The Hero’s Return
Swish.
The thin white shaman’s cap was folded away as gently as a leaf settling on water.
A line from a college-entrance exam reading passage drifted through his mind.
That was what Ailie’s hands felt like. It was as if an angel’s fingers were brushing the breath of life itself.
Gulp.
Everyone watching held their breath. Even the Chinese observers did. And so, at last, Dr. Ahn’s bone sample was collected.
“Beopsa-nim.”
Minister Kim called to Kang-to.
“I’ve just finished speaking with Chairman Zhao Houning.”
“What did he say?”
“For now, he says he’ll wait for the results.”
“I’m already getting impatient.”
“So am I.”
Minister Kim laughed.
At this late hour, before the results were even in, his decision to call the chairman was a shrewd one. It was a safeguard against any sudden move from local party officials.
Ailie’s DNA analysis did not take long. Her methods were so precise, so extraordinarily refined, that the results came fast. At the same time, the sample was also sent to the Chinese testing facility.
“Wow, it’s only been ten minutes.”
Even the usually composed Secretary Park couldn’t hide his nerves. Kang-to looked up at the sky. Night had deepened further. Every time he shifted his gaze, faint spirits seemed to brush past. Above that sky, seven stars shone especially bright. The Big Dipper. The second star flashed into his eyes like a jolt of electricity.
If you make a wish while looking at the second hill...
His mother’s voice overlapped with that star. Kang-to made his prayer. Let Dr. Ahn’s remains, which Kang-to knew without doubt were authentic, come back as an exact match on the DNA test too.
Kang-to, Minister Kim, Secretary Park, the excavation experts, and the Chinese observers all stayed right where the bones had been found, not moving a single step.
How much time passed like that? Kang-to’s phone rang like a thunderclap. It was Director Kwon.
“Beopsa-nim?”
“Director Kwon?”
He answered only once and listened. Director Kwon had gone back to the hotel to film Ailie’s analysis.
“Beopsa-nim...”
His throat closed up, and he couldn’t go on.
“The result... is in?”
“The result...”
“......?”
“It came back as a match.”
In the end, Director Kwon broke down. Even delivering those few words made tears burst from him in a rush of emotion and excitement.
Match.
Match...
“It’s a match.”
Drunk on the overwhelming joy, Kang-to announced the triumph.
“Yes!”
Secretary Park and the excavation experts shouted in delight. Everyone threw themselves into the celebration together. It felt like they had the whole world in their hands. That was exactly how this moment felt.
“Beopsa-nim.”
Minister Kim embraced Kang-to as they shared the joy.
“You’ve worked so hard. Truly, you’ve worked so hard.”
“It’s thanks to you, Minister. If not for you...”
Even Kang-to could not hold back his tears.
The result belonged to Kang-to. But the first stream of water that started the flow had been Minister Kim’s doing. This was one of those cases where the beginning mattered just as much as the ending. That was why Kang-to never forgot the minister’s contribution.
“Good heavens, well, well...”
The Chinese observers’ expressions changed too. Their own result had not come in yet. But they knew Dr. Ailie’s reputation, and they knew it well. If she said it was a match, then it was a match.
In any case, they still had to wait for the Chinese side’s result. This was Chinese soil, their own backyard, and sadly, here the Chinese result mattered more than Ailie’s.
“Beopsa-nim.”
Ailie and Director Kwon returned after finishing their analysis.
“Doctor.”
Kang-to embraced Ailie as well, and in that moment of shared emotion, it felt as though the whole world had drawn close around them. After that, they stood in reverent silence at the place where Dr. Ahn’s bones had been uncovered.
Now that Ailie’s result was in, no one felt restless anymore. Dr. Ahn had waited here for more than a hundred years to return to his liberated homeland. It was only proper to show him that respect.
In the early dawn, at last, the Chinese observer’s phone rang.
“Wei?”
With a single “Hello,” the observer’s expression stiffened. The call was short.
“......”
Every eye turned to the observer.
“Congratulations. Our test also confirmed that the remains are Dr. Ahn’s.”
The observer bowed to Secretary Park.
“Yes!”
Kang-to’s group exploded with emotion once again.
“Incredible.”
