Life 2

China 1495 BC

Changmin strolled through the village market, looking for some pretty trinket for his wife, Sunhwa. She was upset with him for staying out too long at night and drinking with his friends – a habit Changmin had no real intention of remedying – but he thought that maybe he should go buy something to alleviate her anger. His wife was no one to trifle with. They had not married for love but she was an intelligent woman and Changmin had grown quite fond of her over time.

He glanced down at hair pins idly, wondering if maybe he should just give Sunhwa some cowry shells so she could pick out her own gift. Or would that come off as insincere? Just as he was about to give up and just apologize in person, he spotted a golden head piece with many chains and dangles. It would attach to the head by two hair pins in the shape of falcons and Changmin instantly knew that he wanted it. The piece looked expensive, as it was obviously exotic, and the merchant, Zhou Mi, had traveled a long way, but Sunhwa would be well-pleased with such a unique gift. Even as these thoughts raced through Changmin’s mind, he couldn’t help but think that such a piece belonged on someone else, that the true owner was missing it somewhere. He lazily searched the marketplace for someone missing an Egyptian head piece, not really knowing what he expected.

That was when he spotted a woman he had never seen before. He thought that she would have to be from out of town because he knew everyone in the village. Wearing an ordinary pink ruqun, the woman was neither strikingly gorgeous nor outlandishly eye-catching but Changmin had this nagging feeling that he knew her. She was familiar to him and Changmin knew that she was supposed to be a part of his life somehow. All thoughts of his wife abandoned him as he dropped the head piece and began to follow the woman wandering from street stall to street stall. He watched her every move, fascinated, as she examined various products from jade to hair pins to bags of rice. She had a gentle, pretty face that expressed her every emotion from curiosity to approval to disinterest and Changmin hoped she never tried her hand at gambling because no one would believe a lie she told. Women weren’t allowed to gamble, of course, but Sunhwa told him that they still gathered in small, clandestine groups. She said that women will always do as men do, even if it is in secret.

“Yunseo, what do you think of this?” A smaller woman, who wasn’t nearly as pretty or noteworthy, held up a dragon hairpin questioningly. The familiar woman, Yunseo as he now knew, replied in the most endearing voice Changmin had ever heard. It was soft with a ring of truth and strength to it that Changmin would be content to listen to for the rest of his mortal life.

“It is rather lovely,” she replied, nodding at the vendor in respect, “but not quite what I had in mind for seeing my betrothed just a week before our wedding, Ara.” Changmin’s heart hurt a little at the idea of this woman with another man but his logical mind told him that he had no right to feel such pain and possessiveness for a near stranger. Except she didn’t feel like a stranger to him. And that scared Changmin at the same time that it entranced him. He was unable to look away even when his mind told him to run.

The short woman hummed a little and replaced the hair pin, moving on to another stall. Yunseo continued her appraisal of the marketplace and Changmin continued his appraisal of her. Minutes disappeared forever as he gazed at her, an inner conflict warring between approaching her and leaving to forget she ever existed. He was so concentrated on watching her that he failed to realize she had noticed her admirer. Changmin’s eyes were trained on her small hands but when they ceased their movement, his gaze trailed up her body to see what had deterred Yunseo.

His breath faltered for a moment when he discovered her eyes locked on his. There was familiarity in that look that rang true to his soul. He knew her and her gaze said that she knew him too. Their physical bodies were over twenty feet away from each other but nothing could get between the communication of their eyes. Changmin wasn’t confused about their connection when they were gazing into each other’s eyes. His wife and her fiancée faded away in the sheer force of their bond. It just made sense to be looking at each other and Changmin was filled with a desire to follow this woman anywhere.

Their silent communication was broken by the short woman, Ara, calling out to Yunseo. “Are you ready to go? We need to leave soon or we won’t make the journey in time,” she casually remarked as her words shattered the cocoon around Changmin and Yunseo.

