She didn’t know where she was going. Come to think of it, she also didn’t know how far she had run. How long had she been running? Has it been a minute or an hour? Is it possible to run for an eternity? She didn’t know.

All Ha-Jin knew was she was in pain.

The running sort of distracted her from the unpleasant image stuck in her head—Nari pulling in Jae-Yeong for a kiss, a passionate one at that. Just the thought of it was enough to reduce her to a pile of tears.

But she kept running.

It took her a moment to realize she was no longer inside The Residence’s comforting interior. The sharp bite from the winds and the sight of trees suggested she was outside to God knows where. Her numbed down senses, however, kept her from fully grasping the danger. She couldn’t even hear the howl of the winds—just the sound of her pounding heart.

Her aching knees forced her to stop. Ha-Jin was breathing heavily, desperately gulping for air to satisfy her dried out lungs. She held unto a nearby tree, gripped tightly on the surface, as if she was holding for dear life.

“You’re using her to get to me. I know you are.”

That explained his sudden change of attitude towards her. Jae-Yeong must’ve seen her as a potential escape or something. He didn’t confirm nor deny Nari’s accusation; but if his answer was the former, that was unbelievably cruel. She wasn’t born in this life to be used.

What was I thinking? I have no claim on him, she told herself, He’s not Wang So. I’m not Hae Soo today. It’s different.

She clung unto the tree to stabilize herself.

I’m an idiot.

Ha-Jin looked around her surroundings. Everything was white in her sight; she didn’t know if this was due to her tiredness or the snow. The winds blew harshly, making her shiver for the first time. She then realized her current situation.

Oh my god, where am I?

The blizzard didn’t seem much of a threat from inside the hotel but now that she was outside, she got a full blast of the unpleasant weather. Her current attire wasn’t helping.

She wiped her tears away to gain better vision. But the memory of what had just happened kept coming, which didn’t help at all.

“You’re using her to get to me. I know you are.”

Stop, stop, please, she pleaded internally, covering her ears as if she could hear Nari over and over again, Make it stop.

She decided to keep going; it was the only way to keep her mind off everything else. After all, she looks like she was lost.

Ha-Jin left the tree and walked her way. The wind combined with the snow pricked her skin and worsened the weariness she felt. Running had taken its toll on her; most of her energy was sapped away. She couldn’t run anymore so had to drag herself in her heels.

Since her walk was pretty wobbly, she was sure her heels were broken. She had no time to worry about that, however.

She had been a fool, thinking that Jae-Yeong could be the missing piece of her past life puzzle. His appearance was so timely—right after the revelation of her life as Hae Soo. As Go Ha-Jin, she realized the magnitude of her past life’s decision to leave. She wanted to re-do that part, to make things right. She thought he was the solution—that maybe, he was her lost love.

But given the circumstances, she was becoming convinced that everything is just stupidity.

Jae-Yeong belonged to someone else.

Maybe Hae Soo’s mission in life is not to reunite with the Prince, she thought sadly, Maybe, I just have to live a good life and be happy.

The winds were becoming too strong for her liking but Ha-Jin went on. She tried to find the path she came from, but she couldn’t even remember it. All she could see was white, a few lights, and darkness.

Her knees were tempted to give in. The heavy snow plus the winds were too strong for frail Ha-Jin; all her strength gone from the running and emotional turmoil. But she couldn’t just stay there with that terrible weather.

“You’re using her to get to me. I know you are.”

Ugh, stop!

She tried running again, her feet sinking in the deep snow. Her breathing was becoming more labored by the second, her knees complaining. Her attempts at sprinting were pointless and she knew it herself.

Go Ha Jin, you’re such an idiot. Now, here you are…in the middle of nowhere.

Her vision started to blur. She fought so hard to regain them but the snow was making things worse. Even her most favorite thing in the world turned against her; that served as the icing on top of the unpleasant cake.

You have to…move

Ha-Jin’s body, however, started to shut down. Her legs couldn’t walk anymore and her heart just beat rapidly. The cold was too much but part of her started to numb; she couldn’t feel anything anymore.

