⁝ jeon manor.

@❀ jeon gyunwoo She could hear him coming closer, but before she could lift her head and register what was happening, he had already kneeled before her, his palms cradling her cheeks in a gentle hold. She was frozen in surprise, her body stiffening defensively for a moment before relaxing into his soft touch. In this position, she could look nowhere else but at the man in front of her, her chocolate-hued gaze locked on his, searching for the truth. Was he being honest in this moment, or was he manipulating her? She desperately hoped for the former.

“You care for me…?” Her eyebrows furrowed, almost as if confused by the thought. Why did none of it make sense? It was hard for her to believe that after four years he could still say that he cared for her. Was this all a game he wanted to play? A game where he fills her heart with love and joy, where he makes her feel important and comfortable, and then he shatters that silly little heart once more? But he looked so sincere, and the gleam of sadness in his gaze seemed so real. Maybe she could forgive him, maybe she could give him another chance, maybe they could go back to the way they were…

She was brought back into reality the moment he stepped away from her. No, they couldn’t go back. It wasn’t meant to be, no matter how badly she wished that it was. She rose from her spot at the table, straightening out her hanbok and stalling for time as she gathered her thoughts. When she finally spoke again, she was calm, her tone even, “I could never hate you, Gyunwoo. Was I angry? Yes. Disappointed? Also, yes. Heartbroken? A million times, yes.” Her voice trembled, and she paused to collect herself once more, “But I have never hated you and I never will…”

“You are right when you say that you should have sought my feelings first. I never cared about how bright of a future I could have if I married someone else. I didn’t care about any of it, I just wanted you. I wanted you for who you are, not because of status.” She could feel herself getting emotional again, and the stubbornness within her fought it. She turned toward the door, ready to flee to avoid the possibility of surrendering to him.

“I accept your apology, however I don’t think we should see each other. The pain is hard to forget, and I don’t know if I can trust you not to leave again. I will go home now, and I do not wish to be followed. Please, forget that we met tonight.” With another deep breath, she took one step, and then another, and soon she had left the Jeon Residence, assuming that she would never return to this place again.

[ fin. ]

@❁ hwang mijoo As Mijoo's words spilled, an unsettling revelation enveloped him, rendering Gyunwoo as silent as the night that embraced them. He could only gaze upon the woman in profound surprise, unsure whether to speak, chuckle at the cruel irony, or respond to the tumultuous situation before him. her was sure that the only appropriate response was to repent for the next ten lives, solely at her mercy. The undeniable truth stared back at him—he was a fool, incessantly inept at confronting his own emotions. Mijoo's trembling confession served as the catalyst for this self-awareness, and he was now certain that she harbored hatred, especially since their reunion outside his gates. Well, who wouldn't hate a man for being so stubborn?

Yet he couldn't fathom another aspect of Mijoo's recollections – why him? While his appearance was on the pleasant side, the status he held was constantly questioned because of his background as the scion of a gisaeng. He had only accepted the gracious hand of Master Jeon to get where he was today.

"Well, I—" he stammered, his eyes fixed on her. Witnessing her distress pressed a suffocating weight upon his chest. Rising from his seat, he approached her, kneeling down to cradle her face. Though his lips yearned to seek solace in hers, he refrained, wary of exacerbating the emotional chasm that separated them.

"Look at me, Mijoo-ya," he whispered, his furrowed eyebrows reflecting genuine concern. "I care deeply for you. It was this very care that compelled me to step back. It might sound foolish, but I once believed your future would be brighter with him rather than me. But..."

"Perhaps I got a head of myself, hm? I should have sought your feelings first, I wish I had. You must hate me by now," he sighed softly. Embarrassment tinged his demeanor, his ears reddened with shame. "Turning you away with the servants may have been excessive. You have every right to be angry with me. I apologize—I only wanted what was best for you," he confessed, gently brushing the apples of her cheeks with his thumb. "Even if that meant not being by my side."

His gaze reflected a hint of her own sadness mixed with his, and he gingerly lets go of her face. He could hear the footsteps of the servant again, and straightened his posture. Old habits died hard, and the last thing he wanted was Mijoo becoming the topic of gossip amongst servants. "Words are just empty promises without accompanying action. Believe me, I will earn your forgiveness. Even if your patience runs thin because of me."

