Forsythia in Bloom, Homeward Bound
Yellow forsythia was in full bloom, the flower of Seoul, and the yellow Wrangler tore along the road lined with it. Kang-to had never been one to care much about cars.
But this one was different. It was a symbol of reconciliation, and that alone made him like it from the very beginning.
He had even filled the passenger seat. He’d placed his mother’s Chilseokgu there. It was a journey he was taking with his mother.
Mother.
I’ve become part of Father’s family.
So don’t worry.
Kang-to will live as a shaman, just like the turbulent waters of the Han River.
Even if Father is a chaebol, that won’t change.
I like oracle messages more than money.
The lighthouse and Chiluijae that Mother and Grandma protected, too.
The car turned onto the West Sea Highway. The turbulent waters of the Han River are fed by the waters that spring from Woljeongsa on Odaesan. Even after they join the Han, they keep their identity intact.
Kang-to, like that water, had never forgotten his destiny as a shaman.
Even while he was drinking a cup of coffee at the rest stop, one congratulatory call after another kept coming in. Such was the awe inspired by the BBC documentary. Even the trailer alone was whipping up a storm.
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
He greeted each one with unfailing courtesy. After all, the beginning of this honor had come from all of them.
Just as he finished parking near the pier, a welcome call came through. It was former minister Kim Ki-wook.
“Kang-to Beopsa, this is Kim Ki-wook.”
“Ah, Minister.”
“Are you free to talk?”
“Of course. Please go ahead.”
“I watched the BBC documentary trailer. It was incredible.”
“Thank you.”
“And on that subject... I just received a positive sign from an acquaintance in China.”
“Really?”
“He’s a friend who serves as chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and he seems favorably disposed toward Beopsa Kang-to.”
“Ah...”
“It’s not because of any merit of mine. Not long ago, you returned the remains of Chinese soldiers, didn’t you? Through the British BBC documentary team.”
“Yes.”
“He remembered that you, Beopsa Kang-to, were at the center of it. The trailer happened to come out at just the right time, and I think that’s what helped him make up his mind.”
“Will it be approved?”
“To be honest, China is rather sensitive about this matter. That’s why they kept repeating that it had to be a joint excavation with North Korea. But that was the wish of the late Kim Il-sung, so there’s no reason now to welcome the remains of Ahn Eui-sung. A regime that succeeded through hereditary rule isn’t going to embrace heroes outside the Kim family, after all. So I bet everything on getting permission for just one site. Because if it’s a place like the old Lushun Prison cemetery, which has already been declared a national cultural heritage zone, a large-scale excavation could stir up resentment among the locals.”
Just one site.
That was Kim Ki-wook’s gamble.
And at its foundation lay Kang-to’s oracle. Given what had happened with his own son and the BBC documentary, Kang-to had exactly the sort of ability needed for this.
“Did I explain it badly?”
“No. That should be enough.”
“They started thinking it over after that. Under those conditions, even if the excavation failed, the damage would be minimal, and there’d be no fear of harming other remains.”
“I see.”
“The fact that they’re thinking about it is a good sign. If they were going to refuse, they wouldn’t be thinking at all.”
Kim Ki-wook’s analysis was superb. The seasoned authority of a former ambassador to China shone through it.
“Now that the matter’s been broached, I think they’ll get back to us. But since the government-to-government procedures will be difficult for you, Beopsa, I’m planning to leave that part to a junior of mine who’s been transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Would that be all right?”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Then please consider it settled.”
“You’ve done a great deal. Thank you.”
He ended the call with due courtesy.
Karma. Retribution. Those words skimmed through his mind. An unsolved case he had followed without hesitation. The father of the doctor whose remains had been recovered back then was now helping Kang-to. If he had refused Detective Team Leader Jin’s recommendation back then...?
Merit.
Now that was the word he was moving toward.
Merit accumulates as merit, and karma accumulates as karma. That fact never dies, even after death. Sow beans and you reap beans; sow red beans and you reap red beans. That single act of kindness had brought Kang-to to where he stood today.
The passenger ferry was quiet. Not because Kang-to had run out of visitors. Quite the opposite — word had gone out that he would resume fortune-telling the next day, and people had come flocking in.
By now, they weren’t just coming for a reading. More and more were arriving simply to catch a glimpse of Kang-to’s face, and the boat was nearly full.
Even so, it was quiet thanks to the Wrangler.
