The Children Lost Beneath the Kimchi Jar
Tension hung heavy inside the pension that had been turned into a temporary camp.
But Kang-to still had something important to do.
"Sol-bi, it's Dad."
He called Sol-bi. Children waited for their parents' calls. They waited with their necks stretched out, if it came to that.
The worst of them cried themselves exhausted and fell asleep. That was something he had learned from the single-mom, single-dad cafe back when Sol-bi was even younger.
When a parent promised to call, or promised to come home, children started watching the clock thirty minutes, even an hour, ahead of time.
You couldn't be even one minute late. It was the fastest way to wound a child's feelings and leave them anxious.
"Dad."
"I got here safe."
"Have you eaten?"
As expected, mighty Sol-bi put him first. Kang-to's nose prickled, but he didn't let it show.
"Have you eaten, Sol-bi?"
"Mm-hm. Great-aunt made red bean porridge. It had sticky rice dumplings in it too."
"Oh, that must've been good."
"Should I save some for you?"
"No. It's enough that you ate a lot. Homework?"
"I did it at school."
"Good. Sol-bi is the best. Anything else?"
"Don't worry about Sol-bi. Just make sure Dad gets back safely."
"......"
He was moved all over again, and then he ended the call. When he looked at her like this, Sol-bi felt more like the parent. Sometimes she was so mature that it was hard even for Kang-to to imagine.
"All right, everyone, please gather in the living room."
Lisa, who was in charge of the overall direction, called everyone together.
"Here is the Duke Regiment's operational route."
As the team members gathered, footage appeared on the temporary large screen.
"Beopsa."
Harris pointed at the screen.
This route wasn't new to him.
After the BBC team came to the island, they had been shown the traces of the Duke Regiment whenever their filming schedule ended.
Their journey was nothing short of an expedition. They entered Japan aboard a cargo ship that had been converted for transport, boarded smaller boats, and arrived at Busan Port. There was no time to rest. They rode a train to the Imjin River front, listening to the U.S. military band play St. Louis Blues March.
At last they were handed over from the Black Watch and sent into the fiercest battlefield of all, Hook Hill. What greeted them was a crossfire from the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. It rained down day and night. Thus began the Third Battle of Hook Hill.
"By our estimate, there's a high chance remains will be found at this spot, where the slope falls northward. Next is this point, where headquarters used to be..."
Harris's explanation came faster than it had on the island. The target was right in front of them now.
"And..."
Harris cleared his throat. In an instant, the mood among the team turned uneasy. The reason came out of Harris's mouth.
"For now, we'll need to do a preliminary search."
"A search?"
Kang-to lifted his head. It was unnecessary work from his point of view.
"Lisa, explain it."
The ball passed to Lisa.
"It's for setting up the measuring equipment."
"......?"
"If this were indoors, we could proceed by setting up low-frequency meters, EEG monitors, and the like all around the space. But as you can see, this is mountain forest. Because of the geographic conditions, wild animals such as wild boar, roe deer, and badgers are spread out widely, and the terrain itself isn't exactly gentle. In other words, our verification could be compromised."
"So you want to establish proper conditions for verification?"
"Exactly. So first, we'll accompany you, Beopsa, and once we find the remains, we'll set up the equipment around that area and begin excavation. That's the only way to earn credibility for your remains-recovery work."
"I see."
Kang-to nodded. He understood. In this work, the process had to be recorded just as much as the result.
"The low-frequency and EEG meters... they'll be attached like they were during the last test. But since we'll be searching mountain paths..."
"I don't mind."
That was Kang-to's answer. The sensors and measuring devices that tracked his changes could be controlled remotely. They weren't attached by a cord, so that level of inconvenience was easy enough to accept.
The equipment wasn't only for Kang-to. It was there to produce results that were more objective.
"Do you happen to have any talismans that let you see spirits?" Harris asked.
"There are some."
"Really? Then could you give them to a few people? That would let us compare the talismans with the results."
"There is a talisman called the Ghost-Banishing Talisman, but if you use it for more than a year, it has the opposite effect and you'll end up meeting ghosts. Unfortunately, it's difficult to obtain one under those conditions on short notice."
"Ah..."
"Of course, I can match each of you to a spirit one-on-one, but that won't be caught on video either. So I think it's better to find a solution using the scientific method you want. I'll divide the team for you, so please proceed that way."
"You said scientific, but what's the criterion?"
"It will be based on spiritual pressure. If spiritual pressure is strong enough, it disrupts the spirit's resonance. In other words, the spirits can't come close."
"Ah."
Spiritual pressure.
That could be measured.
When Harris accepted that, no one else objected.
"What time should we leave?" Lisa asked, looking at the clock.
"Let's rest well today and leave tomorrow morning."
That was Kang-to's answer.
"We're not going at dead of night?"
"Would you prefer to go at dead of night?"
"Not exactly, but... based on the records so far, mediums and astral projection specialists have always demanded nighttime shoots. Ghost movies and dramas are always set at night too..."
"That's the error of a fixed pattern. Or maybe those films are shot in the dark because the viewing effect is maximized that way?"