Is this how I go? Hae Soo would be disappointed.

She couldn’t resist it anymore. Little by little, her vision went from blurred to pure white. Ha-Jin felt her body failing her. Eventually, gravity got the best of her. She fell on the blankets of snow, in the middle of nowhere.

The snow felt comforting under her fingertips. She could still feel but she know her senses would black out one by one, with her hearing being the last.

Hwang Jae-Yeong, you idiot, was her last thought.

It didn’t take long before she completely succumbed to her weakness—but not until she heard someone calling out her name. Then, she completely out.

--

“If you’re not going to come to me, don’t give me hope either,” he said, “For me…it’s torture.”

Court Lady Soo did not expect her birthday to end up like this. Then again, she really didn’t expect much from that day. She thought it would be a quiet day, similar to the rest. But when the Fourth Prince invited her for a nightly stroll at the lake, she sensed that something was bound to happen.

And she was right.

He looked at her with those uniquely shaped eyes, almost as if appealing to her. He did just asked her not to give him false hope.

As of the moment, Court Lady Soo was unsure of her emotions for the Prince. Unlike before, she was no longer scared of him neither did she dislike him. Serving together under the Emperor mended their relationship, but she wasn’t sure if she reciprocated his emotions.

She was also unsure if she didn’t feel anything. There were feelings.

The Prince gazed longingly into her eyes, perhaps hoping for that answer he craved for so long. She knew how much he loved her and she felt unworthy of such devotion. Yet here he was, still hoping she’d change her mind.

He made small movements. He was leaning in towards her and Court Lady Soo knew what that was for. She raised her hand to stop him.

“Didn’t you say that you’d get my permission?” she asked.

“Can I do it?”

“No, you can’t.”

The Fourth Prince looked disappointed as he cleared his throat. He gazed at the ground and at the surroundings but Court Lady Soo knew he had another trick under his sleeve. When his head rounded up towards her, she snapped.

“You said you wouldn’t and you were going to do it, weren’t you?”

The startled Prince ended up brushing the dust of his lap and promised he wouldn’t do it again. She caught that tone of annoyance in his voice.

“At this rate, the king will marry you off as a second wife to some old, powerful man,” he said.

“That will never happen. The king favors me very much,” she countered.

He smirked. “What a show-off,”

She hid a smile as the Fourth Prince heaved a sigh and laid down on his back. He gazed at the stars with a smile on his face. Court Lady Soo enjoyed seeing him happy—it was a stark contrast from the once troubled Prince she met.

“You have a day off in a few days, right?” he asked, “Let’s go to the prayer tower together.”

“Prayer tower?”

“I want to tell you something,” he said, “I think I should tell you there.”

She was surprised with his offer. Why would he want to meet her at the prayer tower? What could he possibly want to say to her?

“You’ll come, won’t you?”

He was looking at her with that hopeful and loving gaze he always had. She always wondered what he saw in her that made him this devoted. But the more important question was: why couldn’t’ she acknowledge what she felt?

Maybe she’ll do so at the prayer tower.

--

A throbbing pain in her head woke her up from the darkness.

Everything started out as a blur. She tried to wrap the little she could see as her senses attempted to re-boot. There was yellowish shade covering majority of the space and the sound of crackling. That heavy feeling on her head, however, got her down.

Her eyes continued to adjust, eventually gaining a clearer picture. The worn-out wood appearance gave her the feeling she was in a cabin or something. The cackling came from a small fire, which was lit in an old and dusty fireplace. She could finally smell the scent of burnt wood and dust.

Once the pain her head was manageable, she blinked her eyes. They were wet.

Tears?

Ha-Jin realized she was lying down on a piece of cloth laid on a wooden floor. Her aching back forced her to try and sit, causing her head to wobble a bit. She held on to what seemed like a wooden stool and pulled herself up.

Where am I?

It looked like a run-down cabin filled with nothing but old furniture, spider webs, and dust. She shivered at the spike of wind, but the nearby fire made things better. She clutched the makeshift blanket laid on top of her and covered herself. Her hands rubbed her forehead, trying to subdue the pain.

