"Joon.."
The sunset glows outside the hospital
window.
The trees outside are shedding all their leaves, becoming bare.
"Are, are you there...?"
Sunah, who has lost her eyesight, half-rises in her hospital bed and gropes around, searching for me.
I quietly sit beside her, not moving and staying silent.
"Joon...Joo, Joon.."
Sunah, who has been anxiously searching for me for a while, finally manages to fully sit up, and her hand barely touches my knee.
Only then did a fleeting smile of relief pass over Sunah's face.
But in the very next moment, as if realizing something, her face turns pale.
"...Joo, Joon..."
"....."
"How many times...?"
"...."
"I.. I'm dying today, aren't I..."
A flicker of fear dawns in Sunah's sightless eyes.
Sunah won't make it through tonight.
I am now living through dozens of 'todays.'
"I'm sorry, Joon.."
"For not being able to stay with you...until the very end...."
Sunah, no longer hiding her feelings, nestles into my chest.
I don't refuse her; I hold her close as she clings to me like a baby bird.
"Joon....Joon..."
"....."
I stroke Sunah's head as she rubs her face against my chest, as if this is exactly what she wanted.
Soon, Sunah, leaning against my chest with a drowsy expression, brings up an old memory.
"Joon.... do you remember when you first came to my house...?"
"Back then... You ran away from home
because you saw a ghost at your house, right...."
"....."
"I was... hiding in the wardrobe at my house...and watching that strange, boring show on TV.."
"..."
"Do you remember that, Joon...."
"....."
"It was only two years ago... but it feels like ages ago."
"....."
"We really went through a lot, didn't We..."
"....."
"I'm sorry I can't be with you until the end... I'm sorry, Joon..."
I hug Sunah's small body close once more.
How many more times would I need to hold her for this ache to ease?
It's a 'today' repeated so many times there was nothing left to say, but for me, it still wasn't enough.
***
[This is the sight of a building collapsing, sending upa cloud of dust in Noryangjin around 4 am. on Monday, May 27th.]
[BOOM- RUMBLE-]
["Whoa, it's collapsing!"]
["Oh my god, oh my god."]
[The building in question is said to be five stories high and, in addition to having a bowling alley, billiard hall, and karaoke room, it also housed anboarding house where over 20 people resided.]
[Fortunately, thanks to police and rescue workers who were quickly dispatched upon receiving reports of signs of the collapse, a preemptive evacuation was carried out, and it has been reported that not a single casualty occurred.]
[The police have announced they are currently investigating the cause of the collapse, considering multiple possibilities, but some voices are suggesting that poor construction by A Construction Company may be the cause.]
[This is reporter Na Eunsu, KBC News.]
Beep-
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... those pathetic idiots.."
Jang Sedon, a congressman as fat as a pig, clicked his tongue disdainfully as he turned off the TV.
"Anyway, those construction company bastards, except for the big firms, none of them do anything right. They probably just pissed inside while putting up the building..."
Knock knock-
"Sir?"
"Huh? What, what?"
"You have a visitor."
"Ah, tell them to come in."
The moment he said that, the door burst open and a broad-shouldered detective strode into the office.
The flustered female secretary closed
the door from the outside.
It was Detective Park Gangwoon, a taciturn figure who wore a thick coat even though the weather was nearing June.
Congressman Jang Sedon sat in his chair, sticking out his belly without even getting up.
"Ah, jeez, just looking at you makes me hot. Aren't you going to change your clothes? How long are you going to wear that thing? Must have been about 10 years now."
"Buy me one, then."
"Forget it, man. It's not like your salary is that small.."
Living up to his rotund appearance,
Congressman Jang Sedon, who was quite stingy when it came to talk of money, turned his head.
He was a prime specimen of a low-quality congressman, befitting his appearance as a rotund, corrupt official, though those around him were quite curious about how an upright and honest detective like Park Gangwoon had come to be on such familiar terms with such a greedy and shady character.
But if a strange incident on the other side of this world becomes the catalyst.
If, in that way, you end up sharing strange secrets that you can't tell anyone.
Then, differences in personality or moral concepts naturally end up being Overcome.
Just like the six completely unconnected students in the Ghost Story Club.
"Can i Sit đown?"
"You came because you need a favor from me, right? Since when have you ever asked that and then sat down?"
"Shall I stand, then?"
"Sit down, you punk."
"Well then, I'll just sit."
Detective Park Gangwoon naturally perched himself on the edge of Congressman Jang Sedon's desk.
Flabbergasted, he immediately spewed out a frivolous curse.
"Hey, you punk, aren't you going to get off? This thing costs 1.463 million won, you know. It's really damn expensive."
"What kind of desk is so expensive?"
"If you press a button, people come running. Wanna see?"
Congressman Jang Sedon pressed a button underneath the desk.
Then, the female secretary who had been working outside opened the door again.
"Did you call for me, Sir?"
"Hmm~ Please get rid of this for me~"
The pig-like congressman, still sitting down, pointed at the Detective with his foot.
"He's up on my desk~ Hurry~"
The secretary looked flustered, glancing back and forth between the two.
