Morning had been calling, Himchan slowly opened his tired eyes, he could still taste the bitterness of soju in his mouth, his head was pounding back and forth making him a bit dizzy.

"You're finally awake," Nicole enter their bedroom chamber with a tray of hot jasmine tea and a bowl of chicken broth with white rice on the side, "you must be exhausted?" She placed the food down beside him as she grabbed for his small desk in order to place the food on top of it.

"Thank you," Himchan sat up from his mattress with both feet crossed as Nicole was setting his breakfast in front of him.

"Ani," she placed his spoon in front of him, "from now I'll always be by your side to comfort you."

"You don't have to love me..." He stated.

"I know I don't, but remember I did owe you for helping me before...remember?" She gave him a warm smile that made his heart jump.

"Ahhh," Himchan smiled as he swallowed his food.

Himchan spotted the jaded hairpin on Nicole's head. He remember seeing it before, he thought to himself as he remember on the day Yongguk had bumped into him, he saw Yongguk grabbing for the fallen item. He finally realized Yongguk must've been the Bangs son. Himchan cleared his throat jealousy rushed through his body as he kept eating. 

"Yongguk-ah?" Madam Bang called from  outside of his bedroom chamber.

"I'm sorry but he had left early in the morning..." Hyun came behind Madam Bang with his head low and his hands nicely placed in front of him.

"Where did he say he was going?" She turned around with a concern look on her face.

"He didn't say, all he said was that he wasn't going to be back until evening."

"Is that so?" Madam Bang quietly said to herself before heading back to the main living space.

Yongguk walked up the mountainside, from where he was at he could see the hilltop, he spotted the willow tree that was slowly shedding its leafs. He wiped away the small drops of sweat on his forehead as he then began walking up the mountain once again.

"Is that you?" Yongguk turned around and found old Lee a few feet away from him.

"Ahh, Sir Lee!" Yongguk smiled as he waved both of his arms in the air, "What are you doing up here?" Yongguk quickly ran towards the old mans side helping him.

"I came to visit my late wife...what are you doing all the way up here?"

"I came to release some stress..." Yongguk calmly replied, "I'll like to visit Madam Lee with you if you don't mind."

"Then follow me."

When they reached the tombstone of Old Lee's late wife, he set down the fruits he had brought for her. He took out a small shot glass as he poured soju into it and poured it around her tombstone while Yongguk stood in the front watching him move around her tombstone. After Old Lee finished saying his farewell he grabbed all of his things, him and Yongguk made their way back down the mountainside.

"Can I ask you something?" Yongguk broke the silence between the two.

"What?" Old Lee stopped walking as he searched the area for a place to rest.

"Why couldn't you shed a tear?" Yongguk followed the old man who sat down under a tree as he let the autumn wind fanned him.

"Eventually tears will become dry," Old Lee replied, "because I can no longer cry for something that has already left me you think I have no heart, right?" He turned to face Yongguk who lightly nodded his head, "but you're wrong, when you love someone and they leave you behind don't cry," he stated, "crying will only remind you of how lonely you are, so you smile. Though it hurts you, you have to live somehow to, so don't cry for the Jung's daughter anymore...smile that you were able to be by her side your entire life...though she can no longer laugh with you as long as you're able to laugh alone you won't be so lonely..."

"But what if you can't seem to erase that person out of your heart," Yongguk asked with sadness in his voice, "then what do you do?"

"When a fish is caught, how does the river react?" Old Lee asked Yongguk.

"Nothing, the river keeps flowing perfectly fine because there are more fishes." Yongguk answered.

"There you have it...the Jung's daughter isn't the last girl in the world." Yongguk lowered his head as he thought about it, "I understand that you truly truly love her, but what can you do when she's already gone? You can't sit alone by yourself your entire life when she's already starting hers."

"Then why haven't you moved on?" Yongguk stared straight into the old man's eyes, "you said I should let go, but why haven't you?"

"Because I was able to had lived with the person that I love, you, you lost her to someone while you were still in love, what I'm saying is, you still have a chance to find a new love...."

