It was 10pm and Ryujin just reach home. She greeted her parents who are still in the living room watching TV.

“Have you eaten your dinner Jinnie?”

“Yeah mom.” Ryujin answered and she bid her parents goodnight and run up to her room. She stops by Yuna room before entering her room and she saw that Yuna is asleep. She goes in and tuck her sister and kisses her.

“Sorry for bring hard on you Yuna, unnie loves you.”

“Jinnie unnie…” Yuna mumbles in her sleep “Jinnie unnie…I want to play with Lia unnie…jinnie unnie.”

Ryujin laughed when she realized that Yuna is talking in her sleep.

“Good night Yuna…”

***

Ryujin enters her room and throw her school bag on her desk and proceed to takes off her clothes and takes her shower. Ryujin finishes her shower and proceed to dry her hair. She heard her phone vibrate and she goes to check on it.

Unknown Number – Hi Ryujin, it’s Lia here. This is my number, save it.

Ryujin smiles and she throws herself on her bed. She saves Lia’s number into her phone and replies to Lia.

Ryujin – Hi Lia, thanks for texting me. It’s late now, why aren’t you asleep?

Lia – I’m still full after our dinner. Thanks for the food, by the way, your sister is cute.

Ryujin – Yuna? She can be a pain in the arse sometime but yeah, she is cute.

Lia – I envy you.

Ryujin – Why is that?

Lia – because you got a cute sister and great friends around you.

Ryujin pauses a while and she thinks of what to reply.

Ryujin – I can be your friend.

Lia – Hahaha, I already consider you and Chaeryeong my friends.

Ryujin – Really?

Lia – Yeah.

Ryujin rolls around her bed, she tries to subdue her excitement because it’s already late and she doesn’t want to wake anyone up.

Ryujin – To be honest, I don’t have a lot of friends, I only have Yeji and Chaeryeong, and I’m glad that you consider me your friend!

Lia – It should be me who thanked you for wiling to be friend with me. I really don’t have anyone that I can count on in this world anymore.

The atmosphere turn dark for a moment, and Ryujin can sense the gloominess in the text message.

Ryujin – Why do you say that?

Lia – Nothing, just thinking how lonely is my world until I meet you and Chaeryeong then Yuna and Yeji today. It’s getting late, I’m going to sleep. I’ll text you tomorrow where we’ll meet. Good night Ryujin.

Ryujin – You have me now. I promise you won’t be lonely anymore. I will always be by your side.

Ryujin waited for Lia reply but there is none, so she assumes that Lia really had gone to sleep. Ryujin sighs and she scroll through her phone and stare at the picture of Lia that she secretly took.

“Am I really have fallen for you?” She asked herself.

Ryujin fell asleep with her hair still wet while holding to her phone.

***

Lia saw Ryujin’s text message but she decided not to reply. She brews herself tea and sits at nearby the window near her bed. She opens the window to let some fresh air in.

She sighs when the cold breeze brushes her cheeks she looks up to the stars and recite a line from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ book that she was reading.

“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet.”

Lia sighs again as she stares at the stars and moon, Ryujin’s face lingers in her mind. She tries to shakes the thought of Ryujin but to no avail, the girl’s face keeps on appearing in her mind. Lia sips on her tea and recall back her encounter with a purple haired fortune teller a few weeks before she met with Ryujin.

Flashback

Lia was on her way to her shop when she saw the fortune telling shop that she had never seen before.

“Dreamcatcher Fortune Telling? Is this place new?” she asked herself and her curiosity got best of her and she decided to steps in.

Lia was startled when a suddenly smoke appear out of nowhere and a shrieking laughter can be heard echoing in the shop. Lia was terrified when she saw the shop interior, with spider web, skull, black and red candles. Lia tries to leave the shop but when she rushes to the door two hooded figure block her.

“Leaving so soon?” said one of the figured with a deep low voice.

“I think…I’m in the wrong shop.” Said Lia when she tried to reach for the door but the hooded figure grabs her on the wrist to stop her.

“I think I should really go…” Lia laughs nervously as she tries to pry her wrist away.

The shrieking laughter is getting louder and louder, Lia can feel her hear racing faster, she prays that this is just a nightmare.

“Kim Sua stop that! You’re scaring our potential customer!”

The eerie laughter stopped but the two hooded figures still holding on to Lia’s wrist.

“Dami…Gahyeon…let her go.”

The two hooded figures let go of Lia’s wrist and they reveal themselves. Lia was surprised at how pale the duo looks. One of them were brunette another one is dark haired.

“We’re sorry! We didn’t mean to harm you~ you’re our first customer after so long!” said the one with the long black hair.

“Welcome to Dreamcatcher Fortune Telling~ I am Jiu, the owner of this shop, these are my sisters.”

“Hi, I’m Dami, I’m sorry about earlier.”

“I’m Gahyeon! The youngest of the house.”

“Hi!” Lia was startled by the sudden appearance of the woman behind her “I’m Kim Bora but everyone here calls me Sua! I’m sorry if I scared you with my laughter.”

Lia can feel at ease when she sees how warm all the people are, she smiles and wanted to introduce herself but Jiu cuts her off.