As expected of the clearly cunning Congressman, he seemed to often tease her like this.
The Detective, still seated with his arms crossed, nodded to the secretary.
"If this guy says any weird stuff, tell
me. Like dirty jokes old men make. I'll
put him in his place for you."
"Hey, I don't do that kind of thing!"
Jang Sedon shouted abruptly, but
ignoring him, the Detective said
whatever he wanted to say.
"Not only when it comes to sexual humiliation or aversion, but also if he uses such language or behavior as an excuse to make working conditions unfavorable. Even if it involves touching your body without
permission, making comments about your appearance, or making personal contact. Also if it involves using his position to force you to work outside of the workplace or during working hours."
"....."
"If you tell me all of it, I'll resolve it for you directly and confidentially."
"Well... I actually worked outside of working hours a few times..."
"Hey, get out!"
The female secretary smiled and closed the door.
Congressman Jang Sedon pointed at the Detective, sweat dripping down his fat forehead.
"Nothing like that happened. She's just
upset over me sending a few faxes. You know?"
"It seems that way, seeing as she took it as a joke."
The Detective finally lifted himself off the desk and stood up.
Only then did Congressman Jang Sedon also stop leaning back on the chair, which was leaning so far in the back as if it might tip over, sat up straight at his desk seriously, and propped his chin on his hand.
The Congressman quietly looked the
Detective up and down.
"'So why are you here today?"
"Did you see the building collapse in
Noryangjin early this morning?"
"If I didn't know about that, I should resign as a congressman. It's been all Over the news."
"I was hoping you could handle that matter well."
"How exactly should I handle it for you?"
Congressman Jang Sedon unwrapped a candy and stuffed it in his mouth.
"What, should I run over and help clear the rubble? Put some soot on my face?"
"That won't be necessary."
Detective Park Gangwoon also plopped down on the sofa and continued speaking comfortably.
"Just make sure no strange stories come out. So it seems like it was a building that was meant to collapse anyway."
"....So it was a building that wasn't supposed to collapse?"
Congressman Tang Sedon rolled the candy in his mouth, his eyes sparkling.
"Why did it collapse?"
"Because all the people living between the pillars moved out, leaving a hole."
"What the hell..."
The Congressman's fat jaw and his gaze momentarily hardened.
"Are you still chasing that kind of thing these days? Isn't it about time you quit by now?"
"How can I quit when something like this happens at dawn?"
"..."
The Congressman silently rolled the candy in his mouth for a moment, then nodded solemnly.
"I suppose..."
"...."
"Aigoo... Our fate.."
Amidst the silence, Congressman Jang Sedon let out a deep sigh.
A look of regret settled on his face.
"..Right? How can you quit when these damn strange things just keep occuring..." he continues "But we have to forget... what can we do.. it's been over 10 years now...."
Congressman Jang Sedon mourned for the Detective's fiancée with a worried expression.
However, Detective Park Gangwoon showed no reaction at all and just sat
silently on the sofa.
And thus, a moment of silence and mourning passes.
Congressman Jang Sedon chewed up the candy that had shrunk and melted in his mouth, then smacked his lips loudly with a Chup!' and propped his chin up again.
"Alright. I'll handle it like this."
As a solution seemed imminent, Detective Gangwoon quickly lifted his head and listened attentively.
"There's a guy I know, a professor in the civil engineering department. I'll plant him in the news, make him say that this collapse had a cause that couldn't be prevented. It's be an
interview where the news people just contact the professor over the phone, so I can make the call right now if I have to."
"...Are you doing that for free?"
"Heh heh, of course not for free...."
The Congressman said, clutching his
bulging belly as he laughed.
"It'll cost me some money, but there's
this guy who is representing my district in a different party than me. Listen, here's how we'll do it."
Congressman Jang Sedon pointed at the Detective with a greedy expression.
"You said there's a boarding house on the fifth floor of that building, right? Fire safety laws for boarding houses change like crazy every year. But nobody follows them. Because if you followed all of them, you couldn't stay in business."
"...Is that so?"
"Yeah. There's a ton of stuff you have to install. To follow that, you'd need a water tank in every room. Does that even make sense? Such a thing in that cramped space?"
"..Well, I don't know about that."
"Anyway, that's originally something public officials should inspect. But it's obvious these b*stards didn't do it anyway, so we just tie it to that. The building safety inspection was insufficient. If a public official had just
come by once to look around, this could
have been prevented, but they didn't come. So whose fault is that? Isn't it the district office head's fault?"
"...."
"Even if the law is strange, if you're told to inspect, you should. Why didn't they? It's their fault."
The Detective, who had been listening,
let out a sigh.
"So that's why you're willingly spending your own money to help, because it allowS you to rein in Someone you don't like in that district. As expected, there was a reason."
"Why would I help if there's no reason? Am I a philanthropist?"
The Congressman chuckled and unwrapped another piece of candy.
Detective Park Gangwoon, seizing the moment when he looked pleased, subtly slipped in one more request.
"Also, if there are any videos shot too closely on the internet or news, please control those as well. My face or the faces of people around me might have appeared."
