Chapter 1 - Sungmin

My pocket burned.

Like I'd summoned all the fires of hell directly to it. But it wasn't likely to make a whole in my pants or scorch my skin.

What the arrow was most likely to do was go off halfcocked on its own, matching anyone to anything and I would be left picking up its mess.

No.

It wasn't going to happen this time. This time I was going to make sure I followed my list to the T.

I pulled out my list and scanned it a final time for errors. Even the slightest misspelling and things could go haywire. The arrow could end up matching Peter to Harry instead of Mary. Lately they'd been that particular.

I knew what it was like when they went astray.

They'd gotten bored with the same day to day matching. And the people who'd been paired up were your run in the mill CEO's with CEO's and laborers with laborers. Nothing special or exciting, and my arrows tended to misbehave. Thought for themselves, no matter how much I tried to redirect them into the correct path, it took so much energy out of me. And my black arrow had to be the worst.

Like Hana and Pascal.

It was a matching, Alisieu had said, needed to be undone before they tore each other apart. Over time Pascal and Hana became as compatible as pickles and chocolates, neither of which I found the least appealing.

I remembered the day I'd chosen to keep them together more than the day they'd landed on my list. Some matches were just not meant to be. We could find all the comparable traits that told us these two people fit, but there was no guarantee that it would work. We matched humans, everything that came after was up to them. We had no hand in how their loved bloomed or if it did at all.

Most of the time when it went south, it would fizzle out on its own.

However, there are a few rare cases where a cupid is needed to step in. If it was shown that a match was at the brink of ruin. I'd hoped maybe a little time together could soften their hearts. Time and time again they proved me wrong.

Pascal had forgotten Hana's birthday more than a few times. After the fifth, I was certain I'd finally unmatch them. Nothing would keep me from it. My black arrow had become antsy waiting and was dying to come out and play. Seeing as I've had a one hundred percent happily ever after rate and what not, I rarely used it.

Perhaps Pascal and Hana were too different to work. I thought, using the guise of a pillar in the lobby to watch them closely.

I was sure this would be the last time I'd see them. Even as Hana rampaged through her company lobby—a fortune 500 cosmetic industry that had locations all over the globe—I was almost certain that nothing would stand in the way of this unmatching.

The floor was busy most of the morning. The front doors welcomed staff and visitors into the lobby that's upper levels were only accessible by ID badge through the security in front.

Before this, Pascal had been the kind of guy Hana never wanted— broke, not very good looking and extremely childish. Going off their background and family history, I didn't see anything that made them a viable match. Besides having a few interests in common, these were two people I would never have matched up. But I'm the new guy. And no one listens to reason from the new guy.

I reached into my right pocket where I always kept my black arrow, the farthest away from the heart as possible. It was a new feeling holding onto it. Like that emptiness I had when I first realized I had died and there was no coming back.

Pascal stepped into the lobby at around noon with an edible bouquet of fruits because Hana had been allergic her whole life to the real things. His bright orange hair was gelled and brushed back. He adjusted the tie around his neck and double checked that his suit was clean before rushing Hana and reducing her chances of speaking first.

"Wait, before you blow up on me, here." He shoved the bouquet into her hands.

"That's not going to save you this time." I said holding my arrow with some reluctance to let it go. Although I didn't think they made the perfect match, I felt bad knowing all those years together would be expunged in a few minutes. No trace of their romantic life together would be left. I turned around and stared directly at my black arrow, its double head bounced ruthlessly in my palm.

"This doesn't feel right. You know it too." The arrow shook. "But if I don't do it, I'll be in deep sh…crap and Ailiseu will have my head."

I looked back over at Pascal and saw him down on one knee scrounging nervously through the pocket of his suit.

"It's now or never." I told myself because I knew if I hesitated any longer, I'd never let go of this arrow. "Ready?"

It dipped its nose into my palm. That was something they did to let me know we were on the same page. Then I let it go. I kept my mind clear, guided it around people in the lobby. Tried to remember that it would only lose direction if I got distracted. When it found Pascal and Hana, Pascal was back on his feet, slipping an engagement ring onto Hana's finger and she was smiling. Despite all the shit he put her through, all of the missed anniversaries and late nights coming home to an empty house, she was willing to take all of him.

It was hard seeing the progression, watching it all disappear in a blink. In those brief moments they went from lovers to friends to mere strangers because before the matching, they hadn't looked each other's way.

Hana went on to carry her brands name, marrying a CEO of a pharmaceutical company who had signed a big venture that should have made them millions. It didn't. He signed on with some fraud company who ended up taking them for all they were worth. And Pascals girl dropped out of school days shy of graduating because he had a pipe dream that she wanted to support.

She wound up working at some busted up restaurant in a not so safe street in Seoul. Where she would stay until she tapped out of the world at the age of 50 from a disgruntled pimp who'd mistaken her for his whore.

