Happy Lunar New Year! Here is my gift to you all! 새해복 많이 받으세요!

Once again, So found himself in the main office of the Jong Group- where each of the divisional companies were controlled. He also found himself in the conference room that had been allocated to the visiting sons of the Chairman for their personal and business use.

The conference room in itself had been nothing special. It was surrounded with glass panes and had a long table in the center of the room. There was a corner for snacks, coffee, and tea, and there was also a whiteboard at the end of the room. That was what it had looked like before the brothers had gotten to it.

Because Mu, Yo, Wook, and Won had their own offices, they were hardly ever in the conference room. However, So, Eun, Jung, and Baek Ah were the nomads of the family and through their hands, the conference room had turned into something of a gym-office-studio with a better espresso machine.

The long table was dismantled and put aside, replaced by a smaller, circular table. In the wide, open space of the conference room, an area was cleared for Jung to practice his Taekwondo. Because Jung had not been able to find someone willing to help him drag a punching bag into the office, he practiced with a long ribbon tied to the ceiling, kicking and slashing at it.

Baek Ah sat on the floor in a blue button down and black pants, his long hair in a ponytail and his eyes closed, a wet paintbrush clutched in his right hand. He ignored the grunts and huffs of his younger brother with ease, his brush gliding over the woven canvas at his feet. He had already painted two scrolls of city scenery using broad, traditional strokes, and was working on a third. So knew those paintings would be worth thousands if Baek Ah chose to sell them.

So sat with a lukewarm coffee in his hand, thinking about Soo. Staring at nothing in particular, he imagined what it would be like to have her beside him at that moment. Would she crack jokes and giggle at Jung's concentration over a ribbon? Would she hover by Baek Ah and watch him paint? Would she take tea and sit idly?

He sighed audibly, thinking about Soo's smile and how much he missed it. She had smiled at him before he left for work, but So missed his Soo. He wanted to hug her and kiss her in public and in private. He wanted to bring her to work and perhaps even see her surprise him there.

Born into a wealthy family, So had only ever envied his brothers for receiving their mother's love, but now, he found himself envying every married man within the company. From Yo to the lowest accountant or Mu to the door attendants, So noticed that sometimes, wives would come if their husbands had forgotten things at home, or they would surprise them for lunch. So wondered if Soo would do that for him if they were able to be upfront with their relationship. He wondered if she would visit him in the conference room where he had set up temporary shop.

Only able to hold her at night or after making sure no one was around, So pondered if it was time to take Soo away from Wook's household. He had enough funds to purchase a good apartment in Gangnam- perhaps one in the same apartment complex as Wook so Soo could visit her cousin. So wanted to have Soo all to himself, no matter what others might say about their moving in before being married. After all, they had lived together without being married in a past lifetime without repercussions.

"Is he alright?" Jung asked as Baek Ah looked up from his painting. Pointing to So, Jung grimaced. The two stared at their older brother as his eyes glazed over, his nimble fingers tapping against the table. "He's been sighing for the past ten minutes and it's grating on my nerves. Baek Ah, can you tell him to stop?"

Baek Ah turned to peer at Jung and he pointed his paintbrush at a distant So. Their older brother slouched in a chair, his arms crossed and his expression troubled. "Why don't you tell him?"

"You're his favorite brother," Jung complained. "I'm still scared that he'll glare at me," the youngest brother crossed his arms as Baek Ah snickered and shook his head.

"Something must be bothering him if he's acting that strangely," he decided, continuing to stare at his brother. "Leave him be and go back to your kicks."

Oblivious to his brothers' antics, So wondered what Soo was up to. He wondered if she missed him as much as he missed her. Every moment of the day, So wanted to be with her. He hated hiding. He had hidden so much in Goryeo that in this lifetime, he yearned to be free. He would have married Soo the week he had reunited with her if it had not been for the damn abdication process that was eating up all of his time and energy. Roadblocks had formed and each passing day, So's job as an executive board member and company ambassador grew harder.

Some nights, So barely made it home before dinner ended. Other nights, he was so tired, he barely made it into Soo's bed before falling asleep beside her, too fatigued to even kiss her, let alone make love to her.

Taking a sip of his espresso, So sighed again, rolling his tongue over the sores in his mouth that had appeared from lack of sleep. Soo had told him not to stay up and come to her room just to sleep beside her because he would only have to wake up at the crack of dawn to sneak back to his own room. She wanted So to sleep in his own bed so he could get a few more hours squeezed in, but So had refused. He could sacrifice something like sleep to be with Soo.

What he wanted was to be with her and to live a normal life with her. He wanted a family and a wife. He wanted Soo to be his wife and for his daughter… So wanted his child to be his real child in this life.

"He's sighing again," Jung narrowed his eyes and Baek Ah hummed his agreement. "When has he ever sighed? I've never heard more than five words come out of his mouth at a time and now he's sighing?"

