The Ill-fated Encounter
300 years ago (1712)...
"What is it you wish, mortal?" The mother of the nine-tailed fox asked, her voice smooth yet laced with menace. The storm raged on, thunder crackling in the sky as rain lashed the earth. The village girl, drenched and trembling, knelt before the celestial beings, her hands clenched into fists.
"I wish to love your son for eternity," she pleaded, her voice cracking with desperation. Tears mingled with raindrops as she bowed low. "It is the only thing I can ask for penance, Your Majesty. I beg you."
The mother of the nine-tailed fox let out a chilling laugh, her piercing gaze scrutinizing the mortal before her. "How selfless of you," she mocked, lips curling in disdain. "And to ask for eternity? How shameless."
"It is an act of promise, Your Majesty," the village girl insisted, her voice steadier this time. "In exchange, my successors will do the same. So please... end this nightmare."
The celestial queen tilted her head, considering the plea. Then, with a sigh, she relented. "Very well. But heed my warning—if you ever break this promise, I will make your life miserable."
Relief flickered across the girl's face, but before she could thank her, the mother leaned down, her lips brushing against the girl's ear. "To make you eternal, your soul will be transferred into a new vessel upon each death. You will forget everything, but my son will always find you when you come of age, and the bond will take effect. Should you betray this vow, you will suffer consequences beyond your comprehension."
With a snap of her fingers, the storm ceased, and the girl's fate was sealed.
300 years later (2012)...
"I renounce my wish!" The 18-year-old Shin Su Yeon's defiant voice echoed through the sacred mountain temple, the rage in her eyes mirroring the crackling flames of the ceremonial torches. The mother of the nine-tailed fox stiffened, her expression darkening.
"You dare renounce your wish, mortal?" she thundered, the heavens roaring in response. The ground trembled beneath them.
"Your son never once loved me in all my lifetimes!" Su Yeon shot back, fists clenched. "Three hundred years, and all I have received is heartache. I will no longer be bound to this curse!"
The goddess's expression faltered for a brief moment, but she quickly masked it with fury. "You speak as if you have a choice!"
Before she could strike, a calm yet commanding voice interrupted.
"Mother."
Gwang Hyeon Woo stepped forward, his golden eyes unreadable. He stood between Su Yeon and his mother, his presence alone forcing the tension in the air to shift.
"Hyeon Woo," the mother said, startled.
"Grant her wish," he ordered, his gaze never leaving Su Yeon's.
"But—" the mother started, only to be cut off by her son's unwavering stare. After a long silence, she exhaled sharply and turned away.
"Very well. What is your wish then, mortal?" she asked through gritted teeth.
Su Yeon took a deep breath. "I wish to forget all of you and live my life normally."
The goddess's hands clenched into fists, veins straining against her pale skin. But with her son's watchful eyes upon her, she could do nothing but comply.
"Wish granted."
A snap of her fingers sent a ripple through reality. The last thing Su Yeon saw was the cold, calculating stare of Gwang Hyeon Woo before everything faded into darkness.
10 years later (2022)...
Su Yeon's POV
I found myself standing at the foot of the mountain again. The wind rustled through the trees, sending a familiar yet unsettling chill down my spine. Why had I come here? What was I looking for?
I sighed, rubbing my temples. Ever since I left this place ten years ago, misfortune seemed to follow me like a shadow. Had I been cursed? The thought sent a shiver through me. Without another second to waste, I pulled out my phone and dialed the one person who might have answers—Yang Mi-na.
"Hello, this is Yang Mi-na speaking. Who's this?" her voice rang on the other line.
"You didn't save my number?" I gasped in mock offense. "We've been friends for over two decades, and my name isn't even in your contacts?"
"Ah, it's just you," she deadpanned. "What is it this time?"
"Your debt over two decades. I've come to collect," I teased.
A loud cough erupted on the other end. "Oh, Su Yeon!" she suddenly cooed. "I was just kidding, you know? Of course, I saved your contact."
