The Really True Tarot Cafe
"It's not just that. Please take a look at this photo too."
Kim Hyeji smoothly passed over a shot of the empty center of her room, then showed a photo of her spotless bathroom. "I definitely gave the bathroom a thorough cleaning before heading out on my trip, but there were all these weird stains clogging the drain."
"Hmm. Yeah, that does look suspicious."
Jesus never preached zero-gender-sensitivity bullshit like 'Women shalt not lie to men', but still—a total stranger of a woman flashing house pics at some random guy and spinning yarns? Sketchy as hell. So I figured I'd fire back with my own bullshit. If it's a mental health thing, that's for shrinks, not a supernatural fixer like Han Daeri.
"Ever since these weird things started happening, I've been getting this creepy vibe from my surroundings. Like someone's watching me, or when I'm walking alone at night, I hear footsteps overlapping mine..."
"Have you considered it might be some psycho stalker?"
"Of course I did. I reported it to the cops, even asked them to check the local CCTV footage, but they said nothing turned up. Once they brushed it off like that, I felt like the crazy one, and the stress just piled on..."
"Korean cops are all the same. Hell, I wouldn't trust this one either."
The lady next to her might as well stick to her caramel macchiato. Oh, she's already polished it off? Thinks 1L is some fucker's dog name or what? Ignoring the 3k-5k bitch ordering extra slice cake and strawberry latte for now, I pulled up the address of Kim Hyeji's officetel on my maps app.
"Looks like there are a ton of schools around here. School zones are child protection areas—lots of CCTV, cops patrolling more often. If some real-deal stalker was tailing you, they'd have tripped a camera somewhere."
"They won't even listen if I go back to the cops. They said personal protection requests need confirmed threats... I just don't know what to do."
"That's why I'm here."
Not a cop, not a shrink—but Han Daeri, supernatural phenomena resolver, has arrived. Doesn't that make women's nighttime streets just a tad safer? Hey now, that chick's got Han Daeri's [protection] on the pink women-safe path. Damn, can't touch her easy!
Of course, I couldn't wrap up the prelim here, so I widened the net. "You said the weirdness kicked in after the trip, but we can't assume it started right then. Could've been something way earlier that snowballed into tangible shit."
"Y-you think? Come to think of it, things felt normal living alone until summer break."
"Here's the play: The creepy stuff hit right after you got back, so let's rewind further. No deranged lurker's pulling bold moves the day before you return. Mind walking me through the trip?"
"Isn't that invading my personal privacy?"
The 3k-5k bitch—who clearly doesn't get that "personal" and "privacy" overlap—pointed it out while shoveling cake into her strawberry latte.
"If you don't want to, I won't pry into your private life. But solving this means needing every scrap of info—hope you get that."
She nodded vigorously at my salesman-smooth talk, honed on arrogant bigshots.
"Fair enough. There were eight of us total, guys and girls including me. Rented a big pension in Sokcho for a wild 3-night, 4-day bash... Oh, and we hit this local summer festival they only run that season."
"Festival?"
"Dunno details—just heard it was Sokcho's first big summer one. Beach packed with stalls, food trucks targeting young crowds like us. Small stage with tourist sing-alongs instead of celebs. Ended with a campfire and fireworks!"
"Classic summer beach fest."
People think beaches mean South Sea, so the polluted West ditched the tourist game ages ago. East Sea's clean but deep—anglers' spot. Sokcho probably teamed with merchants for a special draw to suck in outsiders.
"Scale rivaled Seoul night markets—shocked me. Not just Koreans; plenty of foreigners hawking and vacationing."
Kim Hyeji flashed a dreamy smile, lost in midsummer memories. "Talking it out, nothing weird happened there. No shady encounters, no drama—just smooth sail back to Seoul."
"Pick up anything odd at the beach?"
"Nah. I don't even grab pretty rocks. Decor or accessories? Buy 'em."
"Buy anything strange?"
"Nope. Not my scene..."
Makes sense—a solid middle-class girl ain't snagging cheap souvenirs. Overseas maybe, but domestic trip? Nah.
"Saying it now, zilch weird. Sigh. Heard my luck would skyrocket this summer—what gives?"
"Yeah."
No red flags, so I reached for my recorder—then "luck" pinged like a ghost.
"Speaking of luck... seen a fortune teller lately?"
"Oh, yeah. Me and Suji've been into that stuff forever—tarot cafes, shamans, regular hits. This one tarot reader nails my issues from a few flips. Mind-blowing!"
