Chapter 128
At first, watches came in.
They were obviously expensive watches, with no price tags anywhere.
When she told me to choose one, I held up my wrist.
Even the one I'd received as a gift before was more than enough.
Besides, I didn't usually wear a watch.
"I like this one."
"Hmm... In that case."
The watch was taken away.
Next came the suits.
Honestly, I didn't know much about suit brands, so I wore whatever Han Yu-na picked out for me.
"It suits you perfectly, as expected."
"Really?"
"Yes. And next..."
Ties.
Socks.
Shoes.
On top of that, perfume and even cosmetics.
I just sat there as products kept coming in and going out.
"Is this how chaebol shop?"
"Yes. This is how people often buy proper luxury goods. Why? Is it too much for you?"
"No. I usually just order things online."
I use Aiver Shopping.
They give you good points there.
"Sometimes, Mr. Noah, you really seem like an ordinary citizen."
"Even if you don't only look at me sometimes, I'm an ordinary citizen."
"You have quite a lot of wealth, don't you? And if you wanted something, you could obtain as much as you liked."
"That's true, but I've lived as an ordinary citizen for twenty years. I can't suddenly change."
Han Yu-na stared at me.
Had I said something strange?
"Maybe that's why you shine."
"Pardon?"
"Did you know?"
With a faint smile, she gently wrapped her hand around mine.
"There are many people in this world who change once they have money and power."
"Yes. I've seen them, too."
As I went about this work, I could see people's futures.
Some struck it rich by inheriting an estate, while others gained power and money through sudden promotions.
And most of them changed.
Because they knew what they were capable of doing.
"Compared to those people, you don't seem to care what kind of power you have, Mr. Noah."
"People should just live the way they always have. Why let material things sway you?"
"Hehe. How wonderful. Anyway, we're done with the clothes, so shall we go get your hair and makeup done?"
I followed her to a salon after leaving the department store.
Perhaps because she knew the owner well, a middle-aged woman who saw Han Yu-na broke into a bright smile.
"Oh my! Isn't that Yu-na? It's been ages since you last came... Goodness! Your boyfriend... He looks very familiar."
"Hello. My name is Kang Noah."
"Gasp!! Kang Noah!!"
She wasn't someone who watched my broadcasts.
But she remembered seeing my face in the news, movies, and variety shows.
"Goodness!! Goodness! We have a celebrity here!"
"But don't quite a few celebrities come to this shop?"
There were even members of a fairly famous male idol group called Meteo sitting over in one corner right now.
They, too, were staring at me curiously.
"When you see celebrities often enough, you realize they're just people. But Mr. Kang Noah, you're a celebrity among celebrities, aren't you? Oh my, goodness. I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Lee Anna, the owner of this shop. Please just call me Director."
"Nice to meet you. Since fate brought us together, shall I read your fortune?"
"Oh my! Goodness! You really can read it?! Please do!!"
She said this with a broad smile, and I held out a card.
Lee Anna carefully turned over the card, her eyes sparkling.
"How is it? How is it?"
"Director Lee Anna. You're thinking of buying land, aren't you?"
"Yes. As it happens, I heard a good plot had come up."
"That land is going to be designated as a greenbelt."
"...Pardon?"
"You're being conned right now. They're all swindlers, so don't meet with them. And you know the man you've been seeing lately? He's part of the same gang."
I gave her Prosecutor Gu Nam-cheol's number.
"Contact this gentleman, and he'll take care of the situation properly."
I'd heard Prosecutor Gu Nam-cheol mention before that swindlers had been going around selling land to celebrities lately.
He said they were so secretive that they were difficult to catch, so I'd assumed that was the case.
Their trail led here.
"I-Is that really true? Lorenzo..."
"That man's name is Yang Soe-chun. He's never even been to Italy."
Perhaps it was the betrayal she felt toward the man she'd been seeing, who had introduced himself as a distant relative of an Italian chaebol family.
Director Lee Anna's knees gave out.
While she struggled to catch her breath, Han Yu-na grabbed my arm.
"What happened?"
"I merely told her what I saw."
"Ugh... I see. Thank you."
She picked up her phone.
It seemed she was calling Prosecutor Gu Nam-cheol.
After talking for a moment, she handed me the phone.
-Teacher Kang! Wow! You've done it again!
"No, this was just a coincidence."
-Whether it was a coincidence or not, it's good news for me!! Thank you! Once this is over, I'll treat you to a big meal!
"Yes. Ah, and when you catch those men, could you let me meet them?"
I'd have to find out what had happened to the hidden funds if I wanted to return the money to the victims.
