“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”

The presenter looked torn between belief and doubt (although Ha-Jin was sure he didn’t doubt; he just couldn’t believe it). His lack of immediate positive response, however, discouraged her but what could she expect?

Anyone would’ve done the same thing. Even she would have.

But it was hard to deny the signs.

“How can you say that?”

“Ji-Hyun-nim, he remembers things…stuff that don’t coincide with his life right now. I don’t think he’s making it up either.”

“So, he tells you these things?”

“He doesn’t just say it…I…I can’t explain it,” said Ha-Jin, “It’s like his body can remember things that his current memory doesn’t. He says things, he does stuff. I…I just can’t brush it off easily.”

Any stranger hearing their conversation would think Ha-Jin was out of her mind. But she knew it herself—there was no point in denying it. Unfortunately, only Ji-Hyun can help her out. God knows she needs it.

“Ji-Hyun-nim, please,” she begged, holding the presenter’s hand, “I need to understand what’s going on. What does all of it mean? Why is it happening?”

The senior looked at her, compassion in his eyes. She knew that he couldn’t deny her claims either; he heard about the dreams before but there was no context. Now that he knew about the possible link, there’s no point denying it.

“Alright,” he began, “Tell me…what happened again?”

--

(4 Days Ago)

“What’s that over there?”

Jae-Yeong pointed at a group of men huddling at the center of the square; they were dressed in red robes and chatting excitedly. They formed a circle, cheering on as two from the group did something in the middle. Ha-Jin tipped on her toes to see the commotion.

They were practicing with swords.

“I think it’s a traditional swordplay,” she told him, “It’s a thing during the festival—re-enacting fights before. Some do it for fun and even place bets.”

Jae-Yeong frowned. “Isn’t that dangerous?” he asked, “Are those real swords?”

“Not really. If you get hit, the worse you can get is a bruise,” she said, “But they seem to be enjoying it. Look, they’re also inviting bystanders to give it a try.”

The group was getting bigger as the men pulled more people to either watch or participate. Jae-Yeong’s curiosity drew him closer; Ha-Jin, despite still being shaken by his memories of Goryeo, trailed behind. Her mother would be furious with her if she lost Jae-Yeong in the midst of strangers.

Everyone was cheering as another man donned on the robes and challenged the current winner. Their swords, tied with tassels, flashed around and gleamed as each man attempted to best their opponent. Ha-Jin saw that some of the townspeople were already placing their bets, seeing which of the men would lose.

Jae-Yeong, on the other hand, was too fascinated with the scene. He watched with such concentration, she wondered if he was trying to memorize the scenario. Sometimes, he shook his head; he would even smile secretly. When one of the fighters tripped, Jae-Yeong scoffed in disbelief, mumbling something about the wrong technique or clumsiness. Whatever was happening, though, he was surely invested in the fight.

Five minutes later, one of them tossed their swords in surrender. The losing warrior cried in frustration as the winner rallied his fans, laughing as if he owned the world.

“All right who’s next?” asked the sort-of referee.

A couple of groups were pushing their friends, volunteering them. There was pushing, punching, and a lot of teasing. The winner was scanning the crowd for his next opponent, pointing the sword at them and laughing at his fallen competition. His arrogance was starting to annoy Ha-Jin; she didn’t have time for sorry losers making fun out of others.

“Come on,” she told Jae-Yeong, tugging on his sleeve, “Let’s walk back.”

They were about to leave when a thundering voice stopped them.

“You there! Yeah, you! The one with the red hat!”

Both Jae-Yeong and Ha-Jin froze; the latter tried remembering if there was any other guy in the group who wore a red hat. So far, it was just Jae-Yeong.

“You over there! Give it a try!”

They faced the man who dared Jae-Yeong to a fight. He was grinning cockily, offering the sword to him.

“Looks like we have a tourist!” he exclaimed, “You should definitely give it a try. Come on! I won’t hurt you…too much.” His boisterous laughter led others to laugh with him; Ha-Jin, on the other hand, wasn’t too impressed. The crowd now stared at Jae-Yeong, encouraging him to take on the challenge.

