The Candidates
As I had expected, this man was likely someone Myeongsuk had strategically recruited and asked to take on missionary work. He arrived around lunchtime. Escorted by Yunchae, he entered my room naked, just as the others had. He was not so different from the middle-aged uncle type I had pictured—an exceptionally pleasant face, an expression that would put anyone at ease, and even a faintly naive quality about him.
He had a potbelly and carried extra weight, the classic image of a middle-aged Korean man. Even naked, he seemed completely unembarrassed, as if he had simply walked into a sauna. Once I noticed that, any discomfort I might have felt looking at him faded, and I soon forgot he was naked at all.
Mo Juhyeon was an easy man to deal with. He was skilled at conversation, and whenever I said something he would laugh heartily. Yet every so often a sharp glint would flash in his eyes, which told me that while he was approachable, he was by no means a pushover.
Mo Juhyeon seemed more sincere about our Cheonsiman-gyo than I had expected. It was not only him and his wife who came here—they brought his elderly mother as well, and they visited together every weekend. He said his mother praised me a great deal, and that he himself believed just as she did. Whether it was empty flattery or genuine, it felt good either way.
We talked in a thoroughly warm, amicable atmosphere, and Mo Juhyeon promised to throw himself into missionary work. He said he wanted more people to hear these good teachings. I told him to do so only within the limits of not disrupting his livelihood, and he smiled brightly as he answered.
"I started out as a porter at a produce market. I slept two hours a day and worked myself half to death. I was lucky enough to meet good people and open a shop of my own, and I nearly went under after running into a con man. After living like hell for decades, I can finally take things a little easier. So I've been trying to spend more of my free time with my mother and my wife. But my mother wanted to share Jisin's words with people, and she was heartbroken that she's too old to do it herself."
The man spoke with a kindly smile, then paused when the subject of his mother came up. He seemed to have gotten a little choked up. He looked down at the floor for a moment, thinking, then smiled again.
"I found Jisin's teachings good, and there was what my mother hoped for as well. Then I heard Myeongsuk had asked my wife for a favor. I don't know how much help I can be, but I want to give it my best."
I nodded with a pleased smile. I couldn't find anything more to say. This man struck me as the real deal—a genuinely good person. I listened a little longer to his stories before we ended the conversation.
After he left, I suddenly thought of my mother. She was never someone who contacted me often. When I was young I had resented that a little, but once I got to college I found it rather convenient. Ours was nothing like that man's devoted mother-son bond, yet I was still human, and a longing for my mother remained. I decided I should call her first tomorrow.
The next candidate was a woman around Myeongsuk's age. She had no occupation listed—just "housewife." Even at a glance, she seemed like someone whose character overlapped with Myeongsuk's. I immediately called Myeongsuk.
"What's the fourth candidate's selling point? There's nothing on the paperwork. Just a housewife… that's all."
Myeongsuk didn't answer right away. I waited patiently. Then her voice came through.
"On paper she has no job, and I haven't told you anything on the surface either, but she's useful. Once Jisin gives permission, she'll work with me. Don't ask any more about her—just approve her. The details… there'll be a day when I explain."
Her tone was peculiar. It wasn't common for this woman to ask me for something like this. Honestly, I had no idea what she got up to. I had never wanted to know, and since she more than earned her keep without my having to pry, I never interfered. If she said this was someone she would work with, I decided for now to trust Myeongsuk.
The woman who entered under Yunchae's guidance was a typical Korean woman in her forties—the kind you could find one or two of in any neighborhood, with a face so ordinary that you would forget it the moment you turned away. Her naked body was ordinary too: a bit of a belly, inelastic skin, short stature. Only her expression was very bright, and she talked a lot.
"I'm Park Youngrim. Forty-five, no particular occupation. I simply believe there is something I can contribute to the growth of Cheonsiman-gyo. And looking at the Cult Leader up close like this, you're much younger and handsomer than I expected. It's an honor."
I nodded with a smile, though I didn't feel particularly refreshed. She was the type who answered one question with ten sentences, so I mostly just listened. When I had grown suitably tired, she recited the sentence Yunchae had taught her and left.
I had done as Myeongsuk said, but the woman left an unpleasant aftertaste, and Myeongsuk's reaction had been the same. I thought I should set a day soon and have an honest talk with Myeongsuk. The last remaining person was said to arrive late in the afternoon, so I stretched, called Yunchae and Miryeong, and went downstairs to the dining hall for a meal.
Myeongsuk and Yongjin were already waiting for us in the dining hall, and we sat together to eat. I looked at Myeongsuk, but I got the sense she was deliberately avoiding my gaze. After the meal, as I was about to go upstairs, Myeongsuk caught my sleeve. I walked outside the building with her.
Myeongsuk and I stood side by side looking out at the river. She gazed at the water under the setting sun and took a deep breath.
"The view here really is the best."
I wondered what she was working up to, taking so long to get to the point. But I didn't want to prod her either, so I simply waited for her to speak while watching the beautiful sunset over the river. We stood like that for nearly five minutes before Myeongsuk slowly opened her mouth.
"As you may have sensed, Park Youngrim is a shock trooper. To put it less nicely, she's a resource that's convenient for us to use freely. Looking at the other candidates, they're people well positioned in society—good for making contact with others of standing. But the early power of a group like this is in numbers, so we need someone who can pull in a lot of people. In other words, someone who can work the lower classes."
It was something I could have figured out myself. I didn't think she had called me aside just to say that.
"I thought as much. Manage her however you see fit, Myeongsuk. I don't know if you'll need my help, but if you do, tell me. That doesn't seem to be why you called me out here, though…?"
Myeongsuk turned to look at me and smiled. Her appearance had changed a great deal since the first time I met her. Back then she had the same neighborhood-ajumma air as Park Youngrim. That was why her tattoo had surprised me so much. Now she was, how should I put it… a little more refined. In any case, her atmosphere had gradually shifted—that much was true.
"You're right. What I wanted to talk about is the fifth candidate."
I turned fully toward her. Myeongsuk faced me as well.
"The fifth candidate is a college girl. She's a senior, and she's a very pretty woman. Pretty face, excellent figure."
A smile rose unbidden to my lips. But Myeongsuk's face was deadly serious.
"She has nothing to do with missionary work, actually. But I put her in the Seongyodan to close the distance between her and Jisin."
I fought down the smile that kept trying to surface.
"If missionary work isn't the purpose, then what is?"
Myeongsuk looked as if she were thinking something over for a moment, then spoke.
"Cheonsiman-gyo is gradually taking shape. Whatever the beginning was, whatever the original purpose, the Cheonsiman-gyo of today is coming to look like a real religious organization. Our journey has already begun, so I don't think it would be right to go against that current now. I believe that's the natural order—fate."
I grew uneasy. Why was she making such a grand speech?
"So rather than being swept along, I think we should take the lead and actively face that destiny."
I smiled as I spoke.
"I get it. You don't have to dress it up. Everything we've done, the five of us started together. I know Myeongsuk's contribution has been the greatest among us, and I'll follow whatever you say—so just cut to the chase. What is it you really want to say?"