KTC | Chapter 11

“Want some coffee?”

Choi Seonwoo asked, feeling awkward just sitting there silently across from each other, but the response came flying from the kitchen.

“No snacks or drinks before meals!”

Choi Seonwoo blinked in surprise and turned to look at Seo Jihan, who gave a faint smile. His eyes were beautiful, but his cheeks were hollow like a skull, which didn’t make for a pleasant sight.

“Auntie is really strict about three meals a day. She has a strong philosophy about meals, and even Grandpa can’t win against her.”

That meant he just had to adapt.

Choi Seonwoo nodded and sat down on the sofa, and Angela quickly jumped up to claim her spot on his lap. Seo Jihan naturally ended up sitting on the two-seater sofa.

The living room of the priory residence was cozy. One two-seater and one single-seater sofa, along with a tea table, filled half the space. There was a wall-mounted TV, and below it, an open, low cabinet.

“Let me explain how life works here at the priory residence.”

Choi Seonwoo started the conversation again.

“There’s no early morning mass at Shindo Catholic Church, so wake-up time is 6:30 AM. Breakfast is at 7, so please be up before then.”

Despite having housekeepers paid by Chairman Seo, Choi Seonwoo felt it unreasonable to demand meals twice a day, so he just briefly shared his daily routine and meal times.

“There’s not much here in terms of friends your age or places to hang out. Are you okay with that?”

It was only after Choi Seonwoo posed the question that Seo Jihan opened his tightly shut mouth.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

He had never really made true friends anyway due to his chronic distrust of people, and he was used to being alone.

As they were discussing how to manage the future, lunch was prepared. Answering the call to the kitchen, they found a feast waiting.

The main dishes were plump braised mackerel, steamed crab, oyster pancakes, oyster rice, and soybean paste stew. The kimchi and side dishes provided by parishioners were beautifully arranged in bowls.

“I’ll eat well, Auntie,” Choi Seonwoo said, surprised, while Seo Jihan responded calmly.

“Okay. Jihan, remember to chew well and eat everything, okay?”

“Yes.”

The meal and the pear smoothie that followed for dessert were excellent. Choi Seonwoo lavished praise on the cooking, expressing his gratitude and making Lee Jeongae quite proud.

“Now, Brother, shall we go for a walk to digest and familiarize ourselves with the island?”

After brushing his teeth, Seo Jihan came out to Choi Seonwoo smiling and suggesting a walk. Seo Jihan looked deeply into the priest’s crescent-moon-shaped eyes and nodded. He wasn’t particularly interested in learning the island’s geography but felt it necessary to observe Choi Seonwoo further.

“Oh, right.”

As soon as they stepped out into the churchyard and saw the security guards, Choi Seonwoo exclaimed as if he had forgotten something.

“I usually ride a bicycle around. Walking might be too much for you, Brother. What should we do?”

“Can’t we just drive?”

It wasn’t that they couldn’t, but driving the luxurious sedans that Seo Jihan’s group had brought would certainly attract a lot of attention in this small island village.

“Ah, let’s just go!”

Scratching the back of his head briefly, Choi Seonwoo resigned himself to whatever might happen and climbed into the car.

After all, on an island so small everyone knew even how many spoons were in each house, what was there to hide?

Thus, Choi Seonwoo ended up going around like any other chairman, escorted and evangelizing.

“Hey, Father Choi!”

The first place they went to was, of course, the village chief’s fish farm. The smile on his face indicated he was happy to see a group arrive.

“Here to help out?”

“Here to preach, actually.”

“Ah, I don’t believe in that stuff!”

Even as they exchanged these brief words, the village chief’s eyes kept darting behind Choi Seonwoo. Clearly, Park Younghee had spread the word around the village in no time. Naturally, Choi Seonwoo pulled Seo Jihan closer by the elbow.

“This is Brother Seo Jihan.”

Seo Jihan bowed politely, though he couldn’t fathom why he had to greet a stranger. The village chief’s curious eyes scrutinized his face.

“Wow, they said you came here to convalesce, but you really do look like you’d fall over if I touched you.”

“Yes, so don’t even think about making me work.”

“Hey, Father Choi! People will think I make everyone work!”