“Take on the challenge!”

“You’re not going to get hurt!”

“Come on, pretty boy! Give it a try!” chided the man, throwing the sword, which slipped past Jae-Yeong’s hands, falling on the ground. The winner and his friends laughed as Jae-Yeong stared at the fallen sword.

“I think that girlfriend of yours will still love you even if you have a scar on your face,” added the winner, “Don’t you want to impress her?”

Ha-Jin was getting annoyed.

“That’s enough—“

“Sure. Why not?”

She stared at him in shock. Jae-Yeong tucked his hat and stared at the man; his expression was torn between amusement and confidence.

“Are you sure?” she asked him, “Do you know how to fight with swords?”

“Nope; never fought with one.”

“Then what the hell?”

Jae-Yeong stared at the man and his group before bending down to pick up the mock-up sword. Judging from the way he held it, the sword was heavy and he definitely did not have any experience. He tossed it from one hand to the other, getting a feel of it.

“Seems like fun,” he said.

“Are you crazy?” she exclaimed, “You tell me you don’t know anything about this and you’re still going for it. I don’t want you getting hurt! I can’t send you home with a bruise or an open wound!”

He cast her a side glance, an amused smile on his face.

“You’re worrying,” he noticed, “I like that.”

“Come on, pretty boy! What are you waiting for? The people want a good show!” called the man.

Jae-Yeong pursed his lips and nodded. He looked at Ha-Jin again and smiled.

“I’ll be okay,” he said, then he tucked his hat and walked towards the middle of the circle, leaving Ha-Jin all flabbergasted. She panicked as she watched him hold the sword up (in a manner that indicates he was a beginner) and face the man and his taunting group of friends. The stakes were also high with bets—people wanted to know if Pretty Boy has what it takes to beat the winner.

“Have you ever fought before?” asked the man, who wielded his sword with such experience.

“Fist fight, yes. Sword fight, nope,” answered Jae-Yeong, “But as a lantern festival tourist, I do want to experience a lot.”

“Then you’ve come to the right place! You’ll have fun memories to take home; say, a bruise, for example.”

There was raucous laughter once again.

Ha-Jin felt very offended with how they were treating Jae-Yeong. She wanted to smack the mister on the face with all her might. Jae-Yeong, on the other hand, was as calm as a cucumber. He looked at his sword then smiled knowingly at the winner.

“I accept the challenge,” he said, “Please be gentle to a rookie like me, still, sir.”

The referee walked towards the middle and signaled the beginning of the challenge.

The man ran towards Jae-Yeong with such force the latter was caught in surprise, stumbling as he blocked the incoming attack. Ha-Jin’s heart leapt out of her chest as she watched Jae-Yeong attempt to block off the winner’s offenses. The winner, however, kept coming for him, banging his mockup sword as much as he can.

His tactic was to scare Jae-Yeong—it was so obvious from his wild laughter and continuous movement. He kept the younger one on his knees, attacking until he can get Jae-Yeong to surrender. It was such a harsh attack, Ha-Jin feared Jae-Yeong might get more than just a bruise.

Sensing he was being kept in a corner, Jae-Yeong rolled out of the way, leading the winner to chase him in a circle.

“Come on, pretty boy! Don’t run away!” he taunted, “Let’s get this over with!”

Ha-Jin could see Jae-Yeong taking deep breaths; his hands were shaking, barely holding unto the sword. She wanted the fight to stop; he could end up worse than what she originally thought.

Jae-Yeong then straightened up as the man charged towards him. Ha-Jin didn’t know if Jae-Yeong was aware, but he was definitely in trouble. She was sorely tempted to just pull him out and get him home.

“Jae-Yeongah, watch out!” she yelled.

Ha-Jin was already anticipating the worst.

But he dodged it.

He dodged, he parried, he pushed. All of a sudden, Jae-Yeong was fighting back, attacking with all of his strength. Everything was too fast, but anyone could see what Ha-Jin did. Bystanders who just came would’ve thought the Pretty Boy was a professional swordsman by the way he fought with the man. He looked so flawless and beautiful at the same time. 

