Shin Hye descended the carriage and ran up the porch steps to her house; the wind was starting to pick up and the temperature to drop.

            “Where on earth did you go?” her mother asks greeting her at the door.

            “I’m sorry mother, it’s just that I ran into some friends,” she responds.

            “Chattering about in the market when there is dinner to be put on the table,” she points out helping her with the basket.

            “What is that you carry?” she questions eyeing the heavy pack of wrapped meat.

            “Meat,” she responds walking past her.

            “Meat? But where did you afford enough to get meat?” her mother questions following after her into the kitchen.

            “I saw him in the market, and he insisted on paying for it,” Shin Hye admits placing the basket over the table.

            “Yong Hwa? He was there?”

            “Yes,”

            “What did he say?”

            “Nothing much, we talked for a while as I did my shopping and then I came home.”

            “I thought you were talking to some friends?” she says placing her hands on her hips.

            “In a way he is."

            “God that is a lot of meat,” her mother exclaims eyeing it.

            “Make sure father gets to eat some."

            “I’ll make sure of that,” she says shouting out for the house cook.

            Excusing herself out of the kitchen Shin Hye went up to her room and laid on her bed, the wind beat loudly against her window, whistling and threatening to bring rain with ice.  Yong Hwa’s word kept repeating themselves over and over in her head.  On the inside she smiled knowing they would soon be together again.  It took her most of her strength to keep shut as he spoke with the most melting word’s Shin Hye had ever heard him say.

********************

            Dinner had been over and Shin Hye sat in the living room with a belly full of well cooked meat and vegetables.  Her father had insisted she tell him were she had gotten the money for it, but her mother waved him away.  She was glad for it too; she didn’t want to talk about Yong Hwa at the dinner table, for she was afraid what her family might have to say about him.  She sat in the living room staring into the fireplace, wondering what Yong Hwa might just be doing.  Of course that all she would think until she got to see him again and tell him the truth about everything.

She prepared herself for the worst, she really didn’t know just how he might react to all of this, and she wonders if he will want her back after all.  She didn’t want to think negative, but all she could do was hope for the best.  Across from her sat Na-mi and Sang-woo fiddling with each other’s hands, she pointed to his palm as if telling his future, but Sang-woo’s eyes seemed to be glued to Shin Hye’s.  She tried to ignore that he looked directly at her, as if not caring if Na-mi would catch him.  Feeling rather odd Shin Hye stood and walked into the hall holding her-self.

/“He likes you I can tell,”/ Yong Hwa had told her at the market.  She had taken it as a foolish act of jealousy from his part.  That is all she would keep it as, there was no way Sang-woo was interested in Shin Hye he was dating Na-mi.  It could simply not be, although he had been eyeing her at the dinner table too.  When she would lift her eyes towards him he wouldn’t even flinch away or act like he wasn’t looking.

He would simply just smile and bore his eyes into hers; Shin Hye didn’t want this to be true.  Instead she would take it as a friendly gesture and nothing more, all she wanted was to finally tell Yong Hwa the truth.  She headed for the stairs hoping the feel of her full stomach might calm after taking a warm bath.

“Could I speak with you for a moment?” she heard Sang-woo ask.  She froze as she put her foot over the first step.  Slowly turning to face him she smiled politely.

“Did you need something?” she asks pretending to yawn.

“Do you teach art lessons?” he questions nearing the stairs.

“No, I’ve never done that before."

“Well I was hoping you would consider taking in your first student?” he says biting his lips.

“Excuse me?”

“I was wondering if you’d be interested in giving me art lessons,” he repeats