Part 2

Meeting Lee Sunjoon, Part 2

Soondol starts getting worried about the two he left behind. He gets up, but sits back down, remembering the pretty sunbinim's words. Afraid that the spot will get taken, he gets up and sits back down repeatedly. But soon he sees the two arrive, and he stands up to wave his large arms at them. The two, exhausted, sit down.

"Doryunnim, are you alright? How about you, sunbinim?"

"I'm okay. Hm! I've never experienced such chaos. How can one even call this an exam site? It's more a battleground. I'm already so exhausted, before even the 시제 shijae (the subject that they are supposed to write on) is put up--it must be hard for you, when you're fighting an illness."

Yoonhee smiles at him. She's so tired that she can't even thank him or tell him she's okay. If her brother was here instead, he might have really died. She sees Soondol looking up at the sky.

"What are you doing?"

"You told me that I would know why we should sit under the second tree if I look up at the sky. But I can't even see it--there are so many leaves... Is it because I saved the spot a little too much to the side?"

The man looks up along with Soondol and smiles knowingly. It's a good spot exactly because the sky is covered. The first tree has too few leaves and when the sun rises high up, they'll be protected by the shade. And the trees on the left side would cast a shadow the wrong direction of the exam site, so this was indeed the best spot.

His eyes turn to Yoonhee. Yoonhee's eyes go to him as well. She notes his sharp features--his thick eyebrows and eyes, nose, and lips all come together to make a flawless face, and she can't help but evade his gaze.

She also observes his clothes. She can tell by his face and presence that he must be from a rich background, but he's not dressed that way at all. It's not as old or ratty as her own, but his clothes, hat, and even the fan he carries look inexpensive. If anyone were to look at him passingly, they would probably think he was from a common family. Because of this, Yoonhee feels more at ease with him.

He tidies his clothes and smiles in thanks to Yoonhee. Soondol asks Yoonhee, "I thought it was your first time taking the exam, but you look very used to all this."

Soondol is the one to ask the question, but Yoonhee answers for the man to hear.

"Ah, since it's my first time, and since I couldn't even bring a mat, I thought I should prepare by asking other experienced people. I don't have a seonjupkun or anything, so I'm very lucky to be able to sit here. It's all thanks to you."

It's an excuse, so Yoonhee looks to the man nervously, only to find that the man seems like he doesn't seem suspicious at all. And if she thinks about it, he's believed everything she's said since they met, and therefore even Yoonhee feels that what she has been saying could be the truth.

The test starts and Soondol leaves. As soon as the shijae is put up, everyone runs up to the scroll to see closely what they are supposed to write on, but the two stay seated calmly, looking at the shijae from where they're sitting.

Yoonhee copies the shijae down onto her own scroll, and starts jotting down what comes to her mind on extra blank pieces of paper she's prepared. Then her eyes go to the man, and she sees that he is already writing on his exam scroll. Even the most intelligent examinees practice on another sheet beforehand, but he starts right away on the final sheet. And even without having practiced, he is writing line by line calmly at a steady pace. There's only one scroll sheet, and it would be disastrous to make a mistake.

As she is about to tell him to be careful, she's silenced by what she reads on his scroll. His writing is flawless, almost as if he had written a rough draft. He is definitely not of the norm. Her heart beats, and she becomes even more nervous before. She feels that her writing, compared to his, is hopeless. What if everyone else in here are just as good as he is? And she has to take a second exam, and she becomes worried that she'll have to compete with people as intelligent as him during that, too. Even though she had built her confidence because the people she helped at the bookstore were always buying her help to do their writing, there is no telling that the men in the exam site are of the same kind. The anxiety she felt when she left her home this morning doubles, and she starts shaking.

But she can't fall apart now. She has to calm down, for her mother and brother. She concentrates, and starts writing on her extra pieces of paper. She examines them over and over again.

Even though she fixes it again and again, she can't help but feel that her writing is no good. She can't believe she even tried at this exam, at this level. She's filled with shame that she even asked for higher paying jobs at the store. She gives up on revising any further and starts writing on her exam scroll.

After the man finishes, he looks towards Yoonhee, who is concentrated on her writing. He observes her moving brush. Her brush moves fast, but creates beautifully written characters. He's surprised at her skill. He thinks to himself, he's so young! How many words must he have read and written to acquire such a talent?

He doesn't go to turn in his own exam, and waits until she's done. Even though Yoonhee is dissatisfied with her writing, she finishes and sits up to see the man, who is folding his fan. He asks, "Are you finished?"

