It was the night of the autumnal solstice celebration- the beginning of the harvest and of the cold that would grip those of the mountain for the coming many moons. Villagers gathered twice a year in spring and in autumn to celebrate the beginning and end of the great snows that they would be buried behind for a majority of their time. During the celebration, men and women drank, ate, and danced until the moon began to fade from the night sky.

        For most this was a time greatly anticipated, but for Hwayoung, this was practically a death sentence: she was to be married in three more moon cycles. Her mother buried her grief in creating Hwayoung's wedding dress, and her father busied himself in their banquet feast and dowry. Hwayoung watched the preparations take place with a coldness that not even the winter could instill.

       On the night of the autumn festival, her parents made a great deal of dressing her nicely to greet Jinki, who was to stay with her for the night. Hwayoung hated the idea of being chaperoned, but remained silent to keep her parents happy; she planned on ditching poor Jinki at some point, anyway. Hwayoung wasn't really in the mood to celebrate anything.

       Upon her arrival, Hwayoung saw that the village square had been decorated with long strips of brightly dyed cloth and dried flowers. Several musicians were screeching out upbeat reels and jigs on dusty instruments, and younger boys and girls were merrily dancing on a cleared area designated for the activity. Off to the end, a table was practically overflowing with homemade wine and an assortment of foods. 

       Hwayoung had arrived late, and already it was packed with people. The girl stood still for a moment and took in her surroundings- she was a little bit overwhelmed by the crowd, for she was never one for people.

       "You made it," a voice sounded from behind Hwayoung and made her jump due to the close proximity.

       "Jinki," she breathed. "You scared me."

       "Sorry," Jinki apologized sheepishly. "I tend to get a little excited for these things."

       Hwayoung nodded. She wasn't really comfortable around him yet, and an awkward silence fell between the young couple as they tried to decide what to say next. 

        Jinki cleared his throat. "Shall we?" He gestured to the food.

        Relieved, Hwayoung nodded. Much to her surprise, Jinki grabbed her elbow and practically steered her towards the table. Hwayoung did not like it one bit, and jerked her arm away from him to walk on her own.

       Jinki clenched his hand and pretended to scratch the back of his neck. 

       "Sorry," he muttered.

       Hwayoung ignored him and began to fill up a plate with food, wordlessly handing it to him, and she began to fill one for herself.

       "Did you want a drink?" Hwayoung gestured to the wine, her voice flat.

       "No, thanks," Jinki waved her away. "I don't enjoy getting drunk. Besides, I want to spend time tonight with you."

       Hwayoung swore that if he had a tail, it would be wagging.

       Hwayoung was almost disappointed by how perfect this boy was. He oozed the qualities of a perfect gentleman, he came from a good family, and he was not hard on the eyes, at all. Hwayoung wanted a reason to hate him, but she just couldn't find one. She chose a table for them to sit and eat, with him across from her.

       An occasional light remark passed between the two, but it remained awkwardly tense. Hwayoung let out