Geomancy couple

Chapter 80: Chapter 80

Arum bought a pair of crystal mandarian ducks from the seller and was now driving back to Seoul.

“What’s the big deal about this?”

She didn’t feel good while driving all the way, with the pair on the passenger’s seat.

Would she go and watch the sea if she was with Hojoon?

Right after receiving the pair of used crystal mandrian ducks from the seller, she headed for Seoul right away.

When she filled it up at the gas station, his face came to her mind.

Even though she filled up the gas, she felt empty in heart.

She keenly felt the veracity of the old saying, ‘You don’t notice it when your lover is with you, but you notice it instantly when your lover is gone.”

Feeling under the weather all along, she came back to Seoul early in the morning the next day.

In the afternoon, she reported to work.

Obviously, she couldn’t concentrate on work. She googled ‘Soran Cho’ dozens of times on the search engine while working. But there was no news about her alleged suicide attempt.

Losing her patience, she called Jina.

“What’s up, friend? I’m kind of busy now,” she said in a cheerful voice.

“Is it urgent?” Jina asked.

“Yeah, it is. Didn’t you hear anything? Your voice seems so relaxed.”

“Anything special?” Arum asked.

“Me?”

“Yeah, anything unusual about you or your company or your boss?”

Arum beat around the bush instead of getting to the point.

“I don’t have time to chatter with you.”

“Well, I just wonder if there is anything unusual about Soran Cho.”

“Are you digging this? Is that your editor’s order?”

“No, no.”

Though nobody watched her in the office, Arum shook her head from side to side with strong denial.

“By the way, I had some drinks with Konsu yesterday. He came to see me very late at night. You’ve got to compensate him for his mental anguish. Why do you make him come and see me by avoiding him?”

“I’m done with him.”

“Why would I drink with him if I was not your friend?”

“Thanks, Jina. I appreciate that.”

“He boasted that he cancelled off the marriage. How could he say that to me?”

“He won’t cancel it off. He’s going to get married to Yuyoung.”

“You bet. I think so too.”

“You said you’re busy. I just called you to hear your voice. Take care.”

She hung up the phone.

Then, she called Konsu to make an appointment.

Didn’t they say, ‘Strike the iron while it is hot’?

She didn’t receive any call from Hojoon until then.

Arum revisited Konsu’s matrimonial home.

Though she had visited it several times, she felt unfamiliar with it. Fortunately, the bride-to-be was on duty in an outbound plane.

“Why should we meet here? Let’s go out.”

Konsu dragged her hand to go out.

“Let go of my hand, please.”

There was no change in the interior layout of his house. The picture she gave Yuyoung as a gift was hung on the same wall.

After confirming it, she stared at Konsu. He was really impossible, given that he was in a drunken frenzy with Jina, not content with having cancelled off the marriage.

“How stupid are you!”

“Yeah, I’m stupid.”

Konsu was really pissed off.

Typically, one didn’t call a real idiot stupid because even the idiot would be upset to hear that.

Konsu really flinched when she called him stupid.

“Oh my god. Why are you so stupid? Did you kneel down and beg her?”

“Nope.”

“You told me she was on an overseas business trip, right? Don’t you want to follow her?”

“Are you crazy? Do know how expensive a plane ticket is? I even took out a loan for our marriage preparation.”

“Really? Do you want me to buy you a ticket by selling the unopened box of items for our cancelled marriage?”

At that moment, his face brightened.

“Are you sure? Are you really going to buy me a ticket?”

“You crazy bastard!”

She was determined to break up with him completely before he clung to her.

‘I was crazy enough to drive all the way down to Kangrung for a despicable man like him.’

Konsu said, “I’m sorry, Arum.”

“Why are you saying that so suddenly?”

“When I looked at the sink over there, I thought about you.”

“You said you thought about me because of that sink?”

“I regretted that I didn’t change it at that time.”

“Can you withdraw such regrets, please? The best decision I’ve made all my life was that I didn’t marry you. I’m feeling it keenly everyday.”

