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Summary: Some loves you never lose. Some things are just meant to be.

PORCELAIN

III.

Her name is Chu Ga Eul and she has just returned from England, armed with a PhD in Art History and an opportunity to teach in one of the most prestigious universities in Seoul. This is her baby, an idea conceived only two days ago to collaborate with the Woo Sung Museum to host an exhibit devoted to women potters through the ages. She has yet to mention it to her senior colleagues and the deans as she never does anything without meticulous research and careful planning. She has to see the place for herself and speak to the curator and managers before drawing up proposals. All that can wait though, because right now, she is visiting the museum for the first time.

Her last stop is an exhibition by the man who will one day inherit the museum. All that she knows about him is from art journals, magazines and the rare mention from her best friend who is engaged to his best friend. It is a contact that she has no intention of using though. Ga Eul hates cheating and in any case, it is his father So Hyun Sub that she will eventually negotiate with.

There is no denying that the heir apparent is indeed a prodigy. His work is flawless. The carvings are imbued with a life of their own, so much so that she feels tempted to reach out and run her fingers over them. Great passion, her professor had lectured. Art takes on a life of its own because the artist has much to give, has surrendered some part of his soul inside his works. Needless to say though, a lifetime of blood, sweat and tears is needed to achieve such a level of skill. Ga Eul recalls in disbelief that So Yi Jeong is only two years her senior. "Ah, life isn't fair," she murmurs, thinking about her own pottery skills. She is good but nowhere as good as him. Her gifts lie more in academia and for that, she must be thankful.

Suddenly, she sees it and everything else fades to black. Transfixed, she walks closer and does something she has never done before. Putting a hand on the glass, she presses her fingertips against the cool surface and stares at the vase with its peonies that weep a river of agony in which carp swim against the tide. The first time she had seen it was in a remote corner of Jeju Island, when she had joined an archaeological expedition that an ex-boyfriend had been involved in. A pottery site had been discovered during the construction of a school and the Archaeological Society had been contacted. It had been a wonderful find; the pottery had been carefully preserved by whoever had buried them and confirmed to be the works of the elusive Joseon prodigy potter, Kim Yi Jeong, who had vanished suddenly after ten years of prominence. Historians had tried in vain to account for his whereabouts for years. Kim Yi Jeong's ceramics had no equal in Ga Eul's eyes, perhaps until today, but what had made the expedition so indelible in her memory was ironically one vase that had clearly not been the artist's work.

It had been buried in a heavy, ornate chest, wrapped in silk bundling. Obviously it had been greatly treasured. Although the work was of good quality, Ga Eul had to admit it that the vase had more value as a historical artifact than a piece of collector's art. Still, there was no faulting the imagination that had gone into it. As she turned over the vase, it was a simple verse at the bottom that had struck her to the core. Not just the promise that seared her heart but the graceful minute script could have passed for hers, right down to the unique upward curl of broad strokes to the right. It was like looking at her own writing and for a moment, all the fine hairs on the back of her neck rose as she held the vase in her hands, seized by a powerful sense of déjà vu. It had taken all her self control and then some not to ask for the vase as the Archaeological Society happily packed and sealed away its great find, leaving her with an aching sense of loss that defied logic and which had lasted for months.

She had not expected to find a perfect double, a twin here. "Not a twin," Ga Eul thinks, shaking her head to dissipate the cloud of memories. The one before her is a refined version, superior in every way. But to have perfectly captured the other artist's vision, the other's heart… "It's impossible." Ga Eul frowns and bites her lip. She is not a superstitious woman but she has the strangest feeling that something more than ordinary is at work here.

Suddenly, she sees a man's reflection in the glass and realises she is not alone. Flushing, she realises she probably is in the way of another visitor. Turning to apologise, she notices how expensively dressed he is. When she looks up, she realises he is still staring at her. It's almost on the tip of her tongue to ask if he knows her because she certainly feels as though she knows him. The sheer illogic of her thoughts makes Ga Eul take a step back, as though to prevent herself from committing any foolishness she might regret.