Only then did the Chinese observers truly acknowledge Kang-to.
“Then shall we begin the actual excavation?”
Secretary Park asked. Day two of the excavation option had begun.
“Please do.”
The observers stepped back toward the edge of the brush.
The experts offered a simple salute, then bent into deep bows before beginning the real excavation in earnest. Even then, total secrecy around the dig was maintained.
Until the remains were placed on a flight
That had been part of the Chinese conditions, and Kang-to and the excavation team did not violate a single one of them.
Director Kwon’s camera rolled with the same solemn care as the hands of the excavation experts. Not a single moment of this historic scene would be missed.
Over their hard-won effort, the Chinese morning sun rose. Its light settled upon Dr. Ahn’s remains.
Then Dr. Ahn’s spirit slowly rose to its feet. It walked toward Kang-to and smiled, white and serene.
-You’ve done well.
It looked as though he was offering those words of praise. Kang-to bowed his head respectfully and accepted the hero’s tribute, as one of the people of the Republic of Korea who had lived to see liberation through the dead man’s struggle.
Dr. Ahn’s remains were received by his family. Then the family boarded the aircraft bearing the Korean national flag. The wait in a foreign land had been long, but the moment the casket was loaded aboard the plane, everything changed. A national aircraft is Korean territory. From that point on, it was no longer a matter of secrecy.
“Minister.”
Secretary Park became busy again.
“Grandmother.”
Kang-to did the same. While the plane was receiving clearance for takeoff, he called Song Ji-na.
“Kang-to, Beopsa, how did it go?”
“We’re on the flight to Korea. With Dr. Ahn’s remains.”
“Wow.”
Song Ji-na’s shout rang in Kang-to’s ear. She was Korean too, after all.
“As expected... as expected of our Kang-to, Beopsa. Well done.”
“It was because you prepared such an incredible gift for me.”
“It worked?”
“If not for that, I think it would have gone badly. I hear the local party secretary was hostile to the whole matter. They were raising objections to Dr. Ailie’s equipment, the authority on DNA, but your call solved everything.”
“So I’ve managed to save face for you, have I?”
“That’s far too modest a way to put it.”
“Good. I’m not the sort of petty person who’d steal credit from my grandson.”
“Thank you.”
“And the remains?”
“The family came from Korea and took custody of them.”
“Then the secrecy restrictions are lifted?”
“It seems so.”
“Today, our Republic of Korea is really going to be buzzing.”
“I suppose it will.”
“We’d like to arrange a proper welcome for you too, Beopsa, but... will you have the time?”
“If you buy me a cold beer, I’ll drink it.”
“Beer? Like that would be enough. Anyway, just come back safely.”
“Yes, Grandmother.”
“Ah, your father wants to speak to you for a moment.”
Song Ji-na said. After a brief silence, Chairman Lee’s voice came through.
“Lee Kang-to, you found Dr. Ahn’s remains?”
“Yes.”
“My word, this is really...”
“It was all thanks to everyone’s support from the heart.”
“What are you talking about? This was all your doing. Something only you could have done.”
“I was the one who found them, but the harder part was everything that led up to it. So it was really everyone’s encouragement that made it possible.”
“Hmm. Perhaps all the hopes of our people gathered there together. You aren’t hurt anywhere, are you?”
“I’m fine, thanks to you.”
“Good. Your brother and sister will be waiting at the airport. Take that ride and come home.”
“Understood.”
Chairman Lee was also visibly electrified. After the call ended, Kang-to saw that everyone else was busy with their own phones too. Director Kwon was the same, and so was Minister Kim beside him.
“Beopsa-nim.”
Minister Kim, having finished his call, turned back to Kang-to.
“Yes?”
“When we land in Korea, please disembark with the family.”
“Me?”
“Isn’t that obvious? You’re the heart of this entire operation.”
“I think that needs a little correction.”
“A correction?”
“The heart of it is you, Minister. This was only possible because you secured permission from the Chinese leadership.”
“That’s nonsense. I acted because I trusted you, Beopsa-nim.”
“You should come down together with the bereaved family, Minister. That would look best.”
“Beopsa-nim?”