“You’re so mean to me!”

“I’ve got nothing to say to you. Just try to catch her again.”

“Too late.”

“Are you going to try it if there is a way?”

“How can I change her mind?”

“You don’t know anything. There is surely a way to change one’s mind.”

Konsu’s eyes sparkled at that.

She wanted to rebuke him by saying, ‘Are you happy now?’ but she kept her dignity as the instigator of his disengagement.

“Here is my gift for you!”

She took out a pair of crystal mandrian ducks that she obtained through hard work. The crystal mandrian ducks, which were almost the same size as his fist, shone brightly.

“Put this right beside your bed or on a small table. Keep it lit at all times.”

He received the gift with both hands as if it was really precious.

“So what?”

“I hear your relationship will be good again like these mandrian ducks. Somebody said the crystal was easy to get dusty as it had the energy force of water.”

“Who?”

“I can’t tell. Remember that this is a talisman that I obtained at a pretty expensive price.”

“Expensive?”

“You can never obtain it!”

She intentionally reacted strongly to emphasize the effect of the talisman.

He examined the crystal pair after hearing that it was expensive.

“I hear it will take effect only when this crystal pair shines brightly all the time. So, wipe it often like a magician.”

Arum conveyed geomancy expert Paekhoon’s advice to him.

‘It will restore your luck with love like the mandrian ducks living together all their lives. If you want to enjoy the effect quickly, you have to clean the crystal pair with water and put it at a sunny place, so it can receive the energy force of the sun. When it is purified through this process, it will take effect more strongly.’

She was almost short of breath while explaining to him.

As if enthralled by the advice, he listened attentively to her.

“Are you sure it will take effect?”

“If you want it earnestly.”

“Is this part of geomancy love?”

“Why are you asking?”

“You know that’s superstition. I don’t believe it.”

Geomancy was science, but sometimes it could be religion. Only when one believed it could one expect its effect.

“Aren’t you curious over how we met again? I mean at the Kwanghwamon intersection.”

“Because of our destiny?”

“Nope. We met thanks to geomancy.”

When she said that, she realized it clearly.

‘I met you naturally like the wind and the stream. It was not my mistake to meet you, but we met by provision of nature. I would have been stuck in the trash in my small room without it. Goodbye, my past!’

***

The office of the women’s magazine <Single Woman> was pretty hectic with everybody buried under work.

“Arum, are you waiting for a call?” asked Manager Kyong, looking questioningly at her.

“No, nope.”

She, who was sitting in front of her laptop with a blank look, quickly corrected her posture.

“What’s the matter with you these days? You seem to be in low spirits.”

“Oh, it’s because it’s so hot outside…” she hedged.

It was true that it got hotter, but her reply was not that creative.

“It looks like you’ve been dating someone recently. These days you’ve been so quiet. Nobody comes to pick you up in the evening.”

“Oh… Do you think I’m dating somebody? How can I date anybody when I’m buried under with work like this?”

And she put her hands on the keyboard, indicating, ‘I’m ready to work now.’

“By the way, you are interested in dieting, right?”

“Why?”

“Answer my question.”

“Yes, I’m interested in dieting.”

“Good for you.”

Manager Kyong sat beside her on purpose.

“Summer project! How about featuring our editor trying the so-called devil’s diet in person? This is a diet program developed by the Muscle Korea coach, and its effect is really good. I hear that Sulbi Cha lost 20kg after she delivered a baby.”

“Really? Was it through the devil’s diet that she could lose her weight? I hear that she only practiced yoga.”

“You’re so innocent. Do you really believe a TV entertainer? How can she lose her weight by practicing yoga alone? Do you think an Indian elephant can be slim by doing yoga?”

Manager Kyong nudged her in the ribs.

“So what?”

“Won’t you try it?”

“Me?”

“Let me cut down on your other assignments in return.”

Then, she looked at Arum’s lower abdomen.

“Huuup!”