Fla—sh—!
I stared at the light bursting out from the tent.
To some extent, I had expected this.
Another light show from the human flashlight.
There was no way those two event bosses would’ve dragged her here just for a simple fortune reading.
If that were the case, they would’ve just made us play a mini-game.
Soon, Seo Ye-in pulled back the curtain and walked slowly toward me.
Looking into her gray eyes, I asked,
“What did you get?”
“This.”
Seo Ye-in held out a golden card.
It was the same size as the fortune card I received, but it didn’t have any pictures or writing. It just had a radiant golden shine.
Same with the item description:
[??? (?)]
I gave her a playful scolding.
“See? You broke it by cheating too much.”
“Sorry.”
“You’d better fix it.”
“Nope.”
She shook her head firmly.
To be honest, she probably had no idea how to fix it or even what it was for.
And it’s not like the fortune teller was going to give us another hint if we went back in.
Still, just from its appearance, it clearly looked special. So whatever it does when it activates, it’ll probably be powerful.
Until then, we would just keep it tucked away in a corner of the inventory.
Now it was her turn to ask me:
“What did you get?”
“This one.”
I showed her the [Playboy] card, and she kept glancing back and forth between the card and me.
“Correct.”
“You’re saying I am a playboy?”
“Mhmm.”
Then she stared at me with a probing look.
The longer we stayed on this topic, the more it felt like a losing battle, so I quickly changed the subject.
“Shall we head to the auction house now?”
“Let’s hang out a bit more.”
“Let’s just stop by and then wander around some more.”
The auction was divided into two parts. Part 1 and Part 2.
Part 1 would go on all day, while the main event would be held in the evening during Part 2.
So the plan was to drop by the auction for a bit, spend time elsewhere until evening, then come back.
Upon hearing that, Seo Ye-in gave a small nod.
As we walked side by side, she suddenly looked up at me.
“……”
“What now?”
“Playboy.”
***
Song Cheon-hye was wandering the downtown area alone.
Originally, she would’ve been sticking close to Han So-mi like always, but Han So-mi had betrayed their friendship.
Just for today, she said she’d be hanging out with Go Hyeon-woo instead.
Though it stung a little, part of her still hoped her friend would have a good time.
So she forced a smile and waved her hand, saying, “Have fun~”
The problem came after that.
Since she didn’t have a wide social circle, there wasn’t really anyone else to hang out with.
She flatly rejected Geum Jo-han’s not-so-subtle attempt to ask her out.
After much agonizing, Song Cheon-hye eventually clenched her fist with determination.
Yeah, I’ll show them.
That being alone didn’t mean being lonely!
That she could still have tons of fun on her own!
But once she actually came out to the bustling downtown area, Song Cheon-hye quickly grew bored.
There were mountains of things to do, yet nothing appealed to her.
She was just drifting along, carried by the flow of the crowd.
And today of all days, there seemed to be couples absolutely everywhere.
Couples here, couples there….no matter where she looked.
And then, in the distance, she spotted a familiar pair of gray hair and black hair.
It was Kim Ho and Seo Ye-in.
The two of them were following a suspicious-looking masked gentleman and a clown, eventually stopping in front of an even more suspicious-looking tent.
Naturally, her eyes drifted to the sign hanging on the tent.
…A fortune-teller?
Song Cheon-hye felt herself deflate a little.
She’d followed them, wondering what scheme they might be up to this time, only for it to be something as silly as fortune-telling.
What was the point of believing in superstitions like that?
Especially ones that rarely even came true.
But just as she was about to turn around and leave, Song Cheon-hye saw it.
Fla—sh—!
A brilliant golden light burst out from inside the tent.
Right after that, Seo Ye-in stepped out and held up a golden card to Kim Ho.
Song Cheon-hye felt her curiosity surge.
Maybe… I’ll give it a try too?
Judging by how Kim Ho’s card looked ordinary, it seemed they didn’t hand out the golden cards to just anyone.
