Chapter 14.

"If one day, I had an accident and I lost my memory, how are you gonna make me remember you?"

Mingyu chewed lightly on a muffin Hanbyul had placed in front of him as his eyes trailed towards the small girl. Her shoulders were tense and her eyes darted constantly to the window as if she was searching for someone through the glass.

Ever since she had returned from the marketplace several days prior, Mingyu could tell she was on edge. The last time he’d seen her this anxious was when he’d found her 5 years ago. Since their fateful meeting on the beachy shores, Mingyu had taken it upon himself to take care of her.

“Hanbyul.”

The girl jumped, startled by the rumble of his voice and she nearly dropped the cookie pan she had been taking out of the oven. Mingyu frowned.

“Spit it out.”

Setting the metal plan down, a shaky sigh escaped her though she gave him a weak smile.

“I never could hide anything from you, could I?” She chuckled soullessly as he shook his head. Her fingers ran through her hair before they moved to grip the hem of her apron. “I met a man at the marketplace. He didn’t seem to be from around here and I don’t know… he didn’t seem like a bad person but it seemed like he recognized me.”

Mingyu sat up, his eyes widening a fraction. “Was it the anti-Neo faction?”

Even the mere mention of them sent shivers running up Hanbyul’s spine. “I’m not sure,” she said in a small voice. “He wasn’t on the ship I was taken on if he is part of their group.” Then with a harder voice, she said, “I’ll never forget their faces.”

A pang of guilt hit Mingyu at making her remember such awful memories. He didn’t know why but when he found Hanbyul on the beach 5 years ago, she showed signs of retrograde amnesia. She didn’t seem to recall anything prior to her kidnapping and when he brought her to a doctor at the base he’d been staying at, the doctor had said that it was a common symptom for victims to suppress bad memories from a traumatic event.

He didn’t know what kind of life she’d led prior to her abduction but he never pried. What mattered was that she was living happily now.

“Mom, are the cookies done yet?” Yunoh came barreling down the stairs and he tugged on her apron.

Hanbyul wiped away any trace of fear from her face as she gave Yunoh a wide smile. “They should be done cooling by now. Let’s go pack some up and you can take them to share with your friends, okay?”

Yunoh nodded, beaming. Hanbyul laughed at his enthusiasm as he clambered up the stool to grab an empty plastic bag. She dumped the cookies into the bag and tied it with a ribbon before handing it to Yunoh.

“Now, remember. Be fair and give everyone an equal amount, okay?” Hanbyul said as she pinched his nose.

A giggle burst from Yunoh and he ran to the door. “I’ll be back soon! Bye mom! Bye uncle!”

Mingyu and Hanbyul both waved, the previous tension from their conversation prior dissipated.

“Hey Hanbyul,” Mingyu started and she looked up at him with a tilt of her head.

“Hm?”

“You know I always have your back right?”

Hanbyul’s expression softened and she reached over to place a hand over his. “I know. Thank you.”

Mingyu lifted her hand and gave a kiss to the back before standing. “I’m heading out now. Wonwoo said he needed someone to watch his shop for a bit. I’ll see you when I get back.”

The door jingled as Mingyu stepped out and then, Hanbyul was alone.

She felt her hands shaking, though she tried to control her emotions. For some reason, it felt like déjà vu though she couldn’t remember being in a situation like this—where she was alone in her bakery with a gut feeling that something was going to go wrong.

But the sun was bright and the skies were clear. Perhaps her instinct was wrong. Maybe nothing would happen and the day would go on as usual.

After all, it seemed like the perfect day.

“We’ve finally arrived,” Johnny called out from the front as he dismounted from his horse. “Let’s set up camp around the perimeter of the town. We’ll need someone to actually go to town and get some ingredients for dinner though.”

“I’ll go,” Jaehyun said as he handed the reigns of his horse to Yuta.

“Alone?” Lucas asked and Jaehyun gave a short nod before heading towards the entrance of Cherry town before any of the other boys could get in another word.

Haechan took a step forward but Doyoung intercepted him and shook his head. “Let’s give him some time alone. I think he’s got a lot on his mind and you know how he gets whenever our searches ends like this,” Doyoung murmured and Haechan nodded.

Jaehyun quickened his strides, his mind jumbled with so many thoughts he couldn’t focus. He didn’t bother putting his hood up. He was sure no one in this small town would recognize him. After all, other than his pictures in the newspaper, he hadn’t shown his face to the public in 5 years.

He’d constantly been on the road, following dead end after dead end, while relinquishing all duties to Chaeyeon and occasionally Doyoung, who helped with the paperwork.

It was a selfish decision but Chaeyeon had taken it upon herself to bear both of their responsibilities alone. She never complained, never faltered and never asked for help. The sole reason the Neo Kingdom was still surviving was thanks to her and Jaehyun wasn’t blind to the fact.

He was always grateful to his twin and her endless support.

“Young lad, would you like to buy some apples?” An elderly woman at a stall called out to him and he paused in his steps.

Before he could respond, however, something came crashing into him. Jaehyun stumbled back slightly before turning his head to see what—or who—had just come barreling his way.

“Oww,” a small voice whimpered.

Jaehyun looked down to see a tiny child on the ground, his hands and knees scraped from the impact. He quickly kneeled down and helped the little boy stand.

“Are you okay?” Jaehyun asked and the little boy nodded even as tears welled in his eyes.

It made Jaehyun chuckle slightly. He put on a strong act for someone who barely reached the King’s waist. His eyes then went to the small plastic bag that had flown out of the boy’s hands.

He reached for it and examined the contents with a frown. The cookies inside were broken into chunks and crumbles. “Is this yours?” He asked and the little boy gasped.

Then, his bottom lip began to tremble and the tears he had fought so hard to keep back came spilling over. A small sniffle escaped the boy and Jaehyun’s eyes softened. He reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Hey don’t be too upset. I’m sure they taste just as good even if they’re not pretty. Never judge a cookie by its cover.”

And as soon as the words left his mouth, Jaehyun was hit with a wave of nostalgia.

The way she would blush with an indignant huff whenever he called her Cookie.

Or how she always defied his expectations with her shy, gentle personality paired with that sharp, witty tongue.

Jaehyun broke out of his trance and rummaged his back pockets for a handkerchief. He reached up to wipe the little boy’s tears before giving him a small smile. “No more tears, okay? Men should be strong enough to handle a little scr