Seven Years of Love
Description
Today marked Kyuhyun's seventh year as a kisaeng. Seven years of living in this gyobang, spreading his legs entertaining clients every night. Seven years of false smiles, empty praises and the (not so) occasional abuse behind closed doors. What he endured this for, he knew not, for his life had ceased to have any meaning anymore. So all he did tonight was gaze up at the endless sea of stars while pondering the futility of his existence, comforting himself with the knowledge that this would all end tomorrow.
Kyuhyun is a jaded kisaeng who has finally decided to end his torturous life himself. When a young noble becomes his final client for the night, painful memories are resurfaced... Can Eunhyuk save Kyuhyun from himself?
Warning: Suicide ideation/attempt - do not read if this might be triggering
Foreword
This is my first fanfic, so please do give me feedback and encouragement!! ><
As you might have guessed from the title, this story is partially inspired by Kyuhyun's heartwrenching rendition of "Seven Years of Love". You can listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7i-ofV0dK4
The story is set in Joseon times, and there may be words(*) that can be confusing, so I will include a glossary here:
Hanbok – Traditional Korean dress, worn in the Joseon era
Kisaeng – Artists who worked as courtesans to entertain nobles and kings. Essentially slaves under the government, for their release could only be bought at high prices.
Gyobang – Buildings housing kisaeng, also served as a sort of training institute for them.
Sanggung – Ladies-in-waiting for the Joseon royalty, also serving as female officers in the palace.
Gamchal Sanggung – Literally “inspector sanggung”, in charge of punishment and order.
Haengsu Kisaeng – A kisaeng of the highest tier.
Finally, thank you for taking the time to read this fic! I hope you enjoy it. :) Every comment, subscribe or upvote will be greatly appreciated.
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