Ten years ago

Next day Joohyun left the house early and rode down to find him. She had gone to bed thinking of him, lain awake thinking of him, finally slept, dreaming of him, then awoke thinking of him. She saw his face, young yet forceful, the mouth that was too stern for his years, until he smiled and became suddenly charming.

His mouth haunted her. With everything in her she wanted to kiss it, and to feel it kissing her back. And have his strong arms around her. She knew that, as certainly as she had ever known anything, knew it with the conviction of a girl who had never seriously been denied anything she really wanted.

She had never even kissed a man before. But now that she’d met Hyunjae she wanted him completely, in every way. It was as though her body had come alive in an instant, sending a message to her brain: this is the one.

The only question was how and when. It was impossible that the world, or Hyunjae himself, could deny her. As she approached he heard the hoof beats and looked up. She jumped down from the horse, facing him, and she knew at once, with joyful certainty, that he too had lain awake all night. But he turned away from her.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said. “I told you not to ride alone.”

“Then why didn’t you come for me?”

‘Because you didn’t ask me to do so,” he said proudly.

“But I don’t give you orders. We’re just friends.”

She stood looking into his face, willing him to let her have her wish. He gave the slow smile that already made her heart beat strongly.

“Why don’t you go and make the tea?” he suggested.

She did so, and spent the rest of the day helping him work on the house. He made rolls with salami, which was the most delicious food she’d ever tasted. But she hadn’t given up her determination to make him kiss her. Sooner or later he would yield.

It took her three days to crack his resistance. During that time she came to know the man a little. He had a touchy pride that could make his temper smoulder, although he always reined it in quickly for her sake.

On the first day he had said, “Whatever pleases you,” and that became his mantra. Whatever pleased her was right for him. This man, who could be so ferocious to others, was like a child in her hands. It gave her a delicious sense of power.

But she couldn’t make him do the one thing she wanted above all else. She created chance after chance, and he wouldn’t take any of them, until one day he said, “I think you should go home now.” He added in slowly, “It has been very nice knowing you.”

Her answer was to pick up a bread roll from the table and hurl it at him. He ducked, but didn’t seem disconcerted.

“Why don’t you like me anymore?” she cried.

“I do like you, Irene. I like you more than I should. That’s why this has to stop. Go, and don’t come back.”

“Why are you saying this? It doesn’t make any sense!”

“You know perfectly well what I’m saying.”

“No!” she cried, refusing to understand what didn’t suit h