IV

Lantern Festival

HANYANG CAPITAL, CENTER TOWN

Hanyang Center Town.

All the townsfolk were looking at the sidewalk as they see a shiny gold carriage making its way into the capital’s town center, huge soldiers with their huge red silver armors were standing in front of the crowd to make sure no one will interrupt the path as the gold carriage proceeded to make its way.

It was the Lord of Hanyang, Lee Jae Yong.

A widower with three children, the rags to riches politician, dedicates his time with making sure his family’s legacy will maintain its place in the high society no matter what. It resulted in the terrifying rumours that the Lord can and will, use violence if he needs to just to make sure he maintains his and his family’s position.

He was away for so long and was now just making his way back to the capital he ruled, people who were so shock in amazement at the new carriage the Lord of Hanyang was now using, that it made their eyes stick like glue from looking it and just stared with the intention of only leaving this space until the beautiful shiny carriage is nowhere to be seen anymore.

Inside the carriage the Lord of Hanyang opens his window a bit to peek and also get some fresh air, he notices the people looking at his carriage and just grinned to himself at how stupid they all look at his beautiful shiny carriage.

“My Lord, the other lords of Hanyang will throw a party for you in the House of Pink Blossoms since they want to celebrate your arrival.” His secretary, Kyungsoo, informs him.

“Why are men so head over heels of that Gisaeng house? It’s nothing but women who pretend to like you in order to empty out your wallets.” He complained as he closes his window again because he didn’t like the sight of poor people.

“They said the top gisaeng there has really some good music playing abilities that can soothe your sour mood.”

“Hmmm…yes, that young gisaeng they said is even prettier than all the women combined in Joseon am I right?” The Lord snickered like he can’t believe men are glossing over the gisaeng he has never met but already is judging through the rumors.

“Ah yes my Lord.”

“Kyungsoo, tell them I’m in no mood to visit such place especially that it’s my wife’s death anniversary.” The Lord exhibits such sadness on his face.

MAKDONG CLINIC

It was already just a few days after and the clinic named Makdong, is already well reconstructed. Bong Pil, the former head doctor was already terminated and Seungwan made Chanyeol take over the clinic as the head since she was never really the type to like being the head for any clinic or hospitals.

The two doctors were smiling outside the clinic at the result of their hardwork and the top gisaeng named Bae Joohyun’s goodwill that led to this growth of the clinic.

The New Makdong Clinic.

“Yahhhh, Seungwan thank you so much for helping us.” Doctor Chanyeol now weeps and hugs his best friend.

Seungwan taps his back and now rushes to let go from the hug her grateful friend made with her.

“Eyyy, it’s not really me you should be thanking it’s Joohyun also aren’t you the one who gave me that letter? That’s why I came here?”

“Yeah, but if it weren’t for you….Makdong would’ve been already doomed…so thank you so much!” The taller doctor now kneeled and bowed in gratefulness.

“Aishhh, fine fine…please stand up already, you’re embarrassing me in front of the carpenters.” She tells her friend by waving her hand to Chanyeol.

As the two now were walking back inside the hospital Chanyeol began teasing the smaller doctor.

“Soooo…”

“So what?” Handsome Seungwan raises her eyebrow.

“You’re official first date with Joohyun-ssi will be tomorrow night right?”

“That’s not our dateeee, it’s a group date!”

“Are you sure? We can separate by that time if you want so you and Joohyun-ssi can have some more honey time and-“

“Patients! Patients! Patients! Doctor Chanyeol! We need to take care of patients ASAP!” A very flustered Seungwan now rushes to the door in order to escape her friend’s teasing.

“Seungwan!” The tall doctor’s joking smile now turns serious as he catches up to his friend.

Chanyeol now stood in front of the small doctor.

“What now?”

“I remembered…you told me before, you don’t stay that long in the places you visit…but…can Hanyang be different?”

“What do you mean?”

“Stay here, we need you… clinic needs you….Seunghoon needs you…”

Seungwan ignored her friend and was about to walk away when Chanyeol suddenly uttered something again.

“…Joohyun-ssi…might need you as well…”

She stopped and suddenly remembered the beautiful young woman she held hands last night.

But a piece of memory that Seungwan kept in her mind locked for so long, now suddenly made her remind her real purpose for travelling all over Joseon…

“Who are you?”

