Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Chapter 17

In the end, Arum was opening her heart. She put down chopsticks with which she held chicken breast and stood before the small room.

Usually she doesn’t use the room.

This is the second time she stood before it after she met Hojoon.

With a deep breath she opened the door.

She noticed kitchen utensils boxes not yet opened, and home appliances. And the coffee machine she purchased after arguing with Konsu.

She was ashamed of herself.

According to Hojoon’s analysis, these stuff were pouring negative energy into the whole house.

‘No way, I can’t believe that.’

‘All this stuff is me. How happy I was when I purchased them. How can these unopened boxes be called trash?’

That was nonsense.

When she moved one step, her sock collected dust ball instantly.

Where did all this dust collect when I didn’t even open the door for such a long time?

She made a frown before she knew. And she took out frames among the boxes. The wedding picture frame covered with dust.

She burst into laughter while looking at the smiling bride and bridegroom.

One day before the shooting, they had rice with raw fish.

Both of them were suffering from bellyache all morning. They had to visit the restroom frequently while posing for the shooting. Konsu, who suggested they eat rice with raw fish, felt sorry for her during the shooting.

When she recalled that day, she got upset. Come to think of it, Konsu said more often he felt sorry on that day than when he said about breaking off their engagement.

‘Dang it! Did he think I was inferior to rice with raw fish?’

Anyway, both were done with shooting for their wedding safely, and received the insurance from the restaurant that sold rice with raw fish.

When she received the text message on divorce and moved out, she didn’t throw this stuff. The reason was not she had any lingering attachment to him but because she still believed in the possibility of meeting him again.

The possibility of reunion.

Though she told her acquaintances she forgot Konsu, there was a lot of evidence in the small room that she didn’t yet forget him.

In the lecture Hojoon passionately emphasized that they should clean the piled odds and ends and throw them away. But these are the stuff that she can never throw away.

Why did Konsu leave, with all this stuff entrusted to her?

She felt stuffy again. She sneezed because of dust. When she was about to leave, a plastic bag dropped.

Numerous wedding invitation cards fell on the floor.

The card with the names Konsu Han and Arum Yang clearly written on it.

Suddenly she got angry.

And at the same time she broke into tears.

Nonetheless, she missed him.

***

When the staff morning meeting of the Famed House of Geomancy was over, there was a telephone ringing.

Heemang answered the phone.

“Yes, how are you? Yes, sir. It’s hard because president Hojoon Lee is fully booked for the first six months this year…”

At that moment Hojoon gestured toward him, asking, “What is it?”

“It’s call from women’s magazine <Miracle Woman>. They want to interview you.”

“Really?”

After thinking it over for a moment, he said he would take the call personally.

“Hi, this is Hojoon Lee. Nice to talk to you.”

They talked over the phone in a happy mood.

When Hojoon hung up the phone, Heemang came back with a memo he recorded yesterday.

“I forgot to tell you this, but <Single Woman> also asked to interview you yesterday.”

“Really?”

<Single Woman> is the company affiliated with Arum Yang.

“Who called you?”

“Well…”

“Nobody?”

“What I mean is, she said something like Urm. As her voice was inaudible, I only heard that.”

Hojoon instantly sensed that it was a call from Arum Yang.

“Got it. You said it was <Single Woman>, right?’

He made a funny expression on face. But there was something that he didn’t know.

<Miracle Woman> was the arch rival of <Single Woman>.

The editors of the two magazines were from the same university, and joined Munhwa Publishing Co. at the same time. But their relationship fell out when its rival publishing company inaugurated <Miracle Woman>. Besides, the editor of <Miracle Woman> took her juniors with her. <Single Woman> faced a financial crisis because of that.

Though they were enemies in the past, they tried to get along well in the name of comrades today. But they would immediately lock in competition whenever they found out exclusive stories.

The editor of <Miracle Woman>, who managed to have a lunch appointment with Hojoon, was fully ready to make the best use of the appointment.

***

Arum had lunch in a relaxed mood.

Holding a cup of coffee in one hand, she took the elevator and tried to sort out her assignment in the afternoon.

