Jae-Hyun didn’t sleep. He didn’t need to. Instead, he spent the night sitting in the corner of the café, watching Hee Young clean up, humming one of her cheerful tunes. The idea had lodged itself firmly in his mind: Lee Hee Young might be the blessed soul. If she was, everything he did in her presence should go right—his curse should be lifted, even if just a little.

But he had to be sure. He couldn’t risk it. Not yet.

When morning came, Hee Young was surprised to see him still there, sitting with that same calm expression on his face. She raised an eyebrow as she wiped down the counter.

“Did you even sleep?” she asked, tilting her head with a playful smile.

“I don’t sleep much,” he replied, voice steady, betraying nothing of the anticipation churning inside him. Today, he would test his theory.

He glanced around the small café, then leaned forward slightly. “I have a favor to ask.”

Hee Young raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? What kind of favor?”

“I’ve been thinking of... starting something new. Maybe trying to make some money. Could I... sell something here, in your café?”

She blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Sell something? Like what?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said, his voice calm, though his mind was racing. "Anything, really."

Hee Young laughed, placing her hands on her hips. “You’re a strange one, Jae-Hyun. But sure, why not? I can let you sell something here. What do you have in mind?”

Jae-Hyun hadn’t thought that far ahead. He scanned the café, then noticed a small stack of old books she kept by the window for customers to read while they sipped their coffee. Without hesitation, he picked one up—a worn-out, forgotten novel.

“This,” he said, holding it up with a straight face.

Hee Young burst into laughter. “You’re going to sell a beat-up novel?”

“Yes,” he said with utmost seriousness. “For 50,000 won.”

She couldn’t help but laugh harder, but her curiosity got the better of her. “Alright, let’s see you try. You’ve got a deal.”

Hee Young watched in amusement as Jae-Hyun set up a small sign next to the register that read, “Vintage Novel - 50,000 won.” He sat back down, his calm exterior betraying none of the storm inside him. His heart raced. Normally, anything he tried to sell—anything he tried to do—failed miserably. No one would even glance at his offering. But if she was the blessed one...

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Hours passed, and just as Jae-Hyun was beginning to doubt himself, a man approached the counter. Hee Young, still grinning at Jae-Hyun’s ridiculous idea, greeted the customer warmly.

“How much for the book?” the man asked, pointing to Jae-Hyun’s sign.

Hee Young nearly choked on her breath. “You... want the book?”

The man nodded. “Yeah, I collect old novels. This looks perfect.”

Jae-Hyun’s calm mask slipped for just a second as his eyes widened. He quickly regained his composure, but inside, his heart was thundering. He could barely believe it. The man handed over 50,000 won without question, and Hee Young looked at Jae-Hyun in shock as she bagged the old, ragged book.

When the customer left, Hee Young turned to him, eyes wide with disbelief. “How did you do that?!”

“I’m just... lucky,” Jae-Hyun said, though there was a faint tremor in his voice. His mind was spinning. Was it true? Was his curse really lifting?

He had to test it further.

Throughout the day, Jae-Hyun tried more and more bizarre things. At one point, he challenged Hee Young to a card game, something he usually lost without fail. This time, he won. Then, he decided to help her with the café’s pastry sales, suggesting wild prices for some of her simplest items. To his shock—and hers—they sold out.

Hee Young watched in amusement as Jae-Hyun kept a perfectly straight face through all of it, though every success was met with a small flicker of disbelief in his eyes. She couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, and soon enough, they were spending the day together like old friends.

By late afternoon, Jae-Hyun had sold a piece of art he’d drawn on a napkin, won three rounds of rock-paper-scissors, and somehow convinced two separate customers to buy extra pastries just for the fun of it.

But the real test, the one he’d been saving for the end of the day, was simple—he decided to play an online game on his phone. Normally, no matter what he did, the game would glitch, or he’d lose within seconds. This time, he won.

When the screen flashed "Victory," Jae-Hyun almost dropped the phone. He stared at it for a long moment, completely frozen.

Hee Young, who had been watching over his shoulder, burst out laughing. “You look like you just saw a ghost!”

He glanced at her, eyes wide, then quickly returned to his usual calm, collected demeanor. “Just... surprised.”

“You’re full of surprises today,” Hee Young said, her smile warm as always. She wiped her hands on her apron and sat across from him at the table. “It’s been fun having you around. You’re a little weird, but... you’ve made my day interesting.”

Jae-Hyun’s heart clenched at that. The sincerity in her voice was so disarming, so genuine. His plan had been to test her, to see if she was the blessed one who could break his curse. But now, after spending the day with her, it wasn’t just about that anymore.

It was about the way she looked at him, not as some broken, cursed being, but as someone she enjoyed being around. It was about the way her laughter echoed in the small café, filling the empty spaces in his heart that had long since been forgotten.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, staring at her, before he finally spoke.

“I think I’ll stay a little longer,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hee Young’s smile brightened. “You’re always welcome here, Jae-Hyun.”

As the evening wore on, the two of them fell into an easy rhythm, the bond between them growing in the most unexpected of ways. And while Jae-Hyun had come to the café with the sole intention of using Hee Young to lift his curse, he now found himself thinking less about his fate—and more about her smile.

As ridiculous as his antics had been, something was shifting between them. And for the first time in centuries, Jae-Hyun felt like maybe—just maybe—he had found something more valuable than freedom.

He had found a friend.