"Uh-huh. You're easy to talk to, Mi-na. I'm coming over."
"What—wait—" I hung up before she could protest and made my way down the mountain, catching the next bus to the temple.
Once there, Mi-na was already waiting for me. "Are you here to collect my debt?" she joked.
"I just need a reading from your mom," I admitted.
She cocked her head. "You don't believe in that stuff. What changed?"
"Call it curiosity." I shrugged.
A knowing glint crossed her eyes, but she let it slide. "Mom's waiting for you. She said she felt something strange."
The moment we entered, Mrs. Yang's sharp gaze landed on me. Without a word, she lifted a brass bell and began to chant. The atmosphere grew heavy, the temperature dropping despite the summer heat.
Then, suddenly, her eyes snapped open—filled with something ancient, something furious.
"Han Byeol," she seethed.
A chill crawled up my spine. "Excuse me? I think you've got the wrong person."
Mrs. Yang's lips curled in a knowing smirk. "How's your miserable life? You, who disgraced the gods."
Thunder rumbled outside. I took a step back. "I—I don't understand."
"Oh, but you will..." Her voice turned into a whisper. "I am—"
Before she could finish, her body went limp. Mi-na and I rushed to her side.
"Mom!" Mi-na shook her, panic in her voice.
Mrs. Yang groggily opened her eyes. "Su Yeon, what did you do to anger the gods?" she whispered, her hands trembling.
Later, as I rushed to work, my mind was still reeling from what happened. Why had she called me Han Byeol? And why did the mention of that name feel like a memory just out of reach?
Lost in thought, I collided with someone. Hard.
"Watch where you're going," a deep voice scolded.
"Sorry," I muttered, not bothering to look up. But as I turned away, the man spoke again.
"You don't remember me, do you?" he questioned me.
I stopped in my tracks and glanced at the guy.
"You must've mistaken me for someone else, sir," I replied, my brows furrowing slightly. Who is this guy?
Mi-na's POV
"Mom, why do you have to scare Su Yeon like that?" I complained.
"What?" She looked at me, then her eyes widened. "Oh, right. I guess I got a little overboard..." Mom trailed off before composing herself.
"You and your schemes never fade, Mom." As I opened the doors again, she hurled a handful of red beans at me. "Mom!"
"What do you mean, schemes? I've been a shaman my whole life. Your grandmother was once a shaman as well!" she argued. "All of our female ancestors were shamans, so don't think our family didn't display all these statues for a show!" She added, but before Mom could throw another handful of red beans at me, she stopped when she noticed someone behind me.
I followed her gaze, and a man stood in front of me.
Su Yeon's POV
I hurried to the bus station and caught a ride when a bus finally showed up. While on my way there, I was suddenly reminded of the thunder earlier. I looked outside the window to see the sky, but it was clear and sunny. Why was there suddenly thunder? Could Mrs. Yang have played a trick with sound effects in the temple? I hadn't even considered that possibility.
Once the bus reached the station near Gwang Industries, I took a moment to catch my breath before glancing at the towering building. The brochure of this company had intrigued me, but I wasn't sure if I truly fit into this business world.
As I entered the luxurious lobby, I was met with an overwhelming number of employees moving swiftly through their tasks. The air buzzed with urgency, conversations blending into a symphony of efficiency. This isn't a black company, right? I hope I don't find myself buried in work before the day even ends...
As I made my way to my station as the CEO's Secretary, I noticed that several tasks had already been assigned to me. If I remembered correctly, almost all types of industries were built under this company's name. They must be one hell of a conglomerate family to hold this many enterprises. Taking a deep breath, I started dialing the numbers of people who had requested meetings with the CEO, who, by the way, was always in another country discussing business matters with VIPs and investors.
"Are you the new secretary?" someone questioned from the front of my desk. I looked up and smiled.
"Yes, ma'am, how may I help you?" I inquired. "If you want to meet Mr. Gwang, you might want to make a reservation. He is currently out of the country discussing private matters with other companies."