Still, if the fortune-teller had powers like that, the reading might be decent enough.
Soon, Song Cheon-hye glanced around to see if anyone was watching.
Then, she pulled back the tent flap and stepped inside.
“Um… I’d like to get a reading.”
The fortune-teller silently pointed to a corner of the table.
[Card Payment Available]
[500 Points]
…That’s way too expensive.
Even though she had over 100,000 points saved up, it still felt like a waste.
500 points could buy five Kim Ho replays, and here she was about to spend them on a fortune that might not even come true.
She almost stood up and left but ended up sitting back down.
Her curiosity still outweighed her hesitation.
After a long moment of deliberation, she finally spoke.
“…I’ll pay. 500 points.”
And with a trembling hand, she made the payment.
The fortune-teller, indifferent either way, continued shuffling the cards.
Shuffle-shuffle-shuffle—
After quickly finishing the shuffle, he spread the deck wide in the shape of a fan.
When Song Cheon-hye pointed to the card at the very edge, the fortune-teller carefully wrapped it up and handed it to her.
Then, as if to say she was done, he gestured toward the entrance.
“…That’s it?”
– Nod.
Though she felt strongly like she’d just been scammed, Song Cheon-hye reluctantly gathered the envelope and stepped out of the tent.
This better not be something stupid.
If it was, she was going right back in there to complain.
She muttered to herself as she opened the envelope and the card she had just picked came into view.
It showed a spiky chestnut shell, but when she looked closer, she realized it wasn’t a chestnut at all.
[Hedgehog]
“…….”
There was something a little too on-point about it to dismiss it as nonsense.
With a sour expression, Song Cheon-hye stared at the card for a while before slipping it back into the envelope.
But just then, a tiny scrap of paper fluttered out and fell to the ground.
Maybe it had been attached to the card.
Wondering what it was, she picked it up…and found a short phrase written on it.
[Bet Big!]
“…….!”
Song Cheon-hye’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Bet big” could only be referring to the wish ticket bet.
But how could he know about that?
The only people who knew were herself, Kim Ho, Oh Se-hoon, and her older brother Song Cheon-gi. Just the four of them.
And none of them would have tipped off the fortune-teller, which meant the fortune must have revealed it.
The hedgehog, too… This guy’s legit.
Any regret about the 500 points had long since vanished.
As she walked away, Song Cheon-hye kept murmuring to herself like a chant.
Bet big…
***
Hong Yeon-hwa was strolling through the bustling downtown area alone.
She had been walking with her sister, but after a minor argument, they had gone their separate ways.
They were the kind of sisters who fought and made up several times a day, so this time would be no different. But for now, she intended to enjoy a brief moment of freedom.
It was during this time that Hong Yeon-hwa witnessed something strange.
Song Cheon-hye stepping out of a shabby-looking tent.
The sign read “Fortune-telling Shop” in crooked letters.
She’s getting her fortune told?
She didn’t seem like the type to ever get involved with superstition.
In fact, even Song Cheon-hye herself wore a doubtful expression, as if she wasn’t sure this was the right thing to do.
But when she looked at what came out of the envelope, her face hardened.
Then, deep in thought, she walked away from the spot.
Watching her retreating figure, Hong Yeon-hwa glanced over at the tent.
…Could it actually be good?
Should I try it too?
Hong Yeon-hwa was relatively open-minded about fortune-telling.
If it’s good, great. If not, just take it as entertainment.
There was also a sense of competition with Song Cheon-hye.
If she did it, then I should too! That kind of mindset.
So, without much hesitation, Hong Yeon-hwa stepped into the tent and willingly paid the 500 points.
It wasn’t a small amount, but it didn’t feel like a waste either.
Shuffle-shuffle-shuffle,
The fortune teller quickly shuffled and spread out the cards.
Hong Yeon-hwa’s fingers hovered here and there before finally settling on one.
The fortune teller wrapped it up neatly and handed it over, then motioned her to leave.
