14.2

At the door, she looked up at the sky, which was as blue as in autumn, filled with sunlight. It was a clear day. However, she knew it could rain anytime, anywhere.

But she didn’t bother to bring an umbrella. From her time as an exchange student, she had learned that Londoners seldom use umbrellas for light rain.

Over time, Chaeyoon understood why. The rain wasn’t heavy enough and the wind often made carrying an umbrella more cumbersome than helpful; wearing a hat was usually sufficient.

When she arrived in central London, her first stop was Bond Street. It’s one of the places that jewelry designers should bookmark and visit.

She strolled slowly, admiring the luxury stores that were neatly displayed and tailored to her taste. However, her real target was the antique jewelry shops on the same street.

Most jewelry stores display each piece in a showcase spaciously to highlight individual items. However, antique jewelry shops often pack their items densely without any specific concept.

Among the various displayed antique jewels, one piece caught Chaeyoon’s eye. It was a ring with a three-leaf clover design made of yellow gold.

“What stone is that? It’s chartreuse.”

Chaeyoon tilted her head curiously.

Chaeyoon had, like many people, associated red with rubies, green with emeralds, and blue with sapphires before studying gemstones. However, those are just the typical colors, and a variety of other colors exist.

“Could it be peridot?” 

She wondered, thinking of the most characteristic lime green gemstone. But peridot is relatively soft, prone to breaking even with minor impacts, making it difficult to preserve.

Moreover, a three-leaf clover design was uncommon. It wasn’t unheard of, but generally, the four-leaf clover, symbolizing ‘luck’, was more prevalent.

Chaeyoon, who had planned to watch from outside, couldn’t resist her curiosity and went inside the store. The manager was an older gentleman with graying hair and an air of dignity.

[Welcome.]

[May I see the three-leaf clover ring displayed there?]

[Of course.]

The manager carefully took out the case containing the ring and showed it to Chaeyoon.

[You may try it on if you like.]

The manager smiled kindly and spoke before Chaeyoon could ask.

[Thank you.]

The ring was extremely small. Chaeyoon had slender fingers, yet it barely fit her.

[It must be a pinky ring.]

[That’s correct. It was specially made for a lady with slender fingers like yours and was handed down to her child.]

[I see.]

Chaeyoon nodded.

There’s a saying that if a ring fits a man’s pinky that fits a woman’s ring finger, they are soulmates. The fact that a ring worn on a mother’s pinky was handed down to a child conveyed a deep sense of family love.

[This gemstone is peridot, isn’t it?]

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed peridot, just as she had thought.

[Yes, it is.]

[It seems to have been well-preserved, given that it’s peridot.]

[You seem to know a lot about gemstones. The original stone was damaged, so we replaced it with a new peridot. The warranty shows the year it was put in.]

The manager replied with a smile.

[I see. But why three leaves instead of four? Is there a reason for that?]

Chaeyoon inquired, knowing that in the past when gemstones were rare and craftsmanship was less developed, all jewelry was custom-made and often held personal stories, which is what she found most captivating about antique jewelry.

[There is. Would you like to hear it?]

[Yes, please.]

Chaeyoon said, her interest clearly piqued, and looked at the manager.

[Do you know the symbolic meaning of a four-leaf clover?]

[It means ‘luck,’ right?]

Chaeyoon felt a little nervous as she answered, wondering if the symbolism might be different in the UK.

[That’s correct. And do you know the meaning of a three-leaf clover?]

Chaeyoon shook her head.

[Is there a meaning for the three-leaf clover as well?]

[Of course. It stands for ‘happiness.’]

[Happiness? That seems an even nicer meaning.]

Chaeyoon remarked, blinking as she glanced again at the pinky ring she wore.

[Yes. When Napoleon popularized the mutant four-leaf clover as a symbol of luck, people began to trample the common three-leaf clovers in their quest for four-leaf ones. The maker of this ring wanted people to remember the happiness that surrounds them, rather than the rare luck that happens only occasionally.]

The happiness that people often overlook in their pursuit of rare moments of fortune, much like the ubiquitous three-leaf clovers that are everywhere if only one chooses to recognize them.

