RFT 19

At that moment, Do Ye-jun was deep in thought, staring at the talisman the shaman had given him.

Just before he left, the shaman had suddenly grabbed him and practically shoved the talisman into his pocket, but she hadn’t explained what its purpose was.

‘You think I gave you something bad? If I did that, it would all come back to me. I’m giving this to you so it can help, even if just a little, with what you’re worried about. So take it. I won’t take any money. You’re going to come into a lot of money today anyway.’

With that, she had even refused the divination fee he had prepared. He had gone through the trouble of putting it in a pretty envelope…

Do shamans usually refuse divination fees if they say a lot of money is coming in?

Do Ye-jun thought it over carefully, then suddenly clapped his hands as if he had reached an epiphany.

“A lot of money? Gasp, could it be a lottery win? Wow… if that was it, I would have asked for the winning numbers first! Ah, why didn’t I think of that yesterday?”

He then entertained a thought that would have surely earned him a severe scolding had yesterday’s fairy heard it.

While he was tearing his hair out over the loss of imaginary money, he received a call from Cheon Sa-hyun.

“Ah, this guy is calling again instead of working.”

Despite his grumbling, Do Ye-jun answered the phone immediately.

“Hello?”

-What are you doing?

Tracking his whereabouts as soon as he picked up. Is he a detective or a police officer? Do Ye-jun shook his head and replied.

“Just hanging out.”

-Just? How exactly does one ‘just hang out’?

A playful tone seeped into Cheon Sa-hyun’s voice.

“…….”

When no answer came, Cheon Sa-hyun muttered as if he were disappointed.

-How stingy. Keeping it all to yourself.

“Give me a break. What’s stingy about it?”

Do Ye-jun let out a hollow laugh.

-I want to see Do Ye-jun too, but you’re the only one seeing him. That’s stingy.

“……Crazy.”

Do Ye-jun cursed out loud. He simply couldn’t stand this.

This guy seems to be losing his mind more and more; is he really okay?

-How is Do Ye-jun today? Is he pretty?

“What’s it to you?”

-Oh, so you’re ugly.

“I am not!”

Do Ye-jun snapped, pushing himself up.

-Is your face all puffy?

Do Ye-jun instinctively touched his cheeks and spoke in a sulky voice.

“No? There’s no puffiness at all.”

-Or did your dark circles drop down?

“I said no.”

Do Ye-jun denied it through gritted teeth.

-Then you must be pretty.

“……Wow.”

-Show me that pretty face. This evening. Not too early, maybe around 7.

He wasn’t even a snake, so how was he sliding into this so naturally? Before he knew it, Do Ye-jun was completely dazed.

-I’ll pick you up. Should I go to your house?

The fact that he was going this far meant that even if the sky split in two today, Cheon Sa-hyun was coming to see him. While grumbling internally that he was being treated too lightly just because he was unemployed, Do Ye-jun obediently answered.

“No, not my house. I have somewhere to go.”

-Where?

“I have some business to take care of. I don’t know the exact location yet. I’ll know once I get there.”

-Hmm… Alright, I understand. Leave me a text when you’re finished.

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Do Ye-jun changed his clothes and prepared to head out.

---

“You’re looking for a jeonse lease instead of monthly rent? There aren’t many jeonse listings these days…”

The real estate agent muttered while flipping through a file. Do Ye-jun nodded, sipping the coffee the agent had provided.

“Or a monthly rental with a higher deposit is also fine.”

“If that’s the case, the number of available properties doubles.”

The agent’s face brightened. He picked up the car keys from the table.

“Instead of staying here, shall we go see them right away?”

“Yes.”

Do Ye-jun stood up and followed him. This was already the third real estate agent he had visited. He had looked at numerous properties while traveling through various districts in Seoul, but he couldn’t find a place that he truly liked.

It was always a case where if one thing was good, another thing was a problem.

He hadn’t mentioned this to Cheon Sa-hyun. If he did, Sa-hyun would unconditionally tell him to move into his house, and also…

Just in case.

Even as the agent talked about various aspects of the houses, Do Ye-jun stared blankly out the window.

It felt strange that he was living as if this were his reality. Even though it was three months away, the fact that he was thinking about and preparing for a future in this world…

Despite the fact that he wanted to return to his original world. Even to himself, it seemed utterly contradictory.

Do Ye-jun chewed over the fairy’s words—that his future was not visible—over and over again.

