Chapter 8
Han Ji-yeon looked at Si-woo through her horn-rimmed glasses.
Si-woo felt his lips going dry.
Now that the interview had actually begun, he was tense.
"First question. If you don't mind my asking, what do you do for a living? And if that's too personal, you don't have to answer. Even just the general field you work in is fine."
"I used to work on a corporate planning team, but I'm currently on leave. These days, I've been taking an interest in antiques and fine art."
Given what he'd done since going on leave, it wasn't strange at all to say he had one foot in the antique trade.
Ji-yeon's eyes brightened.
"You're interested in antiques and fine art? So that's why you took an interest in that old hanok and went to visit it?"
"Yes, that's right."
The lie came out naturally, not a flicker of expression changing on his face.
At times like this, he had to be bold.
"So this remarkable discovery wasn't just blind luck either. You really do have a sharp eye."
"I got lucky."
Ji-yeon tapped away at her laptop.
"Then I've heard you found the relic in the ceiling of the old hanok. Could you explain how you found it?"
"It was originally hidden well enough that no one would've seen it. The house was so old and neglected that there were gaps all over the ceiling, but one section in particular looked strangely neat, as if it had been cut. It didn't look like a crack formed by age, so I touched it, and when the board came loose, a bundle wrapped in hanji fell out."
Her questions continued.
"This is a personal question, but if you'd kept the relic and put it up for auction, it could've brought in a huge sum. Why did you return it to the owner? If you hadn't said anything, nobody would've known."
Si-woo gave a wry smile at the question.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted. But it wasn't mine. Of course I had to give it back to the rightful owner."
Ji-yeon stopped typing and pushed up her horn-rimmed glasses.
"That's remarkable. These days, it's rare to find someone who actually acts on what they believe. The more valuable the object, the more true that is."
"Is that so?"
Ji-yeon took out her smartphone.
"Sorry, but could I take one photo before it gets dark? I'd like to attach it to the article. Is it all right if your face, name, and age are shown?"
"Yes. That's fine."
He awkwardly straightened his posture.
"Don't be nervous. I'm a seasoned camera mule. I'll take a good shot."
Ji-yeon expertly found the angle and snapped a few pictures.
The camera shutter clicked again and again.
It was his first time doing anything like this, and he felt oddly embarrassed.
"Oh, you really do photograph well. It suits you."
"Thank you."
He considered whether he should make his identity public.
But this was a good thing, and there was no reason to hide it.
He also figured that if he found another shining object later, this article might help win other people's trust.
The interview went on with a few more questions after that.
Before he knew it, the Americano was gone.
"Have you ever had any experiences like this with antiques before?"
"I've found valuable things among objects someone abandoned on the street, and I've also identified who owned a sword that had been purchased at a gallery."
"So it turns out you were more than just interested. To appraise things at a gallery, wouldn't you have to be a famous expert? Could you tell me a little about that?"
Si-woo briefly told her what had happened.
As Ji-yeon listened, she realized two things: the man sitting before her was no ordinary person, and this article was going to be a monster hit.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The next day.
Si-woo was woken from sleep by a notification on his smartphone.
Was it already finished?
He checked the clock and saw that it was already past noon; apparently he'd slept late.
He opened the attached file.
The headline read: "Rare Manuscript Letters by Kim Koo and Yi Yuk-sa Unearthed in North Gyeongsang Abandoned House ... Brought Back to Light After 90 Years."
A simple title, with no clickbait.
He liked it.
He slowly read through the article.
The body itself was perfectly serviceable.
The problem was the photo.
Seeing his own face embedded in the article made him feel awkward.
The next day, just as she said, the articles began pouring out.
An article followed right behind it.
The young man who discovered national-treasure-class relics in an abandoned house in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang, was drawing attention.
Mr. Kim, who had been a company employee, had recently gone on leave and begun taking a serious interest in antiques, and while examining an old traditional house, he discovered the relics in the ceiling.
In an interview with this paper, Mr. Kim said, "Because they're not mine. It was only natural."
Meanwhile, it was confirmed that Mr. Kim had previously found a Joseon-era vase discarded by the roadside and had identified the owner of a sword being kept at a gallery.
After Ji-yeon's article, one piece after another followed.
The tide came in, and the articles began to swell and overflow.
Was this really okay?
It had become a bigger sensation than he'd expected.
"Meanwhile, this announcement caused Yi Yuk-sa's unpublished poem to send shockwaves through the academic world."
Until now, only about forty of Yi Yuk-sa's poems had been known, and now a new work had been discovered.
In Korean literature circles, some were calling it "the greatest literary discovery since liberation."
...
Kim Koo's handwritten letter was also expected to be used as important material for studies of the Provisional Government, and the ledger of independence funds was likely to become a historical source showing how those funds were raised and how domestic clandestine networks operated.
As the articles climbed the rankings, comments began pouring in and heating up the page.
Should he have kept his identity hidden?
Belated regret came over him.
Si-woo stopped reading the comments.
If he kept going like this, he'd never reach the end.
People praised him, and that made it even harder to stop.
Comments were addictive too.
It felt almost like watching shorts.
With his name, age, and face all out in the open, he couldn't help thinking back over his life.
Had he done anything wrong all these years?
In the middle of that, messages and texts kept piling up.
Friends were all asking, "Is that really you?"
Even a middle school classmate he barely remembered had somehow gotten his number and reached out.
