Jin Yi leaves, upset with both grown-up men who act like kids. She meets her headmistress and the headmistress asks her why her looks is so bad.
“Jin Yi-ah, why do you frown? Smile, or no one will come to you looking like that,” she says Jin Yi.
“Just that 2 morons on my room. I feel really upset with them!”
“Stop it. As if you never see men before. By the way you never looked this way, you wouldn’t even care with men before. Anyway don’t forget your role as gisaeng.”
Jin Yi thinks to herself and it seems true that she wouldn’t even care to stream of men as her guest before. She excuses herself from the headmistress and thinks about it.
Meanwhile two men are still in a brawl, neither wants to retreat. Yoon Bok is caught in the middle, he wants to be mediator but it seems they’re too occupied with themselves.
“Hey, if you want her you should come earlier. I also pay to see her,” Dong Soo says.
“I pay double to see her,” Jung Han replies.
“It’s your fault that she upsets like that.”
“No, it’s your fault, I’m regular customer here. If she doesn’t want to meet me, she’ll be the one who lost.”
“Aish, this man!”
“Hyung, Dong Soo hyung just stop it, okay?” Yoon Bok begs to Dong Soo. “My Lord, please forgive my friend.”
“Nevermind, I’d leave anyway!” Dong Soo says so and leaves.
Jin Yi sees the three of them finally leaves the gisaeng house. She’s relieved, but also feels sad. Is she too harsh to them, she thinks. But they’re too noisy and she really hates noisy man. Come to think about it, she has never think a man as a man, but as customer who she should serve. Her world is only arts, or so she thinks, after Kim Eun Oh, her young lover died. Why does she care about them now? Or even, her fascination for Dong Soo is what interests her more.
“Come to think about it, he isn’t yangban, nor government official, just a palace guard. He won’t benefit me in any way. I didn’t have any connection with him before but I feel close to him. He’s warm, funny and friendly guy. He’s always cheerful. If young master Kim was still alive, he must be around his age. Ah, why did he leave me to faraway place? Didn’t he promise to find happiness together?” she says to herself.
Dong Soo and Yoon Bok comes to a drinking tavern. Yoon Bok refuses to drink but he agrees to pour the drink for Dong Soo. He looks like in a mess. Yoon Bok has never find him like this. Dong Soo blabbers and rattles off all his thoughts and worries.
“Hey, Yoon Bok-ah... Does she even think about me? Why did she decide that? Why? Because.. that minister? Ah yeah that minister... That old bearded man..”
“Hyung, don’t say like that, he’s my minister.”
“Who cares if he’s your minister? This minister or that minister, they only think about themselves. Now what if I can’t meet her again? Will he find me another gisaeng? But no, I don’t want to... I want my Jin Yi.. I want her so badly.”
Yoon Bok feels Dong Soo drinks too much but he can’t fault him. He only looks at him pitifully. Because Dong Soo is too drunk, he falls asleep on the floor. Yoon Bok worries about him but it’s impossible for him to brings him to the palace right now. Finally Yeo Woon comes and sees Dong Soo in a mess. Yoon Bok asks him how does he know Dong Soo here.
Yeo Woon smiles and says, “From experience.”
Yeo Woon gives Dong Soo piggyback and brings him to his horse. Dong Soo is too drunk to understand anything so Yeo Woon just silently rides horse with Dong Soo sleeps on his back.
In the morning Dong Soo still sleeps soundly. Samo throws cold water to his face to wake him up. Dong Soo is startled, he’s confused and finds himself in his room. Samo tells him to wake up and ready for punishment.
“Where was you yesterday? Why did you come on drunken state with Yeo Woon?” Samo asks frighteningly.
Yeo Woon wants to help him but Dong Soo stops him from saying anything.
“I was wrong. Yesterday I was at gisaeng house,” Dong Soo answers.
“Again? There again. You rascal, do you think you can enjoy your life everyday without working? Are you fool? Does love feed you?”
“I was wrong. I apologize.”
