"Yi ..Rang..Nim?" Woo Bin echoed and exchanged a look with Yi Jeong, who looked equally confused and shrugged.
The woman slapped her hand over her mouth and looked around a bit helplessly.
„I'm sorry. I confused you with someone else!" she said hastily. „Anastasia.. come."
Though she wanted to leave, she couldn't take her eyes off of Yi Jeong and teared up.
Yi Jeong walked a few steps up to her and she took a step back.
„Miss, are you alright?" he asked and looked directly into her unusual, grey-ish eyes.
Yi Jeong was absolutely sure he had never seen this woman before, yet something about her felt familiar.
„I'm sorry.." she mumbled and turned around, leaving as fast as possible, considering her dog wasn't the fastest anymore.
„That was so weird.. She didn't look like she confused you with someone..." Woo Bin said quietly, while looking after the strange woman.
„I know right? She was so.. emotional? But I swear I don't know her.. Even from class, I would remember her.
Now Woo Bin looked at him. „Why? Do you think she's pretty?"
„Are you jealous?" Yi Jeong scoffed in a loving way. „Her look is very unusual, that's all. And her attitude..."
„That dog looked like he knew you, too. Are you sure you're not leading a double life?" Woo Bin teased and Yi Jeong choked a laugh.
„How would I be able to hide something from you, hm? But keep that idea for your new book, it's just getting better and better." he said sarcastically.
Woo Bin wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, because he slowly really looked so done with everything. He rubbed his nose against his cheek and mumbled:
„I really should start taking notes, huh?"
Yi Jeong chuckled quietly. He turned his head and stole a tiny kiss.
Usually, they wouldn't do things like that in a public place, but Yi Jeong was glad to have Woo Bin by his side, who just always knew what to do to make him feel better.
He closed his eyes and leaned into the embrace, feeling the arms around him tighten.
„You should stay the one writing horror stories, not our reality.." he mumbled and sighed.
„Hey.. last night was weird and this was just a coincidence. Maybe you reminded that woman of someone close when she saw you with her dog before, and when you looked up, her wishful thinking made you look like that person for a moment. That happens all the time."
„Hmh.." Yi Jeong agreed, still enjoying the comforting embrace. He wanted to believe what Woo Bin said, because it made so much more sense than him actually knowing that woman with the familiar scent he was able to smell even from far away.
It wasn't a parfum, it was something else. Not the same he smelled on the balcony last night, but something similar.
Maybe he was sick. He had heard of people with brain tumors, who started to hallucinate or suddenly smelled things that weren't there.
If this wouldn't get better, he would go see a doctor, but he didn't want Woo Bin to worry for nothing, so he didn't tell what was on his mind, yet.
While Woo Bin and Yi Jeong were trying to ignore all the weird things happening, Ki Yu Ri was running.
She had picked up Anastasia and was running as fast as her high heels would take her, straight to her husband's animal clinic.
Shin Ju was reading a file, when Yu Ri stormed in and jumped up in surprise, immediate worry written all over his face, because usually she wouldn't carry their family dog.
„Yu Ri-Ssi! Are you okay?" he rushed to her and took the dog, who looked fine, while Yu-Ri was breathing heavily, her cheeks wet from tears.
„Honey.. come sit down.. What happened? Do you want a glass of water?"
„Water?" she looked at him like he was the weirdest person in the world, „Give me something strong."
Shin Ju exhaled with relief. When Yu Ri was still able to complain, she most likely was alright.
Still, he could see that she had cried.
„This is a hospital, I don't have something stronger than water."
„It's for animals. You can have human drinks here." she said a bit annoyed, then her expression changed back to sad and Shin Ju knelt down in front of her.
„What happened?" he asked again and covered her hands with his.
„I saw him." she whispered and his eyes widened. „Hyung?" he asked without thinking.
There was only one person in this world who could make his Yu Ri that stirred up.
She nodded and Shin Ju dropped on the ground because he had to sit down.
His eyes found hers and she teared up again. „Anastasia found him. I accidentally called him, but he didn't even know who I was."
„Of course he didn't.. He has a new life now.."
„But we're still here! He didn't change from when we last saw him, why can't we have him back? Ji Ah got Yi Yeon back! It's not fair."
„Does he look okay?"