"Don't go. Stay, please."

Although he sounds slightly anxious, his stunning good looks are not lost on her. This is, Ga Eul decides, the most beautiful man that she has ever seen. Even on her five inch heels, she has to look up at him. And he is coming her way. Swallowing slightly, she wipes her palms on her skirt. Forget So Hyun Sub and the museum collaboration; she is suddenly convinced this is the most important meeting of her life.

…

For once he is at a loss for what to do. Briefly he wonders how his friends would respond but decides that none are suitable options. Ji Hoo would not react even when he finally noticed the girl, Woo Bin would proceed to flatter her into submission and Jun Pyo would simply drag the woman out over his shoulder or by the hair.

Clearing his throat, he walks over to her and offers a hand that he's surreptitiously wiped on his pants. He feels even more awkward than when he approached his first girl; at least he had managed to pretend to be confident. "Hi, my name is Yi Jeong."

He even has the same name as her favourite potter. Is there nothing about this man which she is going to dislike? Realising he is still holding out his hand, she quickly takes it and gives him a firm handshake. "Ga Eul," she says and is relieved that she sounds normal. "I'm sorry if I was in your way."

"Oh no, don't be. I was just passing by." And I'm so glad I did, he finishes silently. Her hand is small and delicate in his but he likes that her handshake is strong. As if on cue, both of them look down at their hands which are still clasped together. Ga Eul flushes and Yi Jeong reluctantly lets go. She does not look unhappy though and he takes that as a promising sign. "So you like the vase?"

Suddenly, she wants to impress him with her knowledge of art and that feeling is completely foreign to her. Don't overdo it, Ga Eul warns herself. He'll know if you show off and you hate show offs. "The workmanship is flawless," she says quietly. "It makes me forget about technicalities and methods. I just want to sit here and soak it all in."

So she had some background in art. Art teacher? Did she practice pottery? He wants to ask all these questions but he waits and tells himself there will be time enough for all that later. For now, he basks in her praise. For once where pottery is concerned, someone else's opinion matters to him.

"It's not the first time I've seen it though. I wonder if the artist saw the original and decided to replicate it." For a moment, his eyes widen and then he pales.

"Original?"

"Yes, the original. The Archaeological Society found it on Jeju island together with Kim Yi Jeong's works and it dates back to the fourteenth century. I didn't think they would ever put it up for display. It didn't even get mentioned when they announced the discovery…" Her voice trails off as she notices how white he has turned. "Yi Jeong?"

He swallows and clears his throat. "I didn't know there was an original."

"How could you be expected to know?" she says reassuringly. "It's not like you are the artist." He gives her a strange look and suddenly Ga Eul has a sinking feeling. Something struggles to the surface of her mind and slowly she starts to connect the dots. This is So Hyun Sub's museum and his son is So Yi Jeong who currently is displaying his latest collection of…. "Blue and white porcelain," she murmurs weakly as she mentally curses herself for being three kinds of fools. "Oh dear, you must be the So Yi Jeong."

So his dreams weren't based on something that had surfaced from the recesses of his imagination. He had dreamed about something real and had been compelled to recreate it. If he hadn't believed in the supernatural before, Yi Jeong was now ready to become a convert. Belatedly, he realises that Ga Eul is apologising. "Don't be sorry," he interrupts. "If you don't mind, I'd like to know more about the vase. Was…Did you notice an inscription on its base?"

Her thunderstruck expression confirms his suspicions. "What did it say?" he asks softly.

The intensity in his eyes is compelling and she cannot bring herself to look away. "Love endures lifetimes. I wait for you, always." Ga Eul wonders why she feels as though she is making a promise instead of merely repeating another's.

Wordlessly, Yi Jeong reaches into his pocket and calls for the curator. He barely notices the man who unlocks the display and reluctantly leaves after being firmly dismissed. "Go ahead, pick it up."

