PTC Chapter 2. Am I terminally ill?

“Grandma! I don’t want these kinds of surprises first thing in the morning. Why would I die? I’m a perfectly healthy man.”

“No, the shaman said so. She said you’ll die this year unless you get married quickly and then get divorced.”

‘What kind of nonsense was this? Telling me to get divorced before I was even married? And all within this year?’

He usually tried to avoid criticizing his grandmother’s hobby/religion, her belief in shamans, but this was too much.

“Grandma, don’t put too much faith in shamans.”

“Hey, don’t say that. Do you know how much the shaman has done to ward off bad luck for our family?”

His grandmother frequently donated money, received talismans, and even held shamanistic rituals to dispel bad luck. He’d always let it slide, considering it her way of finding enjoyment in life, but now she was saying he was going to die? And that he had to get married and divorced to live?

“Grandma, just pick one. Just one. How can I get married and divorced at the same time?”

He dipped his rice into the gomguk (beef bone soup). He didn’t think he could get out of this easily. But if he left any rice uneaten, his grandmother and mother would make a fuss as if something terrible would happen, so he had to finish it all. His strategy was to shovel it down and then leave the table.

However, Soonja, who had already seen through his plan, spoke in a sharp voice.

“Get married first. You can get divorced after you’re married.”

“How can I get divorced right after getting married?”

Soonja shook her head at Seojun’s question.

“That’s why it’s a big problem. Your grandfather, your father… they all died young. Your father’s early death was partly your mother’s fault, too.”

Every time she said this, Junghee felt a stabbing pain in her chest. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t her fault. She’d given her birthdate in the Western calendar, but Soonja, assuming it was the lunar calendar, had used it for the fortune-telling.

Nevertheless, after her husband’s death, Soonja, grieving the loss of her son, would bring it up from time to time. That he died young because of the inaccurate fortune-telling. That no one gives their birthdate in the Western calendar. Every time, Junghee would clutch her chest and cry.

But she’d heard it so many times that she had nothing left to say. Junghee quietly pushed Seojun’s favorite spicy marinated crab dish towards him. She didn’t react to her mother-in-law’s words.

Soonja asked again.

“So, what I’m saying is, if you want to get divorced within this year, you need to get married quickly, right?”

“Grandma, marriage isn’t child’s play.”

“It’s not child’s play, that’s why it’s a big deal. You have to live together and share a bed for 100 days after getting married. And you have to live in this house. You have to absorb all the bad luck in this house before you get divorced. That’s the only way you’ll live a long life, according to your destiny. Otherwise, you’ll die soon.”

Wow, my grandmother was ruthless. Did she not care what happened to someone else’s child after they absorbed the bad luck and left?

“Grandma, about the word ‘soon’… nobody knows exactly when that is, right? Some religions have been saying the end of the world is ‘soon’ for thousands of years.”

“Hey! Don’t talk back to your grandmother!”

Seojun was even more dumbfounded because he knew this ridiculous talk wasn’t a joke. Soonja continued.

“I’ll look for someone. Wouldn’t there be someone, anyone, who would marry you and quietly divorce you after 100 days? It’s not like our family is short of money.”

“So, I have to mess up my family register by spending money on this? I have no intention of becoming a divorced man.”

Is there really a grandmother out there who’s telling their grandsons to get divorced? Isn’t marriage supposed to be for life?

At Seojun’s words, Soonja sighed.

“What can you do? Your fate says you’ll marry twice. So just accept it.”

“Accept what?”

“I’ll find someone. Someone to be my granddaughter-in-law for 100 days.”

Junghee sat silently beside them.

“Mom, say something.”

“What am I supposed to say?”

Just then, his younger sister, Seowoo, appeared. Seeing her short shorts and brightly painted toenails, it felt like summer.

“Grandma!”

She called out to her grandmother, but her eyes were on Seojun. She burst out laughing, looking like a wicked witch enjoying the situation.

“What the heck, brother? What’s this about a sacrificial marriage? A 100-day marriage? Grandma, that’s too much!”

