“Well, that’s my frame of mind for the moment,” said Arum, though she was not satisfied with her reply.
“Let’s go anyway.”
He held her hand.
“Even if we split up, we need to go to another place.”
“Another place?”
“Yes, let’s go to a restaurant. Aren’t you hungry?”
She squeezed his hand, “I am hungry. What food is famous in this area?”
“Shall we go to a restaurant? I’m really hungry.”
Arum showed her professionalism as a reporter at that moment, “Well, I like the type of person like you who enjoys all food. As we’ve come as far as Sejong, why don’t we go to a famous restaurant?”
“Well, I know one famous for pasta.”
“Pasta? Sounds good. I love pasta.”
“I also know a restaurant for taxi drivers, well known for stir-fried spicy pork.”
“We can have it back in Seoul. Let’s go to the pasta restaurant. Here comes a taxi!” She hailed the taxi, “Let’s go quickly!”
He got in the taxi, but she didn’t notice the bright smile on his face.
The pasta restaurant was a fusion concept called Singulro.
“Is this the restaurant you mentioned?” she asked, turning back while walking ahead.
At a glance, Singulro looked like a famous restaurant as its interior was different from other shops nearby. It had a cool atmosphere due to its neat black and white decor.
The pasta restaurant was a fusion concept called Singulro.
“Is this the restaurant you mentioned?” she asked, turning back while walking ahead.
At a glance, Singulro looked like a famous restaurant as its interior was different from other shops nearby. It had a cool atmosphere due to its neat black and white decor.
Arum and Hojoon sat at the table near the window. Holding the menu, Arum examined it closely as if trying to memorize it. There was pizza, pasta, hamburgers, sushi, stir-fried rice cake, beer, wine, and cocktails.
“This place seems unique.”
“I hear the food here tastes good,” he said, putting on airs. “Let me recommend salted pollack roe pasta. You won’t regret it.”
“Wow, I like salted pollack roe very much. Have you ever had pollack roe mayonnaise?”
“Nope. I’ve only had Ottuki mayonnaise.”
When he waved at the waitress, she came and took the order.
“Caprese salad, salted pollack roe pasta for two, two cups of house wine, please.”
“After all, we’re having pasta!” said Arum, smiling.
“What do you mean? Didn’t you come here to enjoy the food?”
“Nope, you told me once that clams are good for feng shui love. You mentioned vongole.”
“You are smarter than I think,” he said, looking at her with satisfaction.
“Don’t you remember you lied to me by saying you wouldn’t work with me if I didn’t believe that?”
“How could I work with you when you clearly didn’t trust me at the time?”
“Did you notice that?”
“Well, I saw it clearly in your expression. When I see your way of speaking and your glittering eyes, I can size you up right away.” He stared into her eyes sternly. “You just keep paying lip service like ‘let’s break up’, ‘I’m not ready for love yet,’ but I know why you’re lying to me like that.”
Her heart clenched as their order came out.
“Our food is here. Pasta!”
The fragrance of salted pollack roe was peculiar. Then, the waitress presented a red cocktail to her.
“I didn’t order this one. Did you order, Hojoon?”
“Nope.”
He turned his head. He saw the owner smiling at them in front of the kitchen counter.
“Looks like this is a free sample.”
He looked at the waitress. Arum gave him a nod with her eyes, expressing thanks to him.
“This restaurant gives good service, doesn’t it?”
“Do you like it?”
“Of course.”
Arum blew on the hot pasta and ate quickly, enjoying the tender noodles and savory fragrance.
“Wow, this is the best pasta I’ve ever had!” she said, with thumbs-up.
“Do I have to drive all the way here to enjoy this pasta?”
“Well, they’re HQ is near Hongik University.”
“Really? Why didn’t you take me there? That’s very near your company, isn’t it?”
“Did you enjoy the pasta? Did you hear, my friend?”
My friend?
Arum tilted her head as if she heard it wrong.
“Yun!” Turning back, Hojoon called that man at the counter who had been watching them all along. He came over. “This is one of my best friends and the owner of this restaurant, Kajong Yun.”