With trembling hands, Ga Eul reaches for the vase, already knowing what she will find. Running an elegant, tapered finger over the script, she reads the vow he has inscribed; it is identical to another written hundreds of years before, right down to the characters used. And just like the latter, this one touches a chord so deep inside her that she feels unravelled. It too rouses a feeling of fierce possession. "How can this be?" The question is meant as much for her as it is for him.

There is no answer that logic can provide. He wonders if Ga Eul is aware of the way she is protectively cradling the vase. Before he can say anything, she turns to him, her eyes searching his. "You know, I don't understand but when I first saw the other vase… I thought…I felt…"

"Yes?" Yi Jeong breathes.

"I felt it was mine."

Very gently, he reaches out and takes it from her, setting the porcelain aside. "When I made this, I had a woman in mind. She was a princess of the Joseon period, born in the fourteenth century. I first saw her portrait when I was six and I've never been able to forget her." Without thinking, he raises his hand and runs his knuckles gently over the bridge of her nose, over her cheek. "She looks just like you."

She does not flinch at his touch but closes her eyes instead at the delicate touch. "You have his name," she whispers, struggling to keep her voice steady. "He's the reason I fell in love with ceramics and pursued the arts." She had been ten and it was love at first sight when she had seen Kim Yi Jeong's works on her first trip to the museum. No other art has ever connected with or spoken to her as strongly as his does.

Logic tells Ga Eul that this is too sudden, too much to take in, there is too much that they both do not know. Yet it is with her heart that she reaches for his hand and finds that he meets her halfway. And then she recalls something that causes her hopes to plunge.

"You are to be married."

Yi Jeong knows the consequences of disobeying his father. He will never inherit the museum he loves. He will be stripped of his family connections and disowned. He will not be allowed to go home until he surrenders and walks the path that has been laid down for him by his parents. He knows all this very well and accepts that life will never be as comfortable again.

"Only when you say yes."

"A-are you sure?" She understands full well what he intends to do and the repercussions that will invariably follow. Jan Di and Jun Pyo had suffered at the hands of his angry mother just to remain together. As much as she wants to, she cannot bring herself to talk him out of it. Now that he is here, she cannot imagine living with the absence of him in her life.

Tenderly he squeezes her hand, a gentle ache in his chest as he notes the glimmer of tears in her eyes. "Ga Eul-yang, we have been waiting forever. Come to me, come away with me."

It sounds so hauntingly familiar that Ga Eul knows he has asked this of her before. So he has his answer as she leans into him, slips her arms around his waist and lets him hold her so close she can feel the beating of his heart. Now she knows why she has always believed in soulmates.

She feels exquisite, his riddle wrapped in mystery solved, and finally, that terrible hollowness inside him is silenced. Yi Jeong knows he will never let her go again. "Let's leave," he murmurs, nuzzling his cheek against her hair, keeping her hand firmly in his as she steps back.

Ga Eul smiles, looks at the vase and then back at him. He laughs and nods, suddenly feeling lighter and younger than he has in years. "If we can have nothing from here, we will at least have this." Reaching out, she tucks the vase securely in the crook of her arm. "What?"

"Nothing. I could have sworn you've said that to me before though."

"You will have this lifetime to find out."

"And the next," he insists as they walk through the museum towards the exit. He ought to feel regret or sorrow. Instead, he feels as though he has just come home.

"All my lifetimes," she amends, feeling the porcelain warming against her skin as she silently thanks whatever fate it is that has brought them together.

Yi Jeong stops on the steps outside. Above, the sky is deep indigo mixed with blue as the last of the light fades into the west. He wants to etch this moment in his memory. "All my lifetimes," he echoes softly. "I promise."

Then he leans in and kisses her.