She sighed.

 “Let’s talk about that later Chanyeol…we need to tend to our patients.” She tells the taller doctor as she taps his back and now walks away from him.

HANYANG PUBLIC CEMETERY

Soft small familiar hands placed some flowers on an unmark grave.

It was Joohyun who uses this morning to visit the grave of her father…

They haven’t really found his body, but just a bloody piece of his clothing but still…

As she, her mother and sister has made peace about the possible death of her father after this long many years, she makes sure she visits her father at least every month to honor the sacrifice of this man, since her mother and sister are not able to visit him after they moved in a different town after his death.

“I’m sorry…”

“I should have come earlier than before…”

“I just had to sort some stuff out…”

Joohyun smiled as she stared and spoked at the piece of stone that she imagined was her father.

“Mom told me she and Jimin have now bought a cow to help them plow the fields…and the chicken Jimin was raising that gave birth to 5 chicklets is now pregnant again, while the chicklets are now growing fatter and older….just a few more I can finally buy a piece of land so I can build a better home for mom that won’t have flooding issues during rainy season…dad.” She exhales so proudly.

“Jimin wrote me that the kind meat seller who would give mom a discount everytime she would buy meat from him, confessed that he had feelings for her…”

“But mom turned him down, since…she said she was not interested in those kind of things anymore…”

“But your youngest….”

“Thinks she’s just saying that because Mom’s still waiting for you…”

“Since Jimin said she would hear her crying and reread the letters you wrote to her before, in the night…”

Joohyun wanted to tear up but just smiled her pain away to control herself.

“This is your fault for being too perfect, if only you were a drunk, a bum or a womanizer…mom would have had a better way of moving on from perfect you…”

“But instead she got a loving, loyal, respectful and heroic man…”

“Which made your children too idealistic as well…”

“Daddy…”

“I hope…”

“I hope wherever you are…you are able to have 3 delicious meals a day, you are able to rest in a comfy bed and that you are at peace…”

“Since I would not be able to take it…”

“If my father who only wanted an honest and incorruptible government for our nation…is in pain right now…” Joohyun uttered with such pain and anger.

She exhaled for one last time and stood, the top gisaeng now walked with her loyal female servant, Miyeon who puts the umbrella on top of her head in order to protect her from the harsh morning light.

A familiar older man walking with his younger male company from a few meters away stared at Joohyun like he was so captivated by the beauty he saw for the very first time, that he even dropped the flowers he was going to place on his late wife’s grave.

MAKDONG CLINIC

“Hello?” Joohyun who made a quick morning visit to the clinic is greeted with such a great change in the clinic that she can’t help but be amazed.

“Noona!” Seunghoon who as usual was entertaining the waiting in line patients runs to meet the top gisaeng.

He noticed, she was carrying a picnic basket and now being a gentleboy that Seungwan has been mentoring, he now offers a helping hand.

“Should I help you with that noona?” The little apprentice asks.

“Well…I was kinda hoping…I wanted to ask…Seungwan…since…you know the Lantern festival tomorrow…and-“

“Hello Joohyun-ssi, you can go to his office he’s actually on his 15 minute break so you can go and ask him.” Chanyeol peeks from the doorway of his office.

“Oh…hello doctor…thanks.” She shyly nods.

MAKDONG CLINIC, SEUNGWAN’S OFFICE 

The top gisaeng sees the door half opened and know gently knocks.

“Um…Seungwan? I’m just here to visit to confirm if we are on for tomorrow night….and also…I made…some food…just for you…I mean! The whole staff since…I understand you haven’t started to hire more doctors and nurses to help you since you are too busy renovating the clinic…” Joohyun who was about to blabber more realizes as she peeks that the handsome doctor that he was actually snoring in his chair and heavily asleep.

She didn’t really want to bother some more of the doctor and just wanted leave the picnic basket to the other staff, but the young woman just can’t help but be drawn by the beauty that was sleeping so peacefully and now carefully searched for a blanket she can put as a cover to the beautifully handsome doctor.

“You shouldn’t really leave your door half open like that…”

She whispered as she places the bedcover to the young handsome doctor.

“Since you are left vulnerable looking all lovely while you’re asleep…”  

She continued.

