Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Chapter 21

“What the heck is this? Is this tap water? Why is it so lukewarm?” asked Arum.

“You’re in big trouble if you have cold water in this situation. That’s why I mixed cold water with hot water. Heat goes up while cold comes down. It’s sort of a yin and yang prescription. The spirit in our body is opened up, making blood circulation better. So, just drink it.”

“Ah, is this Mt. Jiri style?”

Hojoon couldn’t understand what she was talking about.

“Why do you mention Mt. Jiri at the drop of a hat?”

She drank water slowly on purpose for the sake of Hojoon, who got curious.

“Don’t you remember me?”

“Of course, I do. You collapsed in front of my front door recently.”

“That’s not our first encounter.”

When she beat around the bush, he got more interested.

“When was it then? Did you buy my book? I haven’t seen ugly women like you at the book-signing ceremony.”

“O my… You’re impossible!”

And then she showed him the photo.

“Don’t you remember this?”

Hojoon’s face turned deadly pale.

“Where did you get this? Are you a stalker?”

“Am I crazy enough to stalk you? Do you really not remember it? Where is the man who shouted at me that I was a trash can?”

Only then did Hojoon remember it.

“Oh, that zombie-looking woman.”

“Zombie?”

She straightened her upper body as she sprang out at him. He pulled her shoulder and forced her to sit down.

“You’re really a trash can, geomancy man! Besides, I saw you acting lethargic before your ex-girlfriend.”

“I’m not such a crap. A trash-like woman came into my place.”

“Why? Because you’re a trash can.”

Arum should have gotten upset about him, but she was smiling. She was set to argue with him, but she found herself playing with him.

What a funny situation.

“So, what do you want?” asked Hojoon.

“Nothing. I just want to post a photo taken in the past.”

Her reply had him in stitches.

“Who would carry such a photo? Besides, he was not an entertainer. Just an ordinary citizen, as you know.”

That was true. She got a bit disappointed.

“Well, let me post it on the internet.”

Hojoon’s face turned pale at that. Though he bluffed before her, he couldn’t allow her to spread the photo on the internet.

“No, no way. You shouldn’t do that. That photo of mine doesn’t fit the image of the Famed House of Geomancy, which is chic and modern.”

“Are you ashamed of Mt. Jiri?”

“What the heck are you talking about?”

“Don’t you think Mt. Jiri can also be chic and modern?”

Both of them cracked ridiculous jokes like that and laughed out loud.

They must have looked into each other’s wounded hearts.

They must have shared each other’s secrets. They were on the defensive as far as love was concerned.

“Okay, then. You want to strike a deal with me, right?” asked Hojoon.

“Take back immediately what you mentioned, such as working in the field with you to learn geomancy!”

“No, I can’t do it. That’s an absolute principle I can’t change.”

“Do you know how busy a reporter is?”

“Don’t you know how dreadful it is to report a false story? Instead I can…” said Hojoon.

But he hesitated for a minute.

“Instead of what?”

Arum obviously smelled a rat.

“Well, I shouldn’t do this…”

After he was agonized for a moment, Hojoon shook his hand.

And then he continued, checking her expectant look,

“If you listen to my lecture well, I can give you consultation. For the next 100 days, let me help you find your love with the secret method of geomancy. How about it?”

Arum heard something from the heaven.

<Let me give you the opportunity to find your love.>

Arum thought to herself, ‘If only I could meet and love Konsu again! Isn’t it a matter of time for me, given up as a trash can up to now, to become a jewel box? I think the trash piled in the small room could turn into shining home furnishings.’

At Hojoon’s sudden offer of geomancy consultation, Arum showed interest.

“Is that possible?”

Asking that question, she folded her hands before she knew.

“The final outcomes of my geomancy consultation are unpredictable. You may not necessarily meet the one you really want to.”

“Don’t worry about that. To me the one and only man is Konsu.”

Her eyes sparkled with hope.

“Come to my office one week later. You should read my books and watch video lectures before you come here.”

