Midas with the Absolute Glasses — Episode 2
Yuhan, now fully confident, spoke to her as gently as possible.
“Student, that won’t do! This lady is my sister! She’s a regular here, so I know her well! Should I call the police?”
“How did you know? I fooled the old guy before.”
‘The boss must’ve been the one who sold her the cigarettes.’
In that instant, she snatched her ID and hurriedly ran outside the convenience store.
Yuhan was now almost certain of the glasses’ ability.
‘They do say third time’s the charm.’
Ring-a-ling!
“Welco— uh! Boss?”
Yuhan greeted the boss with a triumphant smile.
“Welcome! Boss~!”
“What’s gotten into you? Did you do something wrong again? And don’t you dare ask for another salary advance this time.”
“An advance? It’s just such nice weather today!”
It was the June monsoon season, and the hot, humid weather persisted.
“The weather? It’s been sweltering since morning! And what’s with those glasses?”
“Glasses? My eyes were bad, so I got a pair made!”
“You play games every day, so of course your eyes are shot, you pathetic brat!”
The convenience store boss started nagging Yuhan first thing in the morning.
‘Ugh. He really is a boss I just can’t bring myself to like.’
Wondering if weaknesses would show through the glasses too, Yuhan looked at the boss and thought.
‘Does the boss have any weaknesses?’
[1. Currently having an affair with a divorced woman who works at the local Lucky Real Estate.]
[2. Lost 50 million won investing in stocks behind his wife’s back.]
[3. …….]
[4. …….]
[5. …….]
[6. Defecated while drunk in front of the next-door shop at dawn.]
‘Oh! I can see them. There are so many.’
Weaknesses began to appear through Yuhan’s glasses.
Of course, he didn’t let it show on his face.
“Why didn’t you eat the expired stock? Throwing a tantrum for meal money won’t work!”
“Boss!”
“What? I can’t give you meal money! Take the expired stuff and get off work!”
“Yes! Have a good one!”
He thought about using what he saw through the glasses to threaten the boss right away, but Yuhan held back.
For now, he figured the information the glasses showed was accurate.
But he still wasn’t sure how to use it, or whether using it for bad ends might make the glasses’ ability disappear, so he decided to wait and see a while longer.
‘Anyway, I know the boss’s weaknesses now. Let’s wait and see.’
He suddenly grew curious about what the glasses really were.
It wasn’t a fantasy novel—had someone given him such an item? Or had someone dropped it and would come looking for it later?
He was curious, worried, and anxious.
Of course, even if the owner came looking, he didn’t want to return them.
‘My Precious…….’
* * *
It was a rare day off, so Yuhan was playing a mobile game at home.
Knock! Knock!
Then his father entered the room.
“Yuhan! Do you have a moment?”
“Yes! Father, let’s talk in the living room.”
The father and son sat on the living room sofa and began to talk.
“Please speak, Father.”
“Actually… your father is a bit sick.”
“Huh? Where does it hurt?”
“Well… they say it’s stomach cancer….”
His father couldn’t raise his head, seemingly overwhelmed with guilt as he spoke.
“Is it true? What about the examination? Have you gotten a proper check-up?”
Yuhan simply couldn’t believe it.
He couldn’t believe it.
Then, seeing his father’s grave expression, he despaired.
His father opened his mouth again with difficulty.
“They say it can be cured, but the treatment costs…….”
“What are you talking about! We have to treat the disease first! Please get hospitalized right away! I’ll find the money somehow.”
“I’m sorry… your father couldn’t earn money properly all this time…….”
Yuhan was worried. He was worried about his father’s illness, but more immediately, they had no money.
When he checked his bank account, the number showed less than ten million won.
‘Sigh… just what is money anyway.’
While his head throbbed with complicated thoughts, his phone rang.
[Caller: Shaman Noona]
—Is this Yuhan?
“Yeah. Noona!”
—Why do you sound like that? Is something wrong?
“Nothing! But what’s up?”
—Hey~ Noona’s buying you a drink! Get out here!
“Okay!”
* * *
Dahee, who had closed the fortune-telling shop early, and Yuhan met at a different convenience store a good distance away from the one where he worked.
Dahee was a regular at the convenience store where Yuhan worked, and since they had run into each other often, they had naturally grown close and looked out for each other.
“Welcome!”
“Did you wait long?”
“No! I just got here too!”
Dahee had already set out beer and side dishes at a parasol table and was waiting.
Dahee had naturally drifted apart from her family after receiving her shamanic initiation in her early twenties.
Then her godmother who had performed the initiation passed away.
After that, Dahee ran the fortune-telling shop alone.
Dahee, a year older than Yuhan, was famously known as a beauty in the neighborhood.
Contrary to such beauty, business did not go well.
“It’s so nice to have a drink like this after a long time!”
“Right! I’ll treat you often, Noona.”
“No! I should treat sometimes too.”
“But do you have something on your mind?”
“My father is sick, but we’re very short on money!”
“Where is he sick? Is it serious?”
“The hospital said it’s stomach cancer.”
“Ah, cancer? That’s really serious!”
“I’m more worried about the treatment costs!”
“Then should I lend you some?”
“Where would Noona have money?”
She had a point.
Dahee didn’t have much money either.
The money her godmother had left behind was almost gone, and her only remaining asset was the small fortune-telling shop.
The shop was a small house located on the outskirts of Gyeonggi-do, not a very expensive property.
