Chapter 23

Lee Hwon in black ;)

The sun just rose in the horizon, sending out golden red ray to the clear sky. I held up a hand to shield my sight from the blinding light as I got off Unnie’s car and walked the short remaining distance back home.

My eyes stared down, watching the steps I took on the gray pavement. A lone shadow entered my field of sight, shadowing my feet in the dark.

I looked up.

“Hi.” Hwon grinned, pushing himself off the wall he has been leaning on.

I stared at him questionably. “What are you doing here?”

“Visiting you of course.”

My stare turned into disbelief. “At this hour?” I checked my watch. “It’s barely seven…and how did you know where I live?”

He shrugged. “I have my ways.” He ignored my frown and leaned closer with a similar frown etched on his face. “What are you doing outside? At this hour?”

“Eh…” I averted my eyes from his interrogating gaze and stared at a random spot on the wall. “I attended a close friend’s birthday party…”

“Close friend’s birthday party? That’s the reason you left mine early?” He scoffed. I could feel his eyes staring daggers at me.

“Well…” I started defending myself and then realized something. I turned back and set an annoyed stare at him. “Wait…why should I even explain to you about what I am doing?”

Hwon started opening his mouth to retort but he paused, leaving his words unsaid. A moment later, he closed his mouth, his eyebrow fixed tightly together as he stared at me unhappily.

That was when I began noticing the dark bags beneath his eyes, his pale complexion and slightly messed up hair. A pang of guilt hit my heart.

“H-hey…are you feeling alright? You don’t look so well.” I asked.

He sighed and ran a hand through his raven hair. “No.” He leaned away from me and stared into a faraway distance.

“Shouldn’t you go home and get some rest?” I continued asking.

He cast me a brief glance and looked away again. “I can’t sleep.”

I bit my lips, wondering what I should do with him, this guy who never failed to make me feel at a loss of what to do.

“Coffee.” He suddenly spoke out, catching me off guard.

“What?”

“Coffee.” He patiently repeated and smiled at me. “You look like you need some too.”

“Hwon!” I exclaimed, now feeling extremely loss over this man’s random actions.

He grinned and grabbed my hand in return. “I know a nice 24 hour café nearby!”

**********

Together make it love!

Forever making you smile….

“You like this song?” Hwon asked, as he sat opposite me and casually leaned his face against one probed up hand.

“Hmm?” I blinked my eyes in thought, not entirely sure why he would be asking me that question.

“You have been humming and tapping your fingers to the song.” He pointed out with a teasing gaze.

I blushed and sat up straight. “Well…it’s a nice song.”

He chuckled and nodded his head. “Yeah.”

“Here’s your coffee, Sir.” A waitress came up to us and started serving our cups of coffee. I was well aware that she had left me out in her greeting, not to mention that she had turned her back on me and only faced Hwon with a smile, I suppose, that was alluring. She started chatting animatedly, explaining something about his drink and he listened on, nodding his head every now and then.

I smiled slightly at my ignored existence and caught sight of Hwon casting an amused glance back to me, as if wondering about our situation.

I shrugged in return and relaxed in my seat and took a sip of my café mocha.  My eyes started observing the surroundings more carefully and noticed how all the ladies have been sipping their drinks and sneaking peeks at the smiling Hwon.

Why shouldn’t they? A voice in my head defended these ladies’ acts.

Sitting there comfortably with his one leg crossed over another, Hwon looked like some prince that came out from a stylish magazine.  I examined his outfit, noticing how good he actually looked in his casual black long-sleeve tee, gray jeans and a black nametag pendant dangling from his long necklace.

I sighed and took another sip of my café mocha, feeling slightly envy at how guys like Lee Taemin and Lee Hwon could pull off such attractive looks from simple black tees and jeans.

The world is so unfair…

I thought as I prepared to take another sip.

“What’s wrong jaigya?” Hwon’s shocking question almost caused me to choke.

I snapped my eyes up to his worried face as he reached out his hand and gently placed it over mine.

I stared at him bewildered, unable to response.

Hwon started smiling, his eyes gentle as he leaned towards me with his other hand reached out…

I held my breath, wondering what was this all about…

When his fingers touched my lips and brushed away the milk foams stain that lingered at my lip’s corner.

My mouth dropped open in surprised as he grinned while retracting back to his seat.

Like an instinct triggered, my gaze automatically flickered to the waitress who held the same jaw-opened expression at me. Then I examined the café morning crowd, watching as numerous ladies stared at me and Hwon in surprise.