“What am I then?”

“Father Choi isn’t just anyone. You’re our island’s mascot.”

“Mascot? I haven’t even been here a year.”

While they bantered, Seo Jihan felt like an out-of-place sack of barley. The pattern continued elsewhere. Choi Seonwoo seemed to know everyone and was friendly with all.

“You little brat! Didn’t I tell you I’d kill you if you gambled again!”

“Ah, it was just 5,000 won lost, what’s the big deal!”

“Dig the earth, will 5,000 won come out?”

They were passing by a few pensions scattered along the coast when an elderly mother and son argued in the yard. Watching them, Choi Seonwoo forgot his priestly duties and even gave some odd advice on how to hit properly.

“Mrs. Kim, hitting like that won’t kill him. You need to strike the vital points.”

“Father! Is that something you should be saying?”

The son yelled out loud, and his mother smacked him hard on the back.

“Shut it! Go clean the rooms now!”

“Ah, jeez. Always working me without pay over a few thousand won! Ugh!”

After chasing her son off with a few more smacks, the mother hurried over and firmly grasped Choi Seonwoo’s hand.

“Oh, Father Choi, I’m embarrassed to live here because of that boy. If he went to church, do you think he’d repent?”

“Prayer alone won’t change habits unless he decides to change. I’m sorry you have to endure so much, ma’am.”

Choi Seonwoo’s approach to evangelizing was unique. Or, as Seo Jihan saw it, it hardly seemed like evangelizing at all. He didn’t push anyone to come to church, just built camaraderie.

‘Jesus to heaven, non-believers to hell!’

Wasn’t that the typical Christian approach, yelling and disturbing the peace?

As Seo Jihan’s fixed misconceptions began to shake, Choi Seonwoo’s strange preaching tour came to an end.

As soon as they got into the car, Seo Jihan let out a light sigh. Choi Seonwoo asked him,

“Is even this much walking still too much for you?”

Seo Jihan was momentarily speechless, realizing belatedly that the tour had ended because of his condition.

“I’m fine.”

His voice came out stiff, pride wounded. Choi Seonwoo hummed and smiled enigmatically.

“I’m not that frail. I’m getting better day by day.”

“Got it. I brought you out partly for exercise, but if you don’t feel up to it, staying in the church is fine too.”

“I’m really fine. I can come out every day.”

Only after his stubborn retort did Seo Jihan realize he had played into Choi Seonwoo’s hands. Was he inadvertently being made to look like a devout follower?

…Have I fallen into this priest’s trap?

Unsure whether it was intentional or not, Seo Jihan found himself staring at Choi Seonwoo again, who just smiled gently.

“What about school? Did you drop out?”

“I dropped out a while ago and passed the GED. I was thinking of taking the college entrance exam once I got healthier, but now I’m not so sure. Since I don’t have to worry about making a living, maybe I’ll just hang around following you like a freeloader.”

Listening to his almost enlightened response, Choi Seonwoo thought,

He’s taking it too easy thinking he’ll stick with me for life.

“If you decide to go to college, consider Europe or the USA. They have more exorcist priests than here, so it wouldn’t be hard to get help when needed.”

“Planning to get rid of me on the first day we meet again, huh?”

Seo Jihan’s calm retort made Choi Seonwoo chuckle and hold back further comment. His future was important, but so was his own comfort.

Seo Jihan continued,

“Are the exorcist priests in the USA and Europe as capable as you?”

“…Well, I can’t really say for sure.”

“They probably aren’t. Then, before you think about offloading me, how about you take good care of me?”

Choi Seonwoo grinned awkwardly at the bold response. They looked at each other silently until Seo Jihan suddenly sparked up with a serious look in his eyes.

“By the way, Father, were you born with it?”

“Huh? Born with what?”

“When you were about to perform the exorcism, you asked for my name while looking into my eyes.”

“I did. Why?”

“I used to do that a lot. When you look into someone’s eyes like that, you see their true essence. No matter how much they embellish their exterior, you can’t hide the core. Plus, you can sort of tell what kind of life they’ve lived. You were looking into my soul, weren’t you?”

“Well… yeah.”

“Did you see clearly?”

“That’s why I was able to chase it away, right?”