Of all days, today is the busiest in Jongno Town. The streets are packed with people bustling around from different directions, heads set with their own missions and buzzing with excitements, simply because tonight is the long-awaited Yeon Deung Hoe (Lotus Lantern Festival)* (see author's' note). People from various backgrounds will gather and celebrate this holy night, especially during the lantern parade, where thousands of lanterns will be lit and released both on water and in the air, creating beautiful waves of lights that can be seen from afar. But perhaps, another reason why this festival has a high popularity is the chance it creates for single young men and women, to meet.

Decorations and fairy lights are hung on almost all of the streets, creative art posters posted on the walls, showing people's excitements to this particular event. Since few weeks ago, from the nobles to peasants, everyone is busy with shopping for new attires, accessories and especially paper lanterns just for the celebration, and the merchants' profits increased tenfold during this festive season. But there is especially one place known for hand-made lanterns. Passing by six households and taking turn on the right, there will be a long line of customers waiting patiently outside, a medium size household owned by a humble yet skillful master potter named Lee Hwan Gyeong. He is well known, even among the royalties, for his meticulous work and beautiful designs, making his business unbeatable in the area. Although his devotion in pottery is incomparable, there is only one he mostly takes pride on and treasures the most which is his son, Lee Yao Wang. A sweet, kind, cheerful soul who will brighten up someone's day after seeing his smile. And even with wearing plain clothings, Yao Wang is undoubtedly beautiful. From having a petite body with really fair, unblemished skin, to his doe eyes and his full lips, a single glance is enough to capture people's attentions and even creates jealousy among women. His beauty combined with innocence and kindness has made Hwan Gyeong become overprotective of his son's well-being.

Yao Wang's eyes are unwavering and solely focused on a blank lantern paper, deep in thoughts, contemplating whether to draw a bird or flowers. Little does he know, the customer sitting in front of him is drinking in the sight of Yao Wang's face. Instead of choosing what he wants, the man wishes the fair boy pick what kind of drawing would suit him for the special occasion. Even though Yao Wang only wears a simple light green robe, it poorly conceals his beauty. One thing Lee Hwan Gyeong ever show displeased is when people especially man who is showing interest and having ill thoughts on his doting son.

Hwan Gyeong cannot take it anymore and lets out a sharp, intentional cough that startles everyone in the line except the man who sat and still gazing fondly at Yao Wang. Infuriated, Hwan Gyeong reminds his son that he supposedly to go meet his childhood friend this evening as promised last night. Yao Wang panics and starts to pack his tools into his bag, feeling guilty as he imagines an angry expression Park Myeong Eun wears while standing in the center of his garden right outside his bedroom. After watching his son leaving the house entrance, he looks back at the man and give out another sharp cough, "Now, what kind of drawing do you wish, sir?" while smiling insincerely.

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"I'm so sorry Myeong, I didn't mean to forget our meeting!" said Yao Wang while making puppy eyes to his childhood friend asking for his forgiveness. "We got tons of lantern orders and I just lost track of time...", Yao wang explains with a guilty expression. Even though Park Myeong Eun comes from a wealthy background, his parents are very open-minded and do not mind having their son mingling with normal villagers as long as they are good people. He and Yao wang have been best friends since they were little and grew up together like brothers. Myeong Eun stands a head-taller than Yao Wang, thanks to puberty, with a small, better than average-looking face, making him a total opposite of Yao Wang's soft appearance. Though Myeong has vowed numerous times before not to give in to his sweet childhood friend's pleads, be it forgotten promises or accidental situation which caused both of them in big troubles, the end results are always HUGE FAILURES. Giving out a long sigh, Myeong Eun gives up putting on an angry expression, and instead takes out a beautifully-decorated box and hands it to Yao Wang. "This is for you", Myeong said without any further explanation. Puzzled, Yao Wang opens the box and inside it contains a neatly-folded, seemingly-expensive male hanbok, skillfully-made with finest materials to one's touch, and the colour of its Jeogori is soft pink peach while its Sokgui is pale yellow colour.

"Myeong, why are you giving me this?", Yao Wang looks up at his childhood friend with frown on his face, prompting his friend to explain. Myeong breaks out into a meaningful smile and reach out to hold his beloved friend's both hands and said, "Yao wang, we have known each other for a quite a while now and we practically grew up together. [Yaowang face 😑 where is this going? I have a bad feeling about this (lol)] I have considered you like a brother of mine and all this time you have never taken any of my gifts! So please consider my feelings and our brotherhood relationship, and for me to accept your apology, you WILL NOT reject my gift THIS TIME!". Knowing Myeong's intention all along, Yao Wang replies with a bored expressions, "you actually want me to wear this and accompany you to Hahoe Paradise (famous place for wealthy and higher rank people go to) tonight, just so you want to stare at that girl you have crush on. Am I right?". Caught by surprise, Myeong asks Yao Wang how did he know all of this.

"One, I kind of figured it out looking the way you're acting lately. Two, one of your servants told me. Three, you kept mentioning about that place whenever you with me these past three days", Yao Wang explains while reading on Myeong's changing expression and giving him 'I got you' look. However, Yao Wang's answer does not faze Myeong and instead, he happily grab Yao Wang shoulders, "So you are coming with me tonight, yes?", says Myeong with big smile on his face, not even trying to cover up his excitement. And one thing both of them have in common is that both of them cannot refuse the other's requests. Eventually, Yao Wang follows Myeong home and let Park's household servants dressed him up and be ready for the night to come.