It was an unbelievable sight.

She watched as Jae-Yeong pushed the man towards a corner, attacking so professionally it was hard to believe his earlier claims. He looked so seamless—magnificent even—as he dealt with the stranger who taunted him. Gone was any trace of clumsiness he had in the beginning; his offense was a perfect combination of grace and aggressiveness.

He dodged, he jumped, he attacked. 

The winner attempted to poke his side but ended up being blind-sided by him. Jae-Yeong’s quick reflexes blocked the incoming attack, his sword caused the man to trip and end up on his knees. In one swift movement, Jae-Yeong grabbed the man by the neck and pointed his sword.

There was a moment of stunned silence.

 “We have a winner!” yelled out the referee. Only then did the crowds burst into applause; their reactions a mix of awe, amazement, and wonder.

The man was still shaking when Jae-Yeong let him go. Ha-Jin saw his pupils were too dilated due to fear.

“That was a nice fight, sir,” said Jae-Yeong, “Thank you for inviting me.”

And with a polite bow, he threw the sword on the ground, fixed his cap, and walked through the crowd, ignoring their cheers. His eyes were just set on Ha-Jin.

He took off his cap to fix his hair before putting it back on, ignoring the fact that Ha-Jin was just staring at him in wonder. The others were talking behind his back—most of them praises, others were surprise, but he paid them no mind. Once he got his hat settled, he took Ha-Jin’s hand.

“Let’s go back,” he told her, “That wore me out.”

You’d think nothing significant just happened.

Jae-Yeong led her back to the entrance, whistling as he did. He was also trying to catch his breath, wiping away beads of sweat.

“That was…that was…amazing,” stammered Ha-Jin, “You beat him. You actually beat him.”

He smiled. “I know right. Serves him for being such a jerk.”

“You looked amazing up there,” she told him, “Like…you really knew how to handle the sword.”

A burning question sat at the tip of Ha-Jin’s tongue.

“I thought you said you never fought with a sword before?” she asked, “Why did you lie to me?”

They made a left, walking towards the quiet path of the village.

“I didn’t,” he said, “I’ve never have in my entire life.”

“You could’ve fooled me.”

He stared at her with those brown eyes. “I swear, I haven’t ever. Tonight was the first,” he explained, “To be honest, I was surprised myself. When I was standing there, I really didn’t know what to do. I just wanted to see how I’d fare. But when he came running at me, I knew I was dead.”

They made another right towards the closest street.

“It’s kind of strange. One minute, I was standing there, thinking I was being made the stupidest decision ever. The next thing I knew, it’s like my body knew how to defend myself,” he continued, “My hands…they moved in ways I never thought they could. They did those things and my body dodged his attacks.”

“I guess it’s a different form of adrenaline rush,” he concluded, “But man, that was amazing. I felt so hardcore.”

Jae-Yeong laughed to himself, reminiscing his glorious hour and again, clueless to the fact that Ha-Jin was staring at him with awe. This time, however, it wasn’t because of his good skills—it was another realization.

Her insides shook worst than when she was watching him fight.

Oh my god.

--

“True enough, Jae-Yeong has never touched a sword in his entire life,” said Ji-Hyun, “He was interested in the martial arts for a time being during his college days. But he never wielded a sword and I doubt that his classes taught him how.”

“I swear Ji-Hyun-nim; when I was watching him, his skills were so good you’d think he’d been holding a sword since he was a child,” she explained, “Just like Wang So.”

Hearing the Fourth Prince’s name changed the senior’s expression again.

“You really think it’s him?” he asked.

“How else would he know that?” she asked him, “Those dreams, the memory about the fish lantern, how he fought with a sword—all of them are reminiscent of Gwangjong. I don’t think it’s adrenaline rush or mere coincidence anymore.”

She approached the senior who stood behind his desk. Ha-Jin spent the past hours thinking about what had just happened. She could try to reason out with what he said or did, but so far, her mind drew a blank and repeatedly directed her to the answer in her head.

