Chapter 99 - The Foreshadowing

Mirae's face was pouting in concentration. She looked up.

"Ahjumma," she said. "Can't you give these to me for three dollars per kilo?"

"Six dollars," the woman from the shop haggled.

"Three and a half!" Mirae countered.

"Five!"

"Three and a half!"

She was bargaining with the shopkeeper at the local market. Mirae had come grocery shopping at the outdoor market and was busy searching for ingredients to prepare steak. She was a lousy cook but Jiwon would come home late and she thought she should at least try to take the load off his shoulders.

It was a good thing she gets good payment from her freelancing jobs. Her latest employer gave her some extra tip because he really liked the software she designed for him. It was impossible to hack into this system, making it a powerful tool for an IT company.

After haggling with the shopkeeper for half an hour, she finally got the steak for four dollars per kilogram. Managing to buy an entire bulk, she happily roamed around the market. Nibbling on some snacks, she was checking out some fresh lobsters when a frail voice came from behind her.

"Is time on your side?"

Startled, Mirae turned around to see an extremely old and fragile woman sitting there. Her stall was decorated with yellow papers and incense sticks which gave off a pleasant smell. The old woman wore a red shawl and a beaded rosemary on her neck. The woman looked mysterious and was staring at Mirae.

"Is time on your side?" she repeated.

Her question unsettled Mirae. Upon thinking, she did not even remember seeing this strange woman a minute ago when she was roaming around this area. It was as if she appeared out of nowhere.

"I'm sorry, I do not know," Mirae replied politely, wanting nothing but to escape from this woman's gaze. It was uncomfortable and strange. She was about to walk away when the old woman spoke up again.

"Which one of your futures will you follow Jung Mirae?" 

Mirae froze. How did the woman know her name? 

"How did you-"

"I know you past, present and futures," the old woman said. "I know where you will head. I know everything."

A shaman, Mirae realized. She never met one but she knew what they did. People believed shamans could communicate with the dead and even predict one's future. Mirae did not believe in all that but this woman seemed so convincing in her words. She decided to listen to the old woman at least. 

Mirae sat down in front of her.

"I don't believe in all this," she said. 

"No one asked you to," the shaman replied. "No one can change your futures. I'm simply here to observe."

"Futures?" Mirae frowned. "You speak as if I have-"

"Multiple futures," the shaman finished for her.

This confused Mirae. How can someone have multiple futures?

"I don't believe in all this," she said apologetically. She was about to get up but the old woman stopped her once again.

"Kwon Jiwon is hiding many secrets," she stated. "One which will shake your relationship to the core."

Mirae stared at her in astonishment.

"You know my husband?" she asked.

"No," the shaman said. "But I know what his decisions will lead to. It will erase the very existence of your relationship."

The last statement scared Mirae. Erase the existence of their relationship? 

"The only person who can save him from himself," the woman went on. "Is you."

"What do you-"

"A time will come," the woman went on. "When you will be forced to make a choice between two of the most important people in your life. To protect one, you must let the other go. Your choice will shape your futures."

Futures. There it was again.

"When that time comes, hold on to this," the shaman took out a locket which had a green stone attached to it. It was a jade. 

"It will protect him," she said in a cryptic tone. 

"What do I do with it?" Mirae questioned her. She did not like this woman at all. There was something eerie about her, which made her feel ominous. 

"Wish for what you really want," the old woman said simply. "And have faith."

Mirae felt conflicted. She really did not believe in all this nonsense but her hands automatically moved to take the chain. It's just a locket, she thought as she put it on her neck.

"How much is it?" she asked.

"There is no price to it," the shaman said. "Now go and save your futures. If you can." 

With that, the old woman dismissed her. Mirae looked at her in wonder. Did the woman just give away an expensive jewelry for free? 

She got up and turned to leave. She walked only a few steps when she thought the better of it and decided to return it. To her surprise, the shaman was gone.

Wasn't she here just seconds ago? Mirae wondered. She searched the whole market but never found her again. Shrugging off the encounter, Mirae kept the locket with her. 

I'll return it later if I find her again, she decided. As Mirae walked out of the market, she was unaware that someone was clicking her pictures from afar.

….

Jiwon was having a hard time at his day job. For the past eight months, he had laid low, not looking into the matter of the Cartel. Ever since his encounter with Soowon, he decided to resume a regular schedule instead of obsessing over the Cartel. He was sure Ziko got a whiff of someone keeping tabs on him and Jiwon could not risk his hard work on an impulse again.

