Chapter 28: FOUR YEARS AGO

"GENERAL MANAGER SONG, we got the shaman locked up." "`About time," Song Sihyuk said, loosening up his necktie while in the elevator with Jung Han. They were headed to the hotel suite where their "guest" was being held captive. "Anyway, have you sent the bottles of miracle pills to Lim Garam?" "Yes, sir," Jung Han answered politely. "I called Lim Garam-nim yesterday and confirmed that he had received the package." "Did you teach him how to take it?" "Yes, General Manager Song." Aigoo. This stiff old man keeps calling me by my new title as if reminding me that I was demoted. When Song Sihyuk arrived in New York a year ago, he was promoted to Executive Director at SG Biologics— a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO). Since he was in that position, it was inevitable for him to be involved with the Cho Triplets. Cho Triplets were the notorious grandchildren of the chairman of Hanmi Chem— the biggest pharmaceutical company in Korea. They had a branch in New York, too. So, that was how the four of them got closer. SG Biologics provides comprehensive services to Hanmi Chem, after all. That includes both drug development and manufacturing. Yeah, that was how Song Sihyuk was able to do his little experiment using his pheromones. And that’s how we created the miracle pills. But his father found out about his collaboration with the Cho Triplets and wasn’t happy about it. Hence, Song Sihyuk was removed from SG Biologics. Now I’m a mere general manager at SG New York Palace Hotel in Manhattan. Well, being a general manager of a luxury hotel wasn’t that bad. I’m just too busy that I don’t even have time to talk to Lim Garam for more than an hour every day. And he only got busier after his grandfather assigned him to catch their shaman. "We’re here, General Manager Song." Jung Han then opened the door of the suite for Song Sihyuk. Haaah. More work for him. Let’s just get this done and over with. Song Sihyuk entered the fancy hotel room. There, inside, he found the old shaman having tea leisurely. Shaman Sangmi wore a colorful hanbok that female shamans like her would often wear during a ritual, making her stand-out because the hotel suite was fancy and modern. "What’s with the get-up?" Song Sihyuk asked rudely, sitting across from Shaman Sangmi without permission. "The last time I saw you wear that colorful hanbok, you cursed the chairman of the Sunghwa Apartment under my grandfather’s order." A year ago, his father didn’t participate in the bidding war to get the construction rights for Sunghwa Apartment. It was a part of the compensation that Honsung Motor Group demanded after he slit Lee Taeho’s throat. Yeah, they lost billions of won because of that. His grandfather, bitter, ordered Shaman Sangmi to curse the chairman of Sunghwa Apartment because he couldn’t touch the Hosung Motor Group. Yeah, my Grandfather is that petty. "Who are you trying to curse this time, Shaman Sangmi-ssi?" "Take a guess, Young Master," Shaman Sangmin said, laughing softly. "How is your father these days?" Song Sihyuk clenched his hands because his father wasn’t doing well these days. Abeoji keeps collapsing, but his doctors can’t find anything wrong with him. So, this was the reason. "You cursed my father," Song Sihyuk said, clenching his jaw tight. "Do you want to die?" "I’m already dying, Young Master." Ah, that was right. Shaman Sangmin was only in her mid-forties, but she already looked like she was in her sixties— completely white hair, frail body, wrinkles all over her face. And her aura has always been gloomy. It was the price Shaman Sangmin had to pay for cursing people. "So, you want my father to die with you? Why?" Song Sihyuk asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you find out that my father would fire you the moment he becomes the new chairman of SG Group?" His father didn’t want to rely on shamans anymore. It wasn’t that his father was kinder than his grandfather. There was a reason behind that big decision. "We recently found out that Chairman Kim of Ilsung Group has accumulated enough bad karma that’s predicted to make him lose all his fortune," Song Sihyuk said. "Abeoji doesn’t want that to happen to our family. That’s why he wants to end SG Group’s relationship with you once he becomes the new chairman. But Abeoji promised to give you a huge sum of money in return for severing your relationship. Are you not satisfied with the amount that Abeoji offered?" "It’s not about money, Young Master," Shaman Sangmin said while shaking her head. "I need to continue using my ability for my divine power to remain. If not, the god that I serve will leave my body. For a shaman like me, that’s worse than dying." "So, you accept the Hosung Motor Group’s offer to kill my father?" "..." "We tracked your movements when we were looking for you. My subordinates found out that