Coincidental Fate
Her heart dropped. Nothing made any sense, so she just laughed. It seemed like one of those stupid jokes the gods played to humans. She was in Canada. Everything was really weird. Everything had been weird since she had met that man.
The Goblin looked at the shocked girl with an apologetic face.
“I’m here on a business trip… I needed to look up some things for furniture corners…”
He was as shocked as Eun Tak. That was the stupidest excuse ever. He had been to at least 30 countries, trying to figure out where Eun Tak had gone. Every time he opened another door without being able to find Eun Tak, he was more certain that she had come here. The Goblin had wanted to come here. He had wanted to make happy memories with her again, but he knew that he couldn’t. If he did actually manage to find Eun Tak, she would obviously think that it was weird. But he had come. The Goblin didn’t want to confuse her, but he stood in front of her again.
He smiled sheepishly.
“Have you been well?”
“Did you follow me here?”
“Will you call the cops if I say that I did?”
“Should I?”
“I’m not a bad person.”
“How would I know that?”
“You would know if you spent a bit more time with me.”
His smile shook Eun Tak’s heart. A coincidence made by the gods was called fate, and for some reason, she couldn’t help but think whether this man was actually her fate. Eun Tak was about to reject him straightforwardly, when the man mumbled something about the sponsor he had given her. She remembered then that she had promised before to buy him a meal.
Eun Tak walked quickly in front of him as if to guide him, and the Goblin smiled to himself.
“But did I ever tell you that I was going to Canada? Didn’t I just say overseas?”
“...I think you did… I’m pretty sure you mentioned something about the place of autumn leaves.”
“Oh, I remember now. Let’s go this way.”
After hearing the familiar word, Eun Tak stopped suspecting him and walked forward. The Goblin sighed in relief at his quick thinking and followed quickly after her. He had talked to her about something that had happened 10 years ago. but she still fell for it.
The two sat on the park bench and ate a sandwich together. They were on a hill that overlooked that whole town. Everything that filled his eyes was beautiful. Even the sandwich was more delicious. The Goblin chewed on his sandwich slowly and asked Eun Tak if a sandwich was enough for lunch.
“It’s alright. It seems like a nice picnic.”
“Not you, me. Are you alright with only buying me this single sandwich after I gave you that sponsor?”
Eun Tak’s mouth stopped moving midway between swallowing. She hadn’t been expecting him to say anything like that.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t plan this trip so I don’t know any good restaurants. Is there anything that you would like to have?”
“Beef.”
Eun Tak’s eyes widened and she quickly wanted to say that she didn’t like beef, but it was such a pathetic lie, she just nodded. She would buy him a meal later at her pay check.
After finishing her sandwich, Eun Tak walked up the hill when the man grabbed her by the arm.
“There’s nothing to see or do up there. Let’s go this way, I’ll be your guide.”
If she had kept going up the hill, Eun Tak would have seen the lines of gravestones, and he’d rather not have her see it again.
Eun Tak nodded and followed the man.
“Are you sure? Aren’t I being a bit of a nuisance?”
“It’s alright. You might be a bit of a nuisance, but it's probably because you’re very excited.”
He talked so prettily, Eun Tak had no choice but to smile. The streets the man guided her through were as shiny and beautiful as the streets she had seen before, if not more wonderful.
“You seem to know Quebec well? Have you been here before?”
“Yes. With my first love. I’ve been here with her 4 times now.”
Their steps slowed down. The Goblin’s face was a bit sad, and Eun Tak looked a bit disappointed.
“Oh… You have a girlfriend.”
“We broke up.”
“Can I ask why?”
“I had to go somewhere far away for a long time. She seems to have had a very hard time getting through it. She can’t remember me anymore.”
The Goblin looked at Eun Tak sadly. He had wanted her to forget him and be happy, but she had been sad. Eun Tak noticed the sorrow behind his words over the setting sun.
“Maybe it was because first loves don’t come true. Did you love her a lot?”
“I think I did, seeing as it is getting harder for me to endure this.”
“Endure what?”
“Wanting to hold her hand and wanting to hug her. Stuff like that.”
“So the woman has forgotten all about you, but you still can’t get over it?”
Eun Tak bit her lip slightly. The Goblin smiled to himself as he noticed her getting disappointed.
“Yes. I’ve never forgotten her for a moment.”
“She’s lucky. She has someone who loves her.”
The wind blew making leaves fall down over them. Eun Tak flicked away the leaves in annoyance.
“Did you know? If you catch a falling leaf, you'll fall in love with the person you're walking with.”
“Huh? Did your first love tell you that?”
“Yes, and I caught one.”
Eun Tak’s voice got louder as the anger inside her started to bubble.
“And you believed that? It didn’t even come true? You’re walking with me now because it didn’t come true. Now I'm certain that you like me. Boys have a weird thing where they tell the girl they like about their past love. Boys are stupid.”
The Goblin smiled faintly.
“Are they?”
“Are they not?”
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