The Shaman's Tearful Embrace and Village Matchmaking
Well... it's fully ripe now, isn't it...? ..........
Kim Bom's lips moved slowly.
"You know I'm a shaman, right?"
"Yes. A shaman."
"It might be hard to believe... but I can see things others can't. Like people's souls, for instance."
"Ah...."
I'd heard stories before about shamans receiving divine spirits or seeing souls. But those were usually in fiction. This was the first time I'd heard such a confession right in front of me.
"The first time I saw you at the bus stop, Yeoreum-ssi...."
She took a deep breath, as if it was hard to continue.
"...your soul was exactly the same as my late father's."
"The same soul?"
"Yes. The light, the color, even the warmth. It was like the exact same person. I got so excited that I just...."
Kim Bom's voice trailed off smaller and smaller.
"That's why you called me Dad."
I quietly finished for her, and she nodded.
Silence flowed between us.
Honestly, it was an absurd story. Souls looking identical? The old me would've thought:
Crazy woman. I respect freedom of religion, but this is a bit much.
I'd have muttered that inwardly, then pretended to understand on the surface while subtly keeping my distance.
But... I'm different now.
I've already met three goddesses. The Goddess of Love, the Family Goddess, the Victory Goddess.
They definitely existed. It wasn't a dream. They turned me into Han Minseo, and now into Yeoreum.
If beings that hop through space-time and shove souls into other bodies exist, why can't there be shamans who see souls?
My common sense is already shattered anyway.
Parallel worlds, reincarnation, possession, regression—it's all probably real. I've met divine entities that can send souls to other worlds. So why not a shaman who sees souls?
I don't quite get the 'identical souls' part, though.
Above all, Kim Bom's expression was too earnest. There was no lie in her anxious face as she awaited my response. At the very least, she completely believed what she was saying.
"Um, Bom-ssi."
"Yes?"
"I believe you."
"...Pardon?"
"That you can see souls. I believe it."
Kim Bom's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Really?! You don't think it's a lie?"
"No, I don't. I know gods and souls exist, too."
What I said was objective fact. I'd actually met the goddesses and experienced my soul jumping bodies.
But Kim Bom seemed to take it differently. Her pupils trembled faintly, and her lips quivered.
"I knew it... I knew you'd believe me, Yeoreum-ssi!"
Suddenly, she jumped up from her seat.
And then—
"Ohoook!?"
She pulled me into a tight hug.
(It was so sudden, I let out a weird noise.)
Her arms wrapped around my back, drawing me into her embrace. My breath naturally caught. My face buried completely into her chest.
Two soft, springy spheres engulfed my entire face. A faint floral scent and her feminine warmth filled my lungs.
Th-this is too much, I can't breathe...!
The massive chest pressure made breathing genuinely difficult. I tried to turn my head, but she held me so tight I couldn't move.
Meanwhile, Kim Bom murmured something while hugging me. Her emotional voice didn't reach my ears, buried as they were.
(Finally... again... Dad...)
What the hell is she saying?
This woman was headlocking me with her boobs while muttering—what? Anyway, her mumbling wasn't important right now. Surviving without suffocating was priority one.
Only after a long while did Kim Bom finally release me.
"Hahk, hahk...."
I gasped for air and looked up at her.
Tear stains marked the corners of Kim Bom's eyes. But she was smiling. A brighter smile than I'd ever seen.
Is it that big a deal?
She's a professional shaman; meeting someone who believes in shamanism shouldn't be that exciting. Probably, she was grateful that I—whose soul matches her dead father's, according to her—affirmed her words.
She must really miss her late father.
Anyway, if my words comforted her, that was good enough. What more is there to life? Good is good.
...........
A few days passed.
Life stayed the same after the 'father's soul' talk with Kim Bom. I still went between her house and the shrine for emoticon work, and she brought me tea. The only subtle change was how she treated me.
She'd always been a kind neighbor, but now... it felt like family care, not neighborly.
Well, not bad.
Like I thought before, good is good. She seemed satisfied, so that was fine.
Then, one Saturday afternoon, I opened the fridge and found it empty. No eggs, no milk, not even ramen. Time for my first grocery trip since coming to the countryside.
I pulled out my smartphone and messaged Kim Bom.
The 5-day market. A traditional rural market every five days. I'd only heard of it living in the city.
Less than ten minutes later, the electric scooter buzzed up. Kim Bom had arrived.
Today, instead of her usual sundress, she wore a light sky-blue dress with a ribboned straw hat.
"Yeoreum-ssi! Been waiting?"
"No, I just came out."
I took the front seat on the scooter. A familiar position by now.
Kim Bom's arms naturally wrapped around my waist.
Riding like this every time is kinda awkward...
The body heat from behind, the pressure of those two round spheres. It was startling at first, but now I could tolerate it. Humans really are adaptable animals.
...........
When we reached the town, a sight unfolded I'd never seen in Huhaeri Village.
"Whoa...."
Endless stalls lined both sides of the road. Under blue tents, goods piled high: vegetables, fruits, fish, clothes, dishes, farm tools. Even live chickens.
"Surprised?"
"Yeah, totally. Never seen anything like it."
Noisy clamor assaulted my ears. Merchants' calls, haggling voices, occasional children's laughter—all blending into one massive roar.
"Green onions, one bunch for a thousand won! Cheap deals!"
"Fresh squid! Frozen right after catching!"
Merchants shouted as we passed. Some recognized Kim Bom and greeted her warmly.
"Oh, the shrine girl! Looking pretty today too."
"Hello!"
The deeper into the market, the thicker the crowds. Squeezing through narrow aisles was work.
Shopping here takes stamina.
My breath was already getting short. Even being jostled by the crowd burdened Yeoreum's weak heart.
"Didn't expect this many people! Must be the Saturday afternoon rush. First time for me at this hour too."
Suddenly, Kim Bom grabbed my arm and hooked it through hers.
"Eek?!"
"Too crowded—you might get lost. This way we won't separate."
She naturally embraced my left arm. That soft, head-sized thing wrapped around it tightly.
Th-this...!
Was linking arms always this intimate? I could feel her breathing through my arm. With each step, it jiggled slightly, her side brushing mine repeatedly.
Unpleasant? No. If anything—
Stay calm first. Don't want to strain my heart more.
Not the illness this time, though.
Yeah. Just to avoid getting separated in the busy market. Looking around, plenty of couples and families did the same.
"Alright, let's keep shopping!"
Kim Bom led me slowly onward.
We were picking apples at a fruit stall when—
"Huh, isn't that Bom?"
A voice from an older woman behind us. Turning, I saw a grandma, maybe mid-to-late 60s, eyeing us.
"Hi, Grandma!"
Kim Bom greeted cheerfully.
"Yeah, Bom. But who's this young man?"
The grandma's gaze shifted to me, scanning top to bottom. It felt oppressively prying.
"Oh, hi. I'm Yeoreum."
"Yeoreum? Huh, unusual name. Where you from?"
"From Seoul. Just moved to Huhaeri recently—"
"Seoul? Oh my, from a fine place. Say, young lady, got a girlfriend?"
"Pardon?"
The sudden question stunned me.
"Looks like not. Perfect! My daughter's in Seoul. Age is a bit up there, but that's fine, right?"
"Uh, um...."
"Thirty-nine and still single. No idea why she can't marry. I'll introduce you! Where's that video call...."
"Nooo!?"
Thirty-nine!?
The grandma was already pulling out her smartphone from her pocket. If I didn't act, I'd be set up with some total stranger pushing forty.
I had to do something.