Chapter 1

Was there an accident? For some reason, the roads were unusually crowded today.

The sedan carrying Do Jin-hyuk, executive director of HaeNam Construction, had been crawling along for over an hour, starting and stopping in traffic.

At the wheel, Chief Jeon kept glancing nervously at the rearview mirror.

There sat Jin-hyuk in the back seat, eyes closed, looking as composed as ever.

Even with his eyes shut, his striking looks couldn’t be hidden.

Clear, blemish-free skin unusual for a man, thick eyebrows, sharp nose, and a sleek jawline.

‘Even as a guy, I have to admit he’s attractive.’

And he wasn’t just a pretty face. Since taking office as executive director, Jin-hyuk’s remarkable abilities had secured huge contracts for HaeNam Construction, propelling the company straight to the top of the industry.

The new housing brand he launched, Belle HaeNam, had been a smashing success. Every time it opened for applications, it shattered records for the highest competition rate among first-priority buyers.

Chief Jeon felt nothing but pride serving a man like him.

At least, until Chairman Do Ju-myung gave his order.

“If you fail to get Jin-hyuk to that matchmaking meeting again today, Chief Jeon, you’re fired.”

That afternoon, a formal date had been arranged between Jin-hyuk and the youngest daughter of Daeyang Trading.

After skipping several arranged meetings in a row, the chairman finally lost his patience.

The echo of Do Ju-myung’s thunderous roar still rang in Chief Jeon’s ears, making him shake his head.

After a long crawl through traffic, the car finally escaped the jam and turned into a quiet alley before coming to a stop.

Sensing the car’s vibration cease, Jin-hyuk slowly opened his eyes.

“Are we here?”

His voice came out languid, as if he had just woken from a short nap.

“No, sir. The car can’t go any further on this road.”

Chief Jeon answered hesitantly, looking apologetic.

Jin-hyuk shifted his gaze toward the windshield.

Before him stretched a winding, narrow uphill road that seemed endless.

“You’ll have to walk from here, sir.”

“Fine.”

Letting out a low sigh, Jin-hyuk stepped out of the car.

It was still morning, yet the sun blazed mercilessly.

With an early heatwave already in full swing, the weather service had issued extreme heat advisories throughout the inland regions.

Jin-hyuk began striding up the hill.

His body had been honed through years of exercise, so even a path that felt close to a hike didn’t trouble him much.

But annoyance crept in regardless.

All because of that damned fortune.

The more uneasy he felt, the quicker his pace grew, leaving Chief Jeon struggling and quickly falling behind.

The sound of his subordinate’s ragged breathing faded further and further away.

It didn’t take long for Jin-hyuk to reach the top of the hill.

Sweat beaded on his smooth forehead as he shrugged off his jacket in the scorching heat.

When he turned his head, a sign came into view.

<Baby Bodhisattva’s Fortune House>

It was a plain, simple sign. Without it, the building could have passed for an ordinary traditional Korean house.

Over the wall, bright orange trumpet creepers draped gracefully from their vines.

The main gate stood wide open, whether by intent or neglect.

Jin-hyuk stepped inside slowly.

Though small, the yard was meticulously kept, overflowing with colorful blossoms.

He walked past it all with an indifferent expression, uninterested in the charms designed to impress visitors.

Instead of a front door, a large sliding door separated the courtyard from the interior, in true hanok style.

Without hesitation, Jin-hyuk slid it open.

Inside, in clear view, sat a woman in hanbok, a strange mask on her face. The mask bore a photo of a baby.

At his sudden entrance, her shoulders gave a visible flinch.

‘So that’s the Baby Bodhisattva.’

The ridiculous mask struck him as comical.

Just then, harsh panting filled the air as Chief Jeon stumbled in.

“Huff… huff… This is Do Jin-hyuk, the client who made today’s reservation…”

The Baby Bodhisattva’s fortune house only took online reservations.

All one had to do was enter their name in Chinese characters, their date and time of birth, and select a tier (White, Silver, Gold, VIP, or VVIP) based on the offering paid.

For a shrine supposedly serving the gods, it was a shockingly commercial system.