Pascal ended up dying 60 years too early and Alisieu had to come in to collect his soul, which had rewritten her entire list completely. It set her back another hundred years before she'd be able to move on.

But it wasn't like I didn't warn them ahead of time. How the fuck did I end up getting reprimanded for following the damn rules?

"Where are you?" I leaned on my palm and picked at the chipped tile of the table. I'd sat near the bar, ordered a glass of OJ and whatever special was on the menu because since waking up in this body, I hadn't an ounce of alcohol tolerance. Not that they would sell me any.

"Here's your food. Not many people order the special, so I hope it's to your liking." The young waitress set the plates in front of me. On her tag I saw the name Nabi. I let out a frustrated breath. That name could belong to almost anyone. And never getting their pictures until both parties were present didn't make my job any easier.

She smiled brightly, hugging the serving tray against her chest.

"If there's anything else you need let me know and enjoy." She winked, sauntering off to take care of any other table.

"With that smile and looks it must be you," I said feeling a vibration under my hand and lifted it.

My list was a fickle beast.

It only ever showed me two names at a time, and only when both matching pairs were in the vicinity did it show me what they looked like.

Names came first and pictures after, and never one before the other.

So now with the vibration I had a good picture of Nabi and who her partner was.

It wasn't like they were going to get married and have two and a half kids.

I, despite my current occupation, believed that love was a thing of chance and could not be planned out or forced. And when you looked at it, that's what I did. What we all did, really. Albeit the pairs didn't give in to a crazy tumultuous romance but fell in love slowly. I was just planting the thoughts in their heads, the seeds in their hearts in which direction to batt their eyes.

I looked down, took a second before I pulled out my pink arrow, the burning a little lighter now that I was allowing it to roam free. "Don't go crazy or this will be the last time I let you out."

The arrow stood still almost as a silent agreement between us.

"Welcome." A few minutes later the second person of the pair was being greeted at the door.

This Cha Insu looked vastly different than the pictures in my hand.

For such a brute, he shrunk next to the hostess, barely making a sound when she walked him over to a table by the windows. I feel, however, that had more to do with his shoes than his steps. He slid into the booth and dusted off left over food that wasn't cleaned off properly, then he reached for the menu.

Rap. Rap. Rap. Insu tapped his fingers against the table, looking out the window and around the restaurant. He rubbed the back of his neck, vigilant of those who could recognize him, avoiding looking at the door.

A waitress came by a few minutes later and placed a glass of water in front of him. He swallowed it down hard, like his throat was raw and dry, like sandpaper. I knew that feeling well.

Nabi was far off behind the counter, maneuvering around frantically. She followed some boy bussing tables.

"Please, I'll give you half of what Uncle pays me." She tried to bribe him. "One shift. I really need to be at this concert."

The boy, around eighteen at the most, tall and lean, swatted her hands away when she went for more dishes. "You always say that and somehow one shift turns into two and by the end of it…" he reached for his phone in his pocket, stared at the screen smiling, a pink blush forming at his cheeks.

"By the end of it?" Nabi dumped more dishes into the bin, acquiring his full attention.

He tapped away on his phone before jamming it back from where he got it and snagged a rag from the band of his apron to wipe the table clean.

"You'll have me working your entire week because of concerts you'll die if you don't make." He grabbed her shoulders and shook her to emphasize her exaggerations.

Like how she rocked her body ruthlessly back and forth long after he let her go.

"I'm going to pass on your offer. Should I suggest next time you make it more enticing." He told her, scooping up his bin and walking to hand it over to another staff member. "Also did it ever occur to you that maybe I could have plans?"

"My cousin? Plans?" Her eyes went wide at the thought. "Nonono. You never have plans without me."

"Right, because my only friend is my cousin." He said shaking his head at her.

He walked over to the bar and worked on polishing some glasses. "Just one shift and I mean it."

"Fine," she smiled.

Nabi rounded the bar and picked up the pencil on the clipboard hanging behind it. She scribbled something down then turned back to her cousin. There was a sly smile on her face.

"It's in the books now." She pointed at the clipboard. "And there's no way I'm giving you half of my pay for one measly six-hour night shift."

Her cousin rolled his eyes but smiled. Maybe he would still take the shift and leave her with all her earnings. He looked like the kind.

With One eye on my arrow and the other at Insu, I whispered, "Cha Insu and…"

"Park Gaeul!" Nabi screamed and panic ensued.

I looked up, my thoughts a wondering mess. Usually, I'd been clear minded and calm at matchings to not confuse my arrow. And I knew how to not let the outside world get to me, but now the arrow tipped its head down against my palm, then it's tail. It did that repeatedly. Probably confused at which direction to go. Especially over the screaming and chaos.

Then after a few seconds it shot out, and I reached for it, but I'd been bumped this way and that way by scattering customers. I'd heard the second gunshot go off the same time I saw my arrow pierce through Gaeul then into Insu.

Fuck.

I was fucked.