"So you're really leaving in the morning?"
Harris moved in for confirmation.
"Spirits don't care whether it's day or night. So there's no need to go at night. Of course, if you'd prefer dramatic effect, we can leave around the hour of the Rat, around 11 p.m. That is when yin energy is said to grow stronger."
"Wow. You're smashing our assumptions before we've even started."
Veteran Ian joined the conversation.
"To put it a little more clearly, if you connect it to an illusion, it may be easier to understand."
"An illusion?"
Every eye turned to Kang-to.
"Has anyone here ever seen an illusion?"
When Kang-to asked that,
"I have."
one cameraman raised his hand.
"When did you see it?"
"When I went to Africa for a documentary. I had some local disease and was exhausted for days. Then at some point I opened my eyes and saw my late grandmother crouching there, staring down at me."
"What time was it?"
"Bright noon. I was inside a hut."
"You heard that, right?"
With Kang-to's proof, everyone fell silent.
"As you know, spirits can't be seen by human eyes. The world of yang we live in and the world of yin where ghosts dwell are powered by different energies. But at some point the boundary of yang collapses, and you cross over into the world of yin. Or the reverse happens. Ordinary people see spirits at those times. Since you all know how to handle computers, think of it as a special case, like a program bug."
"I'd like to see a spirit at least once."
Samson, who had been listening intently, spoke for the first time.
"I've recovered and identified countless remains, but I've never once seen the soul attached to them. Not even in a dream... though I don't really dream much."
"Then... if the chance comes, I'll arrange a separate experience for you."
"Hmm... now that's something to look forward to."
With Samson's kind words, the short interim meeting came to an end.
"All right, since Beopsa is leaving tomorrow morning, everyone check the equipment, check the drones, and Doctor Aili, please verify the genetic equipment once more."
Harris's instructions echoed through the room.
"Beopsa."
As Kang-to stepped out, Aili followed.
"Doctor."
"I have a favor to ask too."
"Go ahead."
"Could you let me see a spirit once, the way you let Dr. Samson do it?"
"No problem."
"Beopsa, you see the stories behind spirits too, don't you?"
"That's right."
"Then... if a spirit appears that died tragically while leaving a small child behind, please let me know. Since my child became like that, I've been curious about what men feel... what they feel about their children."
"Understood."
"This documentary... I'm really looking forward to it."
Aili's gaze drifted toward Hook Hill, where darkness was already settling in. Just then, a flying squirrel leaped down from an oak tree and brushed past her side.
"Oh, a squirrel."
Aili pulled out her phone. The squirrel, which had been hovering at a distance, hesitantly edging away, bolted the moment she aimed the phone at it. It didn't go far, so Aili's phone followed after it.
Dusk fell over the pension. Since the BBC team had booked the whole place, there were no other guests.
The area was quiet. A few houses were visible, but there were also abandoned empty homes.
"Ah!"
As she followed a narrow path, Aili screamed.
"Are you all right?" Kang-to asked.
"I'm fine. I just missed my footing a little..."
Aili straightened up. It looked as though she had stepped on a pile of dead leaves.
That was one of the strengths of city people. Even a single squirrel could thrill them. The people who came to the island were the same.
Even seagulls, which were just part of the routine for islanders, were romance and memory to them.
At that moment, something like dust passed behind Aili's back. It happened in an instant.
A spirit?
This was the kind of region where spirits could be numerous. So even the smallest sensation was never ignored.
A major battlefield from the Korean War. Because of weathering, landslides, and the like, there was always the possibility of remains anywhere. Far off, an ancestral grave could be seen. It wasn't that spirit.
And then,
Kang-to, feeling his way carefully through the surroundings as if scanning them, finally found a faint bundle of vibrations that had crossed over from the world of yin.
"Go back to the pension."
The voice Kang-to used with Aili was already different from before.
"Pardon?"
Aili tensed. She had experienced something before, when she had sensed her unborn child.
"Is it... a spirit?"
"Probably."
From Kang-to's answer, a chill aura already seemed to seep out.
"Can I... go with you?"
"......"
"I've already experienced it, haven't I? My baby..."
"......"
"Please."
"Then follow quietly behind me."
Kang-to moved forward. As his spiritual sight activated, the spirits' forms began to sharpen a little.
There wasn't just one. There were two. But the two spirits looked exactly alike, as if they had been copied.
Was that an illusion?
While Kang-to tilted his head, the child spirits looked back at him. The spirits recognized Kang-to, the divine descendant, and their forms crumpled for an instant before they drifted toward an old house.
"......"
Kang-to stood before the gate.
"What is it?"
A dog barked, and a woman in her seventies came out.
"I'm sorry, but did this house once have twin children?"
"What nonsense are you babbling about now?"
"Around five years old, maybe."
"Has this man eaten something rotten? I've lived here my whole life. What twins? We do have a son and daughter-in-law who want a baby, but there are no children here. And that damned daughter-in-law left the house long ago."
Bang.
The grandmother's response was sharp with irritation.
