TBE 36

chapter 36

Minhee came running up to Yoona just as she’d finished giving out her blessings.

“Yoona, we need to switch things up! The readings are too focused on love fortunes!”

“Huh? What?”

“You’ve already done your first ceremony alone, so you’re the perfect person for this!”

Minhee giggled, swiftly plucking Yoona’s name tag from the business fortune section and replacing it with love fortune. Before Yoona could even react, Minhee shoved a new fortune stick container into her hands—and disappeared like the wind.

Everything had already been scheduled in advance, so the sudden change in her assignment left Yoona completely thrown off. Still, something Minhee said stuck oddly in her mind.

“I was the only one who did the hair-up ceremony?”

Only then did Yoona look around. Among the girls playing the role of shamans, she was the only one wearing her hair up with a hairpin. The others had theirs simply braided or left loose.

“…”

Wearing one’s hair up with a binyeo pin was traditionally a sign of marriage. The person who had chosen this style had been the business department’s leadership—Minhee among them. Yoona had seen plenty of shamans on TV wearing hairpins, so maybe it was just a coincidence… but still, that thought made her chest tighten. She forced a bright smile.

With her fortune-telling duties temporarily reassigned, Yoona busied herself cleaning tables and serving food. But soon, she began to sense something strange. Business students kept glancing her way—each one holding their phone in hand.

…Am I imagining things?

She tried to brush it off, but even students from other departments started pulling out their phones. Anxiety crept in. She wanted to check her own phone, but to do that she’d have to lift her hanbok skirt in the corner to reach the back pocket of her pants underneath.

She hurried to finish her task—when suddenly, someone unexpected entered the pub.

“…”

It was Lim Dohyun, the guy who’d dragged her to the convenience store on the night of the freshman welcome party. He came in with a woman, spotted Yoona immediately, and gave her a strange smile and a knowing nod before taking a seat. Soon after ordering, he called her over.

“I want a love reading. Not from the child medium—from the priestess herself.”

“…”

Refusing would make a bad scene, so Yoona walked over slowly and stood before him. Dohyun raised an eyebrow.

“Where’s Choi Yeongwon?”

Only then did Yoona realize Yeongwon was gone. The fact that Dohyun was here without him made her tense up instantly. She answered, her voice trembling slightly.

“I don’t know. So… what did you want to ask?”

“What kind of shaman are you? You’re no fun.”

“…Please state your question—”

“Did that bastard Choi Yeongwon run off crying after being dumped or something? I thought I’d at least get a good show, but he’s such a pathetic little fish.”

“…What are you talking about?”

It didn’t even seem like Dohyun was interested in a reading. And how did he even know Yeongwon had been here? Yoona frowned slightly—then Dohyun suddenly burst out laughing.

“Ha! You haven’t seen it yet, have you? There’s already a screenshot up in the business student group chat.”

With a nasty smirk, he pulled out his phone. The girl sitting next to him leaned in close.

“What is it?” she asked.

As the two of them snickered over something, Yoona’s hands began to tremble. She could just barely make out the screen from where she stood.

The screenshot was from an anonymous community board—and the sender’s profile photo was unmistakably Minhee’s. She’d written something with a bunch of crying emojis, followed by a flood of student reactions.

Dohyun scrolled through quickly and opened the campus community app itself. Around them, students began to go quiet, clearly listening in on the exchange.

From that moment on, Yoona felt her whole body go numb. She could face Dohyun alone, sure—but now? In front of all these people? It was different.

When bad rumors about her had popped up on the anonymous boards before, she’d tried to ignore them. Don’t look, don’t care, she’d told herself.

But standing there now, feeling everyone’s eyes on her, she was terrified to imagine what they might be reading this time.
And worse—Yeongwon wasn’t there.
The one person who always had her back was nowhere to be found.
Just realizing that made her dizzy.

While she stood frozen, Dohyun opened a post.

“Oh wow. Isn’t this girl in the picture? She’s divorced?”

“Yeah. Read it, it’s a total mess.”

The moment he mentioned a photo, Yoona snatched the phone right out of his hand before he could pass it to the woman. Her wooden fortune stick container clattered to the floor.

Dohyun cursed at her, but Yoona didn’t hear a word. Her eyes were fixed on the post.

The title was irrelevant—she scrolled straight to the image. Thankfully, it was a photo from behind. Still, anyone who’d been to the festival could easily tell it was her.

[Is it really okay for someone whose own marriage failed to give others love advice?? If you follow her “fortune,” your love life—and your marriage—will crash and burn lol. Then again, maybe she’s a pro at dating—she did bag a med student from the sticks, after all.]

If she tried to be generous, the post itself wasn’t even the worst she’d seen. There had been similar ones before.
But as always, it was the comments that cut the deepest.

[“Love expert” my ass lol. She’s always hanging around that hot guy from her department—you know who I mean. C_ _ _ _.]

[My friend in business said that guy liked her and asked to be set up with the divorcée. They dated for a bit but broke up soon after. Looks like she seduced him first though.]

[Guess even hot guys can’t resist a sly fox lol. What’s he thinking, huh?]

[These dudes don’t think with their brains anyway. Probably addicted to her in bed already. She’s divorced—bet she’s experienced. Still, can’t lie, I’m jealous.]

There were many comments like that.

Yoona could tolerate nonsense rumors about herself—but seeing Yeongwon dragged into that filth hurt unbearably.
She had at least received compensation from her divorce. Yeongwon’s only “crime” was being kind to her.

She’d enjoyed being with him—hearing his gentle voice, feeling the warmth that lingered in the air when he sat beside her.
She’d let herself get too close, too greedy for his company.
And now that greed had tainted him too.

Her vision blurred. Tears welled.

Dohyun smirked and snatched his phone back from her limp hand.

“You did the same thing at the freshman party, didn’t you, Shaman Lady? Took every drink I offered with that flirty little smile—and then pretended you weren’t trying to seduce anyone.”

“…”

“That bastard Choi Yeongwon—he acted all innocent when I asked if he liked you. Turns out I was right, huh? Denying it so hard just proved it.”

Every word stabbed her in the chest. She knew his interpretation was twisted, malicious—
but still, she couldn’t deny how it might look.
She did know that between men and women, people rarely believed in “just friends.”
And yet she hadn’t kept her distance.

She wanted to defend Yeongwon—to say don’t drag him into this, he’s not like that—
but she couldn’t open her mouth.
No one here would listen.
Any defense would only make things worse for him.

“…”

“What, nothing to say? You’re no fun.”

Apparently bored, Dohyun waved his hand dismissively, as if telling her to get lost.

But Yoona didn’t move.
She couldn’t let it end like this.
For Yeongwon’s sake, she had to find the right words—something to make them understand.
But where could she even start?
With how they met?
Or how they reunited?

Before entering university, her feelings hadn’t been anywhere near this strong.

How strong are they now, really?
Her stomach churned.
And just then—

“Here we go again.”

A familiar voice cut through the tense air.

Every head in the pub turned toward the sound.
Choi Yeongwon was walking straight toward them.

At the sight of him, Yoona bit her lip hard, forcing back the tears threatening to spill. Like a child who bursts out crying when they see their mother, just seeing his face made her chest ache and her eyes burn.

Yeongwon stopped across the table from Dohyun, with Yoona standing on the opposite side. His reflection glimmered faintly in her tearful brown eyes.

He sighed quietly, then turned to Dohyun.

He didn’t think this disgusting jerk was capable of planning something so elaborate—but if anyone had the shamelessness for it, it was Dohyun.

Yeongwon spoke calmly.

“It was me who chased after her.”