Yu Ri hesitated to answer at first, then she pouted and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
„He does.. He has a boyfriend who's more handsome than you, it's not fair. Why am I stuck with your face?"
Shin Ju wasn't even a bit offended. He stopped listening to Yu Ri saying offensive things before they even got together. He knew she loved his face, but she was through and through Yi Rang's mentee and had adapted his habit to say mean things instead of nice ones, even if he meant the opposite and that was okay.
Shin Ju would never trade his precious Yu Ri for anyone else.
The doctor knew he would have to do something about this.
Together with Su Ho, the three of them lived a happy and fulfilled life, but without Yi Rang, Yu Ri was never completely happy.
Now she met him and he had to talk to Yi Yeon about it.
-
After discussing it over and over with Ji Ah, Yi Yeon decided to tell the others about Yi Rang, eventually.
Little did he know that what he wanted to prevent had already occurred.
Shin Ju jumped up from his chair and almost yelled at Yi Yeon: „What do you mean you already knew how he is? I thought we agreed to not look for him, for reasons!"
„I'm telling you now? Also I didn't meet him in person, Ji Ah did. I was just outside his apartment, looking through the window." Yi Yeon looked around like he did nothing wrong, being fully aware that he had crossed a line.
„Why did Ji Ah meet him? That's against the rules!" Shin Ju kept yelling, obviously upset that everyone met his Hyung by now, except him and Su Ho, but he was mostly upset for himself.
The other guests in the restaurant called 'Snail Bride' already looked over to them.
„Can you sit down? You're embarrassing me." Yi Yeon stayed cool and Shin Ju forced himself to calm down as well, giving the other guests an apologetic look before he let himself drop back in the chair.
„I'm concerned, that's why. I wasn't looking for him, I was walking by that art center and suddenly, I caught his scent. It's the first time since his reincarnation. I sent Ji Ah to check out the place because she has never been very close with him."
Shin Ju was lost in thoughts for a while, then he nodded. „Anastasia told me, he smelled him, too. It took Yu Ri by surprise and she accidentally called him out of excitement. She wasn't prepared and she left him alone, saying it was a mistake, please don't be mad at her.."
Yi Yeon sighed and took a sip from his drink. He wanted to tell his long term companion first, to get his opinion on the matter, also to protect Yi Rang from anyone doing something over emotional and with out thinking it through.
„I'm not mad at her. I just worry.. if I can smell him.. and even Anastasia can.. He still might have enemies out there, after everything he messed up in the past. Without the protection of his family, without being aware.."
„His life might be in danger.." Shin Ju finished the sentence and Yi Yeon nodded.
„I saw him.. He has a decent home, a good job that he loves, a partner who seems to love him very much.. Don't!" Yi Yeon warned, when he noticed that Shin Ju was tearing up.
„I'm trying.." he whined and fanned himself to keep his eyes dry. „Is his boyfriend really that handsome?"
„Nah.." Yi Yeon assured and rolled his eyes.
„Then they both could move in.. Our home is big enough, I.."
„I know you miss him. I have no idea why, but I know you do." Yi Yeon interrupted and Shin Ju nodded before he emptied his drink with one sip.
„If we all work together and keep our distance, maybe we can protect him enough, so his life won't change. I know it's hard, but I owe him that.
-
In the following week, Yi Jeong had a few more weird occurrences.
He often felt like someone was following him up to the point where he became a bit paranoid, but he never saw anyone.
The woman from that one day, when everything started, actually did come back with her son and with her, that strange scent from the balcony. It was barely noticable, but it was there.
But there was no way that woman stole his cigarettes and jumped down nine levels... But was she the one following him around? And if she was.. why?
Her son Yong Gi was a complete sweetheart and after the free test lesson, she gained enough trust to leave the kid alone there the next time, because he definitely wanted to come back to the nice uncle and learn to build things.
The woman called Nam Ji Ah was nice too, but there was something off about her, something in the way she looked at Yi Jeong.
Well, he was extremely handsome, so sometimes people looked at him like they couldn't believe he was real, but there had been no attraction in her eyes.
It was a cloudy Wednesday and while work, Yi Jeong had tried to call Woo Bin several times, but he wouldn't pick up, which wasn't unusual.