"Well, that's obvious since it's about the right to privacy. I'll handle it properly, So... in the end, you just want me to make sure no strange stories come out, right?"
"Yes."
"But in the end, some innocent people are going to take the fall for this. Is that okay with you, given your personality?"
Congressman Jang Sedon grinned slyly as he looked at the Detective.
"The construction company officials who will soon be arrested, and the district office head who will suffer at my hands. They're actually not guilty at all."
"...."
"Is that okay with you? Hmm?"
Congressman Jang Sedon smiled meaningfully like a pig.
It was his scheme to secretlv tease Detective Park Gangwoon, who always lived an upright and honest life.
The Detective sighed.
"I've looked into it all. They're guys with plenty of crimes to be arrested for, even without this."
"Such an easy judgement."
"Among those who've reached that
position, no one is clean."
Detective Park Gangwoon calmly clasped his hands together and looked at the fat congressman.
"Right?"
The Congressman averted his gaze, sweating profusely.
Then he gestured for him to leave.
"Okay, that's it. You can leave now."
Detective Park Gangwoon chuckled and got up from the sofa.
"It's always you, Sedon, my brother.Thank you."
"No, it's nothing..."
CongresSman Jang Sedon leaned back, not even bothering to listen.
He was the type who wouldn't accept verbal greetings if there was nothing substantial coming his way.
"Go now. Quickly. Immediately."
"Yes."
"And if there are strange things like this, tell me first. Just like today."
"Understood."
His last sentence was sincere.
He was a materialistic and worldly person, but as a member of the National Assembly, he could not ignore these strange events, knowing that they were secretly taking place under the South Korean government.
Sometimes such incidents would come biting something big, just like it had to the Detective.
"I will leave then,"
"Okay~ Bye~"
"Oh, right."
"Don't 'oh, right me."
Detective Park Gangwoon ignored him, grabbed the doorknob, and casually asked.
"Mr. Congressman. By any chance... do you know of the Dogma of Void?"
"What? Is it a cult or something?"
He asked nonchalantly, throwing away the second candy wrapper.
The Detective nodded.
"Yes. It's related to Taoism or Buddhism, and has about 10,000 followers-
"Ten thousand? That's nothing. Might as well be just a temple."
"But they also have an organization and have established several schools. Here in Seoul too."
"Really?"
Congressman Jang Sedon spun his chair around and looked at the Detective.
"What kind of schools?"
"A few alternative schools, and in ShinLim, there's Nakseong High School.....".
"Really? Nakseong High School?"
Congressman Jang Sedon tapped his desk a few times with a puzzled expression.
Then, after letting out a thoughtful Hmm..' for a moment, he spoke.
"By any chance, is that the place with the meditation center?"
"Yes, you're probably right. It's called the Void Meditation Center..."
"Right, that explains it."
'If there was an organization with that much money, there's no way I wouldn't know about it,'
He thought, leaning back in his chair.
"But what do I do? I have no connection with them. Should I become friends with them?"
After a moment of silence, Detective Park Gangwoon replied in a chilling tone.
"No. I'd advise you not to."
"Wha, what?"
The pig-like congressman cowered at the bear-like detective, who suddenly turned serious.
"Well, I guess... if that's what my dearest brother is saying....".
"Just look into a few things for me. Like
the flow of money, or any signs of them stepping into politics."
"....How Could a group of 10,000 people even try to enter politics? Even cults with hundreds of thousands of followers are struggling to do so."
"That's exactly why it's strange and I'm
asking you to look into it. Because it
seems like they are trying."
"Hmm, okay...."
Congressman Jang Sedon spun his chair around, a dumbfounded expression on his face.
But Detective Park Gangwoon kept a serious face and repeatedly emphasized his point.
"Especially keep an eye on their leader, named In Taesang. Maybe he uses an alias, so his name isn't found in Korea."
"....Well, alright. In Taesang. I'll remember that"
"Yes. I'll take my leave now."
Detective Park Gangwoon gave a short bow and left, and Congressman Jang Sedon shouted after him.
"Next time you come, at least bring Some fruit~"
"..."
"Already gone. That guy's quick..."
Congressman Jang Sedon spun his chair back around and began scanning the books on his bookshelf.
"Dogma of Void, Dogma of Void, Dogma of Void.. Hmm.."
Then he pulled out one thick book. It was a hardcover book containing the genealogy of all the heresies and cults in South Korea.
Of course, it was just one of those pieces of heresy-peddling literature written by pastors who like to play with money, ready to sell it to anyone. But it was well-organized in its own
way, so it was safe to assume there was practically no religious group not recorded in it.
"Let's see. Under V for Void.. Void cult... Void cult.."
But as he followed the table of contents down to the subheadings, there was no such religion.
"....Nothing?"
Congressman Jang Sedon frowned briefly before closing the book.
"Aigoo, I don't know. Let's just focus on my work."
He put the book back and dialed the professor of civil engineering from third-rate local university.
"Ah, it's me! How have you been? About that thing today- Yeah, yeah, so you saw the new, actually that why I called you....