At my sarcasm, Grandpa apologized to the customer.

  "I’m sorry. Among my grandchildren, this boy is the one I have the softest spot for. Please understand."

  Then, he immediately explained the concept of our studio.

  "What he meant is that this is a place for counseling, not for prophesying the future."

  The man wore a skeptical expression.

  "Don't misunderstand. Since this is a consultation, I need to hear your side of the story too."

  Only after hearing the explanation did the customer prepare to speak.

  But right then!

  Grandpa closed his eyes and held out his palm toward the man to stop him. The reading had already begun.

  'It’s starting!'

  Once a reading began, the customer wouldn't have another chance to speak for a while.

  "Looking at your face and diving deep into your Saju, your parents seem wealthy and your own job looks stable. I couldn't help but wonder why you even came here for a consultation."

  As Grandpa spoke, the man’s stiff expression softened slightly. It felt as if he had finally shed the suspicion he’d held since arriving.

  "Yes, that’s correct."

  He looked relieved and tried to explain what was bothering him. However, just as he was about to start, Grandpa didn't give him the chance.

  Because the reading was already in full swing.

  "You have a Saju with excessive In-seong and a Jeong-in structure. Usually, men with this kind of chart, where the In-seong (Star of Wisdom and Support) is excessive, come here because they are hesitating in their romantic lives."

  "Saju with excessive In-seong? What does that mean?"

  In the study of Myeong-ri, there is a concept called the Ten Gods (Sipsin).

  The Ten Gods.

  To read a Saju, the eight characters of one’s birth are first classified according to the interactions of the Five Elements. This classification system is the Ten Gods.

  Bi-geop (Parallel and Rob Wealth)

  Sik-sang (Eating God and Hurting Officer)

  Jae-seong (Direct and Indirect Wealth)

  Gwan-seong (Direct and Indirect Officer)

  In-seong (Star of Wisdom and Support)

  Among these ten, the In-seong represents learning ability, moral character, and maternal influence. It symbolizes the love and support one receives from their mother, as well as their capacity for deep study.

  In ancient society, this was seen as a very positive trait. It applies slightly differently to men and women, but for men, it also represents the Mother.

  When these Ten Gods are applied to family relationships, it is called the Six Relatives (Yukchin).

  A Saju chart with an excessive amount of In-seong is not very ideal for dating.

  In the Six Relatives, In-seong is the Mother.

  If a man has too much mother or constant maternal interference in his life, one can imagine how difficult it would be for him to date.

  Even from a personality standpoint, there is a reason they struggle with romance. These people are the definition of indecisive.

  They love maintaining the status quo, which allows them to stay in one place for a long time. Whether it’s studying or working, they endure well. Their weakness, however, is that they want to stay in that one place. They dislike big changes and, as a result, struggle to make major decisions.

  They are, in a word, wavering.

  After giving a brief explanation of the chart, Grandpa said to him.

  "Currently, sir, you are harboring an unrequited love for someone."

  The man, whose focus had drifted during the technical explanation, snapped back to attention. He nodded vigorously in agreement.

  "There are many women around you. That’s why things have been a bit ambiguous."

  "Pardon?"

  "You're popular with the ladies, aren't you?"

  "How did you know? Yes, there have always been many women around."

  Those with a lot of In-seong and strong Water or Metal elements are often intelligent. However, looking at him now, that intelligence seemed to apply only to academics, certainly not to dating or social life. Watching this man, who looked like he’d be popular with women just by looking in a mirror, fall completely under Grandpa’s spell made him seem almost dim-witted.

  "Both your face and your Saju show you're truly popular. So, why did you come to a place that smells like an old man?"

  "Well, that’s..."

  He tried to explain, but again, Grandpa cut him off and provided the reason himself.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  "None of the women who say they like you are the one you actually want."

  "Yes, exactly. But..."

  "I know. But the woman you do like won't even look at you, right? In fact, it feels like she almost hates you."

  The man spoke in a dejected tone.

  "Ugh. Yes. You're right."

  "Oh, what a mess! What on earth should we do?"

  After saying that, Grandpa tilted his chin up slightly, watching the man’s reaction out of the corner of his eye.

  "You’ve seen it perfectly."

  Tearing up slightly, the customer finally got to share his troubles for the first time since entering the room.

  "There is a woman I fell in love with at first sight. But whenever I try to approach her, she remains indifferent, while the other women around her mistakenly think I’m interested in them instead."

  Grandpa remarked, "And you had zero interest in the women who were mistaken, right?"

  "Yes, exactly. But one of them even told me to be a man and hurry up and confess to her because she thought I liked her! I never did a single thing to lead them on, though."

  "It's a good thing your In-seong is strong," Grandpa said. "If you were even slightly wavering, those other women would have snatched you up by now. A person with excessive In-seong is as stubborn as a mule, so they aren't easily swayed by those around them. That’s the silver lining."

  The man replied, following Grandpa’s lead.

  "I truly only like that one woman. But she has absolutely no interest in me."

  Grandpa showed interest. "How do you know she’s not interested?"

  "She won't even accept my greetings. Lately, she seems annoyed just looking at my face. Whenever I enter the office where her department is, she just gets up and leaves."

