The Missionary Corps
The old woman offered one more polished farewell and disappeared. Her modest clothes and lonely figure as she walked away made it hard to look away. I stood staring blankly at the river again, the business card still clutched in my hand.
That evening we held a meeting, and there I shared Chairman Park's story. Everyone wore proud expressions, but not a single person suggested we take the money and spend it on something right away. I liked that about them so much. Though we had started this work for worldly purposes, none of us lunged at the wealth dangled before our eyes. I felt that all of us shared a single purpose. We were hypnotizing ourselves. We genuinely believed that with our own strength, we could save the world.
A few days later, a highly stylish woman came looking for me. Cold-featured, she wore white gloves and brought the keepsakes of Chairman Noh Hyeongu. Yunchae and I enshrined the relics in the memorial room, and the three of us stood side by side and offered a silent prayer. We named the memorial room Ganghajeong. I sincerely hoped that Chairman Noh would find his rest watching the sunset reflected on this river.
After the enshrinement we sat for a while with tea and talked. Her name was Lee Hyeonji. She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. She explained that she handled everything for Chairman Park, including his private affairs, and told me to contact her anytime regarding anything related to him. Despite her extremely cold expression, I thought she was a very beautiful and impressive woman. Behind that blank face she was concealing her emotions, but I could sense she felt somewhat uneasy about getting involved with a religious group like ours. Still, as Chairman Park's secretary, I maintained perfect courtesy to the end and saw her off.
The gradual renovation of our building was nearing completion. The motel's damp, lingering grime had been almost entirely stripped away, and we had tried to create a holy atmosphere using white throughout. The building's layout, once nothing but guest rooms, had been converted entirely into halls and small-meeting spaces except for the third floor. Now that construction was finished, someone suggested we invest a little money to provide at least a meal for people who came to visit. We hired two middle-aged women with restaurant experience to prepare meals on meeting days, and the response was excellent. We stuck to Korean food for the menu.
Thanks to that, my life of delivery food was finally over. On days without meetings the women prepared food for those of us who lived here, and I ate every meal. Yunchae was always with me, and Myeongsuk spent a great deal of time here but went home in the evenings. The same went for Yongjin. Miryeong didn't come every day, but when she did she often stayed late, and sometimes she slept over. Then one day Miryeong packed her things and moved in altogether. Now three of us lived here permanently.
Our number of believers was growing little by little. But it wasn't increasing as rapidly as we'd hoped. The donations we collected weren't a small amount, but with membership stagnating, the total donations plateaued as well. Now that the renovation was finished, we weren't in financial difficulty, but Yongjin and Myeongsuk seemed to discuss the membership numbers often, and I saw Myeongsuk several times gathering some of the older women and urging them to put more effort into proselytizing.
Then one day Myeongsuk asked me for a private meeting. The moment she entered my room she habitually began undressing. I no longer found Myeongsuk's naked body particularly startling, but my eyes still drifted to the dragon and uterus tattoos on her. Myeongsuk settled into the arms of me sitting on the bed. Then she began to speak.
"The number of Sindo isn't growing. Once the Gangha Group lectures start it will go up a little more, but we need to think of ways to grow on our own."
There had been some distance between us because of the age gap, but at some point she had started enjoying nestling against me like this, even showing uncharacteristically coquettish sides. I didn't mind that side of her, and I also liked kneading her soft, fleshy body. I enjoyed massaging Myeongsuk's full breasts and running my hands over her belly.
"Do you have something in mind?"
I was talking a little absently as I kneaded her chest. Myeongsuk's breathing was growing rougher. She was a woman who heated up more easily than you'd expect. She hesitated a moment, then spoke.
"I think we need something a little more exclusive. There should be an elite element, and people should feel a certain awe toward Jisin's existence."
I toyed with Myeongsuk's nipple. That was her weak spot. Her body twitched.
"That again? I already said I'd do it once I no longer need to appear before people so often. And what does that have to do with gathering people?"
Myeongsuk twisted her body slightly. This was a woman who knew how to stimulate herself. She moved actively to feel more.
"That's not what I mean..."
She twisted again, then looked up at me with slightly unfocused eyes.
"I have to leave early today. Just let me feel Jisin's touch and go."
I smiled and suddenly moved the hand that had been on her breast down to her crotch. Myeongsuk startled and clamped her legs shut. My hand stopped at the place where her pubic hair was.
"Ah... I didn't even wash today because of that... it'll smell..."
Cute. I had learned that even a woman this much older could be cute. I slid my hand lower and said,
"It's fine."
The strength left Myeongsuk's legs. My hand slipped between her thighs. Parting the flesh there and pushing in, I could feel how slick and wet her entrance already was. A wet sound rose the moment my fingers touched her.
"So what is it you want to do, Myeongsuk?"
Her face flushed a little. When she got excited, her face turned red.
"The people I've put in charge of proselytizing aren't really moving. Even when I offer pay, they're halfhearted. I think... nngh..."
Myeongsuk covered her mouth with her hand. The reason was that I had pushed a finger inside. The warm heat of her vagina transferred to my finger. Her body twisted left and right. She took her hand from her mouth and spoke.
"We need to make them feel something like pride — that they're people with a special mission... uhh..."
Another of my fingers went in. Myeongsuk wrapped both arms around my neck and spread her legs wide.
"How do we make them feel that? It seems like you already have the answer and came here to talk about it."
I smiled as I moved my hand. Wet sounds accompanied the copious slickness coating my fingers.
"Ah... so... ahh... if Jisin created something like a directly managed Missionary Corps..."
Myeongsuk couldn't continue. She just watched my face with glazed eyes, her lower body twitching.
"A Missionary Corps?"
She was sweating now. I hadn't fully registered it before, but when Myeongsuk got excited her face flushed and she sweated. Beads of sweat gathered between her breasts.
"Yes... Jisin would explain the doctrine to them personally, and they would go out and do missionary work themselves. Then they'd work harder, thinking of themselves as the chosen ones."
Without a word I kept moving the fingers inside her. Her lower body was moving in a different direction from her upper body. She continued.
"Of course I'll gather the candidates myself. They won't do street preaching — each will target people in their assigned sphere."
I thrust my fingers deeper and asked,
"Wouldn't people like that actually create a sense of aversion?"
Myeongsuk frowned.
"Uhh... ahh... I'll train them so that doesn't happen. Leave the miscellaneous work to me — Jisin only needs to dote on them."
The word "dote" sounded a little unsettling, but she had a point. I agreed and continued touching, groping, and thrusting into Myeongsuk's body. Eventually the strength drained from her entirely and she gasped for breath. Once she recovered she put her clothes back on, bid me farewell, and went out. Watching her get excited had been good for me too, but I was clearly left wanting as well.
Thinking over Myeongsuk's proposal, I decided the doctrine needed a little more refining and called for Miryeong. When Miryeong knocked and entered my room, she too began undressing the moment she stepped inside.