The Saint of Yeonok-dong (2)

"Is there anywhere else that hurts?"

I asked with the same even expression, ignoring the heavy silence that had settled over the room.

"Not me. My husband."

"I don't know what's wrong with him, but shall we go take a look?"

"Would you really do that?"

At best, Grandma Kim Soon-ja had regarded me as nothing more than an ordinary believer. But now, for the first time, the old woman's eyes held expectation, reliance, hope—all of it directed at me.

It was exactly the mindset a devout believer needed.

Before I knew it, the feast had wound to a scattered, half-hearted close, and I made my way to the Kim Soon-ja household.

"Now that I think about it, this is my first time visiting your home, Grandmother."

"Well, it's hardly a house worth showing off."

Though I had been active throughout Yeonok-dong, there was only one of me. Visiting every elderly household one by one was physically impossible, so at some point I had taken to giving the seniors massages and keeping them company at the seniors' center that Old Man Heo had arranged. Kim Soon-ja had also first received my help there.

"There, that person lying down is my old man."

Stepping into the moderately shabby house, I was met with the stuffy smell of a widower's lonely life, drifting on the breeze of an electric fan.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"Everything."

"I'm sorry?"

"All of it. But especially my head."

I studied the grandfather lying on the sickbed, a skin-and-bones figure staring blankly at the television. He wore an adult diaper on his lower half.

"Wh-who are you! Mom? Dad?"

The old man stammered incoherently at the sight of me.

He has dementia.

Troubling. My current healing skill couldn't resolve incurable diseases like dementia. Treating something like this required, at minimum, the rank of Bishop or higher.

"Seop, can you treat my old man too?"

Kim Soon-ja's voice trembled.

"Ahem! Even if a full cure is beyond me, surely a little improvement would be worth something…. Ahem!"

From behind her came the voice of Old Man Heo. Outside the room, a dozen or so of Yeonok-dong's oldest residents had quietly followed along and now stood crowded together—elite elders of their era, university-educated men who often kept company with Old Man Heo.

"Seop…. Ten years. Ten years I've cared for a husband whose dementia left him unable to control even his own bodily functions. Before you came along, Seop, there wasn't a limb, a back, a shoulder that didn't ache."

Kim Soon-ja's pleading continued to reach my ears.

"Please, Seop. How much longer am I supposed to live like this? Help my old man, I'm begging you. Set me free."

Perhaps years of pent-up grief had finally burst forth—the old woman's voice shook, thick with tears.

"…"

There was only one thing I could offer her.

"My abilities as I am now cannot cure an incurable disease like dementia. I'm sorry."

The truth, plainly spoken.

"But even so, I will do my very best with what I can do."

I approached the grandfather lying in bed and began kneading his limbs with sincere, careful hands.

The moment I pictured the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠system message in my mind, divine power activated with tangible effect.

Whether he liked my touch or not, the grandfather smiled with a peacefulness I hadn't seen from him before.

And in truth, the grandfather's emotions were nothing but pure comfort.

This old man doesn't have much time left.

My own expression, by contrast, only grew graver.

"Mother of all things, Weaver of Providence, please grant your blessing…."

After finishing the massage, I brought both hands to rest upon the grandfather's forehead one final time. This act was closer to last rites than treatment.

Continuing to picture the system message, I spread out my divine power.

A small, warm light descended from the halo behind my head, traveled down my arms, and seeped into the old man's skull.

The light of divine power and a faint halo could only be seen by devout believers. None of the people here would be able to see it.

A slight shame, really.

Hm?

That was when it happened. I suddenly felt my passive skill, Luck, activating—twice in a row, no less.

By now, the system messages rose into my mental imagery automatically, like habit.

The first Luck applied to the grandfather. And the second one is….

I cast a sidelong glance behind me.

"…!"

"…!"

Beginning with Grandma Kim Soon-ja, Old Man Heo and every elder of Yeonok-dong present was staring at me, dazed and unblinking.

Heo Jae-soo and the other old guard of Yeonok-dong had taken a liking to the young man called Lee Seop. To be sure, there were still things about him that inspired suspicion. But setting that aside, he was a genuinely good young man. At the very least, the neighborhood's atmosphere had changed considerably since he'd arrived.

Above all, there was something about Lee Seop—an unknowable, mysterious presence. The first was the aura about him that put people at ease. The second was that strange, almost intuitive feeling: whenever they prayed while thinking of Lee Seop, their mood lifted inexplicably, and things somehow seemed to go their way.

But the most decisive factor was the third—his hands. Age breaks the body down piece by piece, and the joints, shoulders, and lower back were the worst offenders. No amount of visits to the herbalist's clinic ever brought real relief. Yet one session of Lee Seop's hands and everything healed right up. A single massage from him left them comfortable for at least ten days.

