"It's not as cold as I thought it would be," Yoon Shik says, dipping her bare toe in the lake. The dark water laps gently at the shore, reflecting the nearly full moon.
Jae Shin nods absently, watching her intently. "Want to go in?"
She laughs and looks at him over her shoulder incredulously. "Are you kidding? I can't swim." Looking back at the water, she trails her fingers through the currents. "And, I don't think swimming in your clothes is a good idea."
"I agree," he replies, shrugging out of his robes. Throwing his naked chest out, he struts forward into the lake, wearing only his loose blank pants.
"Moon Jae Shin!" Yoon Shik screams in shock as he splashes farther in and dunks himself. She jumps to her feet and slams her hands down on her hips. "Are you crazy!"
He comes up for air and runs a hand down his face. A cheeky grin spreads. "Come in, Daemul. The water feels great."
She gapes at him openmouthed. Her voice is oddly shrill. "What? Go in there?"
"Sure," he says, treading water. "I won't let anything happen to you."
A few long moments go by before she takes a deep breath and removes only the outer layer of her robes, leaving her in her tunic and pants. She tosses her hat aside and slowly approaches the water. She wades in, little by little, until she is up to her waist.
"I don't think I can do this," she shakes her head wildly, and turns to head back to the shore.
Jae Shin catches her hand and she stops. He gently pulls her to him, fitting her body to his. "You can do it. Just hold onto me."
She wraps her trembling arms around his neck and allows him to carefully lead her to deeper water. Her feet leave the ground and she yelps, hugging herself to him. But he doesn't stop, only tightens his grip on her waist.
"Now," he instructs. "Kick your feet. Can you feel how you float?"
A foot smashes into his shin and he grunts. Yoon Shik grimaces. "Sorry!"
"It's okay. Just relax."
She ceases her rapid fire strokes and tries to walk in place. "Oh! I can feel it!"
"I'm going to let you go. I want you to use your arms and your legs to help you float. Just flap your arms like a bird and keep moving your feet, okay?"
Yoon Shik nods uncertainly and Jae Shin unwinds her arms from his neck. He holds onto her waist until the last moment and finally lets her go.
She flounders, splashing like crazy. But after a few moments, she relaxes and begins to move more sinuously with the water. "I'm doing it! I'm really doing it! I'm swimming!"
A huge smile spreads across Jae Shin's face as he watches her paddle in a small circle. She swims to him and once again loops her arms around his neck. Her breath is hot and sweet on his face. "Thank you so much for this."
With a tilt of her head, she brings her lips to his. His arms tighten around her, crushing her body against his length. They kiss madly, hearts beating out of control, the lake cocooning them in a comforting silence.
*****
Shivering a little in the night air, they walked down the quiet streets together towards their school. Yoon Shik smiled to herself and ran her tongue over her lips that were still warm from Jae Shin's kisses. She looked over at his handsome face and wild hair, loving the way his expressive mouth quirked at the corners with a satisfied grin.
With a deep breath, she decided to take a leap of faith.
"I'm going to visit my mom and brother next week," she announced into the night air.
She didn't see Jae Shin's eyes snap to her face. "Oh. Really? That's…good."
Yoon Shik's heart dropped but she kept her eyes forward. She had hoped that he would want to come with her to meet her family. That maybe their relationship could last past school.
I guess I was wrong, she thought morosely. What did I expect? He's from a noble family. I'm just a peasant. I guess I'll just have to be happy with what I have now.
They walked the rest of the way in silence, Jae Shin's mind turning furiously. Was that an invitation? Does she want me to meet her family? Or was she just telling me her plans? Why are women so confusing?
Distractedly, Jae Shin helped her over the school fence before hoisting himself over. They tiptoed to their dorm room and opened the door to find a snoring Lee Sun Joon sprawled on the floor.
They settled on their mats, Jae Shin staring at the ceiling and Yoon Shik with her back to him. Suddenly, Jae Shin grasped her shoulder and rolled her over to face him. She looked at him with startled eyes.
He took her hands in his and whispered, "I want to meet your family. I mean, can I meet your family?"
Yoon Shik couldn't breathe. She watched his dark eyes devour hers, pleading for an answer.
She nodded slowly. "I would love for you to meet my family."
*****
"I feel terrible," Sun Joon groused, staring at his breakfast. "Someone is playing the drums in my head and my mouth is full of feathers."
Yong Ha patted his friend on the back, trying hard not to smile. "Maybe you shouldn't drink so much anymore. You are getting old."
Sun Joon shot him a dark look before contemplating his bowl of rice. Across from him, Yoon Shik ate distractedly, her mind on tomorrow's visit to her family's house. She had been on cloud nine since Jae Shin had asked to go with her.
She snuck a quick peek at Jae Shin…and found him sneeking a peek at her. They both looked away, goofy smiles plastered on their faces.
Unbeknownst to them, In Soo watched the interplay from his seat at the end of the hall, his eyes narrowed with evil intent.
*****
Yoon Hee adjusted the tie on her hanbok for the fourth time, wanting it to look perfect. She had entered the bookstore as Yoon Shik and would leave as Yoon Hee. She looked down and smiled, relieved that her pink and yellow hanbok still looked great despite being squished in her bag beneath heavy books.
She smoothed a hand down her long braid and took one last look at herself in the tiny mirror she carried. Her cheeks were a radiant pink and her eyes sparkled with excitement. With a last nod to the bookstore owner, she stepped out onto the street and headed for home.
The designated meeting spot, the medical clinic, came into view. Her footsteps quickened but she frowned, not seeing Jae Shin anywhere. She stopped in front of the clinic and did a few spot turns, shoulders slumping.
"You look…amazing."
She whirled around and blinked. Jae Shin stood behind her wearing…formal robes. The expensive, deep blue fabric fit his athletic frame perfectly.
His mouth quirked at the corners at her wide eyes. "What? Isn't this what you're supposed to wear to visit family?"
"Well, yes. I just, you know, didn't expect…" she babbled, trailing off stupidly.
He laughed. "Come on. I can only stand here and watch you gape like a fish out of water for so long!"
Yoon Hee gave him a friendly shove and they started down the road together.
In Soo, concealed behind a neighboring shop, sighed with pleasure. Not only was he going to expose Moon Jae Shin as the Red Messenger, but now, he would be able to show the world that Kim Yoon Shik was a woman. Two annoying birds with one stone.