you’ve been in contact with Hosung Motor Group’s chairman. Then, after that, a huge sum of money was deposited into your bank account." "You’re wrong, Young Master." "You can deny it all you want, but we have evidence—" "The chairman of Hosung Motor Group wants you dead and not your father, Young Master," Shaman Sangmin said sternly. "Lee Taeho is his favorite son. What made you think that Chairman Lee would forgive you easily for slitting his treasured child’s throat?" Aigoo. Chairman Lee did all of that behind our back even after my father compensated him already? "If Chairman Lee wants me dead, then why is my father the one who’s sick?" "I just gave your father a light curse as a distraction. My real target is you, Young Master," Shaman Sangmin said, putting down the teacup on the table. "And, now, you’ve finally fallen into my trap." Song Sihyuk was startled when all the lights in the suite suddenly went out. And then they glowed. Hundreds of glowing talismans lit up the room. What the hell is happening? THUD. Song Sihyuk got distracted when Jung Han fell to the floor, unmoving. But he didn’t have time to worry about his right-hand man because he couldn’t even move from where he stood. All he could do was stare back at Shaman Sangmin whose eyes were now glowing red. It’s kinda creepy. "You’re not going to die easily because my client wants you to die slowly. So, expect to get into accidents left and right from now on. A lot of those accidents would be minor, but some of them would definitely be life-threatening," Shaman Sangmin said threateningly. "But there are two ways for this curse to end, Young Master." "Are you going to reveal them to me?" "I’ll only tell you one of them because I’m curious about what choice you’ll make." Song Sihyuk just scoffed. "If you fall in love while you’re cursed, then the curse will automatically transfer to the person you fell for," Shaman Sangmin said, smiling. "Young Master, I don’t think you’re capable of loving someone. So, good luck trying to find the cure to your curse." Goddammit. *** "AND THAT’S WHY I avoided you for four years. I didn’t want to transfer the curse to you. Fortunately, Ilsung Group lent us their shaman. And, thanks to Shaman Jung’s help, I was able to find Mija. The kid ended my curse." Garam blinked, still absorbing the story that Song Sihyuk had just shared with him. So, Hyung was really cursed by a shaman. "The day Shaman Sangmin cursed me, a shoot-out happened in our hotel. One of the bodyguards of our VIP guest suddenly snapped," Song Sihyuk added to his story. "I got shot in the arm while trying to calm him down. It didn’t make a noise because my family shut down the news immediately. But I can give you proof if you want, Garam-ah." "Later. But you can’t gloss over the first way to undo the curse just like that, Sihyuk-ssi," Garam said, still refusing to call Song Sihyuk ’hyung’ again. "You said you avoided me because you didn’t want to transfer your curse to me. But you’re not in love with me, are you?" "I’m not in love with you yet," Song Sihyuk said, raising an eyebrow. "But I have a feeling that had I not cut off our communication then, I would have fallen for you." "Is this a confession?" "Nah, I’m just saying that I become an easy man when it comes to you, so I didn’t want to risk it." Aigoo. Garam just raised an eyebrow. To be fair, he didn’t really care about why Song Sihyuk disappeared on him for the last four years. It’s not like we’re a real couple. In fact, he enjoyed his freedom. The only reason he cared about his husband’s disappearance was because of the current situation. "Fine. I accept your excuse for now," Garam said, waving his hand dismissively because he didn’t really care. "But what part of your story explains why Oh Hyunju thinks his sponsor is SG Group’s Song Sihyuk?" "The ’Song Sihyuk’ that the Omega kid is bragging about is my proxy," Song Sihyuk said, laughing mockingly. "That Omega kid is dating a fake." "Why do you have a proxy?" "Well, it was a little trick that Shaman Jung used to confuse the Spirit of Misfortune that was, apparently, stuck to me. I needed a proxy to avoid getting into accidents while I was looking for Mija." Song Sihyuk smirked as if he was annoyed. "But I guess that proxy forgot his place." To be honest, Garam didn’t really get it. He was sure that Song Sihyuk was pissed that his proxy abused his borrowed authority, though. But whatever— it’s none of my business. "You already found Mija," Garam said, raising an eyebrow. "Do you still need that proxy?" "I’m actually here to punish that bastard. You almost divorced me because of him, after all," Song Sihyuk said, suddenly caressing Garam’s face with the back of his hand. "Do you want to join my little revenge, brat?" *** Please ADD <SECRETLY MARRIED TO A CHAEBOL ALPHA> to your LIBRARY to be notified when an update is posted. Thank you! :>