There's definitely something to him!

This was where Old Man Heo began to sense that something extraordinary was afoot.

Could he truly be an angel sent by God?

The older one grew, the closer death crept—and the more one leaned on religion. Not just religion, either; all manner of superstitions began to hold sway. And so, for some time now, Old Man Heo and the more perceptive elders of Yeonok-dong had been eyeing Lee Seop with something more than casual curiosity.

And today, at last, the opportunity for certainty had arrived. They had made use of Kim Soon-ja, who had long suffered while caring for her demented husband.

"Seop, can you treat my old man too?"

"Ahem! Even if a full cure is beyond me, surely a little improvement would be worth something…. Ahem!"

And so, arriving at the Kim Soon-ja household and examining the demented patient, Lee Seop spoke with perfect honesty.

"My abilities as I am now cannot cure an incurable disease like dementia. I'm sorry."

"!!"

He had clearly said he couldn't do it—and precisely because of that, Old Man Heo received a fresh shock.

Ordinary charlatans, when confronted with a situation like this, invariably deflect their own incompetence onto others. It's all because your faith is lacking, they say, or, if you tithe this much, it will become possible—dog-blooded gaslighting, every last word of it.

But the young man before them did no such thing.

"Even so, I will do my very best with what I can do."

Lee Seop acted with honesty and truth.

Lee Seop is different! He's the real thing!

Old Man Heo, and indeed all of Yeonok-dong's old guard including Kim Soon-ja, felt anything but disappointment—they were profoundly moved. And in him, they saw hope.

Before long, Lee Seop began kneading the limbs of the old man lying in bed. It was a sight they'd witnessed before, yet this time something felt different.

The demented husband of Kim Soon-ja wore the most peaceful smile in all the world.

"Ahh…."

"God! Lord Jesus!"

"Namu Amitabha…."

So reverent and sacred was the scene that several of the elders crossed themselves, offered prayers, or bowed low on the spot.

"Aigoo…. Hnngh…."

Kim Soon-ja, overcome by some indescribable emotion, wept rivers, tears streaming down her face like water from a tap.

"Mother of all things, Weaver of Providence, please grant your blessing…."

But the miracle was not yet finished.

When the massage was complete, Lee Seop gently laid both hands upon the demented elder's forehead, as though stroking it.

From Lee Seop's head, a faint halo began to glow.

"!!!!"

"Hwak!"

"Good Lord!"

A small cluster of light streamed forth from the faint halo. It traveled down Lee Seop's shoulders and arms and touched the head of the demented old man.

"I have done the best I can for now. I have also bestowed a blessing."

A short while later, Lee Seop spoke, wearing a somewhat fatigued expression.

"…"

"…"

Everyone simply gazed at him in dazed reverence.

"Lee Seop? How is he now?"

Amid the flowing silence, Kim Soon-ja worked up the courage to ask. Perhaps because of the miracle just witnessed, she could no longer address him as casually as before.

"Please, just call me Seop, as you always have. And regrettably, I could not cure his dementia. I merely eased his discomfort and bestowed a blessing upon him."

"Ahh…."

"And… he does not have much time left."

"I thought as much. The old man was already living on borrowed days as it was."

Even at the news that her husband had little time remaining, Kim Soon-ja showed no surprise.

"So I did my best to ensure that his final moments could be passed in comfort and dignity. I truly regret that I could not be of greater help."

"No, no. What is there to regret? Truly, nothing. If anything, I am the grateful one. Seeing my old man with his face that peaceful… it's been a very long time, truly."

Kim Soon-ja, satisfied beyond measure, bowed her head to Lee Seop instead.

"That concludes all the treatment I am capable of providing. And… about what you all just witnessed—I must ask that you keep it strictly confidential. The time is not yet right."

Having finished speaking with the patient's caretaker, Lee Seop turned his gaze to Old Man Heo and the resident representatives of Yeonok-dong.

They were on their knees, staring up at Lee Seop in a daze.

"I've overexerted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠myself and I'm rather tired. I'll be going on ahead."

"Yes? Yes! We'll escort you home!"

As the treatment concluded and Lee Seop moved to leave the house, Old Man Heo and the Yeonok-dong representatives, still reeling from the afterglow of the miracle, scrambled to their feet.

"No, please remain here, all of you. I leave the aftermath in your hands."

"!!!!"

"Ahh…."

With every word, his passive skill Warm Conversation flowed forth, compounded by the halo behind his head—and the people simply didn't know what to do with themselves.

Lee Seop gave a soft smile and departed.

Only after the miracle-worker had gone did those left behind come back to themselves and begin to speak of what had just occurred.

"Did everyone see that? I wasn't the only one, was I?"

"I saw it…. I saw it…. That halo above his head."