Prosecutor Gu Nam-cheol laughed heartily and said he'd let me know immediately once they were caught.
"I-I, T-Teacher Kang. I can't right now..."
"Yes. Go right away. It would be a problem if those men happened to escape."
"Yes! Thank you!!"
She left without even changing clothes.
With the owner gone so suddenly, the people inside the shop seemed somewhat bewildered, but the assistant director soon came out.
"Teacher Kang. Ms. Yu-na. This way..."
Avoiding the gazes of the customers and employees inside the shop, who seemed ready to rush at me at any moment, we headed to a room farther inside.
As soon as she sat down, Han Yu-na let out a sigh.
"Why are there so many bad people in the world?"
"There are more good people."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Now that I could see people's pasts and futures, I was certain of it.
Whenever I walked down the street or sat in a café.
The same held true when I looked at my more than one million viewers, or even traveled abroad.
There weren't that many evil people in the world.
But you know how one loach can muddy an entire stream?
It was only that the actions of those evil people disturbed the world and made them seem more numerous than they were.
"It's at least a little better because there are people like you, Mr. Noah."
"There are many people besides me who are trying."
"Is that so..."
That was when it happened.
-Knock, knock.
I heard a knock at the door.
"Come in."
The door opened cautiously.
Outside the door stood the idol singers from earlier.
"Ah, hello, Teacher Kang."
"We're Meteo."
"Hello. I see you on YouTube now and then. You even filmed a Dunsa commercial, didn't you?"
"Oh! Y-you know us?!"
Yuji, Meteo's leader, was delighted.
Then he cautiously held out a notebook.
"Our team's main vocalist, Jiyong, is a fan of yours. He said he'd really like to meet you at least once..."
"Haha. Fans don't usually get to meet the celebrities they admire by chance."
"You mean fans of celebrities don't get to meet famous people by chance in private, right?"
"You know your stuff."
I smiled and signed an autograph for him.
As I watched Yuji take a picture of it and send it somewhere, I held out a card.
"Since fate brought us together, why don't you give it a try?"
"Hmm..."
After some hesitation, he cautiously turned over the card.
It was the reversed Chariot.
"What does that mean?"
"Mr. Yuji. Hmm..."
How should I put this?
"You're going on an overseas tour next month, right?"
"Yes!"
"Your manager is going to a casino then."
"What?! Our manager?"
"Yes. Go Min-sik, right?"
"Uh... But, um... Is that a problem? It's not as if I or any of our members are going."
"Yes. It won't actually be a problem for you. But that's where Go Min-sik will get a taste for gambling."
Go Min-sik will spend a paltry sum and win quite a lot.
And then he'll become addicted to the dopamine rush.
"Then he'll get into gambling. He'll gradually lose money, and eventually he'll sell your information."
At first, he'll sell minor things, like photos, to fans, and then go further, selling schedule information to sasaeng fans.
And he'll sell information about your dramas, movies, and performances to Daspatch reporters.
"In the end, he'll be manipulated by Daspatch reporters and set traps for you."
He'll leave women's underwear at your dorm,
or put used condoms in the trash.
Then he'll inform the reporters, trying to bring Meteo down.
He'll create an exclusive scoop.
"T-That can't be... Min-sik hyung is..."
He'd been with Meteo since the group debuted.
He was someone Yuji considered almost like an older brother, so how could he do something like that...
"In this line of work, I've seen plenty of people betray even their own relatives."
Besides, Go Min-sik wasn't actually his relative.
That was the fate of a man driven mad by gambling.
Yuji squeezed his eyes shut.
Then he spoke in an exhausted voice.
"...Can I tell hyung about this?"
"Yes. If you tell him that gambling will drive him mad and make him ruin not only his own future but Meteo's as well, he'll rein himself in."
However, even after I'd told him this much, the Go Min-sik I saw in Yuji's future still looked like a man obsessed with gambling.
In other words, he wouldn't listen to a word of it.
I couldn't tell whether to call that grit or stubbornness...
"The best thing would be to discuss it with your CEO. It's fine to mention my name, so talk to him."
"I understand. Thank you... Thank you so much, Teacher. In return... Uh, I don't have any money right now..."
Only then did the future change.
It changed into one in which Go Min-sik was transferred to another team.
And into a future in which the Meteo members successfully completed their performance.
"I don't only accept money in return for telling people their futures."
"...I understand."
He nodded and spoke confidently.
"This time, during our tour, I'd like to mention you as the benefactor of not only me but all our members."
On top of that, he said he would put my name in the special thanks section of their next album.
"I don't know whether this will be enough to repay you, Teacher..."
"Haha. I look forward to it."
Well, that wouldn't be bad either.