KTC | Chapter 9

“Father Choi, with your temperament, if you actually had to serve in a place like Myeongdong Cathedral, you’d probably beg to be sent somewhere with nice water and air, wouldn’t you? I can totally see it.”

“I can’t argue with that. Guess I should go out preaching.”

“What about lunch?”

“I’ll just grab something wherever, and I’ll be back before 4 PM.”

The mass schedule at Shindo Catholic Church is straightforward. There’s a mass at 10 AM on Wednesdays, 8 PM on other weekdays, and 11 AM on Sundays. Additionally, there is a weekly mass at the chapels on Sido and Jangbongdo, which do not have a resident priest.

“Father! Sister!”

As soon as they stepped out of the meeting room, an urgent voice called out. Turning around, they saw a man in his fifties wearing a beret, his face pale as he rushed towards them. It was Kim Sucheol, the church secretary of Shindo Catholic Church.

“What’s up? What happened?”

Startled, they asked, and Kim Sucheol immediately held out his smartphone. Displayed on the screen was the church’s bank account. Father Choi Seonwoo, clueless, was about to ask what it was about when Kim burst out,

“The donations! The donations have…!”

“Yes? The donations?”

“They’ve come in… huge amounts…!”

“Huh?”

Father Choi Seonwoo bent his head to look at the transaction record, taken aback. Just about five minutes earlier, a huge deposit had been made.

“Daeseo Financial Loans | Deposit 100,000,000”

Now it made sense why Kim Sucheol had run over so frantically. It was a whopping 100 million won.

Stunned by the unreal amount, Father Choi muttered,

“Could our church account be involved in voice phishing?”

“Father, what kind of clueless scammer would mix up bank account numbers?”

Sister Catherine Jung Yoonyoung responded calmly, her voice slightly trembling – understandably so, as the total monthly donations from parishioners barely exceeded 1.5 million won.

It was sad, but true – even paying the salaries for one priest and one nun could put the church in the red, although it wasn’t at risk of disappearing thanks to the diocesan support.

“But I did feel a bit uneasy, wondering who would send such an amount,” Kim Sucheol continued.

“It does list as a company dealing with corporate finances… Certainly doesn’t seem like a company that would donate to a church. And since the company is based in Myeongdong, it’s unlikely to be one of our parishioners.”

With that, Father Choi suddenly remembered something he had momentarily forgotten – Chairman Seo had mentioned he controlled the private loan markets in Myeongdong and was now a ‘big player’ in legal financial businesses, though he hadn’t asked for the company’s name.

His phone, tucked in his pocket, vibrated then. Nam Sangkyung’s name appeared on the screen. As expected, he thought, and answered the call.

[Hello, Father Choi Seonwoo]

“Yes, Director Nam. The donation, it’s from Chairman Seo, isn’t it?”

[Correct]

Father Choi glanced at Kim Sucheol and Sister Catherine, nodding. Kim looked as if he had won the lottery, while Sister Catherine smiled subtly.

Discussing where to use the donation, they were excitedly brainstorming ideas, leaving Father Choi to walk towards the rectory. Angela, his black cat, her tail upright, followed closely by his side.

“We’ll accept it since it’s for the church, but it’s a really large amount.”

[It’s not too much at all]

“…Well, it is to me.”

Who are you to tell me what feels like too much? What a strange man.

[Chairman Seo has decided to donate to the Shindo Catholic Church monthly. If you have any large charitable projects in mind, he’s willing to sponsor those as well. So, please don’t feel uncomfortable and use it freely]

“Alright, well, we’ll gratefully use it for good.”

[And please take good care of Young Master Jihan]

That’s the real goal, isn’t it?

Since I’ve agreed to take him in, there’s no need to twist it.

“Is he coming today?”

[Yes. He’s been able to digest regular food and is fully lucid now. The boat leaves at 1 PM. He should arrive by 2 PM at the latest, along with his caretakers, maids, and bodyguards]

“Alright.”