Moreover, he had Mirae to think about. After that disastrous date, he had been cautious of hurting her again. Even though Mirae shrugged it off after she recovered from her illness, he could tell she still had not forgotten his behavior. Whenever he tried to broach the subject of going out again, she would feel a little skeptic. Hence, he decided to give her some time before they can plan a proper holiday.

In the meantime, he was working at the convenience store. It was difficult for him to adjust to a regular job. As a privileged child, Jiwon was never taught how to work his way from the bottom. Everything was placed on a golden platter for him. But now, he was struggling to keep up. Just moments ago, he had to deal with a difficult customer who refused to pay and his boss scolded him for not handling it well.

It was finally time to head home and Jiwon was very tired. He entered the house only to see Mirae slurping on ramen. She smiled widely as he entered. 

"How was you day?" she asked cheerfully.

"It was okay," he said indifferently, stifling a yawn. 

"I've already prepared dinner," she announced. "You should freshen up while I set the table."

Jiwon somehow dragged himself to the bathroom. The cold shower stung every nerve in his body. It was difficult to live without the luxuries he was used to and his mood soured even more.

He came out of the bathroom only to see Mirae setting up some burnt steak and undercooked curry.

"What is this?" Jiwon asked quietly.

"Well, the meat got a little burnt," Mirae admitted. "But the food is edible. I tasted it myself!"

Jiwon poked the food with his chopsticks and took a bite.

"Is it not good?" she asked, her face faltering.

"It's terrible," Jiwon stated. It was all he could expect from her. She was not a good cook anyway. He head over towards the sink and washed his mouth to get rid of the taste.

"Why do you even bother to cook when you know you're lousy at it?" he asked her warily. 

Mirae looked down guiltily, mumbling something while she hid her hands behind her.

"I'll go and get some ramen," Jiwon told her as he put on his jacket. Mirae opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it as he left.

Jiwon returned an hour later only to find her snoozing on the couch. She was not wearing any blanket.

"Does she want to fall sick again?" Jiwon mumbled, putting the ramen boxes in the kitchen. He gently picked her up in his arms, noticing that she had blisters on her hands. Putting her down on the bed, he went over to the bathroom's cabinet and took out some balm.

He tenderly applied the balm on her hand, careful not to wake her up. Mirae slept peacefully, unaware that her husband was tending to her wounds. After he was done, Jiwon put the medicines away and changed into his pajamas. He was about to head to bed when a small envelope caught his attention. It was unopened.

Frowning, he picked it up. He took out the contents and was surprised. The envelope stated that upon turning 21, Mirae would inherit her parents' properties and wealth. 

"Mirae," he gently shook her. Opening her eyes, Mirae frowned at her husband.

"You didn't tell me about this," he held up the envelope. 

"Oh," she said. "I wanted to but you got angry at the food I made and left. I waited for you but fell asleep."

Jiwon sighed. "Your twenty first birthday is eight months away," he reminded her. "You should talk to Secretary Lee about this. You're their only child. You should treasure what they left you."

"I don't want to," she mumbled.

"Why not?"

She looked at him. "It's just...it's just I feel that we are better off without so much wealth," she admitted. "Do we really need all this? Wealth couldn't save my parents. You had so much wealth and yet you gave it all up coz you weren't happy! Tell me Jiwon. Even if you miss all that luxury at times, would you consider yourself to be happy if you return to that world?"

Jiwon pondered over her question. At that moment, he was in awe of his wife for her decision. "No," he admitted. "I hated it. There were a few moments of happiness but it wasn't because of the wealth and power I had."

"See?" she reasoned, pouting her lips. "I know we don't have much. In fact, we have nothing! But these past two years have given me a sense of peace. I'm glad you chose to bring us here. I'd rather have us build our own world than-"

Her words were muffled by a spontaneous kiss from Jiwon. Taken aback by surprise, she asked, "What was that for?"

"I just felt like it," he said.

"But-"

Her words were once again interrupted by a kiss from him. This time, it was long and gentle as he pried into her mouth with his tongue, caressing her hair. Mirae threw her hands over his shoulders and pulled him over her. 

They made love all night long, leaving their apprehensions behind as they poured their feelings for each other.

….

"Is that her?" Ziko raised his eyebrows.

"Yes sir," one of his men said. "That's Kwon Jiwon's wife. Jung Mirae."

"Jung?" Ziko raised his eyebrows. "You mean…"

"Jung Taewon's daughter," his underling replied. "She got married to Kwon Jiwon roughly two years ago."

A sinister smile came upon Ziko's face. "Interesting," he commented. "Very interesting."