A Change in the Weather of Heart

Min-ho was thinking about Si-ri’s advice. He screeched to halt in a nearby tea shop for a while. After some time he noticed the damnatory gazes of people around him. Some of them were so startled with his presence that they started to leave the shop.

Min-ho couldn’t help but scoff at himself. 

“Some people are scared of me because of my arrogant demeanour and others look down on me scornfully because of my work and idleness. What kind of life am I living?”

“I never got affected by these people but on the contrary I never wanted to see disgust and fear in their eyes for me but this is what I have earned in all these years, I only realised it now when someone poked me. It’s like I have been lost and stuck in a wasteland where there was direction where I could run but not sure in which direction, lots of faces under the blue sky but no familiar sight and defeaning silence even amongst the notice of chaosin the noise of chaos. I was just another soul roaming in the wrong world.”

“But now I’ll start looking for directions to reach somewhere. This is the first time when someone has coerced me to look at the brighter side of life and I won’t let this little brightness evanesce from my life.” 

After much rumination, Min-ho headed to the gambling house. He was welcomed with a usual malodorous aroma the moment he entered there. In no time, he became astray in the crowd. The sound of whirring cards, laughing of men in disgusted manner, swinging strobing lights over every table and a faint sobbing of unfortunate people who lost everything in the game was enough to depict the hell and heaven for people who chose to try their luck in the gambling house. 

However, Min-ho’s eyes were in search of something else. He found a table were the game was about to start and approached the men sitting there. After some time, the game started and in a few rounds, Min-ho won the game and a good amount of money.

With the handful of money won in the game, he proceeded towards Kwan and said with a blank expression, “Master, I won’t work here anymore. Thank you so much for your kindness all this time. Here is the debt I’m paying you on behalf of that poor man.” Handing over the money, he turned towards the entrance. Kwan’s eyes opened wide in the shock he could, he kept calling Min-ho, as he couldn’t get swasher like him. However, Min-ho didn’t pay heed to any of his calls. Coming out of the house, he turned around last time and said goodbye. 

The next morning onwards Min-ho entrusts himself in searching for work. He had already made up his mind to serve his nation but unfortunately, the palace hiring committee was closed after the first term of hiring. Now he needrd to wait for the next term but until then he had to find some sort of job to earn his living.

Because of his previous reputation, people of the town didn’t want to employ him for any work. After lots of efforts, he finally bagged a job in a shop. He started doing his job with honesty and hard work to earn money. Looking at his first earned money, he could feel the satisfaction and happiness that he never felt before.

Meanwhile, Si-ri was lost in thoughts if she hurt Min-ho by suggesting him to set a goal. 

“It’s been a week and I don’t know why I’m missing him. Maybe because he is the first person whom I met after living alone for years. But it's not good to think about a man every time. The worst thing is I really want to meet him…again.”

Si-ri turned around making a tensed face only to see Min-ho standing in front of her flaunting his smile. 

“Arrhhh…not again, I even started hallucinating him, '' said Si-ri, making an indrawn face and walking away.

Before she could take another step a hand pulled her closer leaving her in utter shock. Si-ri felt herself clutched in a muscular arm, she looked up in fear to see the man and it turned out to be Min-ho. 

They both looked at each other with happiness. Si-ri froze in nervousness the moment she saw Min-ho coming closer to her. Her breath shallow, her eyes averted to the ground in shyness. 

“Did you miss me?” asked Min-ho, whispering in her ear. 

Si-ri nodded her head in denial without looking at him.

“You’re lying. Well, I really love the shade of your cheeks as they’re telling a different story.”

Si-ri was blushing with the thought of Min-ho being close to her. She struggled to free herself from his arms but all in vain. 

“Just leave me.” Si-ri shouted at him

Finally, Min-ho spared her with a faint smile.

“What…what are you doing here?” Si-ri asked.

“Your words deeply influenced my conscience that night. I realised that I was on the wrong track. So, I left the gambling house and started a new job.”

“Oh! That’s wonderful.” 

“This is the first time I have felt happiness in a very long time. All thanks to you. You introduced me to a new world, where I can see light. Up until then, I was roaming in the darkness where there was no direction. You came into my life like a guiding light.”

He took out an elegant ring from his pocket and handed it to Si-ri. “This is for you, Si-ri.”

“It’s so beautiful,” said Si-ri with a sweet smile.

Standing on the rooftop, Si-ri was busy adoring the ring and Min-ho filled his eyes with the mesmerising smile of Si-ri. 

A flourish of cherry blossom’s petals came fluttering down with the blowing wind, Si-ri started twirling in joy and Min-ho enjoyed the sight of her. 

“You’re special to me, Si-ri. I’ll always protect you. I’ll stay with you to the very end.” Min-ho said in a low tone with his gaze fixed on her.

The Sun was about to fade away, as it decorated the sky, scattering the hues of red and orange. A cold wind was blowing teasing Si-ri’s long tresses. 

 “I never bothered about the seasons prevailing in this outer world but right now I’m experiencing a sudden change in the season of my heart. Amidst this autumn, there is a spring taking place in my heart, I feel the blossoming of happiness, light and hope after surviving a drought. And now, I want this spring season to last forever in my heart.”