“You’re Julia…aren’t you?”

Lia looks puzzled and she tilted her head to the side “How do you know my name?”

Jiu smiles and said “In this house we know everyone and I believe it was fate that brings you here. Come Julia, follow me, I’ll introduce you to the rest of the sisters.”

Lia looks around and she sees that Gahyeon and Dami still blocking the door so she decides to just follow Jiu.

“Siyeon-ah, Handong-ah, Yoohyeon-ah come on out, we’ve got guest!”

Three more girls come out from the shadow and Lia notices that all of them wears the same clothes, a black kimono like robes. The girl with the black long hair and a bang is called Siyeon, the girl with the brown hair is called Handong and Lia were intimidated by her stares and last but not least, the grey colour haired tall girl is call Yoohyeon.

“Sit Julia, and we shall answer.” Said Jiu and Siyeon and Yoohyeon immediately rush to pull the chair for Lia.

Jiu snaps her fingers and Sua takes out the crystal ball and put it on top of the table. The crystal ball glows in purplish colour.

“Seek and you shall see, ask and you shall receive the answer, tell me Lia, what is it that you wanted to know? The crystal ball will give you all the answer that you want.”

It was silent for a moment and Lia looks around, she was sceptical about the whole fortune telling things “I, ugh…don’t have anything that I want to ask. I was just curious so I came in.” said Lia.

Sua scoffs and crossed her arms “Yah, we did all of those for you and you tell me that you are not interested your fortune telling?”

“Sua-ssi.” Jiu glares at Sua.

“Opps sowwie~”

“Sorry for Sua’s rudeness, she doesn’t mean it that way.” Jiu apologized. “Give me your hand Julia.”

Lia reluctantly let Jiu holds her hand.

“I see tragic, you lost your family…oh the tragic…a father, a mother and a brother, lost in the fire…”

Lia gasps when Jiu recount the tragic even of her childhood, where her family died in an accident, the car blow up and no one was safe. Her family were on their way to watch Lia’s musical recital when she was in first year of middle school, and it will forever hunt Lia. She can’t never shake away the face that she causes her family to died. If she didn’t beg them to come, they would probably still alive.

“And you are blaming yourself for their death.” Jiu opens her eyes and look at Lia as she sympathizes with the girl. The rest of the dreamcatcher sympathize with Lia too. Dami goes to get some tissue for Lia and Siyeon and Handong rub Lia on the back to comfort her.

“Stop blaming yourself Lia, death is not something that you can control.”

“I don’t know how you know those information, but if I didn’t force my mom and dad to come to my recital, they probably can avoid that accident and still be alive today.” Said Lia.

Jiu wipes away Lia’s tears with her thumb and she tells Lia “All of us here are gifted Lia, we all can see the past and the future. It’s not the only thing that I see, I see star crossed lover destiny in you too. Your soulmate will appear, but tragic will befallen on both of you.”

Lia wipes away her tears and she gets up from her chair and proceed to walk toward the exit but Jiu called for her to which made her stop.

“When you meet your soulmate, your heart will know, and the story will repeat again and again Juliet, only you and Romeo can change the star path and change your destiny. The clock is going to start ticking again, and tragic shall repeat again.”

Lia turns to Jiu and the rest of the Dreamcatcher “I don’t understand the nonsense that you spoke off. I’m leaving.”

Sua and Siyeon wanted to stop her “Eh you haven’t pay for the ser…”

“Suayeon, it’s okay.” Jiu stops her sisters from stopping Lia “She will come back.” Said Jiu with a smirk.

End of flashback

Jiu words keep ringing in Lia’s head ‘When you meet your soulmate, your heart will know, and the story will repeat again’. She remembers the first time when she met with Ryujin, the clock stops ticking and she was drawn by Ryujin’s eyes. It feels so familiar and yet it makes her heartache. Lia fiddle with her necklace, and look up to the stars again.

“Star crossed lover…” Lia said to herself and then she looks at the book on her hand ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

“Ryujin…” she whispers the blue haired girl’s name. She is sure that her heart beats louder whenever Ryujin is around. Even at the mentioned of her name makes Lia quiver. She wonders if Ryujin feels the same way too whenever she is around her.

***

The Next Morning

“UNNIEEEEE!!!”

Ryujin was awoken by Yuna’s loud voice and Yuna jumped on her bed.

“Unnie wake up wake up~~~”

Ryujin groans and turn to the other side but Yuna keeps on shaking her “Unnie unnieeeee~”

“10 more minutes Yuna-ah….”

“Unnie~ omma asked me to wake you up! You better get up now before omma comes up!!” Yuna yelled at her sister’s ear.

Ryujin gets up and glare at Yuna which made Yuna pouted “You’re going to pay for disturbing my beauty sleep.” Said Ryujin with a growl.

Yuna tries to suppress her laughter when she sees her sister’s hair condition she looks like a lion “Unnie, did you fall asleep without drying your hair again?”

“I must have doze off last night.” Replied Ryujin.

“You look like lion.” Said Yuna and she immediate gets off the bed and runaway before Ryujin could react.

“Yah Shin Yuna!!”