@❀ jeon gyunwoo The moment she turned toward him, she finally dared herself to really look at him instead of side glances or quick flickers of her gaze toward him. What a mistake it was to indulge herself in that moment, for she found herself almost stunned by the man before her. He had always been handsome, a fact she was sure that no one could dispute, but even after four years nothing much had changed. He was still flawless to the point that it seemed unfair, and charming on top of that. She had felt her heart flutter as he whispered that he wouldn’t want her to catch a cold, but she had quickly banished any further thoughts. She would not allow herself to be swayed by this man once again.

She peeled her gaze from his face, turning her attention toward the table he had gestured at and walking over to it, gracefully sitting and straightening out the chima of her hanbok. She only lifted her head when he had called for the servant to request tea, opening up to protest, but closing it immediately as the servant swiftly left before she could get a word out. She hadn’t intended to stay a while and didn’t see the necessity of tea at the moment, but it was clear Gyunwoo intended to keep her here for a while, and if that was the case, perhaps some tea would calm her nerves.

With a heavy sigh, she finally lifted her gaze to meet his once again, preparing herself for what he was about to say. No amount of preparation could have prepared her for this, however. She was completely taken aback, both confused and irritated by his explanation. How could this be?

“You… thought I loved another man? You didn’t anticipate that you ignoring my existence would cause me pain…?” She paused, disbelief settling into her features and into her tone as she continued, “No that can’t be true. You have to be lying. I lo-“ she caught herself, her eyes going wide at how close she had been to being completely vulnerable, but she quickly tried to cover it up, “… cared for you. Not any other man, only you. You had my heart in the palm of your hand and everyone close to me knew it.”

She could no longer hold his gaze and instead looked down at her hands in her lap, the embarrassment of this confession bringing an uncontrollable flush to her cheeks that she desperately wished would disappear. “I thought my feelings had been so obvious, even to you, and I even dared to believe that perhaps you reciprocated them. But then, just as I had become confident that you would court me, you disappeared. You never returned my letters, and when I came to visit you, you would have your servants turn me away as if I was just some silly little nuisance to you. Soon I realized that you must have never truly cared for me at all…” She trailed off, fresh tears pooling at the rim of her eyes, but she willed them away, stubbornly refusing to allow Gyunwoo to see her cry.

@❁ hwang mijoo There's a forlorn look in his autumnal gaze as he lets go of Mijoo and retracts his hands from her person. A heavy exhale follows, spinning on his heel so his back faced the young lady, refusing to let her see such a pathetic expression painted across his countenance. "My apologies miss, I had to in order to bring you to safer grounds. If you stood their any longer I fear the both of us would have amounted to fodder for the misfortunate." His voice is low, barely a whisper yet loud enough for her to hear. It wasn't as if anyone else was by their vicinity as he spoke but at this moment he couldn't bring himself to speak any louder.

"Come with me," he says, beginning to walk towards the annex of the manor. "The chill is setting in, and I wouldn't want you to catch a cold." Aware of the explanations awaiting him from Mijoo's mother and sister upon their return, he steels himself for the impending conversations. Yet before he could guide her towards the vicinity of his home, Mijoo had walked past him, heading in the same direction. The young man quietly followed behind with only their footsteps against the pavement accompanying them.

Upon stepping inside the manor, guided by the warm light of the lanterns inside, he finally catches a clear glimpse of Mijoo's face and his voice falters. Her beauty transcended the ordinary; it was a radiance that penetrated his very soul, like the moon on a cloudless night, ethereal and captivating. If he were a cloud, she would be the light breaking through. Beyond that, he notes the hint of nervousness on her face and a wistful smile almost escaped him.

Apparently, he wasn't alone in feeling the weight of the night's emotions.

"Take a seat." He says, gesturing to the table where his adoptive mother had been sitting earlier. Seems like she had retired for the night, which brought some relief to Gyunwoo. He was not ready for /her/ incessant questioning either. After calling for a servant to fetch them some tea, he takes a seat as well, silent for a moment before meeting Mijoo's eyes. If he was to say it, he may as well spit it out.

