Hyomin’s pov

“Hey, are you free this Saturday’s morning? There is somewhere that I need to go and got no one to go with. I can only think of you”

I smile as I listen to the voice message left by this loner friend of mine after a missed call. I think everyone around me are pretty much the same with me, a loner.

I texted her right away telling that I’m more than available to go with her.

I throw myself on my bed tiringly. As I look around, I start to think of this someone who used to occupied this space with me these past week. She got her car back today and pretty much recover from the injuries, so we went back to our separate life.

This house seems to sing a lonely song to me at this very moment. I suddenly feels empty. When will I get used to this feeling?

I peek at my phone and start to think of proper sentences to text her but before I can even think of anything, I got one from her.

Ji : Don’t miss me :D

I can’t help but smile at that. A fast reply from me : Why should I? :p

Ji : Because that is how it turn out to be. Don't sleep too late and please dream of me tonight.

Yes. She is right because I already miss her at this moment.

Good night you there.

...

“Where are we going?” I ask Qri who drive both of us. It seems like we are leaving the city and now quite on suburb area.

She peek at me for a while and show me an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry to drag you again into this personal matter of mine but my mom insist me to go”

“Again?” I think I know what is going on. History from a year ago repeat itself. That was a forgotten memory but now that we got to do this again, I think that is it. We are going to get a fortune reading for Qri’s love life.

“Unfortunately yes. She said city shaman words can’t be trusted”

So that’s right. I was dragged too last year to meet with a well known shaman but I guess his words are a total lie. He said Qri will get married on the middle of this year but now already the end of the year. What a lie.

“So now we going to meet one from remote area?” I ask, curious and thrilled at the same time.

“Yes but not shaman this time but a deity”

My jaw drop. Qri’s mom is really something. “Daebak” I said, still gaping with awe thinking of what we going to faced. “They existed?” I then ask.

“Not sure but my mom won’t stop nagging if I don’t want to do this. She call me a spinster you know” Qri heave a long sigh.

I wonder if my mom still alive, will she do the same to me? Qri’s mom are quite superstitious the way I saw it. Qri said that was because she met Qri’s dad that way. I can’t blame her though. Qri seems to never put any effort to find her life partner. All she do is devoting her life to her work.

“Unnie, don’t you have anyone you are interested with?” It is impossible to think that she never did. We are human, we have feelings.

Qri didn’t quickly answer. She seems spacing out for a moment before she open . “I do”

“Then why don’t you just fight for your feelings? We don’t have to do this” I ask again, feeling amused with the new information that I just know but her answer left me speechless.

“That is why I want to do this. I want to know if this person is the right one and should I hang on to this person or let go”

Sometimes, Qri surprised me with this side of her. She is a doctor but believe on superstitious things. I thought she didn't but I guess she did.

...

“Are you sure we are on the right place?” I ask, looking around. This place that we visit seems isolated. It’s a traditional house up hill. I got the feeling of uneasiness. I feel like maybe we both will faced a fraud again.

“I guess so” Qri sound unsure though.

Qri knock on the door and call for the owner of the house “Halmeoni” 

“It’s a grandma?” I ask again.

Qri turn to look at me and hesitate for a while to open . “To be honest, I only guess it”

I almost laugh at Qri’s awkward face but the sudden presence of someone near us stop me from doing so.

Instead of a grandma, there stood a young looking lady with simple traditional outfit, smiling graciously. She is smaller than both of us but the look on her eyes gave me a shiver and I swear, she shined under the sunlight.

She smile leading us to enter the house. Without saying anything, we just follow her.

We both then sit facing her as she instruct us to do so, watching her every movement.

“My name is Jeon Boram” She said, pouring tea for both of us. “But you can call me halmeoni”

“You didn’t look old” I said, softly. Afraid if I shouldn’t have said that.

“I’m older than I look” She said, looking up to both of us, smiling. “Way older” She added.