"Maybe I should just take her and leave," So huffed as he finished his espresso. Oblivious to the strange looks his brothers sent towards him, So set his cup down and sat up straight, his suit sliding against the back of his chair. "Goddamn Wook… should have… just had to follow me into this life," Baek Ah and Jung exchanged confused glances as they caught snippets of their brother's grumbling. They both flinched when So clapped his hands together. "We can make it together, I know we can," he decided out loud and smiled widely, standing and collecting his work bag. So ignored his brothers as he rushed out the door and ran straight for an elevator.

"What's wrong with him?" Jung watched as his brother impatiently tapped his foot, waiting for the lift to arrive. "Where's he going?"

"Who can say?" Baek Ah responded with a small chuckle. "Ever elusive, our older brother," he smirked before continuing to paint.

An hour after Wook and So had left the house after eating lunch, Soo raised her eyebrows as So barged into the apartment and demanded if anyone was home. His dark hair was a mess and he panted heavily, leaning against the shoe closet and wiping sweat from his forehead. His once ironed and impeccable suit was wrinkled and his tie was tossed over his left shoulder, the silver bar keeping it in place all but dangling off the precipice of the silk.

"No one's home, is everything alright?" Soo asked, looking around and making sure none of the staff were around. She hurried over to where So stood and made sure his body was intact, searching him for injuries. Memories of a blood covered So rushed back to her as she made sure nothing was amiss about his body. "Did you run here?" she questioned her boyfriend.

Excited, So clutched Soo's shoulders and he gave her a half-crazed smile. "Let's move into our own house," he blurted, still out of breath. "I have enough money for an apartment in Gangnam and you can still visit Wook's wife and Yo's wife and I can get you a car if you don't like mine and- you're shaking your head, why are you shaking your head?"

So released Soo's arms as she looked away, abashed. "Would you like me to propose?" he asked. "I thought you wanted me to give you an actual, decent proposal- plus, we can't get married until this whole damn abdication is over," he ranted, pausing only to yawn. "If you want a ring, I can get you one, but... " he yawned again. "That's why I only want us to move in…"

"So," Soo gnawed on her bottom lip as she contemplated her next words. "I would love to move in with you," she paused as his expression lit up, "but, I can't… not yet"

They stared at each other and So slowly dipped his head in a slow nod, his adrenaline rush dissipating into another yawn. "Why?" he asked. "We have a chance to finally be together and yet, you want to stay here in the shadows and hide?"

"Myung Hee is pregnant," Soo said, her blunt words making So's eyebrows rise in surprise. "I want to stay until the baby is born to help her. You know how unwell she is. Imagine if I were to leave now. How ungrateful and selfish would I seem?"

Soo began adjusting So's disheveled state, pulling his tie down and straightening the silk. "I love you so much," she said, unclipping the silver bar and aligning So's tie before returning it to its place inside his gray vest. "And I want nothing more than to live with you in our own home and to publicly be with you, but we have to wait a bit longer. Myung Hee is only a couple months along, and I want to be here to help her through her pregnancy."

"That's why Wook was acting more like an idiot around his wife," So scoffed as he realized his brother's overcompensation toward his wife was finally explained. The extra security, the constant need to text his wife, the nervous pacing at the office, being overly protective of Soo and our younger brothers… of course,he thought, he's being paranoid about becoming a father.

Placated, he allowed Soo to continue pulling at his clothes and fuss over him. "So, once their baby is born, will you move in with me? Will you marry me then? I know the abdication will be over by then and that the family will have calmed down before seven months are up," he said, reaching to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Soo's ear. "I'm also much older than you, so we don't have to worry about me having to complete my military service- I've already done it."

Beaming, Soo clicked her tongue as she smoothed So's lapels and ran her hands over his chest, leaning close and pressing herself to his body. She could hear his heart beating from where she placed her cheek. Quietly, she sighed as So's arms wrapped around her. "We won't have to hide in the foyer and hope no one decides to dust the shoe closet anymore," So offered another point. "I'll be able to catch up on sleep because I'll be beside you the entire night."

He could feel Soo's hands resting on his hips. She chuckled softly and So nuzzled his nose into her hair, inhaling the flowery scent of her shampoo. "After Myung Hee's baby is born, I'll move in with you," she decided. Soo pressed her chin into So's ribcage as she gazed up at him. "We'll get married and I'll move into whatever apartment you decide to buy… but I hope this wasn't your proposal. It's almost as bad as when you proposed to me in Goryeo," she retorted.

So pursed his lips and wrinkled his nose at Soo. "Fine," he agreed. "I'll propose again sometime." With a smirk, he swooped to kiss her before pulling away and yawning again.

"Are you sure you should be going back to work when you're this tired?" Soo quirked an eyebrow at her boyfriend as he nodded, holding a finger up as he gasped a yawn again. "Stay home and sleep. I'm sure you can skip working for a few hours. Remember what I always say?"

Offering Soo his best confused look, So shook his head. "Was it the one about not wanting to be called 'my person?'" He raised an eyebrow when Soo wrinkled her nose at him.