“You might have a point,” said Ji-Hyun.

“So, you believe me?”

He smiled kindly at her. “My dear, since day one, I have always believed you,” he told her, “I’m just surprised with these turn of events. Judging from your story, it’s clear that the Fourth Prince is manifesting his presence in Jae-Yeong.”

It was the answer she had been waiting for since the first time she saw him. There was never a doubt that somehow, somewhere her beloved Wang So was inside this man named Hwang Jae-Yeong.

Could this be finally it?

“This is a pretty big thing,” continued the presenter, “It’s rare for more than one person to reincarnate in their exact image in one lifetime. For more two or more to do so, fate probably means serious business.”

Ha-Jin didn’t notice Ji-Hyun’s serious observation; she was too flustered with the possibility that her unrequited love might have followed her in this life after all.

But there were questions,

“Then he is the Fourth Prince,” she concluded, “But how come I remember and he doesn’t?”

“Emperor Gwangjong, albeit a wise and good king, lived a tragic life. You would know that. He was alone in everything he did after the death of his brothers,” said the presenter, “It’s possible that his present reincarnation wishes to start things anew but without the knowledge of the past. Remember what I told you about such souls?”

“The ones that make present reincarnations forget?”

“Yes.”

“He’s one of them?”

“Most likely.”

Ha-Jin’s hand slipped from the chair. That didn’t sound like good news.

“As you can see, Jae-Yeong exhibits memories and habits of the deceased King but he fails to remember, unlike you,” continued the presenter, “Perhaps Emperor Gwangjong wants to start fresh, but hopefully, he can forget about the tragedy he had to go through. Ah, it’s no wonder Jae-Yeong brushes these dreams off. He considers them as nothing.”

“So, it’s possible he might never be Wang So?”

Presenter Ji-Hyun touched her hand. “Ha-Jinah, what I’m saying is, and what I’ve always been telling you ever since, is that you cannot force him to remember what he can’t,” he told her, “I shudder to think what would happen if we forced him. He could end up confused or even worse.”

She recalled that unpleasant conversation they had months ago.

In most cases, it shouldn’t be harmful but when the person gets in too deep and confused, he might self-destruct.

“But what about those memories he remembers?” she asked, “What am I supposed to do with them?”

Ji-Hyun took a deep breath before breaking the news to her.

“Let them go,” he advised, “I know it’s hard; I know that you firmly believe that you regaining your memories and meeting him in this life should mean something. To be honest, I believe that life is playing all of us, seeing that almost everyone from that life is here. But I repeat, if you keep forcing him, things might not go according to plan.”

“And you wouldn’t want that, Ha-Jinah. You might end up regretting it.”

There was a serious look in the presenter’s eyes as he said those words. Ha-Jin was fighting a losing battle, but she knew he had a point. She shouldn’t push things when she was unsure of the outcome.

“Remember the other thing I told you that day you revealed your life as Hae Soo?” asked her senior.

“About past lives?”

“No, about Jae-Yeong.”

She racked her brains and came up with that moment in her head. At the same time, the humble presenter beseeched her with his gaze.

“I hope, for Jae-Yeong’s sake, that you are not staying with him because you think he is the Emperor,” he said, “Emperor or not, Jae-Yeong highly values you and I would appreciate it if you’d return the favor out of who he really is than who he was. If you can’t, then it’s best to just let him go.”

“He’s had enough heartache for a lifetime…or two. I know you understand that, Ha-Jinah,” continued Ji-Hyun, “Please consider this.”

Initially, Ha-Jin felt offended with the senior; was he telling her that she was staying with Jae-Yeong for all the wrong reasons? But when she thought about it, she knew he had, unfortunately, a point. Jae-Yeong made his intentions loud and clear since Day 1; the problem was her and not him.

There was a knock on the presenter’s door, breaking Ha-Jin’s reverie.

“Ah, who could that be?” he asked.

“Is it your daughter?”

