Chapter 3: The Unseen Fate

“You… you don’t have any friends?”

A brief silence descended between them after Eunhae’s blunt question.

She was mortified.

What Eunhae had *intended* to say was something entirely different. She had meant to ask why he was attending a general education class alone, wondering where all his friends were.

However, her frozen tongue had only managed to blurt out a single, easily misunderstood sentence.

“No, no! That’s not what I meant!”

“You’re right. I don’t have any friends.”

“…Huh?”

“So, Senior, please hang out with me.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t have any friends, so I even attend classes alone.”

Eunhae stared at Jung Seunghee, her expression clearly asking, ‘What nonsense are you spouting?’

The other students visible behind Jung Seunghee also wore dumbfounded expressions.

Yet, before anyone could react, the professors entered. Among them was Eunhae’s own advisor, an overly meddlesome nuclear physics professor.

“Park Eunhae, you’re here, excellent!”

Eunhae simply closed her eyes.

It was far easier to pretend not to see the absurdity unfolding before her.

****

As always, the freshman orientation assembly began and ended as a mere formality.

Everyone’s true anticipation was reserved for the after-party.

Fortunately, the professors, sensing the mood, discreetly departed. Only the department office staff remained, stern-faced, as the student council treasurer meticulously tapped away on a calculator.

Unable to discreetly slip away due to Jung Seunghee’s incessant chatter, Eunhae found herself dragged along to the after-party venue.

Jung Seunghee swiftly claimed the seat directly across from Eunhae, who was positioned at the very end of the table.

“Eunhae Senior, I’ll do it.”

“It’s just setting out cutlery, it’s nothing. I’m fine.”

As Eunhae set out the utensils, Jung Seunghee placed water glasses and small plates in front of her.

“Thank you.”

Eunhae carefully sipped her water, her cap still pulled low.

Two junior students, who had been wandering around, eventually gravitated toward Eunhae’s table, peering curiously.

“There aren’t enough seats, so can we sit here? The student council president told us to come here.”

Their eyes sparkled, suggesting they either hadn’t heard the rumor about Jung Seunghee being a Dosa dog, or they simply didn’t care.

“Freshmen?”

“Yes.”

“Sit here. It’ll probably be more comfortable for the two of you to sit together.”

Jung Seunghee readily agreed, then shifted his seat to sit beside Eunhae.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the table.

Eunhae felt it because Jung Seunghee was next to her, while the freshmen were uneasy being with seniors who were at least three years their elder.

Jung Seunghee, with a relaxed expression, proceeded to set up the place settings for the freshmen.

“Prepare for hardship ahead.”

“Pardon?”

“You’ll have to work hard to get good grades. The professors won’t go easy on you just because you’re freshmen.”

“Ah…”

“Is it true that you have to maintain a 4.0 GPA to stay in the dorms for the second semester?” a more enthusiastic freshman asked Jung Seunghee.

“I heard first-year students only need a 3.5, but I live in Seoul, so I don’t stay in the dorms and don’t know much about it. Does Eunhae Senior know?”

“Oh? Me?”

Eunhae, who had been silently filling her own beer glass, was startled. Her surprise caused the nearly full glass to overflow, spilling beer onto the table.

The beer, innocently enough, spread across the table and then dripped onto Jung Seunghee’s jeans.

“I-I’m so sorry!”

Eunhae frantically pulled out tissues and handed them to Jung Seunghee. She herself grabbed more tissues and began wiping the table.

“Oh my, what do we do!”

“Should I get more tissues?”

“Yes, yes! Thank you!”

Eunhae nodded busily as she wiped up the beer. As a makeshift solution, she placed wet tissues in its path, preventing it from dripping further off the table.

Only then did Eunhae turn to look at Jung Seunghee.

His pants were quite soaked. The tissues he held were already damp.

“I-I’m so sorry. Use these instead.”

“It’s fine. I startled you by calling out suddenly.”

Jung Seunghee replied as if it were nothing, then reached out his hand towards Eunhae.

As Eunhae handed him the tissues she held, their fingertips brushed by chance.

It was such a fleeting touch that, had she not been so tense, she might not have even noticed it.

Distracted, Eunhae instinctively lifted her head, looking for the freshman who had gone to get more tissues.

However, in that very instant, she realized something unbelievable had occurred.

She couldn’t see anything.

“I can’t see anything at all…” Eunhae murmured, dazed.

It was incredible.

Unconsciously, she rubbed her eyes and opened them again. But still, nothing was visible.

