Chapter 65.2

Chapter 65.2

A kind of courage that could overpower embarrassment.

Affection so sincere it bordered on foolishness.

Honesty that, at times, carried more weight than any lie.

“You’re pretty cruel, you know.”

Suho looked momentarily stunned, then let out a hollow laugh.

“You know I can’t help but understand if you say it like that, right?”

His gaze, faintly unsettling, fixed squarely on Ara.

“I know you have feelings for me too.”

And without warning, he dropped the bomb.

So I threw a straight pitch and he fired one right back.

Of course he would. Leave it to an evil spirit to have that kind of nerve.

“I’m sorry.”

Ara complained inwardly, then tilted her brows slightly.

“I’ve always been grateful for your kindness, sunbae.”

“……”

“But feelings don’t work the way we want them to.”

Her eyes drooped with an apologetic softness, tender enough to stir even a coldhearted person’s sympathy.

“I understand what you mean.”

After a brief silence, Suho nodded as if resigned.

“Don’t worry. I won’t cling or make things awkward.”

Whether it was a tactic to lower her guard or not, the smile at his eyes and lips looked completely harmless.

It was the same bright, familiar smile Ara had always known as Suho’s.

“But we can still meet sometimes, right? A meal, maybe tea. Just as hometown friends.”

“Of course. Anytime.”

Nice.

Ara cheered silently and smiled.

Truthfully, that was exactly what she wanted to ask for herself.

If she wanted to monitor Suho’s condition, regular meetings were unavoidable.

“Today’s on me. Order whatever you want.”

She joked lightly and waved to the server.

Once the orders were placed, they ate like any ordinary pair.

They chatted about trivial things, just like always.

The food, the weather lately, what they had been eating these days.

Nothing worth remembering. All perfectly forgettable.

Except for one thing.

“That’s a necklace I haven’t seen before.”

“Oh, this?”

Ara touched the necklace as naturally as she could.

On the surface, it looked like an ordinary piece of jewelry.

“I got it as a gift from him. Isn’t it pretty?”

That was why she answered with an even brighter smile.

Even if the evil spirit sensed something off, she could not let it think she carried the necklace with any special intent.

It was better if it mistook her for a girl who did not really know what it was, just someone foolishly happy because the man she liked had given it to her.

“Yeah. It looks really special.”

“Of course it is. It’s the first gift I’ve ever gotten from him.”

Ara smiled proudly and pretended to focus on her food.

Judging by his response, he seemed to have noticed something.

If that was the case, she had to act even more natural.

The tense meal soon came to an end.

Ara stopped Suho when he tried to pay for her and settled the bill herself.

They left the restaurant together.

Now it was time to set the trap.

The moment they stepped outside, Ara checked the position of the sun.

While pretending to fix her clothes, she decided which side to walk on so their shadows would not touch.

“Since we’re already out, I was thinking of stopping by my grandmother’s vegetable shop. Want to come with me?”

“Sure. Why not.”

Suho headed toward the direction of the shop without any suspicion.

Ara carefully avoided his shadow and matched his pace.

Her eyes traced a signboard ahead, growing clearer at the end of the alley.

Wolsandang.

A small shrine stood along the path to the vegetable shop.

That was the real reason Ara had chosen that restaurant as their meeting place.

“Looks like that place is still open.”

She waited until the sign was clearly visible, then lifted her hand and pointed at it.

“I remember my grandmother talking about it a lot when I was little. She said the shaman there was really accurate.”

“Guess so. If people keep coming, it makes sense they’d still be there.”

Suho responded casually.

Ara seized the moment and cast her line.

“Do you believe in things like that, sunbae?”

“Me?”

Suho looked slightly flustered and rubbed his chin.

“I mean, I’m a doctor. Wouldn’t it sound ridiculous if I said I did?”

“So what?”

Ara gently shook the lure, waiting for the bite.

“I do. Stuff like that. Things that feel unbelievable and strange.”

The bait dangled, tempting.

“I’ve wanted to get a reading for a while, but I was too scared to go alone, so I kept putting it off.”

Slowly, naturally, letting him fall into it.

“If you’re okay with it… want to go in together?”