Chapter 57

Chapter 57: Chapter 57

The younger aunt came back from the restroom. “Oh, your girlfriend?”

“I said no.”

Though Hojoon looked like an adult, he was regarded as a bachelor to his aunts.

In particular, his oldest aunt was aggressive in asking questions.

“Is Hojoon treating you well when you date?”

Arum tried to laugh it away with an ambiguous answer. What did it matter if he treated her well or not as he was not her boyfriend?

His younger aunt was more straightforward.

“Are you going to marry him?”

While drinking water, she almost threw up water.

“Aunt! I’ve told you she is not my girlfriend!” he shouted.

The eldest aunt nudged him in the ribs.

“Oh, you guys are still undecided.”

“Hohohoho!”

These aunts who went through ups and downs in their marriage life let Hojoon’s shouting go in one ear and out the other.

“What? Did you receive that necklace with Horus’ eyes from Hojoon’s father?”

“Oh, yes.”

Arum fiddled with the necklace on her chest.

“Man, Hojoon’s father wouldn’t give it to anybody except for his wife. Don’t you think so?”

“I think he set an eye on her as his daughter-in-law.”

The eldest aunt whispered to the younger aunt. But other people around them could hear it.

Pointing at Arum’s necklace, the younger aunt said, “You have to clean Horus’s eyes well. When I received it from Hojoon’s father, I was getting divorced. I heard that this necklace would change my fate. But it didn’t take any effect. So, I wiped it with cloth everyday.”

She acted as if she were wiping a crystal ball.

“And I met another man exactly in 100 days.”

“So, did you get married again?” Arum interviewed her instinctively.

Looking at his aunt, Hojoon giggled.

“She met three other men and got married.”

“Do you think that’s my fault? Isn’t it good if I’m popular among guys?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

As if she told Arum a top secret, Hojoon’s younger aunt whispered into Arum’s ear, “Clean it everyday. You’ll find a guy.”

“What are you talking now?” said the eldest aunt, nudging her in the ribs.

“What about Hojoon?”

“Oops! Clean it. If you clean it everyday, just go to sleep with him.”

“Aunt!” shouted Hojoon.

But the eldest aunt asked Hojoon with an embarrassed look, “Haven’t you slept with her yet?”

Hojoon, whose face rarely changed, blushed in no time, along with Arum.

“What a foolish guy you are!” said the eldest aunt, pinching his thigh.

Right at that moment, his cousin served food on the table.

His cousin and colleagues gathered with trays full of food.

After that, Hojoon drank with his aunts, so he called a substitute driver to give Arum a ride back home. He asked the driver to pull over the taxi and saw her to the porch of her villa.

“Our aunts are not that aggressive by nature, so let me apologize to you if you felt uncomfortable.”

“They’re interesting people.”

“I’m glad to hear that. By the way…” After hesitating a moment, he said, “Will you cancel the shooting appointment on Friday?”

“…”

“Do you have the courage to go to Yuyoung’s house and see her again?”

“…”

“Arum, why don’t you tell the truth to your boss and change the person in charge of this project? Okay? No?”

But she didn’t reply.

“Take care,” she said.

She was about to walk up the stairs, but he stopped her.

“You said you were bothered by Soran’s coming back to see me, right? I am also bothered by Konsu’s brazen act. Why are you trying to bite off more than you can chew? You know, unseen scars don’t make you insensitive to pain.”

“I know.”

“So? If you know that, just stop it now. I’m just worried about you.”

“Got it, Chief. But I still love Konsu. Until I directly hear Konsu’s explanation about his marriage with Yuyoung, I don’t want to release him first.”

Her statement, ‘I still love him,’ broke Hojoon’s heart. Hojoon felt he got closer to her. Was it his delusion?

“I’m sorry.”

“Even if I date Konsu again, and Yuyoung is distressed by that, it’s the matter of the direct parties concerned. So, please pretend not to know it. When I split with him, everybody around me pretended not to know.”

“Are you really confident?”

“Yes, I am. At least until now.”

“Good. I won’t meddle in your matters. Instead, let me stand by your side.”

“For whom?”

“Of course, for you.”

But Arum drew the line coldly.