…

"And that, children, concludes the lecture of a history of Korean ceramics." With a snap of her fingers, the tour guide caused the hologram to disappear into thin air. The younger kids "oohed" and "ahhed" while the older ones sniffed in derision, partly because their schools had forced them on this educational trip. "Now, who wants to get their hands dirty?" This time, high-pitched squeals of assent were mixed with looks of mild horror. "If you will follow me to the next room, we have some clay and wheels prepared for you. You'll experience pottery making the way it used be done, the old fashioned way…"

The little girl ignored the crowd as it shuffled away. She had been through the tour a couple of times, mostly when she was waiting for her father to finish his work before driving them home. He was the curator of the most important museum in Seoul, a fact that she was immensely proud of. Ever since she had been a toddler, he had been bringing her to his workplace in a bid to inculcate a love of the arts and respect for history in her.

"Never forget Ga Eul ah," he would say while wagging a finger at her, a habit that drove her mother crazy, "we may be living in the twenty-second century now but we all have our roots in the past."

Once she was alone, Ga Eul ran up to the panel, punched in her father's code and unlocked the system controls. "Ceramics, please." Sometimes it felt a little strange to be saying 'please' to a computer but force of habit and good manners would not let her do otherwise. "Selection by artist." A monster list of names popped up and Ga Eul was glad that most basic technology was voice activated. If she had to flip the screens her finger would probably suffer a terrible sprain. "So Yi Jeong. Blue and white porcelain collections. Vases only."

There weren't that many and though she loved all his works, one in particular fascinated her. About twenty mini-holograms popped up and she selected the one she wanted. With an almost inaudible hum, it expanded, shimmering into life. Save for the fact that it was hovering two inches above a solid surface and would flicker if one poked a finger through it, the image looked as real as…well, the real thing.

Dragging up a chair, Ga Eul kneeled on it, resting her elbows on the back, and sighed dreamily as she stared at her favourite piece of art in the whole world. Although she was only nine, she was sure that she would always love this most for the rest of her life. Aside from the fact that it was decorated with her favourite flower, the carp looked so real, almost as though they were actually swimming. It was a superb example of blue and white porcelain, according to her father. But all she knew was that it moved her in a way that nothing else did.

The sound of a small cough told her that she wasn't alone. Turning around, she saw a boy standing near the doorway. He was about her age, or a little older, taller with thick jet black hair and as he came closer, she saw that his eyes were deep brown. "Hi," she quipped. "If you're looking for the pottery workshop it's down the corridor and just around the corner."

He blinked and shifted his gaze to her. "I'm not actually. I come here sometimes just to look at the exhibits."

"All by yourself?" Ga Eul was suitably impressed. Most of her peers would prefer visiting the simulator arcades or the detention room rather than the museum.

"My parents are busy," he shrugged before directing his attention to the hologram. "Who made that vase?"

"This really famous potter called So Yi Jeong. I read that when he died, he insisted on being buried next to his wife and with this in his coffin." Ga Eul waited for the inevitable "eww" or comment about her morbidity but to her surprise, he merely tilted his head and continued looking at the image.

"That's a pity. It's a very fine piece of work."

Ga Eul straightened her spine and for the first time, eyed the stranger with genuine interest. "You know about pottery?"

The boy tugged on his tie and flushed a little. "I know a little." He didn't want to sound like he was showing off although he had this strange desire to impress this girl. If his grandfather heard that there wouldn't be supper for two nights though. As heir to a family that could trace its lineage back to the royal family and several famous artists, he was not allowed to hide his pedigree.

Ga Eul slid off the chair and for the first time, smoothed down her skirt before offering him her hand. "I'm Ga Eul. You want to get some dinner? My father will be done with work in two hours so we can hang out until then."

Swiping his hand on his pants, he gave her a firm handshake. "Yi Jeong, a pleasure to meet you."

"I hope you like chicken feet. Mrs Lee at the cafeteria makes a mean beef bulgogi too—"

"Chicken feet?"

"Aw come on, just try it. I guarantee you'll love it and even if you don't, I'll eat your portion too."

She beamed at him and Yi Jeong, to his immense irritation, flushed some more. Still, he didn't protest when she tugged on his hand and led him out of the room. "Are you always this bossy?"

"Wait till you really get to know me."

For the first time that day, Yi Jeong smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."