The Shaman Dad’s Island Village Is Booming
[Celebration - Chilui Branch School Mini Golf Course Construction]
[Welcome - Chilui Branch School Yacht Harbor Construction]
[Congratulations - Chilui Island Desalination Facility Breaks Ground]
Massive banners packed the dock from end to end. There were so many welcome banners from Chilui Elementary School alumni alone, not to mention the ones announcing Kang-to’s latest triumph, that no one could have counted them all.
It felt almost like the ribbons and streamers hung out for a Pungeoje, and the whole harbor had the air of a festival.
And then there was the village leadership: the heads of Netchili and Oechili, even the township chief, had all come out to wait for Kang-to. It seemed word had already gone ahead while he was still boarding the boat.
“Beopsa Lee Kang-to.”
As soon as the Wrangler pulled in, the village heads and local notables came forward. But there was only one person Kang-to truly saw.
“Daddy.”
Sol-bi nearly bounced into the air like a startled deer.
“Have you been good?”
He got out of the car and lifted her into his arms.
“They’re making a golf course at school. And a yacht harbor too. But the person building all that is our new great-grandma. Is that right?”
“Yes.”
Kang-to’s throat tightened.
“Wow.”
“Here, Sol-bi. A gift. Share it with your sisters and brothers.”
After handing over the present, he greeted the local leaders.
“Beopsa Kang-to.”
Village Chief Choi took the lead.
“The township chief came too.”
Still holding Kang-to’s hand, he introduced the official.
“Ah, our Chilui Township’s pride, Beopsa Kang-to.”
The township chief took Kang-to’s hand in both of his. Since the county governor had visited, even his attitude had changed one hundred and eighty degrees.
“Your father is the chairman of Cheonjo Group, the famous Lee Tae-seop, right?”
“Yes...”
“My goodness, you should have said so from the start.”
“......?”
“Anyway, thank you for investing in our township like this. Please send my regards to your father as well...”
“......”
“Chief, shouldn’t we get a chance to greet him too?”
While the township chief dragged things out, Choi and the women’s association chair began to grumble.
“What do you mean? We’re in the middle of official business, trying to develop Chilui Township.”
“Since when did it become ‘our’ Chilui Township? You’ve treated us like leftovers all these years...”
“Well, I’ve been busy with public duties, so how could I help it...”
“Anyway, please step aside. We need to talk among ourselves about the future of our island and Beopsa Kang-to.”
The women’s association chair physically nudged the township chief out of the way. To be fair, there really were a lot of people waiting. Tourism had already picked up, and the news about the Chinese triumph had done its part as well. Now there were no longer just ten or twenty people on the island, but two or three times that number.
But then—
“......?”
Kang-to suddenly stopped short. His intuition had flashed. It wasn’t a good feeling. It was like the sickly sense of walking out of a restroom without flushing.
Am I just tired?
He steadied his breathing and followed behind Choi.
“Beopsa Kang-to.”
They moved to the private room of the fishermen’s cooperative sashimi restaurant. Even there, the township chief kept pleading his case. His true concern was Gyecheong Island and the changes taking place on Chilui Island.
At first it had looked like a storm in a teacup. But that wasn’t it. As time passed, the storm only grew. Now it looked ready to swallow Gyecheong Island whole.
“Well, you know, if Chilui Island is going to develop, then our Gyecheong Island should be moving along with it...”
“Township chief.”
Choi cut in.
“Just say it plainly. You want us to let Gyecheong Island in on the donations too.”
“No, no, business has its procedures and formalities. You can’t just say things that bluntly.”
“Anyway, if you’re done talking, please clear out. The abandoned-child island residents of Chilui need to discuss how to survive on our own.”
Choi’s words came with barbs attached. That had been the stance of the county and township all along: the island was naturally declining, and they didn’t have the resources to save it, so the residents should find a solution themselves.
“Good grief...”
With no other choice, Chief Kwak left the room.
“Honestly, even fleas have faces...”
“You said it. They wouldn’t even sniff at us whenever we asked for anything...”
After the fishermen’s cooperative head, the women’s association chair went on venting her frustration.
“Still, Beopsa Kang-to.”
Choi moved closer and sat beside him.
“Thank you again.”
“It’s nothing...”
“No, it’s not. You’re the one saving our island. Don’t you hear Chief Kwak’s mouth making a racket? Other village heads and even the county office are in an uproar. They’re saying Chilui Island is the benchmark they ought to be studying.”
“Benchmarking?”
“If we’re being honest, what’s really so different about the inland towns and townships? They’re all declining just the same. No matter how much the county governor flails around, no tourists come, no businesses are brought in, and the local population keeps dwindling...”
“...”
“And then our Chilui Island suddenly shines. How could their eyes not pop out?”
“You too, Chief...”
“You know why I’m so worked up, don’t you?”
“Pardon?”
“You don’t know? The sort of man who can see a thousand miles while sitting still?”
“Because of the branch school investment and the desalination project?”
“Still don’t get it?”
Choi looked around at the notables.