That didn't mean the spirit trace caught by Kang-to's spiritual sight disappeared. The location was the back yard.
He requested support from Team Leader Jin. As a police officer, Jin could get closer more easily than Kang-to could.
"Ma'am."
Team Leader Jin rushed over and showed the old woman his ID.
"Honestly now, I said there aren't any, and you're still going on about it? There isn't even a daughter-in-law anymore, so what twins are you talking about?"
The grandmother's annoyance finally burst.
"Please let us take a quick look at the back yard."
"Why the back yard?"
"Just for a moment."
"Aigoo. Go ahead and look if you want. There's nothing there anyway..."
The grandmother opened the gate.
"Beopsa."
Team Leader Jin motioned Kang-to forward.
The back yard was ordinary. Just a low stone wall and a few little trees. But there was something else there, something visible only to Kang-to: the traces left by the spirits.
Remains.
Kang-to's gaze locked on one spot. It was where the spirits had been lingering. He stepped closer to sharpen the resonance. The child spirits, tightly curled in on themselves, gradually brightened, and their shapes became clearer.
Yellow kindergarten uniforms, yellow backpacks, and...
Kang-to finally read the clue.
"Team Leader."
He told Team Leader Jin the names of the remains' owners.
"What's here?" Jin asked the grandmother, who was standing guard with her shoulders squared.
"That's where we used to bury the kimchi jars long ago. My son bought us a kimchi refrigerator ages ago, so we don't use it anymore."
"Where is your son now?"
"At work. He hasn't come back yet. Why, did my son do something bad?"
"May we check here?"
"Aigoo, do whatever you like. If you dig there, you'll just find old jar fragments."
"Detective Kim, Detective Bae."
Team Leader Jin called the two detectives over.
After stripping away the dry grass and digging into the soil, a broken jar emerged. The stench came with it.
"Ugh."
Detective Bae peered inside and recoiled with a shudder.
"Team Leader."
Detective Bae's flashlight shone into the jar. There were bones tangled with bits of clothing.
"Damn it."
Team Leader Jin burned hot with anger. It was a jar that had been stuffed with two children. So much time had passed that the remains had decayed almost completely.
"Kindergarten bags?"
Detective Kim pulled out two yellow backpacks. They were the same ones Kang-to had seen in his resonance.
[Jang Si-ha, Jang Jun-ha]
Kindergarten name tags inside the bags. They matched the names Kang-to had given.
"It looks like the children were kidnapped six years ago in Songpa and the case ended as unsolved."
Detective Kim, checking the case file on a tablet, spoke with excitement in his voice. Team Leader Jin felt a chill run through him. It was the same kind of feeling as when they had found the doctor's corpse last time.
The genetic test had already been done by the BBC. It matched the registered parents in the police records.
"Secure the scene and request the forensic unit."
Team Leader Jin gave the emergency order.
Whee-woo, whee-woo.
The forensic team and backup personnel rushed in.
The culprit was the son of this house. He was arrested at the scene when he returned too late.
He had turned the car around after seeing the situation in front of the gate, but the police were already prepared. The remains found in the back yard left him no room for excuses. The only thing he spat out was this:
"Shit, I thought I'd gotten away with it without even a ghost noticing..."
The motive was simple.
The man had married late after a long stretch of remaining unmarried, wedding a hostess he met at a karaoke bar. He lied about his income.
After the marriage, the hostess found out. She immediately demanded a divorce. Once divorced, she left one karaoke bar and remarried a rich old man.
The man raged alone.
That damn money.
It became his grievance, but he couldn't even get a lottery number right, not even fifth prize. In the end, he went up to Seoul and kidnapped twins.
They turned out not to be ordinary children either. After the kidnapping, he realized they were the children of the chief of the Songpa Police Station's general affairs division. Terrified, the culprit killed the children and stuffed them into the kimchi jar where pickles were buried.
Then he covered it over and planted a small tree, successfully destroying the evidence.
The police had been chasing the wrong lead all along, and the case had been shelved as unsolved. The twins' remains might never have been found. But at last, even belatedly, they were going back into their parents' arms.
[Thank you.]
Once the remains were recovered, the two spirits bowed deeply to Kang-to in thanks.
Watching that, Aili burst into tears. It was because Kang-to had let her sense the spirits for a moment through the children's bags. She had asked, and Kang-to had granted it. Aili cried for a long, long time as if she were truly grieving for her own child.
Kang-to's own nose stung too. In a way, they were children Sol-bi's age... and the selfish greed of one human being had erased the lives of two angels.
I'm sorry.
That was what filled Kang-to's heart. As one grown man among others, even Kang-to could not escape the self-reproach of failing to protect the children.
***
"Shall we go?"
It was morning, and the sun had just climbed over the mountain ridge. Kang-to, now fitted with sensors and other equipment, stepped down into the yard.
Reinvigorated by the unexpected breakthrough, Kang-to set off with the documentary team watching him expectantly as they climbed the slope.
Whoosh.
Drone first, rising ahead of Kang-to into the air. At last, that day marked the beginning of verification.