Yuna runs out of her sister room but she bumped to her mother.

“Yuna…”

“Oh omma!!” Yuna greets and she immediately hide behind her mother.

“Yah Shin Yuna!!” Ryujin shouted for her sister’s name but she stops when she saw her mother there and Yuna hiding behind their mother.

“Ryujin…” their mother uses the stern voice on Ryujin and Ryujin apologizes.

“Sorry omma, but Yuna started it first.”

“Yah!! Omma you see Ryujin unnie! You told me to wake her up so I tried to wake her up but then she got angry at me.” Yuna tall tale to her mother.

Ryujin clench her fist but when her mother clears Ryujin loosen it. Their mother sigh and crossed her arms “Ryujinie, Yuna-ah, the two of you only got each other, can you for once don’t fight like you were kids?”

“Sorry omma.” They both lowered they head and apologize.

“Ryujinie, hug your sister and apologize.” Their mother orders them.

“But omma!”

“No but, you are the older sister, you have responsibility is your younger sister.”

Ryujin sighs and she forcefully pulls Yuna to give her a hug, but she purposely hugs Yuna tightly that she almost squeezes out the air from Yuna.

“Ryujin.”

“I’m just showing Yuna how much I love her omma~” Ryujin replied her mother and she smiles at Yuna.

Mrs. Shin sighs again and shake her head “I don’t know what I’m gonna do with the two of you…anyway Ryujin-ah, your father and I, we’re going out to meet with our friends and later on we have diners with our clients, can you watch over Yuna?”

“Can you bring her along?”

“Ryujinie…”

“But I got a date with a friend later.” Whined Ryujin.

“Good, tag your sister along.” Mrs. Shin replied with a sly smile that is similar to her oldest daughter.

Ryujin rolls her eyes and she looks at Yuna who had that happy grin on her face. Ryujin reluctantly nods to agree with her mother and she goes back to her room. The perfect date that she wanted to have with Lia is ruined now that she had to tag Yuna along.

“Jinnie unnie hate me?” Yuna asked.

Mrs. Shin caress her youngest daughter’s hair and smiles at her “Nope~ Your Jinnie unnie is just in her adolescence period~ she loves you because you’re her only sister. Now don’t bother her too much later okay? Behave alright?”

Yuna nods and she hugs her mother. Her mother kisses her on the head and rubs her on the back “Go take your shower and join me and your father for breakfast later okay?”

Yuna smiles and kisses her mother and then she skips to her room to take her shower. Mrs. Shin then goes to Ryujin’s room.

“Jinnie.”

“What?”

Mrs. Shin walks in and sits on Ryujin’s bed, she puts her hand on Ryujin’s head “Yuna is your only sister, if one day anything happens to your father and I, you only got Yuna as your family. So treat her better okay? Lately I’ve seen you’ve treated your sister coldly Ryujin, and I don’t like that.”

“Omma…Yuna is 15, she needs to learn to be more independent than keep on counting on me. What if one day I have to go far away? Who’s going to take care of her? I know I treat her coldly and we always arguing or fighting, but I want to train her to be more independent.” Said Ryujin to her mom.

Mrs. Shin ruffles her daughter hair and smile at her “I know you are trying to be the best older sister Ryujin, but don’t be too harsh on your sister. Now go take your shower and join us for breakfast okay?”

Ryujin nods and she puts down her phone and climb down her bed to go to her bathroom to take her shower.

***

“Yeji! Are you ready yet?”

“Just a minute mom! Almost done!” Yeji shouted from her room. She checks herself in the mirror and she is satisfied with her looks and outfit. She gives herself a thumbs up and then goes down to greet her parents.

“Morning mom! Dad!”

“Good morning Yeji, are you ready to go?”

“Yup, by the way where are we going?” Yeji asked, she only know that her parents told her they are meeting someone for breakfast but they never mentioned who.

“You’ll see~” said her father with a smirk.

Yeji follows her parents and she was surprised that her father decided to drive himself today. Yeji called for shotgun and she runs to the passenger seat and she got scolded by her mother.

“Yeji, please don’t run! You are still not well!”

“Let her be honey, kid her age should be running around happily.” Said Mr. Hwang.

“I know hon, I’m just afraid that her sickness comes back.”

“Then we will be prepared.” Said Mr. Hwang with a smile.

Yeji hops in the car and she texted Ryujin.

Yeddong – Ryuddaeng!

Ryuddaeng – What?

Yeddong – Wow, I didn’t expect a reply from you.

Ryuddaeng – Gotta be the babysitter, so woke up early. You?

Yeddong – Meeting with my parents’ friend I guess?

Ryuddaeng – Uuu~~ what if you are meeting your future husband/wife?

Yeddong – There is no such thing as arranged marriage at this age of time Ryu.

Ryuddaeng – Who knows~ you’re the only heiress of the Hwang family~

Yeddong – You’re the Shin’s heiress too!

Ryuddaeng – Nah~ I’m still too young~ I’m a year younger remember?

Yeddong – Don’t push your luck Shin…

Ryuddaeng – Whatever~

Yeddong – I gotta go~ do you wnt to meet later?

