You're My Totem
At that moment, the shadow over Yeong-a's face cleared completely.
How could anyone be so easy to read?
She really was a little puppy after all.
"Oh, if that's what you need, I'm very confident. There's nothing I haven't done before. I'm good at cleaning, packaging, kitchen support, carrying heavy loads, and—if you need it—I can tutor every subject!"
The puppy, having found her solution, wagged her tail with excitement.
"There will be plenty of work. You'll have to come whenever I call."
Suddenly the puppy's tail froze mid-wag. Her gentle eyes widened sideways.
"What? Are you asking me to be some kind of modern slave?"
Hwigyeom smiled softly and pulled out his phone.
He searched for a number and tapped the screen a few times with deliberate laziness.
It was like listening to a tiger roar. Taming a day-old puppy was child's play.
"Lawyer? I found the person. As we discussed, please proceed with the damages lawsuit immediately."
Most people would flinch the instant they heard anything about legal action.
"Um, CEO."
As expected, Yeong-a looked up at him with a pitiful expression and spoke in a small voice.
Hwigyeom watched her for a moment, then leisurely ended the call. Of course, he had never actually dialed anyone.
"Then… how long is the term? It can't be a lifetime contract…"
Thinking it must be more than a hundred thousand won, he wondered what would happen if he offered ten thousand to someone asking the price.
"The term is…"
Hwigyeom lifted the corner of his mouth and paused deliberately. Yeong-a swallowed hard as she watched him.
He saw the small Adam's apple that had been stuck beneath her chin slide back into place before he answered.
"One year."
As expected, Yeong-a quickly clasped her small white hands—no, her front paws—neatly on her knees.
"Yes! I'll do my best for the full year. Please take good care of me."
"As you wish, slave."
And so it was settled.
Of course, Hwigyeom had no intention of ever letting her go. Right now he felt as if twenty years of pent-up indigestion had vanished in a single breath.
The face that had haunted his mind for so long had appeared right before his eyes, and he had recognized her instantly.
The ecstasy of that moment!
After living in a hazy fog for years, his vision had finally cleared. Yet the youthful scent drifting from her and the strangely familiar voice still left him uneasy.
Then she had uttered a single word.
Geum…
She had probably been about to say her wrapper was gold-colored. But in that instant, a short conversation flashed through Hwigyeom's mind.
Geumdongi. That's my name.
Really? The baby's name is cute too.
The laughing boy's voice was identical to the one in the recording Hwigyeom had worn out from listening to it so many times—his own statement recorded right after he escaped the kidnapping and reached the police station.
What happened to the baby?
Hwigyeom had repeated that question like a madman. But because he had lost every memory leading up to the abduction, he hadn't remembered any of it.
A shiver raced down his spine and the hair on his arms stood up.
The name he had longed to find for so many years had surfaced like this?
It was unmistakably her voice—different in tone from the child in his memory, yet strangely similar—that had summoned it.
He had discovered the frayed end of a seal that no hypnosis could break, all thanks to Yu Yeong-a's voice.
The seething anger vanished in an instant, replaced entirely by overwhelming anticipation.
If I just keep this person beside me, maybe I can recover those tightly locked memories?
Then solving every future problem would be simple. He might even escape the brutal trauma that had tormented him because he didn't know how to fix it.
And that wasn't all. The nap contest photo had become the perfect fuse to resolve the engagement issue at once.
Both families had rushed out articles, leaving him wondering how to break things off. She had handed him the ideal excuse.
Thanks to her, the trip to Mulsan that had felt a little premature was naturally postponed. Nothing could have been better.
In every way, Yu Yeong-a was clearing the path ahead of him with effortless grace.
Where would a shaman-loving bloodline go? At that moment Hwigyeom wanted to worship the woman before him.
A truly sacred, miraculous being!
Let her go? Absolutely not. Turning one year into ten was nothing to him anyway.