My cheeks burned up so much I could actually feel them going tomato-red.

Hwon chuckled and smiled sweetly at the stunned waitress. “Is there anything else?” He asked.

The waitress shook her head and without a word, her heels and walked away from our table.

“Y-Yah Lee Hwon!” I stuttered at him in anger and embarrassment. “What are you doing?”

 “To make her pay attention to you and stop bothering me.” He calmly took up his café latte and took a sip. “Ahh, this is good.”

I looked at him, exasperated. “That’s because she’s trying to flirt with you!”

“I know. And I know she thinks we are merely friends.”
“Then why are you pulling me into the picture?” I groaned.

“Like I said, to make her pay attention to you.” He smiled and pushed his cup of café latte towards me. “Wanna try mine? Let me try yours.”

Without waiting for my answer, he took up my cup of café mocha and took a sip. He made a face at the drink. “This is a bit too sweet for my liking.”

I stared at him, fuming silently. “You’re definitely a player”

Hwon set down my cup and grinned cheekily. “Now you know how attractive I am.”

“You’re shameless.” I said.

He raised an eyebrow, looking perplexed before shaking his head with a smile on his lips.

“What?” I retorted, feeling weird at his reaction.

“Did you realize you’ve just called your father’s employer’s son, a shameless man?”

My eyes widened as I apprehend the meaning behind his words. My face paled slightly but I decided to remain firm with my stand. “I’m not taking back what I said. You do appear shameless at times.” I further proved my point by narrowing my eyes at him.

He chuckled once more.

“Even now, you’re still the same……” The smile on his lips dropped as though he had not meant for that sentence to slip out. His gaze turned serious as he sat silently in his seat, merely watching me.

I slowly took my cup and rotate it in my hand as I replayed Hwon’s sentence in my head, patching it up with all his past words and actions. A vague answer soon arrived in my mind.

“Hwon…have we met before?” I asked.

I looked up to observe his expression. “We have…haven’t we?”

A smile appeared on his lips, but it didn’t reach his serious eyes. I waited patiently, determined to get his reply.

“Yes.” He finally whispered. “A long time ago…”

“How long?” I probed.

“A very long time ago….” His eyes seemed teary and he turned his gaze away from me.

I paused, unsure whether my next question would sound crazy to him. But it was the only hypothesis I have derived from mulling over my strange dreams and all these coincidences…

I took a deep breath for courage and asked. “From when I was Yeon-Woo?”

His head jerked back to face me, his eyes widened in surprise.

“The story you told about the palace wall, you were referring to yourself, aren’t you?” I continued. “Then does that mean….you were the crown prince and I was Yeon-Woo? Does that mean….”

“They were our past lives’ selves.” Hwon finished my sentence, confirming what I had guessed.

My hands trembled so much that I had to place my cup down. I took a deep breath, trying to sort out the various thoughts rampaging in my mind. My rational side vehemently rejected the absurdities of the answer, but my intuitions felt as if it was the piece to connect the scrambling puzzles in my head.

Yet one part couldn’t quite add up.

“If you’re the crown prince, why didn’t I read about you in the Joseon Annuals? You would have been an Emperor at some point in history.”

A bitter chuckle was heard before he replied. “I abandoned the throne.”

I frowned. Wasn’t the throne something that people have been plotting and killing in their entire lives just to have it in their hands? For him to abandon it so easily….

“Why?” I couldn’t help asking.

“Why?” He echoed my question and looked at me. “Because nothing else matters after you’re gone…”

I stared back at him, confused by his words. “What about me? What exactly are we in our past lives?”

A true smile finally graced his lips as he placed his hand over mine and held it firmly.

“You were my princess consort. In today’s words, you’re my fiancée.”

#Author's Note =D

*The song that Seo-Yun hums along is "Stand by Me" by SHINee (love that song!)

*Joseon Annual is a book that records Joseon's history. 

Anyone's faces went (O_O) after this? Kekekekeke....but now....*bows head* sorry for the lack of Taemin once again! (T_T) My hands went on to type such a long scene of Hwon & Seo-Yun, so I didn't want to tire anyone out by adding Taemin in here. GAH (>_<)

Has this chapter solved a lot of questions in your head? Or did you half expected the answers? On a sidenote, I'm listening to Infinite "The Chaser" now and I keep linking Lee Hwon to it. Does that give you a clue about him too? Kekeke...

Thanks for reading/subscribing/commenting! And yeah for the finally 1000 views (^___^b) I know it's a very very small figure but I'm just glad there's people reading this! Hehehehe... <3~