Ryuddaeng – Nah, I got a fate and I gotta tag Yuna along with me.

Yeddong – A date?!

Ryuddaeng – A friendly date Yeddong…

Yeddong – Lia right? You’re going out with Lia.

Ryuddaeng – Yeah…

Yeji smile fades away when she finds out that her best friend acted before she can consult her. She is certain that she is not jealous of the fact that they are going out on a date. She decided not to reply Ryujin as she started to get car sick but she doesn’t want to make the girl to misunderstand her. She reluctantly text Ryujin back.

Yeddong – Sweet! Good luck for your date.

Mr. Hwang noticed the expression change in Yeji’s facial so he taps her on the arm “Yeji you okay?”

“Yup~” Yeji lied with a grin.

“We’re here!” her father announced and Yeji looks up to the big white mansion with awe.

“Who are we actually meeting with?”

“The Choi…” replied her mother from the back passenger seat.

“The Choi?”

“Yep…the reason why we keeping this a secret from you is because you are Ryujin’s Bff and we’re afraid that you’ll tell Ryujin about it.” Said Yeji’s father.

“Why? I never hide anything from Ryujin and you know it.”

“Yes, we know darling, that’s why this meeting must be kept a secret from Ryujin, or her sister or her family.” said Yeji’s mother.

“Mom? Dad? I don’t understand.”

“We should tell her about the contract honey.” Yeji’s mother tells her father.

Mr. Hwang sighs and he turns to his daughter with a smile “Honey, I know this fact might be hard for you to digest but I want you to know that this contract means a lot to our family. Our company is in the verge of bankruptcy.”

“What?!”

“Let your father finish dear.”

“We need the money to save our company Yeji. I know you will ask me why I didn’t just ask from the Shin family, but Ryujin’s father had helped me a lot of time before and I don’t want to be more in debt with him anymore. The Choi offered us help and I am not turning it down, and I know if Taemin hyung finds out about this meeting, he will never forgive me.”

“But why dad? Why would you do such thing? Uncle Taemin will understand if you tell him.”

“No honey… the Shin family is our biggest investor, if we asked for their help again, our business will fall into their hand. Your father and I didn’t want that to happen. The Choi is our only hope.”

“Then why do I need to keep it a secret?”

“Because the Choi and the Shin are the fore nemesis since the old day.” Said Yeji’s father.

Yeji was speechless, she couldn’t believe that her family members wanted to turn their back against the Shin family.

“As the sole heiress of the Hwang, we need you to understand Yeji. We are not asking you to cut ties with the Shin, especially Ryujin and Yuna. We just want you to keep this meeting as our secret.”

Yeji keeps herself silent, she was in dilemma but she knows how much the company mean to her parents, but the Shin family had been nice to her. She read about the Shin and the Choi’s story from her grandmother before. They have been enemy for the longest time that her grandmother remembers, for generations.

“We’re here.”

The Hwang family nervously excited the car and they were greeted by the Choi’s butler. Yeji is scared but her father keeps her behind him to protect her. The butler brings them to the dining room and Yeji was amused by the design of the dining area. The big windows letting the sunlight in and it becomes the natural lighting. The white wallpaper gives the room a little vintage feeling to it. The butler pulls up a chair for the three of them and told them that the Mr. Choi will see them shortly.

“They are freaking rich.” Yeji thought to herself.

“The Choi are here!” announced the butler and he opens the entrance door for them. The Hwang family stand up to bow to them and Yeji stops when she saw a familiar face among the Choi.

“Lia…” she gasps to herself.

“Nice to see you Mr. Hwang Yuri…”

“Nice to see you too…Mr. Choi Siwon…”

“By the way, Mr. Hwang, this is my wife, Sooyeon and this is my niece Julia, the rightful heiress to the Choi’s household.”

“This is my wife Tiffany and our daughter, Yeji…”

“Nice to meet you.” Yeji bows to Mr. Choi and Mrs Choi.

Lia was surprised to see Yeji with her uncle’s acquaintance. Lia put on her poker face, pretending that she had never met Yeji. Yeji was puzzled by Lia, she is certain that she won’t forgot Lia’s face, but Lia’s action made her confused.

The Hwang and the Choi seated opposite each other and begins to discuss about business as soon as the breakfast is served.

“I’m glad you came to us Mr. Hwang, I mean, we the Choi are certainly better business partner than those Shin.”

“You are our only hope Siwon-shi…”

“And I will not fail you. Now we will discuss it furthermore if only…”

“If only we coax the Shin to sell their share in our company to you and asked them to invest more…” Yuri cuts Siwon off.

Siwon smirks as he sees that Yuri is being driven by greed and is easy to manipulate. He had always known that the Hwang had been struggle and without the Shin’s help they probably already being kicked out to the street and beg for money.

Yeji couldn’t believe that her father is thinking of betraying his friendship with the Shin. Siwon who noticed Yeji’s expression tries to change the topic.

“Yeji, how old are you?” he asked but Yeji refuses to answer until she received a jab from her father.

“I’m 18 this year, I’m in my senior year.” She replied.

