Chapter 8
After getting out of the car, Yeonsu trudged up the steep hill.
The slope felt higher than ever today.
“Miss Ha Yeonsu, are you saying the Aegi Oracle scammed me?”
“I should not only sue to reclaim my offering but also demand full compensation for the emotional damage.”
Jinhyuk’s words pressed heavily on Yeonsu’s chest.
Since she had indeed played a part, she couldn’t even argue back properly—and that was what felt most unfair.
Soon, she reached the top.
The sign reading Aegi Oracle was unlit, the surroundings eerily still.
“Suryeon, I’m here.”
Yeonsu called as she stepped inside. Suryeon, tired of waiting, leapt to her feet.
“Sorry, I’m late, aren’t I?”
Seeing her friend’s smile of welcome, Yeonsu answered sheepishly.
“No, I’m just grateful you came.”
Suryeon waved off the words as nonsense. Ever since receiving her initiation, she’d lost touch with all her friends—except Yeonsu. That made Yeonsu precious, almost sacred to her.
“Come on, let’s light the candles.”
They set candles on the cake Yeonsu had brought and lit them.
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Suryeon, happy birthday to you.”
Two large candles and seven small ones flickered in the dark. Just 27 years old, and already her life had been stormy. She might have received her calling, but her heart was tenderer than anyone’s. Yeonsu couldn’t bear to tell her about Jinhyuk’s talk of lawsuits and damages.
Suryeon pursed her lips into a circle and blew out the flames.
“How was the company dinner today?”
“Oh, you know… just like every other one.”
“Ah, I wish I could go to one of those too.”
Yeonsu gave a bitter smile. She knew all too well how much Suryeon yearned for the normalcy of an ordinary working life.
“Here, this is my gift.”
Suryeon handed her an envelope.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
Inside were two cashier’s checks—ten million won each.
“That’s the offering from the client you handled for me. It was basically you doing it anyway.”
Yeonsu’s eyes widened. Jinhyuk had mentioned thirty million won earlier—so this matched. All Yeonsu had done was recite what Suryeon had taught her.
“This is too much.”
“The contract fee was twenty million. The extra ten million was a bonus.”
“I split the contracted twenty in half. But the bonus—that’s yours alone.”
“I can’t take this.”
“Just do it. You’re house hunting, aren’t you? Put it toward that.”
Tears welled in Yeonsu’s eyes.
Her family’s finances had collapsed after her father was scammed by an old friend who saddled him with debt and disappeared abroad. Their home had gone to auction in just three months, leaving endless debts behind. Now, even her rental lease was expiring. Her parents had decided to return to their hometown, but Yeonsu had to stay in Seoul for work.
“Pretty cool of me, right? From now on, call me ‘big sis.’”
Yeonsu laughed through tears.
“Thank you, unni.”
Suryeon beamed, satisfied.
Then Yeonsu hesitated before asking:
“Hey… that VVIP client—did he ever contact you again?”
“No. Why?”
“If he does, tell him his destined bride isn’t a December-born—it’s a July-born.”
Suryeon narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“You’re hiding something.”
Yeonsu sighed, then told her part of what had happened—leaving out the lawsuit talk.
After hearing her, Suryeon blinked slowly. Then, in a hushed voice:
“Wow… come to think of it, that prophecy fits you exactly.”
A shiver ran through her as she rubbed her arms. It was like fate had arranged the gears to fall in place.
“Come on, it can’t be me. There must be tons of December-borns with water in their name.”
But Suryeon’s mind was already racing elsewhere.
“What does he look like?”
“Not bad.”
In truth—he was excessively handsome.
“Tall?”
“Yeah.”
Like a model, really. She kept her words modest, though her smile betrayed her.
“And he’s a company director… which means wealthy, obviously.”
Suryeon muttered to herself.
“The eight-year age gap is a little much, though.”
Yeonsu’s eyes widened.
“What are you even saying?”
Suryeon clasped her hands tightly.
“Yeonsu, this is fate. That man is your destiny.”
Yeonsu’s expression froze in disbelief.
“He even said it himself—that you fit the prophecy perfectly. That means he’s already into you, a hundred percent.”
“No, he’s not.”
Yeonsu shook her head firmly.
“Why else would he say that? He likes you.”
“He’s just blindly believing in the prophecy.”
“From the moment you joined Haenam Construction, this was destined. The oracle was for you.”
No matter how Yeonsu denied it, Suryeon kept repeating the same word: fate.
“Since your spirit is so powerful, can’t you see the destined woman’s face?”
“Well… no, the gods didn’t show me that much.”
Suryeon laughed awkwardly, avoiding her eyes.
Three weeks passed since Yeonsu had joined Haenam Construction.
The company decided to launch a new high-end residential brand, expanding into interiors, community centers, and landscaping.
They collected ideas from every employee—including Yeonsu, a contract worker in marketing, and her colleague Kang Yeonsu. Both were tasked with market research and brand naming proposals.
Kang Yeonsu slyly pushed off the busywork onto Yeonsu, saving her own energy for a bigger splash later. That left Yeonsu overwhelmed with extra tasks.
One day, amid the chaos, Deputy Manager Kim received a call. After hanging up, he summoned both Yeonsus.
