Sarang Iyagi

The Coldest Month of The Year

Yook Sungjae had never been in love. If he had to describe the feeling, he wouldn't know how.

It was safe to say that as the only son of Yook Hyunseung, one of the wealthiest merchants in the kingdom, he got everything he ever wanted so easily. Then again, when he thought about it, he had never wanted much.

He had always been healthy, and grew up in a harmonious family, far from conflicts since his father never took more than one wife. His parents had the same visions in raising him, and his relationship with his sister was affectionate.

He found true friends due to his father's wish for him to be in a circle of good young men. He knew his six friends ever since they first learned to read, write and count together under the tutors that also taught the princes of the Imperial family.

It was Eunkwang that taught him how lucky he was to be so well-educated. Eunkwang's father was another extremely wealthy merchant with a heart for the poor. He built several clinics in the city, where the physicians charged the rich really high, and the poor nothing at all.

Eunkwang's father also gave free food for the poor in front of the clinics every Friday. Ever since he was twelve, Yook Hyunseung asked him to follow Eunkwang every Friday to help giving the food, so he knew how fortunate he truly was.

Seeing the poor kids gobbled up such simple meals of stir-fried chicken with kimchi and rice, Sungjae realized he was really blessed.

One day, after he went to the market's bookstore to buy new books that their tutors asked for that year's study, a beggar child kept on staring at a book Sungjae was reading (he was leaning on a stone pillar, reading the adventure book he just bought). The child was around the same age as him, and Sungjae pitied the boy, and in the end offered him his book.

"Do you want this? Take it. I can buy another one."

The boy flinched because he talked to him, and then replied sheepishly, "I can't read," before sprinting away.

That shocked him.

When Minhyuk returned from the paper shop, Sungjae asked, "A boy just stared at this book. I wanted to give it to him, but he said he can't read."

"Oh. I see."

"That's so strange. Are there many people who couldn't read?"

Minhyuk, whose father owned a school for young boys to study and prepare themselves before entering Sungkyunkwan Academy, stared at Sungjae as if he grew three extra heads all of a sudden.

"Abeoji told me there are only 1 out of 100 men in the kingdom who can read."

"What? That can't be true!"

"It is true! Ask your parents, they'll tell you I'm telling the truth!"

Sungjae frowned. He didn't know that. Everyone around him could read. His parents and his sister could, also his grandparents and everyone in his family. Even Baekhyun, the servant he received as a gift when he was ten years old, could read well.

"Wouldn't you be almost blind if you couldn't read?"

"Not really. There are lots of things you can do without reading."

"But—how can you study for the academy if you can't read?"

Minhyuk stared at him and laughed at how misinformed he was.

"Sungjae-yah. Not everyone wants or can go to Sungkyunkwan!"

"Is the enrolment exam more difficult than I heard?"

"No, paboo! It's extremely expensive! You can't go there unless you have the money!"

Sungjae was a bit silent during the ride home. He and Minhyuk were riding their little ponies with their servants and guards around them.