“Oh that means you’re the same age as my niece! How about this girl, if your father succeeds in coaxing the Shin to invest more into his business, I shall marry her off to you and together with our wealth we can rule the country.”

“Uncle!” Lia smacked the table and she glares at her uncle.

“Lia, table manner please, we have guests.” Said Siwon to his niece.

“I will not marry someone whom I don’t know and it is not up to you to make decision on how to run my father’s business.”

“In your father will I will be your caretaker until you’re 21 and I am allowed to make decision for his daughter. And in his will he specifically said I will sit on his place until you turn 21!”

Lia clenches her teeth and she left the table.

“Lia where are you going?! It’s rude to leave when the guests are still here!”

Yeji gets up too but her mother tries to stop her, she turns to her mother and then to Mr. Choi “Mr. Choi, may I go and talk to her?” said Yeji.

“Do you know her?” Yuri asked his daughter.

“No, but I mean, I’m just a kid, listening all this business thing bored me, Mr. Choi you said Lia is same age as me, maybe I can try to talk to her or something.” Yeji lied, well partially, first she really is not interested in the business talk and second, she wanted to make sure if that Lia is the same Lia she met yesterday.

“I like your daughter way of thinking.” Said Siwon with a laugh “Go Yeji, try to make Lia understand how our power combined can make us the most powerful family in Korea.”

Yeji smiles at Siwon but when she wanted to leave, her mother hold on her, Yeji looks down at her mother and see that worried look in her eyes. Yeji smiles at her mom and said that it’s okay.

***

Lia stormed off to the garden and she vent her anger on the grass by plucking it.

“Those grass have life too.”

Lia turns to face the voice owner and she sees Yeji standing behind her. Yeji approaches her and squatted beside her too “You are the Lia that I met last night right?” Yeji asked.

“What if I say no?” Lia asked back.

“Then I must have had a bad memory, because I will certainly remember a face as beautiful as yours.”

“You are a sweet talker Yeji.”

“So you are Lia right?”

“Yes.” Lia answered.

“I can’t believe that you are the heiress of the Choi family.” said Yeji.

“And I can’t believe that you are Hwang.”

“You might be more surprise if you know Ryujin is a Shin…” said Yeji.

Lia stops plucking the grass and turns to Yeji “What?”

“Ryujin is your employee and you didn’t notice that her family name is Shin?” said Yeji.

“There’s a countless other people in Korea name Shin, Yeji…Ryujin couldn’t possibly be that Shin, beside she isn’t rich!” Lia tried to deny it.

“You have a date with her later right? Why don’t you ask her?”

“Why are you doing this Yeji?”

“I hate my parents for what they are doing now…and we supposed to hate the Choi too, as we are the Shin’s accomplice since for as long as I remembered, it had been like that for generations. I know you’re mad of what your uncle had said earlier, but Lia, help me.”

“Help you?” Lia raised an eyebrow at Yeji.

“I don’t want my parents to betray the trust that the Shin had given us…seeing your reaction to what your uncle had said earlier, I know you don’t want this partnership to go on too right? It may jeopardize yours and Ryujin’s relationship and also my friendship with Ryujin.”

Lia sighs and she looks up to the sky “I can’t…”

“You are the heiress to the business right?”

“My uncle will definitely try to get rid of me before I turn 21…I know how cunning he is.” Said Lia and she turns to Yeji with a weak smile “All that I can do now is follow what he said and try to work my ways to stay alive until then.”

“Is that why you stayed at that shop? To run away from your uncle?”

Lia nods “That place is my only safe and comfort place. When my parents died, my grandmother took over my custody because she knows how vile is my uncle and she had a restriction order that except for me, no Choi can enter that shop. So they can’t touch me there.”

“And you risk your life to come to this pointless meeting?” Yeji asked.

Again Lia nods “But as the will of my father mentioned, I need to be present whenever they are signing any contract despite I have no say against the decision made.”

“You…live a hard life Lia…”

“I did…I was miserable, until Chaeryeong and Ryujin come in my life. Chaeryeong can be absent minded sometime and I wasn’t going to hire anyone to run the shop, but she begged me and I was amused by her will to earn money and prove to her parents that she can be the idol that she always wanted to be. I purposely gave her extra you know.” Lia pauses and she laughs when the memories of Chaeryeong begged her comes to her mind.

Yeji was more curious about Lia’s feeling toward Ryujin so she asks “Then Ryujin?”

Lia hesitated at first and Yeji noticed the blush on Lia’s face, Yeji tried to control her feelings and let Lia talks.

“Ryujin…”

“Miss Julia.” The butler of the house calls for the heiress “Your uncle need you.”

Lia turns to Yeji with sadness in her eyes “Please keep away the secret that I am a Choi from Ryujin…” she said before she gets up and enter the mansion, leaving Yeji with unanswered question.

***

“Bye Yuna! Bye Ryujin~ take care.” Naeun waves good bye at her daughters when she gets in the car.

“Bye~~” Yuna cheerfully wave at her mother while Ryujin was in a bad mood.

“What’s up with that face princess?” Taemin asked when he passes by his eldest daughter.

“Because I am stuck here babysitting your precious daughter.” Said Ryujin sarcastically.

