By Zephyria 
“Don’t do anything unnecessary and stay quiet!”
“Who told you to go in? You went in on your own.”
People gathered in front of their tent and shouted together. They appeared like ghosts whenever they tried to offer prayers and disrupted them. Wearing matching red vests and holding megaphones, they shouted things like “Stop inciting anxiety!” and “Stop stimulating the Fatal Spirit!” all day long.
“Please don’t do this here…”
Even when Kim Yeong stepped forward to stop them, the backlash only intensified.
A middle-aged man at the forefront pointed his finger at him with a fierce expression.
“You’re the one who shouldn’t do this! Why are you trying to do unnecessary things? What if that monster wakes up again!”
“That’s not it. We still have things we need to do-.”
The explanation couldn’t be finished.
The middle-aged man shouted loudly into the megaphone.
“Everyone, did you hear that just now! They’re saying they’re going to do something! I told you not to do anything!”
Cheers of “That’s right! That’s right!” and jeers poured out from the surroundings.
“Are you trying to wake up the monster because you’re afraid of losing your place?!”
“That monster and you guys are the same!”
And soon, stones came flying.
People who had once thanked them, calling them Exorcist, Exorcist, were now throwing trash and getting angry.
The fear of not wanting to get involved created cruelty.
“Crazy people! If you have any conscience, you shouldn’t do this!”
Teacher Park slammed the table and stood up abruptly. His voice was filled with resentment.
“That’s right. To be honest, I regret all the hardships I’ve gone through to see this!”
Another person sitting next to him roughly swept back his hair and raised his voice.
“……”
Even Kim Yeong, who was called the reincarnated Buddha, closed his lips and sank into a gloomy mood. He had been having headaches from people coming every other day and telling him to take down the tent.
“Do you know what?”
Teacher Park leaned back and clicked his tongue.
“Last time, the kids went to buy something to eat and were turned away. They said they wouldn’t sell to us! They’ve completely forgotten that we reduced our own food to share with them when they were starving, haven’t they?”
“Exorcist…”
“Yes, I know I shouldn’t feel this way. I’ve never given with any expectations. But this is too much. Seriously… it’s frustrating. It’s frustrating!”
“That’s right. Are you saying we should just leave Ki Jae-eon like that? Who do you think is inside there for… and you’re saying we can’t even help?”
“Ah, seriously, damn it! I can’t do this anymore because it’s too dirty!”
“Exorcist, Exorcist, they said.”
Another person muttered with a rotten expression.
It was around this time, when the adults were venting their anger, that someone asked, “Teacher, may I come in?”
“Oh, come in.”
“Excuse me.”
It was Ahn Seo-myeong.
He came in with the cold air and bowed deeply to the adults.
“I came to get permission to go out for investigation.”
At the same time, the adults cleared their throats in one corner. They tried to ease the heavy atmosphere, pretending to be nonchalant.
Kim Yeong even forced a gentle smile and asked back, “Is that so?”
But he couldn’t fool the quick-witted Ahn Seo-myeong.
He had already sensed the gloomy atmosphere.
But he didn’t bother to say it out loud.
Knowing that, Kim Yeong forced a bright voice.
“You have to come back before the sun sets.”
“Yes.”
“If anyone harasses you…”
Ahn Seo-myeong cut him off before he could finish.
“That won’t happen.”
It was a firm answer, but both of them knew it was a lie.
Just a few days ago, Exorcist Lee Gyeong-hak had been hit by a stone and his forehead had been cut.
When they called the police, the people who were supposed to be the pillars of the people sided with the perpetrator, saying, “Don’t cause trouble.” Even though the victim was clearly on their side.
In the world now, they were cults.
Evil trying to awaken a greater evil.
Not justice, but harm.
“Don’t go alone.”
“We’ll stick together.”
“Keep your phone in your hand.”
“Yes.”
In his honest heart, he wanted to say, ‘Don’t go out,’ but he couldn’t bring himself to say it because it felt like he was subtly adding strength to the idea of ‘Don’t help Ki Jae-eon.’
‘A world where those who try to save become the target of danger, and the savior becomes a criminal.’
Why did it turn out like this? It’s truly ridiculous.
