As I stared blankly at the calligraphy, the Master spoke.

  "Ilche-yusimjo (一切唯心造). This phrase contains the ultimate truth of the Avatamsaka Sutra."

  "What does it mean?"

  "It means that everything in this world depends solely on one's mind."

  Then, the Master turned to the Little Dosa.

  "Hyeon-jin! This is the lady with the ‘ill-fated’ face whom you’ve wanted to apologize to for the past year."

  The Little Dosa, who had been sucking on a candy with an arrogant look, jumped in surprise.

  "What??? Really? This lady is that same Ma’am from back then?"

  He began circling around me as if he couldn't believe it.

  "Wow! So a person’s face can really change this much in just a year just by shifting their mindset?"

  He stared intensely at my face so intensely it was almost embarrassing. Then the Little Dosa blurted out.

  "Why did your tear-drop mole move to the position of a beauty mark? Can moles actually change locations?"

  At this, the Master slapped his knee and exclaimed, "Exactly! Moles move, and even the lines around your mouth change shape. She spent every day frowning, but now that she’s laughing all the time, her facial muscles have shifted. The mole that was sagging down has been pulled up. This is exactly what I always tell you about Sim-sang (心相), the Face of the Mind."

  The Little Dosa nodded. "Ah, I see. Destiny is above the Stars, the Face is above Destiny, but the Mind is above the Face. You’re talking about that Sim-sang."

  "Right. That’s exactly it."

  The two of them continued to discuss my face right in front of me. After a moment, the Little Dosa glanced at my birth chart that Dosa had noted down.

  "Looking at how pretty you've become, Ma'am, you must have finally started a romance."

  My face turned bright red.

  "According to your chart, the man next to you will propose soon, and you'll even get married."

  I let out a heavy sigh at the boy's words.

  "Phew. He already confessed. Something almost happened, too... but I was so obsessed with that talisman that I acted so embarrassed and awkward that the chance slipped away."

  Thinking of him made me resentful. "Now he’s seeing the girl from the side-dish shop."

  "The side-dish shop? Then...?"

  The Little Dosa looked like he had something to say, but suddenly I saw Dosa put a finger to his lips, signaling 'Shh.' Having spent a lot of time in philosophy halls and shrines, I knew exactly what that gesture meant.

  'Money. He wants more money. If I pay more, there’s a solution.'

  I immediately ran to my cash register, grabbed a handful of bills, and slammed them on the table.

  "I’ll go to the bank if you need more! Please tell me the secret, Dosa. How can I get him back?"

  Dosa gave a thin smile.

  "No more money is needed. You already paid for the 'house call' when I came here. Didn't you say the deposit was already settled?"

  He then spoke clearly.

  "There is no other man for you but him. If he appears again, make sure to grab him."

  He watched my reaction closely. I lowered my head in embarrassment.

  "When he comes back, hold his hand, give him a kiss, and give your hearts some room to mingle. That is my secret remedy."

  Even though he hadn't returned yet, my heart felt lighter.

  "Really? Of course! I really liked him that day too, but I got scared because of the talisman and pushed him away. I’ve regretted it every night since."

  Dosa smiled warmly.

  "Focusing on useless things makes you miss great opportunities. If you hadn't overthought it, you'd be married by now. Shall I check your compatibility?"

  Compatibility usually requires the birth charts of both people. But Dosa managed to sketch out the man’s chart just by looking at mine. Whether it was because he was a true master or simply because of how much he had helped me, I decided to trust him completely.

  I worried for a moment what if our compatibility was bad. Seeing my worried face, Dosa said, "It’s on the house. Don't worry about the fee."

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  After sketching several formulas for a few minutes, he shouted.

  "The compatibility is good, but..."

  "But? Is there a problem?"

  "It’s too hot! It's blazing! You two aren't teenagers anymore, so if you get married, you're going to burn each other up!"

  Dosa was teasing. My cheeks turned redder than the broth in my restaurant’s beef soup. As he was giving me words of blessing, the Little Dosa spoke up.

  "Grandpa, why are you leaving out the hard part?"

  My heart dropped. I worried something bad was hidden in the chart. But Dosa snapped back angrily.

  "The hard part? Where do you see anything hard?"

  The boy ignored him and walked up to me.

  "Starting next year, for at least three years, it’s going to be very hard for you to work at the shop. I don't think you'll quit, so you’ll just have to suffer for those three years."

  Dosa flew into a rage at the word 'suffer.'

  "What are you talking about now? Hard to work? Where do you see that in this chart? Did that monk teach you some nonsense about the 'Three Calamities'? Stop talking rubbish!"

  He grew so angry that he actually covered the Little Dosa’s mouth. But the boy was stubborn.

  "Mmph! Mmph! From what I see, next year she'll be too busy preparing for a wedding, and for the next few years after that, she'll be giving birth back-to-back!"

