The shaman, who pretended not to hear and glanced sidelong at Moon Gyeonwoo, cleared her throat. Saying she’d also look at his physiognomy, she glanced at Yeonrok’s face and nodded again.
“Looking at your face, your features are very harmonious and your energy is clear! You must have had a hard time until now. There will be one crisis ahead, but after that, your life will bloom wide open! But looking at your head, there’s an ominously dark cloud of misfortune. Be careful of injuries. You’ll be scammed by close family, especially parents, so absolutely don’t trust them!”
Except for having had a hard time until now, it didn’t really seem to fit, but Yeonrok just nodded out of courtesy. Moon Gyeonwoo couldn’t hold back again and interfered.
“You’d need to have parents to be scammed by parents…”
The strong-willed middle-aged shaman glared, but Moon Gyeonwoo also glared back without backing down. Only after Yeonrok poked his waist with a finger did Moon Gyeonwoo withdraw his gaze. The shaman, who cleared her throat very loudly, stared intently at his face and tilted her head.
“But is this a fate of many divorces?”
“Divorces?”
At those words, Moon Gyeonwoo’s attention, which had been evaluating the value of a cheap-looking Buddha statue, turned to the shaman. After staring intently at his face for a long time and even observing Yeonrok’s palm, she said.
“Young bachelor, you’ll have multiple spouses in the future?”
Huh. Yeonrok’s eyes widened as for the first time since the fortune-telling began, something accurate was said. Moon Gyeonwoo also raised one eyebrow. As if very difficult to understand, the shaman kept sighing.
“No matter how I look at the ilji, it’s not a saju where you’d divorce despite getting along well… It’s not a fate for cheating either. You’re not naturally meant for concubinage, so why multiple spouses? And each one has such a strong energy, you’ll suffer quite a lot…”
Gasp. This person really seems to have some kind of divine power. Yeonrok’s eyes widened. Moon Gyeonwoo, who had just been endlessly wanting to leave, suddenly started concentrating.
“Tell me more about those spouses.”
“You’ll pay more, right?”
The shaman triumphantly held out her hand. Moon Gyeonwoo’s eyelashes fluttered as he didn’t want to pay more money for mere sales tactics, scammers, and superstition. Honestly, Yeonrok found that sight a bit amusing. He made up his mind and took out his wallet. He took out one 50,000 won bill but she shook her head. When he added one more, the shaman finally continued the fortune-telling.
“The compatibility is good.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m saying the sexual compatibility with your spouse is very good, hohoho.”
“…Is that all?”
“Ah, what’s more important between a married couple than sexual compatibility! It’s already hard to find even one, but you have several, so your fortune has burst open!”
And that was the end. Glancing over, Yeonrok saw Moon Gyeonwoo’s face crumpled with contempt. As soon as he reluctantly paid the fortune-telling fee and left the fortune-telling house, he spoke in a voice as cold as winter wind.
“She’s a scammer. Let’s never look at something like that again.”
Having witnessed 100,000 won being extorted for just a few words right before his eyes, Yeonrok couldn’t bring himself to refute this.
* * *
The hot spring spa resort Moon Gyeonwoo guided him to was located at the foot of a mountain. Perhaps because it was a place pursuing privacy, the facilities were really luxurious and there weren’t many people to be seen. They checked into a place called Dongchunjae located at the innermost part of the resort.
“It’s quiet and nice, right? I was recommended to come here when I want to rest.”
It was certainly a place that Moon Gyeonwoo with his sensitive temperament would like. Yeonrok glanced at Moon Gyeonwoo while organizing his luggage.
‘I wonder if he’ll suggest bathing together.’
Knowing that Moon Gyeonwoo had feelings for him, he had prepared himself in his own way when coming here. However, unexpectedly, Moon Gyeonwoo only suggested in a refreshing voice.
“Want to go in first? I’m planning to tomorrow.”
“Ah, s-should I?”
Different from his expectations, Yeonrok awkwardly grabbed his clothes and stood up. After bathing first, he entered the outdoor hinoki bath. Perhaps because it was Gangwon-do, the night air was still cool enough to enjoy hot spring bathing, and when he immersed his body in the hot water, a groan naturally came out.
“Ah, this is good…”
I met good Name Partners so I get to enjoy such luxury. Yeonrok enjoyed the hot spring bath to his heart’s content with a newly grateful heart until his fingers became wrinkled. The slippery water had a slightly off-putting smell, but that rather created a belief that it was good for health. After a long while, Yeonrok came out with cheeks like a well-ripened peach and gave his evaluation.