Seungwan slightly awakens and seeing the beautiful gisaeng next to her, she shouts in her shock that it made Joohyun startled too which cause her to almost plop on the floor with only Seungwan’s amazing quick reflex able to save her from the dirty ground.

“Ah! I’m s-sorry Seungwan-ah! I was just visiting to confirm our date –I mean our date with Seunghoon and the other staff! I also brought some left over food from our breakfast since I thought we need to save food as much as we can!” Joohyun now hands the picnic basket to Seungwan.

The doctor stood too and fixes herself as she stared at the equally flustered gisaeng.

“Hi Joohyun…of course, I’m actually looking forward to it…excited….nervous…a little all of those emotions I guess.” Seungwan let out an awkward laugh.

“You would really enjoy it! Before we gather by the river to watch the lanterns, there are some other activities there as well, like food stands and games where you can win some stuff, for years now I have been trying to win the ginsaeng grand prize in the scoop the fish with your paper fishnet, but I always lose…little did that fish game seller know, I have been practicing for this whole year…I will sweeepppp that game and win the ginsaeng to send to my mom and sister hehehehe. ” The young woman who shows her swinging form giggled.

The doctor was just smiling at Joohyun and thinking how adorable she looks like.  

“You seem to love the Lantern Festival.” She smiled again at the gisaeng.

Joohyun suddenly felt so shy at realizing she was so overly excited about the The Lantern Festival and now fixes her hair by the side of her ears and cleared .

“Ah…yes, I guess…because…since I was a kid it was an activity my family did…” Her smile now turn into a cold expression.

“Oh…what do you mean…it was…is your family-“

“By the way!....The clinic looks so good!” Joohyun changes the topic.

“Ah..yes, thank you…this all because of you.” A very grateful Seungwan smiled.

“Oh…well, me? No that was you…and your staff…not me.” She shook her head and dismisses everything with a shy laugh.

The gisaeng realizes as she gets startled again, that Seungwan walked closer to her to fix her hair that made them stare each other eye to eye.

“Sometimes it’s okay to acknowledge your own greatness, it won’t make you less humble...thank you, Joohyun-ah….for all the things you did for this hospital, and for letting me meet a great person like you.” She says with a pain in her smile.

It was magical, it even made the young beautiful gisaeng feel something more inside her fluttering but seeing how the handsome doctor stared at her…it was almost as if the doctor was saying her goodbyes to Joohyun.

“Y-Yah, why are you saying it like that are you going to leave Hanyang…” She jokes.

Seungwan now stepped back and now avoided her eyes.

She of the most beautiful woman ever known in the capital named Bae Joohyun now froze and now loses the grin she was trying to show to Seungwan as she forces herself to think it was just a wrong feeling.

“You’re leaving?”

She waited for an answer from Seungwan but this gets cut off by Nurse Choi who knocks on the door.

“Ummm doctor you told me to remind you when your break is already- “

“Hold on Nurse Choi, I’m talking to the doctor.” She cuts off the nurse who got terrified at the infamous “rude” top gisaeng, who now nods and leaves the room.

“Shon Seungwan, are you not gonna answer me?”

Seungwan now turns around to wear back her apron for her uniform, as if she had no more intention to speak to Joohyun but the gisaeng now walks to him and spoke.

“Yah, what the hell Doctor Shon?! You get jealous of my ex, storm my private room and held my hand saying you want to get to know me and now you are saying you’re gonna leave? Pick a struggle!” Joohyun who was getting annoyed with all the mixed signals she was getting from Seungwan shouted.

“J-Jealous? Of who!?” The flustered Seungwan can only argue as raises her eyebrow at Joohyun in denial and now goes back to her apron she was tying.

“You know what I’m talking about! You stormed my private room since you heard Captain Kim was asking me to marry him! If that’s not jealousy what then!?” A very hot headed gisaeng now argued back.

“I was not JEALOUS miss BaeeEeeee JoohYuuuunnnNNN!!! I was just....I was…”

“W-Who are you?”

Seungwan who wanted to explain her case now stopped and suddenly got silent as she avoids eye contact with the top gisaeng who got mad at her for all the confusion she caused.

“I thought..I thought you’re different…but maybe I was right all along, you just like making women confuse…and when they finally trust you….and open their hearts…you discard it like a broken toy you are sick of now….” Joohyun now sadly spoke.

