#18

“Does Ki-beom go to church too?”

“Yes.”

“Are you a lifelong believer?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then what?”

“Every Sunday after the service, they provide lunch and teach the kids….”

The the man mumbled vaguely.

“That reminds me of my time in the military. I didn’t even stay for six months, but I went to temples, churches, and cathedrals back then because they offered food. I could think about other things during the service without worrying about being caught.”

At Tae-heun’s words, the man glanced back.

“Why? Do I look like someone who hasn’t been to the military? I was even advised to be a stake driver.”

At that time, if he could, he would have wanted to be a stake driver. It was when he barely escaped a murder charge with his Uncle’s help and enlisted in the military as if fleeing. The stress of not remembering whether he had truly killed someone, or what had actually happened that day, was greater than the guilt of having committed murder. He was more scared than grateful for his Uncle’s efforts to get him out of the military. It was all in the past, but there were times like that.

The distance between him and the man closed. The faded black cotton T-shirt, as worn as his boots, was soaked with sweat.

“It’s hot.”

Tae-heun muttered softly.

“Isn’t it hot for you too, Ki-beom?”

At such a trivial remark, the Man’s neck, clearly visible, turned red. He quickened his pace.

Next to the chapel, at the kitchen table in the pastor’s residence, a the child was studying with a book open. The Pastor’s wife sat beside him, closely watching whether he was solving the problems correctly.

When the man entered, the the child wiggled with joy, but at the Pastor’s wife’s admonition to ‘focus,’ he deflated and turned his gaze back to the workbook. After about ten more minutes, the the child finished studying and bounced over to the man with excitement. He noticed Tae-heun a moment too late and widened his eyes.

“Pastor’s wife, give me food!”

The the child shouted at the Pastor’s wife.

Tae-heun found the interaction between the man and the the child amusing. It felt like looking at his past self. Normally, one would feel shy about receiving food, but the two were completely unbothered, just as he had been. If the soup or side dishes were insufficient, they asked for more without hesitation. While the Father slowly ate one bowl of rice, the the child devoured two bowls and even munched on the fruit the Pastor’s wife served.

“Do you write by any chance?”

The plain-looking Pastor’s wife asked Tae-heun as she served him a bowl of sweet cinnamon punch.

“I’m not famous, but there was a writer who stayed with Yong-jun for about six months while writing.”

“Oh. I was wondering why I kept getting asked about writers, and now I understand.”

Tae-heun replied warmly and took a sip of the punch.

“I’m not a writer; I’m an office worker. I just came here to take a break.”

“On vacation?”

“Yes. I’m a bit worn out.”

The Pastor’s wife nodded vigorously, signaling ‘I understand.’

“Our Pastor also struggled a lot when he was an associate pastor in Seoul. There were many more congregants than here, but he didn’t seem happy at all. Then, after he received God’s calling and established a church here in Dongjam-ri, he smiles every day. Even though he has a lot of work, he seems so happy that I truly admire him.”

The Pastor’s wife concluded her praise of her husband, the Pastor.

“The Pastor’s mindset is truly admirable. I want to emulate that.”

Tae-heun flattered the Pastor insincerely. At that, a sense of pride and satisfaction appeared on the Pastor’s wife’s face. After praising the Pastor a few more times, she subtly shifted the topic back to Tae-heun.

“But you’re quite handsome. You’re tall too. I heard a rumor that a celebrity visited this neighborhood recently, and here you are right in front of me. How proud must your parents be?”

The Pastor’s wife clasped her hands together and sparkled her eyes like a girl. Although he felt no particular excitement, Tae-heun pretended to be shy.

“Please feel free to drop by the church whenever you have time. Our congregants would be thrilled.”

“Yes, I will.”

Just as the conversation was getting long and tedious, the the child interrupted.

“Pastor’s wife, Father has finished eating.”

It was a tone that implied they should bring out the punch or fruit. It was shameless, but not annoying.

Tae-heun watched the man drinking the punch handed to him by the Pastor’s wife. At thirty-three, he wasn’t particularly old, but he wasn’t young either. It wouldn’t be strange if he had a child or two. Nevertheless, the man seemed somewhat awkward, like a big brother taking care of a younger sibling. Tae-heun wondered how that the man had raised a the child alone for eleven years.

As soon as dinner was over, the man took the the child and headed out.

“Ji-hye, do you study at all?”

