During their trip to the river Yuri and Hojun had linked arms and were singing away. Howon walked beside them, slightly dumbfounded by their chirpy moods. Minkyung on the other hand followed behind at a great distance, dragging the pot behind her. The dry earth spread dust as it trailed through the dirt.
 

Her method of pulling it was delaying her so she bent down to attempt a pick up. However she almost dropped it. The diameter was too wide for her to get one arm around.

“Hey Minkyung what’s taking you?” Yuri called, glancing back for only a second. Minkyung wanted to vanish into mid-air. It was becoming awkward for her by trailing behind at the end.
 

They got to the river where Hojun happily explained to Yuri the basics of fishing Apart from input when his brother had an incorrect fact Howon barely spoke. Minkyung carefully placed the pot against a rock come up with a plan on washing the rice. The only plan she had in the end was tipping the rice into the pot.

With care she held the pot in the river tilted at an angle, letting some water enter. Truthfully Minkyung had washed rice in the past but never like this. Her initial concern was how she would drain it afterwards.

Yuri let out an excited squeal. “Ah yes I caught—Oh damn!” That joy turned to annoyance which got directed at a laughing Hojun.
“I think the bait came off and so it swam away with a feed.” Howon explained.

Yuri turned to him, holding her fish-less rod to him. “Can you help me Howon?” Minkyung hadn’t expected them to already become informal with each other. She wondered how he would take it.
 

“Alright,” they kept talking while Minkyung got out the funny scoop and did her best to drain the rice without spilling any. A few grains got away but not enough to cry over.

A moment later Howon spoke up. “I think that will do; we should go back.”

Hojun pouted before protesting; “but we didn’t catch any fish big brother!”

“I caught three, they will be enough.”

Minkyung heard Yuri agree with him. “He’s right you should listen to him.” She glanced at them again to see what they were doing. Howon had his head bent, carefully tying a fish by the tail with some string to his belt.
Yuri called to her. “Hey Minkyung we’re leaving!”

“I’m coming,” Minkyung quickly got up, securing the pot’s lid pot and bent down to pick it up. To her dismay it slipped out of her hands, the stone texture not rough enough to provide grip.

“Minkyung we’re going to leave you behind.” Yuri warned, her voice sounding like it was about to laugh. Minkyung wiped her hands on her skirt.
 

By treading through the rustling grass swiftly Howon came to her side.  
“Take these,” he held out the fish. Minkyung stared at them, their lifeless, silver bodies still dripping, eyes glazed over from death. She nodded accepting them and held them the same way he had been, by their bodies. With his hands now free Howon picked up the pot, his arm muscles flexing into an angle.

“It’s getting dark,” he advised and began walking briskly. She followed holding the rice drainer in one armpit. They went to join the others, the sun almost had disappeared for the night.
“T-thank you,” Minkyung quietly said. Howon glanced at her however he didn’t respond.

When they had got back Minkyung helped with dinner, chopping vegetables, checking the rice or the stew and giving either a stir when requested. In the end they had one fish grilled on their fireplace, fish stew with the remaining two and some kimchi that had been prepared the day before.

“I’m home,” a low voice boomed as Minkyung was placing a bowl of kimchi on the table. The man who came in was dressed similar to his sons but in deep browns and had a small black bag tied to his waist. He had a few wrinkles under his eyes as well as some on his hands.

“How was work dear?” The mother asked taking a sack from his hands.

“Same as usual, the townsfolk complaining about how much they reckon we’re stealing from them; as if we’re bloody criminals.”

Hojun came in, his face lighting up when he saw his father. “Father,” he came over to him and bowed. The father lightly touched his head.
“Hojun did you collect more firewood like I asked?”

He nodded, “I did father, and it’s around the back with the wood older brother brought.” At that time Howon and Yuri came in. His father bowed his head to Howon causing his son to bow just a bit more than ninety degrees.  

As they all seated at the table Yuri smiled at her friend.
“The food looks amazing Minkyung, you really are head chef material.” Minkyung smiled as the compliment lighting up her face. They said their thanks and began to eat.

The father stopped to look at Minkyung and Yuri, confused at their clothing. “You two aren’t from these parts correct?” He questioned.
 

“No but we aren’t from Silla in case you ask.” Yuri got a funny look from Minkyung. “So Uncle what do you do for a living?”

“Yuri,” Minkyung hissed, aware that Howon was watching them. “You’re being rude.”