  As soon as the boy said this, Dosa lunged for his notes. Taking the chance, the boy broke free from his grip and ran to the corner of the shop, shouting back at me.

  "Looking at the man’s chart and yours together, the harmony is incredible! In the Five Elements, Zi-water (子水) represents the womb and symbolizes fecundity—having many children."

  The kid really had no filter. But he wasn't done.

  “A 10-year Metal Fortune Period is coming next year to nourish that Water. Since this Metal cycle feeds the Water, you’ll be busy with your mate every night, which will keep the Water energy active, leading to more babies. And with the endless cycle of childbirth and childcare, you won't have a second to work...!”

  Dosa stopped chasing him. He looked at the Little Dosa and said, "Oho! So that’s why you concluded it would be 'hard to work'?"

  "Yes, Grandpa."

  Dosa chuckled. "Haha, you little brat. Well! Your interpretation isn't entirely wrong. I suppose you really do learn two things for every one I teach you."

  My face was burning at their conversation.

  'We haven't even held hands properly, and I feel like I've already had three kids.'

  For a moment I felt good, but then doubt crept in. I had treated him so coldly, so would he really come back?

  What's the use of a good destiny or good compatibility? He was already gone.

  Right then.

  [Jingle!]

  As if in a movie, he appeared, holding a bouquet of flowers.

  "I want you to be the mother of my children! I’ve thought about it on my own, and I even went to see a renowned fortune teller to ask about our destiny. They told me there’s just no other woman for me but you."

  He looked at the Little Dosa and Dosa and froze in shock.

  "Wh-why are you here? Did you know she was the one I wanted to marry?"

  Dosa let out a hearty laugh.

  "We were just acting as matchmakers. Come in! The flowers are beautiful, and the heart behind them is even better. You two, live happily ever after."

  Then Dosa left the man with one piece of advice.

  "I’ll tell you one thing. Don’t ever go to other women for relationship advice again."

  He glanced at me as he said it. I realized the message was actually for me.

  'So he wasn't dating her? He was just asking for advice about me?'

  Thinking our relationship was ruined, he had gone to the side-dish shop girl because she seemed closest to me. But she was a widow too, and she had a crush on him. That’s why she had spread those rumors!

  "Luckily, the misunderstanding is cleared, but never take your consultations to just anyone."

  When Dosa said that, the man and I asked in unison.

  "Why?"

  "Wh-why?"

  Dosa replied.

  "I need to make a living too! Bring your consultations to me. Leave medicine to the pharmacists, and counseling to the counselor!"

  It was a phrase I had heard somewhere before.

  "If the lady from the hair salon hadn't tipped me off this time, what would have happened? A beautiful couple like you almost lost your destiny."

  After reuniting us, Dosa and the Little Dosa finished a bowl of Gukbap at my place and left with a final word.

  "The Gukbap was delicious. We'll definitely be back. Live long and happy lives together."

  Shortly after the story of the 'ill-fated lady' spread and Grandpa was featured in newspapers and on TV a few times, our studio was swamped with guests even on weekdays.

  "I'm gonna drop dead. I want to throw all this money away and just quit!"

  Of course, every time Grandpa complained like that, Grandma would nag him. Originally, we were just a quiet country studio with maybe three or four guests a day. Grandpa could handle that alone.

  But with over a dozen people storming in even on weekday afternoons and the phone ringing non-stop, it became impossible for him to manage.

  "Hyeon-jin, run down and tell Yeon-hwa to come here, quick."

  Struggling with the flood of guests and inquiries, Dosa suddenly told me to call Yeon-hwa Noona (a friendly Korean title for a slightly older female, implying a close, sibling-like bond). She had been working at a restaurant in town during the week and helping at the studio on weekends while learning from Dosa. When she arrived, Dosa pleaded.

  "Yeon-hwa, save me. Quit the restaurant and just help me here."

  "What? But I can't do that. If I don't work at the restaurant, my livelihood..."

  She was raising a three-year-old girl alone. Dosa spoke as if it were obvious.

  "Now, now, don't worry about the money. I’ll pay you whatever you’d make at the restaurant. Just help me here during the week."

  "But Se-yeon..."

  "Bring her! Let her play with Hyeon-jin here, and we can ask Grandma to keep an eye on them. Wouldn't that be better?"

  "No, that feels like too much of a burden on you."

  When she mentioned being a burden, Grandpa looked almost offended.

  "A burden? Aren't we like family? What’s this talk of a burden among family? Just come. I’m dying here. Save me."

  And so, Yeon-hwa Noona began helping at the studio during the week, and I was put in charge of looking after Se-yeon.

  Though, how much can a seven-year-old boy really 'look after' a three-year-old? We just played together and teased each other like typical siblings. I was so happy that I told Grandpa.

  "I love that Yeon-hwa Noona and Se-yeon are like family."

  Grandpa replied.

  "Like family? They aren't like family. They ARE family. If we live together like this, that’s what family is."

  I was happy, but Grandpa looked even happier.