"Oh, no, I'm asking about you," she clarified. I stood up and bowed politely.
"Oh! Yes, I am," I replied. "Why do you ask, ma'am?"
"I'm the former secretary, and this is the manual for what you need to do when Mr. Gwang isn't around," she said as she handed me a thin red manual. "And this is the manual for what you need to do when Mr. Gwang is around." She then handed me a thick blue manual.
"Thank you! This will be a great help!" I smiled at her, and she nodded.
"It should be a great help," she said and leaned in to whisper, "Mr. Gwang isn't the type who slacks around, so you should always be doing something." I nodded in understanding.
"Why are you resigning, though?" I asked, and she looked down. That was when I noticed a big bump on her belly—she was pregnant!
"I'm resigning because I'm settling down," she said with a soft smile. "Life sure has ways to create new bundles of joy."
"Indeed," I replied with a smile, but before our conversation could continue, the phone on my desk rang.
"Oh! Don't let me stop your work. I'm going to go now," she said and left. I quickly picked up the phone to answer it.
"This is Mr. Gwang's office. How may I help you?" I asked.
"Mr. Gwang will be in the office in about ten minutes. Wait outside the building to escort him," someone instructed on the other side of the phone, making me freeze for a moment before scrambling to gather the necessary manuals.
I made my way outside the building, where workers and staff were already lining up to welcome the CEO. Taking a sharp breath, I positioned myself near the entrance. Exactly five minutes later, a sleek black car pulled up, and a chauffeur stepped out to open the door. I couldn't quite get a good look at Mr. Gwang as he swiftly walked past me, but I quickly stepped forward and handed him some signed documents.
"Good morning, Mr. Gwang. Here are the documents for yesterday's appeal," I stated as we walked continuously. He took a quick glance at the document before handing it to one of his supervisors.
"Disregard this appeal. It's not even close to what I expected," he instructed.
"Yes, Mr. Gwang," the supervisor replied as I handed over another document. Wow, was the appeal that bad?
"These are documents that need to be signed today. It concerns the safety of the newly built infrastructure at Gangnam," I explained as we reached the elevator. The supervisor, Mr. Gwang, and I were the only ones who stepped in. He skimmed through the document as I handed him a fountain pen.
"Those people are practically new to their work—so overly cautious," Mr. Gwang remarked as he circled some words. "They can't even write a formal letter properly."
He handed the document back to me, and I stifled a chuckle.
"The last document here is a notice from one of the investors in Seoul. They contacted the company earlier and were informed that you were still out of the country. Shall I notify them of your arrival?" I asked, handing him the document.
"Inform them in about five minutes. I need to take a rest before that," Mr. Gwang answered, rubbing his temple slightly.
"Noted, Mr. Gwang."
The elevator ride fell into sudden silence, the three of us standing side by side. Then, someone cleared their throat.
"I see that you are the new secretary?" the supervisor asked, breaking the silence. Huh, even this guy noticed, but the thick-headed CEO didn't seem to.
"Ah, yes, sir. I just started today, but work seems to be going well for now," I replied with a smile. I took another glance at Mr. Gwang while looking at his supervisor. Mr. Gwang was undeniably good-looking, but for some reason, I didn't see the appeal. "The former secretary just gave me a heads-up about how things work here."
Mr. Gwang was too busy checking his phone to notice our conversation.
"Is that so? Then I guess you'll be having a field day now that Mr. Gwang is here," the supervisor remarked loudly before laughing.
The elevator door opened, and the supervisor stepped out first.
"I can literally hear you two talking about me—" Mr. Gwang began, but he abruptly stopped mid-sentence when he finally looked at me. His expression froze as if he had seen a ghost. In that moment, his phone and pen slipped from his hands.
Blinking, I quickly bent down to pick up his phone and pen. When I handed them back, his gaze remained locked onto me, studying my face with unsettling intensity. The elevator door closed again when neither of us stepped off.
Why was he looking at me like that? Did he... know me?