Chapter 15: Chapter 15

“Because I’m in a slump,” said the client.

“Why do you have to recall the hard times you went through? You have to throw away those articles that remind you of your hard times. You should get out of your bad memories to dream about a better life.”

Hojoon gave her such advice at that time.

He kept one principle in daily life.

That was one item per household. What he hated the most was a multi-purpose item.

Accordingly, the type of good that served its original purpose was beautiful and practical to him rather than those with complicated functions.

That’s the same for the folding or portable table as well as a bed and a chair.

It’s okay to use them briefly at an event or for the customers’ use. But if such an item was used in one’s daily life, it would make one feel nervous. Accordingly, it wouldn’t help any prospective businessman hit the jackpot.

The double-deck beds as commonly used in the dorms were also fatal to those living on the lower beds because the latter had to support those on the upper beds while sleeping. Accordingly, things didn’t work out smoothly for those in the lower beds in terms of geomancy.

After all, they could use such stuff as a last resort in a situation where they have no other choice available. When their situation gets better, however, they have to throw it away.

There was one exception.

That was the Korean-style sit-down table.

When it’s folded, it was convenient to put away, and as it’s light, it’s quite portable.

Thanks to its various size, we could choose any table we wanted.

It could be used as a dining table, studying table, tea table or work table in the kitchen.

All other multi-purpose goods were garbage to Hojoon.

The client changed her house as instructed by Hojoon when he visited again.

Her main bedroom was now faithful to its original purpose. Indirect lighting created a cozy atmosphere in the room. A black-out curtain was set up, so she could sleep anytime day and night.

She brought a Stucky flower pot in the living room to block the electronic waves of IT products. Though cactus was allegedly effective in blocking electronic waves, the thorns all over it were not good in terms of geomancy .

In geomancy, they didn’t recommend anything sharp at the end if it’s directed toward a man. This was because a murderous spirit was emitted from that sharp end.

That’s why our ancestors used to say we should not eat at the sharp corner of the dining table because we could have upset stomach due to the spirit of that corner.

And there was a toy, a doll’s house, in her study. As she was asked to put in her study something she wanted to have most when she was a child, she chose a doll’s house.

“My mother stopped me from playing with it.”

That was her hidden desire. A desire that she couldn’t satisfy in childhood.

“Great. As long as it strengthens your energy, anything is good,” Hojoon praised her.

“Why don’t you keep your house in shape like a doll’s house? Then, your boyfriend will appear soon.”

And she placed everything in pairs, so she could find a boyfriend.

However, the client gave up finding a lover and visited him to request for refund the other day.

There must be some problem with her.

Hojoon kept looking at the doll’s house toy. He had to think of an excellent idea.

He noticed Bobby sitting inside the doll’s house alone.

“Ah!”

Bobby was alone.

“This guy, doesn’t she have a boyfriend?”

The client nodded.

“First of all, you have to get Bobby a boyfriend. This doll sitting alone in the doll’s house is exactly like you.”

“Oh my…” she let out a short sigh.

Hojoon continued, “And the dress as well as the hairstyle also affects your luck on love Your room is supposed to take after you. I think I read it somewhere in a research paper. Most of the kitchens or restrooms where crimes took place were allegedly dirty. That negative spirit of the rooms lead to murder or violence.”

“Does it have anything to do with my dress and hairstyle?”

“Of course. Criminals put on hats as a rule. Why? Because they have to hide their faces. If you want to date somebody, you have to decorate yourself well.”

“But that’s too pretentious, isn’t it?”

Hojoon could understand what the client was trying to say.

“Well, let’s talk about something artificial and pretentious. Who would say full blown roses are pretentious just because they’re so beautiful? Why do they want to blame roses for blooming? It is pretentious to enjoy ostensible decorations in blind pursuit of expensive brand-name products. What I want to emphasize is not to hide your own beauty.”

“Despite her ostensible decoration, my mother…”

The client turned gloomy again. There was something he could guess at.

“If I may ask, was your mother divorced? Or did your father have an extramarital affair?”

The client’s face turned deadly pale as if she saw a ghost.

“Both.”

Her mother got divorced because of her father’s concubine.

“Do you think your parents got divorced because of you? Did you ever think you could have prevented their disengagement if you had served them better, studied harder and remained as a good daughter? It looks like your mother told you so. That’s why you refrained from decorating yourself while trying to live as a good daughter. You don’t have to follow your mom’s direction.”

The client blushed as if he found out what she had on her mind.

“No, no. That’s your parents’ matter. It’s not your fault. It’s time you got out of your mother’s influence. Find your own!”

As soon as Hojoon was done talking, the client, who looked cold-hearted, shed tears.

“It’s difficult.”

As if she found it awkward to cry before others, she stopped crying in no time.

This client would definitely change. And she would actively try to carve out her own life from now on. She needed to pluck up courage for that.

“Just forget everything, and just focus on love.”

The client nodded and asked, “Do you really think I can date well in the future?”

She was still feeling nervous.

But Hojoon was confident.

He continued,

“Love is not a choice. It is not a matter of you can or you can’t. Everybody has to date, and they’re doing it now. Look at it. Love flourished even in the midst of war.”

Hojoon passionately explained. But the client didn’t reply.

‘Did I go overboard?’

When he was a bit agonized over it, the client asked,

“Are you in love with somebody now?”

“Pardon?”

“You just said dating was easy if you found yourself, right?”

“That’s true, but I’m not interested in dating.”

“I think I can date if you could. Let me give you three months for that. Otherwise, give me the refund.”

Hojoon was put on the spot.

Indeed, what she said was a very strange condition.

***

Arum came to the office in the morning, and it’s already lunch time. But she was so distracted that she couldn’t focus on work until now.

She opened the home page of Famed House of Geomancy and stared at its president Hojoon’s face all the time.

She took pains to brew coffee and prepare material for her seniors. She took one of her junior staff out for lunch and came back very late.

When she sat down again before the computer, Hojoon was smiling there.

She has to avoid him by using whatever means are necessary. She would feel it uncomfortable to bump into him even as a neighbor. If she has to collaborate with him, she now has to call or meet him often. Besides, he will inevitably see her seniors and the editor. It will be a matter of time that the horrible mistakes she made in connection with her intrusion into his house and her police record on that will be revealed.

She can’t allow herself to slide into the way of destruction.

Though she knew his contact number, she decided to use the company landline to contact him.

At least, her colleagues would testify that she did make efforts to contact Hojoon. And such a famous person like Hojoon would be too busy to consult. There would be no reason for him to respond favorably to a free consultation on geomancy interior design when, in fact, the interview was not about him.

“Hello? This is reporter Urum Ya with Single Woman.”

She quickly and strangely pronounced her name.

The other party took up the phone kindly, and said President Hojoon’s schedule was so tight that he could not grant an interview. Arum was so happy to hear that.

She replied, “Oh, I see. That’s fine. I understand. Thanks.”

Hurrah! Arum was so happy about the interview rejection.

She took pains to hide her uncontrollable smile.