Midas with Absolute Glasses — Episode 9
Kim Seon had specifically asked Yuhan to handle the interviews, and Yuhan had readily stepped up to do it.
“First person, please come in!”
An older woman entered first. He looked at her through his glasses.
[Han Gyeong-ae, 48.]
[Good at housework.]
[Especially skilled at cooking.]
[Will work for a long time.]
[Live-in possible.]
“You pass.”
“Next person, please come in!”
[Kim Na-sun, 45.]
[Bad at housework.]
[Excessive spending.]
[Prone to verbal slips.]
“We'll contact you next time! You may leave!”
“Next person, please come in!”
[Kim Ju-yeong, 42.]
[Good at odd jobs.]
[Extremely quiet and sincere.]
[Exceptional intellect.]
[Suitable for a secretary role.]
“You pass.”
“Next person, please come in!”
[Kim Du-seong, 39.]
[Has a criminal record.]
[Hasn't come to his senses.]
[Violent.]
[High risk of recurrence.]
“We'll contact you next time!”
“Next person, please come in!”
[Sin Seong-bae, 62.]
[Calm.]
[Excellent judgment.]
[Large physique and strong.]
[Righteous streak.]
[Trustworthy.]
“You pass!”
Thus, they hired two more people, resulting in a total of three women and two men as staff.
As Kim Seon was wrapping up the interviews and about to lead them out, someone came rushing in.
“Wait! I would like to interview too!”
The latecomer was a woman who was small and very thin, with sharp eyes and distinct features.
To those seeing her for the first time, she was a woman who might feel somewhat threatening.
“Excuse me? The interviews are already over!”
“I am surely someone necessary for this place. Please give me a chance to interview properly.”
This stubborn woman appeared to be a woman in her fifties.
Feeling that she wouldn't give up easily, Yuhan decided to look into her heart with his glasses, figuring there must be some circumstances.
Kim Seon tried to stop him, but Yuhan had already let her into the room.
“Shall we see then? Please come into the room!”
Following Yuhan, Kim Seon, I Da-hui, and the late-arriving woman entered the room together.
Wearing his glasses and looking at her while seated, Yuhan opened his mouth wide, let a brief silence pass, and could hardly hide his surprise.
Since Yuhan had never hesitated like this before, I Da-hui and Kim Seon were extremely curious.
[Kim Jeom-nye, 58.]
[Sees the true gods.]
[A real fortune-teller.]
[Looks up to you.]
[Recommends working together.]
[Will listen to much advice and trust you.]
When Yuhan saw her information through his glasses, she seemed like someone he definitely needed.
“Are you by any chance a shaman?”
“Yes! How did you...?”
“It just happened. But why did you come here specifically?”
“The god I serve has been guiding me toward this place since a few weeks ago, and told me to be together with the people here.”
All three who were listening were surprised at her words.
And Yuhan opened his mouth first.
“Then, as a test, could you read my fortune?”
“I shall try.”
The moment she finished speaking, she acted as if asking for Yuhan's hand, then grabbed the upper part of his wrist and closed her eyes.
About five minutes passed before she opened her eyes again, and sitting in her formal posture, she urgently got to her knees, bowed her waist, and continued speaking.
“You are someone who will become the master of a new land in the future. I did not recognize you. Please take me in!”
“Yes~ Huh? What do you mean...?”
I Da-hui and Kim Seon were so surprised that they simultaneously covered their mouths with their hands.
“The saju indicates that you can become the new leader of a new land. But it is not the work of reading fortunes; you must do work that broadly benefits people.”
Yuhan thought that she, who spoke of his saju in such a grandiose manner, might be a fraud, so he looked at her again with his glasses and thought:
‘What kind of person is she?’
[Highly capable.]
[Likes this place very much.]
[Is interested in you.]
[Recommended to trust her.]
Since the glasses recommended her, there was nothing he could do.
For now, it seemed he had no choice but to keep her by his side on the assumption that he was being deceived and observe her.
Just as he was about to speak with that thought, Kim Seon and I Da-hui spoke up at the same time.
“Let's try working together for now! If we judge it's not right after watching a bit, we can decide again then!”
“Besides, since Da-hui-nim is not doing fortune readings, it would be good for you to do fortune readings separately with Yuhan-nim! Let's try it out, and if it harms this place, the condition is that you leave first. I think it's good to try working together.”
“Thank you. I will work hard.”
“How should we address you going forward?”
“Please call me Ji comfortably!”
The shaman who asked to be called “Ji” was quite a famous person who had seen and served gods since childhood without undergoing a spirit descent ritual.
But a few months ago, the highest Ji (Earth) God she served had brought this place to her mind.
Afterward, she said she had received an unconditional command to help.
Having heard of Chamsindang after inquiring around, she had come here.
Fortunately, she passed the interview as she had aimed and set foot in this place.
“Then I will call you Ji-nim. Ji-nim, please be comfortable as well, and let's work together! Kim Seon and Da-hui noona, please understand it that way and make her feel comfortable!”
“Yes, understood.”
“Yeah. Got it!”
