T/N: I never thought I’d have to do this, but since I want to keep sharing this story…
Content warning: this chapter contains depictions of child abuse and neglect, coercive religious manipulation, and emotional distress.
Reader discretion is advised.
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
My legs wouldn’t stop shaking.
I thought I’d only be able to meet him after Eunwoo joined the broadcasting station, but I didn’t expect to meet him this soon.
Even when Jeon Yeongsu mentioned the fan cafe, I hadn’t imagined it at all.
That Eunwoo and I would meet through a fan cafe.
‘It’s about time he arrived…’
Eunwoo was a guy who was punctual to a fault.
Knowing that, I had come out early to wait for him.
[ You said time is money. I don’t have money yet, so I’m saving time instead. And if I save my own time, it’s only natural to respect other people’s time too. ]
I liked this sensible side of Eunwoo.
After dealing with sociopaths like Kim Dusik or the lunatics who were the subjects of my reporting, talking to Eunwoo made me feel incredibly at peace.
However, today…the day we decided to meet in person after exchanging a few emails, my heart was racing as if it might burst.
Even as I gulped down iced tea filled with ice in the cool cafe, my palms were sweating. I kept wiping the sweat away by rubbing my thighs.
— Tinkle.
The moment the cafe door opened and I saw the face of the person entering, I stood up abruptly without realizing it.
‘…It’s Eunwoo.’
Not a face worn down by exhaustion, not a gaze filled with contempt, but an Eunwoo with a youthful and bright expression.
Watching Eunwoo walk toward me with steady, confident strides made my chest ache with a sharp pang.
“Because of you, I can’t unlock that friend’s limit. I’m now…”
I remembered the email, which felt like a suicide note, that Eunwoo had sent me just before he died.
Guilt washed over me.
I barely managed to suppress the sting in my eyes as my vision blurred.
“You’re Reporter Lee Hyeonwook, right? Hello. I’m Jeong Eunwoo, the one who posted the tip on the fan cafe.”
“…Hello?”
My voice was choked up, and I could barely manage the greeting.
“How did you know it was me? I’m a fan of yours, so I recognized you immediately. I was surprised that you even stood up from your seat.”
“Ah, my legs just suddenly went numb…”
As if that were a proper answer…
“Are you unwell? You look very tired. Your eyes are all red and sunken; I think you look more handsome on the news screen… Is your head a bit bigger than I thought?”
It was Eunwoo. The beaming Eunwoo who said everything he wanted to say in a cheerful, rambling monologue.
Thanks to that, my tears vanished instantly.
“I’m reaaaally a fan of yours. I’ve looked up all your articles. You don’t do any clickbait.”
“Ah, clickbait…”
“You’ve heard the term ‘giregi’ [trash reporter], right? You seem far removed from that crowd.”
I couldn’t exactly tell him that I was a reporter who had been called a giregi quite a few times.
Let’s stop the small talk here, Eunwoo.
“Could you tell me more about the details of your tip? Has anything happened since you reported it?”
Vowing that I would never let Eunwoo fall into despair and turn his back on the world again, I began to ask about Oh Yeong-i.
For now, rescuing Oh Yeong-i and her child was the priority.
The emotional reunion with Eunwoo could be postponed until Oh Yeong-i and her daughter were saved and the devil-like Jin Hwaju was punished.
Just then, Reporter Seo Suyeon, who had gone to the restroom, approached our table.
A playground under the scorching August sun.
There wasn’t a single patch of shade, so the locals never visited during the height of summer, especially not in the blazing midday sun.
Oh Yeong-i spent the hottest part of the day here every day for a week with her daughter, Jisu, a fourth-grader.
Without a parasol to block the sun, water to quench their thirst, or a handkerchief to wipe away sweat.
“Mom… I’m thirsty. Some water, please…”
Oh Yeong-i felt sorry for her struggling daughter, but the words that came out of her mouth were different.
“I told you, no water. Go over there and ride the swing.”