"Holy light streamed from his halo all the way to his fingertips!"

"Seop…. Seop…. Read backwards, it spells Providence! Good Lord! He really was an angel all along!"

"The Messiah! Lee Seop is the Messiah!"

"What an honor this is! Then does that make us his first believers?!"

"The Providence Sect! Let us found the Providence Sect! We shall become the hands and feet of the Messiah!"

"The Providence Sect? Now hold on—is it right to do such a thing without Lee Seop's permission?"

"He entrusted the aftermath to us. That must be exactly what he meant!"

The elders—resident representatives and old guard of each quarter of Yeonok-dong—cried out in voices soaked with excitement and emotion.

"……"

Their leader, Heo Jae-soo, remained silent, lost in thought.

Time passed, and late night came.

The home of the old woman Kim Soon-ja was still bustling with people. She sat tending to her demented husband in a daze, while around her gathered Old Man Heo and the old guard of Yeonok-dong.

They were faithfully carrying out the mission Lee Seop had left behind upon his departure—the 'aftermath.' They had drawn up plans to establish the Providence Sect, and they were monitoring the condition of Kim Soon-ja's husband, Kim Chang-soo.

Frankly, they were far more focused on the former than the latter.

"Honey…. Honey…."

That was when it happened. Kim Soon-ja's husband, who had been sleeping peacefully, awoke and called for her.

"Uh? Uhhh!"

Kim Soon-ja was so startled she couldn't form proper words.

It had been ten years. Ten years since she'd seen her husband's eyes focus properly. Ten years since she'd heard his voice call her name.

"Honey! Are you all right now? Are you back with us?"

Only then coming to her senses, Kim Soon-ja hurried to her husband's side.

"You've worked so hard, caring for me all this time. I'm so sorry, and thank you."

But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠something about his words felt strange. It felt like a man preparing for his final moments.

"Oh, you old fool! Your mind comes back and the first thing you want to do is leave a will?"

At his wife's scolding, the husband only smiled faintly.

"Quit talking nonsense and get up. You know who treated you? A man called Lee Seop…."

"So it was Seop. His name was Seop."

The husband cut off her words, shaking his head.

"Please tell him ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'm truly grateful. Thank him for giving me an ending this happy, this peaceful, this free of regrets."

"…!"

Kim Soon-ja understood exactly what her husband meant.

"…We'll take our leave now."

"But Lee Seop asked us to handle the aftermath for them?"

"That's exactly why we should step outside for now."

Heo Jae-soo and the elders of Yeonok-dong, who had silently watched all of this unfold, quietly filed out of the house.

"Honey, do you remember? Back when we worked at the factory together."

"How could I forget? When I was working myself to death at the factory looking after my younger siblings, you helped me so much."

"Hahahaha, that's right. That was when you'd sent all your money home and had nothing left, living alone in the dormitory, wasn't it? I took you out to town and we snacked on street food together."

"Everything else may be black and white, but that memory alone is still full color, even now. That's why I couldn't abandon you when the dementia took you, why I've cared for you all this time. Because that date was so wonderful. Because I've always wanted to do it just once more."

The elderly couple lay side by side in bed through the night, talking softly together. They traded all the words ten years had stolen from them, right up until sleep took them.

The next morning.

Kim Soon-ja looked upon her husband's face—the most peaceful in the world—lifeless now.

"You wretched old man…. You left without even going on that date."

Gazing down at the husband who had gone on ahead, Kim Soon-ja murmured quietly.

"Go on ahead and wait for me, honey. I'll repay the grace I received from Lee Seop first, and then I'll follow."

With a smile that was sorrowful yet somehow unburdened, the old woman stepped out of the house.

"Were you all out here all night?"

"Ahem! Well, Lee Seop did entrust the aftermath to us."

Old Man Heo and the old guard stood at the entrance.

"Come in. We should take care of this aftermath business, whatever it is."

"Yes, yes."

The Yeonok-dong elders, having heard the news and returned to Kim Soon-ja's home, looked upon the departed soul sleeping so peacefully and spoke.

"A blessed passing. A true blessed passing."

They were genuinely envious. To slip away painlessly in one's sleep—the most coveted ending for the elderly facing death.

Before long an ambulance arrived and carried the body away.

"Death by natural causes due to old age. My condolences."

The doctor pronounced the death at the hospital.

"All of this is thanks to Lee Seop's grace."

Looking down at her husband's face, shrouded in white cloth, Kim Soon-ja spoke with an expression of pure relief.

Not a trace of grief or bitterness could be found on the old woman's face. The same was true of Old Man Heo and all the elders of Yeonok-dong.

Kim Soon-ja's husband had unmistakably died after Lee Seop finished his treatment—yet far from shaking their faith, it only deepened it all the more.