Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: A Match Made in Heaven
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"You two are a match made in heaven."
"...Huh?"
"There's no other way to explain it. It's fate."
I'd only come to the underground mall to buy a few clothes, but right from the start, we ended up at a fortune teller's booth.
Even when she offered to do it cheap, I'd stubbornly refused, but Chaewon dragged me here anyway, and now this is what she's saying.
Should've just kept walking.
As someone who doesn't believe in fortune-telling or horoscopes, I just made a noncommittal face at her canned lines...
"Minah. This lady seems really good..."
Chaewon, my childhood friend who's seen pretty much every kind of fortune-telling out there by age seventeen—from horoscopes to tarot and astrology—is ready to hand over her entire clothing budget as a tip.
Hey, that's not why we came in here.
"...Ma'am, sorry, but we didn't come for a love reading. We wanted to see how this friend's current gig will turn out."
"Oh dear, what a mix-up. I only do love readings."
The lady waved it off with a hearty laugh.
Her unapologetic confidence left me speechless.
How does she survive in this cutthroat fortune-telling market doing only love readings?
...But I'm really not curious, ma'am?
I forced a smile.
Then I subtly poked Chaewon's side, gesturing for us to leave.
"I don't need a love reading..."
"What kind of guy will I end up with?"
"......"
"I've never dated, so I have a bit of a romantic fantasy about it."
The bratty one's eyes sparkled.
Her clear gaze showed no sign of backing down unless her parents smacked her.
A sigh escaped me automatically.
This was gonna take at least thirty minutes.
Nothing's more awkward than listening to talk about something you're not interested in for half an hour.
I figured I'd browse clothes nearby and got up.
Thud—
Chaewon immediately grabbed my wrist and stopped me.
"Sit."
"Not interested."
"You want me to sit here alone?"
"I can't just eavesdrop on your first love. That's private."
Even I thought it was a lame excuse.
But lame was fine.
You can't counter it.
"We're friends. I should protect you from this stuff even more."
Ever since she watched that trendy show Heart Signal, Chaewon had been on this first-love kick out of nowhere.
When I grumpily told her not to watch that crap, she sulked and said she wouldn't talk love with me anymore.
Perfect ammo right now.
I'd spotted a cute short-sleeve tee earlier.
I was imagining myself picking out clothes when I started lifting my butt off the chair.
"What privacy? I said you're a match made in heaven."
The lady's rapid-fire chatter, laced with that classic auntie fussiness.
Her warm smile, like she was cheering on her kid's romance, left me with nothing to say.
...But does "match made in heaven" mean lovers?
"...We're not dating."
Yet another public misunderstanding.
People had been calling us a couple nonstop lately, so I'd hinted at leaving indirectly...
"...My fated one is him?"
What? Why are you scanning me up and down with that disappointed look?
"Ha. Ridiculous."
"Ridiculous is right—on my end. I thought 'fated ones' just meant we click well. Ma'am, are you saying we'll actually become a couple?"
"Anyone hearing you would think the world was ending. Ha, this is absurd... Whatever, do what you want."
"Oh? What's that supposed to mean? You should be bowing in gratitude at the idea of even a slim chance with a future world-devouring idol, not frowning."
"The only thing I wanna devour is your overconfidence."
"See? We click like this, so how could we not be fated?"
The lady clapped sharply, eyes twinkling.
Her veteran skill at lightening the mood shut down our bickering.
She looked at us fondly, like we were adorable.
"You two have known each other a while, huh? Looks like at least ten years."
"Whoa, spot on! How'd you know?"
You just blabbed it yourself earlier.
I was tempted to snap, irritation bubbling, but the lady was working hard.
For the noble sake of preserving her trade secret, I stayed quiet.
"I know these things~. Anyway, I guarantee you'll stay close forever, just like the time you've already spent."
"I'd rather you just curse us out cleanly..."
"Hey, what'd you say?"
"...What? Wasn't that just in my head?"
"...You said it out loud."
The bratty one clenched her teeth, holding back anger due to her impending debut and the lady's presence.
I could already see her grumbling for at least two hours once we left.
What to do? No Time Stone for infinite retries here.
'Doctor Strange, where are you? Won't save me.'
I flashed Chaewon a forced smile, signaling bliss, while secretly debating bolting and fidgeting my butt up and down.
Then the lady chimed in at the perfect moment.
"He's like that 'cause he likes you. Boys always tease the girls they like more, you know?"
"...Is that it?"