Jisu turned away listlessly and climbed onto the swing.
“Ow, hot!”
The swing seemed to have baked in the scorching sun.
Jisu sat down with a thud, but it was so hot that she stood back up, muttering weakly to herself.
No one would say this was the energy of a fourth-grader.
“It’ll be better if you pull your clothes down before sitting.”
Watching Jisu, Oh Yeong-i approached and pulled down Jisu’s shorts as far as possible. So that the skin of her thighs wouldn’t touch the swing.
The metal chains of the swing were equally hot, but Jisu endured it, barely holding on with her fingertips as she swung.
‘Jisu, just bear with it a little longer. This is all for our family. Mommy is sorry.’
Her daughter was the apple of her eye.
When Jisu smiled, she felt as happy as if she owned the whole world, and when Jisu ate her food, Oh Yeong-i felt full even without eating.
[Jisu’s academic achievement is high. Her understanding is good, and her problem-solving skills are excellent. She has a great personality and leadership, so she’s very popular among her friends. ]
It was a day in May a year ago, when the roses were in full bloom, after Jisu had taken her first exam in the third grade.
Hearing the teacher’s praise for Jisu during the regular parent-teacher conference made her so happy she almost cried.
At that time, Jisu’s face was as vibrant and beautiful as a rose.
A year later, she was a shadow of her former self.
The sparkling look in her eyes had vanished, and her once rosy cheeks were pale, as if devoid of blood.
[Feed her spicy ramen and do not let her sleep at night.]
[Tomorrow, make her ride the swing from 12 PM to 2 PM.]
These were the instructions she had received yesterday.
It had already been a year since she began following such directives.
[ Jisu’s mom, nice to meet you. I’m the mother of Chaeryeong, who is in the same class as Jisu. ]
To Oh Yeong-i, who had recently moved to an unfamiliar neighborhood, Chaeryeong’s mother quickly became a close friend.
Since her husband, who worked on a ship, was often away, Oh Yeong-i spent most of her time alone with Jisu and was naive about the ways of the world.
Still, thinking it would be better for Jisu to attend school in Seoul than in the provinces, moving her residence had been the biggest adventure of her life.
[ Jisu’s mom, what’s your religion? ]
It was around the time they had become so close that they spoke on the phone every day and met every other day.
Out of the blue, Chaeryeong’s mother brought up religion.
Oh Yeong-i had no interest in religion and had never thought about looking into it.
[ My own mother had cancer. But I prayed so hard, and guess what? She was declared fully recovered last week! This time, I’m going to pray for Chaeryeong’s father to get a promotion. ]
[ Do all wishes come true just by praying? ]
[ Jisu’s mom, you really don’t know anything. The religion I believe in isn’t something just anyone can join. My father passed away, my sibling had a terrible car accident, Chaeryeong almost died, and I lost a huge amount of money to a scammer. You don’t know how hard a time I’ve had, do you? Truly, thanks to our Seongju-nim, I overcame all those storms, and now only good things are happening. ]
Chaeryeong’s mother’s whispers clung to Oh Yeong-i’s ears from that day on and wouldn’t let go.
‘Not just anyone can believe?’
‘Only good things happen?’
‘Then maybe I should make a wish too…?’
After getting married and giving birth to Jisu, Oh Yeong-i had heard a very unsettling story from her mother-in-law.
[ Your husband’s destiny is completely incompatible with water. I don’t know why he keeps working on a ship. A monk who came to our house once said he would suffer a great calamity in the water, but he won’t listen to me no matter what. You try talking to him. Okay? ]
If he didn’t listen, that was one thing, but if a major accident happened to her husband, wouldn’t Jisu’s existence as a father be shaken?
She had tried talking to her husband several times, but he wouldn’t even pretend to listen, claiming it was just a story made up by a scammer to get a free meal.
Oh Yeong-i hesitated several times before finally asking Chaeryeong’s mother.
