Knowing he would be unable to sleep when he returned home, he didn’t even try. He had to find her. If this had still been Goryeo it would have been more difficult, but these days when you wanted to find somebody all you had to do was hit the internet, which is exactly what Kim So did. Thank goodness for the consistency of human nature over the ages and its rabid interest in the suffering of others, because when looking up Go Ha Jin there was plenty to find. There were newspaper articles about a young woman who drowned while in the process of saving a child. A person on the scene was able to revive her, but she didn’t regain consciousness, and spent a year in a coma. In fact it appeared that she’d only woken up recently. So was intrigued. Did that have something to do with why she couldn’t remember him, or her life in Goryeo? It was strange to him that she didn’t remember, when he could so clearly. Or maybe he was the strange one.

So knew that it was unusual for people to remember their past lives. He didn’t remember his immediately. Maybe it had to something to do with the onset of puberty, but it wasn’t until he was in his teens that he started having the dreams that led him to start the research that brought him to the realization of who he had once been. Wang So, fourth son of King Taejo of Goryeo, known in later years by the name Gwangjong when he ascended the throne. He’d seen the stories of course of people claiming to be the reincarnation of famous people of the past, but there could only be so many reincarnations of Elvis in any given generation; somebody had to be lying, so most of it he took with more than a few grains of salt.  

At first he thought it was the effects of popular culture. His mother loved historical dramas and there were only so many of those he could watch with her before it started getting to him. Maybe they were sinking into his brain. But no, when he watched them, he could easily point out the things they were getting wrong or missed completely, and this had started before they even covered Goryeo in his history classes. So where did the information come from?

He struck up a correspondence with some of the most learned scholars of the period, both here and abroad, and ended up astounding them with his knowledge and insight into that era. He couldn’t explain exactly why he did it; it wasn’t like he could tell them where his knowledge came from and once they started probing a little too deeply into exactly who he was and how he’d come to know the things he knew, So broke off the lines of communication. But for a little while it was nice to talk to others who understood the same world that he now recognized as his past, people who wouldn’t brush off his interest as a mere hobby. He regretted the loss of those conversations, the knowledge and insight those learned men and women had, but in the end it could go nowhere and he knew that.

Now that So had this knowledge, what was he supposed to do with it? Absolutely nothing, as it turned out. It made no difference in how he lived his everyday life. A modern-day business executive didn’t have time to play amateur historian. At twenty-nine he was one of the rising stars of South Korea’s business community, a millionaire many times over both from his own investments and his part ownership of the Kim family business dealings. And maybe his remembrance of the past had helped him here. So remembered the greedy noble families of Goryeo and how he’d needed to deal with them when he was king, and while he wasn’t able to sentence anyone to death anymore (unfortunately), it wasn’t too much of a leap to translate that same ruthlessness into modern business methods. So maybe it was a good thing after all?

Nothing answered the important question though. Who was this Go Ha Jin (Soo…his heart wanted to call her), and if she really was who he thought she was, why couldn’t she remember their past when it continued to haunt him?

The newspaper articles didn’t mention where she lived, but if anything had remained the same over the last thousand years, it was the fact that money could buy just about anything. So sent a text to his personal assistant, instructing him to dig up any information he could find about Go Ha Jin, immediately if not sooner.

The text sent, So wandered over to the living room window and stood, looking out into the night. A solitary creature in any life, he preferred his privacy and so he kept this apartment in one of the more upscale districts of Seoul instead of living closer to his family. One of the things he liked about it was the view; he was high enough up that from his living room he had a wide view of the city. He looked over that now, seeing the lights spreading out below him. Out there somewhere was a girl named Go Ha Jin, who somehow had managed to bear the face of his person, the only one he’d ever loved a thousand years ago. Was she the reason why he’d never connected with a woman in this life? Now So hadn’t lived like a monk; he’d dated over the years, but in every woman there was always something missing. To anyone else it would seem ridiculous to be waiting for someone they’d loved in a past life, but tonight everything had just clicked. It was like he was able to let out a breath he’d never realized he was holding.

So now what?

He had little doubt that his assistant would find Ha Jin (already his mind was calling her informally, already it had decided who and what she was), it was just a matter of what to do after that. Tonight showed him that she did not know who he was. Whether it was just the modern setting (So grew his hair a bit longer than was the current fashion, but it wasn’t anywhere close to being as long as it had been in Goryeo), an effect of her coma, or if she just truly did not remember him, that remained to be seen. He needed to see her outside of a dark, loud club. Maybe if he talked to her, got them alone, maybe then she would remember? There was so much he needed to say to her, to apologize for. He’d spent the rest of his life as Wang So, so many long years, regretting how he’d pushed her away, how he’d ignored her letters until it was too late. He’d promised to be hers in every life that came after, and part of So had wanted to just die right there, find a way to keep that promise, to leave this world and join Soo in whatever afterlife lay beyond. But the gods in their ersity would not let him find mercy so easily, and so he lived.