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A servant knocks softly before opening the door and announces to the man who is busy practicing his calligraphy. "Young master, young master Kim Yeong Chul has arrived and is waiting for you outside", the servant dutifully informed. With a simple hand gesture, the servant is then dismissed. Kim Yeong Chul, a son of Military Commander, is a man of caliber. It is expected that he is raised and trained to be a skillful fighter. Easily sensing the presence of his closest friend approaching, Yang Yeming, the son of Chief State Councillor, he turns around, "a gentlemen should not let the ladies to wait long" gives out a small chuckle. Knowing well his friend behaviour, Yeming just simply ignored the teased and both gentlemen start heading to their destination. Yeming and Yeong Chul have similar personalities and physically both exudes masculinity - their caramel skin tone attracts both men and women like bees and their heights are the envy of men. Often their sharp expressions create an aura of mysteriousness. Though they appear tough, they are loyal as dogs to their jobs and thus labelled as untouchable by many interested women.

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A luxurious entertainment place, Hahoe Paradise, is well known in town for only higher ranks and wealthy people can afford to going there. Musicians and entertainers often come from other places as the owner of Hahoe Paradise would invite them from distant country to Jongno district and have them entertain the audience, and tonight is no exception. The owner of this infamous place is Mong Li, an old man with a mixture of korean and chinese race. He is an acquaintance of Yang Yeming, for with Yeming's help Mong Li was able to start his business in the first place. For tonight, Mong Li has reserved a corner for Yaming and his friends on the second floor, a secluded place away from prying eyes yet allowing them to watch all activities in the place.

The moment Yang Yeming and his friends enter the place, the sound of girls squealing drowns entertainers music and drawn everyone's attention. Men, on the other hand, display opposite reaction, some look intimidated while others show envy over their popularity in the ladies. This include Kim Yoon-Hee, who is considered as one of the prettiest lady in Jongno town and adored by many men (😏 oh please you haven't seen our Yao Wang yet huehuehue). In fact, she has romantic feelings towards Yang Yeming ever since she moved into this town five years ago when her father was elected as the Third State Councilor. Though Yeming continues to give her cold shoulder until this very day, Yoon-Hee remains undeterred in displaying her intentions towards him.

Mong Li escorts the young masters to their designated place and informs that he will prepare grand dishes and drinks to serve them tonight. "Just look at the ladies drooling over us!" said Choi Hyeon Seok while waving at the girls below, making them squeal and giggle even more. Choi Hyeon Seok, son of a well known wealthy trader, also famous for being a casanova, is wearing a trendy hanbok while carrying a paper fan as his accessory.

Arrogantly pointing to his face, Kim Ye Joon replies, "how can we blame them when we are this attractive?". Ye Joon, a son of Ministry of rites, is also known for being a troublemaker. Though despite his behaviour, he knows how to appreciate art when he sees one and loves to collect rare arts from all around the world.

"True that! Sigh... life is sure hard when we are this handsome. Look at that! Even men feel jealous of our beauty ha!". Finding it entertaining, both Hyeong Seok and Ye Joon laugh out loud.

"Are you sure them girls drooling over us or...over them both?", retorts Park Seo Joon while pointing at Yeming and Yeong Chul. Seo Joon, a son of Ministry of Taxation, is the quiet one in their cycle and his only interest is reading books and education.

"Alright, alright! No more talking about girls, or you all will bore Yeming here to death", Yeong Chul intervenes after observing Yeming's reaction of distaste throughout the conversation. This man is cold hearted to boots, if there is a snow queen, then the snow king exist here in Jongno town, Kim Yeong Chul thought, shaking his head. He would give a great amount of money to anyone who able to thaw the heart of the snow king.

Yeming, on the other hand, does not quite understand the merit of receiving such affections from girls who only care nothing but good looks, social and economic backgrounds. He knows that nothing is free and everything always comes with a price and he learned it the hard way. Even among his closest friends, the reason they are getting along because there is merit in it. He began to imagine how his life would be as he grew old, will he become like his father? Taking sides in politics and fights to maintain his influential life? I have never seen my father smile before or have I forgotten how he smiles, Yeming randomly thoughts.

A soft jingling sound announces the arrival of two newcomers in Hahoe Paradise. Entrance doors open and two male figures enter the premise, letting soft winds blow passing over them both into the building and no one pays attention except for the servers. However, wafts of air drifting slowly spreads a unique flowery scent, turning heads looking for the source and this includes Yeming and his friends. The scent has hints of cinnamon and lily, making it tempting and alluring, yet at the same time carries feelings of innocence and freshness. Yeming's attention is completely taken by this, and in his attempt to look for the source, he stands up and glance down. His eyes wander momentarily and he sees him.

(note: Yao wang has a smell sticking to him, lily flower since he spends most of his morning taking care lily flower on his mother graveyard). 

 

Authors' note:

Yeon Deung Hoe (Lotus Lantern Festival) is an annual event that colors korea with bright lanterns in celebration of the birth of Buddha. This traditional festival has come to be enjoyed by thousand of people regardless differ races or social background. Lantern parade is the highlight during the festival, the parade will include lanterns in the shape of the four Dharma instruments of Buddhism which represent guidance of all creatures living above ground, underground, in the sky and in the water. The inclusion of all forms of life shows the strong aspiration of buddhists for salvation of all living creatures in a world without discrimination. Some would floats on the sky, on the ground, on the water. (Taken from this site: [http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=2009159).

We sincerely apologise for any mistakes in the information, for both of us are not Koreans! We love Korea and we are trying our best in writing this piece. Please refer to the characters' chapters so you can see our casts for this fanfic.