The one richness acclaimed to the poor was their overflowing hospitality bestowed upon anyone with no regards of gender or class. Of course, such claims could not be made of the entire lower class population, but it was an enigma Woohyun came to observe in this household.   Dongwoo mumbled some unintelligible murmurs, pointing at the corner of a room he had just entered. He seemed to be giving instructions, and Woohyun could only attempt to decipher it.   “Is this the place where I shall stay?” He questioned, to which Dongwoo gaily nodded his head at.   “Bed,” he muttered, pointing at the wooden furniture placed against the back wall of the room. The wide grin plastered his face, demanding a course of action which the rich man had to guess once again.   Woohyun placed his belongings at the corner it was previously appointed to and looked around the chamber. Its size was as big as the servant’s lair back in his mansion, which wasn’t nearly half the size of his individual room. The wooden floor creaked with every step, and the oddly colored olive green wallpaper were losing its hold against the wall, nearly falling off like a flimsy leaf. The bed was clothed in , neither a blanket or cover protected it from the accumulatint dust. In such a place, he had to stay for however long it would take to convince the two owners.   “Bed,” Dongwoo repeated his mumblings, his finger still lifted towards it, though his speech lacked any clue or further instruction of its appraisal.   “I am grateful for your assistance. If this is the room where I shall reside from here onwards, I wish to be granted some time to tidy it a little,” Woohyun spoke, flashing a polite smile to the owner of the house. But the other seemed reluctant to leave, continuing to stand with his arm stretched out towards the bed, but his lips shut tight. He was a mysterious man with equally mysterious actions to decrypt.   To his relief, he heard another pair of footsteps approach the room. He had nothing against Dongwoo, neither did he see him in a bad light, but the inability to communicate effectively decapitated him. His boundless charms and eloquent speech were the things he equipped himself with to win favors. When such methods were rendered ineffective, he felt inferior and frail.   “Alas, there you are! I expected you to come down as soon as you showed him the room,” Jangjun called, grabbing Dongwoo who kept shifting his gaze back to the furniture.   “Bed,” the elder spoke again, this time with a child-like tone that bore no resemblance to the authority he had imposed earlier.   Woohyun carefully studied the look on the other boy’s face who seemed far younger than Dongwoo was. It only took him one glance to fully understand what the elder meant to communicate.   “Don’t worry. Rika is retrieving the necessities to cover the bed with,” Jangjun said, using a tone laced with such gentleness that caused Dongwoo to eventually lower his arm to rest.   “Incredible! Are you able to directly translate all of his gestures and monosyllabic speeches?” Woohyun asked with utter amazement. If he had plans of convincing Dongwoo, he had to learn an effective communication method and break the barrier of the mental illness.   Jangjun stared at the newcomer strangely. “Yes, indeed,” he answered in a casual manner. It was as if the ability to decipher Dongwoo was a rare entity to come by, and he had been lucky enough to capture it.   “Please, you must teach me. How could I obtain such understanding?”   “Oh, it cannot be taught by lessons, Mr. Nam. The key to understanding a person’s character is to unlimit your time together. Only then can you form the relationship you inquired,” Jangjun told him with a small chuckle, remarking a friendly and humble reply despite having shown some authority.   As Woohyun continued to marvel at the speech and sought of ways to spend time with Dongwoo, another tenant approached the room. He recognized her as the only other female present in the house beside Hyunmi herself.   “You should get yourself ready. Dinner is about to be served,” Rika told Jangjun, moving her body to nudge his arms.   Jangjun wasted no second when he saw the heap of pillows and a neatly folded blanket in her hand. He was quick to leave Dongwoo on his own, overtaking the items from the girl’s hand.   “I shall assist you first,” he insisted, allowing Rika more freedom to move without the burden upon her hand.   “Thank you, Jangjun, but I am perfectly capable of carrying those. You do not want to infuriate mother with your tardiness. You know she despises those the most,” Rika reminded him teasingly.   “She tolerates it knowing my intention to help you,” Jangjun reasoned, shoving the bed sheet and pillows unto Dongwoo’s hand. He then proceeded to tilt the bed mattress over, allowing Rika easier access to dust the bed off.   Woohyun was quiet as he observed the pair. He recognized the look in Jangjun’s eyes, certain he recalled a similar portrait. The gaze which sought the countenance of its beloved, finding comfort when it laid sight upon the woman with him. It twinkled so brightly against the darkening sky, as if the other’s presence was the only attribute needed to brighten up his days.   Ah, he remembered seeing it in Kim Myungsoo’s gaze, months before he braved himself in courting his soon-to-be bride at that time. It was a look of loving promises and fond attraction; a look he could not imitate without a genuine intention. Jangjun fancied this girl, and Woohyun made a mental note should a future need arise for this information.   “You address Miss Hyunmi as your mother; are you all her children?” He sought another topic, trying to prey for information in the hope to formulate a battle strategy.   “Yes and no, sir,” Rika answered, instructing Jangjun to lay the mattress out as he helped her unfold the bedsheets. “She is the owner of this orphanage which we prefer to call our home. Dongwoo and she provided shelter for us when no one else in the world regarded us. Dhe saw the good in us when others saw inferiority. She cares for us and love us in a way our real parents couldn’t. Therefore, she is deserving of the title as a mother, don’t you suppose so?”   “Such a gentle spirit surely must’ve been courted by many men before. Had she ever had a suitor?” He continued asking. His voice took on a natural high pitch of curiosity, almost deceiving himself of his feigned interest.   “Why no, sir! Never.”   “Never?”   “Never. The townspeople take joy in spreading gossip, creating false rumors about—” She halted her speech here, swiftly turning to Jangjun and Dongwoo with her hands rested against her hips. “You must leave this room now. I don’t want mother to lose her temper in front of our new tenant. Go, now!”   Jangjun casted a glare at Woohyun, clearly worried about leaving Rika in a room alone with a strange man. He recognized her cue, wanting to initiate a tête-à-tête conversation with the new tenant. So as not to anger her, he obeyed her wishes.   “Where was I? Ah, yes, the townspeople spread rumors about Dongwoo’s illness. Since then, no one tried seeking her solace,” she stopped again, but not for long as her head jolted up towards him. “Sir, you have seen her foul temper and valiant attitude. She isn’t fond of marriage, which she refers to as a stripping her off her rights. Any potential suitor is turned away and no one dared a second trial.”   “All those men must’ve been such fools. The rarest pearl can only be obtained through many tribulations and hardships. What value would it bear if it were easily swept off?”   Rika nearly dropped the pillow she was rearranging, turning to the good man with a stretching smile. “Sir, you must confess to me, right this instant. Do you have ulterior motives staying here? Do you intend to court mother?”   “Indeed,” the word escaped his lips before his mind could formulate a plan or come up with a proper explanation. But such was not necessary when Rika started twirling in joy, the hands clasped together, bedsheets and pillows long forgotten.   “I have known it ever since the moment you sent those letters. Your persistence is truly admirable, sir, and I promise to be of service to you. Whatever you require to court her, I shall gleefully attend to your needs.”   It was an outcome he did not expect and couldn’t protest against. In fact, it may just aid him in his mission to obtain the signature. If he were to really make Hyunmi fall madly in love with himself, he could simply command her to surrender the house to him. Either way, the misunderstanding served as a great confidant.   “Now you must go down after you have settled yourself, sir. To win her heart, you should never abuse the grace of time.”   Rika dusted the bed once more, all ready and prepared to welcome the new owner into its embrace. Rika then curtsied to him and disappeared from the room.   ***   Once Woohyun returned downstairs, he followed the trail of noisy chatters, following the light that stemmed off from the dining room. It was a big spacious area confined by wooden walls, connected to the kitchen where