Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

"Where are we going?" Gayoon asked. Minho had stopped the car right outside of a park and he seemed oddly excited. Snow covered the grounds and it was biting cold so he had bought warm cups of coffee. He even picked up a thick coat for her which was very comfortable.     

He leaned closer to fix her muffler, making Gayoon blush a little. "You'll know soon," he winked, pulling down her beanie. He had wrapped her in layers of clothes, making her feel like a school kid. For some reason, Minho enjoyed pampering her when they were alone and even though she was embarrassed, Gayoon enjoyed it when he was trying to spoil her.     

"Can I hold your arm?" she teased. She did not really mean it and simply wanted to tease him but to her surprise, he grabbed her wrist and slid it into his arms.     

"Of course!" he said as if it was an obvious thing to do. "Why would I say no to that?"     

Gayoon gaped at him, wanting to scold him for his lack of shame but eventually decided not to argue. Hwang Minho was blissfully unaware of his own romantic side and she had to admit it was really cute to see.     

They walked towards the park which was surprisingly crowded. The entrance was adorned with colorful lanterns which were brightly lit. At the entrance were several stalls which were selling lotus shaped krathongs with a candle in the middle. Minho bought one for them while Gayoon was watching the decor with curiosity.     

The park's walkway had been cleared of snow but the rest of the place was kept thick coated with snow and ice. There were several poles set up every few meters with yellow and blue string lights attached to them. Even the trees were decorated with fairy lights and lanterns which shone against the white snow. She looked around her and immediately realized that most of the people were in fact couples who were happily giggling or having a good time with their spouse or lover.      

"This looks like a festival!" she exclaimed. She had rarely been to festivals before since she was either busy with studies or work or chasing ghosts away. Moreover, she did not have any other friends except for Jaewan and later Minjung but circumstances just never let her attend a festival with them. And the ones she went to were times when she was on duty so she did not particularly get to enjoy them.     

"This is the Blue Night," Minho stated. "It happens every ten years so you won't get to enjoy it every year."     

"Ten years?" Gayoon asked. "Why?"     

They were quietly walking along the walkway, hand in hand, while enjoying the cool winter breeze. She leaned in close, leaning against him as she listened to his deep, silky voice.     

"There's an old tale," he began. "About a shepherd who was awed by the moon. He was a simple man with no greed and no wants. In his village, he was the most handsome and the richest man who was sought out by all the women. There were many who wanted to marry him but he politely refused them, insisting his heart lay with the Moon."     

"The moon?" Gayoon asked. "That's a strange thing to fall in love with."     

"Not to him," Minho sighed. "Every full moon night, he used to gaze at it with a deep passion. He was not awed by its beauty but rather by a strange charm which was emitting through it. Every night, he prayed to the moon goddess to meet her just once. He did not want anything else but just wanted to meet her once."     

"The Moon Goddess was moved by his devotion to her," Minho went on. "So one full moon night, when he was praying to her, she descended on earth to be with him. The most beautiful goddess of all was now content with a mere mortal with unmoving devotion."     

"The couple were very happy. They laughed together, spent many romantic moments together and made countless promises. The man could not believe his luck."     

"But as time went by, the absence of the moon was beginning to bring a catastrophe," Minho narrated in a dark tone. "Tidal waves changed courses, animals were dying and at nights, the earth became a cold place. It was slowly dying. So the other gods and goddesses came to Earth and dragged away the Moon Goddess, separating her from her lover."     

"The man would not give up though. He went to the temple of the Jade Emperor and prayed all day and night without food or water. He did not want to live an eternity with her but just asked for a last glimpse of her. His earnest plea moved even the staunch Jade Emperor and he granted the lovers a wish. They would be able to reunite only once after every ten years when the Moon Goddess would be given a day to descend on earth. On that day, she will be able to leave behind a replica of hers, a blue vessel, which would shine for a few hours while she was with her lover. Whether he was on Earth or in the afterlife, they will meet and spend the rare moments with each other."     

"So," Minho concluded. "Every ten years, there's a blue moon which appears in the sky which means the Moon Goddess is meeting with the love of her life."     

He turned around to face Gayoon only to be shocked that she was crying.     

"Why would you let me hear a sad story like that?" She sobbed. "They can't be with each other all the time!"     

She wailed loudly, making Minho flabbergasted. He completely forgot that Gayoon always cried upon hearing sad stories!     

"It's just a fairy tale!" he assured her, trying to calm her down. "Just a story and nothing else!"     

"Who the hell taught you such a tragic tale?" She pouted through her tears.      

Minho debated for a while before admitting, "It was my father. He was the one who took me and my mom to one of the Blue Nights. He told us this story. And just like you, my mother also cried that night. Then again she was pregnant with Mina that time so it might have been her hormones."     

Sensing the bittersweet pain in his words, Gayoon stopped crying. Telling a tale like that must have been painful for him as well considering that it was told to him by the man he loathed the most.      

I should distract him, she decided. Minho's eyes were glassy as he recalled one of the last moments of happiness he had spent with his mother. The memories were filled with happiness but his heart ached whenever he thought about them.     

Gayoon stood on tiptoes and pecked his lips. Minho was slightly surprised when she lightly kissed him.     

"I guess we have to make this night even more special then," she whispered, nuzzling his nose. "So that when we return ten years later, we can recall it with even more fondness."     

Minho smiled and let her cuddle into his arms. She hugged him by the waist and together, they walked towards the furthest end of the park, awaiting for a night to remember.     

....     

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