The pinky promise

It was a sunny day after the storm of the previous night. The glorious flag had been displayed on the grass, to be admired by everyone. Suddenly, a child tripped and left the mark of his hands on the fabric. Everyone laughed but then came the idea: as a woman was extracting the ink from flowers petals, it was decided to use it so everyone could leave a print on the flag, as a symbolic signature. Of allegiance. Everybody did it.

Later, Ae Shin was admiring her hand raised against the sun. But there was something of particular. Her pinky finger had the nail dyed and coloured in a bright pink. Eugene came over and put his hand near hers. His pinky finger was coulored in pink as well. Ae-shin smiled and said: "I have never seen a man doing it."

Eugene turned towards her and smiled: "This man I know, did it."
"I will be a woman tomorrow. Don't be too stunned by my beauty."
Eugene started laughing.
Ae Shin seemed pensive for a little while then said: "Do you really know what it means?"
Eugene replied: "Yes... I remember that girls used to do it in spring in the old times: if the dye does not fade till the first snow, they would marry their true love..."

"Then, why did you do it?"
"Well... I told you, I saw a man doing it, so, I suppose I got confused."
"You are funny!"
Eugene couldn't help to tease her a bit: "So, you wish to get married at the first snow... I thought you were already a married woman..."
"This time would be for real..."
"Is it a promise?"
"Yes..."
He looked at her suspiciously, lowering his hand.

Then, he said: "In the West children are used to making a promise by clutching their pinky fingers to one another and shaking them."

And he extended his hand towards her, his pinky finger curved as an hook.
She smiled and commented: "Joseph was right when he thought of you as an eternal child."
Eugene lowered his head, smiling shyly and she extended her arm interlocking his pinky finger with hers.
Eugene raised his head and smiled brightly.
"So, is it a promise?"
"It is." she said, looking at him in the eyes with her radiant smile.
It was a sunny day and they could finally smile thinking of the future. This time, they both harboured sweet hopes.

Notes

About Korean nails dyeing tradition, many thanks to charray of Soompi forum for finding out about it here: henna-lounge/2014/2/9/bong-seon-hwa-the-korean-art-of-finger-dye

About the pinky swear or pinky promise: according to Wikipedia, in the United States the pinky swear or pinky promise dates back to 1860, when Dictionary of Americanism listed the following accompanying promise:

Pinky, pinky bow-bell

Whoever tells a lie

Will sink down to the bad place

And never rise up again.

Thanks to Nisi for the betareading.