What happened?

Flashes of images came—her running through the snow, wondering where she was; wanting to get out of the restaurant; and seeing Nari and Jae-Yeong by the balcony. The memory of them brought immediate clarity that caused her to cringe.

“Ow,” she groaned, holding her forehead.

She thought she was sitting at a lake; apparently, she was trapped in a wooden cabin. As her senses regained strength, she remembered dreaming about the Fourth Prince for the nth time. It was of him asking her not give him false hopes.

The thought of him made her want to cry even more. Her massive headache, however, stopped her.

I need to lie down, she thought, But then again, I don’t even know where I am. Shouldn’t I be panicking? I should be panicking. Where’s my phone?

She touched her dress.

Oh right, I forgot it at the restaurant.

The throbbing pain continued, forcing her to hug her knees for support. She couldn’t tell if she was sick or not; everything felt cold under her touch.

“Go Ha-Jin!”

The deep voice startled the already weak Ha-Jin. She straightened up, her eyes widening in shock. She exerted every effort to see who it was.

Hwang Jae-Yeong was looking at her from the dark corner of the room. She tried to adjust her focus, wondering if her eyes were fooling her. But once he came closer, she was really sure it was none other than him.

What is he doing here?

He was wearing a worn-out white shirt with the sleeves rolled up; on hand holding what looked like his hand phone. Ha-Jin wondered what happened to the navy suit he was wearing at the restaurant. Looking down, she realized that her blanket was his.

“You’re awake,” he said.

The fire illuminated the shadow he left behind. He approached her and knelt down to her level. Despite the countless times he has shoved his face close to hers, it still felt odd to see him stare at her—especially when his eyes reflected concern.

She couldn’t look at him.

“How…how long have I been out?”she asked.

“Probably an hour or so,” he answered, “I lost track.”

The howling winds scratched the window outside. The blizzard must’ve been pretty bad; it was fortunate they were already inside…God knows where.

“Where are we?”

Jae-Yeong looked around. “In a deserted cabin in the middle of the Grove’s nature trail,” he said, “Luckily, it was just nearby.”

Ha-Jin vaguely recalled Tae-Won mentioning about a cabin he and his brothers used to look for when they were children. This was probably it. Everything about it screamed old and ancient—just like how Tae-Won described.

A pressing question played at the end of her tongue but she didn’t dare ask. When she finally looked at him, she saw him examining her wrists. She looked down and realized a white band was tied securely on one of them. The sudden sting made her flinch.

“You must’ve hit your wrists on something,” he said, “They were scratched and bleeding when I found you.”

She was stumped. “You…found me?”

His lips twitched into that familiar one-sided smile. “Why do you think you’re here?” he asked her.

If he found her, that meant he followed her. No one would casually stroll by the trail with this kind of weather. But that didn’t make sense for her. Why would he follow her when he was being kissed by Nari?

“If you’re still cold, the jacket’s the only thing I have,” he said, “I can’t give you my shirt though, it’s already torn up.”

True enough, his tucked out white shirt was torn on the side. What could’ve happened to him? She then glanced at her wrists and saw that white band wrapped around it.

Oh.

Jae-Yeong was also sporting a cut himself; a tiny one above his eyebrow. His windswept hair was in disarray as he tried to call or text for help.

“I’m trying to call for help but the signal’s dead here,” he explained, “Looks like we’ll get out tomorrow. Don’t worry, I know the way. I just need the sun. If I tried bringing you back at this state, we might end up in worse ways.”

He was still pressing buttons on his phone but to no avail. Jae-Yeong gave up and set it aside while heaving a sigh. Ha-Jin, on the other hand, still wondered why he was there. How did he find her in the woods?

The silence felt so awkward. She didn’t know what to say to him. Just an hour ago, her heart was torn into a million pieces because he was kissing someone else. She swore that she wouldn’t go near him if she could. But here he was, kneeling right in front of her…and saving her for the nth time.

What could she say?

“Why did you run?” he asked all of a sudden.

“What?”

