“Young master,”

He looked up from the cherry blossom tree he was painting, and saw the girl in a battered dusty hanbok standing by his doorway.

“Come in Eunae.”

With an inviting smile, he placed the brush back on its holder and caught her hand as she walked closer. “Do you need tea, young master?” she asked. “Shall I make some tea so you won’t feel sleepy while finishing that painting.”

He shook his head. “No need.” He slightly pulled at her hand, gesturing her to sit down. And when the maid knelt down in front of him, she was pulled onto his lap sparing no more time.

A gasp escaped her lips. “Young master! What if anyone sees us?”

“It’s past midnight Eunae... everyone’s asleep now. Even the mansion guards.”

She bit her lip, as he s his hands around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. “I’m going to visit my friend in China. Do you remember Prince Luhan? The emperor’s nephew who studied philosophy with me here?”

The girl turned around, worried and anxious eyes glancing at him. “Will it take long for you to return?”

He smiled reassuringly, shaking his head. “Just about two weeks. I’m going there to ask him a favour. I will get his support and find a place for us to live there. And then, I’ll move to China with you.”

Tears formed up in the girl’s eyes, as she watched him smile. “Young master...”

“I’m going to marry you in China Eunae...” he brought a hand to caress her face. “Will you still be addressing me as young master even after our marriage?”

She bit her lip.

“Call me by my name.”

A gentle thumb caressed her cheek, and his fingers ran through her hair to rest the palm at the back of her head.

“Junmyeon.”

His name escaped her lips after a few seconds of hesitation, and he leaned in, enclosing the space between them. Her eyes closed themselves, as she felt his lips on her.

Soft and gentle, yet sensual and passionate at the same time.

* * *

“Suho,”

“Suho!”

He raised his head, from the text book which he had been sleeping on. The same face which he was dreaming of just a moment ago, was staring at him with rounded eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asked, holding a neatly folded pastel yellow handkerchief towards him. “Did you have a bad dream? I mean something upsetting or sad?”

“Wh- why?”

“Because you were crying in your sleep!” she pushed the handkerchief into his hand. “Wipe your tears with this. People will stare.”

“I... I wasn’t crying...” he hastily wiped away his flushed cheeks. Yooju sighed, pointing at the text book which had a large wet patch in the middle of the page. “What were you dreaming of? Or were you thinking about something before falling asleep? Tell me so I can help.”

He bit his lip and shook his head.

“Nothing Yooju.”

“I’m always telling you that we’re best friends, but I know absolutely nothing about you Suho!” she sounded offended. “The only thing I know outside your school information is that you live two bus stops away from my boarding place. And nothing else.”

“I... don’t have anything special about me.”

He was giving her that timid smile again.

“I live with my parents and have no siblings, no friends, both neighbourhood kids and school mates never bothered noticing me and teachers ignored me at school saying I was too laid back... so what’s there to be interested about me?”

For longer than just one minute, Yooju stared at the boy in front of her in silence.

“For how long will you live like that?”

He blinked.

“For how long are you planning to live under that shell without opening up to someone who cares about you Suho?”

There he goes...that heart aching smile of innocence.

“Just tell me! I know you have some kind of weird problem and I want to help you so badly! But how can I when you still can’t trust me or rely on me?”

He stared at her in silence for more than a whole minute, before finally giving in with a sigh.

“Do you believe that we have a past life Yooju?”

The girl blinked, puzzled by the unexpected question. “Well... I’m not sure, but when some people feel so endearing to me and I feel strangely affectionate for them, I sometimes think that we may...just may have met before this life.”

People like you Suho.

The boy nodded, comprehending her answer.

“I often have strange dreams Yooju. Dreams which I think are visions of my past life.”

Yooju leaned forward, listening in curiosity. “What kind of dreams Suho? And what makes you think they’re of you past life?”

He bit his lip before further explainin