Taemin laughs and ruffles Ryujin’s hair “You hate it but we love it, save us cost on babysitter.” Said Taemin.

“Hahaha funny dad.” Ryujin puts on insincere smile for her father.

“Come on Ryujin~ only for today, we’ll be back before 12~ and I heard that you are going on a date with your friend later right? So here’s my card, buy whatever you two want and enjoy yourself.”

“Geez, dad, when it comes to Yuna, you gave me your card but if I asked for it, you always decline!”

“That’s because daddy loves me.” said Yuna.

“Yah!”

“Joanne Shin and Hussey Shin, I did not raise you two to be like this. Play nice! Ryujin as the eldest sister I am counting on you, if you can’t take care of your sister, how am I going to let you take care of our business when you graduated? And you Hussey Shin Yuna, please stop teasing your sister so much. I don’t want to see any scratches or bruises on either one of you when I come back okay?”

“Yes daddy.”

“Good girl, daddy is going now~ see you soon my princesses.” Taemin kisses both of his daughters on their cheek before he joins his wife in the limousine.

Ryujin and Yuna stand at the entrance until the car is out of their sight and both return back to their mansion. Yuna links her arm with her sister “So unnie, where are we going later? Are we going out with Yeji unnie?”

“Nope…”

“Chaeryeong?”

“Chaeryeong is busy.” Replied Ryujin nonchalantly.

“Then? You have other friends beside these two?”

“Lia.”

“We’re going out with Lia unnie?!!”

“Nu-uh, it was supposed to be me going out with Lia but now I have to drag you along. What a nuisance.”

“I promise I’ll be good! I’ll do whatever you want me to do for you if you bring me along unnie!” Yuna begged.

“Anything?”

“Yes! Anything.”

Ryujin smirks devilishly and Yuna just regretted her offering but it’s too late to take it back now.

***

“Pleasure to be working with you Mr. Hwang.”

“No! No! The pleasure is mine.”

“Ah Yeji! There you are! Come on Yeji, Mr. Choi agreed to help us in our business! You should thanks him too.” Said Yuri to his daughter.

Yeji looks at Lia who had the defeated look on her face, she knew that this was hard for Lia as it is hard for her as well. She bows to thank Mr. Choi and Mr. Choi put his hand on her shoulder.

“Get up child! You don’t have to bow to me! We will soon become in laws! You can start calling me uncle if you want!” said Siwon happily to Yeji.

Yeji was surprised at what she just heard and she looks up to Lia, and she knows it wasn’t a joke made by a middle aged man but it’s true.

“What?”

“You father agreed to my proposal that we should become in law to expand our power.” Said Siwon.

“You don’t have to worry about Lia, it is her duty to expand the family power.”

“But…but I…”

“Don’t worry much okay, your father is a wise person he knows what he is doing. I will see you around Yeji!”

Yeji bows again, she was beyond speechless, she admitted that she feels something when she was with Lia despite that they just met yesterday, but she also knows that Lia doesn’t feel the same way toward her and Lia is probably in love with her best friend, just now how Ryujin is in love with her too. Yeji is torn between her obligation as the Hwang heiress and also as Ryujin’s best friend.

The house butler leads the Hwang to the main entrance as they were about to leave. Yeji takes the last glance at Lia and she sees Lia mouthed something at her.

“Don’t tell Ryujn.” She mouthed.

Yeji nods as she was about to enter the car. When her father driver away, Yeji turns back to look at the Choi for the last time and she saw how the smile on Choi Siwon turns to a scowl when he turned to Lia. She saw how Lia flinched too when Siwon grabs her wrist. She closes her eyes and tries to shake off what the Choi are going to do to Lia and she turns back to the front.

“How could you.” She said to her parents.

“What choices do we have Yeji?”

“Uncle Taemin and Aunt Naeun treated us like their family too! How could you breached their trust like this.” Said Yeji.

“The Choi offers us not only financial support Yeji, they offer us power too. Aren’t you sick of being under the Shin’s shadow?”

“And you even agree to take Lia as your daughter in law without even asking for my consent?” Yeji scoffs.

“Yeji, as a Hwang you need to sacrifice a bit for the family. Imagine the power that you have when you marry her.” Tiffany said to her daughter.

Yeji only looks at her parents in disbelieve.

“Enough of this discussion. Remember Yeji, never tell Ryujin or Yuna about this meeting! If you love us, you will never tell them okay?”

Yeji reluctantly nods her head. Yuri looks so proud of his daughter and he turns to Tiffany “We are going to be rich again Fany.”

***

Lia runs back to her room in tears. She holds on to her red stingy cheek that her uncle just slapped. It was throbbing and hot. She looks at herself in the mirror and she looks at her miserable state. Her mother necklace that hung onto her neck caught her attention. She holds the necklace and closes her eyes, hoping for it to give her comfort.

Then Jiu’s words ringing in her ears “I see star crossed lover destiny in you too. Your soulmate will appear, but tragic will befallen on both of you”

She sits on the floor while holding to her ears “Tragic will befallen on both of you”

“Star crossed lover”

“Your soulmate will appear”

“When you meet your soulmate, your heart will know”

“Only you and Romeo can change the star path and change your destiny.”