When he was writing, he often turned off everything around him, to not get distracted.
Yi Jeong sent him a voice message in the end, that he wouldn't need him to pick him up today, because he still had something to do and had no idea how long it would take.
Three more times, he had seen a face on the balcony since the first time, but no one was there and since that day, he was also getting nightmares.
Yi Jeong had never experienced anything that would cause him to develop suppressed anxiety, so he rarely ever had nightmares at all.
Usually, he would sleep like a baby in his safe environment, with his favorite person by his side.
But now, the same nightmare was haunting him over and over, where he tried to escape a burning forest and no one came to help him.
It felt so real, that he once even checked in the morning, if he got burns.
After all, he finally decided to see a doctor without telling Woo Bin.
If it was something serious, he would tell him right away, but there was no way they both needed to worry for nothing.
Woo Bin was already on the way to pick up his boyfriend, when he got stuck in the traffic jam and then noticed, that his mobile phone had been off all the time and turned it back on to let Yi Jeong know he would be late.
He frowned at the amount of missed calls and listened to the voice message, while moving forward slowly, in a stop and go mode.
He sighed after the message had ended, because he was relieved nothing bad seemed to have happened, but he was also a bit frustrated, because he was already on the road and stuck.
„Change of plans then." Woo Bin mumbled and took the next chance to leave the street.
He drove to a nearby shopping center and decided to clear his head with window shopping.
It's been a while, since he bought some new clothes, so maybe a new jacket would be nice, he thought.
It's not like he couldn't afford one, he just didn't need much to be happy and liked to be surrounded by familiar things.
Yi Jeong not being specific about his plans didn't worry him either. He trusted his boyfriend enough and whatever it was, he would probably tell him later.
For some reason, both of them never needed a large circle of friends around them.
Yi Jeong had a few workmates he met now and then for dinner and Woo Bin had his own imagination.
He needed no one else, and that was okay. He liked to do things on his own, too.
It was necessary to gather inspiration.
Sometimes, he even traveled on his own, just to meet or observe strangers in new environments.
It was good to have a partner who wasn't clingy, but always by his side.
Woo Bin couldn't fight back a dreamy smile, while maundering around in the mall and thinking of Yi Jeong.
It was good, that they had found each other. Like it was just meant to be.
Not really looking for anything in particular, he let his fingers glide over random pieces in a fashion store, until a fabric made him stop because it was so soft he just had to unfold the black and white knit sweater.
It didn't take him very long to decide to buy it, because just imagining Yi Jeong in it made his heart beat faster. He knew Yi Jeong wasn't feeling well lately, even if he said nothing, he felt it.
But he wanted to wait until he was ready to talk about it.
A neat, cozy sweater might help him to feel better and get through the day, even if Woo Bin wasn't around.
About two hours, but only one additional shopping bag later, Woo Bin was on the way back home.
This time, he took a less overcrowded route to avoid being stuck again and his heart dropped when he was waiting for a traffic light to switch and saw Yi Jeong leaving a building with a hospital inside.
He honked twice to get his boyfriend's attention, who looked over and immediately recognized their shared car.
Yi Jeong hurried to get into the car before Woo Bin had to keep going and was a bit out of breath.
„Hey. What are you doing here?" he asked, not even thinking in the direction Woo Bin could snoop on him.
„I got your message late and was already on the way. I went shopping instead and was just heading home, what are you doing here? Have you been at the hospital?" Woo Bin shot him a worried look and Yi Jeong sighed. He hoped he wouldn't have to tell Woo Bin, but there was no point in lying to him either.
„Yep. I didn't want you to worry, so I didn't say anything, I'm sorry. I tell you the details later, okay? Not in the car. Just, there's nothing to worry about. I wanted to get something checked but they found nothing."
„O-kay... I need a little more than that, though, to not worry.." Woo Bin mumbled and Yi Jeong nodded with a little, apologetic smile.
„Are you hungry?" he asked instead of digging any further and searched the inside of the door for a flyer he stored there and pulled it out to hand it over.
„We had this in the mailbox today, I thought we could try out some new places for a change."
Yi Jeong inspected the flyer suspiciously.
„Snail Bride?" he read the name of the restaurant with a bit of disgust in his face. „I hope they serve other things too.."