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It's been a season since Gyeonwoo started training under Korea's National Team. He's also nearing the end of his second year as a Sports Development major. Gyeonwoo was, no doubt, a competent student. His first three semesters in college were passing despite the archery training and search for Seongah across forests. Now that she was back and that solved just about 99% of his problems, his grades soared in his fourth semester. Consider him inspired.
As for Seongah, she's been hard at work ever since the shrine reopened. There has been a steady increase in the number of their clients, and Auntie and her couldn't be more grateful. At night, she was the Heaven and Earth Fairy. In the morning, she roams around in regular clothes, helping lost spirits cross over. She has just finished comforting the barbecue place's CEO, who told her of a particular archer's scary yet cool form who once haunted him down, looking for Seongah.
Gyeonwoo has just started packing up, another day of college and of training done, when his phone chimed. He's received a message from his girlfriend whom he renamed in his cellphone as Seongah <3.
Seongah <3: 'Are you done?'
'Yes. I'm just going to pack up. Are you already in there?' They agreed to meet in a newly-opened restaurant nearby.
Seongah <3: 'Nope. I'm outside your building. Let's walk there together :)'
Gyeonwoo excitedly finished cleaning up and headed straight to the lobby. "Seongah-ya!"
"Gyeonwoo-ya, annyeong!"
"Did you wait long? Sorry, I had to clean the practice room as well."
"It's okay, it's okay! I had fun watching all the athletes outside. They're all so busy and booming with energy."
"Thank you for waiting, Seongah. Let's go?" Gyeonwoo offered his hand, Seongah interlaced their fingers, and they marched outside together.
The newly-opened seafood store was proving to be quite popular, as evidenced by the long line of customers, some newcomers like the young couple, some already on their nth return. "I didn't know the line would be this long. Sorry, Seongah," Gyeonwoo apologized.
"It's okay. I'm not that hungry yet. How about you?"
"I'm not that -" / "Omo! Ahgashi!" exclaimed a halmeoni who passed by.
"Oh! Annyeonghasaeyo, Halmeoni," Seongah greeted. The older woman smiled and rushed inside.
"Are you and that grandmother acquainted?"
"Uhm. Actually, I was here two weeks ago," Seongah started explaining.
"Eh? But you told me you haven't tried eating in this place when I asked," Gyeonwoo wondered.
"Ah well I really didn't get to eat here yet, but-"
"Ahgashi! Come inside with your date, come on!" an ahjumma said this time. She excitedly gestured for the two to follow her. Upon inquisitive stares by the other people in line, the ahjumma merely smiled and replied, "She's someone precious to us like a niece!" and that seemed to pacify them enough.
Questions were forming in Gyeonwoo's head, but Seongah did not seem uncomfortable. She smiled brightly, in fact, so he went along with it.
Once seated across each other, Gyeonwoo shot Seongah a questioning look. Seongah gestured him to come closer then whispered, "I was here on their opening. I performed a blessing ritual."
"Ah! You were here then? I should have come so I saw you perform the ritual," Gyeonwoo replied. Seongah giggled at that.
Three - almost four years ago, this kind of conversation between them was unimaginable. Seongah's now very secure in being a shaman, and Gyeonwoo did not harbor such hatred anymore. The two young adults have come so far.
The halmeoni from earlier went to their table. "Are you guys ready to order yet?"
"Ah ne, halmeoni. We'd like to order a serving of ganjang gejang, a serving of galchi-jorim, two servings of rice, and a pitcher of jujube juice," Gyeonwoo narrated.
"Got it. Please wait a while, aegi-deul," Grandma said sweetly then left.
"Gyeonwoo-yaaa," Seongah said cutely, the ya part was said longer than usual. 'That's her tell for when she wants to say something but is still nervous to do so.' So Gyeonwoo reached for her hand across the table, gently encouraging her. "What is it?"
"I... I saw your Olypics training interview again," she drawled. Gyeonwoo's face flushed. That was where he said his goal was to be in the Olympics, and his dream was to meet his cheot sarang again - the very same one whose hands he's so fortunate to hold now.
"You mean my live broadcast confession?" Gyeonwoo joked. Doyeon and Hyeri were the first ones to show Seongah that video. That's what they've been calling that to tease Gyeonwoo. Seongah's eyes glowed with mirth, "Yes, that one!" then more seriously, she added, "I think I also have a separate goal and dream."
'This is what she's been meaning to say...'
"What is it?" Gyeonwoo encouraged.
