The little norigae, strung with a yellow knot and tassel, was small enough to pass for a keychain. Hanging above the knot was a square wooden plaque, about the size of a ping-pong ball, etched with tiny Chinese characters. Jae-ha tried snapping a photo with his phone, but the carving was so faint the camera couldn’t register it.
Well, his grandmother had been gone for decades. If some trinket of hers still turned out to be useful now, that would be stranger. Cheonrok was a beast that healed, not one that predicted the future. How could she possibly have known what would happen to her grandson long after her death and prepared a safeguard for it?
He decided to just count it as a rare chance to see his family again. Closing the box and tucking it back into his bag, Jae-ha flopped onto the bed. The exhaustion from hours of travel dragged him under almost immediately.
***
“Seriously, I’m not lying. When I woke up, the department room was a wreck.”
“Yoon-taek’s sleep-talking is on another level today.”
“Wasn’t it you who broke the table leg, Yoon-taek-hyung? Own up.”
“Come on, you’re all really going to gang up on me?”
The next day, Jae-ha was relieved to see Yoon-taek looking fine. His face was a little pale, but he ate well and acted normally. He even half-remembered being possessed by the ghost and bragged about it like a heroic adventure.
“Jae-ha-hyung, I swear I played The Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed with you!”
Must be nice to be that carefree.
“Yeah. Sounds like fun.”
At Jae-ha’s flat reply, everyone else burst out laughing and teased Yoon-taek like they’d expected it. He pouted in protest but, realizing how absurd his story sounded, finally dropped it.
“But Jae-ha-oppa, did you not sleep well? You look exhausted.”
“I came straight from home for morning class. Had to wake up at six.”
He stifled a yawn with his hand as he answered. The time alone was enough to shock the room.
“Whoa… that’s Poison Spirit-level dedication.”
“People actually get up at six?”
“One night he drinks until dawn, the next he’s up at sunrise… I can’t keep up.”
Even Ji-hyang, who’d been scrolling on her phone, clicked her tongue. Coming from her, it felt especially unfair.
“Wait, hyung, you drank last night? When?”
“When Yoon-taek and I were playing The Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed.”
Right. That had happened too. So much had gone on lately that even his dinner with Ji-hyang already felt like ancient history. His memory was blurring like early dementia.
Back when he’d joked about getting dumped, he never thought she’d actually turn him down. People really needed to watch their mouths. At least he’d picked up one life lesson he’d never forget.
“Seriously? You should’ve called me!”
“I was awake then too.”
“Seo Jae, why’d you only eat with Ji-hyang and not call us? Cold.”
They all sounded genuinely disappointed, each swearing they were night owls. Throwing a party over him getting rejected—what a joke. Jae-ha waved it off.
“I just had dinner with Ji-hyang and left. After that I met a junior and chatted for a bit.”
“A junior? What junior?”
“Hyung, you’ve got other juniors besides us? I’m hurt.”
“You’ve got cute juniors right here, and you hang out with someone else?”
They crowded him like a flock of chicks. Cute, my ass. Just annoying.
“Just someone I share a gen-ed class with.”
At the bland reply, their interest fizzled, and they drifted into their own chatter. In no time, the topic bounced from “how Jae-ha knows everyone” to “how to naturally make friends” to “just how far extreme introverts can take their shyness.”
“Did you have fun with that junior? What time’d you get home?”
While the others argued, Ji-hyang asked softly. She’d clearly been bothered by leaving abruptly that night—she’d even messaged him to ask if he was doing okay. He’d only seen it the next morning, but even if he’d seen it right away, he couldn’t have lied and said he was.
“About two in the morning?”
“And are you feeling okay now?”
Jae-ha gave a faint smile. Unlike his own hazy memory, Ji-hyang was thoughtful enough to remember everything clearly.
“More or less.”
A lie, of course. But there was no way to tell her the truth. What would he even say? I’m a descendant of Cheonrok, and that beast makes everyone like me… Yeah, no. Best left unsaid.
“So, hyung, that junior—was she a girl?”
And just like that, the topic came circling back. His classmates were relentless.
“Well, it’s about time Seo Jae started dating. The weather’s getting cold.”
“If you were drinking with her until dawn, sounds promising.”
“What nonsense.”
She wasn’t even human. Inter-species dating was a bit much. Oblivious, Min-ho clung to him with exaggerated dramatics.
“Then what about anyone else? You really don’t have anyone?”
“You need to start dating so our cute juniors can taste heartbreak and chase love too.”
“Yeah, how long are you going to torture them with false hope?”
It wasn’t like he didn’t want to. Jae-ha let himself be pulled along under Min-ho’s arm, answering flatly.
“I want to, too.”
Silence fell. After a beat, Min-ho asked, eyes wide and voice raised.
“You’ve got someone you like?”
Jae-ha only shrugged, but that was as good as admitting it. That alone was enough to send the room into chaos.
“No way. Is she in our department? Is she pretty?”
“Who is it? Someone we know?”
“Are you two a thing already? When’s the confession?”
The barrage made them look like reporters chasing a scandal. He couldn’t bring himself to say he’d already been dumped and was still sorting out his feelings, so he dodged instead. His detached expression only fueled their desperation, their demands growing louder.
“Wow, first time I’ve seen Jae-ha-hyung into someone.”
“He said it’s not dating yet.”
Jeong-seok muttered in awe, and Ji-woo immediately corrected him. More classmates crowded closer, whispering eagerly.
“Come to think of it, Seo Jae hasn’t dated in over a year, right?”
“Yeah, it’s been a while.”
“Then it’s about time he got a girlfriend. We’ll let you off.”
Let me off? He hadn’t even realized he was on trial. Glancing at their benevolent smiles, Jae-ha sighed. Just because he wanted to didn’t mean it would work out.
“Make a move at the festival. The lineup’s stacked this year. Watch the show, walk her home, confess—perfect.”
“No way, Jae-ha-oppa can’t date. He’s already booked as our pub NPC.”
Min-hee, the student council president, cut in with a calculating veto. She’d already secured him for their department’s festival pub. Jae-ha waved it off indifferently.
“Festivals are for freshmen. What’s an old-timer like me doing there? Even MTs are embarrassing enough.”
“Hey, if you say that, then I can’t go either.”
“No, hyung. If we advertise you at the Business pub, we’ll be packed.”
“Seriously. We’ll make it viral on the anonymous board.”
“I practically live on that board. No one will suspect a thing.”
Classmates and juniors alike clamored. Min-hee even pressed her palms together, pleading.
“Unlimited drinks and snacks, just sit there. Our goal’s first place in sales.”
“Yeah, the pride of Business is on the line. Running a pub is management too—how can we lose to another department?”
“Exactly. You skipped last year and we nearly died.”
“Right. Seo Jae, show them the pride of Business. Cooperate.”
“Co-o-per-ate!”
“Co-o-per-ate!”
Their voices rose in unison, eyes wild with zeal. Under the suffocating pressure, Jae-ha reluctantly amended his answer.
“I’ll think about it.”
It was vague, but the juniors cheered like he’d already agreed.
“Now that’s reassuring.”
“See, this is why it pays to know a good-looking guy.”
“Oppa, if your crush shows up, tell us. We’ll save them a seat.”
If only he could tell them it was already over. Instead, Jae-ha muttered under his breath, a little bitterly.
“I doubt he’ll be joining me at the table…”
