That Night It Rained | Yuta

00 〉 The Portrait of a Girl

The clock ticked away the final minutes of the evening that was spent in the meeting room of the company building. At the head of the table sat an old man, who had been hunched over a piece of drawing sheet for hours now while the others watched in anticipation.

At last, when the sky began changing its colours, the man sighed, his fingers black from the remnants of the charcoal pencil.

'Here,' he said, sliding the paper away from him. Quickly, the staff and managers huddled over the desk, leaning on top of each other to get a look at the drawing that the fortune teller had made for them.

But the room was silent– they were waiting for the CEO, who came rushing to the meeting room. The fortune teller walked over to the window, stopping to gaze at the grey clouds outside and the foggy cityscape under the drizzle.

Panting, the CEO picked up the sheet of paper from the desk and stared at it in bewilderment.

'What is the meaning of this?' he asked. On the paper, shaded in charcoal was a portrait of a girl. It was not a celebrity, nor anybody he knew. Just a simple girl, smiling.

Without turning around, the fortune teller said, 'Find her. This girl will bring your company wealth, fortune and luck matched by none.'

The CEO scanned the portrait. The sketch itself was remarkable with each feature drawn to its minutest details but the face he was looking at was ordinary, almost forgettable.

'How?' the CEO asked, more confused than before.

'She needs to marry her soulmate to bring you wealth.'

'Her soulmate?'

'Hm.' The sage nodded, turning around. 'He is here, in this company. Find him for her and only then will her luck unlock itself.'

'I am sorry, I don't understand.'

The old man met his eyes. 'But surely you do. As for finding him,' he began before the CEO could ask, '127... he is connected to the number 127.'

The managers in the room looked at each other, all wearing the same expression as the CEO. It was obvious.

'NCT 127,' the CEO whispered out loud. 'It has got to be them. But...' Apprehension settled over his eyes. 'There are nine members. Who among the nine is her soulmate?'

The fortune teller was busy packing up his things, stowing away the charcoal pencils in his satchel which he wore over his trench coat. There was a soft and an all-knowing smile on his face. 'Your work is to make sure they meet. She won't fall in love with anybody but him and only he among everyone will love her.'

In the silence that followed, the CEO turned to the managers and staff, 'Find her. As fast as you can.' His eyes fierce and stuck on the drawing of the girl. 

'I have a plan.'