Yoon Taehee thought, originally, gods are those that can both exist and not exist; they come and go.
In the past, every village had its own sacred tree, and there was a great general at every village entrance. On every mountain, piles of stones were built at the mountain passes to enshrine local deities, and good land had household gods that took care of the family.
Countless gods have come to this land and vanished repeatedly due to human needs.
Thus, gods are beings that transcend humanity but paradoxically are ultimately bound to humans. A god forgotten by humans loses its power and fades away. This was true even for Bangsangsi, who once reigned as a god chasing away evil spirits.
Bangsangsi was the founder of the former Naryecheong and once a hero leading the exorcists, but over time, he had become just a shell without a clear presence.
...After establishing the former Naryecheong, Bangsangsi disappeared from this land to bestow his place upon humans. The modern Naryecheong inherited the achievements of Bangsangsi and continues to protect humans with his will....
Information about Bangsangsi was treated as top secret even within Naryecheong, and the information available to the exorcists was limited to this. Even this was only briefly mentioned when summarizing the history of Naryecheong.
In the modern institution, Bangsangsi remained merely a symbolic figure. His once illustrious name had long faded, and his once radiant presence had become blurred.
When Yoon Taehee joined Naryecheong, he was not particularly interested in its history. He had never been curious about how Naryecheong began or who founded it. Such information seemed boring and unnecessary.
However, at some point, a sudden thought struck Yoon Taehee's mind.
Bangsangsi, the founder and leader of Naryecheong, had left the land after conceding his place to humans. But what if the vanished Bangsangsi were to return?
If the former master were to reappear, Naryecheong would undoubtedly be thrown into chaos. There was only one throne.
Thus, if rumors spread that the original master Bangsangsi had returned, it would be a major issue capable of jeopardizing the position of the Naryecheong commissioner, regardless of the truth.
This was why Yoon Taehee mentioned Bangsangsi. From the moment he was designing the Byeoksadan, he planned to use its name. The return of Bangsangsi would become an unprecedented event shaking the very foundation of Naryecheong.
'Bangsangsi will return to this land.'
The notice posted on the back gate of Naryecheong was an act staged by the Leader. It was meant to reveal the existence of the Byeoksadan and publicly announce the return of the former master.
It was a kind of gamble and a test.
Yoon Taehee's prediction proved accurate. Bangsangsi was certainly an unwelcome presence. This was evident from Seok Juryeon's reaction alone.
As soon as Seok Juryeon understood the true intention of the notice, she had it immediately destroyed without bringing it to the Naryecheong commissioner. The content of the notice, which suggested that Bangsangsi's return was a significant threat to the existence of Naryecheong, was swiftly proven.
"Spread the rumor. The original master of Naryecheong, Bangsangsi, has returned."
***
When the Leader returned to his room after walking down the long corridor again, Dduddu, which had been throwing acorns and sulking earlier, was now munching on acorns on the table.
"Have you calmed down?"
He chuckled softly and muttered. Dduddu suddenly pretended to rub his face and showed interest in the business card of Chairman Jang that was on the table, as if trying to act nonchalant.
In a momentary lapse, Dduddu had torn the paper apart, but as if about to put it in its mouth, the Leader quickly snatched the business card away with a rustling sound.
Holding the business card, he walked straight to the back of the folding screen.
Between the folding screen and the wall was a narrow passage, and a large bookshelf was facing the screen, forming one side of the wall. The Leader often brought books to read when visiting the pavilion, and the books left behind had naturally piled up, creating a small library. The bookshelf was densely packed with all sorts of books.
Standing with arms behind his back in front of the bookshelf, he began to choose a book, tilting his head. Paehyeon, who had been following him like a retainer, cautiously spoke up.
"Do you intend to keep quiet about it?"
He glanced at Paehyeon while pulling out a random book.
"About what?"
"About the Byeoksadan. That person is now part of the plan as well."
Although it was a vague line, he understood who Paehyeon was referring to.
"..."
Without answering, the Leader continued to turn the pages of the book. A brief silence ensued.
"Tell him with what trust?"
Without lifting his head, he responded briefly, his gaze fixed on the book.
"Are you anxious about that person?"
He remained silent.
The fact that Jaegyeom continued to act as a 'variable' did make
Yoon Taehee is anxious.
Originally, the notice posted on the back gate of Naryecheong was supposed to reach the Naryecheong commissioner. Over time, the words 'Bangsangsi's return' were intended to remain, with the remaining content being erased so that the Naryecheong commissioner would see only the final message. The notice was a challenge and a warning to the commissioner.
However, the variable occurred in an unexpected place.
"This is a puzzle."
Jaegyeom had quickly recognized the hidden wordplay on the notice. As a result, the true intention of the notice was exposed on the spot. Consequently, Seok Juryeon destroyed the notice and ordered everyone else to treat it like it had never existed, thus the message 'Bangsangsi's return' was discarded, without reaching the commissioner.
