CH 39

It took a second for the anxiety she had been pushed into the other side of unconsciousness and that she had been trying to ignore to explode.

“I don’t want to!!! Hngg. Mom, mom. Grandpa.” 

She wanted to run away right away. It seemed that the future she saw wouldn’t come if she left far away.  

Soyeon passed out just like that. When she came to her senses, she was at the hospital, and after that, she quickly returned to the United States as if she were running away. 

It will be fine now because she is back home. Baek Soyeon cast a spell on herself like that. 

「Ta-da. Nachos, which Sophia likes, are here~.」

Soyeon put a lot of cheese sauce on the nachos and ate them all in one bite. 

At that time, the phone was shining. Baek Soyeon stretched out her arm and opened her cell phone.

On the Outstagram account that she made with Baek Doohan, there was a DM. The opponent is an account with a cute dog picture posted as a profile. 

Baek Soyeon’s face softened. Baek Soyeon, who fell in love with the puppy photo, opened the DM.

What the other person sent was a picture of a cute puppy. It was cute to see small dogs with light brown fur, like Injeolmi, rolling on the grass. (t/n: Injeolmi (인절미) is a variety of tteok, or Korean rice cake, made by steaming and pounding glutinous rice flour, which is shaped into small pieces and usually covered with steamed powdered dried beans or other ingredients.) 

「Cute.」

「What is it, Sophia?」

「Look at this. Mom. It’s cute, right!」

「Oh my. It’s a golden retriever.」

Baek Soyeon’s house also had a Dobermann they raised before Soyeon was born. However, since the day Baek Soyeon was unable to use her legs, the dog began to bark threateningly whenever it saw her, so they were currently raising the dog in Brian’s office for safety.

When Baek Soyeon checked the DM, her opponent immediately sent more photos. Soyeon pressed the keyboard. 

[Do you have more pictures?]

[Yes :)]

A picture came up. There was also a video. It was a video of a golden retriever splendidly grabbing a disk thrown by a black-haired man. It looked like it was taken directly. 

Baek Soyeon, who had been immersed in photos and videos for a long time, asked belatedly.

[But who is it?]

Sometimes Baek Doohan’s fans sent DMs to Baek Soyeon. Or maybe Brian Nelson’s followers or opponents sent DMs to Baek Soyeon.

The followers were fine, but the opponents often sent Baek Soyeon DMs with abusive language. As if Baek Soyeon represents the political orientation of her father, Brian Nelson. 

Even though Baek Soyeon was only 10, that didn’t matter to them.

But it was the first time the happiness evangelist handed over a picture of her cute puppy. Baek Soyeon waited for her answer with her pounding heart. 

[Anyone who has questions about you :D]

Baek Soyeon was slightly disappointed when she saw the reply.

Again, it seemed like it was someone who was interested in her grandfather or father. Because people weren’t interested in a 10-year-old who didn’t even go to school. She would have been happy if someone had sent her a DM because she wanted to talk about dogs.

However, the following DM was enough to surprise Baek Soyeon.

[What kind of existence is your ‘Constellation’?] 

Baek Soyeon’s heart sank.

Before she could reply, DMs kept coming.

[I have a Constellation, too.]

[So I want to ask you something.]

[How much do you know about Constellations?]

Baek Soyeon’s heart fluttered wildly. 

The fear of revealing the existence that has always been avoided, and the joy of finally having someone to share their concerns with.

Two emotions swirled in Baek Soyeon’s mind.

* * * 

“Hmm.” 

Haeun, sitting on the sofa, hummed. It’s a new song by an idol that Haeun likes. Haeun’s face is filled with a smile.

And there was one person who watched Haeun closely.

It’s Seo Dojoon.

“….” 

Seo Dojoon thought that although he hadn’t known Haeun for long, he understood her personality to some extent.

Haeun, who Seo Dojoon saw, had a relaxed temperament. She was easygoing and honest in everything she did. Looking at Haeun, he could feel that she was loved and raised enough in an environment that wasn’t lacking.  

At the same time, she sometimes showed her stubbornness that she must achieve what she decided. 

“Soyeon, please give me her phone number.”

She was so persistent that she asked for Baek Soyeon’s contact information.

Of course, Seo Dojoon never gave Haeun Baek Soyeon’s contact information. It is against the Seo Dojoon’s principle. 

However, Haeun has been strangely quiet since she went to Haniel Industries yesterday. 

Seo Dojoon intuitively felt it.

