I had just woken up from my deep sleep, still feeling nausea. My head was still in immerse pain and I just couldn’t stand on my own two feet at all.
Yet I couldn’t also stand the smell coming from my body, so I got up and headed to the bathroom despite being almost one in the morning I felt like I had to wash myself.

I filled the bathtub with lukewarm water and jumped in. I loved taking long baths that calmed down every part of my body and feeling the way I did, it would be the perfect time for me.
I put on some music to sound in the bathroom and just rested my head against the pillow I had placed for these cases. It was all perfect. Of course I still wasn’t feeling well but the warm water was making me feel much better.
Although I had slept the whole day, my eyes still closed while listening to my favorite songs.

After that all I remember is darkness and then my eyes flutter open.

Kim Joon Myeon is standing right in front of me, his clothes were thrown outside the river and he was inside swimming freely.
My cheeks flushes and my heart beat so fast I couldn’t contain my feelings.
He had a bright smile and under the moonlight he looked to be the most beautiful human being I’ve ever seen.

Our eyes met and the basket of berries I was holding in my hands almost fell to the ground. I hadn’t expected him to see me.
I turned my back around ready to run but his sweet voice stopped me on my track.

“Wait!” I heard the water behind me and I knew that if I turned around at that moment, I’d come face to face with a man who wasn’t wearing his clothes.
What a bad first impression.

In fact it wasn’t the first time I was seeing him, for him though it was. He walked around with other scholars. He was still learning but words had it that he was one of the best. One day he was sure to serve the King in the best way possible.
A few minutes passed where I had stopped in my track and then he appeared in front of me fully clothed.

“I hope you don’t tell anyone you saw me here. You see it wouldn’t be good for people to see me like this” I just looked at his eyes. Never in my life had I seen someone so handsome.
“I’m Seo Do Jeon” I couldn’t say anything at all. My mouth felt so dry I didn’t even know what to do.
“I suppose you don’t want to speak to me?” I shook my head no at him.

“No… not at all sir” I bowed “I just didn’t expect to find you swimming in the river like this. I’m Jo Na Ri” he smiled at that moment and I knew that I wanted to see him again.

And perhaps he wanted to see me too.

“You know… it won’t be nice if they see a man and a woman together at this hour so I think it’s best we part” I admit I felt sad at that moment. For some kind of reason I didn’t want to part with this man, I wanted to sit with him and talk under the starts, swim with him in the river and watch him smile right in front of me.
Someone could even call this love at first sight and maybe that’s what it was for me too.
I looked down at my feet, not being able to do anything and walked past him but I stopped once I felt his hand stopping me.
“Wait, don’t leave yet. What I meant is that we could meet again in under better circumstances.”

“Meet me?” he nodded his head “Like where and how? I mean you don’t know me so I don’t see why you’d want to meet me.” He let out a sweet smile that filled me with warmth.

“To be honest… I’ve seen you before. You work with your aunt and you make soaps and dyes for makeup, right?” He pointed at the berries in the basket and smiled. I was surprised that he knew me. All this time I though I was the only one who had noticed him walking by everyday, but it seems he too had his eyes on me.

He knew where I lived and that meant he could come and see me.

“You have really seen me there. Then how are you going to meet me?” I really wanted to see him again and the fact that he wanted it too was something I loved.

“I’ll come and buy something and then I’ll see you” I shook my head.

“I don’t think it’s right…”

“Why?” my aunt would never let me do something like that. She didn’t want me to dirty her name especially since my parents were not there to take any blame for me. They had burned in a fire five years ago when I was fourteen and eversince she’s been keeping me along with her two sons. They were working on the farms and we were taking care of things here. We were trying to make ends meet.

“My aunt would not let us talk to each other.” he nodded his head in understanding and then smiled yet again.

“Then let’s keep meeting like this. Come here tomorrow and we’ll find a way to not be seen… what do you say?” from the way he was looking at me, how could I even say no?
I just agreed with him and as he promised we met there, near the river hiding from plain sight.

Every night we would meet near the river and we’d talk. One night he made me swim with him even though I was afraid of being found out, he never cared about it though.
Another night turned out to be the best day of my life. He had kissed me under the full moon. And he told me that he wanted us to marry.
I had laughed so hard that day, the happiness was real.
Of course he came to my house