Chapter – 14.
Like it Came Straight Out of a Prophecy
As expected, people with a constellation behind them can sense others in a similar situation.
I instinctively frowned, my guard rising.
I tried to shake off his hand, but Song Shin-woo snatched my hand away from the blonde man first.
“Don’t make moves on someone who’s in pain.”
“Oh, is he normally like that?”
I thought he seemed like he had done this before.
As I asked casually, I looked at Song Shin-woo’s face and was a little surprised.
He didn’t seem inclined to answer, just glaring at the blonde man.
Oh… this guy might be fireproof trash. Even a retriever-looking guy showed anger, and that says it all.
‘In other words, he’s the environmental destroyer type.’
The blonde man sighed, stood up with what looked like a doctor’s bag, and put on his shoes outside the small room. In a low, sweet voice, he said:
“I’m serious this time. I usually don’t stop people from coming or going, but I guess Shin-woo was worried about you.”
“You sure know how to sugarcoat calling someone trash.”
“Trash? How could you say that without even meeting me?”
He seemed genuinely a little offended.
“Well, men like you have a face that’s worth it. People meet you even knowing all that, right?”
“That’s unfair, Eun-sol. I’m not trash! But my face and body are worth it, so you won’t be disappointed. How about it? If you feel like it, contact me anytime.”
Seriously? Everything he says screams “womanizer trash.” This is a new species of trash. I decided to raise my guard a bit more.
Constellation The Sun Prophet clenches their fists, urging me to swear more strongly.
Constellation The Sun Prophet jumps around, saying to pull the golden sheep quickly.
The pale-faced blonde disappeared, leaving only a fresh smile behind.
In my entire life, I’d never seen someone that handsome.
I’d probably recall even in my final moments, thinking, “That insane guy I saw back then was really handsome.”
But I didn’t think he genuinely wanted to meet me. He was probably just hitting on me because he could.
While I admired his unusual appearance and figure, I noticed Song Shin-woo still holding my wrist.
“Let go. It hurts.”
“Oh, sorry. Did I make you feel bad? He’s not a bad person… but… you can probably guess without me saying.”
Song Shin-woo immediately released my wrist and, awkwardly but firmly, started warning me.
“Don’t be alone with him unless it’s for treatment. Promise me. His skills are good enough for surgery, but outside work, he’s not trustworthy. Always contact me first!”
“Okay… got it.”
You’re really kind.
I thought he was trying to prevent me from getting my liver drained by the blonde guy.
After parting ways with Song Shin-woo, I wandered from the chicken place to the café.
It was just before sunset. The bright sunlight had started to fade.
In the meantime, the package the owner mentioned had arrived. I entered the empty café carrying an unidentified frozen package.
The important person who was supposed to come hadn’t shown up yet.
The package was a bit heavy but manageable, so I put it in the café freezer and checked on Chil-seok.
Chil-seok was sprawled comfortably in his hammock, acting as if nothing had happened.
He barely opened his yellow eyes, blinked at me, and went back to sleep.
If the apocalypse started, what would happen to creatures like him?
“Chil-seok, only you know this for now.”
I whispered to him unnecessarily.
“If I fail, the world will start collapsing in about two months, beginning in Korea. Everyone except me will die. If you survive… forget it. Why am I even saying this?”
I lost steam midway and stopped, remembering what I had to do before the sun set. I sat cross-legged at a nearby table, like before.
The shards of the broken cup I had knocked over were gone—Song Shin-woo must have cleaned them.
I closed my eyes tightly and asked the constellation.
“I’m still curious. I know prophecies never change, no matter what. So what does it mean that some parts can change? How did you even do that?”
!Warning!
Constellation The Sun Prophet says they cannot answer when the affection level is low.
This was the most decisive sentence exchanged with the constellation so far.
“There’s also something called the world of uncertainty.”
The Sun Prophet confirmed.
“So… you found a way to twist the prophecy? Yes or no, even a short answer?”
The Sun Prophet cannot give a definitive answer.
I had no choice.
From what I remember, in Greek mythology, prophecies were absolute.
Many who tried to change a predetermined future ended up dying or meeting the same fate anyway.
“…Are you sure you’re okay?”