“You can get a loan using the shop as collateral!”
“A loan? When would I pay that back! And why would Noona do that for me!”
At that moment, a good idea came to Yuhan’s mind.
He could see people’s information through the glasses.
He thought that if he used them, he could somehow make money.
“Noona, how much do you get for a fortune-telling session?”
“Well, usually about fifty thousand won. Depending on how accurate it is or the person’s mood, I might get more!”
“Should I try it too?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Why don’t you go to Gyeryongsan and receive a shamanic initiation first?”
“Noona! Then do you want to bet on which of us tells fortunes better?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“If you’re better, I’ll give up. If I’m better, let me work with you at your fortune-telling shop.”
Yuhan made the bet with Dahee sincerely.
“Then Noona goes first!”
Dahee was dumbfounded.
Honestly, though it was called a shamanic initiation, she had learned by watching over her godmother’s shoulder and using her quick wits.
A real god didn’t come out and tell her fortunes.
Yuhan, who didn’t know how difficult the work was, simply seemed cute to her.
Kind-hearted Dahee thought Yuhan was joking and played along.
“Hmm~! Shall I take a look?”
“Look carefully and tell me. I’ll be waiting!”
Yuhan deliberately pretended to expect something as a joke.
“I see it. I see it~.”
“What? Tell me quickly!”
“It says you’ll achieve wealth together with me!”
“Ugh~! What’s that! Anyone can say that!”
“It’s true! Now your turn.”
“Yeah, okay!”
After worrying for a while about what to find out, he thought of his choice inwardly.
‘What’s Noona’s favorite food?’
[Imitation crab sticks.]
Yuhan smiled and spoke to Dahee.
“Noona, turns out your favorite food is imitation crab sticks?”
“We ate that together before! Are you going to say something obvious?”
“Your turn again!”
“Stop it and let’s drink. You think anyone can be a shaman?”
When Dahee didn’t believe him, Yuhan was flustered.
So he worried about what he should say to get her to hire him.
Yuhan thought quickly.
Then he spoke loudly to Dahee.
“Noona, you’re 170 centimeters tall, weigh 54 kilograms, and your figure is 35-24-36, right?”
As Yuhan spoke with a triumphant smile, a fist suddenly flew at him.
A punch! Thwack—!
Dahee was huffing with a red face.
Soon, even passersby who saw the situation chuckled.
“You crazy bastard! How dare you say a lady’s weight so carelessly? And I weigh 50! Hmph! Hmph!”
“Sorry! I said it in a rush!”
Yuhan apologized to Dahee, who was lying about her weight, and calmed her down.
“But how did you know? Do you like me? You have quite an accurate eye? You got the weight wrong, but it’s almost right.”
“I think I just gained a divine ability. Haha!”
“Really? Then try again!”
“Then Noona, ask me something! I can’t think of anything right now!”
“Then how much is in my bank account?”
“You have 5,242,000 won, right?”
“Huh! How did you guess so well? You’ve seen my bankbook, haven’t you?”
“I’ll get everything right, just ask!”
Yuhan grew cocky.
At this, Dahee asked him something she had never told him, something he absolutely couldn’t know.
“Then is there somewhere I’m sick?”
“……Uh! Noona, you can’t have a baby?”
“……!”
Dahee couldn’t say anything.
When she was young and in poor health, she had been examined at the hospital and diagnosed that she could never have children.
Besides her own parents, there was not a single person who knew about this.
‘How does he even know that?’
Dahee simply couldn’t believe it.
Of course, these days there might be many people who couldn’t have children.
But it was impossible to guess that accurately out of the blue.
Dahee’s expression, which was not in a very good mood to begin with, changed, and the atmosphere soured.
On the other hand, Yuhan realized it had been a mistake to blurt out what he saw because he was too excited.
He apologized to the silently grieving Dahee.
“Noona! Sorry! I’ll be careful next time!”
“No! Do I want to be sick? Just don’t bring this up again.”
Dahee began trying to hide her sadness.
Yuhan felt truly sorry.
And he inwardly vowed never to bring up that story again.
“Ah! Whatever. If you can guess someone else besides me, I’ll acknowledge you!”
“Then am I hired?”
“You really want to try fortune-telling?”
“Yeah, I really want to try!”
“Then let’s try tomorrow.”
Dahee was worried.
She worried unnecessarily that Yuhan had gotten carried away with false hope because of her.
“Then keep working at the convenience store for now, and only come by when you don’t have the day shift!”
“Got it! I’ll make sure you won’t regret it!”
* * *
The name of Dahee’s fortune-telling shop was Virgin Bodhisattva.
She had come to be called that as well.
When her godmother had first brought Dahee here, she changed the shop’s name immediately.
“I’ll hang up a curtain over there, so look from there and speak up if you know anything!”
“So I can’t expose my face!”
“That’s not it. I live here, so it’s a concept to be mysterious while keeping the locals from recognizing me!”
“Oh~ unexpectedly business-minded!”
Dahee the Virgin Bodhisattva covered her face with cloth below her eyes, revealing only her eyes.
But since her eyes were so captivating among her features, anyone could tell she was a beauty.
“Wow… aren’t there too few customers?”
“Actually, I’m worried because there have been no customers lately.”
“Really? Then I have a good idea!”
“Really! What is it?”
“Just trust me!”
Yuhan boasted loudly, telling her to trust only him.
After promising to come early the next morning, he hurried back.