“What if I can’t find my love despite so many trials and hardships on my end?”

“If you sow the seeds of negative thinking like that, you won’t reap anything.”

Then he closed her mouth with both hands.

“If you can’t find your love in 100 days, just spread that photo on the internet.”

“Really? Are you so confident?”

“Don’t you know me? I’m a geomancy expert,” said Hojoon with a hearty laugh.

***

The conference room of <Single Woman>.

The editor chose the article candidates selectively.

“Next, what are you preparing, Arum?”

Showing photo data by using a beam projector, Arum explained,

“I’ve taken a review of the existing articles. They all turned to geomancy interior. Wall paper, furniture, accessories, kitchen were all given as a set through sponsorship.”

“So what?”

“This is sort of a setting. They say this kind of setting is not the type of space we live in.”

“Did Hojoon say that?”

“Yes.”

“Just go ahead.”

“So, we just visit the houses of the soon-to-be newlyweds for interior.”

Arum looked at the editor’s face. Manager Kyong praised her fresh idea.

“Any good idea on contacting potential newlyweds?”

Given the editor’s response, Arum instantly knew that she approved her proposed article.

“I’m going to give our readers an announcement on this, and accept the applications through online.”

“Good. Let’s start off with one house. Nice job.”

And then the editor reviewed another reporter’s item.

After the meeting ended, Arum called Hojoon immediately.

“Hi, this is Arum. Can I talk with you over the phone now? Let me send you my proposed idea through your email. I would like to have a meeting with you first.”

“I can see you on Thursday. Can you come to my office near Hongik Univ.? I’m fully booked for outside events.”

“Sure, let me come over to you.”

“Are you enjoying my lectures?”

Looking at his book on her desk, she laughed.

“Of course. You know I have to satisfy your condition. I’m studying hard now. See you on Thurs.”

When she hung up the phone, manager Kyong stared at her.

“What the heck is going on now? You said you don’t believe in geomancy. You complained it’s hard, right? You even said you wanted to contact another geomancy expert, didn’t you?”

Arum felt a prick in the heart, but very briefly.

“As you have assigned me to this job, I’m going to do my best.”

“Don’t do your best. Once you’re done submitting the article, that’s it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, what I want is not that, but…”

Manager Kyong showed an agonized expression.

“I want something hot and stimulating. Didn’t you hear any rumors about celebrities such as Soran Cho or Unyoung Cha?”

Arum was startled to hear the name ‘Soran Cho.’

At the same time she was amazed about manager Kyong’s extraordinary ability to dig into stories.

“Nothing I have heard,” said Arum with an air of innocence.

“You told me your friend was an employee of Solar Electronics. Didn’t you hear any rumors from her?”

“She is only a rank-and-file employee. Nothing.”

“Give me even a slight clue. It’s about time Soran got divorced.”

Murmuring to herself, manager Kyong stood up.

***

Thursday.

Arum visited the office of Famed House of Feng Shui located near Hongik Univ. Originally it was an ordinary house, but remodelled into the current building with a comfortable atmosphere, owned by Hojoon Lee.

Heemang welcomed Arum.

“You must be a reporter with <Single Woman>, right?”

“Yes, you’re right.”

“President Hojoon Lee is on his way here. I had a call from him that he would be a little bit late. Can you come this way? This is the conference room.”

She went into the meeting room. A little later Heemang came back with a cup of citron. Sweet fragrance of citron filled the room.

“I love this fragrance.”

“Oh, this is homemade. Our president has ordered us to serve customers with this tea instead of coffee. Citrons are directly shipped from South Sea, so the fragrance is very strong. Even sugar we serve is organic.”

Hearing his explanation, she felt the fragrance was all the more strong.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” said Hojoon, coming into the room.

Sweeping his hair up, he made a broad smile, as if he came running.

He looked sweet thanks to the fragrance of citron.

“Give me a cup of strong coffee,” he asked a male assistant.

And then Hojoon closed the door behind him.