Chung-ha in Joseon

Chapter 1

Joseon, 1510

Every day was the same as usual for Chung-ha, High scholars come in, she entertains, gets paid, and they leave...it was a repeat button. Chung-ha would be lucky if she could get as close to five men a day/night.

For her being a Kisaeng; let alone the lowest rank of one, she wasn't respected by noblewomen or nobles in general. The nobles always thought the kisaengs were dirty and were of no use and meaningless. Chung-ha always felt they took her job out of proportion, making it into something it's not. The nobles look down on them as only being used for sexual pleasure...which wasn't true, they were in the wrong mind of it being every Kisaeng...when the Kisaeng only went to those "sexual pleasure's" in desperate times for money and food to survive.

Even after all of that, Chung-ha only wanted one thing; and that was to become a palace dancer called haengsu. There was this one hill Chung-ha used to go on that gave you a great overlook of the palace, and each time Chung-ha heard there was suppose to be a celebration, she would try to make time to go up the hill and see the haengsu dance. If she had enough room she would try and practice the dances herself which is forbidden for her low ranking of the Kisaeng, and if she is ever gotten caught she would get beaten on the spot...which she has before.

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Chung-ha got paid extra the night before, apparently, the men like her dish called Samgyetang (Korean Chicken Soup with Ginseng)So she decided she'll head to the market. Chung-ha's strategy was that everyone is better and happy on a full stomach than empty.

So she decided she'll head to the market. anytime you walk down the rocky pathway, you were sure to come up across somebody selling something, Rather food, clothing material, headpieces, perfume jewelry. Not like she knew what she was looking for...she was just looking.

This time she didn't have her gache wig on, when she got the chance to she took it off to give her head a break, that's how big they were. Now her hair is braided back into a bun with some of the front hair loosely out...but at least her pink and white hanbok was nice.

"Ahh, this norigae would look nice on you"
A lady spoke to Chung-ha, the piece was white so it matched with what Chung-ha was wearing. The lady smiled and spoke very gently; almost as she was giving Chung-ha a compliment...but it looked expensive.

"I don't think such pretty thing would suit someone like me" Chung-ha didn't want to emphasize her not having a lot of money...that's when she started to worry did she look too much like a noble.

The lady kept on insisting, Chung-ha felt she was stuck...until

"It does suit you" a man came up beside me and held his hand out for the accessory which the lady hands him. He holds it next to me, matching the outfit with Chung-ha. The man looked like a scholar, he was most definitely not a Yangban, and he looked in his early twenties.

"I'll buy it for the miss" Chung-ha was baffled, this was a rare thing 'young' men did to her unless they were older and was looking for more perverted actions.

The man paid and it was wrapped and given to him, "something pretty for something pretty"...

"Have you come to visit me before?" Chung-ha asked, and the Man smile slowly faded into looking shocked and confused "Ahh...you must be new to the capital" Chung-ha grabbed his wrist, "Come with me" she smiled and instantly led him her Yangban house, that's where she worked after all.