“Chief?”
“That matters, sure. But something just as miraculous has happened.”
“A miracle?”
“Transfers. There are more than ten students already hoping to transfer to the branch school.”
“What?”
“Yes, ten. More children than our whole student body are lining up to come over.”
“Is that true?”
“It is. Four households have already been given move-in dates, and a few others have bought old houses and are renovating them.”
The chairman of the shipowner’s association drove the point home.
“......?”
Kang-to was moved as well. It was the power of Chairman Lee’s family’s generous investment.
“Thank you. Beopsa Kang-to is the treasure that brought luck to our island, a real blessing.”
Choi’s mouth was practically dry with gratitude.
“Thanks to him, our Eun-ha’s been sweating bullets.”
Young Men’s Association President Park Deok-gu joined the conversation.
“Why’s that?”
“Why else? She’s always been first in her class, and now a kid from the mainland is coming into the same grade. She’s worried she’ll lose her spot.”
“Oh, come on. Is she first because she’s so smart, or because she’s the only one in that grade?”
“Still, first is first, isn’t it?”
“Then our Beopsa Kang-to’s daughter is first in her class too, wouldn’t you say, Beopsa Kang-to?”
Choi patted Kang-to on the back.
“Ah, don’t worry about it. Even if there were three kids in a grade, she’d just be third, right? That’s good enough.”
The women’s association chair finally put a bow on the whole amusing comparison.
First in her class, Sol-bi?
Come to think of it, yes. These were the kind of island people who could even make Kang-to laugh.
“So Chief Park and I are going to submit our opinion to the mainland. We’re asking them to restore Chilui Branch School to a full elementary school. That way, won’t even more transfer students come?”
“That makes sense.”
“We’re drafting a petition, and we’d like Beopsa Kang-to to sign at the top. That way the county governor won’t be able to say a word.”
“Understood.”
“And we’re holding a welcome banquet tonight. That’s all right, isn’t it?”
“A welcome banquet?”
“Oh, whether you knew or not, how could you refuse now? The broadcasters and newspapers are making a fuss too...”
“Thank you.”
He couldn’t turn down their sincerity, so he accepted the emergency consultation with a word of thanks.
“Waaah!”
Outside, shouts rang out from the direction of the school. It was the playground. The children were playing soccer, and among them were two unfamiliar faces.
Only one child was missing: sixth-grader Jua. She never really mixed with the others.
Sol-bi was among the players too. Still tiny, she had been assigned goalie. On the other side, Dong-cheol was guarding the net. When Jeong-u on the opposing team took a shot, Sol-bi rushed out and met it with a kick.
But it was a miss.
The ball rolled on untouched and kissed the net.
“Goal.”
“Goal.”
As Jeong-u cheered after scoring, Sol-bi lifted the ball in triumph too. She didn’t really understand soccer, so winning and losing didn’t matter much. All that mattered was the joy of playing together.
“It’s Beopsa Kang-to.”
The children looked up at him.
“Daddy.”
Sol-bi ran over and grabbed his hand. The island children never had any trouble with strangers, and Kang-to was immediately drafted onto Sol-bi’s team.
“Waaah!”
The children swarmed after Kang-to. Sol-bi, thrilled to pieces, forgot even her position and ran along with them.
“Hong-seo, here it comes.”
She passed the ball to Hong-seo, who was running beside her. Hong-seo launched a shot, but Dong-cheol blocked it.
“Got it.”
Clutching the ball, Dong-cheol raced across the field, with Sol-bi and Tae-hee chasing after him. These were children who were happy either way, no matter what happened.
“Beopsa Kang-to.”
Teacher Bang Ra-eun, the branch school principal and also the P.E. teacher, music teacher, and general all-purpose instructor, came over.
“Hello.”
“You’ve helped the branch school’s development so much. This is my first time experiencing something like this, so even thanking you feels awkward.”
“Not at all.”
“At first I’m sorry I couldn’t recognize you. Back then I just thought, what’s some young fellow doing pretending to be a shaman...”
“It’s fine. Everybody thinks that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“More importantly, if there’s anything you need, please let me know. I’ll pass it on to the sponsors.”
“A school with a golf course and an indoor swimming pool is something I’ve never seen before. You even replaced all the students’ computers with the latest models, so what more could anyone ask for?”
“Is that so?”
“Now I understand why Teacher Kim, who was here before I transferred in, praised you so highly, Beopsa-nim. I’d honestly just brushed those words off before. Thanks to that, I got praised a little at the main school too.”
“The vice principal is doing well, I hope?”
“Yes.”
Even as they talked, the children kept swarming after the ball.
“Waaah!”
This time Sol-bi blocked a shot. Then she planted the ball down and kicked it straight into her own goal.
“Goal.”
Sol-bi bounced with delight even after scoring an own goal. The children didn’t scold her; they just kept running in all directions. That no-holds-barred soccer game eventually came to an end.
“Daddy.”
Sol-bi came running and took Kang-to’s hand.
“Was it fun?”
“Yeah. I’m so happy there are more older sisters and brothers now.”