But since there was no risk of gossip exposing his identity, Jin-hyuk hadn’t minded.

“Please come in.”

The Baby Bodhisattva finally spoke.

With the baby photo covering her face, he half-expected a childish voice, but her tone was unexpectedly soft, smooth, and penetrating.

“Then I’ll wait outside,” Chief Jeon said, sliding the door shut behind him.

Jin-hyuk’s sharp gaze swept over the so-called Baby Bodhisattva.

Her lips, pink and glossy, were being chewed anxiously beneath the mask that covered her eyes and nose.

Her shoulders hunched forward uneasily.

Her hands trembled ever so slightly.

She was supposed to be a famed fortune teller, yet she gave him the distinct impression of a fraud.

“Please sit.”

The Baby Bodhisattva gestured toward the bare floor, pointing at a spot with no cushion.

* * *

The woman facing Jin-hyuk wasn’t the Baby Bodhisattva at all.

In truth, the real Baby Bodhisattva was Su-ryeon, Yeon-su’s dearest friend, who had collapsed with spiritual illness at the young age of twenty.

After countless hospital visits without answers, Su-ryeon had finally undergone divine initiation. Since then, Yeon-su often visited her.

Today was supposed to be one of those visits.

“When did the pain start?”

Su-ryeon clutched her stomach, groaning in agony. The location was obviously her appendix.

“Since yesterday.”

“Then why did you put up with it until you’re in this state?”

Yeon-su scolded in frustration, and Su-ryeon weakly replied that she thought it would get better.

Since her initiation, Su-ryeon had been living alone in the shrine.

Her parents had fiercely opposed her becoming a shaman, and after she finally accepted the divine calling, they had all but severed ties with her.

Looking at her pitifully, Yeon-su let out a quiet sigh.

“I’m calling an ambulance. We’re going to the hospital.”

But Su-ryeon shook her head.

“No. I have a VVIP client today.”

Word of her abilities had begun to spread, and people now lined up at her fortune house.

Complaints from neighbors about the noise led her to switch to a reservation-only system.

After that, VVIP clients began showing up from time to time, figures from politics and business. The sums they offered were dozens or even hundreds of times more than ordinary fees.

“Is money what matters right now? If your appendix bursts, it’ll be a disaster!”

Yeon-su snapped, quickly dialing for an ambulance.

As they waited, Su-ryeon groaned through the pain and whispered, “Yeon-su, you do it for me.”

“What are you talking about? How could I possibly do that?”

Yeon-su jumped in shock. She had only come today thinking she might casually ask Su-ryeon about her own job prospects after repeated interview failures. Now this absurd mess had landed in her lap.

“I already received the message. Tell him his marriage fortune is here. He must grab hold of it. If he doesn’t, his whole family will fall into mourning.”

Su-ryeon’s grave tone left Yeon-su speechless.

“That client… he doesn’t know your face?”

“Of course not. It’s his first visit. Besides, there’s this.”

Su-ryeon handed her the mask.

She had begun wearing it after her initiation, saying that although she was forced into the life of a shaman, she longed to one day put it behind her and live as an ordinary woman again.

The sound of sirens drew nearer.

Soon, paramedics burst inside, breathing heavily.

Since the road was too narrow for the ambulance, they had hauled a stretcher up the hill.

“Don’t let this chance slip away. I’m begging you.”

As they helped her onto the stretcher, Su-ryeon clutched Yeon-su’s hand tightly.

Her other hand pressed against her stomach, her gaze pleading desperately.

Yeon-su could only give a bitter smile.

“So all I have to do is tell him his marriage fortune has arrived?”

Resigned, she asked again.

“The woman fated for him has strong Water energy and is born in December…”

Su-ryeon trailed off, groaning and curling up in pain before she could finish.

“We’re heading out right away. Contact her guardian and tell them to meet us at the hospital,” one paramedic urged.

The stretcher team hurried down the slope, sirens fading as they descended.

Not long after, the reserved client arrived at the fortune house.

It was none other than Do Jin-hyuk, executive director of HaeNam Construction.
 

To be continued

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