The shops were crowded with couples and kids trying to by lanterns. The streets were filled with beautiful bright lights hanging on strings above the streets. The streets look the best during the light festival. The light festival is known for its beautiful lights and color. Especially the main event when lanterns are set off.
Chae Won ran into the crowd and reached his head higher so he can see above all the people crowding the streets. The women in the hanbok turned and looked around her before she entered a hanbok shop. After seeing the women looking around, Chae Won ducted his head. But after a while of waiting, the women didn't seem to walk out. After a woman in a blue silky hanbok came out, Chae Won entered the hanbok shop trying not to make any eye contact with any of these women. Hoping not to have any ladies chase him out of the hanbok shop.
"Well, hello young man. How may I help you today?"
"Umm, have you seen a lady with a mask in a colorful hanbok walked in here?" Chae Won asked the store owner while looking around the store.
"Oh, seems you found someone you like during the light festival and followed her here, didn't you?"
"Uhh, no it's just that know that lady. I just need to ask her some questions."
"Oh so your trying to confess to her? Oh lord didn't seem such a brave men before. All men these days wait for the women to choose, ughh"
Why am I even explaining this to this lady?
"So have you seen her?"
"Of course, she was very beautiful. You got good eyes young man."
"You saw her face?Uhh I mean do you know where she went?"
"She went out the same way she walked in"
"Okay, Thank you" Chae Won said as he walked out of the shop wandering the streets again.
She went out the same way she walked in? I was waiting at the front door the whole time. And no lady with the mask came out. But I thought the Chief Lady doesn't like people seeing her face or else she'd kill them. I guess she isn't as scary as they said. Ah whatever. Gotta find her before I lose her.
As Chae Won wondered around the street for a while he finally gave up on finding Yoona. He bought a beautiful cylinder shaped lantern with floral design at the bottom. Chae Won followed the group of people with lanterns to a beautiful scenery by the river.
This river is called the Guang He. Guang as in light and He as in river. Guang He is a river that is known for its extraordinary beauty, especially when the stars reflects upon the river, that's how this river got it name. There was also a myth about an angel that guards this river who will grant a wish for the person who has the most beautiful and astonishing lantern that will be set off at midnight.
When everyone reached the Guang He, they settled down at a spot. Some begin to write wishes while others continue designing their lantern to be the best. The whole town was busy doing their own stuff while Chae Won just stood on one side of the bridge looking at a woman standing at the center of the bridge. Chae Won froze, his lantern in one hand and the other was just as frozen as he is.
Who is she? I have never seen her before. Does she live in this town? She is...she is so beautiful. I need to talk to her. But why can't I move. Why can't I control my body anymore? What this weird feeling in my chest? Why am I like this? But she is beautiful.
The woman had a beautiful thin figure with black hair as silky as her blue hanbok. Her skin was as white as snow with peachy cheeks and rosy red lips. She gazed at the stars setting off their lights upon the river. She gave a sweet little smile as she looked down at her lantern that she is holding upon her chest as if it were a child. After a while of gazing that stars, the woman wrote something on her lantern.
Still standing there frozen, a couple bumped into Chae Won, waking him up. After apologizing the couple walked away. Chae Won saw the woman writing, so he thought he should write something too. He quickly wrote a wish, in which he didn't think much about, but was already on his mind. When he looked back at the woman, she wasn't there anymore. But she left her lantern. Running towards the lantern, Chae Won quickly look around scanning for that beautiful woman, but she was nowhere to be seen. Chae Won picked up her lantern. On the yellow glowing lantern wrote, "Return to me." This phrase causes a discomfort in his chest. Chae Won looked back at his lantern. It wrote "For that woman to be mine."
Is this woman waiting for someone? Is it her significant other? If she is...I got no chance….