Golden rays of sunlight peeping through the window, tickled Min-ho to get up from bed. With half open eyes, the young man yawningly walked towards the washroom to continue with his morning routine.

Looking around the house, anyone would say that the house was small yet beautiful. There was only one bedroom attached with a kitchen and one washroom with a big porch more than enough for a single person. However, the thing that can make anyone's heart flutter was, looking at this small house's garden; beautiful cherry blossoms surround it. With the blowing wind, cherry blossom sheds its pink leaves over the roof like it's raining blessing over the small house.

Min-ho gets ready and walks towards the market area in search of getting some work to earn his daily bread. Usually he works as a labour, assisting in someone's shop, helping people with ploughing fields but with this work, he only earns bread for hardly two days. The handsome earnings can be made only when there is a festival and secondly, a celebration in the royal palace.

Min-ho had been trying to get a permanent job in the palace but unfortunately he was not qualified enough. As per the palace rule, they only employed literate people, even for small labor work.

Well, a local festival is near, the lantern festival. A local festival called the lantern festival was approaching, so Min-ho decided to make some beautiful lanterns by himself and sell them at a good price, he arrived at a local shop and bought the required materials for designing the lanterns.

"With that money I can purchase some stuff for my household. I have made a list of necessary stuff. It has to be somewhere in my pocket-Found it! Why is the list so long? Looks like I'll have to buy only the important things."

Going with the list Min-ho purchased some edibles, a woollen quilt and some clothes as the winters in Noam were merciless. He then headed towards the shoe shop, to treat himself to a new pair of shoes when his eyes landed on a lady who was selling persimmon.

Seeing the persimmons Min-ho's mind drifted to the memories of Si-ri. Of how her eyes flickered when she saw the persimmon, the moment he fetched them for her.

"It seemed she really likes persimmon. Should I take these persimmons for Si-ri? Obviously yes, she helped you win your bet and earn this money otherwise; you would not be here today purchasing your stuff. You must give her something for her kindness." Min-ho thought.

Min-ho moves forward and buys a pack of persimmon. Min-ho kept the persimmon in his bag and left for the shoe shop but stopped realising that he didn't have enough money left for shoes.

"I have only a little money left, no worries, maybe next time," he said to himself a small smile resting on his lips. He then left the market with his purchases in hand.

"The lantern festival is near. I should gift her a lantern too," said Min-ho and left for the forest with his bag dangling on his shoulder.

On the way to the mansion questions swirled around Min-ho's mind. What if she labelled me as a bad guy? No! I don't think I look like a thief. How can anyone misunderstand such a handsome and pious face? Let's see what happens."

As he stood in front of the mansion observing it, he chuckled lightly recalling the memory of the first time he was here.

"Finally, I'm at the so-called witch's mansion to see the witch." Min-ho laughs and knocks at the door.

After knocking for some time and not getting any response from the other side, Min-ho decides to push the gate and luckily, it opens.

The moment Min-ho entered he sensed something behind him and hastily turned around only to see Si-ri with a big iron rod in her hand. Both of them froze in their position for a moment looking at each other with mixed feelings.

"My God! Si-ri, how could you be so cruel? You wanted to kill me. My heart almost stopped! I mean just look at that iron rod, one hit from that would be enough for me to kiss the world goodbye." Min-ho said, gasping for breath.

"Calm down. I didn't expect you to come back here, so I got scared when I heard the sound of footsteps and for my safety I held this iron rod in order to injure the stranger coming here but the stranger turned out to be you" said Si-ri in a melancholic voice.

"What brings you here again?" Si-ri asked in an enraged way, knowing beforehand that he must have come again for another one of his bet. This time I won't render any of my belongings to this selfish guy for his silly bets. Enough Si-ri! You should be brave enough to scoop away this guy so that he would never dare to come hear carrying his dumb head. Si-ri grumbles in her thoughts.

The moment she was about to flare up on Min-ho, a bag full of Persimmon grabbed her attention and her mouth quickly started watering.

"Persimmon," Si-ri said her eyes sparkling as she looked at the persimmons and then at Min-ho.

"Yes. Last time I noticed how much you like persimmon, so today while purchasing other stuff for my house I saw persimmon and thought to bring it for you. You helped me last time, so it is also my duty to give you something." Min ho said happily.

Si-ri's face fell; she hadn't expected him to be such a gentleman. She couldn't understand how she had so badly misjudged.