“I’m a shaman’s disciple. For a disciple of the gods, it’s enough to reveal the stain trapped in people’s fates and offer them a way out. If I step too far forward in a matter like this, I’ll incur beoljeon.”
“What?”
At the shamans’ term, Minister Kim faltered.
“Then... my role only goes as far as the foot of the stairs. I won’t be part of the official repatriation ceremony or the press conference.”
“Beopsa-nim?”
“That is the path of a disciple. So...”
“Then what about your credit?”
“My credit will be known to Dr. Ahn’s spirit, to you and Secretary Park, and to Director Kwon and Dr. Ailie. And beyond that, my own family will know it too. Is there any need for more than that?”
“......!”
At Kang-to’s words, Minister Kim lost all ability to respond.
The Kang-to sitting before him was not merely some gifted shaman who delivered astonishingly precise readings. He was a man whose convictions filled him to the core. He was less a shaman than a seasoned priest who had already reached a state of liberation and transcendence.
“I’ve sent the draft, and the video file too.”
From the back seat, Director Kwon extended a hand.
Clap.
They slapped hands in a high five. Now the real news would begin. A national hero’s return, opening with breaking coverage. Just then the takeoff announcement came over the cabin speakers, and Kang-to quietly closed his eyes.
Whoooosh.
The plane, streaking forward with all its speed, finally shed the tension of China and surged up over the runway.
Jing-a-ling.
With the clear ring of a spirit bell, his mother appeared.
-Kang-to, Beopsa.
-You don’t know, do you?
-Just before the warp and weft of my life’s thread was exhausted, I received a divine revelation.
-If you became a shaman, you would stand above every national master; if you refused the calling, you would be plagued by illness for the rest of your life.
-I’m grateful you’ve been drawing out the big picture according to that revelation.
-As a reward, I’ll tell you a line I kept in my heart.
-Meeting a good teacher is a blessing in life, and meeting a good shaman is a blessing in fate.
With those final words, Kang-to opened his eyes.
The plane came to a stop.
It was parked before the people gathered for the repatriation ceremony on one side of the runway. Led by the president and the speaker of the National Assembly, dignitaries from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Veterans Affairs Ministry, and others stood in a solemn line. A red carpet had been laid out, adding to the gravity of the scene. From the honor guard of the three armed forces to the hearse prepared for the remains, everything stood in magnificent order.
“Let’s go.”
At Minister Kim’s words, the bereaved family took the lead. They carried a framed portrait of Dr. Ahn prepared in advance. The remains were held between Kang-to and Minister Kim, one on either side. Of course, they were carefully wrapped in the Korean national flag. This one thing he could not refuse. It was part of his duty as a citizen.
The moment they stepped onto Korean soil, solemn music began to play. It was a live performance by the military band.
Click, click.
Bang, bang.
The cameras of domestic and foreign journalists flashed furiously.
[The bereaved family, Minister Kim, Kang-to]
Kang-to’s photograph appeared only once. That alone was enough.
At last, Dr. Ahn’s remains had returned to the homeland. At the foot of the stairs, Kang-to handed them over to the soldiers in full dress uniform. His part in this was finished.
“All present, bow your heads.”
At the booming command, everyone fell into a reverent silence.
Kang-to boarded the airport shuttle bus along with the other passengers. The captain had made the announcement before landing, so no one complained. If anything, the mood was filled with a sense of honor at having traveled with Dr. Ahn’s remains.
“Lee Kang-to.”
Hyung-wook’s voice thundered at the entrance to immigration. He wasn’t alone; Eun-seo was with him too. Both of them wore faces bright with unrestrained excitement.
“Hyung, not so loud...”
Before Kang-to could finish,
“What do you want me to do? My little brother Lee Kang-to brought home one of the heroes of our Republic of Korea...”
Hyung-wook’s embrace was ludicrously rough. Eun-seo was waiting for her turn too.
Over their shoulders, the emergency news broadcast was already flashing on a screen. It showed the runway scene: Kang-to and Minister Kim carrying the remains down the stairs.
“Wooooah!”
People who recognized Kang-to erupted in cheers.
Clap, clap, clap.
Thunderous applause followed.
The joy of being born Korean, and the joy of becoming a shaman’s disciple. He felt both at once in this moment.