Kim Seon and I Da-hui both wanted to be with Yuhan, and they thought there must be a reason for Yuhan's choice.
However, Kim Seon also felt it was so absurd that she thought she should test her once too.
She wanted to test her as Yuhan had accurately matched her past.
“Then could you read my fortune too!”
Ji-nim sought permission by looking into Yuhan's eyes.
Thereupon, Yuhan nodded his head as if in approval.
Thus, facing each other and grabbing Kim Seon's arm, Ji-nim began the same actions she had done to Yuhan.
Shortly after, Ji-nim opened her mouth.
“Oh! You have the ability to foster and mold a great person. You are an indispensable and absolutely necessary person to Yuhan-nim.”
“Rather than such words, I'm curious about a fortune of the past that I can be convinced of!”
“Would it be alright if I examine the past?”
“Yes! Please try!”
Rather than the sweet lip service she had given earlier, Kim Seon hoped she would speak of the past as she had for Yuhan.
She replied with a sharp expression as if disappointed, and Ji-nim answered.
“You had no children, and had moderate wealth, and the husband who passed away after sharing life with you was happy, and you had no relatives, living alone. That you are even here now is your luck turning and your possessing fortune; the heart you feel yourself is truly beautiful.”
Kim Seon was surprised and once again covered her mouth with her hand.
I Da-hui and Yuhan were instantly surprised and thought they had met a real shaman.
“Furthermore, you possess the nature of a mother who raises a king, so you could be called a Daemo-nim without shame. I, lowly as I am, shall assist Daemo-nim well from behind.”
The three people present felt a strange mood.
An unexpected person had appeared before them.
Until now, no one had defined their actions.
No one could have known, so—yet suddenly, these words from a stranger barging in stirred their minds.
They couldn't know if the future would be correct, but seeing each other's actions up until now, they roughly felt that the pieces fit well.
‘I'm curious too...!’
Da-hui was curious about what she would say about herself.
However, she didn't ask.
She wondered if it was okay for her to be among the three.
But not knowing what to say, she decided to stay quiet.
After all interviews ended, Kim Seon began the orientation.
“This way, please!”
For Ji-nim, they gave a slightly larger room so she could sleep and read fortunes, and since Chamsindang had many rooms, everyone came to have their own room.
After receiving instructions on the duties each would take charge of, they began their work diligently.
* * *
Perhaps because the Ji-nim he had first met yesterday weighed on his mind quite a bit, Yuhan hadn't slept well and his face was haggard.
He intended to observe her every time they met to see what the glasses would continue to show her.
Because of that, he headed to Ji-nim's room the moment he woke up.
As Yuhan was going to her room, they ran into each other in the hallway.
“Did you sleep well?”
“I should have come to offer my morning greetings first. I apologize, Yuhan-nim!”
“It's fine! You don't have to do that!”
“I slept very deeply.”
Taking that opportunity, Yuhan looked at her with his glasses and thought:
‘How will she be today?’
[Good condition. Hungry. Recommended to trust her.]
Yuhan tried to look at her with his glasses at every opportunity.
When mealtime came, he looked again with his glasses.
[Eating with a joyful heart.]
[Satisfied with the beef soup made by Han Gyeong-ae.]
[Watching others' table manners.]
[Observing Yuhan carefully.]
[Recommended to trust her.]
Then, when their eyes met, Yuhan flinched, and she asked Yuhan:
“Is the meal not to your taste?”
At her words, Han Gyeong-ae, who had prepared breakfast, and everyone instantly stopped eating and focused on Yuhan.
“No! It's delicious!”
Under the heat of others' gazes, Yuhan hurriedly ate, trying to make it look delicious.
Watching that, Han Gyeong-ae felt happy.
Soon the others also felt relieved and continued eating joyfully.
* * *
After the meal, Yuhan headed to the room for fortune readings, followed by Ji-nim, Kim Seon, I Da-hui, and Kim Ju-yeong.
A first meeting time was arbitrarily created.
Kim Ju-yeong entered carrying a tea tray, dressed in a neat black suit.
Thus, the five of them drank coffee and tea and held a meeting like a morning roll call.
Kim Seon spoke to Ji-nim first.
“Do you intend to start fortune readings right away from today?”
“Yes! I will do so right away.”
“Then Ju-yeong and Da-hui-nim, please help Ji-nim, and I will stay by Yuhan-nim's side!”
“Let's do that!”
“Yes!”
Yuhan paid no mind to Kim Seon's words and was looking at Ji-nim with his glasses even now.
[Burning with the will to work hard.]
[Strongly wishes to be of help to Yuhan.]
[Always recommended to trust.]
Seeing that the word “trust” was always included no matter how long he watched, Yuhan got the feeling that the glasses trusted Ji-nim even more than he did himself.
Thus, the workday began.
A few days later, Yuhan could see that Ji-nim had become more famous than himself.
As time passed, more and more people came seeking Ji-nim.
But Ji-nim often scolded such customers.
Then she would comfort them, sometimes give advice, and even write talismans for them.
She truly showed them what a real shaman looked like.