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Chapter 2. Beyond the Bloodline (2)
A few days later, the shaman brought the awakened child home.
After the child woke up, the police had come to confirm his identity, but the child had lost his memories and was in no state to confirm anything.
“Go to the bathroom first.”
“Yes…”
As soon as the child entered the bathroom, Chang-su, the shaman’s assistant, asked a question.
“Teacher, what are you planning to do…”
“I have to look after him.”
“You, Teacher? I heard there are places like centers for missing children or youth protection centers… Should I look into it?”
“The moment he goes there, he’ll starve to death.”
“What?”
Someone had to look after him, but the child had no presence, so that was impossible. Since human relationships themselves were impossible for him, he had the perfect appearance of someone who would starve to death. Perhaps that was why there had been no problem taking him out of the hospital.
There had not even been any calls about that issue. Of course, even if a call did come, she could resolve it with her ability, so she was not worried about that part at all…
She was only worried about the child.
If the shaman did not look at the child, people could not sense him.
Only when he was with her could people feel the child’s presence.
A little while later, the child who had gone to the bathroom came out.
“Come sit here.”
The child had already lost his memories and found everything unfamiliar, and since the shaman’s house was an environment different from an ordinary home, he hesitated even more.
“You said you don’t remember your name?”
“Yes.”
“Your age too?”
“Yes…”
“Your parents…?”
“I don’t remember…”
The shaman slowly asked him various questions. It was strange that he remembered how to speak at all, because the child did not remember anything whatsoever.
At that moment, Chang-su, who was with them, looked back and forth between the shaman and the child, then whispered to the shaman.
“Um… Teacher… It’s not… right?”
“What is?”
“He’s not your child, right…?”
The shaman moved slightly away from Chang-su and frowned.
“That’s not what I mean… he looks so much like you, Teacher…? He is a little different, but… anyone would think he was your son…”
In truth, the shaman knew that too. She had also been thinking that perhaps that was why she felt even more drawn to the child. But she had never given birth to a child. She had once carried one, but…
When the shaman briefly closed her eyes, Chang-su carefully asked the child a question.
“You don’t even know what school you go to? Still, you can talk somehow. You don’t remember your address either? You do live in Seoul, right?”
“Seoul? Uh…”
“Do you remember something?”
The child’s eyes sparkled as if something had come to mind.
“I think I lived in Hanseong City.”
“Where is Hanseong City? Is it in the provinces?”
It was the first time he had heard of a place called Hanseong City in Korea.
Chang-su wondered if it was simply a place he did not know and quickly searched for Hanseong City, but no such city existed in Korea.
“There’s no place called Hanseong City?”
“I think that’s right…”
“What is this? By the way, are you in sixth grade? Or middle school? You look about that age, but you don’t even have a phone?”
The child tilted his head as if he had no idea at all.
“You don’t even have a phone?”
“What is a phone?”
“You don’t remember phones either? This. You don’t know what this is?”
“Ah! A sayer? I don’t think I had one…”
“Sayer? What’s that…?”
“That’s a sayer.”
“Huh? This is a mobile phone. A phone!”
“It’s a sayer…”
Chang-su frowned and looked at the shaman.
Then, while the child was not looking, he quickly twirled his finger beside his head.
The more the conversation continued, the more they learned that there were quite a lot of cases where the names the child knew were different from the original ones.
To the point that, just as Chang-su said, one could think his mind was strange.
But in the shaman’s eyes, the child was not mentally strange. His eyes were far too clear and full of intelligence.
She had seen countless people until now, but she had never seen anyone whose eyes were as full of intelligence as that child’s.
Even now, though the child must have been more than confused enough, she could see that he was trying to grasp what kind of situation he was in.
Only after questions and answers went back and forth for quite a long time did the shaman guide the child to a room.
“Rest and think slowly.”
“Thank you.”
After returning to the living room, the shaman sat down with a thoughtful face.
“Teacher, he’s a little strange, right?”
“Hmm…”
“He looks like he needs to receive professional treatment…”
Even at Chang-su’s question, the shaman was deeply absorbed in her own thoughts, as if telling a fortune, she rubbed her fingers and organized her thoughts alone.
“…What if he had an appearance destined for a short life, but did not die young and crossed over to another place?”
“What?”
“And that is why his life continued… and because this is not originally his world, his presence is that faint.”
