After leaving the Na mansion, Re-yee drove to the Kyo's on Sanbuk[1], the mountain between Cheol and another highly-urbanized city called Gugyeong[2].

She'd been visiting the Kyo family since she was young so the road was nothing new to her.

Less than an hour later, the large gates were already opening to let her car in.

The estate had a separate roofed area for parking connected by a winding corridor to the main house.

Re-yee expected the family's butler Mingyu to welcome her as usual.

But standing on the beginning of the winding path was Ri-yan.

He was donning a modernized version of a hanbok which was most likely a design by Meihua. The jacket (jeogori) and pants (baji) of the ancient design were made to be comfortable sitting on the floor so they were loose-fitting. 

Meihua is known for fashioning ancient clothing into something more casual, trendy and could be worn daily.

This line was a hit among the elite families who loved the traditional style.

If Ri-yan's hair wasn't bleached, he'd look like a painting of a lazy rich young master of the Hana era.

The ambiguous arc on his lips didn't cease making even the stone-faced Re-yee uncomfortable.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you planning something?"

Ri-yan blinked a few times before breaking into laughter.

After having a good laugh, he stepped closer to Re-yee. To his delight and expectation, the woman didn't back down in the slightest.

He was taller than her so their close distance warranted her to reluctantly look up at him.

As much as he wanted, he couldn't just wrap his arms around her. He'd probably kiss the cement even before he could do that.

Her ink-black eyes that drew him in even without wanting to; he avoided these eyes for so long but those same orbs invaded his dreams.

When did he start liking her?

Was it when they were six when his parents forced him to read with her in the afternoons? She was actually the one who taught him how to read and write as no tutor could make him learn. He'd make them give up by doing all sorts of pranks.

His parents requested her to read together with him. She took this seriously and manhandled him to sit inside the Na mansion's library.

Back then, his young self was annoyed that a girl his age could make him obey more than his parents could. So he always bickered with her.

Was he really a masochist? He'd always be beaten to a pulp by this girl whenever he tripped people, make other kids cry or did something bad in general.

His parents didn't even lay a hand on him! But they turned a blind eye when Leigh was the one who disciplined him. Really, he didn't know if Leigh was his ancestor or something.

When did he begin putting her above everything?

Was it that summer before high school when she suddenly turned more reclusive and she didn't beat him up anymore?

Was it when she gave everyone the cold shoulder but he could see the hidden sadness in her eyes?

When she refused to go to school anymore, his parents told him to accompany her in homeschooling.

He was reluctant but she didn't care. She started treating everybody outside her family like air.

She treated him like nothing.

He was furious. Was it at that point that he began wanting her to notice him?

Or was it when he was competing with her during lessons just so he could elicit a reaction from her?

Maybe it was when they finished homeschool and he had no reason to be at the Na's every day anymore.

Was it the time when he couldn't find her on his fifteenth birthday? Back then, he dropped everything, his party, and guests, to go to the Na mansion and accuse her of not preparing a gift for him.

When did he start including her in his future plans?

Was it when she went abroad to take collegiate classes on business and communication at age 16? Was that what pushed him to take performing arts aside from his passion?

Was that why he took on Clover's bet to audition at JNE which led them to become trainees? He accurately guessed that Leigh would start working from the bottom of ME Media.

In the end, he still didn't know when and even why he became his most important person.

He just subconsciously knew. Like he'd always known he was meant to be hers.

He tried avoiding her, low-key pissing her off when they saw each other but it didn't feel right every time.

He got so used to it though.

He got used to denying and shutting his instincts which were telling him to be near her at all times.

But when the talk of marriage came about, he agreed to it faster than his mind could reject.

He told himself that he regretted marrying her. But in all truth, he was the happiest.

Why was he tormenting himself for no reason? Saying he hated her when he meant the opposite, telling he liked so-and-so when it was only her.

Could she forgive him?

Ha! What made him think she cared?

"What. Are. You. Doing?"

Ri-yan woke up from his reverie. Did he just fall into a trance right in front of her?

There was only enough distance between them so he could see her visage properly. But looking from afar, they looked to be almost hugging.

Re-yee could feel her hair standing end from his stare.

Ri-yan felt quite heavy. He looked down and saw her hands clinging—no, fisted on the fabric of his clothes.

He was bewildered by this until he saw the angry frown on her face and the tinge of redness on her cheeks.

He chuckled and put a hand on the small of her back so she could put all her weight on him.

"I stared too long?" he asked.

Her eyes were thunderous but they were undeniably teary, probably from anger.

She wasn't speaking a word so he decided to answer his own question for her.

"Stared too long?! You stared for almost five minutes that my knees became weak! Did I read your thoughts right?"

In reply, he felt the flesh on his waist being pinched as though it was torn apart.

---

Kyaaaaaaaaaa~ holy mother father!!!!! My poor heart!

[1]Sanbuk- Mountain in the north/north mountain. San means mountain, buk means north.

[2]Gugyeong- the word literally translates to: an enjoyable sight

By modernized version of hanbok: Imagine the man without the jokki and the jeogori and baji tighter in a comfortable way. The silky and slightly stiff fabric is also replaced by more comfy ones.

Hanbok in Korea are mostly used on formal occasions but in this story, Meihua introduced the ancient designs in modern clothing.