The Village Festival's Hidden Secret (14)
Mom came straight out of the bathroom, hands still damp, and started preparing dinner. I could have taken my time washing up and changing into something comfortable… But there she was, throwing on an apron over her outdoor clothes in a rush, transferring the braised ribs into a pot to reheat. The sight of it made my chest tighten with emotion. It was so clear how much she loved her son.
Since I’d come home later than usual, she must have worried the whole way back that her boy would be hungry waiting alone. I was grateful. Mom had always been the same—utterly devoted to her only son, yesterday and today both.
From experience, I knew saying anything right now would be pointless, so I quietly took some side dishes out of the fridge, set the table, and sat down. I watched her from behind as she stood there with a plastic glove on one hand, mixing seasoned cucumbers. It was a warm, peaceful scene.
As I sat there feeling content, she suddenly exclaimed,
She’d tasted the cucumber salad, let out a pleased little gasp, then picked up a well-seasoned piece and brought it over to me. Even though I hadn’t eaten it yet, the proud look on her face made me smile before I could stop myself.
I took the cucumber salad she offered, crunched down on it, and gave her a thumbs-up.
Honestly, I would have reacted the same no matter what it was. Everything Mom made was good. She laughed brightly at my response and returned to the kitchen while I kept watching her back.
Maybe it was because we’d lost Dad and my father so early and had relied on each other for so many years. Whatever the reason, our mother-son bond was unusually close. Even strangers could see how much we cherished and loved each other. That warm, affectionate relationship between us hadn’t changed at all since the festival.
The only thing that had changed was that any mention of the “festival” between us had become strictly taboo.
I’d hoped the strange, invisible wall that sometimes appeared between Mom and me would disappear after that day, but it hadn’t. I simply stopped showing any reaction. And Mom, who used to want to know everything about her son, did the same.
That unspoken agreement to avoid the topic had created this taboo between us. But it wasn’t avoidance out of disgust—it was respect and consideration.
I understood it now. The wall I sometimes felt from Mom, that inexplicable awkwardness and distance, wasn’t really a wall. It was a line. A line that even family should never cross. A boundary that, precisely because we were family, had to be protected even more carefully.
I couldn’t know for sure. Did Mom participate in the festival just to enjoy time with close acquaintances? Or did she like the drinking? Or maybe… just like what I had seen and experienced there…
My chest tightened painfully. I stopped thinking any deeper.
Just as a mother might guess her son masturbates but never tries to confirm it, the same logic applied in reverse. Just as Mom didn’t want to know the man beneath her son, I shouldn’t try to know the woman beneath my mother. Because we were family.
Yes. Because we were family…
The fact that our mother-son relationship remained unchanged was enough.
…Anyway. Yeah. That was enough.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye.
And so the last Saturday of the month arrived—the day of the festival.
I spent the whole day in a state of nervous excitement and anticipation. Even while playing games, I felt like time was crawling at an agonizingly slow pace.
Another loss. I tried to blame the team, but the truth was I didn’t have much passion for it. I was just forcing myself to kill time. Maybe that’s why, unlike usual, I wasn’t enjoying it at all. It actually felt boring.
When I checked the clock, it was already ten at night.
The reason I was forcing myself to play a game I wasn’t even enjoying was simple. Tonight, I planned to head over a little later than last time.
The festival officially started at eight. I figured the peak crowd was probably around ten, like when I went before. The place had been packed—so packed I wondered if our little village even had that many people. It had genuinely shocked me.
I still couldn’t forget the scene I’d witnessed in the auditorium… that sea of naked bodies. It had been overwhelming. Beyond the initial shock, the actual sight of a massive orgy had something about it that literally took your breath away.
The wet sounds of flesh slapping together from countless intertwined men and women. The panting, gasping moans coming from every direction. And the eyes that had secretly, or not so secretly, turned toward the newcomer—me.
Even now, if I closed my eyes, the memory played back so vividly it felt burned into my retinas.
It was a good thing Hyejeong noona had dragged me in. If I’d gone alone, I probably would have run away. It wasn’t that I disliked it. If I had run away that first time, maybe I wouldn’t feel this excited anticipation now. But still… I figured if there were fewer people, it might be a little less overwhelming.
I started queuing for another match.
Until I got used to it, showing up either really early or really late seemed like the easier option mentally. The match popped. I picked my character and hit ready.
Nah, surely some people show up late too.
After playing three games in a row, I finally decided it was time to get ready and headed to the bathroom. When I came out, it was already eleven thirty.
I changed into the same comfortable tracksuit I’d worn last time and stepped into the living room. I glanced toward Mom’s bedroom. It was quiet. Was she already asleep?
I stared at the door for a moment, then quietly crossed the living room, slipped on my shoes, and—
Click.
I opened the front door and stepped outside.
“Nice weather.”
It had been so hot during the day, but now that it was past midnight, the air was cool and perfect for walking. The night was pitch black—the kind of deep darkness you only get in the countryside, nothing like city streets.
I walked along the gloomy rural road, guided by the sparse streetlights. Crunch, crunch. My light footsteps on the dirt path were accompanied by the endless chirping of nameless insects. Thanks to them, walking alone at night didn’t feel too lonely.
After about ten minutes, I reached the elementary school. At the entrance, a security guard leaned against the wall, humming an old trot song. It was a different person this time. They must rotate every month.
This uncle was Byeongtae. He loved fishing and would often share his catch with our family. Sometimes his wife, Mun Jeongsil, would even cook spicy fish stew and bring it over for me and Mom. So I was a bit more familiar with him than the last guard.
I couldn’t exactly say I’d been nervous about the huge crowd if I went early. Since I was here to participate anyway, complaining about it would just make me sound like less of a man.
Oh right, I should ask about Deokgu.
Byeongtae trailed off, then gave me a sly grin.
I couldn’t exactly deny it. When I nodded, Byeongtae chuckled and continued.
I didn’t know what to say. I let my words trail off awkwardly. If I nodded, I’d be agreeing with him badmouthing his own wife. If I denied it, I’d be admitting I’d sleep with her. So I could only dodge the question with an embarrassed mumble.
Seeing me squirm, Byeongtae grumbled on.
“……”
Finally free from the uncomfortable conversation, I hurried past Byeongtae with a huge sense of relief. As I walked through the wide-open front gate, I could only shake my head in disbelief.
Wow… that was seriously amazing.
The conversation I’d just had didn’t feel real. So… his wife actually wanted to sleep with me? And I’d heard it straight from her own husband, of all people…