“Pardon? Haha, coming from another world makes no sense… What are you talking abou… uh…”
Chang-su slowly stopped speaking, then nodded as if he understood that such a thing might be possible.
There was also a shaman who had received a divine calling and conveyed the words of a god, so perhaps another world might exist too. Above all, because those words came from the shaman, who seemed to have grasped all the principles of the world, faith slowly began to form in him.
As far as Chang-su knew, she was the real deal among real deals.
“Ah! That could be true. Ah… So that’s why such a sharp-looking kid kept saying strange things.”
Chang-su chimed in with an expression as if the situation had been cleared up and he felt refreshed. But the shaman only sank deeper into thought.
‘But to escape a short life, he should at least pass the age of twenty…’
The appearance of a short life.
The shaman already knew the solution. The only problem was that it was a temporary measure.
She also knew the perfect solution. But in order to do that, there was a matter that the shaman herself had to decide.
The shaman agonized over it.
The price could be her everything.
‘For a child I’ve seen for the first time?’
Giving up everything of hers. It was an absurd thing, and yet she was troubled.
Because he felt like the shaman’s own child.
Thirteen years ago. After she began suffering from spirit sickness and found it too painful to bear, she had received a divine calling even though there had been a child in her belly.
After that, for reasons unknown, the child had been miscarried, and even her husband had left.
If that child had grown up well, he surely would have grown up like the child in that room.
It was not a guess. It felt like certainty.
He seemed like the child born by another her from another world.
Without that, she could not explain her current heart.
“Teacher, but won’t the child need an identity? In case he gets sick or something…”
“I was already thinking of a name.”
The shaman decided that, though it was a temporary measure for now, she would help the child escape from the order of the heavens.
“The name is… Mu Myeongin.”
“Mu Myeongin? You’re going to give a person a name like Mu Myeongin?”
“If he has no name, the death messengers cannot take him.”
“Uh…?”
“He has to live with that name until he turns twenty. His date of birth will be midnight on February 29, 2004. A Four Pillars arrangement with the Wounded Officer structure would be good. Since his face shows he will receive love and make that the reason for his life, it would be good to make his Four Pillars that way.”
“It’s a leap month with no spirits at all.”
“Yes. If spirits attach to him, death messengers could attach too.”
“Then what about his surname…”
“His surname is Mu, and his given name is Myeongin.”
As she spoke, the shaman suddenly trembled.
Then, with a deathly pale face, she entered the shrine room and began writing a talisman.
Chang-su merely watched with a very tense expression.
‘Even though I work as an assistant, seeing things like that sometimes still gives me chills. Whew.’
The shaman, who had urgently written the talisman, began attaching it to the entrance of the room the child had entered.
Then she stood in front of the door and began offering a prayer.
After quite some time had passed like that, the door suddenly opened.
Inside the room stood the child, his face turned blue.
“Are you all right?”
“What? I had such a scary dream…”
“I see…”
“Death messengers kept staring at me… But then they suddenly looked around and left.”
“I see, so that happened. Look at all that sweat.”
The shaman, whose heart had dropped, felt greatly relieved when she saw that nothing had happened to the child.
At the same time, she decided on the answer to the problem she had been agonizing over.
“From now on, your name will be ‘Myeongin’. Your surname is ‘Mu’. Your name is ‘Myeongin’. Do you understand?”
“What…? Is it because I don’t remember my name?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“For the time being, whenever you feel sleepy, you must only sleep in this room. Do you understand?”
Perhaps Myeongin was quick-witted too, because he nodded.
“You’ll be fine now, so sleep some more.”
“Yes… I’m scared, so can I leave the door open?”
“You may.”
Myeongin entered the room with the door slightly open.
The shaman looked at the room where Myeongin was and smiled.
“He adapts amazingly quickly too. It must feel unfamiliar, but he even sleeps like this was originally his own home.”
“It must be because I am here.”
“Ah… The talisman.”
Not because of the talisman, but because he was with his mother, he could not help but adapt quickly. Of course, she was not his real mother.
Though it had not been long since the shaman met the child, a warm smile came to her on its own, as if she had truly become his parent. She even felt as though she had raised that child herself. But that lasted only a moment. As if she had no time to hesitate even for a second, she immediately called somewhere.
“Director. This is Cheongwol of Cheonjon Shrine.”