"My goal is to be a great shaman who helps not just my clients but our community as a whole. And my dream, it's still to go to college. Do you think I can do that?"
"Of course!" Gyeonwoo excitedly said. "Seongah, I think a lot of people would agree with me when I say that your goal - that's something you have been doing every day of your life. You're already a really great shaman. I even heard Flower Master say the other day that you're only bound to get stronger as you grow old." Seongah fiddled with Gyeonwoo's hands as he talked, her worries still palpable.
"And as for your dream, you can also do that. You want a four-year college, right? Do you already have one in mind?" Gyeonwoo coaxed.
"HK University of Foreign Studies. It's only a 30-minute commute from home, so there's plenty of time for me to go home before we open the shrine. I want to take up Chinese Studies. It'll help me with my hanja," Seongah said shyly but her determination was clear as day.
"That's good! You told me that a lot of spells and books in shamanism were in hanja, right?" Gyeonwoo asked.
"Yes. Ever since I was in middle school, I didn't really have a course I wanted to take. I just wanted to go to college. But when I saw Chinese Studies was a course, it just kind of made sense to me if I were to dedicate my time learning that," Seongah shared. "I plan to take the Korean GED to get my high school diploma, then I'll use that to apply to university."
Gyeonwoo nodded. "That's a pretty solid plan. Can I help you with anything? What can I do to support you?"
"Hmmm, maybe I can borrow your notes from high school? As you know, I was more dozing off in class than actually taking notes." Gyeonwoo laughed at that. Flashes of Seongah seated in front of him, dozing off from last night's work as a shaman played in his mind. The very same Seongah who worked really, really hard to help him overcome his family's misfortune plaguing him (if they can even be considered his family).
"Do you still have those?" Seongah's voice snapped him back to reality. "Oh? Yes, of course. Though if you really want to maximize your resources, you can also borrow Doyeon and Hyeri's notes. I did take notes, but I was more attentive in Math than the other subjects. I bet Hyeri has everything written down," Gyeonwoo offered.
"If that's the case, I'll make sure to borrow Hyeri's and Doyeon's too. Thank you, Gyeonwoo. I was really, really nervous to say my plans," Seongah breathed in relief.
"Thank you for telling me, Seongah. I'll be sure to support you in your dream. I'll even show up on your exam day holding a huge banner," Gyeonwoo remarked, drawing a delighted laugh from Seongah. 'Star athlete Bae Gyeonwoo showing up in complete ensemble? That's kinda endearing, actually.'
"Your order's here," the Grandma from earlier rolled the young couple's order in.
"Halmeoni, are you sure this set is ours? We didn't order the jeon set," Gyeonwoo informed the old lady.
"It's on the house. For our Fairy and her boyfriend," the Grandma said. Seeing the two's faces become flushed, the old woman's smile turned into laughter. "Aigoo aigoo, aren't you two a cute bunch?"
"Thank you for the meal," Gyeonwoo spoke after recovering. "We'll eat well, halmeoni," Seongah continued.
The two savored the food and company they shared. "This seafood jeon is really good, Seongah. Have a bite," Gyeonwoo offered a slice to Seongah using his chopsticks.
Seongah's eyes widened after tasting it. "Woah, it is good!" Seongah said in the middle of chewing it.
"We should order some of this and bring them home to Auntie and Jiho," Gyeonwoo said.
"Right? I'm sure Auntie would love this," Seongah said. Realizing Gyeonwoo also mentioned Jiho, Seongah can't let the opportunity pass without saying, "Yah! You're on a date with your girlfriend right now and you're thinking about your best friend? Aren't you shameless, Bae Gyeonwoo?" Gyeonwoo laughed hard at her antics.
After a couple more bites, bickering, and laughter, Seongah and Gyeonwoo went out the restaurant clutching their respective takeouts. The two held hands as they walked back to campus.
Seongah looked up to see Gyeonwoo absentmindedly smiling. "Gyeonwoo-ya, what's on your mind?" Seongah probed.
"Me? I'm thinking that life's good. I'm studying and training. My girlfriend waited for me to eat dinner with me, and she shared with me her future plans. And now, we're walking hand-in-hand. We're gonna be driving home together. Life's good," Gyeonwoo drawled.
"Yes, life's good. We even got free jeons because of your girlfriend's awesome line of work," Seongah added.
"Indeed."
The idea of thinking that life is good has been unimaginable for Gyeonwoo whose life was previously made to be nothing short of miserable. What a blessing it is now, that he can think that so freely and sincerely. Life is good.