Smiling brightly at her, Kajong greeted her by saying, “I’ve heard a lot about you. Hojoon told me he would bring an important person to this place.”
Hojoon cut it, “Yeah, she is important. As she is a reporter, why don’t you ask her to review your restaurant in her magazine?”
“Oh, don’t talk shop here, please. Just feel relaxed and enjoy the food,” Kajong said.
Arum was kind of puzzled.
“I wonder if you created the name ‘Arum dong’ here…”
“Yes, you’re right. I moved to this area recently. As Hojoon’s specialty is geomancy, I asked him to take a look at my restaurant and house. He charged a lot. I’ve let him enjoy the food here for free for almost a year before he accepted my request.”
After she grasped the whole situation, Arum looked at Hojoon, “I smell a rat…”
She stopped being touched any more.
“Arum, do you like tarot? Mr. Yun is a tarot expert. Our friends call him Master Yun.”
She let his talk go in one ear and out the other. She felt thirsty, so she picked up her water cup, but it was empty. As she didn’t like bitter wine, she gulped down the cocktail.
“Doesn’t it taste good? It’s called the Kiss of Fire. It’s a famous cocktail. If you like tarot, I can check it for you. I don’t have to check this guy here, but let me give you a free tarot consultation.”
“You already gave me a free cocktail.”
“Well, I offer free cocktails to my regular customers. Tarot, are you interested? This is my special tarot service.”
“Sure, why not? I’ve never received a tarot service. I’ve never asked or consulted with others about my fate.”
“Really? Wait a minute. Let me bring the cards.”
Kajong brought the tarot cards right away. He took a seat next to her.
“Now, just ask me anything,” he said, mixing tarot cards. “In tarot, questions are very important. What are you curious about?”
“Well….” she hesitated.
When she tried to think of her questions, she had too many to pick.
“Hey, why don’t you read tarot cards for both of us?” Hojoon asked.
Even before Arum could refuse, Kajong mixed the tarot cards. He dealt them and put them on the table in a semicircular manner so that she couldn’t see them. It looked like a peacock spread its tail feathers.
“Ladies first. Please pick a card first while thinking of Hojoon.”
“Sure.”
Though she replied, she found it hard to choose which one among the many cards.
“Just pick one when you feel is best at that moment. That’s very important.”
At his advice, she picked one. Hojoon followed suit, picking one. Kajong took the two cards.
“Let me see.”
He turned over Arum’s card. It was a card with a circle floating like a clock in the air and winged beasts were on each corner of the card.
“What is this card about?” she asked.
“This is a famous card. It’s called Fortune’s Wheel.”
Its name was so spectacular.
“This tells you what Hojoon means to you. I don’t need to explain Fortune’s Wheel.”
“I don’t know what it means.”
“Well, it means you have met a man who can shake your fortune and make a whole new world with you. As you know, wheels move so many times, so you’re going to respond violently to the fortune.”
That was right.
After she met Hojoon, too many things happened to her. The biggest thing was she met Konsu again through geomancy. She canceled her engagement with Konsu who had then gotten engaged with Yuyoung through geomancy, and now she came to believe geomancy. She changed many times after she met Hojoon. She chose the right card. It seemed as if somebody presorted the card for her.
“Let me take a look at your card, Hojoon.”
He then turned it over.
“Devil?”
It was a card with a terrifying face as well as a man and a woman tied with chains. There was the word ‘DEVIL’ on the card. Just looking at it made one feel bad.
“Isn’t it bad?” asked Hojoon with an unpleasant expression.
Kajong shook his head, “This card shows one’s desire. If you see a woman, you want to kiss her and touch her right away. I wonder if you guys already… Not yet?”
Arum and Hojoon blushed at his direct question.
“Are you kidding, dude?” Hojoon retorted.
“That’s alright, man. Young couples are doing it casually. They are young and hot, and they’re burning with love. Anyway, this guy finds it very hard to control his desire whenever he sees a woman.”
Arum examined Hojoon up and down, as if she was thinking, Have you thought about it when you see me?