Earlier she was cursing him for being so selfish and now she was cursing herself for misjudging such a good person. Min-ho noticed Si-ri's gloom face and asked, "You don't like it? Should I take it back?"

"No. No! I really like persimmon, thank you so much for this." Si-ri started gulping persimmons and lost in its heavenly taste.

Punish me, if it is a sin to look at this girl who just wolfed the persimmon down in a few seconds like a pig. I am really enjoying this moment. A small smile made its way onto his lips as the thought popped up in his mind.

Minutes later Si-ri burped happily after finishing persimmon.

"It seems you really have a good appetite," Min-ho teased her

"Yes, I really love persimmon," said Si-ri with a wide smile.

Si-ri suddenly noticed some other stuff in Min-ho's bag.

"You have anything else for me in your bag?" Si-ri asked like a kid

"Oh! Yes let me show you this." Min-ho opened his bag and placed the craft supplies to make the lanterns in front of Si-ri.

"The lantern festival is near so I bought some materials for making lanterns to sell and I will also give you one lantern as a gift."

"I don't know much about this lantern festival," said Si-ri.

"It is said that years ago when Noam was on the verge of ending from hunger, plague and drought, the royal family of Noam summoned an adorer who served humans in distress, enlightens folk with his knowledge and who also known to be the messenger of almighty. He blessed Noam with good health and prosperity. Before his departure, then King of Noam hailed for a grand celebration in respect of the adorer. He ordered to fill each and every space with lights and as a result people of Noam along with land, beautified the sky with beautiful lanterns. Seeing the beautiful lanterns in the sky the adorer's heart filled with happiness that he blessed every person of Noam and asked to write their wishes on lanterns promising that it would come true. Since then the King declared to celebrate the lantern festival every year to remember that gracious messenger of God."

"Hence the people of Noam celebrate this festival with much love and happiness. For different people the momentousness of this festival is different. Some people avidly wait for this festival to make their wish come true by writing it on the lantern, for some wealthy folks, it's like a pretext to show off their wealth." Min-ho narrated the story.

"What about you?" Si-ri asked.

"Well, I am a poor guy and for me this festival is nothing more than a means to earn my bread but sadly I only managed to sell a few lanterns all these years. The market is full of colourful, beautiful designer lanterns in this festival, so people usually get attracted to designer lanterns," said Min ho.

"I think you lack creativity. I can help you make beautiful and fancy lanterns," offered Si-ri.

"That's so nice of you. Thank you," said Min-ho with a smile.

"Well then, let's get to work!"

Both of them started working and throughout the whole time, the room echoed with both of their laughter. Min-ho even told her about the story he cooked for his friend Ji-ho about the mansion while working.

Within an hour, the room was full of lanterns of different designs, colours, and patterns.

"No one has ever helped me the way you have, never. I will always be grateful to you for helping me craft these marvellous lanterns. I will surely make good money from these," Min-ho said.

"I really enjoyed helping you. I wish I could see the festival, the sky full of lanterns, the crowd of people; everything" said Si-ri.

Min-ho could clearly see the sadness in her eyes and felt helpless. He wished he could help her, but he knew he couldn't.

"I don't have anything that could lessen your pain but I can gift you one lantern so that you can write your wish on it. I know it will surely come true," said Min-ho.

"How do you know that my wish will come true? Have any of your wishes come true in all these years?" Si-ri curiously asked.

"People usually make a wish for their unsatisfied needs, sometimes it can be greed for any kind of materialistic thing, some other wish for destruction of other people due to jealousy and grudges and others pray or wish for their loved ones. However, you see I don't have any kind of desires. I don't have unsatisfied needs, never have I craved those materialistic things like others. I never possessed grudges and jealousy towards anyone and sadly I don't have any loved ones," said Min ho.

Listening to Min-ho's story, Si-ri felt her heart ache for him. They both looked at each other, eyes filled with pain. A few seconds later Min-ho tried to speak up to break the awkwardness.

"This time I will make a wish for you for; your happiness," said Min-ho happily.

They both chatted for some time after which Min-ho proceeded towards the dark forest on his way back to the village. Like last time, Si-ri looked at Min-ho's disappearing figure, but this time she had a big smile plastered onto her face.

"Strong are those who make an understanding with miseries and manage to let out a beautiful smile on their faces, without any traces of pain, that's what keeps them going," Si-ri recalls her father's words.