Part 32 [FINAL]

The Conclusion

[All four of them passed the preliminary testing (the Hwe-shi), which means that the four all successfully graduated from SKK. The results they are waiting for is the Jeon-shi, the testing where you get acknowledged and basically hired by the King.]

[The King announces the result of the tests. Yoonhee and Yongha both make it to 을과 Eul-Gwa, the second tier of the tests (which is still pretty high). Both of them are assured that Jaeshin and Sunjoon are then 갑과 Gap-Gwa (the best three tests)--then it's announced that Jaeshin is the 탐화 Tahm Hwa(the third place out of the three best).

Then the King announces 장원 (Jang Won, and you've heard this word said at the Dae Sa Rae, it means first place, or the best one), Lee Sun Joon. His father clenches his fist because he is so proud of his son, and he almost forgets that he is in front of the king because he might have shouted in happiness. Sunjoon get up to the king, and King tells him that he's glad, because he was waiting for him. Jaeshin is supposed to put the 어사화 Uh-Sa-Hwa (it's a long arching flower ornament they put on a hat) on Sunjoon, but Jaeshin's hands are big and stubby and he fidgets with them, careful as to not snap it. Yoonhee and Yongha are about to burst into laughter at the this sight, because it's not every day you see a man as gruffy as Jaeshin trying to handle flowers.

But Sunjoon doesn't laugh, because it seems like he's still thinking about something else. Jaeshin's face reddens with embarrassment while Yongha is planning on how to tease him about this later. ]

Sunjoon's father comes to him with his arms open and embraces his son.

"I'm proud of you! My son, Jang-Won!"

"Father, you must keep your promise."

"Of course! You achieved Jang-won, how could I go against my word?"

"Then, please, send someone right away."

His father pulls away from the embrace.

"Right now? Why are you in such a hurry? There's a lot of things to prepare..."

"Please, if you just send someone, mother told me that she will take care of everything. She's already prepared for it."

"Huh, you two have been planning this without me, is it? You know that I can't say no to your mother..."

"I'm sorry."

"Hahaha! I understand. I will send someone right away."

"Thank you."

"I promised you. I can't betray my son."

His father leaves happily. Jaeshin's father similarly congratulates Jaeshin, lightly hitting him on his head. Jaeshin's father looks towards Sunjoon in acknowledgement, and disappears as well.

Yongha and Yoonhee appear. Yongha starts teasing Jaeshin right away, and Yoonhee can only stare at Sunjoon.

A feast is held for the recently graduated, with the food and drinks provided by the king. The Gisaengs come and dance and everybody parties. Yoonhee is smiling on the surface within all the noise, but she's upset, and to try and soothe herself, she heads away from the feast. When she is out of the gate, she thinks about how much time she has left now. She will have to say goodbye soon. It's as though Sunjoon was thinking the same, because he's followed her out.

Yoonhee sees Sunjoon and asks, "Why did you come out?"

It seems like Sunjoon's ghost is finally gone, because he is grinning widely. Yoonhee is a little angry because she can't believe how happy he looks. Sunjoon looks around, and grabs her and takes her behind the building. Yoonhee can't smile even as she is being dragged away. After Sunjoon makes sure that nobody is around, he kisses her. It's been so long since she felt his lips. She won't be able to feel them for much more longer. He pulls away.

"I really can't keep secrets."

Where did that come front? Yoonhee is dumbfounded. It's so out of nowhere that a small smile escapes her.

"I can't bear it any longer. Ahh.. Should I just say it?"

"Say what?"

"Ah I should wait! You will find out soon when you head home... I was going to keep quiet until then, but I'm just so impatient..."

Yoonhee is speechless. How could anyone be more frustratingly patient than he is? She is peeved, and says, "well, I'm impatient. I'm curious, so just tell me."

"Soondol and my Jip-Sah (head servant) will be heading over to your home soon."

"What? Why?"

"To send my proposal."

At first, Yoonhee doesn't understand. Then her eyes widen and her jaws drop.

"What? A proposal? A proposal proposing that we, uh..."

"You've written a proposal at your store before, haven't you? You know what it is."

He smiles widely, but Yoonhee's still in shock.

"Then, is the promise you made with your father--"

"Yes. This was all so I could marry you."

"Then does your father know about what I've been doing? It doesn't seem like he knew, from when he talked to me earlier."

"He doesn't know that it's you, but he knows that it's a daughter of a Nam-in family. I also told him about your family's situation."

"And he gave you permission?"

He smiles again, but Yoonhee can't smile. She hangs her head, as she says, "I can't marry you."

Sunjoon's face drops. "What do you mean?"

"I can't marry you. There's still time before my brother can regain his name, after the memory of me as Yoonshik is well enough faded, because only then I can go back to being Yoonhee..."

"You can wait that time after marrying me!"

Yoonhee shakes her head. She can't. Sunjoon raises his voice, which is now mixed with a little anger. "Fine, then we won't wed!"

He grabs her hand. "But I have to at least verify that we will marry, in a contract. (He's basically telling her that he wants to make their marriage registration in advance). Let's go right now to get some paper and a brush!"