"But what if I can't?" Yongguk stated, "What if I said she's the only one for me in this lifetime?"

"But she's not, that is why she is not with you now..." Old Lee lightly placed his right hand on Yongguk's left shoulder.

"But I miss her so much..."

A couple months had passed, Nicole was slowly adjusting to her new life though she wasn't fully comfortable with the talk going around the household of her who hadn't been able to conceived a child to the Kim family.  Himchan and she had not slept next to one another throughout their times that they had been married, her mattress was on the other end of the room while his was placed in the middle of the room like usual.  Himchan understood Nicole's feelings and didn't mind, the thought of becoming a father scared him in a way.

"Nicole-ah," Madam Kim grabbed for her hands as Nicole put down her needle.

"What is it umma?" Nicole asked with a smile on her face.

"I've talked to a lady who knows when it's the best time to try for a baby." Madam Kim smiled as Nicole lowered her head and slowly pulled her hands away.

"Umma..."

"You two have been married for a long time now," Madam Kim lowered her voice sadden.

"I'm sorry, I've failed as your daughter in law..."

"Ani, I'm just really happy that you became apart of this family." Madam Kim then smiled, "there's something I've never told anyone before, but I'll share it with you...this wasn't the life that I wanted either," she the side of Nicole's face, "I understand fully how you feel towards Himchan, that was how I was with your father too," she stated, "trying to love someone who have no ounce of feelings for it's tough, but you have to make the best of it, to tell you truthfully I didn't want the marriage to go on, but your father kept insisting that Himchan marries you.  Himchan had a pretty hard life, he didn't have the comfort that most son had with their fathers, your father would yell and slash out his anger on him, he sent Himchan to study away and expected Himchan to become someone he couldn't be..." Madam Kim stared at the floor with tears slowly rolling down her face, "I feel like I've failed at being his mother, he told me one night when he came home that he had met such a beautiful girl in town, he had never ever spoken about love that way, for once I wanted him to be able to have something he wanted not something his father wanted...then I found out it was you, he had told me the night before he came to ask for your hand, he said, "Umma, how do you marry someone who does not love and care for you the same way you do for them?" I asked him why would he say such a thing and he said, "I adore her very much, but her heart does not adore and feel the same back for me, I don't wish to marry someone who loves someone else because then jealousy might rise and I might not be able to control how I feel." After what he said I had pleaded your father to cancel this marriage, because I rather he married someone who truly loved him but the more I pleaded the more your father insisted." Madam Kim felt Nicole's hand slowly wiping away her tears.

"Don't cry," Nicole smiled and held back her tears, "Ani, I think you're a wonderful mother..." Nicole pulled her hands back.

"How much more are you planning to drink?" Daehyun grabbed Yongguk by the shoulders turning him to face him.

"Who are you!?..." He drunkenly pulled away being angered.

"Stop," Daehyun grabbed for Yongguk's hands, "you've already had ten shots, how long do you expect to keep doing this?" the people around the small shop stared at the two, "Ji Eun came and told me you've been here for the past months every night drinking away your sorrow..." Daehyun grabbed the glass shot out of Yongguk's hand and placed it on the side of the table.

"Doesn't it feel nice tonight?" Yongguk asked drunk, "I feel so refresh...it feels like I could fly up towards the stars...Yah, Daehyun-ah you want to know a secret that I told to the stars???" He smiled with half of his eyes opened as he grabbed Daehyun by the shoulders..."I told the stars how much I love Nicole, they did not respond back...so I know they'll keep it as a secret..." he let out a laugh.

"Have you gone crazy?" Daehyun asked as he pulled Yongguk up from his seat, "Ajjuma I'm leaving the money here, take care!" Daehyun hollered as he put Yongguk's arms around his shoulders and walked him home.

"Stars...stars..." Yongguk mumbled, "how I wonder how she's doing..."

"How much have you been drinking?" Daehyun asked out of breath, "You've seemed to have gained some weight..."

