When Kyung-tak entered Jaejoong's room the following morning, he found the two young men cuddled close in bed, sleeping in each other's tender embrace after what had clearly been a night of passion. After opening the curtains to let the sunlight in, he gently woke Jaejoong, reminding him that the night had ended, and so must their courtship.

While Kyung-tak cleaned the room, preparing the gisaeng for the new day, Jaejoong placed a kiss on Yunho's lips to rouse him from sleep.

"Good morning", Yunho smiled with a croaky morning voice.

"Hello." Jaejoong couldn't help but kiss Yunho again, and if not for Kyung-tak clearing his voice to remind them of their situation, Jaejoong would have made love to the sweet fighter again.

"Half an hour", Kyung-tak said as he left the room to prepare breakfast.

"Jaejoong-ah. How will you remember last night? Happily? Sadly?" Yunho asked as he wrapped his arms around the younger man.

"Bittersweetly. Sweetly because it was the best night in my life, and bitterly because it had to end."

"Truer words were never spoken. And how will you remember me?"

"Well… In another time and another life, this would have been our wedding night, so… I'll choose to remember you as my one night husband."

"In another time and another life, do you think the word 'night' could be replaced with 'lifetime'?"

"Only if 'one' can be replaced with 'every'."

Before they left Jaejoong's room, the two men stood in the small hallway between the curtain and the door, saying their last words of sweetness.

"Before we go out there, I want to give you something", Yunho said. "If this was our wedding night, as you say, then we should have something to commemorate." Yunho took off his bracelet, a beautiful string of pearls in black, red and gold. "I want you to have this, that I may be with you forever."

Fighting back his tears, Jaejoong took off his own bracelet, in jade and gold, with the character for luck between every piece of green stone.

"That I may be with you forever." Jaejoong answered, his voice shaky.

They shared one last kiss, before opening the door to the real world. While Jaejoong walked Yunho to the door, as was customary, they acted distant and polite, as was expected. As they met Yoochun and Changmin, who had been waiting for their triumphant friend, as all friends did, Jaejoong greeted them with a graceful bow, as was custom, and they bowed back, also according to custom.

Yoochun whispered a quick "I'll take good care of him." Whether it was to Yunho or Jaejoong neither knew, but both took comfort in the words. When they left the Jade Palace to see more of Seoul, Yunho turned back several times to see Jaejoong once more. When he turned the fifth time, the gate was closed.

Jaejoong closed his eyes and took a deep breath, resuming his resigned, dignified, proud composure as he returned inside the mansion.

Before entering his room, he spoke to Kyung-tak.

"Could you please tell Master Kim that I will not be receiving him today?" Jaejoong said softly.

"But Master K-"

"Please, uncle. If only for one day, I wish to be in love a little longer." The pleading, teary eyes almost broke the elder's heart.

"I understand. Aish, this kid is growing up", Kyung-tak said emotionally, ruffling Jaejoong's hair. "I've prepared a bath for you, and I'll tell Junsu to bring some food for you", he said before going to Youngmin's room to deliver the message.

What neither of them knew was that Youngmin had heard everything. In his jealousy, he had kept an eye on them all night, and he was currently standing around the corner, listening. He couldn't tell if his anger or his grief over a lost heart was the stronger feeling right now.