The Thread Never Burned

Jo Jiwon is just trying to make it through college—though his side hustle pretending to be a shaman definitely isn’t part of the student handbook. With smooth talk and a flair for dramatic guesses, he earns a surprising following. But when rumors of his “spiritual powers” reach Jeong Tae-oh, a fearsome gang leader with a firm belief in the supernatural, Jiwon’s little scam spirals out of control. Tae-oh doesn’t want guidance—he demands it. Cornered by someone he absolutely cannot con, Jiwon tries to flee… and fails spectacularly. He wakes up in a dingy motel, caught between fear and fast thinking. In a panic, he blurts out the most ridiculous lie he can come up with: “You need me as a talisman! If we don’t stay… close, you’ll be cursed!” He expects rejection—or worse. Instead, Tae-oh raises an eyebrow and calmly replies, “You should’ve told me sooner. Once won’t be enough then, will it?” Now stuck in a charade that’s quickly spiraling out of his control, Jiwon has to figure out what’s real, what’s pretend… and why his heart won’t stop racing whenever Tae-oh is near.