[The maids will help out at both the rectory and the convent, and there’s no need for the church to pay them; Chairman Seo will cover their salaries]

“Yes, yes.”

[I’ll call you again around dinner time]

After ending the call, Father Choi climbed onto his bicycle parked in the corner of the parking lot. Using his knees and thighs as a platform, Angela hopped up and settled into the wicker basket attached to the handle.

“Let’s go, Angela.”

Meow, Angela responded briefly. Father Choi pedaled away with vigor.

His light brown hair fluttered in the wind.

Father Choi continued his usual routine of cycling around the island. The wind was pleasantly cool. The fierce summer heat was finally receding, and despite it being just before harvest time, there were many people out in the fields.

Usually, he would stop and help out with odd jobs and chat for a while, but today he just exchanged quick greetings and moved on. He even skipped the village chief’s fish farm today.

His next stop was the ‘Park Younghee Real Estate Agency,’ right near the pier, where he had a mission to complete before Seo Jihan’s arrival.

Park Younghee, next in influence only to the village chief on Shindo, had been a native of the island. She was a brilliant student from childhood and eventually made it to a prestigious university in Seoul, where she was celebrated all year long with banners.

After graduating, she worked in a real estate agency, met her current husband, and after sending both her daughters to Ivy League schools in the U.S., she had returned to her hometown for a peaceful retirement. She and her husband, who ran a certified real estate agency on Yeongjong Island, were known as the ‘smart couple, the Parks.’

Almost everyone on Shindo liked her, including Father Choi. Her perpetually lively and youthful demeanor made conversations with her uplifting. Her husband was sensible and intellectual, and her daughters, who had visited Shindo two months ago, were equally pleasant.

For these reasons, Park Younghee’s office was a frequent stop for Father Choi, second only to the village chief’s fish farm. Being non-religious, she didn’t often set foot in church, but her presence there would likely draw many others due to her influence. She quite fancied the handsome young priest, an uncommon sight on the island.

After some casual chat, Father Choi and Park had bread for lunch and coffee for dessert, during which he broached the topic of Seo Jihan’s relocation.

“Oh, the young master from the house that bought up all the nearby homes is moving in today?”

The island, always buzzing with interest whenever an outsider arrived, was bound to churn out a lot of gossip about Seo Jihan’s entourage, including some unnecessary rumors.

Father Choi intended to preemptively clear up the villagers’ curiosity. While he couldn’t tell them everything, he thought it best to share some harmless truths.

“The family is quite wealthy. The boy has been sick since he was young, and his grandfather doted on him. They think being near the church, with its good air and energy, might help him feel better.”

“Oh, he’s coming because he’s sick? How old is he?”

“He’s turning eighteen soon.”

“My, my, how did it come to this… If he’s recovering at this age, he must not have graduated high school yet?”

“That seems likely.”

If nothing unusual had happened, he would be a senior in high school by now.

“Even with all that money, it’s all for naught if you ruin your health. But his grandfather made a wise decision. There’s really nothing good about Seoul, except it has a lot of jobs for young people. Everywhere you look, it’s just buildings crammed together, suffocating. That’s why I came back home, too.”

Park Younghee shook her head sympathetically before continuing with her questions.

“But if the boy is going to live in the rectory, why did they buy all that land and houses?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I think they’re for the bodyguards. They said they’re putting up a villa on a decent plot not too far from the church.”

Chairman Seo had intended to tear everything down and build a fortress-like house, but Father Choi had advised against it. If he were reassigned to another parish, the house would become a liability.

“Do they have bodyguards?”

While it sounded like bodyguards, they might as well be gangsters guarding some problematic guy at the rectory.

“Yes. Given the boy’s frail health, they’re probably not comfortable sending him alone.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to see him. Sounds like something out of a drama, a second-generation chaebol!”

One moment she’s grimacing in sympathy, the next she’s daydreaming about a prince on a white horse. It was understandable in a peaceful, uneventful island village like this.