Yunseo reluctantly tore her gaze from Changmin and replied “I’m not quite ready to leave yet.” She glanced back beseechingly at the stranger, not wanting to leave him just yet, but she was treated with the view of his retreating back.

An overwhelming sense of urgency filled Changmin as he realized Yunseo was leaving and he sprinted back to the stall from earlier. He found the master of the Egyptian head piece.

When he whipped out his pouch of cowry shells and grabbed the head piece, the vendor, Zhou Mi, said “I have to warn you; this piece has a background story to it. Its history is somewhat… unconventional.”

Changmin couldn’t care less at the moment, each passing second Yunseo was possibly getting further away, and the history was fitting as their bond was rather unconventional.  “It does not matter,” he said and shoved the shells into Zhou Mi’s hands, leaving before the man could protest.

He ran back to the spot he had left Yunseo and sighed with relief when he found she had not moved an inch. Before he lost his courage, he strode right up to her and presented the head piece. She looked up with shock, but when she saw the piece in his hand, her shock turned to pleasant surprise. Her hand reached out for it before Yunseo remembered her situation and stayed her action.

“Please, take it,” Changmin implored, not understanding why it was so important to him that this woman have the gift. She searched his eyes, about to respond, but her companion appeared out of nowhere to disturb their peace again.

“What is this? Is he bothering you? Do you know this man, Yunseo?” Ara asked in a threatening manner.

Their eyes connected in a link of understanding before she whispered out a quiet “Yes.” The woman huffed and walked away indignantly but she didn’t miss the stranger’s gasp at Yunseo’s answer. 

Yunseo waited for her friend to get out of hearing-range before she spoke to this familiar stranger for the first time. “Sir, I can’t take this.” Oh, she wanted to, needed it even, but society demanded she reject gifts from random men. The man shook his head and placed the piece in her hand.

“It is yours,” Changmin said, not really understanding his own words, “it has always been yours and it will forever be yours. Watch over it please.” Yunseo gazed back at him and curled her palms protectively around the piece. She nodded slightly, seeming to recognize his urgency that she should have it. She opened , seeming to want to say something - anything, to thank him, to implore him to run away with her, something - but they were interrupted, as always, by her friend.

“Yunseo! We have to leave now or you will not reach your fiancée before dark.” Ara appeared impatient and distraught, wondering why her friend would be accepting gifts from another man so close to her wedding day.

“I must go,” Yunseo said to the stranger, still unaware of his name. Her heart and soul told her that this man was the key to eternal happiness but the feeling was so aggressive and sudden that he would have to make the first move. She needed to know that he felt the same way.

“I understand,” he answered, knowing he should let her go and not wanting to. He steeled his resolve and turned to leave her, to abandon this supernatural experience, but a sudden thought stopped his tracks. “Changmin,” he said without looking back at her. “My name is Changmin.” He knew that if he met her eyes again, he might not be able to leave. But he wanted her to know his name since hers would forever be imprinted in his brain.

Yunseo smiled bitterly; the fact that he gave her his name simply proved their connection but he was unwilling to fight for her, to take a chance on them. A small part of her thought that it would have been better if he had not revealed his name, it would be easier to forget him then, but the larger part of her screamed that she had to know, to find him in the next life. For Yunseo was certain they would meet after this life; they were destined for each other even if it did not happen this time around.

Another time, another place, Changmin thought to himself as he forced himself to walk away from the mysterious woman. She intrigued him and he knew there could be something much more between them if he pursued it but he was too much of a coward to risk it all for Yunseo. Sunhwa might not be perfect but she was a good woman and Changmin was not foolish enough to put her, his title, and his land on the line for an unknown future with a woman who felt all too familiar. At least, that’s what he told himself as he hurried away from his fated one, putting as much distance between them as he possibly could. 

Authors Note

So for historical accuracy, Yunho's name would be Tu and Changmin's Shi. 

I'm sorry but I just really don't like Sunhwa. I don't think it showed up too much here though so I'm proud of myself.

Please comments with thoughts and criticisms! :) They're always awesome to read no matter how short or long.