“I found tissues!”

The freshman, who had gone to retrieve more tissues, approached. Her face was cute and fresh.

It was simply a human face, devoid of any aura.

For the first time in her 24 years, the ‘fate’ she always saw was completely gone.

“Senior? Here are the tissues.”

“…Oh, oh! Right, thank you.”

Eunhae barely managed to shake off her shock, nodding. She gave half of the tissues she received to Jung Seunghee and used the other half to clean the table.

The aftermath was uneventful.

The freshmen, seemingly more comfortable with Jung Seunghee than with her quiet demeanor, continuously engaged him in conversation.

Eunhae, meanwhile, sat silently beside them, simply downing her beer.

‘This has never happened before.’

Like a child encountering the world for the first time, she looked around with a newfound sense of wonder.

The chicken restaurant was dark and noisy. Yet, it felt brighter and clearer than ever before.

“Eunhae Senior?”

“…I’m just going out for some fresh air.”

“Senior, are you alright?”

“Yes. I’m really fine.”

Leaving Jung Seunghee’s suspicious gaze behind, Eunhae stepped out of the restaurant.

The street in front of the school, bustling with the start of the new semester, was packed with people.

The face of each and every one of them was visible with striking clarity.

“…I truly can’t see anything.”

She couldn’t see their futures.

A faint smile touched Eunhae’s lips.

Her mother, who had passed away two years prior, was a great shaman whose lineage traced back generations from somewhere in Hwanghae Province.

Eunhae, having inherited her mother’s blood, possessed what was known as ‘divine power’.

Eunhae could see other people’s futures. Even when she didn’t want to, she saw the fate they would encounter.

“Ha, haha…”

Eunhae’s smile deepened.

Seeing someone’s future was never a pleasant experience.

On the contrary, it was a troublesome and heavy burden.

The thought of having shed such a burden made her feel a sudden rush of relief, a loosening of tension.

Eunhae slowly sank onto the steps. Then, she gazed endlessly at the passing people.

She saw faces unobscured by fate.

It was the first time she could see the faces and expressions of others, apart from her family.

Footsteps approached.

“Eunhae Senior, are you okay? You seemed to be drinking quite a lot earlier.”

Eunhae turned to look at Jung Seunghee.

Jung Seunghee’s face was still strikingly handsome.

His delicate features created a sharp and keen impression. His deep, clear brown eyes were set beneath slightly drooping eyelids.

A tear mole located beneath his left eye perfectly complemented his languid and serene gaze.

Suddenly, Eunhae realized.

She had *always* seen Jung Seunghee as handsome, right from the start.

She had been able to see his bare face, unobscured by his fate.

“…I couldn’t see yours from the beginning.”

Eunhae had never been able to see Jung Seunghee’s fate.

That was why Jung Seunghee had frightened her. That was why she had avoided him.

Because he was an incomprehensible existence.

Jung Seunghee furrowed his brows.

“Senior, are you really okay? You were drinking beer like it was water. Are you very drunk? How’s your stomach?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m really fine.”

A characteristic of drunkards is insisting they are perfectly sober.

Jung Seunghee seemed to think the same.

“You don’t look okay. Do you remember your home address?”

“Of course I do! I told you, I’m really fine!”

Eunhae was perfectly sober. Surprisingly, she was a heavy drinker who remained unaffected even after consuming vast amounts of alcohol.

However, Jung Seunghee didn’t seem to believe her at all. He moved closer, as if intending to help Eunhae to her feet at any moment.

In a panic, Eunhae roughly stroked her own soft cheek.

“My, my cheek isn’t even red!”

“You look pale. I’ve seen people like that after drinking a lot. Do you know that looking pale after drinking is worse than getting red?”

“No, it’s really not!”

“Let’s try to get up first. Can you stand up by yourself? Should I call the girls?”

“No, no. It’s fine. I can stand up by myself.”

Eunhae shook her head and abruptly stood up.

Due to her sudden movement, she felt a momentary rush of blood drain from her head. She swayed, gripping the wall for support.

Eunhae failed to realize that her appearance was the textbook image of a typical drunkard.

Jung Seunghee’s eyes narrowed, and he shook his head.

“Stay here. I’ll go buy some hangover remedies. If you’re feeling tired, please sit back down.”

“No, I told you I don’t need anything like that…”

Leaving a teary-faced Eunhae behind, Jung Seunghee headed for the nearest convenience store.

She sighed and shook her head. Since things had come to this, she simply wanted to go home.