"I thought you loved another man and decided to step away so that I may not be an eyesore for you." He mumbles, his words tumbling out quickly, realizing how absurd his reasoning may sound to her. "I didn't anticipate such an action would bring you such...pain."

@❀ jeon gyunwoo She couldn’t withhold the gasp of surprise that escaped her lips as he pulled her in, the proximity of their bodies a catalyst for her accelerated heart rate, her face flushing as a light pink painted her cheeks. She knew he had only pulled her to him to bring them both inside the gate so he could shut it, but she was still flustered all the same. She hated that her silly heart still reacted the same way that it used to after all of this time. she hated that even after four years, it still called out to him, how just the thought of him made her chest ache with grief and longing. If only-

Quickly, before she could let the walls around her heart crumble, she pulled herself from his grasp, her head turning upward to look at him, her dark eyes narrowing into a glare. “I don’t believe I gave you permission to touch me… sir.”

She hoped that the anger in her tone could mask the pain she felt from being face-to-face with the one person she both yearned and dreaded to see. She hoped she could hide the effect he had on her. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how she felt, especially when he could so easily turn off his own emotions and hide his true feelings.

As he spoke again, she once again felt the urge to flee, to protect herself from experiencing any more pain, but there was also a small part of her that wanted to stand her ground. She had changed in these last four years, she had grown, and she could survive without him. She was capable of having this conversation with him instead of running away.

“Alright, we’ll do this your way for now, since you aren’t giving me much of an option.” she replied, her tone sharp as she walked past him into the manor. Once inside she her heels, her visage trying and failing to mask her nervousness as she spoke.

“You said that you would explain, so let’s hear it.”

@❁ hwang mijoo Gyunwoo was many things but he was far from oblivious, her eyes were like delicate glass - fresh with tears that had just been wiped by her own hands. There was a dull ache in his chest, near his heart, upon witnessing her pained visage frozen with malice - it was an expression he was unfamiliar with on her beautiful features. Four years of distance made him well aware that he must have been the cause of it and thus did Gyunwoo hesitate as Mijoo spoke. The young man had once buried his feelings for the woman before him, knowing she had better prospects elsewhere. Beyond anything, he never wanted to appear as a thorn in her side, potentially ruining the path to a better future for Mijoo.

The scribe had seen what lingering affections could do to a person, and he knew that if he were to see her smile within those four years the wall that he had built between them would begin to crumble from its frail foundation. It was for that reason he let her go. At least, that is what he willed himself to believe. He knew why she hated him from the moment they met eyes after so long - yet in this situation he could not help but think her hatred for him seemed to trump her sense of security. Letting her go in this situation would mean inviting her to all sorts of danger.

And if something were to happen to her, Gyunwoo would never forgive himself.

Just as she had pulled her wrist away, Gyunwoo reached for her hand yet again - bringing her closer to his person. It was a way of bringing them both inside the gates before closing them shut. "As you have been standing in front of my residence since the sun has set, it is my business...miss." The man inwardly winced as he returned her energy back, and wondered if this pettiness he bore was a trait they both shared. Expressionless as he let her go, now that the gate was locked he took a step back and sighed.

"Stay the night, I'll explain everything and bring you home tomorrow morning. If you refuse, I'll walk you home instead. However, it's dangerous outside due to the symptoms of the plague, so I can not ensure that either of us will return home alive."

@❀ jeon gyunwoo "Mijoo?!" The woman had only taken one step forward away from the manor before the voice rang out. Her entire body stilled at the familiar tone. No... Why did it have to be him? Why was he the one that saw her? She had every intention to ignore him, to pretend she hadn't heard the voice she would refuse to admit that she had missed for the past four years, but before she could flee she felt a gentle hand on her wrist, and she was stuck. She took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and steadied her emotions before she turned to face him, steeling her gaze as she peered up at him.

"I'm sorry... sir," She tried to hide the venom that urged to seep into her tone as she made a point to refer to him formally instead of as how she used to call him, "I was under the impression you were pretending that I don't exist." Mijoo was known for being many things, and petty was most certainly one of them. She couldn't stop herself from commenting about his distance from her. She had been absolutely devastated by the man before her, and she was determined to make her grievance known.

