Work Text:
One month had passed since Bong Hwan came back to his body. The memories of his other life were still vivid in his mind, keeping him up at night and occupying his thoughts in the daytime. Suddenly he felt alienated in his own skin, not quite belonging. He had lived 32 years in this body but those few months changed him forever. How could he ever go back to how it was before? He got a taste of another life, someone else's life that felt like belonged to him. He finally felt like he knows what family and love meant and all that crap he kept hearing about in dramas. It was real and it was wonderful. All of it gone.
He woke up to the sound of his alarm, a sharp noise he was still getting used to. He reached out his hand to the other side of the bed, smiling unconsciously but feeling the dread crawl up his throat as his hand hit the cold surface of the bedding. Empty. He opened his eyes and stared at the place someone used to lie. Not feeling the warmth of his body near him or hearing him breath softly while clutching his hands. Bong Hwan had to fight back his tears as he rolled to his back and stared at the ceiling. The room felt cold and unbearably quiet. His heart was aching and it was like the cold of the room was slowly surrounding it, squeezing it tighter, making it harder to breathe. He was reminded of the time Cheoljong suddenly left to fight the Donghak believers and he missed him terribly. Maybe that was just their fate. Like parallel lines running together but never meeting.
Finally he got out of bed, the faint light coming in through the hotel's window. It was a rainy day, perfectly matching his mood. No Hong Yeon or Court Lady Choi to greet him and help him prepare for the day ahead. He got dressed and put on a jade ring, a little something he bought from a jewelry store to remind him of his other self. He turned the ring around his finger a few times, mindlessly staring at it like it was gonna magically bring something back that was lost. He sighed and grabbed his umbrella then stepped out of his door to go to work.
He looked out carefully from under the protection of the roof then opened his umbrella and walked out into the rain. The new restaurant he worked at was just down the street. He didn't want to go back to the Blue House. He's had enough of politics and he didn't want to be near that kind of power again. This new restaurant was a good one. Pretty famous and the people looked nice. At least no one tried to kill him yet. He did miss his frenemy, the Royal Chef, here no one told him what to do or made sarcastic comments about his cooking. This is how it was supposed to be. The Head Chef was the Head Chef and he had every ingredient and manpower at his disposal. It was easy. He couldn't have asked for better.
Bong Hwan got to his work station all dressed up and ready to impress. This is what he knew best. Cooking calmed his mind and took away his thoughts, even for a short while. The orders kept pouring in and he was kept busy. He had no time to dwell on things that were long gone.
He was preparing the ingredients for a dish when he happened to look up and catch a familiar figure slip by the looking window placed in the kitchen door. No, that couldn't be. He was losing his mind for sure. He shook his head and went back to cutting up vegetables but his stomach was in knots. He put the knife down and against every common sense he rushed out the swinging door, leaving his surprised colleagues behind. The door led into the guest area where some people turned their heads to him to look at the source of the noise that interrupted their meal. Bong Hwan was looking around, pacing between the tables, looking for that oh-so-familiar pair of brown eyes and manner of a King. He knew it was crazy and impossible but couldn't help but be disappointed and heartbroken. For a short second hope took over him and it felt every bit as good as it had been before.
"Chef Jang, what are you doing here?" One of the waiters asked, but Bong Hwan just gave him a tired smile and walked back to the kitchen silently. Hope was a stupid and dangerous thing.
His shift ended late in the evening and it was dark when he stepped outside. It had been raining all day and still hasn't stopped. The streetlights and neons were illuminating the wet asphalt as cars raced through the puddles on the road. There was so much life and movement but it no longer excited him. People walking around the streets, hand in hand, laughing and chatting, sharing an umbrella. He reached out his hand to feel the rain on his palm. It felt nice. He wanted to open his umbrella but it wouldn't work. He inspected it from close and realized it broke. He left his umbrella in the holder with everyone else's, they must've shoved them together until it broke.
"Those sons of a bitches. How careless. Is this how they look out for other people's belongings? I ought to just-" He muttered to himself. "I should label my things "No Touch" from now on." He snickered. He took off his suit jacket, draped it over his head and started running.
He was only looking ahead of him so he wouldn't trip and to avoid any puddles. The wet asphalt was clicking under his soles. He was out of breath now and he had underestimated the intensity of the rain so he quickly hid under the protection of a store's tent roof. His hair was almost soaked fully, not to mention his suit jacket. He was squeezing the water out from his clothes and watched as the rainwater poured down the edge of the roof. Nostalgia hit him again as he was reminded of the time he was waiting for the lake to fill up that would take him home. And now that he was home, he wanted to go back desperately. Be careful what you wish for. Suddenly, a blue umbrella appeared in front of him. As the person lifted up his umbrella, his face was revealed and Bong Hwan's heart jumped to his throat. It was him. He looked different, with short hair and a burgundy suit from top to bottom. He was elegant and carried himself with the confidence of a true Ruler. Bong Hwan's heart skipped a beat as his gaze met his. Those oh-so-familiar pair of brown eyes. He couldn't say anything, no sound came from his throat. He was just staring at him like he was seeing him for the first time. The man must've found his speechlessness amusing because he was grinning widely with that sweet smile that made his heart flutter every time he saw it. The man stepped closer, held his umbrella above Bong Hwan and looked down at the broken one he was still holding in his hands. Finally he spoke softly.
"Did you know that in dream interpretation, a broken umbrella means a broken heart?" His words were soft, almost whispery, full of held back emotions, things he wanted to say but couldn't find the words to. Bong Hwan lowered his head and without realizing his tears started falling. He felt so much relief and so much pain at once, he couldn't hold it back anymore. The man took the hand he wore the jade ring on and caressed it with his thumb. Bong Hwan lifted his head back up to look him in the eye but his eyes were full of tears too. He dropped his jacket and broken umbrella and wrapped his arms around him, making him drop the umbrella on the street. He buried his face in his shoulders and finally felt the warmth of his body, the beating of his heart and his soft breathing. Just these things brought him comfort and he finally felt like he was home.
"I'm sorry" Won Beom said quietly. "I'm sorry it took me this long, Bong Hwan-a"