One part of the promise seemed determined to be kept though, that he never forgot. That must be why, a thousand years later, the love and heartache were as fresh in his mind now as the days in which he’d experienced them. Was it the continued punishment for his past crimes; that fate would tempt him with the face of she who he loved beyond all reason, or was it a sign of forgiveness at last? The question remained unanswered when So finally crawled into bed, but as he fell into a troubled sleep part of him remembered that while he had promised to always remember them and their bond, Soo had made no such promise in return.

0-o-o-o-0

The next day his assistant came through with flying colors (which is nothing more than what So expected, and paid the man for) and by early afternoon So was in a shopping plaza in a fashionable shopping district, looking through the window of a cosmetics boutique. Inside, Go Ha Jin appeared to be demonstrating various products to a customer. This morning he’d found out that she used to work for a makeup chain before her accident, and that after being released, the family of the boy she rescued had helped her find a new job in this more upscale company. So didn’t bother to make himself known to her, preferring to take advantage of the view he had for now. He couldn’t hear anything of course, but from the other side of the window he could still see so much of Soo in the way she moved, her gestures, the way she smiled. Her hair was different now, and her clothing, but the rest of her…it was so much Soo that he found himself reaching his hand up to the glass. He wanted to tap on the window, get her attention, see her turn her head in his direction and smile, have the joy in it be just for him alone the way it used to be.

So let his hand fall to his side. This wasn’t the way to do things. He didn’t want her to think that he was some crazy stalker who’d tracked her down here after bumping into her at the club last night (well okay so he did do that, but still…she didn’t need to know that). No, he wanted Go Ha Jin to think this was another random encounter. Yeah, that was it.

He walked into the store as if he was completely familiar with what he was doing, even though he’d never been inside a makeup store in his life. There were a few well-dressed women in the store, and several of them gave admiring looks to the handsome businessman as he passed them by. So ignored them. If he’d met them as part of running one of his businesses he’d give whatever polite attention was required, but here outside of the office they might as well be part of the scenery. There was only one person he had his focus on.
 

Go Ha Jin was now ringing up her customer at the register, and So took his place in line behind the woman. He still wasn’t sure what he’d say to her (he was pretty sure that ‘Hi, remember me? We were lovers a thousand years ago’ wouldn’t work) but he wasn’t about to let a little thing like that stop him. His heart was racing. Why didn’t the woman in front of him hurry up and leave? He was so close now…

“Sir?”

So blinked. Caught up in his thoughts, Ha Jin had finished up with her customer and he didn’t notice. She was standing in front of him now, looking polite but a little confused.

“Can I help you sir?”

So gave his slightly sheepish smile. “Sorry. I was just thinking. Didn’t we run into each other last night? Literally that is. I was just surprised. I didn’t think I’d run into you again here. Guess it’s my lucky day.”  Nice save, you dork.

Her eyes widened. “…it is you. I thought you looked a little familiar. Do you come here often?” She asked, but then her cheeks colored a little as she must have realized how she sounded. So thought it was adorable.

The smile turned into a grin. “Wouldn’t you know? You do work here, right?”

Soo…Ha Jin...he had to remind himself, shook her head. “It’s my first day.”

“And it’s my first time here. Looks like we’ve got something else in common.”

“….besides what?”

“Taste in clubs, obviously.” So reminded her. Her voice, it was Soo’s in every way. One wouldn’t think it possible to remember the voice of someone they’d never met, at least not in this lifetime, but he knew this voice. It was her; the tone, the way he felt comfortable just falling into conversation with her.

“Oh….right. Well, um, I didn’t go there before, my friends brought me.” Ha Jin said, then must have remembered where they were. “Anyway, welcome to Bella Bella, how can I help you today sir?” she asked with a little bow.

So looked around, the realization hitting him now that he was in a cosmetics boutique. Crap. What did he know about cosmetics? Not much. He was very minimalist in his personal hygiene compared to a lot of the businessmen he worked with.

Ah hah….as the little light bulb of inspiration hit him. Actually it was more like a candle, but he’d take any help he could get at this point.

“My mother…I mean, I’m realizing I should take better care of my skin.” He said. That was true, his mother complained before that he did not care more about his appearance. It wasn’t that he didn’t take care of himself, and he always dressed appropriately for any occasion. But So was not into wearing makeup, and he tended to dress more towards the casual end of the business fashion spectrum. Mentioning his mother wasn’t the best way to start talking to a girl he wanted to impress though. Actually it was probably a good thing that Ha Jin could not remember him right now. His mother from the past was not a good topic of conversation, So realized with an inner shudder.

“I read some articles recently on the dangers of skin cancer and I want to make sure I’m doing what I can to prevent it.” He said. There, that sounded nice and responsible, right?

Ha Jin nodded. “Always a good idea.” She said, taking a moment to look at him more closely. So felt a little awkward at being under such close scrutiny, but it also gave him a chance to look her directly in the eyes. Doing so, it was like he’d slipped into the past. He was Wang So, the prince who’d fallen hopelessly in love with a court lady; and she was Hae Soo, the girl who’d seen something to treasure in the man everyone pushed away except when they had a use for him. Maybe it was just his desperate longing, but for a moment it seemed like something changed in her expression as she looked at him. Could…could she be remembering?

