“Where are we?”

“You’ll see,”

Judging from the scenery, Ha-Jin was beginning to think that Jae-Yeong’s tough exterior was just a front. He walked peacefully in the midst of trees and other forms of greenery. She didn’t know the place and she also wondered how he did. He must’ve known a lot.

They took a full hour to get to where they were. During the entire ride, Ha-Jin felt like she was going to fall. But as per Jae-Yeong’s advice, she held tightly unto him. He rode so fast; he must’ve been a professional. When they got out of the bike, she was all wobbly and unstable Jae-Yeong had to hold her for a minute.

And now, they were just walking, surrounded by nature. A scatter of people was visible here and there, but just a few. Most of them were families; the other half was composed of couples. Jae-Yeong had not made a move to hold her hand or even touch her. In fact, he was walking ahead.

What did you expect? That he’d remember everything? You’re not even sure it’s him.

The cold was a bit bothersome, but some thoughts crowded her mind.

It was odd to see him unusually quiet but Ha-Jin figured it must be the effect of such places. She remembered how he was when he painted at Min-Suk’s cultural complex—all silent and serious. It was a big difference from the demanding and scary person in public.

“I thought you were going to bring me to a business venture,” she said, “This doesn’t look like one. Where’s the meeting?”

“There is no meeting,” he admitted, “I lied.”

“What?”

Jae-Yeong looked back at her, that mischievous smile on his face. Then, he continued to walk ahead, leaving Ha-Jin flustered.

“So…where are you taking me?” she asked him.

“Ahhh are you getting impatient, Go Ha-Jin?”

He stopped to look at her, a look of mock disappointment on his face.

“And here I thought I was the impatient one,” he added, “Don’t worry. This is a sight already, don’t you think?”

She looked around. The leaves swayed lazily to the wind while the frozen flowers added some color to the snow-dominated park (or wherever they were). Kids ran around as their parents chased them. He was right; everything looked so beautiful.

“You’re right,” she answered, “Where is this again?”

“An unknown park an hour away from Seoul,” he said.

“What’s the name?”

“An Unknown Park An Hour Away from Seoul,” he repeated.

“You don’t know the name?”

“I don’t bother to remember so when people ask, I won’t be able to tell,” he said, “So this will forever be mine only.”

“Geez, are you that selfish?”

“Can’t I have things to myself every once in a while?”

“But what if other people might benefit from it? You’re not going to give it?

“I’ll think about it,”

 “What? Whatever happen to thinking about others first?”

He just scoffed and shook his head. “Such virtue,” he commented.

“What’s that supposed to mean? And walk slower! I can’t catch up!” she complained, “I know I have short legs—ah!”

She bumped into him because he stopped. He turned around and held her by the shoulders, leaning forward to stare at her.

“My god, that bossy tone,” he remarked, “It’s annoying yet endearing at the same time.”

Why did he always have to tease? She always wondered if he enjoyed doing it on a regular basis. What did he gain from it anyway? Her flushing cheeks or the mere fact that she’s always flustered when he does that.

“What a joke,” she murmured, frowning at him and walking ahead.

“Hey, you don’t even know where you’re supposed to go!” he called out. Jae-Yeong’s heavy footsteps ran after her.

“I’ll figure it out. They all look the same,”

“Aisht, why are you so stubborn?”

Ha-Jin felt his hands hold on to her arms. He ended up pulling her, once again taking the lead.

“Ah this woman, really,” he remarked, walking ahead, “Always complaining.”

His kept a firm hold on her wrist, leading her to another path. He looked irritated, but Ha-Jin couldn’t help but smile. She watched him from behind as he walked ahead, unable to keep that smile off her face.

--

The new path they came across was almost empty but more beautiful than the front. It was draped with more flowers—a beautiful mix of white and warm shades. It felt like autumn in winter.

“Do many people go here?” she asked.

“In this area, not really. It’s one of the best parts about this place. There are plenty of hidden gems—the perfect spots for breather,” he remarked.

“So…where are you taking me?”

“Ah, it’s just a few steps ahead,” he answered, “Why are you so impatient?”

“I’m not!”

He chuckled and looked ahead, “Oh, there. I see it. It’s just through these shrubs,” he said, “Are you ready to see something amazing?”