“No, she’s in school today,” answered Ji-Hyun, “Ha-Jinah, would you be a dear and open the door for me?”

She nodded and walked towards the door, trying her best to keep her brain subdued. She literally had to shake her head before opening the door.

And there was Tae-Won.

“Oh,” he said at the sight of her, clearly surprised.

It’s been three weeks since they last had a decent conversation (if you call that decent) and months since they’ve shared friendly moments. Lately, it’s been cold.

--

(Two Months Ago)

She was literally frozen as Jae-Yeong’s lips touched hers. Ha-Jin didn’t expect this to happen; after all, who kisses a person who just punched some reporter in the face?

But at that moment, Jae-Yeong was the only person in her world.

Part of her wondered why it happened and was it right? But the other chided her, telling her to just relax, insisting she had been waiting for this night to come too. Being the confused human she was, she just relaxed and allowed herself to wonder in his sweet kiss.

A minute later, he broke it off and gazed deeply in her eyes.

“What…what was that about?” she stammered.

Jae-Yeong’s hands, which were placed firmly on her arms, touched her face and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“I’ve decided,” he said.

Decided on what?

“Eh?”

He smiled at her.

“I’m never letting you go,” he said.

It was a surreal moment for Ha-Jin; was this real life or a drunken fantasy? One minute ago, she punched a reporter in the face and now, she was being rewarded with a kiss? Really?

“Do you object?” he asked.

“I…well…”

Come on Ha-Jin. Make up your mind. What do you want?

She gazed up at his eyes. He was serious, no doubt about that. Ever since she realized the reality of her past life, she had longed for the day she could look up at Wang So’s eyes again. Now, she was—even if it’s with his incarnate.

So, what’s the next move?

There was movement behind them, startling the two. Ha-Jin’s head looked around, wondering if there was anyone also witnessing their moment. When her eyes landed on the steps, she saw another tall figure standing there, both hands in his pockets—and shock on his face.

He must’ve been standing there for a minute or two.

“I…was hoping I could talk to you alone tonight.”

“Oh…about what?”

“There’s something you need to know.”

Cold fear rushed into her like an avalanche as the earlier memories of tonight dawned upon her. She was supposed to meet him here; he had something to say, he said, something very serious. Ha-Jin did see him at the gazebo—but a third guest was with them.

At the sight of his youngest brother, Jae-Yeong immediately let go of Ha-Jin’s face.

“Ah, Tae-Wonah,” he said, “What brings you here?”

The youngest Hwang looked at his oldest brother, trying to process what he just saw. Then, his eyes fell on Ha-Jin. There was no other way to explain it; his face said it all. Although she never promised anything to him, her suspicions earlier today were confirmed. Either that, or he was just hurt for no reason.

“I was hoping to talk to Ha-Jin, actually, hyung,” he said, “But I think I’ve interrupted you, guys.”

Jae-Yeong seemed cool and composed, pretending nothing significant just happened between him and Ha-Jin.

“Oh, I think I might have to steal more of Go Ha-Jin’s time, Tae-Wonah,” he said, “Just for tonight. I hope that’s okay with you.”

The younger one forced a smile. “I understand,” he said politely, “I’m sorry to have bothered you both. I wish you a good night.” Folding his hands in front of him, Tae-Won bowed farewell to his brother, but managed to sneak a look at Ha-Jin.

One that shot plenty of emotions she couldn’t hear.

--

For a minute, they just stared at each other. Ha-Jin couldn’t get a good read at his face, but she was sure he wasn’t pleased with her presence. Tae-Won looked like he wanted to say something, but withdrew.

He cleared his throat.

“Is Ji-Hyun there?” he asked.

“Yes, Tae-Won. I’m inside. Come in!” called the presenter, “Are you here to drop my long-overdue books?”

“Yes, I’ve brought all of them.”

“Come in then!”

He glanced at Ha-Jin again before excusing himself and making his way inside the study. She felt the wisp of air as he walked past her. She bet he didn’t even look at her as he went inside. It was a big difference from the friendly Tae-Won she used to share worries or corny jokes. If she was going to be honest, the entire thing was pretty sad.