“Joohyun…maybe…let’s talk later or tomorrow…I’m kinda working right now…if you wanna withdraw from the festival...I’ll be fine with it-AH!” Seungwan shouts in pain as she realizes that Joohyun threw her fan on the doctor’s back.

“Yah Bae Joohyun-“ As she turns around she sees Joohyun…

With tears in her eyes that she struggled to stop.

“You idiot….”

Joohyun bit her lip as she struggled to speak properly.

“….Why are you so hard to talk to…”

“….I’m trying…”

“….I’m trying for you…”

“….Since it seems like…”

“You fear I won’t understand you, so you keep hiding…”

“….Although it was wrong for me to assuming things too…”

“….But how can’t I assume? When you keep doing things for me that only people who seem to have FEELINGS FOR! DO!”

She bit her lip as she stared at the puzzled handsome doctor who was just listening to her finally exploding at her fullest.

“Joohyun…” Seungwan called for her name.

“I was looking forward to that Lantern Festival, I even have a hard time sleeping these past few days, since all I can think about is that Lantern Festival!” She kept crying.

Seungwan now walks to hand her handkerchief to Joohyun, who steps back away from her.

“I was gonna confess under the floating lanterns, but what’s the point when you are already being an and will just leave me.”

“W-What?” Still in disbelief Seungwan asks.  

She wipes her own tears and now began laughing as the water in her eyes won’t stop.

“You heard me…”

“…Foolish Joohyun has never been happier since you and I met…”

“…Foolish Joohyun is always so excited to see you…”

“…Foolish Joohyun…”

The top beautiful gisaeng held her own chest.

“…Feels her heart beat excitedly whenever I hear, see or think of you.”

“…Because…it seems like Bae Joohyun doesn’t want to just be friends…but be lovers with you.” She ended with a feign smile on her face as she finally became brave to confess and put trust again in her traumatized heart for Seungwan.

Seungwan froze at the sudden confession of the young woman she was trying hard not to fall for.

“Aishhhhh, this is why I said I will never fall for some playboy ever again! Don’t worry I got no one to blame, but me! Maybe I’m just really an assuming idiot to think a friendly person like you might have feelings for me too...”

“…Also what are you planning about Seunghoon? Are you just gonna leave him here? If that’s the case let me adopt him! Since I don’t trust Doctor Chanyeol to take good care of him!” Joohyun now wipes her own tears with her own handkerchief and began talking in a lecturing nasal tone and avoided the eyes of the doctor who was just staring at her.

Seungwan suddenly started walking to the confessor who is acting like she just didn’t explode her real feelings to the doctor.

“Also if you plan to take Seunghoon to travel…don’t you think that’s dangerous for a little boy?!”

Seungwan ignores the lecturing and now wipes the face of Joohyun herself and held her smooth fair skinned face with her left hand.

“You are not assuming things…”

“…I really tried to hide it…”

“…But…”

“…Shon Seungwan wants to be more than friends too…”

“…Since…”

The handsome doctor now puts her right hand on her chest and stared at Joohyun.

“…I feel my heart beat excitedly whenever I hear, see or think of Bae Joohyun too...”

Seungwan exhaled in relief as if she was so happy she can finally admit some parts of her to the gisaeng she never thought was feeling the same way with her. The two suddenly were just staring at each other at the mutual shock and surprise they felt for suddenly admitting things in the least romantic setting…

“You have three seconds to walk away....or I will place my lips on yours.” Joohyun suddenly announces.

“W-What?” Seungwan eye’s suddenly enlarged.

“One…”

“B-Bae Joohyun-“

“Two…”

The doctor suddenly sighed.

“Joohyun…before we proceed…I just need to admit something-“

Joohyun pulled Seungwan to kiss her lips, she leans on the wall as she kept pulling the handsome doctor in order not break from the intimate kiss they were sharing.

Seungwan felt it was so wrong to continue since there were a lot of things she had to explain to the beautiful gisaeng, but as her emotions and irrationality took over for the first time over her guarded self, she can only close her eyes and continue the intimate action of love she and Joohyun shared.

The beautiful young woman named Joohyun, opens and the doctor instinctually led her tongue inside to explore more of the gisaeng who just confessed to her, the kiss went for a minute when Seungwan felt she will lose all her control the longer she stayed kissing this lovely woman and finally pulls away…

As the b