What on earth is it?
What had made Song Cheon-hye look so serious?
As soon as she stepped out of the tent, Hong Yeon-hwa tore open the envelope.
The image on the card showed a small dog sitting.
Chained with a thick metal leash.
[Leash]
“…….”
Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes softened with sympathy.
She couldn’t help but relate deeply to the dog’s situation.
So many things she wanted to do, yet she was tied down by various restrictions or held back by worrying about what others might think.
Just then, a slip of paper inside the envelope caught her eye, and she read it.
[Stop worrying about what others think]
“Ugh…”
The brutal truth pierced her chest, leaving Hong Yeon-hwa speechless.
***
Shin Byeong-cheol checked himself in the mirror from different angles.
Soon, the corners of his lips curled up in satisfaction.
“Heh.”
His hair looked nearly twice as full as usual.
All thanks to a potion from the alchemy club.
“As expected, a man’s charm is in his hair.”
With the bald spot on one side of his head now covered by the longer strands, his confidence had skyrocketed.
He even felt as though the gazes of the passing female students were drawn to him.
“Today, the star of the downtown scene is none other than me, Shin Byeong-cheol.”
After indulging in his delusions for a while, Shin Byeong-cheol pulled an envelope from his inventory.
It was the one Dang Gyu-young had given him, asking for a quick errand.
He examined it closely, then looked up at the tent in front of him.
“Is this the right place?”
He had no idea Dang-noona was into fortune-telling.
What on earth was she so curious about?
But the question didn’t linger for long.
Because he suddenly pictured Bat-Gyu-young resting her shadow bat on her shoulder.
There are things in the world best left unknown and the envelope in his hand was probably one of them.
Let’s just get this over with and go.
Resolving himself, Shin Byeong-cheol stepped into the tent.
He sat down across from the fortune teller and handed over the envelope.
“She said to give you this and bring something back.”
– Nod.
Without a word, the fortune teller tilted his chin in acknowledgment.
Then he opened Dang Gyu-young’s envelope, checked its contents, and quickly began shuffling the cards.
Shuffle-shuffle-shuffle—!
After a rapid shuffle, she slid one card into the envelope, sealed it, and handed it back to Shin Byeong-cheol.
“You want me to take it back?”
– Nod.
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Shin Byeong-cheol bowed slightly and got up from his seat.
But then, he paused for a moment.
…Since I’m already here, should I get mine read too?
He had no clue what Dang Gyu-young was curious about.
But clearly, she believed the fortune teller had the answer.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have sent him on this errand.
If the reading was that reliable, he figured he might as well get something out of it too.
Having made up his mind, Shin Byeong-cheol sat back down.
And in a somewhat sheepish voice, he asked,
“Um… I’d like a reading about money.”
The fortune teller pointed wordlessly at the menu.
1,000 points, it said.
It definitely said 500 points a moment ago…was I mistaken?
Shin Byeong-cheol asked again.
“Don’t you have any discounts or promos? Like, buy one get one free?”
The fortune teller didn’t answer. Instead, he waved toward the door.
It meant, If you’re not getting a reading, get out.
Shin Byeong-cheol quickly waved his hands in protest.
“Oh no, I was just kidding. I’ll do it. The reading.”
Though 1,000 points was a bit steep, it wasn’t exactly a burden for him these days.
So he paid the points, and just like before, the fortune teller shuffled the cards, picked one, wrapped it up, and handed it over.
Shin Byeong-cheol took it with a grin.
“Ah, thank you. Hehe, hope business is good.”
The moment he stepped out of the tent, he checked the card.
Several elegant ladies were seated on antique chairs, sipping from teacups.
[Tea Time]
“Tsk…”
Shin Byeong-cheo clicked his tongue and also checked the slip of paper.
[Fate cannot be defied]
“Tsk-tsk-tsk…”
He stood there for a moment, then flung the card and the note to the ground.
“What a load of nonsense. Total waste of points.”
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