As Tae-Won made small talks with the presenter, Ha-Jin thought the time was right for her to exit.

“Ji-Hyun-nim,” she said, “I’ll get going now.”

“So soon?”

“Yes, I have to see my roommate as soon as possible.”

Tae-Won was also looking at her, holding a book in his hands.

“Well, you better get going then, Miss Ha-Jin,” said the senior, “I hope to talk to you again soon.”

She smiled and bowed, casting one last glance at Tae-Won before walking out.

As she walked through the presenter’s home, she couldn’t help but think of the past months. It’s been more than just an eventful year; a lot has happened—she regained her memories as Hae Soo, bumped into the people from that life, and finally found him. She thought life would’ve been at least kinder by making things easy.

But it wasn’t her friend right now.

Walking through the foyer, she got out her phone, texting Chae-rin that she’d be home in an hour. God knows she needed some normal time with her roommate.

“Ha-Jinah.”

She was surprised to hear that familiar, mellow tone.

Tae-Won had followed her from the presenter’s study. He looked quite respectable in his suit-and-tie attire. The last she heard, Hwang Kwang-Soo started entrusting his youngest with bigger projects too, which might explain the formal get-up. Nevertheless, he still looked good in them.

If only he would smile.

What do I do? Oh my god, what do I do?

She didn’t know now was the right time to face him but there was no other way of escape. If she ran, that would look pathetic, but if she stayed, she knew what he’d say.

“Ah, how have you been?” she asked, bowing in respect.

“Ha-Jinah, have you thought about it?” he asked, cutting to the chase.

 I knew it.

It’s been months since they’ve had friendly conversations, since that chatter over cups of coffee. He was baby-faced  back then, always laughing and trying to come up with clever jokes. Now, it seemed as if years had gone by judging from his serious demeanor and tone. Just like Wang Wook, he changed just as fast.

And it was unfortunate.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked him.

“You know why,” he said, “You know that I’m not after anything. I made it clear to you three weeks ago. I’m only after your sake, you know that.”

“Why doesn’t it sound like for my own good?”

“Because you’re being close minded.”

Tae-Won’s earlier arguments, admittedly, had points. But Ha-Jin knew it wasn’t easy—that thing he suggested. She knew it wasn’t the best decision; plus points because it made sense, but it wasn’t what she wanted.

“Ha-Jinah,” he said, taking a step closer, “They will eventually find out. Until then, what are you going to do?”

“I…I don’t know.”

“You’re not even sure with him, are you?”

“That’s none of your business.”

For the first time, his face melted into a curious yet compassionate look—one she hadn’t seen in months.

“Ha-Jinah,” he tried again, “I know this doesn’t look too good, but I don’t want you to end up getting hurt. It’s the last thing I want, you know that.”

“What about him? He’s your brother.”

“All the more reasons to listen.”

He took her hand.

“I know you’ve had it rough, but that’s because you made them to be,” he continued, “But there’s still a chance to avoid bigger things.”

That look in his eyes begged her to trust him. Three weeks ago, he said things out of spite and bitterness, which made her unsure of his intentions. But when she thought about it that night, she knew he made sense; what he said was so wrong yet so right on so many levels.

“Tae-Wonah,” she said, “I stand by what I said.”

“You think it’s going to do you both good?”

“What’s this?”

Both Ha-Jin and Tae-Won froze at the sight of Jae-Yeong entering the presenter’s household, his eyes automatically looking at their interlinked hands for the nth time.

--

A/N: hey, I’m sorry it took me so long. Anyways, the holidays have been so busy, I hope everyone’s having fun as much as I did.

The story’s pretty much built in my mind; I just need to figure out the middle parts that lead to the bigger events. But I highly appreciate your continued support and readership. Originally, I wrote this story to find some closure, but when you guys came, I started writing for you, as well. It’s all about you, me, and closure, right?

Hope to hear more from you!

P.S. Isn’t it sad that Running Man is closing? Good thing the SHR people made it.