Then the phone rang.
He stared at the smartphone screen.
His mother. Mrs. Gong.
He hurriedly hit the answer button.
"Hello?"
"Oh my, our Hoso."
"No, Mrs. Gong."
"The whole neighborhood's in an uproar because my son showed up on the news. All the aunties have been texting me, saying, 'Mrs. Gong's son was on an internet article,' and do you know how shocked I was? If something like this happened, you should've told me in advance!"
"Ah, well..."
"And why did you go on leave from work? Looking at the comments, it seems like something happened. It's nothing serious, right?"
"No, please don't read the comments. And Mrs. Gong, do you really not trust your son that much?"
"I don't. You always said you were fine when you weren't."
"..."
He couldn't refute that.
"It's nothing serious, really. I just wanted some time to rest."
"Really?"
"Of course. Really."
A small sigh came through the phone.
"All right, I believe you. Your mother trusts you, okay?"
"Yes. Don't worry."
"Si-woo."
Mrs. Gong's voice softened.
"Yes?"
"Come down to your hometown soon. I'll make you a hot meal."
"...All right. I'll definitely come down."
"And one more thing."
"Yes?"
"I'm proud of you, son."
The call ended.
Looking down at his phone, Si-woo found a quiet smile on his lips.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After a few days, the situation took an unexpected turn.
"Because it's not mine" had become a meme.
He blankly stared at the shorts popping up on his screen.
This was the starting point.
A parody video referencing the "because it's not mine" line from the interview had become a huge sensation.
Because of that, all kinds of shorts started going up.
Right. It really was absurd.
Was this funny?
He hadn't expected a single line from the article to cause such a ripple.
Still, at least I didn't become famous for something bad.
That was enough.
He tried to accept reality.
Anyway, the trend would fade in a month or so.
That's how memes worked.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Sejong City, Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
The director of the Independence Patriots Honoring Division submitted a report to the minister of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
"Good. This is fine. Let's hold the donation ceremony at the Independence Hall of Korea. Prepare it on a proper scale, as the report suggests. This is a very good chance for the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to get the public's attention."
"Minister, how large a scale are you thinking?"
"This discovery has major significance, so let's make it a big event. Coordinate with the Independence Hall and turn it into a special commemorative ceremony. Along with the relic donation, let's handle the posthumous honors and commendations for the descendants of independence patriots all at once."
"Understood. And about the discoverer..."
"Ah, that young man. Kim Si-woo, was it?"
"Yes. You know about him too, Minister. Public opinion is quite favorable toward him right now."
The minister flipped through the report.
"Hmm. Let's increase this friend's presence a little. There's a lot of negative sentiment toward young people these days, and an example like this is good publicity. A righteous young man, a citizen who found history. Something like that. The President will like it too. Make sure to include historians and Korean literature scholars at the ceremony."
"Understood. If we prepare the event with some dignity, it will get plenty of media exposure and still preserve the meaning of it."
"Handle this in coordination with the director of the Independence Hall. And what's the maximum reward under the cultural property discovery compensation system?"
"100 million won."
"Considering the buzz and value of these relics, it's worth giving it to that young man. If we push for a Prime Minister's Commendation too, it'll make for a nice picture. Finish the administrative process and bring the report back later."
"Understood, Minister."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Fortunately, public interest in Si-woo faded quickly.
His worry about having to change his phone number became pointless; after a few days, everything went quiet.
He spent the whole day replying to calls and messages without even noticing time passing.
Then an unfamiliar number called.
Was this another request to appear somewhere, or another interview request?
After some thought, he decided to answer.
"Hello?"
"May I speak with Kim Si-woo?"
"Yes, speaking."
"I'm Park Jun-hyeok, the staff officer in charge at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Independence Patriots Honoring Division."
"The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs?"
For a moment, he suspected it might be a voice phishing scam.
"I'm calling regarding the independence movement relics you discovered. First, I want to express our deepest gratitude."
"Not at all."
"I expect you're busy, so I'll get to the point."
The staff officer took a breath.
"We've decided to hold a special commemorative event at the Independence Hall of Korea to mark the donation of the relics. The minister is personally overseeing it."
"Is that so?"
"At the event, both the donor of the relics and the discoverer, Kim Si-woo, will come up on stage. There will be a Prime Minister's Commendation and the presentation of a 100 million won discovery reward."
"100 million won?"
Si-woo's eyes widened.
A reward he had never imagined, along with a Prime Minister's Commendation.
"Yes. It's a rightful reward under the Buried Cultural Heritage Act. Given the historical value of these relics, it has been set at the statutory maximum in an exceptional case."
"..."
"And there's one more thing I need to tell you."
"Yes. Please go ahead, officer."
"This event is going to be held on quite a large scale. The minister of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and other senior officials will attend, and many descendants of independence patriots will be invited. And..."
The staff officer went on.
"It will be broadcast live nationwide by public television. We would be very grateful if you could attend and honor the occasion. For reference, you may come with your family. Please let us know the number of people in advance."
Live nationwide.
He felt dizzy.
He couldn't refuse a state event.
"Understood."
"After the donation ceremony, the names of the discoverer and the donor will be permanently engraved in the special exhibition hall at the Independence Hall."
"My name?"
"Yes. It will read: 'Discoverer Kim Si-woo, Donor Kim Young-soo.'"
His name would remain at the Independence Hall of Korea.
It was an immense honor he had never imagined.