She pulled her wrist from his grasp, scoffing at his comment of danger, "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I do believe my wellbeing is none of your business, sir. I certainly do not understand why you would care if I am in danger. You made it quite clear years ago that I hold no importance to you." The memories of the past made it hard for her to speak without her voice trembling. They had been so close and she had felt that perhaps it was possible he could reciprocate her feelings, and then suddenly he was as cold as ice. He put distance between them and avoided her whenever possible. She had been so confused, so crushed, crying herself to sleep at night from the grief of losing her closest friend and her first love. But she had grown so much stronger over time, and she was no longer that naive woman.

She cleared and spoke once more, "Now if you will excuse me, sir. I must get home before my mother and my sister start to worry." With that, she curtsy and attempted to turn and leave again.

@❁ hwang mijoo "The sun is about to set," Matron Jeon said, peering through the windows of the annex. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and her gaze was marred with concern, Gyunwoo could tell as much as he glanced at his adoptive mother. Looking around, he inwardly sighs as to not draw any unwanted attention. Getting up from the mat, he picks up one of the sheathed swords on display and holds it by his side.

"I'll go and check if the gates are locked. You needn't worry and can retire to your chambers...mother." He utters the last words with a hint of hesitation, even if more than a decade had passed the words felt unfamiliar rolling off against his tongue. The women silently did as he said, picking up the embroidery set and asking the maid to bring the tea to her quarters. Only after she retreated did Gyunwoo exit the annex and walk into the courtyard.

It was quiet, which was to be expected – things became less rowdy after sunset as news of the infection had spread. People were keen on following the curfews to keep their own lives safe. Yet his ears perked up when the sound of feet shuffling, causing leaves to rustle caught his attention. Keeping the sword at the ready, the man heads towards the gates swiftly and opens them. (Go figure, they weren't locked. He would have words with the housekeeper next he sees them.).

His eyes widen at the sight he sees in front of him, both in surprise as well as the realization that the night is extremely dangerous. Even if the sky was still coated in a tinge of orange from the sunset, there was no knowing what may happen. "Mijoo?!" He calls out incredulously, brows creased as he exits the gate and grabs the young woman's wrist. It's almost instinctive, yet gentle in his motions wishing not to hurt her in the process.

"What are you doing? You do know it's dangerous outside right now correct?" He almost begins lecturing, eyes searching her own teary ones for answers. "Why are you cry- wait no we can talk about that once youre inside the residence. Come on, there's no way you can stay outside when there's danger lurking at every corner."

@❀ jeon gyunwoo As the sun started to set, an orange glow painting the sky, Mijoo began her walk from the market back to her home on the outskirts of the city. She had misjudged the time of day and how far she would have to walk, and it appeared that she wouldn’t arrive home until after the remaining light of day had faded. Given the danger of being out at night, with this mysterious infection circulating and turning people rabid, she knew she would receive an earful from Miryeong the moment she walked through the door.

She was lost in thought, imagining the lecture that was sure to happen and not paying attention to her route, her feet carrying her along the path that she used to always take before certain events had occurred. She suddenly stopped, her feet cemented in place as an unsettling, heavy ache filled her chest. She was standing outside of the one place that she always hoped to avoid, the Jeon manor. Why had her feet dragged her here of all places?

As she peered up at the manor, a flashback flooded her, filling her with dread. A ball, men and women dancing, laughing, and having a good time, and her, a young woman, newly debuted but with her heart already stolen, politely chatting with a yangban man before noticing the only man she hoped to be with, and she quickly found a way to excuse herself from the conversation. She approached the man that had an unbreakable hold on her heart, a wide smile on her lips. Today, although it didn’t follow the proper rules of courting, she would tell him how she felt. She was sure of it. But before she could get to him, he had turned as if he hadn’t seen her and walked away, without so much as a word. And that was how he walked out of her life.

Now, here she was outside his home and the pain of that night coursed through her once again. She couldn’t stay here any longer, tears gathering on the brims of her eyelids and threatening to fall. She had to go, and so she turned to leave.