“There’s something else you’ll like too, Sol-bi.”
“What is it?”
“Ta-da.”
Kang-to displayed the photo he’d taken with the president on his phone.
“Guess who?”
“Who is it?”
“Who’s the most important person in our country?”
“The president?”
“That’s right. Look closely. This person here is the president.”
“Wow, Daddy took a picture with him?”
“Pretty impressive, huh?”
“Waaah.”
Sol-bi clapped and hopped in place. She didn’t know much about politics, but she did know the president was someone important. Hm. Kang-to’s shoulders actually straightened with pride.
They visited his aunt’s house and finished their greetings there. Both elders looked more pleased than anyone.
The remodeling was done too. Perhaps because Sang-gyu had put so much care into it, the place looked brand-new. Just like on the mainland, Sol-bi even had her own room now. It seemed they had taken Kang-to’s frequent absences into account.
“But, Daddy.”
As they left his uncle’s house, Sol-bi hesitated before speaking.
“Hmm?”
“I met a weird lady yesterday.”
“A weird lady?”
“Yeah, and that lady...”
At that moment, Kang-to’s phone rang. It was Lady Gyeongsin.
“Aunt?”
“You on the island yet?”
“Yes, just now.”
“The bodhisattva I sent should have arrived on that boat. She’s someone an old regular of mine recommended. Her name is Lee Bok-soon, and she’s a seafood expert who’s been on TV lately. Beopsa Kang-to, take a look at her for me.”
“You want me to do it instead of you, Aunt?”
“My abilities aren’t enough for it, that’s why.”
“Understood.”
“Sorry. You must have a lot of other guests...”
“Who do you think that’s thanks to? I’ll fit her in during my free time, so don’t worry.”
“Thank you.”
He ended the call after Lady Gyeongsin’s greeting. His divine mother, Lady Gyeongsin, had always stood behind him without fail. She had done so during the BBC case, and again during the excavation of Dr. An’s remains. So sending him a guest was hardly something to thank her for lightly; it was almost the opposite.
“Ah, Sol-bi.”
He turned his attention back to her.
“You said you met a weird lady?”
“Yeah.”
“What was weird about her?”
“She asked me if my daddy’s name was Lee Kang-to. So I said yes, right?”
“......?”
“Then...”
“......”
“She said she was my mom.”
“......?”
“What did you say?”
“Mom. She said she’s Sol-bi’s mom.”
“......?”
“And she called me Matilda... Isn’t she dumb? My name is Sol-bi.”
Matilda?
Kang-to’s instincts flared all at once. Mother. It was a word he had no right to say lightly, but there was only one person who could say it like that.
[Yu Se-ran]
It was her. The mention of Matilda left no room for doubt.
“Daddy.”
“She’s lying.”
Kang-to’s expression hardened.
“She said she’d wait and see me when you got here.”
“She’s just a guest, all right?”
“Okay.”
Sol-bi nodded and ran off toward the mudflats. The children had all charged ahead in a crowd.
“......”
His head rang for a moment. It felt like the terrible scene from that day he’d gotten drunk had come back to life.
“Manager.”
He grabbed the Wrangler’s gear and headed for the shrine. Mr. Seo was already taking walk-in visitors.
“Beopsa-nim?”
The one who brightened at the sight of him was a guest from before. Judging by the atmosphere, she had brought two friends with her.
“Say hello. This is our Beopsa Kang-to.”
The guest tugged at the sleeves of her friends’ clothes.
“Hello. My friend said you were amazing, so I took a day off and came.”
The two friends smiled brightly. Kang-to returned their greeting with due politeness.
“Did someone sent by Aunt Gyeongsin arrive?”
“Yes, just a little while ago... We said we’d call as soon as she got settled at the guesthouse.”
“Bring her in.”
“You’ll see her now?”
“She’s someone my divine mother sent, isn’t she? Starting tomorrow I’ll be busy again, so I should cut down the number of guests and begin with her.”
“But...”
Mr. Seo started sneaking glances at Kang-to.
“Go on, say it.”
“Well... some woman came by and left a phone number, saying she was Sol-bi’s mother.”
“Then bring that woman in first.”
“Beopsa Kang-to.”
“Why? It’s not like there’s just one person trying to sell me off these days.”
As Kang-to cut him off, Mr. Seo let out a relieved breath.
Yu Se-ran.
Sitting in the shrine, Kang-to pictured her face. Now that he’d become famous, she must have landed on his radar.
But she was a woman who treated replacing men like changing a key ring charm. He had no intention of giving someone like that the right to call herself Sol-bi’s mother.
“Lee Kang-to is here?”
Her voice, the voice of a hunting woman who had never cared about age or status when it came to men, scrunched at the ear. And with that sound, a woman stepped inside.
My life belongs to me.
Your life belongs to me too.
I am the main character in this world.
Everyone else is just expendable.
With that entire mindset loaded into place, Yu Se-ran stepped into the shrine.
Without even realizing that Kang-to was already in a state of divine possession.