Chapter 83: Is This What They Call Fate?

The Grim Reaper spoke.

[That friend, Lee Kyung-seok, really has an extraordinary stubborn streak. Even after I gave him all those nightmares as warnings, he just pretended not to hear.]

‘Well, to him, it’s nothing but a dream.’

You can just brush it off as a meaningless dream.

[Normally, after seeing the same nightmare that many times, most people would get creeped out and start being cautious at least once. But not this guy.]

The Grim Reaper shook his head.

[Even suffering from sleep deprivation, he kept pushing himself. Since the boss was back in the country, he insisted he had to cover the rest of the work for him. He’s got a serious sense of responsibility.]

Should I be happy about that, or not?

Being responsible and working hard is definitely praiseworthy.

Ignoring superstition, persevering through lack of sleep, and quietly fulfilling his duties—that’s the mark of a model professional.

But, Secretary, you’re going to die at this rate! In more ways than one!

[I tried every kind of interference I could think of, but he insisted on getting on that plane. I had no other choice.]

‘How frustrating. So, did he get on the plane or not?’

[He didn’t. Actually, he couldn’t.]

‘Oh!’

At that, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Lee Kyung-seok was too valuable to lose so easily.

One day, he’d be called the brain of Taeseong and become the president of Taeseong Electronics, one of Taeseong’s core affiliates.

Suddenly, I felt curious.

‘You said even dreams didn’t work on him. How did you stop this secretary?’

[Well... I gave him a “dongti.”]

‘Dongti?’

A dongti is some disaster that befalls you when you mess with something you shouldn’t, right?

Something feels odd here.

Isn’t the subject kind of off?

‘Are you saying you voluntarily gave a dongti to someone just minding their own business?’

[Was there any other way to stop him?]

‘...’

A hollow laugh escaped me.

It was the first time I’d ever heard of a Grim Reaper deliberately inflicting a dongti.

‘So, what exactly happens when someone gets a dongti?’

[They get sick.]

‘Like the flu? Or do you just get chills or...?’

[A high fever is standard, and the sky spins around until you collapse.]

‘...’

[He won’t die. Did you think I’d go that far? No worries.]

‘I think the fact that you did anything at all to an innocent person is the problem here.’

[You were the one who asked me to stop this secretary from dying in the Arabian Sea.]

So in the end, the Grim Reaper used a desperate move like dongti because of my request.

‘Uh, hmm. Sorry about that.’

[No need to apologize. Thanks to the big merit you racked up, the Great King decided to prepare a gift for you. I managed to slip it through under the cover of divine mandate.]

Oh, right, I’d meant to ask about that.

‘Mansour’s father-in-law. What’s the deal with him? He wasn’t even supposed to be on that plane, was he?’

The Grim Reaper grinned.

[You know, for someone to die in an unlucky accident, you need a whole series of “of all times” to pile up.]

Suddenly, I thought I understood.

It was the same when I died.

Of all days, I stubbornly insisted on driving instead of the chauffeur; of all times, the driver of a 25-ton trailer was dozing off; of all moments, it was right when the kindergarten kids were leaving school; of all things, it was a side collision; of all times...

[On the other hand, even if a whole bunch of bad luck piles up, one stroke of good fortune can save you from death.]

Huh?

[That’s why most people never realize when they narrowly avoid an accident thanks to luck.]

I see.

[On the flip side, relationships are also formed thanks to the luck of that moment. Just like now. In fact, this time, you basically rode on Lee Kyung-seok’s luck.]

Hmm?

[Lee Kyung-seok was originally fated to have ties with Middle Eastern powerbrokers. This incident just moved that connection up a bit. But you, on the other hand, were never meant to have any such connection.]

Well, it’s not like I had any reason to be involved in Middle Eastern back alleys.

Come to think of it, Lee Kyung-seok did benefit greatly from the Middle Eastern market.

When he was younger, it was through Taeseong Construction, and later, through Taeseong Trading and Taeseong Electronics.

Lee Kyung-seok became famous for mingling with Middle Eastern elites without pretense, forging friendships, and closing business deals with ease.