As if.
"Exactly. Whew, young man, even if the girl's pretty and lovely, you can't show your heart like that~."
"Oh no, what to do~? Chaewon belongs to everyone now~?"
Their flawless banter—you'd never guess they just met today.
Chaewon going third-person, and me getting hit with a zero-confession alarm right in the face.
It was all so ridiculous, I could only chuckle dryly...
Thank you for the save.
Tip. How much?
I shot her a grateful glance; she smiled kindly, getting it.
But it was short-lived.
The lady clasped her hands, eyeing us seriously back and forth, then spoke with resolved determination.
"But you two match so well as is—though becoming lovers might be tough. It could ruin your relationship in an instant."
Even building it up to a climax like this.
Tip. Seriously, how much?
"Really? We can't date?"
"You can. But the path is so rocky and full of trials, it'll be hard to develop into a romance."
"Why? What's the reason?"
Chaewon's genuinely curious face.
I was a bit surprised to see her listening so intently.
"Curious? You're not even gonna date me."
"Just curious. Beyond dating or not, if our friendship could break..."
"......"
"I wanna stay close with you. Knowing future issues lets us fix them later, right?"
"Han Chaewon..."
"What? You planning to ditch bestie status without my okay? That's low."
Straight talk, against expectations.
Her frankness, showing she values me more than I thought, surprised me twice today.
She caught my look, grinned, and turned to the lady.
"So, ma'am. What's the problem between us?"
"...The problem."
The lady sighed repeatedly, struggling for words.
The longer the pause, the wider Chaewon's eyes got; I tensed up too, waiting.
"Your biggest hurdle is..."
After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"If you fall out, the young man here gets really unlucky."
"...Huh?"
Totally unexpected.
"...Whoa, was that a dream?"
6:30 a.m.
The sun had risen long ago.
I jolted awake, panting and wiping cold sweat.
Even knowing this was my studio apartment, I anxiously scanned around with shaky eyes to calm down.
"...Of all nights, the first morning at training camp. Total crap."
I'd had the same nightmare for days, waking up noisily without fail.
Life back in Korea had been hectic.
After discharge, Mom and Dad smacked me into getting a studio near school—no way out.
Then interviews for tutoring and academy gigs to cover living expenses.
And yet, it was only May.
Weirdly, time still crawled.
'...Do I really need a studio? House isn't far—why waste money?'
I'm not raising my kids like this.
Twenty-three years old.
I reaffirmed my parenting principles in this cramped dump and checked the full-length mirror.
"Finally. Jazz Festival."
Hand on chest, feeling my heart race.
The moment I'd always planned for in school, lacking cash and time.
Wanted the full three days, but my broke twenty-something self held back—round-trip to Japan costs less.
Tears in eyes, I bought a one-day pass.
"Please let it be uncrowded, great stage setup, perfect for enjoying. Hallelujah."
Atheist me, channeling that church pizza run from military days, prayed solemnly.
"Wallet: check. Phone: check. ...Brain: check."
Checked my eco-bag, eyed my watch.
8:30 a.m.
Bus in ten minutes gets me there exactly thirty before start for ticket swap.
"Gotta enjoy the festival."
Recalled rushed past days, pictured myself grooving shyly there.
Alright, let's go.
Grinning with excitement, I opened the door.
Whoosh—
"Downpour? Why?"
Kid, life doesn't go your way. Heh.
Why's that old Crayon Shin-chan line popping up now?
"'Cause it really doesn't."
Sighed, trudging off the bus.
10:20 a.m. now.
Fifty minutes late, festival started twenty ago—despair.
How'd this happen? Quick recap...
Heading out, no umbrella in studio.
Sprinted to convenience store three minutes away—sold out.
Ran around ten minutes hunting one, gave up, soaked like a drowned cat.
Schlepped back, changed, heading out—drawer had one. Damn it.
Too exhausted for a sigh.
Heavy steps to bus stop: fifteen minutes till next.
Every light red on the way.
"Cold. Hungry. Know where I am... but can't get worse."
Things sucked, so I quoted Onion-kun's legend.
Still, dropped near 190,000 won on this fest.
Better hustle through rain to venue than whine.
But I overlooked something.
Saturday.
Heavy rain.
Artist's stage: indoor.
「Entry Restricted.」
「Sorry for the inconvenience.」
Pro term: door-cut.
"Wow~. It can get worse~."
Yeah. That's the real legend.
......My 187,000 won. What now.