“What do you do so wrong? It’s not going out to gisaeng house itself but your attitude that you forget to practice just because you go out and have fun with her. Do you understand?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t only say that, but change! Your punishment today is to stand with one foot till sunset and reflect to yourself. Don’t even think about escape! If not, I’ll really forbid you from seeing that gisaeng.”
Dong Soo can’t argue with his teacher and just do as he’s told. He is used to this punishment. Yeo Woon pats him on the back and then leaves. Dong Soo doesn’t care about the punishment and just focuses for today. Even though his chance to meet Jin Yi again is slim, he will still try.
Just before sunset Yoon Bok comes to see Dong Soo. He’s curious about the punishment and his condition. He also teases him that he’s so weak in front of woman.
“Hyung, did you remember last night? Augh, such a waste of body but so weak because of love.”
“Eiy, it’s just that you never know about that feeling right? When you can’t meet your woman again, how would you do?”
“Ah, hyung but we’re men have to be strong. Don’t have such weak guts.”
“Everyone who drinks as much as me last night would be drunk and weak too.”
“No, I’m not.”
Yoon Bok continue to teases him, until Dong Soo forgets about his punishment. He really enjoys his friendship with Yoon Bok because he’s such a funny and cutie guy.
At that time, Samo comes and Dong Soo finishes his punishment. Samo tells him that Dong Soo will leave next week to a mountain as part of his task. When he asks for how long, Samo can’t answer because it could be a month, two months, or even a year. Dong Soo sighs that he knows his time for a more difficult task is coming. But before that, he asks Samo’s permission to say goodbye to Jin Yi.
Jin Yi is learning a dance with paper fan. She dances gracefully and happily, seems like she always happy whenever she dances. Her footsteps are light and the music blends to create perfect harmony.
Dong Soo looks from a far before calls Jin Yi’s name. She’s startled and looks at him, but she continues dancing till the music stops. Dong Soo is disappointed because she doesn’t care about him anymore. After that dance, Dong Soo tries to meet Jin Yi, but she puts her poker face.
“Did you even remember what I’m saying? I won’t meet you again,” she says.
“I remember it. I know. But please listen to me once more. I have something to say. If you want to listen, please come at midnight outside the gate,” he tells her.
Then he bids farewell before Jin Yi can ask what is it about. Jin Yi is just confused at his strange behaviour and cryptic words. But she won’t think about it now, because she needs to learn new dance. She can’t lose to another gisaeng from other troupe.
Later at midnight, Dong Soo waits outside the gate. He can feel his own fear and it gives him goosebumps. The winds that night is particularly cooler, Dong Soo folds his arm and afraid he will catch a cold. He’s anxious, afraid that she won’t come and it’s over for them.
Minutes by minutes passing, Dong Soo is increasingly anxious. He’s waiting right at the end of an alley so he can see anyone passing by but no one passes by so far. He closes his eyes and hopes she will come. Suddenly he can hear light footsteps coming to him. It’s a shadow of woman and when she get closer, he smiles at her. Jin Yi finally comes even though she grumpily comments that she has busier life than just listen to young man’s speech. But Dong Soo doesn’t care and holds her hand, thanks her for coming.
He tells her his story that he will leave soon and he doesn’t know when he will come back. He may never come back. Jin Yi’s eyes glisten, she doesn’t know what to say. Dong Soo says sorry and hugs her. She doesn’t refuse the hug and he gives her a kiss. Moonlight beams on them and the moon seems their only witness.
But no, Yoon Bok also sees them and sketch a painting. Dong Soo seems aware of Yoon Bok and looks around. He calls him a pervert and catches him. Jin Yi excuses herself and bids farewell to them.
“Dude, you and your painting obsession on woman. Let me take a look first!” Dong Soo balks at him.
“Hyung, you and her are perfect! Just perfect!!”
“Does Dohwaseo teach you to peek at other people’s business?”
“No. But I love what I paint.”
Dong Soo scoffs at him, but looking at the painting, he thinks he may have to bring Yoon Bok’s painting to his station at the mountain as a reminder to her.
***
To be continued... Writer: kanz
Pictures credit: as tagged, to owner
0 comments:
Post a Comment