“The more the darkness covered the sky, the brighter the stars shined.”

Apink, Remember

Something bounced off the wall outside my room.

I put the final touches to my makeup, putting on my earrings. “What’s going on out there?” I yelled, getting up and walking to my door, “At the rate you’re going, you’re going to bore a hole in my wall!”

I spotted a sword outside my room, before looking at my father pinning a giggling Jungkook to the ground.

“Do you yield?”

My brother squirmed. “No!” he cried, letting out a yelp as my father pressed harder, “Alright, alright, let me go!”

“Say it first, you dirty fighter.”

“Fine! I yield! Father, I can’t breathe!”

I placed my hands on my waist. “He’s going to lose the fight later if you keep draining his energy,” I nagged.

My father chuckled, helping my brother up to his feet. “He’s stronger now. Almost had me down, too, if I lost my touch.”

My brother shoved him playfully. “Which will be soon, old man.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “Don’t be rude, Jungkook. Go and get ready for the fight.”

He walked away, head bowed. “Sorry.”

Father watched him go. “Oh, Eunji, the day your brother leaves this house is the day he will miss being disciplined by you,” he commented, “You look lovely.”

“Don’t distract me from the fact that you owe me a story,” I huffed.

“And quite a story it would be, if not for the fact you look utterly divine.”

“Your compliments aren’t necessary,” I said, twirling around, “But thank you.”

“Jimin, don’t forget to send the parcel to Mrs Eun down the road!” my stepmother said from across the courtyard, before she noticed me. “Eunji, oh my, you look beautiful.”

I forced a smile. “I have to be, if I want to make the noblemen part with their money,” I told her, “Mistress Song has been teaching me some tricks. Just yesterday she told me the way I bat my eyelashes can determine which man looks my way. I might just think of being a courtesan after all, Mother. You’d be so proud.”

Her reaction was so comical that I almost laughed.

“What’s all this?” Father asked, looking back and forth between us two, “Become a courtesan? At Mistress Song’s?”

“That’s not- I didn’t mean-” my stepmother sputtered.

I beamed, feeling smug. “She said – and I quote – I should join Mistress Song’s House of Sl-”

“Jung Eunji, you’re nineteen,” my father chided, as my stepmother stormed off, “you test your mother so; you know she doesn’t mean it.”

“You’re always defending her,” I whined, walking over to him and brushing the sand off his hanbok, “She waits until you’re gone, and she tries to match me with every eligible bachelor in town!”

“Who is it this time?”

“Kim Taehyung. Jimin’s friend. He’s a year younger than me!”

“Young blood. I’m sure you look eternally sixteen.”

I scoffed. “I’d rather die.”

“You prefer older men, then?” he egged.

“How about no men?”

He sighed. “There will have to come a time when you will want to live the rest of your days with a lifelong companion. Maybe there is some wisdom in your mother’s plans, if you’re willing to consider her point of view on this whole betrothal affair,” he said, “Maybe Taehoon-”

“Taehyung.”

“-whoever he is, maybe he’s a nice boy? Jimin’s friend, you say? He should be a good one, then. I loathe to think about what I’d do if it were one of Jungkook’s friends,” he said, side-eyeing my brother, “But I know that as the eldest, you would do what’s right.”

“This is so unlike you,” I pouted, “You’ve never even entertained her ideas before.”

“There’s a first for everything.”

“Hurry up!” Hoseok called from the entrance, “We’re going to be late!”

“That was before, when you were still a girl. You’re a woman now, and it would be best if we eventually stop all this dirty business,” he said, walking with me to the main doors, where my brothers stood waiting, “We’re much more comfortable than when we first began, what with your brothers getting their jobs.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“The export of goods brings in more than enough for us to live comfortably. I’ve been meaning to discuss it with all of you, starting with you first.”

My face fell. “I’m sure they’ll all come round, myself included,” I admitted, “It’s just…we love the feeling it gives us.”

He chuckled. “I know. Which is why I’m watching you in your element before I go to the Merchants’ Guild later.”

“I thought you said you were going to see the merchants right away?”

“And miss seeing my talented little bandits cause chaos? Never.”

I squealed, hugging him tightly. “I won’t let you down!”

“You never do. Except when you once tried to flirt with someone and he ended up having more interest in your brother.”

I punched his arm, making him wince. “It wasn’t my fault he isn’t attracted to women!”

“What are you guys talking about?” Jimin asked.

My father mussed up his hair. “About how terrible Hoseok was when we went fishing this morning,” he lied smoothly, “He would have gotten a carp if he hadn’t tripped over the rocks and banged his knee.”

“Hey, first of all, I already got the carp, but it decided to flop around and I tripped and fell,” my twin brother protested, and we lapsed into conversation as we headed to the market square where our match was about to begin.

It would have been perfect, had my father not avoided the subject of the strange sighting he had seen in the mountains.

The nobleman watched two boys wrestled on the dirt ground; one was clearly the better of the two, and he manoeuvred smoothly as his opponent tried to topple him, using the momentum to roll on the sand, making the crowd step back excitedly.

The boy pinned the other on the ground. “Yield!”