Started, Yoonhee responds, "i-if you've finished, you should go and turn it in! Don't you know it's better to turn it in early?"

"I was going to turn it in when you've finished, so we can go together. I thought it would be better to wait, so you don't get nervous that I've already gone. It would be rude to make you worry, and you might have made a mistake."

It's true--her anxiety would have further increased if he had gone ahead to turn the exam in. She can't believe what kind of a person he is; how can he be so kind to someone he's just met? She sees that a few people are turning their exams in, so she gets up.

"I'm finished as well, so let's go turn it in."

"Your ink isn't dry yet. It's fine to read over it one more time and turn it in after."

"No, it's okay. It's actually better not to mess with it any further. Let's go turn it in."

The man gets up as well, and the two walk side by side to turn in their scrolls. As soon as they get back and tidy up their spot, others flock to take it. The exam site is still filled, from those focused on their scrolls to those who are almost just having a picnic, eating and drinking. There's also a worker going around carrying out water to drink for the examinees.

The man goes to get a bowl of water, and after drinking half of the bowl, gives it to Yoonhee. Yoonhee is taken back, because he's offering her the water he's put his lips on. She thinks to herself, there's nothing weird about it, since both of us are supposed to be men, and I can't ask him to give me a new bowl, and I am thirsty, so it's not like I can refuse it... So she takes the bowl and drinks it. The water is sweet, and she can't tell if it's because she was thirsty, or because his lips touched it.

As they leave, Yoonhee thanks the man.

"Thanks to you, I was able to get through the exam safely. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't meet you."

"We helped each other out, that's all. Are you taking the second exam the day after tomorrow?"

"Yes--"

"Where?"

"I think I was told it was at Yehjo."

"I am at Yehjo as well. Then, we will meet again, day after tomorrow."

Yoonhee is rejoiced at the news, but to hide her expression, she turns her head towards the other way. The man smiles as he says, "I'm relieved we are at the same site, but it doesn't seem like you are as happy about it as I am."

"N-no, that's not it! Why wouldn't I be happy?"

The conversation is too awkward for Yoonhee, but thankfully they're interrupted by Soondol, who's ran to greet them.

"Doryunnim! How come you've come out already?"

"I came out because I've finished. Why are you still here?"

"I was waiting for you!"

Soondol takes the things from the man's hands. The man turns to Yoonhee and says, "I want to be here with you a little longer, but I don't want to burden you when you're unwell, so I'll say goodbye."

Yoonhee doesn't want to say bye yet, but she bows, and says, "then have a safe trip home."

He bows too. "I'll see you the day after tomorrow at Yehjo."

Yoonhee after bowing one more time, starts walking away. Soondol, as he observes Yoonhee walking away, says to the man, "do you think that sunbinim wrote anything correctly? I'm sure he hasn't read much, since he looks so young, and he seems too weak to even hold up a brush..."

The man stares towards Yoonhee and answers quietly. "I can't even explain it. I couldn't believe it with my own eyes."

Soondol looks at the man, puzzled. The man smiles.

"Soondol, can you explain to me the beauty of that sunbi?"

"What? How could I?"

"I can't either. And his writing that I saw was just as inexplicably beautiful as his face. Soondol. I didn't decide to take the exam because of those pressuring me, but because I thought I've read and learned a good amount. But now I know. I think I came here so I could make a good friend."

"But doryunnim, I know you are kind to everyone, but why do you seem so overly concerned with someone that you've just met?"

"I'm overly concerned?"

"Yes! It's almost strange how much."

"Ah is that so? Was I?"

"Ah!"

The man starts running towards where Yoonhee disappeared. Soondol, surprised, follows. The two find Yoonhee, trekking not too far away. He reaches out for her arm and turns her around, and Yoonhee is barely able to stop herself from screaming.

"I forgot something."

"What is..."

"We didn't even introduce ourselves."

Yoonhee had realized this earlier, but she had kept quiet, as to be not found out as a woman. Soondol grins and mutters, "Humph, I thought it was something important. I told you that you're overly concerned..."

"My name is Lee Sunjoon."

He also tells her his township and that he's twenty years old. Yoonhee also introduces herself as Kim Yoonshik, eighteen years old (Yoonhee is nineteen, but Yoonshik is eighteen, so she uses Yoonshik's age).

After smiling widely, Sunjoon leaves. Yoonhee stares as he walks away. Even though he looks small next to Soondol, he is a tall man, with wide shoulders and thin waist--he was perfect.

"Lee Sunjoon..."