook’s wife,” she smiled like an idiot. Then walks on her way to the calligraphy room.

I felt it. My heart felt like popping out, my mind wandered everywhere. But it was so comfortable, having him by my side. When everything was so dark, he came to me.

*Flashback*

After the nightmare, she held onto Jong Kook’s arm as he had fallen asleep, sitting beside her. She slowly moved up and looks clearly at his face. Outlining his features from his brows to his chin. Then his body.

Ji Hyo suddenly turn away when she sees his eyes open, looking at her. She props back to sleep, clutching onto the blanket, and crossing her fingers, hoping he wasn’t really awake. She turns back to him sneakily then sees that he has fallen asleep again.

A flash appeared before as she sees him turn around to look at her, different from her dream. It felt so real… He was in a shining armor and lightly smiled at her before turning around. Then she saw herself smiling at him…

Her chest thundered, making her nervous, swooning. She blinked quickly, breathing heavily as her head start to ache.

*Flashback to present*

I think I know what to do now. I will try my best to remember you, my husband. Remember everything between us, our memories and our marriage.

Ji Hyo continued melting the ink into the ink board.

Her father entered the room and announced his arrival by clearing his throat. Ji Hyo stops and bows to him. He enters the room.

“What are you doing here at this time?” he sternly asked.

“I am practicing for tomorrow’s training,” Ji Hyo answered.

He observes her. “Why? Is today’s training not enough?”

“It was… very difficult.” she nodded blankly. “But I have to do it.”

“What is your purpose?” he asked again, seriously.

Ji Hyo stops and stares at him nervously but wittedly.

“Am I really your daughter? Are you sure you are my father?” Ji Hyo asked. Her father glared at her.

“Then did the ground crack and pop you out?”

“I wish that were true,” she muttered to herself, making her father falter with a priceless expression.

“Continue practicing.” he ordered before stepping out of the room.

Ji Hyo mumbled to herself. “Is Jong Kook oppa sick or something? He does not seem to be the same like Jong Kook oppa said to me…”

***********************************************************************

Sorry for the lag. I had just finished exams last week and need to recover from it. >.<

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you to the readers who have kept supporting this story by reading, subscribing, upvoting, and commenting. I am truly thankful. I will try my best to update sooner!

PS: Told my sister about this story and boy did she jump on the second lead ship faster than I could finish telling her the storyline. lol :P

See ya bunnies!