19

“Look, he’s headed for a shop.” Tiffany pointed at Yoong, who seemed to be looking at his surroundings before furtively passing through the door of the small store.

The three women have been secretly tailing the young man for a while now, following him into the grocery store and tediously waiting for him to finish with his shopping. It had been a long day for the three until they finally chanced upon him sneaking into strange alleys and coming up to this suburban community.  

“He might be planning on visiting that mysterious potions dealer where he and Seo bought those crazy potions from.” Hyoyeon added, crouching behind Sunny who remained silent as they watched Yoong from across the street.

“Let’s leave him be and wait until the coast is clear before we enter the shop ourselves.” Sunny decided as they remained in their hiding place.

“Do you think this is the place?” Tiffany asked, unsure of their discovery.

“Who knows?” Hyoyeon shrugged, eyes remaining on the store that Yoong had entered.

“Let’s just wait and see.” Sunny mused.

+++

“You look different.” The elderly owner of the shop commented once she heard the young man enter the quaint-looking shop.

Smiling, Yoong came up to the counter to address the old woman, whose back was turned to him. “And you look like you haven’t aged, halmeoni.”

The elder cast him a glare which made Yoong’s grin wider. “Still cheeky as always, Yoona, you little child. I bet you have gotten way cheekier with your new look deceiving everyone. Now, what have you come here for? I bet you’re looking for an antidote since you have met your match.”

Yoong pouted at the old woman, who always knew what she had intended whenever she came by the shop. “You always know what I’m up to, huh, halmeoni.”

The woman smiled; her teeth still perfectly intact and gleaming. “You’re too predictable. You and young Juhyun are too predictable. I bet the younger one suffered the same fate as yours, child?”

Yoong nodded solemnly, “I bet you know who did this.” He pointed to himself. The woman guffawed and carried on with her tasks of arranging her trinkets for sale. “You bet I do.” Yoong followed her as she walked through shelves of figurines and dream-catchers, fixing things along the way.

“Can you help me with the antidote, then?”

“The little one asked me not to give it to you.”

“But halmeoni-” Yoong whined, only for him to be cut short by the glare cast by the old lady who turned to face him.

“Do you not know that little Soojung makes her own potions?”

“What?!”

The old woman grinned, turned back to her task as a curious Yoong followed her, “That little child has already been interested on how the potions worked that I taught her how to make them. She did not buy the potions from me, child.” She turned to face a flabbergasted Yoong before resuming her explanation, “She made them her own and so, I do not know which ingredients she used to make a proper antidote for your condition. Remember, there are many ways to create a single potion with a specific reaction.”

“Oh my,” Yoong paused, trying to get around the woman’s revelations, “So, you’re saying that Soojung is now like you?”

The woman was quiet for a moment, tinkering with some trinkets hanging off a hook, “That child is gifted with extraordinary powers. You should watch your back when dealing with her, which I guess is a little too late for a warning given your current state.” She looked him up and down and chuckled.

“Halmeoni…” Yoong whined with a pout much to the old