‘Selecting the interview photos, wrapping up news brief, etc. What else do I have?’

She couldn’t recall what it was. She was bothered by that.

‘There must be some other thing to do.’

The moment she got off the elevator and arrived at her desk, the editor shouted,

“Arum, come to my room!”

The editor obviously had a very angry look.

‘What’s the matter?’

Arum couldn’t figure out at all.

“You said Hojoon Lee’s schedule was fully booked, right?”

“Yes, for the next six months.”

“How come he is meeting the editor of <Miracle Woman>?”

“Really?” she asked back, embarrassed.

“Are you making fun of me now? How come you couldn’t contact him?”

“Obviously I contacted his staff…”

“What?”

“Didn’t you call Hojoon yet?”

Officially she didn’t. She nodded silently.

“Do you think you are an editor with <Single Woman> with such a poor performance?”

“I’m sorry.”

Once <Single Woman> was locked in competition with <Miracle Woman> like this, there was no other way to get around it. She had to show her performance as good as <Miracle Woman> or beat it.

Unless Hojoon walked into the office of <Single Woman> on his own, she couldn’t find the solution.

“I’m sorry.”

“Go and get him here right now!”

Right at that moment the youngest assistant knocked on the door of the editor’s room.

“What is it?”

The editor cast a sharp glance at the assistant.

“We have a guest looking for Arum…”

As if he read the strange atmosphere of the editor’s room, the assistant slurred.

‘Oh my… you are so slow-witted, man. Don’t you see the editor?’

Arum stared at him with some eye signal. But the assistant seemed anxious to say something urgently.

“Well… geomancy consultant Hojoon Lee has come here.”

“Who?”

Arum and the editor quickly went out simultaneously.

Inside the conference room was sitting Hojoon Lee.

“Hi, Arum!”

He greeted her gladly.

“Do you know him?” asked the editor.

The editor was at a loss for words.

‘How could you handle this when you knew him?’

The editor seemed to cast an angry glance at her.

“No, let me correct, yes.”

Arum was so embarrassed that she got confused which answer was correct.

“Nice to see you. I’m Hojoon Lee.”

“How do you do? I’m editor Young Oh.”

“I’ve wanted to see you for long. I’m reading your articles well.”

The editor’s face brightened at that praise of his.

Arum couldn’t figure out the situation at the moment.

‘Am I dreaming now? Where did this guy appear suddenly like this?’

At that moment the editor shouted at Arum,

“What are you doing now, with the guest standing like this? Escort him inside!”

“Yes, editor.”

Arum decided to stay alert sharply. The three of them sat face to face.

“I heard from Arum that you were fully booked for the next six months.”

She freaked out at that moment.

She didn’t lie. She just wanted to avoid the situation where she had to work with Hojoon. Little did she expect to have this unexpected catastrophic encounter.

‘What does he make of me? What should I do if he asked me why I didn’t call him at his cell phone?’

She closed her eyes resignedly.

“That’s right,” said Hojoon, confirming the editor’s question on his schedule.

“By the way, I heard you met the editor of <Miracle Woman>”

Hojoon was stunned at that.

“How did you know that?”

“Well, I’m on a win-win relationship with that editor.”

“Oh, I see. In fact, my mother is a fan of <Miracle Woman>”

Arum signaled with eye toward him to stop. But he didn’t understand it.

He continued, “My mother keeps all the copies of <Miracle Woman> including its inaugural issue.”

“Really?”

The editor’s voice trembled. The two editors were on an win-win terms officially, but privately they hated each other intensely.

Though the editor of <Single Woman> trembled while speaking with Hojoon, she didn’t lose her elegance.

But slow-witted Hojoon continued,

“I had a call from <Miracle Woman>, so I made a lunch appointment to express my thanks.”

“Oh, I see.”

“But when my assistant told me he had a call from <Single Woman>, I came running here. Sorry, my assistant was clumsy in answering the phone.”

Only then did the editor brighten her face, and Arum breathed out comfortably.

“By the way, do you know each other? Why didn’t you tell me, Arum? How come you keep on telling me you want to check with another geomancy specialist? Oh, sorry for that.”