Finally Recognized

Yoon Shik and Dae Jung reached outside the house of Do Yeong. The house guards stopped them when Yoon Shik found that the guards were new. "We have come here to meet Do Yeong. Is he inside?" Yoon Shik inquired. The expressions on his face were clearly showing that he was desperate to meet Do Yeong.

One of the guards was going to answer when they saw that Park Jangeum, Minister of Justice was heading outside. "You both go from here, Minister of Justice is coming," said the guard. They both looked inside when they saw Park Jangeum. Immediately they both came downstairs and stood at the side way.

Park Jangeum came out and was stepping down the stairs when his eyes fell on Yoon Shik who was not bowing at him, unlike Dae Jung. As Yoon Shik saw he was looking at him, he slightly bowed his head. Park Jangeum averted his gaze as the assistant beside him told about Yoon Shik to him. "So, this Sangmin is dreaming of becoming like one of us," thought Park Jangeum and stepped towards Yoon Shik.

Do Yeong and Sunwo were coming that way, talking with each other when Sunwo noticed Do Yeong's father and Yoon Shik there. "Yeong-aa, your father and Yoon Shik," mumbled Sunwo. Do Yeong looked in the pointed direction and found his father was walking towards Yoon Shik. "Oh no, I have to stop him," murmured Do Yeong and ran towards his father. Sunwo too followed him.

"What are you doing here?" Park Jangeum asked, halting a few centimeters away from Yoon Shik. Yoon Shik was going to answer that when Do Yeong intervened between them. "Abeoji, you are going outside?" Do Yeong asked. Park Jangeum turned to him when Do Yeong greeted him. Sunwo too greeted him.

"I am going to the royal court. We will talk later," said Park Jangeum and glanced at Yoon Shik before leaving from there. As they vanished from their sight, Do Yeong turned to Yoon Shik. Yoon Shik was staring at Do Yeong. "Yoon-" Before he could speak further, Yoon embraced Do Yeong in a hug. Sunwo and Dae Jung looked at them shockingly.

"Yeong-aa, you have returned. Forgive me for not able to recognize you and thanks for teaching me. Because of you, I have cleared the exam," asserted Yoon. Yeong patted his back and replied, "Yoon, it was not me. But it was you who worked hard. I just helped you in that process." They both pulled away when Yoon said, "You have turned to a handsome man. Nice." Yoon complimented.

"You have also grown up to a handsome man. I used to miss you a lot," stated Yeong.

"Wait, wait, we are here too," muttered Sunwo coming in between them and gesturing to Dae Jung. "This is bad. You are ignoring us two," muttered Sunwo. Yoon Shik stepped back and looked at Dae Jung.

"This is Park Sunwo. He is also my friend. He has also qualified for the exam," stated Do Yeong with a smile. Park Sunwo was fanning himself and looked at Yoon Shik & Dae Jung.

"It is nice to meet you two. I know Yoon Shik but who are you?" Sunwo asked looking at Dae Jung. "Even I do not know him," asserted Do Yeong and looked at Yoon Shik.

"He is my friend from the village. His name is Dae Jung," introduced Yoon Shik. Sunwo and Yeong smiled looking at Dae Jung. "You are upperclassmen, so do I have to call you two Master Yeong and Master Sunwo?" Dae Jung asked in a low voice. They looked at him.

"You do not need to. You can call us by our names," stated Do Yeong. Sunwo agreed with Yeong and then went to Dae Jung. "We are friends so I do not think you should use master before our names. We do not like that," Sunwo further added.

Dae Jung smiled hearing them. "Let's go inside the house. We will talk a lot with each other. I have to tell you many things," asserted Do Yeong.

"But would it not be odd? I mean how can we enter your house?" Dae Jung asked.

"Ahh, it is nothing. Let's go in," said Do Yeong when Sunwo stopped him and suggested, "Why do we not go to the tea house? We will have fun there."

"But, we Sangmins are not allowed there," stated Dae Jung, in a low voice. Do Yeong and Sunwo looked at each other and with a smile, Sunwo asserted, "The rule has changed quite long ago. Now, everyone is allowed there. The tea house is a good place to have fun. Let's go then." He put around his arm around Dae Jung's shoulder and told Do Yeong and Yoon Shik to follow them.

"So, are you feeling good?" asked Yeong, looking at Yoon Shik.

"I am happy but if mother and grandma would be alive then I would have been happier," asserted Yoon Shik. Yeong agreed with him.

"But you are closer to your goal now. Just a matter of a few years then you can give justice to them," stated Yeong.

"You are right. It is all thanks to you that today I could qualify for this exam," Yoon said with a smile. They came to the market and from there they turned to the tea house. As they came there, many upperclassmen looked at them. "They are looking at us because of our clothes," murmured Dae Jung who was beside Yoon Shik.

"No, they are looking at Yoon Shik. He qualified the exam with second-highest scores," muttered Sunwo while fanning himself. Yoon Shik looked at the people there when his eyes fell on Chan Sul. The people started whispering there when Sunwo sighed. "They all are shocked that how could Yoon pass this exam as many among them failed to do so. Yoon Shik, you even surprised me. Working and studying is difficult when you are the sole breadwinner of your family. This is the first time I am impressed by someone," stated Sunwo.

Yoon Shik smiled as they entered the tea house. "Wonderful," Dae Jung said while looking around the tea house. "That is why this place is called heaven," he further added as he saw many beautiful girls serving the teas to the customers.

Sunwo smiled hearing him. "Let's go inside this heaven," said Sunwo. They all went in and took a table. Do Yeong ordered the native chrysanthemum tea for them. Dae Jung was looking at the girls there who were dressed beautifully in the traditional hanbok dresses(Korean traditional women dress) when Sunwo hit lightly on his shoulder. "You do not have to stare at them as if you have seen girls for the first time in your life," he stated.

"Dae Jung, you are acting weirdly. You never showed such kind of behavior in earlier days," muttered Yoon Shik.

"Wait, what do you mean earlier days?" Yeong asked, looking at them. Yoon Shik then replied, "Jung returned yesterday. He used to live in another city. You have changed so much." Yoon Shik further added. Sunwo laughed hearing Yoon Shik's reason.

"Yoon Shik, he was a kid then. Now, he is grown up. You see the tea house has its uniqueness. Here, no man eye on the girls who work here. Many upper-class girls could be seen here mainly on the second floor," said Sunwo, pointing his index finger upwards. Yoon Shik and Dae Jung raised their heads to look above and found many women there.

The teas were being served to them. Dae Jung took the smell of the tea before drinking it. "Aha, it is my first time drinking this. It is so good," murmured Dae Jung. Sunwo told him that there are varieties of teas- some were from ancient China too which were quite expensive.

"So, after qualifying the exam you are thinking you can be like us?" voiced a man. They all turned to look at Sung Tae who was a meter away from them. Chan Sul, Ro Sang Pil, and Wang Wook were also with him.

"Do Yeong, Sunwo, you two befriended with him? Interesting," mumbled Sung Tae. Everyone averted their gazes at them.

"I think we should leave. We will meet tomorrow. Dae Jung let's go," said Yoon Shik, looking at Do Yeong and got up from the wooden bench. Dae Jung too got up. They both left the tea house silently. As they came out Dae Jung asked him who those people were.

"You do not need to know. Let's go home," said Yoon and they both headed for the home.