She cleared , looking a little uncomfortable, and So bit back a smirk. “Your skin is very healthy-looking. You’re doing a good thing, starting now to make sure it stays that way.” Ha Jin launched into a discussion about masks and lotions, talking about different levels of SPF in a very confident manner. So only barely understood what she was talking about, he just nodded every so often in order to keep her talking. Funny how she was working in the cosmetics industry again, when she did the same back in Goryeo. It was another check on the list of things that convinced him that this was his Hae Soo.

“Are there any particular items you’d like to look at?” she asked, and So had to wake himself up again.

“Um….whatever you recommend? You obviously know what you’re talking about. I’m putting myself in your hands.” He replied, remembering so long ago, when he’d placed his trust in her in a similar fashion. Back then, she’d failed to disappoint, and he had no problem trusting her again, even if she had no memory now of who and what she was.

Ha Jin smiled politely. “Thank you. Let me show you how to put together a skin care regimen that is very low maintenance.” She said, and So found himself pleased with her insight that he would want something that wouldn’t get too complicated. She led him off through the store, putting a couple of boxes and jars into a basket that he didn’t even notice was sitting nearby. Before he knew it, several minutes had passed; she’d put the collection into an elegant white bag with the store’s name written across it in a tasteful gold script, and she’d printed off a set of instructions for him on how to use the products he was buying. So looked it over while Ha Jin was ringing up his purchases. Wow, he never realized beauty could be so complicated. She’d listed the exact order he needed to use these things in, the times of day and everything.

“This is serious business, huh?” So asked as he signed the credit card receipt.

“Of course. Your skin has to last you a lifetime, it should be taken care of properly.” Naturally she would still be in business mode, and not recognize that he was trying to strike up a casual conversation with her. Behind him a bell rang, signaling a new customer coming in, and he realized he wouldn’t be able to keep her attention for much longer. He wanted to ask her out for coffee, out to lunch, anything to keep her talking to him. But already he could see a woman step up beside him out of the corner of his eye.

“Thank you for your help.” So said, resigned to the fact that he’d have to let her get back to work. “Can I come back and talk to you if I have any questions?”

Ha Jin gave a polite nod. “Of course. We are always here to help our customers with anything that might need regarding our products.”

“Well, I meant you personally. You were very knowledgeable, and quick to understand my needs.” So smiled warmly at her.

A faint blush tinged her cheeks. “Oh. Um, of course. If I’m here I would be glad to assist. And if I’m not here any of my colleagues are more than capable of helping you as well.”

So was about to ask her what her schedule was but the woman standing next to him broke in with a question, dragging Ha Jin’s attention away from him. She gave him a brief bow before going off in the direction the customer was taking her. He sighed and headed out of the store. That was all too short. He’d have to find another way to meet up with her again. Somewhere outside of work, where he could keep her attention where it needed to be, on him. But running into her again outside of work was likely to strike the warning bells; she’d never believe it was a coincidence.

Lost in thought, So walked out of the store, not realizing that he was going to have to start using the products he’d just bought.

0-o-o-o-0

Ha Jin discussed eye shadow with her new customer, but only part of her mind was on the conversation. The rest of it was on the man who’d just left. She definitely remembered him; a face like that was hard to forget. His smile, the way it just lit his face. She thought she could look at him smile for hours. Ha Jin shook herself mentally, scolding herself for thinking that way about a customer. Well he wasn’t a customer last night, when he’d first run into her. And it was his fault anyway, he was just too pretty for her own good. She reminded herself of her resolution to stay away from men, especially men handsome enough to star in a drama. Besides, any man who could afford to go ahead and shop at Bella Bella, buying everything she’d suggested to him without blinking an eye, he was definitely out of her league.

Well, there was nothing wrong with looking, right? It wasn’t like she’d see him again anyway. Even though he did want to talk to you again specifically if he needed help… a smug little voice whispered in her mind, but Ha Jin ignored it. He was just being polite. He was probably like that with all the female clerks, she thought. Tossing out the charm.

There’d been a moment though, when she was looking at his face, where there was something in his eyes and she felt herself caught by his gaze. It was like she’d looked at him like this before, and something about it and the depth of his expression chilled her. But no, she’d only met him for the first time last night. Maybe that was what she was thinking of.  

“But what should I do about this, I think I’m starting to get frown lines?” her customer asked, and Ha Jin made herself concentrate on her work.

0-o-o-o-0

Outside of the store, Kim So was having a phone conservation with his assistant.

“Find out how much the owners of Bella Bella want for their store. No, make that the whole chain.” He said.

“No, you already know I’ve never run a cosmetics business before. What’s that got to do with anything?”

So made a face, listening to the man on the other end of the call. “Nevermind that. Just buy it. As soon as possible.”