Kim Yeong unconsciously pressed between his eyebrows.
Fatigue washed over him.
He wanted to persuade people again, but he already knew it was pointless. If they were willing to change their minds with persuasion, they wouldn’t have come this far in the first place.
‘I wish I could just hate them comfortably.’
A cold breath scattered from his dry lips.
If you asked him if he resented people, the answer would be, ‘I wish I could.’ But he couldn’t.
That’s because he couldn’t completely understand the people’s position either.
Kim Yeong recalled the face of the old woman who had come one day and handed him a bundle of beef bone soup that had been simmered for a long time.
On that cold evening, she had walked a long way alone and, after her sincere gesture, had delivered such cruel words.
‘For the sake of this old woman, can’t you just stop? What if that damned thing wakes up again if you touch it carelessly? I know you don’t know our hearts, but… the truth is, now is the most peaceful time.’
‘…Elder.’
‘I know, I know. How could I not know? I know that the young Teacher sacrificed himself for us… but the countless people in this world are more precious than one person. My grandson is only three years old now. He has so many days to live. Huh? There are many people who die unfairly in life. That, that Teacher too, just like that….’
The words couldn’t be finished.
The old woman suddenly trembled and cried, knowing that she herself was being cruel.
She cried like that for a long time before returning.
Kim Yeong thought of hundreds of rebuttals as he watched that small back, but he soon stopped, seeing her drooping back.
Because he knew the fear behind that selfishness.
But he didn’t want to sympathize with it.
Neither comfort nor support. He didn’t want to give anything.
All he could do was pray.
Let’s all do our best.
Let’s fight to the end for each of our precious beings.
‘Then someday it will come true.’
Kim Yeong shook off his thoughts and patted Ahn Seo-myeong’s shoulder.
“Come back safe, and don’t get hurt.”
“Yes.”
Kim Yeong watched Ahn Seo-myeong’s back as he left the tent and thought.
Hang in there.
Hang in there and find something.
I can’t lose that child twice.
*
“I brought a self-defense spray in my pocket.”
“I brought a staff.”
“It’s funny no matter how I think about it. They’re treating us like criminals.”
“I don’t understand why we have to be so careful.”
“Gyeong-hak even got his forehead cut…”
Kim Ju-won, who would normally have scolded them, saying, ‘Stop talking nonsense and focus,’ was silent that day. He was agreeing with his silence.
‘He must be just as angry.’
It was when Ahn Seo-myeong was secretly sighing, feeling that he understood them well enough.
Splash!
“Ugh!”
“What!”
“Ah, pfft!”
“Ugh!”
Dirty water poured over the children’s heads.
The smell of rotten sewage filled the air.
“You guys, you’re from the main office, aren’t you!”
It was the protesters who had taken over a spot close to the Fatal Spirit and set up camp. In their hands, they held signs instead of megaphones.
[Demon Worship Group, Get Out!]
[The Children Are Watching!]
[Don’t Hold the City Hostage!]
“These bastards, they’re doing all sorts of things.”
Kim Ju-won muttered lowly.
It was a mumbling mixed with laughter, but a thick blood vessel was bulging on his temple.
Splash!
Dirty water was poured again.
This time, it smelled like rotten fish.
“Get lost, you pseudo bastards!”
“Ah… these fucking bastards, really.”
Kim Ju-won wiped the filth from his face and growled lowly. His expression showed that he was reaching his limit.
If things continued this way, who knew what kind of disaster would occur.
“Hey! Grab Kim Ju-won hyung!”
“Do we really have to grab him?!”
“Ugh, grab him!”
“Uhhh, this is going to be a mess!”
“Who keeps subtly pushing Ju-won oppa?!”
The children all reached out at once, wrapping their arms around his arms and waist. The commotion was momentary.
Shoulders bumped, curses flew, and hands went up.
I expected it, but it’s even more of a mess than I thought.
Ahn Seo-myeong clicked his tongue and grabbed Kim Ju-won’s shoulder. His hands were trying to stop him, but his heart was the opposite.
Ki Jae-eon’s time, walking alone into that darkness to save these people, felt so wasted. Beyond regret, it felt like a waste.