Chapter 2

ⓒ Yeongwan (映完)

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On a quiet afternoon, the scenery of an unnamed temple, with mountain birds chirping, was incredibly peaceful. In a hermitage far from the main hall where the Buddha was enshrined, the head monk, who was leisurely gazing at the peaceful temple scenery, spoke to the man in his early thirties sitting in front of him.

“So, have you made up your mind?”

“Yes.”

The head monk, with wrinkles on his face, looked intently at Yeonghun, whose face was calm, and asked,

“Have you thought about what you’ll do for a living?”

“I’m not sure. I just plan to live as things unfold.”

“It will be tough, won’t it?”

“Can you avoid hardship if you live in the secular world?”

The head monk said with a look of regret,

“I made you waste your prime years in this boring place. Even if my bones turn to dust and the wind carries them away, my regret for you will never fade.”

“Please don’t say that. If I had wanted to leave, I could have done so much earlier. It’s because of my laziness that I’ve only decided to leave now. I’ve had a good time eating and playing.”

“Won’t you regret it?”

“Why would I regret it? I’ve lived a carefree life as a freeloader for ten years, something most people would love to do but can’t.”

Yeonghun truly had no regrets.

Even though he was confined in this dull temple, he managed to endure thanks to the power of modern technology.

When he was in his prime, StarCraft, which was at the height of its popularity, helped him stay put. When he got tired of StarCraft, World of Warcraft helped him regain his composure.

Whenever he complained about the computer’s performance, the head monk, feeling sorry for him, would buy a new one despite the cost.

In fact, he felt he could control his inner desires around his mid-twenties.

However, he didn’t leave then because of fear.

The fear of facing the real world, not just through TV and the internet.

Even though he was confident he could control his desires, he couldn’t bring himself to tell the head monk he was leaving, fearing his thoughts might be wrong.

“Can you keep it up?”

“Yes.”

The head monk was still worried.

Yeonghun was born with the destiny to become a shaman.

The head monk didn’t tell Yeongshun’s mother everything, but he did tell her the most important truth.

That Yeonghun would become a powerful and evil fortune-teller who could disrupt the world.

When he was young, he thought it was absurd, but as time passed, he realized he was different from others.

When he touched someone’s hand, he felt an unusual temperature besides body heat.

He didn’t know what it was when he was young, but later he found out it was the time of day the person was born.

This alone was astonishing, but he also began to think that if he focused, he might be able to sense a person’s mood or worries.

He started to feel fear about his own abilities from that point on.

That’s why he didn’t resent being confined at a young age and followed the monk’s advice to control his mind.

There was one reason for this.

He wanted to live an ordinary life like everyone else.

“I’ve already told you hundreds of times, but you must never use your skills to read fortunes or make money.”

“I understand.”

His innate destiny couldn’t be changed.

That’s why he deliberately learned about astrology and physiognomy to avoid becoming a shaman.

It was a kind of protection.

If he tried to live a completely different life from his destined path, accidents would happen or he would be possessed by a spirit, known as a “shinbyeong.”

The rule about not reading fortunes or making money was different.

If he became a real fortune-teller, a spirit would possess him.

By learning astrology and physiognomy according to his innate destiny, if he became a real fortune-teller, the inherent nature in his destiny would come out and harm people.

Now, he knew his destiny better than anyone.

“What do you plan to do to earn a living in this harsh world with only what you’ve learned?”

“With my limbs intact, I don’t think I’ll have trouble earning a living. Don’t worry.”

“The world isn’t that easy.”

The head monk took a piece of paper from a drawer in the small table and handed it to Yeonghun.

On the paper was a single phone number.

“What’s this?”

“Do you know Yoon Bosal?”

Yoon Bosal was the person who made the largest donations to the temple every year. Born into a prominent family, she lived a comfortable life but often visited the temple, troubled by her children’s problems.

“Yes, I know.”

“She introduced you to someone. They’re looking for someone to work in Seoul, so she gave me their contact information.”

“Really?”

Yeonghun was surprised that the head monk had even thought about his job, as he usually didn’t talk about secular matters.

Of course, he knew it was all because of him.

The head monk was afraid that his efforts to control his mind might be shaken.

“Seoul, huh? Aren’t you afraid? All kinds of temptations are in Seoul.”

“You’ve spent your youth avoiding your destiny. Do you plan to keep avoiding it even after you leave?”

“That’s true.”

Yeonghun took the paper calmly and put it in his monk’s pants.

The head monk looked at Yeonghun’s clothes and said,

“Buy some new clothes.”

“Do you think I’ll go to an interview in these clothes? I’m not that silly.”

“Hehe… You’re right. You’re no longer a child… Now go.”

Yeonghun looked at the head monk’s face for a while, then got up and bowed.

To the head monk, who silently received the bow, Yeonghun said briefly,

“Thank you for making me a person.”

“I’m very sorry.”

Yeonghun quickly left the hermitage, afraid his red eyes would be noticed, carrying a few pairs of underwear and a bank account the monk had taken care of for him. He went down the mountain, took a bus to the city, and got a new phone.

He had once gotten a phone before, thinking, “Why can’t I have a phone when everyone else does?” but since no one called him and he preferred PC games to mobile games, he sold it after less than a year.

So, getting a new phone wasn’t particularly exciting or moving.

He just thought, “Am I really becoming a secular person now?”

When he arrived in Seoul by KTX at 10 PM, he went to Dongdaemun Market, which he had always wanted to visit, and bought some casual clothes and a suit for work.

It was funny to see the surprised look on the salesperson’s face when he said he was buying a suit while wearing monk’s robes.

He enjoyed a late dinner of pork belly and soju and stayed at a nearby motel. The next day, he found a dormitory and settled his belongings.

With a trembling heart, he called the number the head monk had given him.

“Who is this? Oh… I see. I understand. So, you’ll come? This is Myeongdong…”

He thought about what kind of company could be in Myeongdong, known as a shopping paradise, and when he arrived at the address in the text, he saw a sign that read “Myeongil Building” between two buildings.

“Is this it… He said the fourth floor…”

Climbing the narrow stairs of the old building without an elevator, he found only one company on the fourth floor welcoming him.

Even though Yeonghun was experiencing the world for the first time, he could tell from his knowledge from TV and the internet what kind of company it was.

“A loan company… I guess Yoon Bosal didn’t know what kind of company it was. But fate is truly ironic. Could there be a better place to test me?”

Yeonghun took a deep breath and opened the door.

The End