“I THOUGHT you had changed your mind,” Jino told Sarah with a broad smile on his face when she met him at a food court near her apartment. “So, are we going to your house today?”
Sarah hesitantly smiled at the man. “Uh, actually, I have forgotten about it,” she admitted. “Your service just crossed my mind because something terrible happened again in my life three days ago.”
Jino looked at her worriedly. “What happened? I need you to be honest with me regarding the bad things that happened to you because it might be the result of the bad luck spirit surrounding you.”
Sarah felt chills on her shoulders. Until now, she didn’t understand why the evil male spirit loved to stick on her side. As far as she knew, she hadn’t done anything wrong in her life that could hurt anybody. She always thinks about other people. That’s why she became a nurse. She wanted to take care of others… But they cut the only happiness that she has.
She sighed. It was her fault, though… What happened yesterday is because Carlo couldn’t leave her mind. It plays in her mind the moment that he stepped out the door and left her for good.
Sarah heaved a sigh before she spoke again. “Remember the day that you saw me in Bay Walk? Just an hour before that, I caught my boyfriend cheating on me.” She lowered her head and focused on their drinks. “Then, the day after that, I got a suspension at my work.”
“That’s bad…” Jino commented with a shake of his head. “It means that we really have to do the process of releasing the bad spirit around us. His bad aura is circulating in you, making you more vulnerable to bad luck.”
Sarah heaved a sigh again. “I’ve been living with bad luck.”
“Then, we should get going,” Jino said and rose from his seat. “I’ve already packed some of my things here. I’m ready to go—”
“Uh, I have one more concern with your deal,” she said hesitantly. “Can you retake your seat?”
When the man sat back in his chair and looked at her, Sarah started to feel uncomfortable. Not because she didn’t know what she would say to him about the change of plans, but because he was too handsome in her eyes. And not just in her eyes but also in the eyes of the girls around the food court.
“What is it?” Jino asked and smiled while he waited for her to speak.
“About our agreement,” she started. “Do you really have to stay at my house to do the process? Because you know, I don’t really know you… and we just met. I’m not even sure if you’re a real shaman.”
The man nodded his head. “I understand,” he said. “Then, I’ll just go to your house every day?”
“Is it okay?” she asked hopefully.
“It’s possible, but you have to record the whole night activity, then send it to me,” Jino said and smiled. “Do you have CCTV cameras inside your whole house?”
Sarah shook her head. “I didn’t know that I’d be using it in the future,” she said and laughed. “And, I remember, Mr. Yun, do you have a valid? Or any other documents that will prove your identity?”
“I have,” Jino said, which made Sarah release a breath. “But, I left them all in our temple. The monks don’t allow missionaries like us to bring documents during our free time for us to not apply for a permanent job.”
Sarah pressed her lips together. How will she prove to Ismael that Jino can be trusted if he doesn’t have any proof or documents to show?
“I only have my National ID in China,” Jino said suddenly, then placed on the table a small card. “I’m having a hard time getting IDs here in the Philippines because they’re asking for an ID as a requirement to get an IS. It’s kinda confusing.”
Sarah laughed. “Yes, only in the Philippines.” She looked closely at his ID. “I can’t read Chinese characters, but it looks authentic.”
“It’s my only identity card,” he said, taking back the ID from her. “But, if you’re still feeling hesitant, we can do Plan B.”
“So, where’s your house? Is it just near here?” Sarah asked and suddenly got excited about what they were going to do next.
She still can’t believe that this handsome young man is really a shaman. With his looks and style, he really can be mistaken for a K-pop artist or a model. He doesn’t look a shaman, even a bit. Or maybe she’s outdated? Perhaps shamans evolved their styles, too? If it was, then this man really fit the style.
Sarah wonders if he has a girlfriend. “Jino, do you know Jung Jinyoung?”
“I’m not familiar,” he said, scratching his eyebrow. “Is he your boyfriend?”
“How I wish!” Sarah said and laughed. “Jung Jinyoung is a Kpop idol. And you looked like him a lot.”
“Is that so?” Jino raked his fingers through his hair, and it almost made Sarah's heart skip a beat. “Is he handsome?”
“Of course,” she replied quickly. “By the way, what is the process that you will do to remove the bad spirits in my house?”
“Too many to mention,” he said and drank all his coffee. “Can I see your house today?”
“For what?” Sarah asked in a knotted forehead.
“For me to measure the level and kinds of energy that you have in your house. I also need to see if you have haunted furniture because there are some cases of evil spirits inhabiting a piece of certain furniture. And, making the owner’s life miserable,“ he explained and started to clean their table. “Why? Aren’t we going to start today?”
Sarah hesitated to answer. “Okay. But you will leave before five p.m.”
Jino looked at his wristwatch. “We only have three hours…” he said. “I can do some of the initial processes.”
Sarah clapped her hands in excitement. “Okay. Then, let’s go!”
***