Kang-to was inside it. He even disembarked in the Wrangler. Sol-bi was there too, stretching up on tiptoe among the people who had come to greet him, her neck craned as she searched.
That rascal...
He drove over and stopped beside her.
Beep beep.
When he gave a light honk, she sidestepped automatically. She didn’t even think to check the Wrangler. Of course she wouldn’t — Kang-to didn’t have a car. He lowered the window.
“......?”
Father and daughter met eyes across the air.
Sol-bi’s movement froze. She had never imagined Kang-to would be inside the Wrangler.
“Dad?”
She reacted a beat late.
“Dad.”
Only then did the word burst from her.
“Get in.”
“Whose car is this?”
Sol-bi went straight into verification mode.
“Sol-bi’s and Dad’s car.”
“Really?”
“Hurry up and get in. The other cars need to come out.”
“What about Hong-seo oppa, Tae-hee unnie, and Dong-cheol?”
“Of course they have to come too.”
“Yay, this is amazing. Oppa, unnie, hurry up and get in, it’s our dad’s car.”
Thrilled to pieces, Sol-bi shoved her older brother and sister along in a frenzy.
“Seat belt.”
Sol-bi took the passenger seat. When Kang-to reminded her, she cinched it with practiced efficiency.
“Where to, Your Highness?”
“The lighthouse house.”
“Hmm... how about we go all the way around the island first?”
“Okay.”
“Then off we go.”
After driving for a while, the Wrangler stopped in front of her great-uncle and great-aunt’s cart selling fish-shaped bread.
“Great-uncle, Grandma.”
Sol-bi’s voice rang out like thunder.
“Huh?”
The two of them were just as startled.
“This is our dad’s car. Even Sol-bi didn’t know.”
Having delivered her brief report, she set off on the island tour.
“Waaaah.”
The hillside of Chiluijae was swarming with children. Kang-to stood with Sol-bi on the second hill.
“Sol-bi.”
“Mm?”
She looked up.
“Do you miss Grandma?”
“Mm-hm. Sol-bi misses Grandma.”
“Do you remember when Dad said you were probably going to get a lot of relatives?”
“Mm-hm.”
“It really happened.”
“Really?”
“Grandpa, the new Grandma, your great-grandma, your uncle, and your aunt.”
“Waaah, that’s a lot.”
“Do you like it?”
“Mm-hm. What about Dad?”
“Dad likes it too... This car was bought by your great-grandma, too. She said to take you for lots of rides.”
“Waaah, this is so fun.”
“Next time we go to Seoul, let’s go say hello together.”
“Okay. But Dad.”
“What?”
“There are a lot of presents at home.”
“Presents?”
“Mm-hm, this much.”
Sol-bi drew a huge circle in the air with both arms.
“Then should we go see?”
Kang-to lifted Sol-bi into his arms.
“......?”
The moment he stepped into the living room, Kang-to’s eyes went wide. The living room was gone. It had been conquered by stacks of gift boxes.
“They keep coming every time the ferry comes in...”
Manager Seo laughed.
They were gifts sent by the fan café and by guests who had come for readings. Chocolates, handmade cookies, bouquets of stuffed dolls. They’d seen the BBC documentary trailer and the articles about it. Since this was an island, they probably hadn’t been able to send fresh flowers and had settled for substitutes instead.
“Dad, we could open a chocolate shop with all this, right?”
“I guess so?”
Kang-to turned around and saw the children. They were waiting for Sol-bi.
“Sol-bi, do you want to do something kind for once?”
“What is it?”
“Could you set aside a little of the chocolate and snacks for yourself, then share the rest with your teachers, your friends, and the grandparents?”
“Sol-bi can do that.”
Her enthusiasm blazed up.
“Good.”
When Kang-to held out his hand, Sol-bi’s high-five landed with a resounding slap.
“Please take good care of the delivery.”
Kang-to waved.
“Don’t worry, Dad.”
“Don’t worry, sir.”
Starting with Sol-bi, three children joined the distribution effort. Each of them was carrying chocolate, so if anything, they looked like a chocolate delivery service in miniature.
“So that thing went well, huh? I heard it from the guests.”
Manager Seo blushed. He wasn’t much for the internet. His phone was only for calls and texts, so he never found out about YouTube or the latest news very quickly.
“Thanks to you.”
“I heard you found a lot of remains from the Korean War.”
“That was thanks to you too, Manager.”