He pulled her towards a narrow path surrounded snow-draped bushes. She held her arms steady to keep the shrubs from catching on to her sweater. Jae-Yeong, on the other hand, didn’t mind and giddily led her through the pathway.

Eventually, they made it to the end, which revealed a picturesque view of more white greenery, smooth stones and a—

Lake.

“There, isn’t that worth the wait?” he asked her.

Ha-Jin was stumped at the view—and not just because it was pretty. Memories flashed before her very eyes; memories of him, that is. She recalled patches: the sparkling water, countless walks—an escape from the Imperial life in the Palace.

He brought me to a lake.

It wasn’t Dongji but it was still something.

“Min-Suk was the one who brought me here before,” he explained, “He and Yoo-Hee would come down here for walks whenever they needed a change of scenery. Obviously, it’s too beautiful here.”

He took a deep breath, enjoying the icy air. “Ah, just the thing I needed,” he said.

They approached the edge of the lake to get a better view. Beautiful wasn’t even enough to describe the place; it was gorgeous beyond imagination. Ha-Jin wondered how a place like this existed near the city.

She saw a bunch of small stones by the tree. Ha-Jin bent down to pick them up, admiring their super smooth surfaces. She wanted to throw them at the lake, but figured they would be a waste under the water. Ha-Jin brushed off the excess snow and gazed at them.

One by one, she stacked them on top of the other. Her face couldn’t help but smile as she did; each stone, despite their different sizes, stacked perfectly. She could’ve made a fort if she wanted to, she thought. Jae-Yeong watched her with interest as she kept stacking one stone after the other.

She prayed with all her might. Maybe the gods could hear here if she stacked one more stone or prayed harder.

“I will live a bit longer…with him.”

“I want to be with him a little longer.

The clarity of a particular memory knocked Ha-Jin’s knees, causing her to stumble. The head rush of memories brought back the prayer stones—how much she had gathered and the prayers that came with them.

“Ha-Jinah, are you all right?” he asked, “What happened?”

She looked at his concerned face.

“I want to be with him a little longer,”

Hae-Soo’s prayer echoed within her brain. Ha-Jin couldn’t remember why her previous counterpart prayed so fervently that day; all she could recall was how she begged the heavens to allow her to live with Fourth Prince…forever.

“Go Ha-Jinah?”

Jae-Yeong was looking worried already.

“I know I said you were annoying, but when you stop talking, I worry,” he admitted, “What’s wrong?”

“I…it was just a little headache,” she said, “I feel fine.”

She dropped the last stone and stood up.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” she said, “So…uhm…where are we going?”

Jae-Yeong took a minute, checking her if she was all right or not. He then gazed at the edge of the lake where a bunch of boats waited.

“You don’t get dizzy easily, do you?” he asked.

--

The lake was calm and sort of frozen and still but Ha-Jin felt nervous. Ever since her accident a year ago, she wasn’t a big fan of bodies of water and boats. But life is ironic; there she was, sitting on a boat, in the middle of the lake—with Jae-Yeong.

When he said he had a boat, she couldn’t believe it. How could a stubborn, too-cool-for-school guy like him own a wooden boat? It didn’t make sense.

But recently, things didn’t make sense anyway.

Her head still throbbed at the memory of the prayer stones. She hadn’t thought about them until now; her prayers (or rather Hae Soo’s) still confused her. Why was she praying so hard and fervently?

And why did the boat seem to make the head rush worse?

“You look so pale, Go Ha-Jin,” remarked Jae-Yeong, “Are you going to throw up?”

“Ah, no…I was just thinking,”

“You like to think a lot then,”

The sight of him rowing was also odd and new to her. When he said he was going to do the rowing, he rolled up his sleeves and confidently asked Ha-Jin to step on the boat.

“Are you scared of the water?” he asked, “You hesitated at the sight of the boat.”

“I…I’m not a big fan of boats and waters,” she confessed, “Ever since my accident.”

“Wait, you were in an accident?”

His eagle eyes rounded in surprise and the boat wobbled a bit when he stopped, causing Ha-Jin to squeal.

“Hey!”

“Sorry!”

He set the rows down and listened to her.

“So…what happened?”