That Haeun found another way.

“Haeun-ssi.” 

“Ack!” 

Haeun, who was sitting on the sofa, was startled and hid her phone. Seo Dojoon narrowed his eyes.

Haeun rolled her eyes and smiled. 

“Why?” 

“What are you doing?”

“Just~ reading Outstars?”

Haeun naturally switched her account, and she showed the screen. There is a commemorative photo that she took when she visited Haniel yesterday. She stamped quite a few hearts on it.

Seo Dojoon didn’t take away his suspicious eyes. But no matter how hard he stared, he couldn’t find anything. 

Because the account she contacted Baek Soyeon is a completely different account. 

[The Constellation ‘Mutant of the Abyss’ says it was a close call.] 

‘Speed is life.’

Haeun sent a DM to Baek Soyeon and eventually succeeded in leading the conversation. There was no one who wouldn’t react in front of a cute puppy picture. 

Haeun knew that Baek Soyeon was mentally unstable.

In fact, Haeun wasn’t sure what her opponent would do when she brought up the story of the Constellation. 

The Constellation just existed by her side, and Baek Soyeon couldn’t have felt its presence. 

[I have one too!]

However, Baek Soyeon didn’t just treat Haeun’s DM as a joke but answered seriously.

[But not now. It’s gone.]

[How do you know the Constellation?]

[Who are you? Are you a Hunter?]

At first glance, these were sentences that felt desperate.

At first, she seemed a little wary, but as soon as Haeun showed sympathy for Soyeon’s situation and warmed the atmosphere, many stories started pouring out over the anonymous account. 

The Constellation that stayed by Baek Soyeon’s side had the nickname ‘Predator of Destiny’.

She also confessed that she could recognize the existence of the Constellation after having a dream in which her grandfather appeared. 

She described it as a dream, but when she heard the story, it was actually a prophecy.

The ability to foresee the future, isn’t it the power everyone wants to have? 

However, Baek Soyeon rejected Constellation’s contract offer. The angry Constellation imposed a ban on Baek Soyeon, which was why Baek Soyeon couldn’t walk. 

‘But why is Soyeon reluctant to Awaken?’ 

She doesn’t have to go all the way to Hunter. Originally, not using such a high position is like taking a lot of benefits.

But does she have any reason to refuse Awakening? After Awakening, wouldn’t it be okay to keep it a secret from everyone and stay quiet? In fact, not all Awakened are active as Hunters. 

[I’m afraid of the future.]

To Haeun’s question, Baek Soyeon gave a vague answer.

In fact, if Haeun had asked in more detail, she would have known why Baek Soyeon fainted at the sight of Haeun. 

However, Haeun was worried that Baek Soyeon would find out that she was the person behind the anonymous account. So, she prevented the story from going toward Korea, Hunter Seo Dojoon, and herself on purpose.

[I hope my grandfather doesn’t come out of my dreams anymore]

Because of that, Haeun knew that Baek Soyeon had a dream about Baek Doohan, but didn’t know that the dream was a dream in which Baek Doohan died. 

Baek Soyeon also didn’t tell the truth about her last dream because she was afraid that saying her grandfather had died would make it come true.

‘I was originally going to ask about the constellation and the system….’

Baek Soyeon’s condition was worrisome, but Haeun’s main purpose was those two. However, as of now, there seems to be no meaningful information that could be found from Baek Soyeon.

At least Baek Soyeon needs to sign a contract with Constellation to get new information. 

Still, it was not without income at all.

Baek Soyeon expressed an interest in meeting Haeun directly.

[I’m going to the Haniel Expo this weekend]

[Dad was invited to the opening ceremony]

[Are you coming too?]

It was the question of an American child who thought that everyone in the world would live in America and the neighborhood next to her. 

Of course, it was true that Haeun is currently close to Baek Soyeon. Jung Jinho was also scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the Expo, so she was able to attend.

[Yes, I will go :D]

But a problem remained.

‘I can’t go in front of Soyeon myself.’

There will definitely be a huge crowd at the item fair.

It would be a big problem if Baek Soyeon encountered Haeun and fainted again in such a place.

She doesn’t know why, but Baek Soyeon has already met Haeun and shown symptoms more than once.

[The Constellation ‘Mutant of the Abyss’ says to just refuses and asks if it’s okay to talk via DM like now.] 

‘No, if I refuse here, I don’t think she’ll tell me properly through DM.’

For some reason, she had such a hunch.