Was the reason she said that simply because he didn’t belong here? Or…

Was it because he would disappear from this world in some form, whether through death or erasure?

If he could return to his original world right now.

Would he go back without hesitation?

“…….”

“We’ve arrived. Please get out.”

At the agent’s words, Do Ye-jun unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason to hesitate.

Because for three years, he had run toward that single moment, dreaming of it. It was the greatest goal and driving force that allowed him to live as Do Ye-jun in this strange world.

The hope that if he only reached a happy ending, if this novel only ended, he would be able to return to his original world.

Because he had looked only toward that.

Do Ye-jun shook off his distracting thoughts and followed the agent into an unfamiliar building.

---

While returning to the office after lunch, Cheon Sa-hyun and Han Si-yeon ran into each other at the first-floor cafe.

“Director, hello.”

Han Si-yeon, who spotted him first, greeted him politely. Cheon Sa-hyun bowed back in return.

“Did you have a nice lunch?”

“Yes. I ate with my team members.”

As the two continued their friendly conversation, the people around them began to subtly read the room and move away.

Yet, they didn’t move far, watching the two as if surrounding them. Unlike the oblivious Han Si-yeon, Cheon Sa-hyun read the atmosphere completely.

Cheon Sa-hyun gave a gentle smile.

“If you’re getting coffee, I’ll buy it for you. For your team members as well.”

“Oh, you don’t have to…!”

“No, it’s fine. I’m planning to owe Assistant Manager Han a favor.”

“…Planning to owe me a favor?”

Do people usually announce that they are going to owe someone a favor like this? Han Si-yeon tilted her head.

Then, Cheon Sa-hyun looked up at the cafe menu and said,

“It’s nothing much. I just want to ask a few things.”

“About what…?”

Completely lost, Han Si-yeon asked back in a bewildered tone, and in the meantime, Cheon Sa-hyun naturally ordered the iced vanilla latte she liked and americanos for the team members.

The cafe employee took Cheon Sa-hyun’s card, and he turned toward Han Si-yeon.

“Regarding Ye-jun hyung.”

“Ah…!”

Han Si-yeon finally realized and let out a blank sound.

Whirrr. The coffee machine ran with a loud noise, and amidst that noise, Cheon Sa-hyun spoke. Because his voice was buried in the noise, only Han Si-yeon, who was standing close, could hear him.

“You said you’ve known him for a long time, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“By any chance, has he ever changed his name in the past?”

“Huh? Ye-jun? I’m not sure… As far as I know, he hasn’t. He told me his parents went to an expensive naming center to get his name.”

Han Si-yeon was curious about the sudden question, but she couldn’t tell what was going on from Cheon Sa-hyun’s expression.

“Why? Did Ye-jun say he changed his name?”

“No. He didn’t say that… Ah, then by any chance, do you know someone named Baek Yu-min?”

“Baek Yu-min… I’ve never heard that name before.”

“Hmm, I see. Thanks for letting me know.”

“…Not at all. I don’t think I was much help…”

“No, it was helpful.”

Meanwhile, the completed drinks came out in carriers. Han Si-yeon carefully held a carrier in each hand.

“Ah, and it seems Ye-jun hyung is preparing to move. Have you heard anything separately?”

“He’s been looking around, saying he wants to move to a different district than where he lives now. But he said he couldn’t find a place he liked.”

Hearing Han Si-yeon’s words, Cheon Sa-hyun responded as if it were a story he already knew.

“Exactly. When I told him to come to where I live, he said it’s hard to find a place because the housing prices are too high. But then he said he doesn’t want to move into my house… and he even refused my offer to buy him a house.”

“That’s just how Ye-jun is. He’s never liked owing favors to others. Ah! I don’t mean you’re a stranger, Director…”

“Yes, I know.”

Cheon Sa-hyun smiled gently at the flustered Han Si-yeon.

“I guess he didn’t like it that I kept worrying and interfering in everything. He keeps saying he’ll handle it himself and won’t tell me anything.”

“Ah….”

“After all, there are so many jeonse scams these days…”

Observing Han Si-yeon’s reaction, Cheon Sa-hyun drooped his eyebrows, pretending to be crestfallen.

“By any chance, did hyung tell Assistant Manager Han anything about the move…?”

“If Ye-jun tells me, I’ll let you know secretly!”

Han Si-yeon spoke first, her eyes sparkling. Cheon Sa-hyun smiled brightly, looking genuinely happy.