"If only you had let me drink more I wouldn't be thinking about her right now..." he stated, "I can't drink much, but recently when I do I'm able to get her out of my mind..."

Himchan and Nicole sat across from each other wearing their silk white robe.  Nicole hand her hands together as she dare not look up towards his way.  Himchan was a bit surprised to why her mattress was next to his that night.  Nicole took in the words Madam Kim had said to her.

"Did you want me to move your mattress," he asked knowing what the two were suppose to do that night.

"Ani," Nicole quickly shot up to look at him straight in the eyes, "Anyeo..." she slowly replied.

"How is she doing?" Yongguk asked Daehyun as they reached the front of the Bang's residence.

"She's been fine..." Daehyun replied back, "Are you going to be okay?"

"Ani..." Yongguk replied, "I'm going to spend the nights in tears again...because she comes in my dream to comfort me, she tells me how much she misses me and how much she loves me...she tells me to fall asleep and she'll be by my side when morning rises but she slowly disappears...unable to keep her promises."

Nicole slowly loosen up the strap of her silk robe on her waist.  Her heart began to thump faster and faster, she slowly took off the upper layer of the rob. Himchan turned his head away not looking at Nicole who was now showing her bare shoulders still with her undergarment covering her chest.

"Nicole..." Himchan softly said, "if you don't love me we don't have too..."

"Ani," Nicole closed her eyes, "wouldn't it be nice to have a little Himchan?" She opened her eyes as she let a small smile slowly appeared on her face. Himchan turned to look at Nicole surprised by her question.

Yongguk enter his bedroom chamber a bit drunk again, he fell flat on his stomach on his cotton mattress, he felt his heart racing as he buried his face with his arms out. It was going to be another lonely night for him, he was going to fall asleep with the echo of his sadness.  Time did not ease the pain away, it only made him realized how lonely had become, he placed his earnest heart in the moonlight and towards the stars to be repeatedly let down.

"I'm thankful to have a person like you," Himchan smiled at Nicole.

"I should be the one who is thankful," Nicole lowered her head.

Himchan shyly turned his head away as he then pulled Nicole closer to him.  She slowly looked up towards him, as he pulled her in with her head now resting on his chest.  He turned towards the candle that was still burning then blowing it out.

Sir Jung sat in his study room bothered, as Madam Jung walked into the room with a tray of hot tea.  She placed it in front of him as he ignored her presence. She sat down in front of him with her chima dressing puffing out.

"What seems to be bothering you today?" She asked.

"I had a dream last night about our Yong Joo." He weakly stated, "I was walking passed her chamber in my dream, I heard a soft sob coming from there, as I enter her room there she was..." he covered his face with both of his hands, "there was my little girl, she was a kid again not knowing what love was, only knowing what the fear of darkness brought..." his voice began to falter as the tears ran down his face, "my little girl ran towards me hugging my waist asking me to stay with her...as I pulled her away she had vanished...I owe her so much...I'm such a horrible father...I was unable to protect her."

"Yeobo, why would you say such a thing." Madam Jung wiped away her husbands tears, "She just really misses you, that's why you dreamed about her...she came into my dream several times, maybe she must be lonely, the last time she came to visit us she didn't look to healthy..." She pulled back as she let her shoulders drop, "I wonder if she's living well...I've heard Yongguk hasn't...from Madam Bang." She let out a soft sigh.

"The poor boy had to see the love of his life be married off, who expect him to be living well now?" Sir Jung closed his eyes, "I feel truly apologetic towards him..."

Yongguk was sitting up at the hilltop as the afternoon wind brushed past him, winter was slowly now approaching. Nicole and him had not had seen each other ever since they day she left to be married off.  He sat alone watching the towns women washing their clothes down by the river something he used to see Nicole do.  He smiled with just the thought of her. 

"Yongguk-ah," Ji Eun sat down beside him, "why are you up here alone?"

"I just wanted to get away from everything..."

"Yongguk-ah..."

"It's been how long already...three months since she had already left and winter is slowly coming?" He tried to pull a smile, "I should've been able to move on by now especially since I know she is a married women..."