His rival grunted, squirming hard. “Never!” he yelled back, but it was no use. There was a clear winner, and it was not him.

“And the winner of the first round is…Washboard Park!” the announcer crowed, sending the spectators into loud cheering.

A gangly youth came into view. “Would you like to place a bet, sir?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

The youth tilted his head curiously. “And what’s that?”

“You’re going to steal my money. I’ve heard of the reputation of this village. You’re not getting anything from me,” he said, before gesturing to his attendant, “My servant here will make sure your arms are broken before you get any gold from me.”

The youth’s face fell. “I’m a mere bookkeeper, an honest occupation that I inherited from my ailing father,” he said, “I’m not a common thief, sir, whatever you think of me. Good day.”

“I-”

The youth didn’t wait for a reply as he looked at someone past him. “Would you like to place a bet, miss?”

He heard a chuckle from beside him, and he turned to see a woman smiling at the youth. “Of course,” she said, “I wouldn’t want to let the men have all the fun.”

How beautiful, he thought, watching the young woman – rosy-faced, with red lips and smooth hair braided across one shoulder – converse with the bookkeeper’s son.

She looks like a painting.

She reached into her purse, taking a few coins and dropping it into the youth’s hand. “For the other one, what’s his name?” she asked, pointing to the two boys who were about to fight, “The handsome one?”

“Oh, him? That’s Golden Seagull; he’s the youngest fighter in our village. He’s a rookie, but he’s improving quickly.”

The woman smiled, letting out a little laugh behind her paper fan. “Sounds promising. You know what? Take another few coins, for your trouble,” she said, handing him more before she caught him watching her.

The nobleman’s eyes darted away out of embarrassment, before they dared another peek.

She met his eyes again, batting her eyelashes at him. “Run along, now,” she said to the youth, “Give me my earnings when the fight is over.”

“Yes, miss,” he said with a beaming smile, “Thank you!”

“Wait.”

They turned, glancing at him as he took out his money pouch which he had expertly hid in his sleeve. “I suppose I want to make a bet after all,” he said, making sure to flash his gold coins as he passed it into waiting hands, “On the Seagull boy.”

If the youth knew that he was trying to impress the pretty girl, he didn’t say it. “Thank you, sir,” he said with a bow.

“Buy a snack for yourself with this,” the nobleman added, giving a few silver coins, “And these, for your family.”

“May you be blessed, sir!” the youth said, walking to the next man who was standing next to the girl.

The young woman watched him. “How benevolent of you,” she sighed, “If only more men were like you, good sir, the world would be a better place.”

He felt a surge of pride. “I was simply doing my part. He mentioned his father is unwell.”

Her hand fluttered to her chest as her face fell. “That’s terrible,” she said, “He must work so hard, poor soul. You are a good man, sir.”

The nobleman cleared his throat, puffing his chest. “The rich should help the poor. They need it, heaven bless them.”

If he looked harder, he would have seen the way her eyes lit up in awe. “Oh, what a humble man! Such a rare breed of man to run into. You remind me of someone I once loved,” she began, before sniffing slightly, wiping a tear from her eye, “I’m sorry, this isn’t the time and place to speak of my beloved Youngho.”

He stepped closer, straining his ears to hear her over the crowd of men. “Ah, you are married?”

“Alas, no,” she sighed, shutting her eyes sadly, “I was betrothed to him, but he died of a mysterious illness, and I never gave my heart to another man since. Talking to you reminds me of him so much, he was such a compassionate soul who helped the poor.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“I am here to visit his poor family and pay my respects. I come from the neighbouring village,” she said, “By any chance, do you live around here?”

“Oh, no, I am a traveller as well. I am here in passing, to visit the next village.”

She gasped. “Oh! I had assumed you were living here,” she said, “I am unfamiliar with this place. Youngho almost always visited me, not the other way around.”

“Surely a young lady must find it dangerous to walk unchaperoned.”

“Indeed,” she said with a nod, “I didn’t want to impose on Youngho’s family. I live in the village inn, the one always teeming with people, and it does get terrifying to have to walk through so many men. How I wish I were with Youngho, he always made me feel safe. Speaking of which, I must leave soon, the sun will begin to set not too long from now, and I wouldn’t want to return to a crowded inn.”

He saw his opportunity. “If you don’t mind me offering, perhaps you would like a companion to walk you back?”

“Would it be too much trouble?”

“None at all, my lady.”

She laughed shyly. “Thank you, kind sir- oh!” she cried, as she stumbled forwards.

The nobleman caught her in his arms, scowling at the man who had bumped into her. “Watch where you’re going!”

“No need to shout, boy,” the man slurred, before executing a poor attempt at a bow, “I didn’t see you, pretty girlie. Although, now that I do, my, my, what a beautiful girl you are.”

He felt the young woman clutch his hanbok, and he shoved the drunkard, turning to his companion. “Make sure this man is sobered up,” he barked, handing him some coins, “Get some sense into him.”

“Yes, Master.”

The young woman looked up at him. “You saved me, and not only that, you’re paying for the man’s food!” she gushed, “Are you an angel in disguise?”

He sta