“No, that’s for our own sake. We’re all selfish. I don’t want to be heartbroken anymore. I’ve got one reason for loving Konsu. I am happier now than when I was separated from him. When I think about Konsu, I’m not heartbroken.”

Hojoon was speechless.

***

Finally, Friday came.

Arriving at Yuyoung’s house in Hojoon’s car, Arum exchanged greetings with chief photographer Yun. She has been working with him for one year.

“Oh, Mr. Yun, you got here early.”

“The atmosphere is great here. I guess you paid a lot of attention to securing a good house for shooting this time.”

Mr. Yun was notorious for his picky attitude when it comes to taking professional photos. For example, he started a quarrel with a top model, complaining about the mismatch of her earrings with the concept of the exhibition works. As he was so stuck-up, he saw a decrease in his clients.

Recognizing Arum’s voice, Yuyoung approached her. Currently, she was installing a dishwasher in the kitchen with two service men from the home appliances company.

“Brother Hojoon! Reporter Yang!”

She was already done with her hairdo and makeup.

“You look so pretty, Yuyoung.”

Though Arum praised her naturally, she exaggerated it subconsciously. She was clearly conscious of the fact that Yuyoung was Konsu’s woman now.

“Hope we’re in your good hands today,” said Arum, extending her hand first.

In Hojoon’s eyes, it looked as if Arum was throwing down the gauntlet.

“Chief, why don’t you start?”

She opened her hands rather excessively, asking him to show off his geomancy expertise as much as he could.

But in his eyes, she was not acting naturally.

He opened the ground plan of Yuyoung’s apartment unit. Using a smartphone compass, he confirmed the direction.

Arum took note of the process while Hojoon coached her on the placement of furniture. As time went by, each furniture was placed at its right place. Though Yuyoung was good at placing furniture on her own, it seemed the space of her room was twice as large when Hojoon offered professional coaching through geomancy.

Whenever Hojoon placed interior accessories and furniture, Arum listened to his explanation and took note of it.

“Can you tell me why you put that sofa near the wall?”

“Regardless of any house, its center should not be pressed by large furniture.”

“The center of the house?”

“Now, please draw the diagonal line from the end of the veranda to the end of the kitchen. Do the same on the opposite side. Then you get the cross point, right? That’s the center of the house. Placing as many furniture as possible to the wall has the effect of dispersing the weight of the house. It increases stability and make the energy force of the house flow in a balanced way.”

Arum nodded.

This time, Yoyoung called him from inside her main bedroom.

“Brother, what about this wedding frame?”

Hojoon’s face hardened. Arum instantly noticed it.

“I would like to hang it in the master bedroom,” Yuyoung said, standing before the main bedroom.

“Chief, where do you recommend hanging the wedding frame? Living room or master bedroom?” Arum demanded.

“I think the living room is better.”

As soon as he finished talking, both women took out the wedding frame. Arum even hung it on the wall with her hand. Stepping back, Yuyoung checked if it was hung evenly.

“How about it, Chief?” Arum asked confidently.

“Great. Yuyoung, I think it’s better to have it hung for about one year so you can maintain the energy force of your newlywed life.”

“And then?”

“If you give birth to a baby, you have to change the wedding picture with another one. After all, our past is just a moment. Don’t you think it’s better to focus on your family life in the present rather than in the past?”

Yuyoung nodded.

“I think there lies in it a deep meaning. Thanks, brother Hojoon, and reporter Yang. How about my husband?”

“He looks handsome. He’s just my type,” said Arum.

“Oh my, you’re joking.”

“Nope, I’m serious,” said Arum with a straight face.

The atmosphere became strange. Tilting her head, Yuyoung turned to Hojoon for help.

“Oh, it’s a joke,” said Arum, making an exaggerated laugh.

At that moment, Hojoon’s heart sank. He couldn’t figure out how far Arum wanted to go when Konsu was concerned.

And Arum even said Yuyoung’s groom was just her type! Hojoon was shocked to hear that.

‘Could I look at my ex-girlfriend’s wedding picture calmly in the same situation?’

Hojoon felt he couldn’t.

The day Soran Chon got married, he was completely drunk at a bar and just barely managed to come home with the help of his friends.