Fated Day

"Jinhyun, listen to me!" Sekjong shouted, running after him. The boy is being too stubborn! He thought. He had to pull a lot of strings to arrange this meeting. But Jinhyun's pride ruined it all.

Jinhyun did not turn around but walked on. He wanted to ignore the old man but sighed and thought better of it. Manager Shun was just looking out for him. He stopped and turned around as Sekjong finally managed to catch up.

"You...shouldn't have…done that," he huffed.

"I didn't mean to be rude," Jinhyun said apologetically. "I simply want creative control over the music I make and the number of comebacks I will do per year."

"Agencies won't agree to those demands!" Sekjong argued. "Nowadays, they control the whole process! From lyric writing to composing and music videos. CNQ Media was the only one which agreed to give you some creative freedom in exchange for lesser comebacks!"

"They simply want to use me as a puppet to show that they treat their artists properly," Jinhyun pointed out warily. "I don't want to be their puppet."

"So which agency will you join?" Sekjong snapped. "You've been away for two years! The industry has changed since then. Don't you think that you need to compromise your stance?"

Jinhyun sighed. Even though Manager Shun was right, Jinhyun could not settle with the arrangement. What was the point of making music if he could release it the way he wanted?

"I'm off," he declared.

"Where are you going?" Sekjong frowned. "We need to contact more agencies for you!"

"I have some unfinished work," he replied as he strode off. "Bye!"

Before Sekjong could open his mouth to speak, Jinhyun walked away.

"What do I do with this kid?" Sekjong sighed.

Jinhyun checked his watch. He still had plenty of time to kill before attending the important appointment he had that night. Maybe I should look for an apartment first, he thought.

Deciding to check out some houses, he took out his phone and began to search. He noted down some addresses, thinking of checking them out.

He spent the rest of the day, looking at apartments near the downtown area. Most were too extravagant for his taste.

Finally, he stopped at an apartment complex, which had a penthouse situated on the top floor. Upon entering the building, he was welcomed by a neatly dressed manager in his seventies.

"Welcome, sir," the manager greeted. "I am Goo Jongshin, the manager of this building. How may I assist you?"

"I think a penthouse is on rent here," Jinhyun replied. "I would like to take a look at it."

"Follow me, sir," Jongshin said, leading the way. They entered the elevator and rode it to the top floor. There were only two apartments on that floor.

"Does anyone live in there?" Jinhyun asked, pointing at the other apartment. He wanted to make sure that his neighbors would not be intrusive especially since he was a well known celebrity.

"A mother and daughter duo live there," Jongshin said. "They're hardly home, so you won't be bothered by them. Besides, they stick to themselves and don't mingle in other's affairs. Also, our security system here is topnotch. There are CCTV cameras everywhere. If anyone tries to do anything suspicious, we'll catch them right away!"

The old man was quite proud of his property. He unlocked the empty penthouse and led Jinhyun in.

"This house had a spectacular view," he said proudly. Jinhyun looked in awe as the picturesque view of the Han River lay in front of him. The scenery was quite soothing and calm. There was a mini rooftop right beside the living room with a jacuzzi in it.

"How many bedrooms?" Jinhyun asked.

"Three," the old man replied. "Let me show you."

Jongshin led him upstairs. The master bedroom had a glass wall through which he could see the streets downstairs. At night, he would be able to see the glittering lights from the buildings.

"It's beautiful," he whispered as he marveled at the house. "I'll take it!"

"You'll have to pay a year's rent in advance," Jongshin informed him.

"Mail me the contract," Jinhyun said, handing him his card. "I'll sign it and send you the payment via bank transfer."

"Alright," the old man replied. They finished the tour of the house and after some pleasant chitchat, Jinhyun bid him goodbye.

When he left the apartment, it was almost six o'clock. He decided to head over to the cafe.

I wonder if she'll come, he thought. If he was being honest with himself, then there was no need for her to come. Why would she visit a stranger who had sent her a note two years back? By this time, she may have left town or gotten married to someone. There was no reason for her to come.

Yet… Yet Jinhyun wanted to hope. He did not know why but the moment he had seen her two years back, he felt this inexplicable urge to talk to her. Something in him stirred up when she walked in through the door. He wanted to go and hug her, ask her how she is and hold her hand.

It was a silly notion. He never felt that way for anyone. All he wanted to do was talk to her just once. Will she freak out when she finds out that one of the most popular idols of the country had asked her out?

Jinhyun took out his mask and wore it on his face. He did not want another intrusion that night.

He entered the cafe. It was at the same place as it was two years ago. The interior did not change much except for a few paintings and the wallpaper. Otherwise, it was still the secluded little cafe, perfect for quick dates.

Will she come? He wondered as he took a seat next to the window.

Seconds turned to minutes and minutes to hours. Jinhyun was patiently waiting despite the growing disappointment in his heart. The cafe was almost empty and he was the only customer left. It was almost midnight and the cafe would close in a few minutes.

"Ummm… Sir?" one of the waiters called out to him. "We're about to close now. Is there anyone you're waiting for?"

Jinhyun sighed. "No," he replied. Disappointment was etched on his face as he paid for the espresso he had ordered while he was waiting. He was about to leave, when something outside the window caught his eye.

Right across the road, there was a figure wearing red clothes.

….

The cafe was only a few feet from her but Cherry had bigger things to worry about. An acquaintance of one of her clients had stolen a valuable artefact from her store and ran away. She calmly walked into the dark alley where the man had escaped to.

A man was crouching near the trash can. He held a shiny locket in his hands.

"That's not yours."

He looked around to see the red lady. She was cool and composed but her eyes bore a murderous look.

"This will change my rotten luck!" the man claimed. "I saw it! You gave it to him…my best friend Jaehyuk! He was nothing compared to me but now he's richer and even has a beautiful wife! I want what he has!"

"You're not fated for it," Cherry replied, feeling bored. Humans were greedy. This man saw his best friend succeed. Many years ago, Cherry had given the friend, Jaehyuk, a locket as a good luck charm. In reality, Jaehyuk was one of the people from her list and she merely gave him the means to change his luck. The same amulet will not work on anyone who is outside of the list. Cherry could have ignored the mad man but she hates thieves and was annoyed at the man for stealing her stuff.

"Return it," she threatened, holding up her cane.

"Never!" he said. "It's mine! It's-"

But he never managed to finish his words. His chest began to ache as he tumbled over and began to shake violently.

"What's…what's happening?" he yelled in fear.

"Nothing," Cherry smiled. "I'm just putting a small curse on you."

The man's face turned green. His limbs were shrinking as he watched in horror. Sprouts emerged from his body and he kept on growing smaller and smaller until he vanished. His clothes fell to the ground.

After a few seconds, a green chameleon came out of the clothes.

"Greed should be punished," Cherry said calmly as she picked it up and placed it in a jar. She then turned around only to freeze.

There was a masked man standing in front of her. He had seen everything.