“This place is so good?”
“Do you like it? Let’s come again next time.”
Moon Gyeonwoo, who had some unknown device out, held out cool banana milk. And he contentedly watched his Name Partner suck and drink it with flushed cheeks. After finishing the milk and throwing the bottle in the trash, Yeonrok asked.
“What’s that?”
“Physical therapy device. Want to lie down here once?”
Since the other person is a doctor, I can even receive physical therapy in a place like this. Yeonrok obediently lay down as Moon Gyeonwoo instructed.
“Relax your arm and bend it slowly like this.”
He moved his arm following Moon Gyeonwoo’s instructions. He had been wearing a half-cast for a little over 3 weeks and his joints were still stiff. It was because when he collided and hit the car’s steering wheel, not only was the bone simply fractured, but the ligaments and muscles also suffered severe impact. Still, it was much better than when the bone was broken. Moon Gyeonwoo spoke like a considerate doctor.
“Definitely compared to the left, the range of motion is narrow and stiff.”
Since he had fully enjoyed the hot spring, he skipped the hot compress. A familiar patch stuck to his arm with a slap. Along with a buzzing feeling, electrical stimulation came. After also being exposed to a heat lamp, he became languid and his eyes began to droop.
Following that, Moon Gyeonwoo began massaging the muscles from his shoulder to his arm. It hurt a bit at first, but when he endured it, it soon became refreshing and cool and the pain eased considerably.
“Ah, this is good…”
Yeonrok muttered unconsciously and groaned with his brow furrowed. Moon Gyeonwoo’s hand paused for a moment, then put in a bit more strength. Yeonrok wiggled his toes while letting the other person knead his body as he pleased. Moon Gyeonwoo’s gaze slowly swept down Yeonrok’s defenseless, relaxed form.
“But Yeonrok-ah.”
“Mm…”
Mumbling an answer closer to ‘ung’ than ‘eung,’ Yeonrok turned his head on the pillow. It was a movement close to an instinct to find a comfortable sleeping position.
“Shouldn’t you start calling me hyung soon?”
Yeonrok’s eyes, which had been falling into sleep, opened again. The infinitely comfortable and relaxed atmosphere suddenly became uncomfortable, so Yeonrok tossed and turned for no reason.
“That seems like too friendly a form of address…”
“If Name Partners aren’t a close relationship, who in the world is in a close relationship?”
Huh? That is true though. No, but… we weren’t like ordinary Name Partners. Maybe because we didn’t get along at all from the beginning, it still feels awkward. As if reading those thoughts, Moon Gyeonwoo continued.
“Although we had a very brief period of not getting along, we’re going to be intimately sharing affection for decades ahead.”
That’s correct? But? Sharing affection makes the word choice kind of…? As Yeonrok hesitated, Moon Gyeonwoo said lastly.
“Besides, I’m five years older than you.”
It was also something difficult for a Korean person raised in a Confucian society to ignore. In the end, Yeonrok nodded.
“Ah, okay.”
“Just a reply?”
“Gyeonwoo, hyung…”
Even though he said it quietly, Moon Gyeonwoo smiled brightly. Perhaps because he was so satisfied, the touch massaging became even more gentle.
“Is there anything you’re curious about regarding me?”
It would be too cold to say there wasn’t anything again, and since there was something he was curious about, Yeonrok sneakily observed Moon Gyeonwoo’s expression. Keenly noticing Yeonrok’s hesitating mood, Moon Gyeonwoo helped out.
“It’s completely okay to ask something personal. What are you curious about?”
“Well…”
Only after hearing the ready permission did Yeonrok carefully ask.
“I grew up in an orphanage. Hyung, did you too? Were you like me? …I mean, did you not have family?”
Because family had been taken from him from birth, Yeonrok always had fantasies about family and an ambiguous longing. And he often felt lonely in this regard. Even though he received sufficient care at the orphanage, he always wanted affection. Usually he never revealed this deficiency, but in front of Moon Gyeonwoo he wanted to reveal it. It was because there was an expectation that he could receive empathy.
“I don’t know who my biological parents are either.”
Moon Gyeonwoo readily told his own story without the slightest hesitation. Knowing well that the other person also wasn’t someone who would reveal their story to just anyone, Yeonrok’s heart fluttered a little. Now he could feel that he had also become somewhat of an important person to his Name Partner.
Ilji (일지) – Day Pillar (in Saju/Four Pillars)
