Chapter 8

Yeon-su stepped out of the car and trudged up the slope.

The hill was always steep, but today it looked impossibly taller.

“Miss Ha Yeon-su, are you saying the Baby Bodhisattva scammed me?”

“I’ll demand not only a refund of the fee but also damages for emotional distress.”

Jin-hyuk’s words weighed on her chest like a boulder.

Since she had played a part, she couldn’t even refute him properly, and that only made her feel more wronged.

Before long, she reached the top of the hill.

The signboard for the Baby Bodhisattva’s shrine was dark.

The place was silent, with no visitors around.

“Su-ryeon, I’m here.”

Calling out, Yeon-su stepped inside.

Su-ryeon, who had been waiting, leapt to her feet.

“Sorry, I’m late, aren’t I?”

Yeon-su asked sheepishly, smiling at her friend’s welcome.

“No, I’m just grateful you came at all.”

Su-ryeon waved her hand as if the very thought was absurd.

Ever since her divine possession, she had drifted apart from everyone. Friends, classmates, all gone. The only one who had stayed by her side was Yeon-su.

To her, Yeon-su was precious beyond words.

“Come on, let’s light the candles.”

Yeon-su stuck candles into the cake she had brought and lit them.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Su-ryeon, happy birthday to you.”

She sang softly.

Two large candles and seven small ones flickered in the dark.

Just twenty-seven, and yet her life had been full of turmoil.

She might have been called to the spirits, but at heart, she was gentler than anyone else.

If Su-ryeon ever heard words like lawyers and lawsuits for damages, she’d faint dead away.

Even though she’d been discharged, she wasn’t fully recovered yet. Yeon-su didn’t want to add to her burdens.

Unaware of the storm in Yeon-su’s heart, Su-ryeon pursed her lips and blew out the flames.

“How was the company gathering?”

Cutting the cake and setting slices on plates, she asked casually.

“It was fine. You know, just a typical company event.”

“Ah, I wish I could attend something like that too.”

Her voice carried a tinge of envy, and Yeon-su forced a smile.

She knew exactly how much Su-ryeon longed for an ordinary life, one where she could simply go to work each day.

“Here, this is my gift.”

Su-ryeon handed over an envelope.

“What’s this?”

Surprised, Yeon-su asked, blinking.

“Open it.”

Grinning, Su-ryeon nudged her.

Yeon-su’s eyes widened as she peeked inside.

Two checks for ten million won each.

“It’s the fee from that client you handled for me. You were the one who did it anyway.”

Earlier, Jin-hyuk had mentioned thirty million won.

The clients came because of the Baby Bodhisattva’s reputation.

Su-ryeon had received all the actual divinations. Yeon-su had only recited what she was told.

“Hey, this is way too much.”

“The agreed fee was twenty million. The rest, ten million, was a bonus.”

That bonus had come from writing down the fortune and signing it.

“I split the twenty million down the middle. The bonus is entirely yours, so it’s only right you take it.”

“I can’t accept this.”

“Just take it. You need to find a place to live, don’t you? Use it for that.”

At her words, Yeon-su’s eyes grew wet.

Ever since her father had been swindled, her family’s finances had crumbled.

A childhood friend had lured him into “a great business idea,” took out loans in his name, and fled abroad.

Foreclosure notices plastered their home.

It took only three months for the house to be auctioned off.

The debts were crushing, something the whole family together couldn’t pay off in a lifetime.

And now, their lease was expiring.

The place had been cheap because the neighborhood was marked for redevelopment.

But with the term up, the landlord’s son wanted to use it as his studio.

Everywhere she looked, rent was far beyond what they could afford.

Her parents had decided to move back to their hometown.

But Yeon-su had to stay in Seoul for work.

“See, I’m pretty awesome, aren’t I? From now on, you should call me ‘big sister.’”

Su-ryeon’s playful banter made Yeon-su’s tears vanish.

“Thank you… unni.”

When Yeon-su played along, Su-ryeon laughed brightly.

They were still chuckling when Yeon-su suddenly asked,

“Hey, has that VVIP client ever contacted you again?”

“No, why? What’s going on?”

Su-ryeon poked at her cake with her fork.

“If he comes back, tell him his bride isn’t a December baby. It’s a July baby.”

The words tumbled out, startling even Yeon-su.

Su-ryeon narrowed her eyes.

“You’re hiding something.”

Yeon-su let out a long sigh and began to explain, though she left out the part about fraud, lawyers, and lawsuits. There was no need to alarm Su-ryeon over something that might not even happen.

When she finished, Su-ryeon blinked slowly. Then, in a hushed voice, she said,

“Wow. If you think about it… the fortune fits you exactly.”

Her own arms prickled with goosebumps.

At the time, she hadn’t realized it.

But to think she had been rushed to the hospital, and the one who stood in her place was Yeon-su… and that Yeon-su might be Jin-hyuk’s destined partner?

It all seemed like the teeth of gears clicking perfectly into place.

“Come on, it’s not like I’m the only December-born with ‘water’ in my name.”

Yeon-su shook her head in disbelief.

But Su-ryeon’s mind was already racing elsewhere.

“So, what does he look like?”

“He’s… not bad.”

Not bad? He was outrageously handsome.

“His height?”

“Tall.”

Tall enough to be mistaken for a model.

Yeon-su hid her thoughts, but the smile tugging at her lips gave her away.

Seeing it, Su-ryeon smirked.

If only she could see the man with her own eyes.

But there was no way to summon back a client who hadn’t come again.

“And if he’s an executive director, he must be wealthy.”

She muttered under her breath.

“Though, an eight-year age gap is a bit much…”

At that, Yeon-su’s eyes flew wide.

“What are you talking about?”

Su-ryeon clasped Yeon-su’s hands firmly.

“Yeon-su, this is fate. He’s your destiny.”

Yeon-su’s face twisted in disbelief.

“He even told you himself, didn’t he? That you matched the fortune exactly. That means he’s already interested in you.”

“No way.”

Yeon-su pulled her hands free, denying it flatly.

“If he didn’t like you, why would he say that?”

“He just takes fortune-telling too seriously.”

She shook her head.

“Yeon-su, everything points to fate. Even you getting hired at HaeNam Construction was something that had been prepared for you. That fortune was meant for you.”

No matter how much she denied it, Su-ryeon kept repeating the same word like a mantra: destiny.

“If your spirits are really so powerful, can’t they show you the face of the woman who’s supposed to marry him?”

Yeon-su challenged, staring straight at her.

“Uh… no. They don’t reveal faces.”

Su-ryeon laughed awkwardly and looked away.

* * *

Three weeks had passed since Yeon-su started at HaeNam Construction.

The company had decided to launch a high-end brand for its residential division, expanding into interior design, community centers, and landscaping.

They called for ideas from all employees, even the contract workers in marketing.

Both Yeon-su and Kang Yeon-su were tasked with market research and drafting proposals for brand naming.

Kang Yeon-su, of course, quietly pushed the menial work onto Ha Yeon-su.

Her plan was simple. Skip the grunt work and focus on a flashy proposal that would grab attention.

Meanwhile, Yeon-su was busier than ever.

Buried under endless tasks, she hardly had time to breathe.

Then one afternoon, Assistant Manager Kim put down the phone and called both Yeon-sus over.
 

To be continued

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