"What? W-wait!"

Yoonhee struggles to stop Sunjoon from dragging her away, because she can see that he's not joking around.

"To me, you're already my wife and I am already your husband, and I need a contract that verifies it until you marry me, if you're going to postpone the wedding! How can I just let you go? How will I trust you? You can't just leave me!"

"That's not what I mean--"

Sunjoon pulls her into an embrace. He whispers to her, "Don't ask me for anything more cruel than to wait for you. I don't even think I have the strength to wait."

"Then, if we do make the contract, will you really wait for me?"

"Of course. I'll post the contract for everyone to see, and wait for you, whether it's raining or snowing, so you won't have a choice but to come back to me."

"Wha-- you're going to wait like that?"

"What, you thought I would keep it to myself? I still think you should marry me first, then wait."

Yoonhee tries to free herself from his grasp, but his arms hold her tighter.

"Let me go. People might come."

"Agree to a contract, or marry me. I won't let you go before you answer, even if his majesty himself shows up. If you know how much effort I put into study to make this happen, you should know that I'm not lying right now."

She stops struggling. "Why are you threatening me with such happy choices? If you don't let me go, I might just nod and go along, without thinking of the consequences."

"I'll take care of the consequences, so just please, do nod and go along."

She raises her head and looks at his eyes. She doesn't nod or shake her head, but her eyes tell Sunjoon that she agrees.

"You should have agreed from the beginning. Why do you always make me so nervous?"

But Yoonhee responds, "this is nothing compared to what you put me through lately!"

She suddenly feels all the sorrow she's tried to suppress the past month, and can't help but start sobbing. She collapses on the spot and buries her head into her knees, and cries loudly.

"Wh--Why are you crying? Please, stop crying--"

Sunjoon is taken back and he doesn't know what to do.

She sobs, "if you were going to do this, you should have just let me know!"

Sunjoon lowers himself next to her to try and calm her. "I-I didn't know if I could do it, and I didn't want to tell you just in case..."

"You wouldn't even look at me!"

"I-- It's not because of you! It was because whenever I looked at you, I'd get distracted and ... I'm sorry! It's my fault, I was wrong. I beg you, stop crying, please?"

Sunjoon puts his arms around her. "I wanted to be with you. And I wanted to hold you. Everytime I lost confidence, I thought about just giving up and running away with you. I thought about leaving my family, and leaving my name."

Yoonhee tries to wipe away at her tears, but they keep falling. "How could you think of making such a bet with your father?"

Aware that people might come around, the two pull away from one another, and Yoonhee is able to barely calm herself down. They both get up and start heading back to the feast, when Yoonhee stops. "I forgot! Mother!"

"Is something wrong?"

"I told my mother to reject any proposals sent home!"

"Soondol knows what's going on, so he'll wait it out--"

"But your Jipsah doesn't. If your father hears that our family rejected your proposal..."

After hearing this, Sunjoon becomes worried as well. He worked so hard for his father's permission; he has to make sure that nothing goes wrong. The two run back to the party, to say goodbye to everyone so that they can then hurry to Yoonhee's home. Yongha asks why they're in such a hurry.

"Something's come up at home, and we've got to go."

"Both of you?"

"Ah, I think I'll have to go along with him..."

"It seems like it's pretty urgent. Take my horse. I rode it here because I was late. It's outside the gate."

Yongha leads them to his horse, and Sunjoon and Yoonhee follow, hand in hand.

Sunjoon lifts Yoonhee onto the horse first, then gets on. They promise Yongha to return the horse, and they leave.

Yoonhee, stuck between his arms, jokes, "If I come home to my mother with you like this, I can't imagine how surprised she'll be."

She imagines the happiness on her mother's face, and she feels tears welling up.

"I can't imagine that she'll be more surprised than my father when he sees you. I'm curious as to how he'll react."

"Do you think he'll recognize me? I wonder what your mother will think..."

Sunjoon smiles. It seems as though he's not at all worried.

"How can you be so calm? I'm so nervous."

Still, Sunjoon can't help grinning.

The sound of the two riding the horse fades away, and Yongha heads back to the party, when he sees Jaeshin walking towards him with the uh-sa-hwa in his hand.

"Oh hey! Tam-hwa!"

"Hey! stop with the Tam-hwa business!"

"Why are you coming out?"

"Did those two leave?"

Yongha smiles and puts his arms around Jaeshin's shoulders, which hang in misery. Jaeshin tries to shake his sadness away and spits, "Let's go drink."

"Yes, let's. Let's drink until the day breaks!"

The two walk away, with Yongha still teasing Jaeshin for how he looked handling the flowers, and he doesn't stop, even after Jaeshin throws a punch.

[At some point later, Yongha and Jaeshin appear in front of the king, telling him that Sunjoon and "Yoonshik" cannot come because Sunjoon is marrying Yoonshik's sister, Yoonhee. Then Yongha and Jaeshin hurriedly head over to the wedding.]

~ THE END ~