A smile rose naturally to his lips, but Yeong-a fidgeted and spoke up.
"By the way, CEO. I have to start at Sahan Hotel next month. What should I do about that?"
"Are you confident you'll get the job?"
Yeong-a nodded vigorously.
"Yes!"
Her spirited answer made Hwigyeom's heart even more satisfied.
"Of course. My totem should be at least this capable."
"Totem?"
"There's such a thing. Anyway, I have to go to the office too, so I'll call you after work and on weekends. If you get the position, that is. If not, twenty-four-hour standby."
Even as he said it, he was certain Yu Yeong-a would pass. Her expression when she had left the interview room had been full of conviction.
It wasn't baseless confidence. Having observed people's faces with near-obsessive attention, Hwigyeom could read that much easily now.
"I'll get in!"
"I sincerely hope your wish comes true. Dial your number."
When Hwigyeom held out his phone, Yeong-a pouted and tapped in the digits. The soft sensation that suddenly came to mind made him frown.
What on earth… this indecent…
Still frowning, he watched as Yeong-a handed the phone back.
"All done!"
"Huh? Ah, uh, right."
Licking his lower lip where the indecent feeling still lingered, Hwigyeom pressed the call button.
Stuttering was something he almost never did. Come to think of it, laughing out loud was equally rare, but Hwigyeom hadn't noticed either change in himself.
When the phone began to vibrate, Yeong-a held her screen up for him to see. As he checked the number, Hwigyeom frowned again.
"Baby, did you time-travel? What year is this model from?"
It was an old budget phone that was a smartphone in name only; opening a single internet page probably took an hour. Yet Yeong-a looked completely unbothered.
"I've been using it since middle school. I kept it because they said I'd get a discount once I got a job. I can finally upgrade soon."
Apparently proud of her frugality, Yeong-a smiled brightly.
For some reason Hwigyeom's chest tightened. Had he eaten something that didn't agree with him?
"I see."
Taking his half-hearted reply as dismissal, Yeong-a bristled.
"My first and second round scores were good too. The 'Crush the Job' cafe said passing should be easy!"
"Crush the… what?"
This time he nearly choked even though he hadn't drunk anything.
"The 'Crush the Job' cafe."
"Ah."
Those indecent thoughts seemed to have a long tail. It was a fact Hwigyeom had never known because he'd never experienced it before.
"By the way, what is your name, CEO? The article only referred to you as Sa-something."
"Sa Hwigyeom. Hwi as in brilliance, gyeom as in together."
As he gave his name, Hwigyeom glanced at her screen. Her small fingertips tapped the glass with neat precision.
"You're only writing up to Sa Hwigyeom?"
"I usually only save the name. What were you going to put for me, CEO?"
Yeong-a craned her neck curiously. Hwigyeom slipped the phone into his inner pocket.
"Never mind. Baby can handle her own phone."
"But CEO, why have you been calling me baby since yesterday? I'm almost in my mid-twenties, you know?"
"So you are."
It was a fair point. Yet Hwigyeom had no intention of correcting himself. Instead of explaining, he simply stared at the totem before him.
The distinct white peach fuzz on her flushed cheeks. The baby-powder scent that rose clearly with each energetic breath.
"Why are you staring again…"
Caught off guard by the sudden gaze, Yeong-a looked away, picked up the glasses she had set aside, and spoke primly.
"Anyway, I'm a proper employee. I'd appreciate it if you refrained from calling me baby. When do I start work? Not today, right?"
Hwigyeom smiled benevolently. His heart felt endlessly wide at the moment.
"I'll call you once the contract is drawn up."
"Then may I leave now?"
"Yes, Yu Yeong-a. Go crush that job interview."
After Yeong-a left, Hwigyeom opened his phone and carefully entered each character.
And Yeong-a crushed it.
Yeong-a checked the message and screamed, stomping her feet in delight.
"Kyaaaa!!!!!!"