“The clock is going to start ticking again, and tragic shall repeat again”

Lia wipes away her tears and gather her stuff. She rushes out her room but is stopped by her aunt “Where do you think you are going?” she said.

“You only needed me here for the contract signing, it has been done, and I guess that is my queue to leave.” Lia said coldly and she proceed to walk away from her aunt. Lia left the mansion despite the protest of her maids and butler. She hailed for Taxi outside of the residency and asked the taxi to drive her to her shop.

***

Dreamcatcher Fortune Telling

“Aigoo~~ I’m bored! Siyeon ah let’s play something!” Sua said out loudly and she received complaints from the other dreamcatcher sisters.

“Yah! Lee Gahyeon, you don’t have the rights to complain me, you’re as loud as I am!” Sua pointed at Gahyeon.

“Unnie! Look at Sua unnie threatening me again!” Gahyeon shouted to the eldest member of the dreamcatcher sisterhood.

“Haigoo…can’t I have just one peaceful day without you girls arguing and fighting?” Jiu complaint back “Can’t you bunch be like Dami, Yoohyeon and Handong, look at them, not bothering me at all!”

“Their live is boring~” said Siyeon and she received a glare from Handong.

“Beg my pardon? We are in energy reserving mode okay! We don’t have the energy like you two do~” said Yoohyeon and instantly Sua gets up from her seat and assault Yoohyeon.

Yoohyeon screams for help but no one pays attention to them. Gahyeon gone back to her selfie taking session, Siyeon bothering Jiu about food, Dami was oblivious because she was focus on her music then there’s Handong who silently judging all of the sisters.

Jiu suddenly has a premonition and she asks her sister to silent “Everyone silent!” and everyone obey the eldest member. Jiu opens her eyes and smiles “Our Juliet comes back for us. Everyone! Go get change to your uniform quick!!”

Everyone rushes to get their uniform and change while Jiu set up the whole space. She checks herself in the mirror and when the other dreamcatcher’s members stand behind her, the shop entrance chime jingles and Lia walks in.

“Welcome back Lia.” They all greet her.

Lia puts down her back and walks toward the fortune telling table and she holds Jiu’s hand “Tell me…”

“About the star crossed lover?” said Jiu to finish Lia’s words.

“How…how you know all of this? How?” Lia questioned Jiu and the rest of the dreamcatchers.

“If we told you, you wouldn’t believe us too, Julia…”

“You called me Juliet before…. does that mean….”

“Yes…you are the incarnation of Juliet, and Ryujin is the reincarnation of Romeo…” Jiu once again finished Lia’s sentences.

“…How do you know I was going to ask if Ryu…”

“It’s written in your star Lia.” Said Gahyeon.

Sua is getting impatient and she flips the table, making everyone scream in surprised “Listen here Juliet! All 7 of us suffer the same curse as you! We have been reincarnated again and again and again and we watch how you and Romeo did the same mistake again and again and again! I’ll show you prove if you want to see prove how we know what you wanted to know!”

“Dami.” Jiu called for the latter and Dami immediately understand what Jiu want. Dami magically produce a wand and froze Sua.

Jiu smiles at the startled Lia, she offers her hand and Lia takes it. Jiu pulls Lia up and brushes the dust on her clothes.

“You…you people are…”

“I am terrible sorry for Sua’s attitude, Juliet, she ate too much sugar today. Siyeon ah, can you please drag Sua away?”

“Yes Ma’am!”

“Lia do you want to know? About what Sua just said?”

“Am…I really Juliet’s reincarnation?” Lia asked.

“Yes.” Jiu answers calmly.

“And…Ryujin…Ryujin is the soulmate that you told me about, and she’s the reincarnation of Romeo?”

“Yes.”

“Are we going to die again?”

“Maybe.”

“Jiu!!” the other dreamcatchers yelled at her.

“Okay, I’m sorry, we are here to stop you two from commit suicide again. You know how the story of Romeo and Juliet goes…there’s no need of explanation on how the lovers decided to die for each other. The moment Romeo killed himself, he stopped the destiny clock, and we have to clean his mess. When you came back from your comma, the clock start ticking again but as soon as you stabbed yourself in the heart, the clock stops again.” Jiu carefully explain.

“I thought Romeo and Juliet was just a story that created by Shakespeare…”

“Oh no~ they are pretty real.” Said Yoohyeon.

“And not just Romeo and Juliet…” said Handong.

“There are a lot of story all over the world about lovers that suicide when their family goes against their love.”

“And where do 7 of you fits in this story?” Lia asked.

“We are the keeper of the destiny clock Lia. More specifically yours. We have failed so many times to make your star align with Romeo’s star so your star won’t cross path but it seems like your love for each other is too strong for us to bend.”

“When your destiny is not fulfilled, the clock will stop ticking, and you will be reincarnate again and again until your destiny is fulfilled.” Dami added.

“And after so many trial and error we realized the only way for it to start ticking again is for you and Romeo to have a happy life!” Gahyeon explain.

