Early the next morning, two curious girls eagerly approached the kitchen. Expecting to find a little haven of beauty in one corner of that large room. They were not disappointed. A vase filled with twelve vibrant pink blooms greeted their happy faces. Insuk gasped as she stared at the wide welcoming petals of the roses of Sharon. Their fragrance was filling this quadrant of the kitchen with Jimin’s kindness.
Her eyes traveled from the brilliant blossoms to the plate stuffed with goodies. Apparently, Jimin knew she was sharing them with Nuri; he had piled this plate to overflowing with songpyeon. She picked one up and popped it into her mouth. Its delicious flavor burst from the little pocket to fill her mouth with delight. He had hand-shaped and stuffed the rice cakes with kabocha squash. Then he had steamed them. They were still warm.
How early was Jimin getting up in the mornings to prepare these delights for her? Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of all the time he was sacrificing and all the energy he was expending. For her.
Had her heart ever felt this warm?
Her eyes fell upon the scrap of paper she’d been dreaming of last night. She had lain awake for an hour wondering to which of her attributes Jimin was planning to write an ode next. Her period of waiting was over. She picked up the note as she invited Nuri to eat some of the sweet dumplings. Insuk’s eyes scanned the poem, and her heart seemed to be tumbling about searching for the man who had decided to place his affections upon her.
“Your heart is my darling haven,
The secure place I’m cravin’.
Its lovingkindness still holds me.
Its adoration enfolds me.
“The sun of your love is golden.
Your warmth does always embolden
Lone me to seek your winsome face,
To revel in your sweet embrace.”
Her eyebrows challenged the blue sky hiding above the ceiling. Jimin was craving her heart? He wanted to embrace her? To lose himself in her love?
She felt her cheeks warming again as he slipped through the door a few seconds later. Right after she’d stuffed a whole rice cake dumpling into her mouth. She couldn’t even speak, so she simply smiled at him. His lips stretched into a wide expression of joy as his eyes caressed her face tenderly before he once again disappeared into the larder.
Nuri met her gaze and grinned. “I think you are one blessed woman, Insuk. What I wouldn’t give to have a man pamper me like this,” she breathed as her eyes took in all three of Jimin’s extravagant gifts. “Yep. You are quite blessed,” she sighed as she popped another rice cake into her mouth. “And he cooks like a dream too! Can you imagine how fat and happy his wife will be?”