I feel speechless, don’t know what to say. I guess Qri is worse. She doesn’t look good. She looks pale.

“I’m not a deity. It’s too much to call me that”

I think I saw Qri’s cheek show a bit redness as she heard that.

“Then I think you know our purpose of visiting” Qri finally open .

“I will just tell you what you need to know, not what you want to know” She sip on her tea and we both follow her, just to be polite.

Watching this not-a-deity person feels like watching someone from Goryeo - Joseon era. I wonder if she is a normal human beings like us or something beyond that. Maybe just a shaman. She kind of overdid it then if she really just a shaman, to manipulate our mind into believing her.

I was so into my deep though until I realized she has been looking at me with a mysterious smile as if she can read my doubt. I quickly look away, clearing my throat and sipping again on my tea.

She then turn to look at Qri and ask for both of her pinky fingers. She hold it and look straight into Qri’s eyes.

She pause for a while before she said “That person is like a diamond in a glass. You can see it but you can’t touch it”

Qri hung her head low, as if she got it what that person is saying. I can’t get it though.

“You are successful in your career and you know how much effort and passion you put into it before you got to where you are today. Same goes with your love life. It’s hard but not impossible. You get what you work for. That is your destiny” She said again, releasing Qri’s fingers.

“I got it” Qri said, her eyes brimmed with tears. Am I the only one who didn’t get it? I send a look of ‘tell me everything in details later’ to Qri.

“What about you, young lady?” She turn to look at me, asking to hold my fingers.

“Ah it’s okay. I’m fine” I’m curious too about myself but I feel like this whole things are a bit awkward.

“Yes. Please help her too” Qri grab my hand and give it to her.

She smile and hold on my fingers. For seconds there, she narrow her eyes and look closely at me.

“Find her and she will give you the answer”

I close my eyes, feeling suffocated so suddenly. She released my fingers and then added, “One of them are your previous life partner and that is your past”

“I’m sorry” I said before quickly leave the house to get to outside. Tears streaming down my eyes without knowing. I don’t know why I’m crying but my tears won’t stop streaming down.

For a while there I’m sobbing until I feel a light touch on my shoulder. I turn to look at the owner of the hand and saw Qri. As I look at her, I noticed the other person was standing inside the house looking at me, slightly nodding before slowly disappear. I blinked my eyes several times, unable to believe what I just saw but it really happened, there. I stunned for a while, trying to absorb the whole things.

Qri turn to look at that direction too, walking back there.

“She is gone” I said.

Qri still looking at the whole place before she too said “She is really gone”

...

I was really eager to know Qri’s story earlier but now I’m more to curious about myself. I know who she means and that really bother me. I don’t know if I should believe her but a part of me already so into it without knowing.

“You are too quiet. Are you alright?” Qri sudden question stop my train of thought. I turn to look at her and there I realized that I’m quite close to my answer. Qri know her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Qri ask again, raising her brows.

“That person that I ask you before” I said, pause for a while, searching for the right words to say. “The other week. At hospital”

“Who?” Qri looks clueless, trying to remember. It took her quite a while before she said her name. “Eunjung?”

“Yea. I want to meet her at least once. You know her right? Help me”

Qri turn to look at me, showing obvious clueless and curious looks. She think again before showing surprised expression. “Don’t tell me she got something to do with your fortune reading”

“It turn out to be like that” I weakly said. I don’t know why but I obviously can’t forget her.

She came mysteriously into my life. It feels like she casted a spell on me that day she wipe my tears away. Funny enough, whenever I think of her, Jiyeon came along too, like a package. Which one of them is my past? And which one is my present? Eunjung hold the answer.

“You don’t want to know her” Qri stated, serious and concern was obvious on her voice.

“Why you said that? Who is she? Or is she the one you are interested with?”

“No. It’s not her but I just think it’s best for you to not know her”

That. Even makes me extra curious about Eunjung’s identity. Why Qri said that?