"Last reading?"
"Late July-ish. Right, Suji?"
"Yeah."
Bingo—thin lead.
"Cool if I get the shop's address and number? I'll check it out personally, call you with results."
"Wait—you're not here for protection on Grandma's say-so?"
"Gotta know what and why before protecting. Owner might've held back on leaks dooming you—I'll hear it for you."
"Genius!"
She clapped, tore a memo sheet with address, shop name, phone—handed it over. "Post-investigation, stakeout near my place? If it pans out, I'll put in a good word with Grandma."
"Sure. When I can."
I stood first, plunged back into the bustling street, leaving the pair behind.
The tarot cafe and shaman spot were off the main drag. Jogging to save cab fare, I hit it quicker than expected. First floor of the building ahead: old-school vibe cafe. Unlike bright, breezy norms—dim, mysterious, eerie.
Eased the door open—deafening bells exploded.
Bell’s fucking loud as shit.
CRASH!
"Egg money!"
A freakishly dressed auntie barreled out, spotted me, shrieked, and toppled backward. Jasmine tea glass in her hand shattered spectacularly.
Shut the door to kill the shake—bells went silent like nothing.
"Friend referred me. This the Really True Cafe?"
"Wh-what are you? How'd you get in?!"
"Door was open. Anyway, swap those bells. Too damn loud on entry—complaints incoming."
The woman—in sackcloth like a Middle Eastern getup—hauled up slow, brushed glass shards.
"Mad bitch, mad bitch! Master said fold after five years clean—should've listened. That damn money...!"
"Not taking customers?"
"If real estate hadn't tanked, I'd have quit, bought a place ages ago... Ugh, can't live like this!"
"..."
She grumbled through cleanup, lit candles scattered around—aroma ones, calming, not plain wax. Then rummaged a massive drawer on one wall, pulled a jewel box, eyed me.
"Quit standing—come in. First time seeing a scythe-neck guy stroll in."
Era of mad bitches rampant? Korea's future's fucked! But doomed Korea gets Jesus-saved to heaven anyway—no sweat.
Followed quiet to the back, sat at round table. She sat opposite, shaky hands unlocking the box, fishing out weird-colored stones.
"Pretty like gems, but not?"
"...Power stones. Never thought I'd lose my stock here. Sigh!"
Deep breath, then venomous glare clashing her calm face. "Why's a dead man walking in unholy flesh invading my sacred shop?"
"Spreading the gospel for heaven via Jesus—and digging on regulars Kim Hyeji and Jeong Suji."
My answer barely landed—CRACK! One power stone split. Down from 13 to 12.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo. Yeah, they're regulars. But why's you sniffing around?"
"Work."
CRACK! She gnawed her lip, face ashen.
"What kinda work? Why the scythe on your neck?"
"This kinda guy."
I slid my Supernatural Phenomena Resolution Office, Han Daeri card. Five stones exploded at once. Six left.
"Supernatural fixer...? You're out wandering clueless to your own doom?!"
"My calling."
THUNK! Five left.
"No Death XIII in my cards! Master knew and still...?"
"Dunno the deal, but spill on Kim Hyeji and Jeong Suji—I'll bounce after."
THUNK! Four.
"Blood-soaked head to toe, oblivious to the horde on you, brazen as fuck...! Hoo, calm. Yeah, the chubby and skinny pals?"
"Yep. Hyeji's having weird shit—Grandma hired me."
THUNK! Three.
"Chubby Hyeji and skinny Suji came about a month and a half back. Normal. Standard tarot. Their stars shifted sudden, but future unaltered—just comped the usual."
"Stars shifted?"
THUNK! Two.
"...Everyone born under fixed stars. Beyond pop ones like Sagittarius—deep astrology has more. We read their motion, brightness, parent constellations' flow. Star fortune, fate reading. Tarot translates the vague into meaning. Satisfied?"
"Roughly."
THUNK! One left.
"Th-then leave! Not my death day. I'll shut down today, never show here again—please...!"
"Nah, no need. Nothing odd, so I'm out. Oh—and for heaven, believe in Jesus. No Jesus? I'll be back."
"I will! Promise!"
THUNK! Last stone gone. I bolted from the Really True Tarot Cafe without a backward glance.
"Fortune tellers ain't pure either."
Glanced her sins—scaring clients for extra cash, peddling pretty rocks as mystic power stones.
"Last loose end... the shaman."
Jeong Suji, who came with chubby Kim Hyeji. Hitting the shaman should crack this mystery.