Rumor had it that even among the Middle Eastern princes, Mansour, known for his business acumen, often sought Lee Kyung-seok’s advice.

‘Guardian spirit, so how exactly did the Middle Eastern powerbroker narrowly escape death? Tell me the details.’

I was curious.

‘That person is a royal in-law from Abu Dhabi and a powerful figure, so he usually travels by private jet. How did he end up on that ill-fated plane?’

[Of all times, his jet broke down.]

‘The private jet broke down? How? Why?’

[Does the reason matter? The point is, he was stranded, but he couldn’t ignore a royal invitation, so he decided to push ahead with his schedule.]

Oh, so that’s why he bought a ticket to Dubai.

[What choice did he have? He had to find another way. And there happened to be just one ticket for a flight to his destination at the right time.]

‘And that just happened to be Indian Airlines flight 855.’

[Exactly. Of all things, he ended up on the plane that was doomed to crash into the sea.]

I couldn’t help but feel a chill run down my spine.

Just how many times had the phrase “of all times” come up so far?

[Of all things, he ended up walking alongside Lee Kyung-seok, who had the same ticket, and of all times, met me. That’s how both of them got hit with dongti.]

‘Hmm? Isn’t that the end of it?’

[Of course not. That alone isn’t enough to tie the knot of fate.]

I was puzzled.

‘So what else happened?’

[The “of all times” wasn’t over. Of all things, the two of them ended up sharing the same airport infirmary.]

‘...’

[Of all times, the bodyguards and secretaries were each busy handling the emergency. The two of them were left alone.]

No doubt the bodyguards specializing in VIP protection would have restricted access to the infirmary.

The secretaries would have been busy checking on the private jet’s repairs or frantically contacting the Dubai royal family about the changed schedule.

[With no choice, Lee Kyung-seok, suffering in bed, had to plead with the doctor for a phone, since missing the flight meant he couldn’t submit his bid documents on time.]

‘Bid documents?’

[Taeseong Construction’s Dubai construction bid proposal.]

...Wait, what?

[They’re planning to build a city in the Middle East with their endless wealth. Why do you think he needed to catch the plane?]

‘No way...!’

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

‘You’re telling me Muhammad got interested in Taeseong Construction after overhearing that phone call?’

[That’s right. You could say it was a blessing in disguise.]

The Grim Reaper grinned.

[Isn’t that just how the world works? Sometimes, things happen in reality that are even more outlandish than fiction.]

‘So the bond forged by dongti, huh.’

[Better a trip to the infirmary than a trip to the underworld. There was no other way to keep their feet on the ground.]

That much was true.

One man stubbornly forced himself onward, ignoring nightmares for over two weeks.

The other, when his private jet broke down, insisted on flying anyway.

If a bodiless Grim Reaper wanted to tie the two down at the same time, there really wasn’t much else he could do.

[Normally, to form a bond with someone you have no connection with, you need tremendous luck and at least one wild card to barely tie it together.]

‘Wait. Weren’t you saying this was a special connection to reward my good deeds?’

[Think about it. What other way could an eight-year-old child on the other side of the world and the head of a royal family form a bond? The only way is to follow the thread of fate.]

Now that I think about it, that makes sense.

[Coincidence is just the trigger—people, their actions, and the work itself are what really matter. Muhammad is a powerbroker planning to build a city, and the Taeseong Construction proposal shown by Lee Kyung-seok caught his interest. That’s all there is to it.]

I let out a small laugh.

‘Anyway, Secretary Lee is safe and sound, right? That’s good enough for me.’

I watched as the adults, each with a grave expression, bustled around.

Grandfather was on the phone with the Foreign Ministry, pulling strings.

“Could you find out if there was a Lee Kyung-seok among the passengers who crashed in the Arabian Sea? He’s with Taeseong Construction. Please, I’m counting on you.”

Father was searching the airport.

“I’d like to inquire about a passenger named Lee Kyung-seok on the ill-fated Indian Airlines flight 855. Is there any way to contact Indian Airlines?”