Once she got a hold of her breath, Ha-Jin calmed down her heart to answer his question. “I saw a little boy fall off the boat,” she said, “I was trying to alarm the people around about it. I was a little drunk back then so I didn’t think I was the right person for it. But when I saw no one noticed, I jumped in. I got him on that boat, but I slipped.”

“Slipped?”

“I didn’t get in the boat. I just ended up falling deeper,” she continued, “They said I just out and was in a coma for months.”

“Wow. Coma for months huh?” he repeated.

“It was for a year, actually,” she said, “They thought I would never wake up.”

“Probably, the alcohol might’ve played a part,” he remarked, “Why were you drunk that day?”

“I…well…I found out that my then boyfriend and my friend were seeing each other behind my back,” she said, “And they scammed me…I think. I can’t remember the details; all I could remember was being in so much pain that day.”

It seemed like an eternity since that fateful day she fell unto the lake. Ha-Jin could barely remember the teeny details about the break-up or her friend’s betrayal. The events after that overrode those memories—by events, she meant Hae Soo’s life.

“That boyfriend of yours…what a scumbag,” he commented, “His idiocy almost got you killed.”

“I know but I couldn’t care less anymore,” she remarked, “I’m okay now, anyway. And last I heard, he’s prancing with another girl that is not my friend.”

Jae-Yeong laughed as he began to row again. “Goodbye to that jerk,” he said, “See you in hell.”

The wind whistled through the leaves as they slowly reached the middle of the lake. Ha-Jin could see tiny fishes catching up with the boat; their colors were vibrant and pleasant to the eye. Even though she hated the feeling of water, she felt calm.

He was there.

“Was he your great love? I mean, did you think he could’ve been it?” he asked.

Ha-Jin rested her chin on her hand and thought about it.

“No,” she answered.

“Oh…then there was someone else?”

She immediately thought about him—the Fourth Prince. There was no other answer but him.

“Yes,”

“Was this before your scumbag of an ex-boyfriend?”

“Way before him,”

After all, Wang So was born during the Goryeo period.

“What was he like?”

Jae-Yeong stopped the boat again. He seemed to be very curious with this new discovery in Ha-Jin’s life. The latter found herself about to explain her great love to a man who looks like said great love.

“He was…complicated, I guess. I mean…I couldn’t get a good read of him, at first. When I first met him, he looked like the guy who hated everyone,” she began, “I thought he was a bad person, but in the end, I realized how misunderstood he was.”

“Nobody liked him?”

“Some did, other didn’t. He couldn’t care less. But he was a very good man. He fought when he could and I could always rely on him,” she continued, “He was there for me even if I wasn’t there for him. That’s how devoted he was.”

The tears threatened to make a comeback as Ha-Jin told Jae-Yeong about Wang So. She held them back as hard as she could.

“So…why did it end?” he asked.

“It had to,” she told him, “There were some things we couldn’t fix anymore. Instead of burdening each other…it just ended.”

Ha-Jin bit her trembling lip. There were still unclear details about why Hae Soo and Wang So’s inevitable end. All Ha-Jin remembers is that life in the Palace was too hard for her; she couldn’t love him fully as long as he was connected to the throne.

Jae-Yeong was equally silent. He was just watching her intently, probably trying to figure out what to say next.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said, “You must’ve really loved this guy.”

Wistfully, she looked at the snow-draped scenery.

“Yeah, I guess I did,”

She pulled her coat closer to her skin, hoping to shield off the cold winds. The Fourth Prince’s memory came at odd moments; her dreams were no longer consistent, but when they came, they came with full force. Her eyes then fell on the person opposite her.

He noticed. That twitch of a one-sided smile appeared on his face again.

 “Are you trying to make me give up on you or make me look only at you?” he asked.

“What?”

He laughed. “That first love of your will be hard to beat,” he admitted, “I guess I’ll have to work harder.”

“What a joke,” she remarked, rolling her eyes but containing her excitement, “Why don’t you start by rowing faster?”

Jae-Yeong pouted. “Why don’t you row instead?”

“Are you complaining?”

“Am I your slave?”

There was a mischievous gleam in his eye as he shook the boat, scaring her. She squealed then told him off while Jae-Yeong suppressed his laughter. Despite the little scare, she couldn’t help but suppress a smile. The sun peeking out of the clouds lit his smiling face—a rare sight for anyone.