“What are you talking about? I’m the one getting treated well because of you, Kang-to...”
“Right? Without this shrine, we’d both be fish cakes without red bean paste.”
“Hey, it’s me too, sure, but you’re the Beopsa, Kang-to...”
“Anyway, do we have any of the people who reserved readings staying on the island?”
“Of course. Can’t you see them over there?”
Manager Seo pointed toward the lighthouse. Around it, about ten middle-aged women could be seen wandering about.
“Please take them in.”
“Right now? You must be tired.”
“Are we only going to help the people worrying about bad fate or ominous energies? Let’s save as many as we can, even if it’s just a few.”
“All right.”
Manager Seo, all fired up, strode out of the living room without a backward glance.
It was three days later when the former minister Kim Ki-wook called again. Kang-to had just finished his afternoon readings and was helping Sol-bi with her homework.
“Dad.”
Sol-bi, who had finished her homework and was turning the workbook page, shot her hand into the air.
“What is it?”
“What’s the answer to this?”
Sol-bi pointed to a unit-test sample problem farther down the page.
Was this her version of advanced coursework? It was a question about reading numbers as cardinal and ordinal forms. Being caught unprepared, Kang-to found it surprisingly difficult.
22 — (twenty-two, twenty-second)
33 — (thirty-three, thirty-third)
46 — (forty-six, forty-sixth)
The answer was 46. They’d mixed cardinal and ordinal numbers together. If you blinked, even an adult could get it wrong. These days’ first-grade problems were no joke.
The next one had the same flavor.
[Please read the number greater than 5 and less than 7 in two different ways.]
If he didn’t study with her every day, Kang-to would get them wrong too. So whenever Sol-bi started asking questions, his tension shot all the way up to 100 percent. Just then, before the next question could come, Minister Kim’s call came in.
“Is this a good time to talk?”
“Of course.”
“We’ve received approval from the other side, at least in principle.”
“......?”
Kang-to’s senses erupted like a volcano. In the end, Minister Kim had done it.
“Thank you. You really went above and beyond.”
“However, a few conditions were attached.”
“Go ahead.”
“As proposed, only one site may be selected. In other words, they don’t want any of the other remains disturbed.”
“That’s fine.”
“They’ve only given us two days. One day to find the remains, one day to excavate.”
“That’s not bad either.”
“There are restrictions on personnel as well. You, one representative from the Korean government, and a small excavation team are fine, along with a genetic specialist, but only one reporter is allowed, and even then, no flashy filming equipment.”
“We’ll have to accept that too. What matters is excavating Ahn Eui-sung’s remains, not covering the story.”
“They’ll also assign someone in the name of an observer. They’re insisting on absolute secrecy in case things fail... Even a minor breach could get the permit revoked.”
“......”
Absolute secrecy until the remains are excavated and loaded onto the flight bound for Korea.
It was a condition wrapped in absolute secrecy.
“The tight schedule and the emphasis on secrecy are also because of North Korea. If North Korea finds out and intervenes, it could create discord among China’s leadership. Can you proceed under these conditions?”
“I’ll do it.”
“Then how about departing in a week?”
“Are you coming in with us too, Minister?”
“A great deal of what made this possible came from Chairman Zhao Huning persuading the Party Secretary of Liaoning Province. If I escort you, Beopsa, and pay our respects in Beijing first, everything that follows should proceed smoothly.”
“Then I’d feel terribly guilty...”
“Beopsa.”
“Yes?”
“I told them that this was possible because I trust you, and that I also acted from deep respect for Ahn Eui-sung and the conviction that his remains must be returned to his homeland. A little from many makes a lot — if I can contribute even a small part, I’ll have no regrets. I’ve experienced the pain of family in such a case myself, haven’t I?”
Minister Kim’s words pierced straight through Kang-to’s chest.
“Yes...”
“I’ll convey your resolve to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The rest of the process will be handled from there — flight arrangements, lodging, everything.”
“Thank you.”
“Then I’ll see you at the airport in a week.”
His call with Kim Ki-wook ended.
“Wow.”
Kang-to let out a cry of triumph. At last, the opportunity had come.
The week passed like a bullet. Dr. Ailie boarded a plane bound for Zhoushuizi in Dalian, China, and PD Kwon Ha-eun had also finished her preparations for deployment. Kang-to, after adjusting his schedule, boarded the passenger ferry and set out on the road.
The destination was China, and within it, Dalian.