Jiu waves her hand in the air and a pinkish smokes appear out of nowhere and she shows Lia her destiny clock.

“Over centuries, the clock had never start ticking but when you met Ryujin, it starts to tick again! It’s a good sign Juliet. Maybe this time you and Romeo can get the happily ever after ending that you two deserve!”

Lia scoffs and she shakes her head “Maybe we won’t…” said Lia.

“What are you talking about?”

“If Ryujin is really the reincarnation of Romeo, and I am Juliet and as our previous life, in this life we are doomed too. For our family are enemy. There is no way for a happily ever after, after all…maybe with me marrying other people, Romeo won’t kill herself and move on with life.”

“No! You don’t understand!!” Sua burst out from the room that Siyeon dragged her into.

“You and Romeo have to end up together!! Only you and Romeo can break the curse of time!”

“The curse of time?”

“Sua doesn’t understand what she said!!” Siyeon yells and she covers up Sua’s mouth and drags her back into the room.

“Jiu…” Lia turns to Jiu for confirmation.

“The curse can only be lifted by the lover who casted them…which is you and Romeo. I can’t help you with it, but remember Juliet, if you don’t break it, the cycle will continue, you will keep being reincarnated and die again and again.”

Lia wants to reply Jiu with more question but her phone rings and she sees the caller is Ryujin. She hesitates to pick it up however the dreamcatchers urge her to pick it up.

“Hhello.”

“Hey Lia! What’s up, I hope I didn’t disturb anything. Umm…I call to ask if our date in the afternoon still going on?”

Lia wanted to say no but Jiu uses her magic to silence Lia and she took the phone from Lia, she then turns to Handong. Handong was confused for a second until the other members’ gesture to her to use her voice changing magic to talk to Ryujin.

“Lia?”

“Yes Ryujin! It’s still on!” Handong replies to the phone with Lia’s voice.

“Great! Ugh, where do you want to meet?”

“How about the café opposite my shop?” Handong suggested and the test of the dreamcatchers give her a thumb up.

“Okay, I’ll see you there! Oh by the way, Yuna is joining, hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh! No problem at all!”

“That’s weird.” Said Ryujin.

“What weird?”

“I’ve never heard you so happy before, does this mean you’re excited for our date?” Ryujin asked and she snickers over the phone.

“I am excited to see you.” Said Handong and the dreamcatchers asked her to cut off the call “I’ll see you later Ryujin! Gotta get myself ready!”

“Okay…I’ll see you Lia.”

Handong hangs up on the phone call and they all sighs in relief. Lia was struggling to shout out her voice but nothing came out and when Jiu undo the magic, Lia manages to shout out loud.

“What was that for?!!” she scolded them and take her phone back.

“Juliet! You have to believe us on this. We’ve been through with you for hundreds of years and we don’t want the same mistake happen again and again!” Yoohyeon begs Lia.

“I can’t believe you guys.” Lia said in disappointment. She gathers her stuff and want to leave the shop, the girls try to stop her but Jiu ask them to let her go. Once Lia left the shop, Sua comes out bursting again.

“You guys forgot to ask payment from her again!!”

“Oops.”

***

Julia fast walking toward her shop that is only a few blocks away. She still couldn’t digest what just happened. She reaches her shop but stop when she sees the café opposite her shop. She shakes her head and enter the shop. She locks the door and rushes up to her room. She slams the door hard and gets her pillow to muffle her own scream.

“Juliet.”

“Aah!!” Lia screams when Jiu suddenly appears in her room, she is pretty sure that she had lock the shop entrance and her bedroom door.

“You really need to consider what we’ve told you. Only you and Romeo can break the curse. How many centuries more do you want to suffer?”

Lia tries to ignore the apparition of Jiu’s image that appear in her room. She walks out to her living room but Jiu follows her.

“Get lost! I don’t want to hear anything from you!”

“Alright, I will go, but before that, you need to pay for our services.” Said Jiu.

“Seriously?”

“The girls won’t let me back empty handed~”

“You forced me to listen to your crap and ask me to pay for it?”

“Sister gotta live too Juliet~”

“Fine…” said Lia with a sigh and she grabs her purse “How much?”

“That would be 74,2083-won.”

Lia almost dropped her purse when she heard the price but she isn’t going to argue with the woman anymore so she just handed her a total of 75,000-won.

“Keep the change.”

“Oh wow! Thanks! You are welcome to come to our place anytime you want~ next session will be FOC~” said Jiu before she vanished.

Lia throws her purse on the coffee table and she curls up on her couch while trying to register what had happened. Romeo and Juliet book falls off from the couch and Lia reach out for it. Who would’ve thought that the tragic love story Shakespeare wrote is actually about her. She always hated the tragic love story. She hated how two lovers can’t be together and only by their death that their family finally able to accept them. Lia hugs the book and softly cries as she slowly dozes off to sleep.

To be continue…

A/N: So how was it? I’m gonna make Dreamcatcher as part of this story, because I love them so much and want people to get to know them too. Will Lia turns up to the date or will she just lie to Ryujin and stay at home? What will happen next? Will Ryujin knows Lia’s true identity? What Yeji going to do?