"Eat well, sleep well, and take care of your body. I'm glad you've gained some weight since you've been here, but you really need more sleep," Soo chided as So raised his eyebrows at her comment about his weight, his gaze automatically drifting toward his middle. As far as So was concerned, his stomach was still muscled and flat.

"What? How would you know if I gained or lost weight?" he pressed a hand against his abdomen. "I haven't been on a scale in months."

Soo leaned on the tips of her toes to kiss So's cheek. "Because your cheeks are fuller," she whispered in his ear. Falling back onto the balls of her feet, Soo ran her hands through her hair, tying it behind her head. "Now, you aren't going back to work today. I want you to call in sick or something like that. I'll make tea for you and then you're going straight to bed. Also, can we please leave the foyer?"

They exited the front of the house and entered the near-empty apartment. So scanned the house for movement and when a maid appeared from around the corner, he stood back for Soo to continue walking while he remained behind to ask the maid where his brother's wife was.

"The lady of the house is currently meeting her mother," the maid replied.

By the time So turned away from his short conversation with the maid, Soo was already in the kitchen, ignoring the cook's request for her to just ask for what she wanted. "No, it's fine- really! I just want to make some tea," he could hear Soo saying. "I like to keep in practice!"

So sat on one of the sofas in the living room, crossing his legs and unbuttoning his jacket. He wondered if the espresso he had downed at the office was decaf. There was a great possibility that it could have been; Jung's Olympic diet forbade caffeine and So knew his little brother would take something like that very seriously.

They took tea together on the second floor, in Myung Hee's garden. Soo poured tea for So as she had done so many years ago, her hands remembering the delicate skill of preparing a tea placement. So watched as she used two hands to pour steaming water into the ornate tea set, warming the cups before emptying them and refilling them with tea. "I see Damiwon has followed you into this life," So stated as he accepted the teapot from Soo and used two hands to pour tea into her cup. So noticed her surprise at his obvious show of respect.

"You don't have to… Two hands really isn't necessary," Soo protested.

"On the contrary," So set the teapot down and took one of the cups, inhaling the steam that wafted from the side of his cup. "I see you as my equal. You are... a piece of my soul that lives outside my body," he looked up from his glass as Soo blushed and took a cup for herself.

"Didn't Baek Ah write that?" she teased, taking a tentative sip. "It's a bit too dramatic for Eun to have written."

So snorted as he drank his own tea. "It was a line from one of his poems."

"I hear women of all ages love Baek Ah's music and style. Do I sense a fan of Wang Baek Ah in you?" she teased him with a flirtatious smile.

"I was his first fan," So proudly puffed his chest. "When that idiot was ignoring his studies to practice the gayageum and haegeum, I was the one that pushed him on. Of course, I went to college before I could really see him flourish, but he seems to think his success is because I told him to follow his dreams and that our father could go fuck himself if he was about to make another businessman in the family." Soo rolled her eyes at So's language but otherwise said nothing, continuing to enjoy her tea. "Do I sense a Baek Ah fan in you?" So raised his eyebrows.

Pursing her lips, Soo shook her head. "I'll never tell."

Hidden in the dense foliage of pine trees and potted flowers, Soo sat on the ground beneath an umbrella, the tea set on the table forgotten. With her legs tucked beneath her body and So's head on her lap, she hummed a loving song and allowed herself to savor the tranquility of that moment. Each minute passed in a lazy haze as Soo watched So sleep against her, his body curled close to hers. Soo guided her hands through So's hair as he snored softly, his mouth dropping open and his hand holding her bare ankle.

A gentle gust of wind sifted through the trees, bringing the scent of pine about them. Soo let her thoughts drift as she combed So's dark hair, feeling the strands of black part for her nimble fingers. She pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggles as a line of drool fell from So's open mouth and onto her shorts. "How tired you must be," she sighed, her voice tinged with sadness, "having to come to my room so late and then leaving before dawn." She used the pad of her thumb to wipe the side of So's cheek. "How you must hate hiding. You must want to leave so badly."

She looked around the lovely gardens that her cousin tended to every week. "You must want to take me and never let me go. You must be so afraid that our lives might play out like they had in Goryeo…" Soo chewed on her bottom lip as she recounted how many times she had been taken away from So in her past life. How the other princes had managed to keep her from him when he needed her. Soo wiped the wetness from her eyes as she whispered to her lover, "But darling, I will never leave you again. Not in this life and not in the next one. I promise on the stars we used to watch and on the sun that shined down upon us then and still shines down on us now. I will never let you suffer alone ever again. Your pain is mine just as my burdens are yours."

Lowering herself, Soo placed a warm kiss to So's brow. She exhaled as a light breeze lifted her sorrows and sent them adrift in the wind, taking her from Goryeo and returning her to a world where she could be free. "I love you," she sighed, her fingers smoothing the short locks on So's head. "More than my own life."