“Be quiet, you. Your brother might die otherwise.”

This meal felt more like a memorial service than breakfast. Seojun took a few bites and then stood up.

“I’ll think about it. But don’t go looking for someone, Grandma. Don’t do anything.”

He had to buy some time. He knew better than anyone that if his grandmother and mother got involved, this wouldn’t be easy to stop. But he couldn’t simply dismiss their words as nonsense, because he felt sorry for them.

‘Marriage…’

A face flashed through his mind. Park Da-in. He hadn’t seriously considered marriage, but if he had, he would have vaguely imagined marrying Park Da-in. Back then, when he was young and naive.

***

Da-in worked selling furniture at the Modern Living Gwangmyeong branch. She’d been a furniture designer at another company, but lost her job when it went bankrupt.

Finding another job with time to spare wasn’t easy. She needed to earn money, even if it was just for a month. In her urgency, she’d taken a temporary sales position at Modern Living.

Dressed in a black suit, her hair neatly tied back, Da-in explained the furniture to customers who’d come for the sale.

“Yes, this desk has adjustable height, so it can be used for a long time.”

Da-in explained as a student and parent sat on the chairs and examined the desk. Just then,

“He’s here, he’s here!”

“Who’s here?”

“Who else? We were just talking about him. The CEO of Modern Living. They say he’s as handsome as a movie star. Even more handsome in person than in photos.”

The CEO of Modern Living was Kang Seojun.

‘Why would he be coming to the Gwangmyeong branch?’

She’d been feeling unsettled ever since their encounter with the designated driver and a client. But as the days passed, she’d returned to her normal routine. And now he was here? She wanted to avoid him at all costs.

“I have something urgent to take care of, could you watch this area for me?”

She’d just asked a colleague when a group of men in suits approached.

“CEO, these are our most popular desks and sofas right now. We also have swivel chairs.”

With no chance to escape, Kang Seojun approached. The other employees quickly bowed their heads. Da-in hesitated, then made eye contact with Seojun and, startled, quickly lowered her head. Seojun couldn’t believe Park Da-in was standing right in front of him.

Two coincidences… was this coincidence, or fate?

‘Why are you here?’

He felt an inexplicable surge of anger.

‘Let’s break up. I’ve decided to date senior Minho.’

She’d had her hair tied back neatly like this back then, too. He didn’t know why that moment, like a long-settled sediment, suddenly resurfaced. Who said you could avoid my gaze? Look up, Park Da-in.

“How are these chairs and desks selling? Who’s in charge here?”

Seojun asked. Da-in lifted her head and spoke.

“I am in charge of this section.”

Now that things had come to this, focusing on work was the best option. It was all in the past. Those feelings lingered only in her heart. To him, she was just an employee, beneath his CEO gaze.

“This chair swivels function and also has a locking mechanism. The height is adjustable. The desk height is also adjustable, so many people purchase the desk and chair as a set.”

Seojun stared intently at Da-in, his gaze piercing.

‘Even now, just looking at you makes me feel this way, but you’re completely fine? Everything’s going well for you, is it?’

Seojun gritted his teeth as he watched Da-in confidently answer his questions.

“They look good.”

He gave a cursory reply, and the branch manager, who’d been guiding them from the entrance, gestured to the side.

“CEO, this way, please.”

As Seojun and his entourage moved on, Da-in let out a sigh of relief. What an ominous sign. She didn’t understand why she kept running into Kang Seojun, the one person she wanted to avoid.

About an hour later, her phone rang. Da-in hesitated at the unknown number, then answered. Her premonition had been right. She’d had a feeling.

―It’s me. Kang Seojun.

“Yes?”

Aware of her colleagues, Da-in kept her voice low.

―Want to grab a coffee?

“I’m on the clock.”

―It’s almost closing time. Come down to the second basement level.

Da-in sighed softly as she looked at the phone after he hung up without giving her a chance to refuse. But she soon picked up her bag.

He was the company CEO. Not someone she could easily avoid. The fact that he’d gotten her number and called her directly proved that.