[ If I pray to that Seongju-nim, would he grant my wish too? ]
From then on, Oh Yeong-i became a follower of the Machine Church, introduced by Chaeryeong’s mother.
She paid an admission fee of 30 million won and received a mobile phone connected to the Seongju-nim, who stood at the apex of the Machine Church.
[Feed the child only one meal a day.]
[Do not let her sleep at night.]
When Oh Yeong-i first received the texts, she doubted her eyes.
The only wishes she had made were for her husband’s safety and Jisu’s happiness.
Yet, the messages coming from the being called Seongju were nothing but bizarre.
[ Jisu’s mom. You might be surprised, but don’t doubt it. Why is our religion called the Machine Church? Because the only thing in this world with exact answers is a system—a machine. If you doubt the answer, you should just leave. Other followers are getting richer and happier; how can you expect your family to prosper if you’re the only one doubting and worrying? If something happens to your husband, it’ll all be because of you. Still, if you want to quit, go ahead. ]
From that moment, Oh Yeong-i did not hesitate.
Still, it broke her heart to see Jisu suffering.
[ But my Jisu… can’t she have just one more meal? Could you please put in a good word for me with Seongju-nim, Chaeryeong’s mom? ]
Every time she made such a request, Chaeryeong’s mother demanded money.
[ Seongju-nim said that if you show enough sincerity, you can feed her one more meal. ]
[ How do I show sincerity? ]
[ Make an offering of ten million won. ]
With a joyful heart, Oh Yeong-i handed the money to Chaeryeong’s mother and fed Jisu.
Having been starving, Jisu devoured the bowl of rice in the blink of an eye. She said the beef bulgogi was so delicious and asked for more.
Oh Yeong-i packed the rice tightly into Jisu’s bowl.
[ If you offer twenty million won, he will give you a good response. ]
Chaeryeong’s mother’s demands for offerings showed no sign of stopping.
Already lacking acquaintances, Oh Yeong-i became socially isolated, and she couldn’t consult her husband, who loathed superstitions.
Still, she believed that the reason no accident had happened to her husband was thanks to Seongju-nim’s directives and the offerings.
She thought she was getting along well with Jisu, but after taking out private loans at Chaeryeong’s mother’s suggestion, she developed an anxiety disorder.
The collection efforts of scary men were terrifying enough to make her faint.
[ Jisu’s mom, pray. If you don’t have money for offerings, just follow Seongju-nim’s directives more strictly. Got it? ]
Her debt had exceeded 100 million won. She no longer had money to show sincerity.
That was why she had come to the playground in the heat of the day to make Jisu ride the swing.
A year of time had completely demolished Oh Yeong-i’s rational thinking.
— Ding.
Startled, Oh Yeong-i checked her phone.
The phone she had been clutching as if it were more precious than anything else.
“Gasp!”
Upon checking the content of the text, Oh Yeong-i’s hands suddenly began to shake, and she dropped the phone onto the sand of the playground.
Covering her mouth with her hand, her entire body began to tremble.
“I told you, right? That lady is so strange. She’s been like that for days. The kid is struggling because of the heat, but she keeps making her ride the swing. There’s definitely something wrong here, right?”
Eunwoo had led me and Reporter Seo Suyeon to a spot where Oh Yeong-i and her daughter were clearly visible. Seo Suyeon had tried to rush out several times, saying it was pitiful to see Jisu on the swing.
Eunwoo had lived in the same neighborhood as I did in my previous life. Was this also a twist of fate? Eunwoo had seen the same Oh Yeong-i that I had.
The difference was that I had given up quickly, while Eunwoo had taken action by reporting it.
However, that report did not lead to an investigation. Judging by the fact that it was only reported after Oh Yeong-i’s daughter died.
‘Investigations and reports only happen after someone dies.’
The dead do not return.
It means that no matter how proper the investigation is or how it’s delivered as news, providing relief to the victim becomes an impossible task.
“Sunbae, now’s the time.”
“I know. Just trust me from here on out.”
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