She was alarmed when she saw Carter’s mother look sad. “Tita Selina…”
"It's rude to say no when the host wants to do you a favor," Eun Young said, crossing her arms over her chest. She might have offended them this time. “I don’t know in the Philippines. But you are in Korea…”
Selina held her child’s hand and shook her head. “Cheska is our guest. We don’t have to force her if she didn’t want to. She would wear the dress if she feels like it.”
Cheska wanted to beat herself up. She needed to watch her words when talking to her host. She didn’t want to offend or hurt anyone’s feelings especially since the customs were different in other countries.
“I'm sorry, Tita. I didn't mean to be rude. I'm just really worried that I might ruin the dress. I-it’s so beautiful and I feel like it doesn't suit me at all.”
“Try it first. If you really didn’t like it, you can wear whatever you want,” Selina said. “But it's the ultimate tourist experience to be able to take a picture while wearing a hanbok. They’ll be happy even if the pictures will be taken in a studio. It’s expensive to rent a hanbok even if you’ll just wear it for a picture. But you can use that dress throughout your tour. You can even wear it everyday if you want to.”
Cheska felt like a princess when Eun Young and Selina started dressing her up. The fitted her perfectly fine. She was not into fancy clothings. She doesn't even like wearing a dress or attending an event that requires wearing traditional clothes.
Eun Young did her make-up while Selina fix her hair, using some headpieces with intricate designs. Cheska couldn’t seem to recognize herself.
"I-is this me…?" she asked.
She felt like crying when she saw her new look. It was as if she just woke up from a dream looking this beautiful.
“I-I’m beautiful. I look like Princess Janelle from Princess Hours,” she whispered, teary-eyed. She couldn’t even see any pores with her flawless makeup, and her beautiful eyes were emphasized.
"Don’t cry. You’ll ruin your make and I will be late for my class,” Eun Young warned.
“I-I just never imagined I could look like this. I'm sorry if I refused earlier,” she said and turned to Selina. "Thank you."
She hugged the older woman. “Oh! Careful with your hair. Let’s not ruin that as well.”
Cheska also hugged the teenager. "Thank you too, Eun Young."
She didn't cry because that was the only time she saw how beautiful she was. She was touched before these people put an effort to make her look beautiful. They don't have to do this for her. She could be an ordinary tourist. But they went out of their way to give her the best experience.
“You’re welcome, unnie. But your tour hasn't started yet.”
She laughed. “But I'm the only one who’ll be touring like this. Wouldn’t it be strange?” It wouldn't matter if she was on a group tour or she’s with a companion who was also wearing a costume. She’s a little uncomfortable.
“Annieyo. Kuya Oppa will take care of you. You won’t feel out of place.”
When she went downstairs, she immediately saw a black wide-brim hat with a towering round at the center. It was the headgear worn by men that she usually in Korean dramas. 
"Carter?" she softly calls him.
The man turned and looked at her with a smile. He was wearing a light blue hanbok robe with a dark blue sleeveless dress over it.
“Daebak! You look amazing,” he greeted her with praise.
She looked amazing, he said. It was like she was in a beautiful dream where all the good things are happening. She became a beautiful Korean princess of the past. She wasn’t sure if Carter was just patronizing her. 
But this is a dream, right? I’ll enjoy being this pretty.
Cheska tilted her head. "You look ..."
"Handsome? I know. Thank you."
“No. What’s your costume?”
“I am a handsome military man. And I will protect the princess.” He tapped the scabbard that was tied around his waist. He was taking his ‘role’ seriously.
She couldn’t help laughing. "Where did you get that? From an antique trunk?"
"That's my father's hanbok. He didn’t want to wear that but he did it this time. Just for you," Eun Young said with a smile but was also sadness in her eyes. The topic of his stepfather was a sensitive topic for Carter. But he endured it, just so they could have matching costumes. 
"This is for you so wouldn’t feel out of place when you’re walking around wearing that.” He put her hand on his arm. “We are in this together.”
“Go now. Goodluck on your date.”
"Eun Young-na, stop teasing them. Cheska might feel conscious," Tita Selina said. “But…you, two, look together, by the way.”
Cheska's cheek flushed. Tita, don't make it too obvious that you want me to be your daughter-in-law.
"Well, you should go now before tourists flood the Hanok Village,” Tita Selina shooed them away.
"Are we going to walk on this tour?” Cheska asked, pulling up her thick skirt a little as they walk. She looked around the street. She was not just dreaming anymore. She needed to face other people now. And she felt like she couldn’t roam around the streets of Seoul while wearing a hanbok.
"We have a car. I borrowed it from a friend," Carter said and pressed the security lock when they stepped out of the gate. She heard a sound coming from a silver KIA Optima Hybrid parked in front of the house.
"Isn't it expensive to rent a car?" Cheska asked, her eyes widening. He was having trouble with money already, and she was worried this might cost him more debt. 
“No. Let's just say my friend owed me something and this was one of his ways of returning the favor.”
“Unnie, don't worry about your tour. Kuya Oppa will take care of everything,” Eun Young said and winked at her.
Carter opened the backdoor of the car for Cheska. “Hop in."
Tita Selina helped her get in the car while Eun Young was busy taking pictures.
"Did you tell your students you’re not coming in today?” Cheska asked Carter.
"Their class schedule is tonight. Don't worry. I am all yours today." 
He was so at ease while driving in his traditional Korean dress. The world outside was modern, while they were in their old-fashion wardrobe.
"This is weird. I'm in the car but I look like this. Shouldn’t we supposed to be on a carriage or on a horseback?”
"As much as I would love that, we might have a harder time. We might need a permit to do that. But maybe you can experience that when you go to Jeju Island. There are a lot of horses over there. And you can do a carriage ride."
She was about to say it would be an exciting experience together with him, but then she remembered she would be the only one who was meant to go to Jeju Island. Carter stay left in Seoul.
Cheska shook her head. “I don't know how to ride a horse. I only remember the historical Korean dramas I’ve watched where most people were riding horses.”
She couldn’t do that alone in Jeju Island. Just thinking she would go around places that were on her bucket list with Doc Darryl wearing a hanbok was already making her sad. It felt like her heart was mourning again. And she didn't want to think about it for now.