"I hope you don't mind that we're at this small local restaurant." Himchan apologized towards Nicole who sat across from him as both of their servants were standing outside.

"It's fine," Nicole assured him.

When both of their food arrived Nicole didn't bother to touch it. She had her head down the whole time as Himchan was eating.

"You haven't touch your food at all..." Himchan put down his chopsticks, "do you not like the food?"

"It's not that," Nicole quickly lifted her head up, "I'm sorry if I'm acting in such a unmannerly way, I don't feel to good that's all."

"Are you still feeling sick from the other day when I met you?" He asked now concerned.

"No, I'll be alright." Nicole slowly grabbed for her chopstick as she started picking at her food.

After the two had breakfast Himchan took Nicole to a small local tea house where the two were to get to know each other more.

"To be honest, I would've never expected you to be Jung Nicole Yong-Joo..." Himchan let out a small laugh as he took a sip of his tea, "When I heard my father talking about you I didn't really care because I didn't want to get married to someone I didn't know or had never met before...then I met you that day when I took you to the towns hospital you surprisingly caught my attention...though I didn't know you were Nicole then..."

"So what you're saying is that you didn't want to meet with me at first?" Nicole gave him a small smile, "Then you met me by coincident not knowing who I was and ended up somewhat developing feelings for me not knowing I'll be the girl your father had wanted you to marry?" Nicole was looking at him.

"Aren't you smart?" Himchan smiled, "I guess you are special after all..." he calmly spoke.

Yongguk was standing outside the Jung's residence, he knocked onto the front gate as he waited patiently. When the gates door opened wide he spotted one of the servants.

"Hello, Sir Bang..." he greeted Yongguk politely, "Are you looking for Nicole?" he asked.

"Is she not here?" he asked.

"I'm afraid she has gone on her match making date that was set up for her." He replied with his head low.

"Ah, I see." Yongguk now put both of his hands behind his back, "Sorry to had bothered you." Yongguk turned around as he headed back home.

When Yongguk reached the market he pulled out the hairpin and thought about Nicole who was on her match making date. Did that mean she was going to get marry soon? He thought to himself as he put the hairpin back into his sleeves.

"Ah Yongguk!" Ji Eun spotted him from across the market, "What are you doing here?" As she walked towards him.

"Oh, I just came back from the Jung's residence...your hanbok looks really beautiful on you." He smiled, "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I was just looking around...my parents are setting me up today with a boy out of town...a boy from the country side..." She seemed unhappy, "I should probably get going." She smiled at him, "Bye." With that she left as Yongguk continued his way back home.

"Thank you for today," Nicole bowed before Himchan who did the same back, "I'll be going inside now, please do get back home safely." With that Nicole enter the front gate of their home, Himchan watched Nicole go as the gates slowly closed on him.

"Let's go," Himchan order as he made his way home.

"So..." Madame Jung asked Nicole, "do you like him?"

"Umma," she smiled, "he seems like a great guy, though I may like him if I do not love him I won't see him as my husband."

"Alright," Madame Jung smiled at Nicole while she the side of Nicole's head, "go get some sleep it must've been a long day haven't it?"

"Sleep well umma." Nicole returned the smile as she watched her mom leave her chamber.

Nicole sat in silence as she thought about everything. Was Yongguk ever going to come and ask for her hand? The tears slowly ran down her face, why was she so emotional nowadays? She placed both of her hand onto the left side of her chest where her heart was beating from. She closed her eyes as the tears ran freely. Why must she cry tonight? This sorrow that was unknown to her was throbbing inside her, why was Yongguk such a fool to not have notice Nicole's love? The moon was shining brightly that night as the clouds slowly moved away and the stars twinkled.

"So you do like her?" Sir Kim asked Himchan who nodded his head in agreement, "Does she like you?" Himchan lowered his head as these words escaped his fathers mouth.

"It seems as though her heart is occupied by someone else." Himchan inhaled the morning air as he tried to play his emotion off with a smile.

"Miss, yesterday the young Sir Bang came by to see you," the servant that had greeted Yongguk informed Nicole who was working on her embroidery.

"Yongguk came by?" Nicole asked, "Ahhh!" She pulled her hand away quickly, she had accidentally poked at her left index finger which was now bleeding.

"Ari bring Nicole a small cloth to wipe away the blood," Madame Jung commanded, "Silly child why must you be so clumsy." She grabbed the cloth from Ari as she wrapped it around Nicole's finger.