“Sir is it ok for me to call you Uncle?”

The head of the household shrugged. “It depends,” he glanced at Howon who was chewing; “only if you’re going to be my next daughter in law.” A spoon dropped onto the floor, Howon started choking. He turned away from the table, Hojun thumping him on the back.

His father looked at them both in surprise. “Good grief; does this mean that you’re engaged?”

Yuri let out a laugh to ease the mood. “Well, it depends on how long it takes to fall in love.”

“It’s not like that father,” Howon put out a hand; stopping to steady his breathing. “They’re just two really strange girls.”

“Is that all?” He sounded indignant. “For a moment I thought that girl here was a future wife prospect along with her personal maid. If you had gone behind our backs and gotten engaged without our approval it would have brought shame on this family.”

Howon shook his head, saddened by his father’s words. “I thought you knew me better than that father. I wouldn’t do that to you; not again anyway.” He hung his head. Minkyung felt her heart tug for him.

“Anyway, I guess for now we will just wait,” the father dropped the subject afterwards leaving the atmosphere tense.

Minkyung and Yuri were shown to a room where his mother had made beds for them. They were simply blankets with small cushions for pillows.
“I’ll get you some spare clothes to change into for tomorrow if you wish. Howon’s older sister left some behind after she got married.”

Yuri pulled a face at Minkyung. Ignoring it Minkyung smile at their hostess, “thank you we appreciate it.”

“Are you serious?” Yuri said to Minkyung while they changed into the long gowns they were given. Yuri’s picked a pale green one while Minkyung had cream. “We can’t wear those hanboks, we’ll fall over in them!”

“But we wear them during festivals.” Yuri raised her eyebrows. She then sighed, pushing her arms through the sleeves. Minkyung folded her school uniform up, placing it out of the way.

With a disgruntled expression Yuri pulled the covers back on her bed. “I swear Minkyung; you can be a bit clueless sometimes.”
 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You could have laughed along with me when I made that statement back there; the one about falling in love. It would have made me feel less embarrassed about it.” Yuri lay on her side, turned away from Minkyung.

“I’m sorry Yuri; I didn’t know what else to do.” Yuri didn’t speak. Minkyung stood up to blow out the floor lantern.  
 

“However,” Yuri began. “I don’t mind the idea.” Minkyung got into bed lying flat on her back. 

“You mean the idea of being with Howon?”

“Sure,” she shrugged. “He seems like a great guy. Not that talkative mind you but that could be because he doesn’t know us well enough. In time he could be chatting away like we’ve known each other for years. I think that underneath all that clothing lies a great bod—“

Minkyung covered her ears. “Yuri I don’t want to hear!”

“You’d rather not know?”

They turned in their beds to face each other. “Of course not, muscles are important yes; but that isn’t the point! For one we barely know the guy and two we don’t know how he feels about us. Right now he just sees us as some strange people.”

“Well tomorrow I’m planning to ask him straight out. Even if he says no then I should be able to find a way to know his heart and maybe make him see that he’d be lucky to be with one of us.”

“Ok, fine.” Minkyung agreed, letting her eyes close. With that the two fell asleep.

Minkyung woke the next morning, her eyelids slowly adjusting to the pastel blue, morning light. She sat up, examining the room. It was furnished with, a desk near the window, a fancy painted vase on the desk and scrolls as well as a quill and ink bottle. There was a wardrobe to the side and that was basically it.

She wondered if this had been Howon’s elder sister’s room but since there wasn’t a mirror or any sign of something feminine then it couldn’t be confirmed. Maybe Howon had more than one elder sibling. She would have to ask him when the right timing came.

Minkyung looked to her left where Yuri was sleeping but to her surprise the bed was empty. Her school uniform was gone and near the door placed to the side, sat two piles of clothes. It must have been the hand me downs the mother had mentioned.

Getting up, Minkyung tiptoed over to have a look. Her eyes caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a note on Yuri’s bed made from a square of torn parchment, written in ink.
 

“Gone for a run, should be back soon,” she read. Right now it gave no indication of when her friend left or what time it had been when she wrote the note. So until her friend came back Minkyung decided to see if she could be of service to Howon’s mother for breakfast.

Well I was going to have something exciting happen but it dragged a bit so for now it will go in the next chapter. I’m worried that I’m becoming slack on the description so do tell me if you agree with this.