She felt so honored.

And then, patches of memories came to her mind.

It was good to see him laughing like this. The past years free from restrain have been nothing short of joyful for him. She was happy to see him loving the boat he had kept a secret from the rest of the world.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“The important thing I wanted to say. For forgetting the important thing I wanted to say,”

“I’m sure you’ll remember soon. You can take your time.”

And she hoped he would. She knew what he had to say could mean something—especially about them. She hoped he would remember sooner.

An entire episode of memories was too much for Ha-Jin. She felt tremors in her body as her brain tried to process the new batch of information, which justified the familiarity of the situation.

But before she knew it, she ended up falling off the boat.

“Ha-Jinah!”

That was the last thing she heard before succumbing into the dream-like trance within the lake’s open arms. As far as she was concerned, everything was blue and in suspended animation. She was falling (or floating) to the unknown once again.

I’ve fallen before, haven’t I?

The ice water felt like a thousand knives stabbing her body. She couldn’t breathe properly. The water was too strong for her; she could already feel her lungs crying for help. Her arms tried fighting, helplessly flailing around the water. But the pull was insistent.

And so were the memories.

His eyes lit by the sun as he laughed; that mischievous grin after he intentionally shook the boat; the expectation of some serious confession when he said to meet him at the prayer tower. How she found out of his supposed marriage and suffered from a broken heart for the nth time...how he said nothing because he didn’t want her to suffer anymore. But she thought of it as a ridiculous idea...because she was willing to suffer for him.

She remembered she couldn’t breathe again neither could she see the light anymore. Bit by bit, her touch with reality slowly faded.

Maybe, I’ll see him again.

A strong grasp, however, broke her drowning reveries.

It felt like flying, but not in the air. The stronger force carried her; she didn't know where it would bring her, but she had to trust.

“You are my one and only queen.”

Darkness had become her friend. All of her senses were null and void; she felt like floating in the middle of nowhere. It was a good yet unpleasant at the same time. Part of her wished she could stay forever; the other, however, begged to differ.

“Ha-Jinah! Go Ha-Jin!”

Something soft touched her parted lips. Air flooded back in her system but its rush was nothing compared to the flooding of scenarios in her head.

“You cannot die without my permission.”

“You can never leave me. Never.”

“Go Ha-Jin!”

And then, she woke up.

Everything started as a blur, which eventually cleared by the second. Her lungs gratefully gulped fresh air as her eyes adjusted to the sight of a dripping wet Hwang Jae-Yeong.

“Oh thank God!” he exclaimed, “Go Ha-Jin, can you hear me? Can you see me?”

Her body started shivering uncontrollably as the biting winter winds grazed her skin. She could, however, catch a breath. It felt good to finally breathe again.

“Co….cold,” she murmured, mustering her breath, “So…so cold.”

Jae-Yeong was already texting on his phone for help while keeping a tight grasp on her. His phone rang and urgently, he answered, saying they needed help soon.

“…make it as fast as you could,” he was saying, then he looked at her again, “She’s awake. Yes…I’m not going to move her. I’ll wait…all right. Thanks.”

“I…I’m co…cold,” she said again.

Jae-Yeong shoved his phone inside his pocket and pulled her up. He placed her head on his chest and wrapped her in warm embrace. He was soaked as she was, but his hug kept her warm despite the weather.  

“Stay with me Go Ha-Jin,” he told her.

She held on to his soaked jacket, pulling herself closer to him. Her head was pressed tightly against his chest; she could hear his heart’s rapid beating. His hand supported her shaking head, the other rubbing some heat to her arms.

“Stay,” he said again, “I won’t leave you.”

“I am right here. I will not leave you,” she told him.

---

A/N: I just watched the cut SBS scenes. It's unfair that the international fans didn't get to see the longer version. Fortunately, YouTube is a goldmine of cut scenes, which gave me the courage to write more. I gained good ideas and I can't wait for you to read them. You'll have to give me time, however, because I have other things to attend to.

Happy birthday to Park Chanyeol. I know, totally unrelated. But people do ship whim with Baekhyun and Baekhyun is the 10th Prince. :)