For the first time, I worried about the constellation.
“I’m okay?”
The Sun Prophet said they were obviously not okay.
The contractor Kim Eun-sol would be protected, but the constellation would eventually face punishment.
For love, it’s worth it. It’s all for love, the Sun Prophet said.
Meeting the contractor Kim Eun-sol had a reason; they wanted to ask me for something.
What could they possibly ask?
Hearing that made me scared. But well… I had been bitten by a tiger and somehow survived in its cave.
Who knows? Maybe I’d ride that tiger across mountains.
The Sun Prophet said they needed worship and reverence from mortals to replenish their waning power.
“Oh, really? Shouldn’t you go to Greece since you’re a Greek constellation?”
The Sun Prophet said their lonely love was too far away for that.
What a legendary romance.
Like with the entity Park Il-sook, continuing to give prophecies and receiving compensation would build faith and awe.
“Ah. No need to go all the way to Greece then.”
!Warning!
The Sun Prophet must give prophecies to many people in a short time.
The season is perfect, and aside from geography, everything else is ideal.
Naturally, affection would build as well, the Sun Prophet tried to persuade me.
Really?
I considered how to give prophecies to many people quickly. Then, I remembered the rumor that spread with just a word, which had brought aunts trying to find me.
This seemed easier than expected.
Two days later.
Even when Park Il-sook was away, the illegal Awakened Personnel Agency somehow ran smoothly.
The nearby real estate owner who had seen my face a few times replaced Park Il-sook temporarily.
‘How does this neighborhood guild community operate?’
I was curious, but as an outsider, I couldn’t ask.
While I was thinking that, hunters who took illegal gate jobs left like a receding tide.
The real estate owner only greeted me with a nod, as if they had already heard about me from Park Il-sook, and left.
The illegal Awakened Personnel Agency quickly returned to being an ordinary café.
I finally stroked Chil-seok coming out of the box and took care of him.
No customers came. Not even strangers.
The next day.
When I went to Garam Café late, I saw a child who looked exactly like she had come straight out of the prophecy.
“……”
“……”
Unexpectedly, the café had the owner and a girl who seemed to be her granddaughter—and me.
The girl had long hair, a mole under her left eye, a thin, small frame, and fearful eyes. Everything matched the prophecy.
“I owe you.”
Park Il-sook muttered with a long sigh.
“This is my granddaughter. Her name is Na-yeon. Kim Na-yeon.”
“Hmm. Hello, Na-yeon! You have the same last name as me! I’m Kim Eun-sol. Which Kim are you?”
I greeted her cheerfully. Park Il-sook shot me a piercing glance, giving me a warning.
Na-yeon avoided my eyes, probably feeling awkward.
That’s natural. Even adults sometimes want to cry in unfamiliar situations.
“Na-yeon, this lady helped you. You can thank her later. For now, just play with Chil-seok.”
Na-yeon jumped off the chair and ran behind the counter. Chil-seok seemed happy.
Watching that, Park Il-sook closed her eyes tightly, saying nothing. She seemed to be holding back a sigh, which made me slightly anxious.
“…Why?”
“What?”
“You have a lot you want to say to me, right?”
Perhaps it’s easier for me to ask directly. Only then did Park Il-sook’s deeply furrowed brows relax slightly.
She stood up and motioned for me to follow her outside the café. In the narrow corridor, we looked out the window and talked.
“What you saw is all correct. The surrounding stores and landmarks weren’t clear, but it looked exactly like the photos. It was literally the place.”
It turned out that the place I saw in the prophecy was a site for trafficking children with nowhere else to go.
“If it weren’t for you, I might never have seen my granddaughter. In a few days, she would have been taken by boat to a foreign country where she couldn’t speak the language. I thought I had checked everywhere in Paldo, but apparently not.”
Honestly, at this point, I couldn’t ask more.
“How did it happen?”
“Na-yeon?”
Park Il-sook finally exhaled deeply, rummaged through her knit vest pocket, hesitated, and then left it as is.
“My daughter died an untimely death. It was because of me.”
“Ah.”
“The child was left alone after that.”
It was someone else’s complicated family matter. I closed my mouth and stayed silent.