"It's not a big deal umma," Nicole smiled, "thank you for informing me, you can take your leave now." Nicole assured the servant as he walked out of the room. 

"Aissshhh, it's not a good sign." Madame Jung pulled away from Nicole after she wrapped the cloth around her finger.

"What's a bad sign?" Nicole questioned her mother.

"It's a myth...that when you prick one of your fingers with a needle bad luck will follow." She replied as though she was out of breath.

"Bad luck?" Nicole lowered her head as she stared at her finger.

Yongguk was sitting up at the hilltop that him and Nicole usually often met up at. He stared at the wide river that stretch out in front of him. The willow tree was swaying peacefully with the cool breeze. The suns ray hit his exposed skin as he squinted his eyes.

"I thought you might be here..." Yongguk looked up and found Ji Eun standing beside him, "is it okay if I sit next to you?" She asked.

"Go ahead," Yongguk smiled as she sat beside him, "so how did it go?"

"I refused," she replied flatly.

"You had a voice in this situation that's good." Yongguk said, "I think it's wrong to marry someone who you don't truly love." He smiled.

"Of course..."

"Ah, how long have you and Nicole known each other?" He asked her.

"Ah, Nicole of course...we met when me and her were 10 years old, we went to the same girl embroidery school." She replied, "How do you and Nicole know each other?"

"We met when she was 4 and I was 5," he stared out at the river, "I've known her my whole life basically."

"So you two have a brother and sister relationship right?"

Nicole stopped at the end of the steps, Yongguk and Ji Eun's back were towards her as she could hear their conversation.

"Yeah...a brother and sister relationship..." he replied shortly.

Nicole turned around slowly as she began walking back down towards the main road. A brother and sister relationship was all that they had. She bit her lower lip as she felt her heart racing, every step she took seemed heavier.

"I've been here for a pretty long time now." Yongguk stated, "It was nice talking to you," he stood up and made his way towards the step.

From where he was he could see Nicole's back towards him, he rushed down towards her who was already on the main road making her way back home. When he reached the bottom he quickly ran towards her as he pulled her back towards him.

"Don't!" she turned around from his grip as she yelled while her head hung low.

"Nicole..."

"I don't know what you're trying to do to me, I just don't know what you want from me anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Yongguk asked confused "Why have you been acting so different lately?"

"Why?" She asked.

"If you're not going to answer me...I'm going to be straight forward with you," he tried to keep his voice calm though he was getting angry, "you're just so angry with me nowadays...I should be asking you what do you want from me and what you're trying to do to me..." He let go of her, "it's like one step forward and two steps I take backward you're not happy with anything that I do. It's like trying to swim up a waterfall, it's killing me because I'm caught in between what you want and what you need..."

"What I want and what I need?" Nicole asked as she looked up at him.

"Yeah..."

"What do you mean by that?" She questioned him again heavy breath.

"You should ask yourself that...if I'm such a bother to you now then maybe I'll back off." He took two step back, "because if I walk away you'll only say I didn't care enough, but if I want to comfort you now you'll only say you don't need me...I'm sorry but I might as well just disappear right?"

"Yongguk..."

"I can't give you what you need...right? I heard you went on your match making date yesterday, congratulation." He then turned the other way as he began walking away. 

"Yongguk-ah..." Nicole whispered under her breath, as Ji Eun was standing across from Nicole now.

"Nicole-ah..." Ji Eun greeted her with a warm smile.

They sat up at the hilltop together looking out towards the river that stretched out. They had been friends since they were both 10. Ji Eun lowered her head as she took in a deep breath.

"You're still chasing after him aren't you?" She finally let out the words.

"What?" Nicole question.

"Yongguk...you're still chasing after him?" She asked again.

"Ahh, Yongguk?" Nicole felt her eyes soaking up with tears as she stared up towards the willow tree, "Maybe I should give up now...it feels like I've already won last place there's no need to try to compete being first now..."

"I'm sorry..." Ji Eun looked at her friend who seem sadden, "I'm sure things would turn out perfectly fine for you..." She placed her hand on top of Nicole's.

Yongguk sat in his bedroom chamber with thoughts filled with Nicole. "When will you need me to be by your side?" he questioned himself as he let his tears fall freely hitting his silk sleepwear white robe, "Do you not understand this heart of mines at all Jung Nicole Yong Joo..." he slowly closed his eyes with his right hand tightly clenching onto the jaded hairpin, "The promises we both made when we were kids has always been with me..." he let out a heavy sigh.