That was why the Leader instructed the spirits to spread rumors.
Once rumors began to circulate outside, they would inevitably reach the Naryecheong commissioner's ears. As a result, the plan deviated slightly from the original. Thanks to Jaegyeom, things became more complicated.
"Well, since we've become entangled with that person, Taehee, you should also consider him a trustworthy friend..."
Before Paehyeon could finish, the Leader chuckled.
"Friend?"
As he casually inserted the business card between the pages of the book, he muttered without concern.
"I have no intention of befriending someone who's going to die."
With the cold response drawing a firm line, Paehyeon fell silent. The Leader continued to flip through the book with an indifferent expression. Then, at some point, his hand froze. Paehyeon, who had been quietly observing, looked at him with a puzzled expression.
While flipping through the book, the pages had come to a stop at a certain point on their own. A Polaroid photograph, which had been tucked in as a bookmark, had been there for some time.
It was a photo taken with a disposable camera by Lee Youngshin to bind a certain boy. It seemed that Yoon Taehee had randomly inserted it into a book to put it away while clearing evidence of the situation. In the photo, the bloodied boy was holding a bow.
".."
Yoon Taehee could not tear his eyes away from the photo.
The Leader held his breath and stared intently at the blurry photograph. Examining the appearance of the bloodied boy, he unconsciously reached out and handled the photo. His fingers, as if spellbound, slowly traced the boy's face and then shook briefly as if burned.
He took a deep breath and then slowly closed his eyes.
"After all... it's just one fleeting moment."
Muttering an incomprehensible remark, he closed the book. After putting the book back in its place, he stood with his eyes closed for a while before rubbing his face wearily.
"...You look tired."
Paehyeon spoke with concern.
"Right. I'm a bit tired."
He had not been feeling well since yesterday. He touched his forehead and felt a slight fever. After touching his forehead, he grabbed a book and moved to the window area.
"I need to rest a bit."
Below the window was a large storage chest. The long rectangular chest was big enough for a person to lie on, so it was occasionally used as a makeshift bed. The Leader often lay on it to take a nap.
Lying on the chest with one arm propped up, he soon crossed his legs and began reading a book.
A gentle mountain breeze flowed in through the wide-open window.
The book he was reading was a very old fairy tale book. It was immediately clear that it had been read so much that it was worn.
Paehyeon, who quietly stood by, subtly spoke up.
"When the plan is all over, what would you like to do, Taehee-nim?"
"Who knows..."
He had never thought about life after that.
"I'd like to go to a quiet island and enjoy the breeze."
He responded quietly while turning the pages of the book.
"I'm sick of the mountains now..."
The printed text on the pages seeped into his eyes like a lullaby. It was a book he had had since he was very young. Since he knew all the sentences by heart by now, there was no need to read it, but he always kept it by his side. It was a habit to read and re-read it.
The earliest hatred and a memento...
Theo wanted to go to the sea. To a beautiful island where emerald waves sparkle in the sunlight. To a place where no one could find him, where no one would wait for him, Theo wanted to go to a lonely sea to not be lonely...
Sleepiness overwhelmed Yoon Taehee. He covered his face with the book he had been reading and placed his hand on his stomach.
"I'm going to sleep for a bit. Wake me up when the sun sets."
"Yes, I understand."
The squirrel had already climbed onto his stomach and curled up.
The Leader embraced the squirrel with his left hand. The squirrel flinched and bit his hand. The squirrel disliked being touched by the left hand. It was always fascinating how it seemed to sense its predator instinctively, even though it knew nothing. He lifted his arm and looked at his left hand.
Yoon Taehee always wore a watch on his left wrist, wherever he was. He slowly took off the watch he was wearing. The silver metal watch covered a spot on his wrist where a thin black snake, like a tattoo, had blended in with a scar. It looked like a bracelet at first glance.
"Sisi."
He felt around his wrist as if checking a pulse. He called out quietly several times, but unsurprisingly, Sisi did not respond.
"Shall I close the window?"
At some point, Paehyeon, who had been standing nearby, spoke up
"No, leave it open."
Paehyeon silently closed the door and left. A faint lilac fragrance flowed in with the breeze from the open window. Yoon Taehee let his arms hang down.
"..."
As he took a deep breath, the scent of old paper evoked a sense of longing.
"It was just a fleeting moment anyway."
Muttering to himself in a barely audible whisper, Yoon Taehee finally fell into a deep and profound sleep.
"It was just a fleeting moment anyway..."
A gentle breeze descended from the mountain slopes, softly rustling, causing the bangs that had been resting between his forehead and the book to slip down. The book cover had a name scrawled across it in crooked handwriting.
Yoon Seonoh
Yoon Taehee had lived half of his life under the name "Seonoh."
And the name Seonoh was proof of the sins Yoon Taehee had committed.