40-52

Chapter 52: Chapter 17: Subtle Intentions (2) 

"Yes?" 

At the incomprehensible words, Sua tilted her head in confusion. The old man before her pressed his hand to his forehead and sighed, as if what he had just witnessed was unfolding completely contrary to his plans. 

"No, ha... these kids are all tangled up... No, never mind. Child, I wasn’t talking to you. By the way, where is that guy?" 

Even though Sua was old enough, being called "child" by the old man was unusual. Perhaps a parent might say such a thing, but not many would call a grown woman with a child of her own by that term. Especially after working as a company president for over ten years, that title could have been unpleasant for Sua. Yet, the old man’s words made her feel more a sense of familiarity than discomfort. 

"Um... who are you talking about?" 

"That guy! The one I even gave medicine to, but he still can’t tell up from down!" 

"Pardon...?" 

"What, didn’t Kim Sehyun tell you? He’s been hiding it all this time? Tsk tsk... No wonder things are so tangled..." 

"Excuse me, sir. What are you " 

Before Sua could finish, a breeze carried peach blossom petals around the old man. 

"...!" 

Right before her eyes, the wind that enveloped the wrinkled, hunched old man instantly transformed him into a tall, white-haired youth. 

"Whew... damn. Why did I end up playing security guard at my age?" 

"Wha wha what..." 

The old man grumbled as he adjusted his robe. Sua, unable to grasp what was happening, looked around, trying to make sense of the situation, but she realized she was no longer where she had been standing just moments before. 

"What is this..." 

"Hm? Ah, don’t worry, it’s not a ghost or anything." 

Though his face was now youthful, his speech was still that of an old man. If not for that, Sua might have thought she was hallucinating. Even now, she was partly convinced she was seeing things. But the reason her mind didn’t accept that as fact was because of all the abnormal changes she’d experienced since meeting Sehyun. 

"Um... sir, what exactly are you..." 

"Ah..." 

He sighed wearily and scratched his head before answering. 

"Me? Well... just as you see. Think of me as a kind of spirit. I don’t do anything that special, so don’t worry." 

"Then why are you here now..." 

"Ugh, my back... Let’s sit and talk, child." 

With a snap of his fingers, two backless wooden chairs rose from the ground. 

"Sit down. Oof..." 

The disconnect between his youthful appearance and elderly mannerisms left Sua stunned. After sitting as instructed, she cautiously asked, 

"...Did he make a mistake with you, sir?" 

"Hm? Well... in the end, I suppose so. He didn’t mean to, but... Tsk, that old hag. I told her we should hurry..." 

The old man muttered for a while, then let out a long sigh and began his story. 

"Child, I have a lot to apologize for." 

"Um, what do you mean...?" 

"Well, you see... I’m someone who ties fates together. Think of me as a spirit who does that." 

He spoke in a warm voice. 

"Originally, you two were supposed to be more tightly bound than anyone. I specially tied your threads together. But because of trouble on the other side, your timelines got crossed." 

From his perspective, he was explaining his own side; for those responsible for the mix-up, it would have sounded outrageous. 

"Wh-what..." 

"Sua." 

"..!" 

She thought nothing could surprise her anymore, but hearing her name spoken aloud by this stranger was a shock beyond anything she’d experienced. She listened, mouth slightly agape. 

"That Sehyun, please look after him... He’s such a fool, he’ll end up hurting you a lot..." 

"Sir..." 

"Don’t forget. The end of his thread is tied to you. That won’t change. Please, remember that. I’m asking you." 

As his words, almost desperate, overwhelmed her, a red thread appeared in the air, following his right index finger. 

"Because of complaints about my work, you’ve been burdened with a heavy load. I can’t undo it now. But... this much, I can do." 

He tied the long red thread to Sua’s left hand. 

"His blue thread is frayed in many places, but the thickest, strongest, and original strand is tied to this end. So don’t forget." 

He stroked her head, his face turning kindly grandfatherly, and spoke as if to a granddaughter. 

"Please take care of Sehyun." 

"Sir...!" 

Again, a strong wind whipped around them. Sua could only lower her head and close her eyes as the gusts blew, and through slitted eyes, she saw the thread on her left hand slowly fading. Even as it disappeared, she understood the meaning of the old man’s words. The bright red thread, half of its strands turning blue, told her everything. 

"..." 

She instinctively knew what was at the other end. The man she missed, the one she allowed to be with other women but still felt a tinge just a little of jealousy toward, was tied to her. 

Thud. 

As the wind died down and the unlucky leaves settled back to the ground, Sua looked up at the deep night sky, quietly catching her breath. She wanted to remember the surreal events she’d just witnessed, to hold onto the moments that soothed her hidden anxieties and jealousies. 

"Whew." 

After gathering herself, Sua stood up and ran to Sehyun. Somehow, she felt she knew exactly where he was and what he was doing. 

She still had no intention of forbidding him from being with other women. She never would. There were already other women with him, and she knew she wasn’t the only one to feel this way. 

So Sua decided to be a little selfish for once. 

She was sure absolutely sure that Sehyun would accept this as the affection of his main woman, and she walked confidently in the direction her instincts pointed. 

And at that exact moment  

[System Error] 

On Sehyun’s phone, as he returned to his apartment with Jiye’s leash in hand, chaos was unfolding messages flickered wildly, as if someone was frantically catching up on neglected management. When the screen finally calmed down, several messages appeared. 

[Canon: 'Kim Sehyun’s' trait 'Blue Line' is awakened.] 

[Canon: 'Han Sua’s' trait 'Red Line' is awakened.] 

[Canon: 'Kim Sehyun' acquires special title 'The Old Man’s Twisted Successor.' All stats for instructor 'Kim Sehyun' are recalibrated.] 

[System: 'Kim Sehyun' acquires special title 'Disaster Recovery Specialist.'] 

The final message trembled weakly, as if desperate to hold onto this one thing. 

Meanwhile, in a small bone soup restaurant in an alley, an elderly lady clucked her tongue at the TV. Next to her, a young couple oddly eating soup at this hour were being affectionate. 

"Hehehe... Sorry, honey. Our fifth wanted this at this hour..." 

The beautiful woman with long brown hair glowed even without makeup. Her handsome husband smiled as he placed kimchi on her spoon. 

"It’s fine, darling. If you want it, you should have it. And it’s not far from home." 

"Hehe..." 

The old lady smiled, perhaps certain that the couple’s fifth child would live a happy life. 

When the couple finished their soup, the door silent until now swung open. 

"Granny!" 

A man dressed like a security guard barged in. The couple jumped in surprise, and the old lady threw a roll of tissue at him, gritting her teeth. 

"Quiet, brat! Calling me granny? There’s a pregnant woman here lower your voice!" 

"Oh! Sorry, miss. I just have something to discuss with this old hag..." 

He apologized immediately, but the old lady cut him off. 

"Mr. Yoo, you’re done, right? I packed kimchi and acorn jelly for you take it home. And give the puffed rice inside to the kids. I need the table for this old man." 

The wife carefully stood and said, 

"Thank you for the meal, granny." 

"Sure. Yoo Hyun, take care of your wife. Don’t get careless just because it’s your fifth, okay?" 

"Ahaha... Don’t worry. Come on, honey, take my arm... Careful..." 

The husband, called Yoo Hyun, smiled and bowed with the food. 

"We’ll be going, granny!" 

"Alright come back when this old man isn’t around. I’ll keep giving you kimchi until the baby’s born." 

Click. 

The warm atmosphere vanished as soon as the door closed.