[That’s wonderful. I can see why a mother would pass this ring down to her child.]

Inspired by this new insight, Chaeyoon felt a deep respect. An idea suddenly sparked about the significance of a mother passing down a pinky ring to her child.

[There’s also a story about pinky rings. According to legend, the left pinky finger symbolizes ‘opportunity’ or ‘secrets’. It’s said that opportunities and luck descend from the heavens and enter through the right pinky finger and leave through the left. By wearing a ring on the left pinky, it’s believed to block that luck from escaping. Believe it or not, but it’s an interesting tale.]

The manager said with a playful tone at the end.

[Even if it’s a made-up story, it sounds quite plausible.]

Chaeyoon remarked. She thought to herself that if she ever sold pinky rings, she would definitely share this story with her customers.

[You are the first person this ring has fit. Many people have wanted to buy it, but it didn’t fit their fingers.]

[Listening to you say that, it feels like I really must buy it now.]

[The items here each have their own unique story and have been with us for a long time. Maybe that’s why it often feels not like people choose the jewelry, but rather the jewelry chooses the person.] 

The manager mused.

Hearing this made Chaeyoon feel even more like the ring was meant for her, regardless of whether his words were just a sales tactic and she didn’t want to take them off anymore.

[Because we’ve fitted it with a new peridot, it’s priced quite reasonably.] 

[How much is it?] 

Chaeyoon smiled and asked the price.

Although it was relatively cheap compared to other antique jewelry, it was still quite a lot of money for an international student.

Nevertheless, feeling strongly that the ring had chosen her, she decided to make the purchase.

When she walked out of the store, the wind was blowing with a lot of enthusiasm, a stark contrast to the earlier weather. Unnoticed by her while she was inside, the clear blue sky was now gone, replaced by thick, gray clouds that blanketed the sky, signaling impending rain.

The temperature had dropped sharply, prompting Chaeyoon to zip her long puffer jacket all the way up to her neck and put on a fur-trimmed hat to block the biting wind.

Thank you, Seonho. You’ll be blessed.

Every time Chaeyoon felt grateful for her long padding, an automatic thank you would escape her lips. It had been given to her for free, so she sent blessings his way as a form of repayment. Surely, Seonho would receive much fortune because of this. 

If he prospered, she would attribute it all to her diligent blessings for him. Whether he knew of her contributions, of course, was another matter.

With these whimsical thoughts, she headed to her favorite chocolate café from the past. She had worried it might have closed down, but fortunately, it was still there, barely changed, making it feel as if she had just visited the day before.

The prices were steep, but today she decided to splurge. It was a day for self-encouragement, after all.

She ordered hot chocolate and chocolate-covered strawberries and took a seat by the window. As usual, she took photos of the menu and the charming interior with her camera, and then Chaeyoon picked up a spoon.

The hot chocolate here was thick like cream and had to be eaten with a spoon. As she scooped up the chocolate and put it in her mouth, a warm sweetness flowed through her tongue, wrapping her in a blissful sensation.

The chocolate-covered strawberries were so fresh that they were worth the price. Of course, she couldn’t eat them every day. Besides the cost, she couldn’t avoid the calorie bomb.

Drip, drip. Raindrops hit the windowpane. They weren’t big and seemed likely to stop soon. However, it was getting dark, and it seemed like the sun was setting. In winter, London gets dark by 4 pm.

Chaeyoon checked the time. She had plans to meet a newly made friend at a pub at 5 pm. If she stayed in the cafe until then, the rain might stop.

After posting one of the photos she had just taken on social media, Chaeyoon took out her sketching tools from her backpack.

She looked at the ring on her left pinky finger, fondling it as she pondered the story behind the ring.

Then, she remembered her plan to travel around every corner of Britain and then to neighboring European countries whenever she had time, to sketch and gather ideas.

The three-leaf clover on her pinky finger gave her a hopeful feeling that it would lead her to happiness.

The thoughts about a ring passed down from a mother to her child, not about luck but happiness, formed images in her mind, and Chaeyoon began to sketch vigorously.