Jae-Yeong looked disappointed and curious at the same time. “You shouldn’t have run away,” he told her.

“What…what could I have done instead?” she asked, “Stayed and watch you guys?”

There was a bite of hurt in her voice, she noticed. Ha-Jin hoped he wouldn’t pay attention to it.

“That would’ve been rude,” she added, “Besides, I’ve heard enough.”

She remembered Nari accusing Jae-Yeong of using Ha-Jin to forget about her. Nari’s voice echoed inside her head again, causing physical and emotional pain. She held her head, hoping to make them stop.

“Woah, what’s going on?” asked Jae-Yeong, grasping her shoulders. Automatically, she pulled away with such force, it stunned him. She didn’t want his sympathy or worry; if he was really playing with her, Ha-Jin didn’t want any of that.

“I’m…fine,”

He stepped back, sensing her annoyance or irritation. Jae-Yeong then brushed the dust off the cloth and sat down, studying her as he did. She looked away, hoping he wouldn’t bother her right now.

“Whatever Nari said…that wasn’t true,” he began.

“Really?” she blurt out, “So, you’re not really using me to get the girl you love back?”

“What? Wait, what are you talking about?” he asked.

Ha-Jin couldn’t look at him properly. Knowing what he had with Nari, it was impossible that he didn’t have an ounce of feelings for that woman. She might have been a convenient tool for him to use.

“I know I’m just a lowly cosmetic specialist, but you don’t have the right to use me like that,” she continued, “I’m not paid to be a bait or something you can get her back.”

Expressing the thought out loud hurt even more. She held her injured wrists, flinching as she did. Maybe the physical pain could make it all go away.

“Why would you think I’m using you?” he asked behind her.

“I…I don’t know,” she answered, “It just makes sense.”

But if she was going to be honest, it didn’t.

Why can’t you just leave me alone? she expressed in her thoughts, Why must you always give me false hope?

“I’m sorry,” she began “I shouldn’t…have run in to you.”

She rubbed her arms, hoping for some extra warmth. The winds were to blame for the excess cold, but she knew the current circumstance was to blame.

She felt his hands place his jacket around her shoulders. The floor creaked at his weight as he walked around and sat in front of her again. Ha-Jin couldn’t read his expression; was he offended with her accusations?

Ha-Jin didn’t want to look at him. She had had enough of people using her for pointless gains—even if he was the incarnate of her possible unrequited love.

Fingers extended towards her and before she knew it, he was lifting her chin up so she would look at him.

“I’m not using you,” he said, “Believe me when I say that.” He let go of her face immediately, sensing her discomfort; his eyes, however, continued to seek her.

“Nari was just saying those things out of anger,” he continued, “But using you has never crossed my mind.”

His voice sounded sincere, but why couldn’t her mind rest?

“It’s…just…you changed. You’re…not like this with women,” she reasoned, “You started to be…a little bit nicer. You used to be so mean. Then all of a sudden, you take me out to your paintings. You appear in my apartment out of nowhere. You…tell me things.”

“So, you think I’m using you because I revealed to you details about myself?”

“I didn’t understand…no one could,” she said, “Not even Nari.”

Instead of being offended, Jae-Yeong laughed. “Wow, you really are gullible sometimes, aren’t you?” he asked.

Ha-Jin didn’t reply. Everything was confusing for her and the last thing her sore head needed was too much trickery.

“Weren’t you listening whenever I told you that you were interesting?” he asked, “I’ve said it countless times.”

“What?”

He bit his lip before he spoke, “I thought I made myself clear. Apparently, I haven’t been doing a good job of it,” he said, “Why do you think I ran after you tonight?”

“I…don’t know,”

Jae-Yeong shook his head as he ruffled his hair and heaved a sigh. “Go Ha-Jin,” he began, “I don’t think you understand how drawn I am to you.”

--

A/N: Oddly enough, I was listening to BTS' Blood Sweat Tears while writing this chapter. I don't know why, but it gave me the right feels for the chapter. The reasons why I keep cutting them short is because of what my college professor once told me: keep it short so they'll want for more. I hope I cut it at a nice note, however. :)