Tae-heun asked, almost teasingly, in the truck on the way home. The the child stuck out her tongue instead of answering. Whether the man saw that while driving, he said to the the child, “You can’t do that to adults.” His tone was so gentle that it was hard to tell if he was scolding or praising her.

“What time does Ki-beom go to work?”

“5:30.”

The the child answered.

“So early? Goodness. Does Ki-beom not like to sleep in? What time do you go to bed at night?”

“Nine o’clock.”

Again, the the child answered.

“Nine o’clock? What? Don’t you watch the news?”

“What’s the point of watching that? It’s always boring and only shows bad things.”

All the questions directed at the man were intercepted by the the child, who answered clearly instead of the Father.

“Surely you have a TV, right?”

“We do! What kind of house doesn’t have a TV these days?”

The the child retorted.

“No, I just thought you went to bed early.”

“Everything you have in the city is here too. It’s not that different. It’s quick to get to Seoul by intercity bus.”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.”

“Why do you keep calling me ‘oppa’?”

The the child didn’t back down at all. Thanks to that, the ride home was enjoyable. The the man drove silently like a chauffeur.

In the countryside, darkness fell quickly compared to the city. Just a moment ago, the twilight was bright, but now it was pitch black. There were no streetlights on the way to the Man’s house, so they had to use high beams.

The truck shook violently. Every time the the child, sitting in the middle, bounced up, she let out a joyful scream. A smile spread across the Man’s face. A soft-hearted fool. Tae-heun suddenly felt uneasy about the harmonious father and daughter, turning his gaze out the window.

The the man opened the front gate and first went up to the porch to turn on the light. Then he held back the dogs for Tae-heun. The dogs were ecstatic, jumping on their owner and licking him all over. The the child tried to dash up to the porch, but at the Man’s “Wash your hands first,” she came back down.

“Uncle, wash your hands too.”

The the child shouted at the man as she headed for the faucet. When he turned on the tap, water gushed out. The the child washed her hands and face just like the Man, then stepped aside for Tae-heun. Before the man could hand her a towel, the the child dashed back to the porch.

She climbed up onto the porch and tried to open the sliding door.

“Father! The door won’t open!”

The the child shouted, lifting the door as if to break it.

“Wait a moment. I’ll open it after I wash my hands.”

He glanced back at Tae-heun. The the child plopped down on the porch with a thud, crossed her arms, and directed her gaze at Tae-heun instead of the Man. It was a silent pressure for him to hurry up and wash.

Tae-heun chuckled and bent down. He washed his hands and face just like the the child. The cold water quickly cooled the heat rising from the alcohol.

“Is this water safe to drink?”

He asked the Man, turning around.

“Yes.”

“Is it from the underground?”

“No, it’s water from the mountain.”

The Man, still being showered with affection from the dogs, replied.

“I miss it. I used to drink like this often when I was a kid.”

Tae-heun murmured softly, crouching down to bring his lips to the faucet. Half of the tap water splashed on his face, and the other half went into his mouth. If what the man said was true, the water was indeed delicious. After quenching his thirst, he turned off the tap and sat down next to the the child on the porch.

“Ki-beom, you should wash too.”

Tae-heun said.

“Ki-beom, you should wash too.”

The the child echoed Tae-heun’s words. Then she giggled. She spoke loudly enough for the man to hear, so he must have heard it. He probably blushed at the thought. Just thinking about it made Tae-heun want to laugh.

“Who do you take after to be so playful?”

“Who do you take after to be so playful?”

The the child repeated Tae-heun’s words again and laughed, holding her belly.

Water that hadn’t been wiped off dripped from the the child’s face. The same went for Tae-heun’s face. The droplets soaked their clothes and fell onto the porch.

After petting the dogs a few more times, the man finally headed to the faucet. As he walked over, he pulled off his T-shirt and held it in his hand, wiping his neck and body like a towel. Then he turned on the tap to wash his hands and drink some water.

Tae-heun also pulled his dress shirt out from his pants to dry off. Then the the child lifted her T-shirt to wipe her face. Tae-heun smiled at the the child, and the man approached the porch with a bewildered expression.

“Father, open the door. I need to go to the bathroom urgently.”

At the the child’s words, the Man, not even having taken off his boots, pulled out the keys from his pants pocket.

“Give it here. I’ll open it.”

Tae-heun snatched the keys from the Man’s hand. The touch of their hands was warm. For some reason, the man flinched and pulled his hand back. He barely held back a laugh and stood up from the porch.