KTC | Chapter 26

With a gruff voice and scratching his graying hair, the village chief abruptly grabbed Choi Seonwoo’s arm.

“Stop the chit-chat and come with me.”

“Eh? Where are we going?”

“Ah, come on! When an elder tells you to go, you go!”

“But I’m an adult too.”

“Oh, come on! If I had married early, I’d have a grandson your age!”

Though puzzled, Choi Seonwoo obediently allowed himself to be led away by the chief. The destination turned out to be the communal dining hall used for parishioners’ meals.

The chief pushed the door open with his rugged hand, and the people inside burst out in unison, setting off firecrackers.

“Happy early birthday, Father Choi!”

Sister Jeong Yoon-young led the cheer, and the room erupted with shouts and cheers as colorful confetti flew towards Choi Seonwoo.

Birthday?

Seo Jihan, who had followed Choi Seonwoo, was taken aback and stared at the back of Choi Seonwoo’s head. Choi Seonwoo stood frozen, as if he were a statue.

Behind the joyfully popping firecrackers, people hustled at the counters, including Lee Jeongae, who had been clued in early and had joined the preparations.

Several large tables had been set up in the center of the dining hall, loaded with deliciously prepared dishes. The festive atmosphere was akin to a real holiday gathering.

Sister Jeong Yoon-young approached with a radiant face, carrying a cake with ‘2’ and ‘6’ candles on it.

“The villagers wanted to throw a birthday party for Father Choi, so I joined in. Blow out the candles first!”

After standing frozen for a while, Choi Seonwoo finally smiled warmly and blew out the candles on the cake.

“Our priest would be all alone during the holidays without festive food, so we all brought something to celebrate your birthday.”

“Everyone woke up early to prepare the food. Birthday meals, Chuseok meals, we really went all out.”

“All the shops are closed today just for this.”

Only after being seated did Choi Seonwoo come to his senses.

“Ah, you didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

“Don’t say that. Given all that Father Choi does for us, it’s the least we can do.”

“That’s right. Father Choi has no family or home in Korea.”

“Eat up, eat a lot, eat everything.”

Although parishioners had brought holiday dishes to the church before, they had never laid out such a grand spread. And certainly, it wasn’t as bustling with non-churchgoers as it was now.

“Thank you, elders. I’ll eat well.”

Choi Seonwoo expressed his gratitude with a stiff smile and beckoned Seo Jihan, who was standing by the doorway.

However, after surveying the noisy room, Seo Jihan grimaced and shook his head, stepping outside. He knew himself well enough to understand that he wasn’t the kind to mingle happily in such a crowded setting.

Lee Jeongae followed him out.

“You should join in on days like this. It’s the priest’s birthday.”

Seo Jihan shook his head dismissively.

“It’s better I stay out than ruin the mood with my temper.”

“Well, if you insist. But make sure to wish the priest a happy birthday later.”

“Birthday isn’t that big a deal.”

Seo Jihan noticed that even Choi Seonwoo didn’t seem too excited about the fuss.

“To those people gathered there, it’s a big deal. They’re showing their gratitude for Father Choi’s birth by preparing such a feast. Thanks to Father Choi being born on this day 26 years ago, you’re here recovering your health.”

That was true. If Choi Seonwoo hadn’t been born, what would have become of him? Dead? Or still wandering in hell?

With that thought, Seo Jihan felt the day take on a special significance.

“I didn’t know there was a party today, but I’ve got some ingredients ready, so I’ll whip up something quick.”

Lee Jeongae said as they entered the rectory.

Seo Jihan nodded absentmindedly and sat down on the living room sofa, dialing Chairman Seo for a video call. The chairman enjoyed seeing Seo Jihan’s increasingly healthy face daily.

“Father Choi’s birthday? Today?”

As usual, Chairman Seo widened his eyes behind his magnifying glasses.

“Not today, but soon. It’s almost Chuseok, so they’re celebrating early. He’s getting quite the royal treatment from the islanders.”

“Hmm. Had I known earlier, I would have sent a gift.”

Resting his elbow casually on the sofa arm, Seo Jihan responded indifferently.

“It’s not too late. You could still send something.”

“Now?”

“Come on, it’s not like we’re on Jeju Island. It’s just an attached island off Incheon, so distance is hardly an excuse.”

Although Chairman Seo shot him a look that clearly asked why he was doing something so uncharacteristic, he nodded. Truth be told, he would have given Choi Seonwoo a building if asked.

“Alright. I’ll have my assistant arrange something.”

“Something nice, you know, something small and sparkly.”

“What? Sending such a thing to a man… Alright, I’ll see what I can do.”

After hanging up, Seo Jihan thought to himself that leaving it all to his grandfather seemed a bit off, considering he was effectively living thanks to Choi Seonwoo.

After lunch, he decided to look around the island for a potential gift, only to be struck by how ludicrously devoid it was of even a simple flower shop or toy store. Even near the long-closed elementary school, not even a toy shop was in sight.

Frustrated, Seo Jihan suddenly wanted to see the sea. Understanding why heartbroken people sought seaside retreats, he hoped the open space and breeze would help alleviate this bizarre sense of loss.

The beach was just as devoid of anything useful. Only sparse lodgings disguised as pensions and stores selling groceries or fishing gear were visible.

Would Father Choi like fishing?

Resigned, Seo Jihan entered a fishing gear store to browse when a call from Nam Sang-kyung came in. Efficiently, he had arranged for a 1.5-carat diamond-studded cross necklace to be sent over and was on his way to the Sammok dock.

While Seo Jihan fumbled in the island’s backwater, Nam Sang-kyung had efficiently completed the gift project for Choi Seonwoo.

After hanging up, Seo Jihan stared at the fishing rods, wondering if embedding them with diamonds would make them suitable gifts, only to feel profound self-disgust and left the store.

Debating whether to return to the church, Seo Jihan decided instead to enter a small café near the dock. It seemed right that he personally receive and deliver the gift he had commissioned.

As he sipped on a richly sweet coffee and fiddled with his phone, Seo Jihan opened his calendar and entered ‘Hyung’s birthday’ on September 29th. After all, for him, Choi Seonwoo was both a priest and a brother. He set a reminder for a week in advance each year.

Feeling finally at peace, Seo Jihan was just about to finish entering the data when Choi Seonwoo called.

“Hello, Father.”

[Brother? Where did you go?]

“I’m at the dock waiting for Mr. Nam; he’s bringing something.”

[Don’t wander around too long alone. You’ve only recently been exorcised, and other spirits could easily attach to you. Don’t forget that]

“Understood.”

Hanging up, Seo Jihan sighed involuntarily, moved by the thought of how Choi Seonwoo had consistently commemorated his mother’s memorial on his own birthday each year.