  I stole a glance at Grandpa’s face. He wore an expression that suggested something was slightly off.

  "Have you actually told her you like her?"

  When Grandpa asked this, the man answered as if it were obvious.

  "I did. Of course I did."

  Grandpa fell into deep thought again.

  I found it hard to believe that this man had actually confessed. Usually, men with that kind of chart are so frustrating that the woman has to confess first.

  Grandpa asked, "What exactly did you say? For the confession."

  "I said, 'Let’s grab a cup of tea after work.'"

  "And then what happened?"

  "Since she hesitated, the people next to her and behind her said, 'Forget tea, buy us drinks!'"

  "And?" Grandpa’s eyes widened into circles.

  "I took the whole department out for drinks."

  At his answer, Grandpa groaned.

  "Good grief. That wasn't a confession."

  "What??"

  "That wasn't a confession! You just rang the 'Golden Bell' for another department’s dinner. And I bet you spent the whole night drinking with the other ladies there, right?"

  "Yes... only the woman I liked went home early, saying there was an emergency at her house."

  "And you didn't stop her?"

  "There was an emergency at her house. How could I stop her?"

  Hearing this, Grandpa let out a massive sigh.

  "People with excessive In-seong receive a lot of help from those around them."

  "Isn't that a good thing?"

  "If you look at it positively, you have many supporters so you can work comfortably. But if you look at it negatively, you have too many nags. Too many helpers is a burden. In fact, it’s a disadvantage."

  "Pardon?"

  "In the Five Elements, Earth produces Metal (To-Saeng-Geum). So you’d think a lot of Earth would make the Metal stronger, right? It does make it stronger. But when there is too much, we call it this."

  "Call it what?"

  "To-Da-Geum-Mae. It means the Earth is so abundant that the Metal is buried underneath it."

  "Then what happens?"

  To this man who didn't even know the basics of the Five Elements, I spoke up as if he were pathetic.

  "If Metal is buried in the dirt, people won't even look at it. Metal is supposed to shine, but in the dirt, it just rots away."

  "You brat! I told you not to interrupt!"

  Grandpa yelled at me for being rude to the guest. But while Grandpa was scolding me, the man was lost in thought. Finally, he spoke.

  "From my mother to my colleagues, I do have many people who nag me. There are many things I don't even have to do myself, and my work has always gone so smoothly that I haven't really faced any hardships in my life."

  It seemed he was reflecting on his life through Grandpa’s words. Then he added:

  "But I don't think I've ever truly shone as my own person."

  Grandpa stopped scolding me and resumed his explanation.

  "That’s what’s affecting your dating life right now. Because you’ve lived that way, you are incredibly indecisive. I don't know the lady's Saju, but I suspect her chart is one that absolutely loathes indecisiveness."

  The man empathized deeply and pleaded for help.

  "What should I do?"

  "Exactly three times!"

  "Pardon?"

  "Just three times, close your eyes and say what you need to say, no matter what your colleagues are blathering about."

  "In what way?"

  "Tell her, 'I sincerely like you. Let's have a cup of tea and talk.' Like that. Do I really have to teach you this?"

  "Uh... but with the others there... it’s embarrassing..."

  As he said this, Grandpa spoke with great frustration.

  "Stop talking about the others... just look at the lady and speak, no matter what nonsense they're shouting next to you."

  The man looked troubled after hearing Grandpa’s advice.

  "Given your track record, it definitely won't work on the first try."

  Even after all this advice, the man hesitated again, looking embarrassed. Truly, are all men with this kind of Saju this indecisive?

  "But still, in front of my colleagues..."

  "Then give up on her."

  When Grandpa spoke so sternly, the man looked shocked.

  "If you can't even endure being embarrassed three times to date the woman you love, you're a thief. I don't read the Saju of thieves, rapists, or murderers."

  The man still wavered. Grandpa spoke in an extremely annoyed tone.

  "Just leave. I have nothing more to say to you."

  Watching the man leave the Saju Philosophy Studio dejectedly, I asked Grandpa.

  "Do you think it'll work, Grandpa?"

  "No. Not a chance!"

  "Then why did you tell him to do it?"

  "If he crashes into it three times, maybe he'll realize something. What's the point of giving him the answer if he doesn't understand? If he doesn't break out of it this time, he’ll never get married."

  "Does the lady dislike him?"

  When I asked this, Grandpa looked at me as if I were pathetic.

  "You idiot. You're just as frustrating. If a woman hates a man, she won't even look at him. If she’s openly showing she's angry, it means she has some feelings left. If she truly didn't care, she would just ignore him."

  "Then it might turn out well, I guess."

  "It might not. There are too many meddlers around him."

  "Then he should just tell her he likes her when the meddlers aren't there."

  When I said that, Grandpa stared at my face for a long time.

  "You really are smart. That’s right. That’s exactly what he should do."

  "Why are you calling me smart for something like that?"

  "So, you make sure to tell the girl you like that you like her right away. Don't drag it out or worry about the situation around you, okay? Remember that."

  Come to think of it, there was a reason Grandpa explained this to me so specifically.

  I was a person with a Saju with excessive In-seong, too.