Secretary Kim had already dashed off, saying he’d send telegrams everywhere.

‘Man. I can’t exactly tell them Secretary Lee is alive and well. It’s not like a little anxiety will kill them.’

I decided to play dumb.

‘Grim Reaper, thanks for your help.’

If you do a job, you should get paid; if you achieve a merit, you should get a reward.

‘When I get home tonight, I’ll open up our basement safe for you. There are tons of artworks from Sansuhwa Gallery down there. I noticed last time you enjoy looking at that kind of thing, right?’

[Hmm, actually, I want to try something else if I can.]

‘Something else? Like what?’

[For example, that.]

The Grim Reaper pointed at the black-and-white tube TV.

[It’s a newfangled thing, right? Fascinating stuff.]

No problem! What’s so hard about that?

‘In honor of your contribution, I’ll even let you choose the channel.’

Normally, the right to choose the channel is a privilege only given to the true power in the family, you know?

***

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have!’

The Grim Reaper, having experienced the new marvel called television, was now fully awakened to a new world.

[Come on, turn on the TV! The daily drama’s about to start!]

Before I knew it, the Grim Reaper had become a drama fan, matching the broadcast schedule to catch the show on time, after waiting all day.

Talk about acting like a bum.

‘Did you really memorize the whole TV schedule in just ten days?’

[If you don’t hurry, I’ll miss the opening! Yesterday it ended at a cliffhanger and I’m dying to know what happens next!]

The Grim Reaper tugged insistently at my sleeve.

‘I’m busy cleaning anchovy guts right now, you know?’

[Can’t you clean anchovy guts and watch TV at the same time? You can finish cleaning them after the show. But with a daily drama, if you miss the time, there’s no next chance!]

‘Jeez!’

The Grim Reaper stomped his feet in place like a puppy needing to pee, urging me on.

From the national anthem at the start to the national anthem at the end, he’d flip channels all day and insist on watching TV.

It got so bad that I had to make a “TV viewing schedule” just so I could get on with daily life.

Addiction really isn’t far away, is it?

[Hurry! Heungseon Daewongun’s about to appear!]

The Grim Reaper now had a few favorite serials to look forward to.

TBC’s daily dramas ‘Beautiful Youth’ and ‘Only Daughter,’ the Friday drama ‘Wild Rose,’ and the weekend serial ‘That’s That.’

But out of all of them, the Grim Reaper’s absolute favorite was the daily historical drama ‘Rain, Wind, and Bitter Dew.’

[Ah, the fate of Joseon is declining like this...! The darkness over this country grows ever deeper...!]

Jang Young played Heungseon Daewongun, and Jang Mi-hyun performed double roles.

Watching the Grim Reaper so completely absorbed in the drama, sighing and exclaiming, there was only one thing I could say.

‘Good grief.’

They say when housewives meet the villains from their favorite dramas in real life, they curse at them just the same.

[I’m not going to let those Japanese devils get away with it! I saw it last time. I saw where those bastards live!]

‘No, that’s just acting. All those people are Korean, you know.’

[But I saw Japanese soldiers in uniform walking openly in the streets! Those wretches! What are the constables doing, letting them roam free like that?]

‘...’

With the Grim Reaper seemingly stuck in Joseon-era updates, just how far do I have to go explaining Korean history lectures?

I’d love to leave him alone, burning with patriotism at the sight of traitors on TV, but since learning that he can use that horrifying “dongti” trick at any time, I can’t just ignore him.

‘Grim Reaper, listen up. So, this is...’

Just as I was about to sit the Grim Reaper down and give a long speech about television, broadcasting systems, actors and sets, scripts and historical accuracy—

—NEWS FLASH!—

Suddenly, the screen switched to a news anchor urgently announcing breaking news.

—At around 5:07 p.m. today, a fire broke out at a chemical manufacturing plant in Incheon. So far, it’s been confirmed that 52 people, including workers at the plant and two firefighters, have died, and 137 have been seriously injured.—

A large caption ran across the bottom of the news screen.