—Oh my. What brings the great shaman to call?
“It is nothing else. I have a favor to ask. It is urgent.”
—Is that so? Then I will come to see you right away.
After ending the call, the shaman looked at Chang-su, who had been her assistant this time.
“Mr. Chang-su.”
“Yes! Teacher. Did you just speak with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? As expected…”
“That’s right. More importantly, stop being my assistant now.”
For Chang-su, it was a sudden bolt from the blue.
“No… Teacher… Why so suddenly?”
“From now on, stop assisting spirits, and do work where you support people instead. That kind of work suits you, Mr. Chang-su.”
“What?”
“You were born to make others shine. You are someone suited to jobs like aide, secretary…”
“How could someone like me, who hasn’t learned anything, do something like that…”
“There is also the way of working at an entertainment agency. If you devote yourself with true sincerity, great fortune will come to you from middle age onward, so even becoming the representative of a company will be possible. Sincerity. If you don’t forget only that, you will succeed.”
Chang-su’s expression became tempted, as if he had never been uneasy. Since it was said by a shaman famed for her accuracy, it looked as though it would happen immediately.
“If you throw away greed and support others with the sincere heart of wanting them to do well, wealth luck will naturally follow.”
“Ah… Thank you! Thank you.”
“I will contact someone so you can work right away. When they contact you, meet them once.”
Though it was a sudden dismissal, Chang-su had even gained guidance for a new life, so rather than worry, he looked forward to his future life far too much. Of course, he managed his expression in case showing how happy he was made him seem materialistic.
“But… putting me aside, Teacher, what are you going to do…”
The shaman smiled gently, as if telling him not to worry.
“If I want to save the child, there’s no helping it.”
“Ah… You would go that far for a child you’ve seen for the first time…”
“It seems I have a deep connection with him.”
“Ah, how will you manage alone from now on…”
“I have to stop fortune-telling now too. I am going to do something that goes against the order of the Great Heavenly King, who rules the world and is the master of all gods, so how could I continue telling fortunes?”
“Uh…?”
“And if I want to hide the child, I also have to change my own Four Pillars.”
Chang-su shouted with a face so shocked that it would have been enough for him to faint.
“A-Are you saying you are going to cut off your god?!”
The shaman only nodded silently, and Chang-su opened his mouth wide as if he could not believe it.
“Teacher… What kind of heavenly punishment do you think will fall…”
* * *
A few days later.
The shaman was out with Myeongin.
“Is it delicious?”
“Yes! It’s the same as my memories. And a hamburger is a hamburger! But I think Lotteria was called Gardria.”
“So that’s what it was called there.”
Myeongin grinned and continued in a whisper.
“Teacher, I shouldn’t say things like this just anywhere, right?”
“Why?”
“If I’m the only one calling things by strange names, people will think I’m a strange person.”
“You’re smart, Myeongin.”
She had expected him to be smart, since he originally had a wise face and eyes full of intelligence, but he was quick-witted too.
“Won’t it be hard?”
“A lot of things are similar to my memories, so it won’t be hard. King Sejong is called the same, Admiral Yi Sun-sin is the same too, and most other things are similar to my memories. Heheh. A hamburger is a hamburger too!”
“Then that’s a relief.”
The shaman smiled as she looked at Myeongin.
He was a truly lovely child, sparkling brightly. It was not because he had a deep connection with her. The things he said and the energy he carried made the shaman smile on their own.
“Is there anything else you remember separately?”
“No. I still don’t remember anything about myself.”
“If you remember something, tell me anytime. All right?”
“Yes!”
“So, before that…”
The shaman placed a sheet of paper on the table.
“If I am to look after you, this is the only way.”
“Family relations certificate? Mother, ‘Muwol’. Child, ‘Mu Myeongin’. Huh? I’m your child?”
The shaman had agonized over it greatly, but there was no other way.
Even if the child regained his memories and wanted to return to the place where he had originally been, she planned to send him only after he passed the age of twenty.
If she sent him before then, he would surely die before long. However, she was cautious about how to explain this story. She had no choice but to believe that this intelligent child would be able to accept it. Since he had already experienced it once, she thought he might be able to understand.
“Even if you don’t like it, this is the only way. The death messengers will be searching for you, you see.”
“Ah…”
“If we do this, we will be able to deceive them. Even so, a day will surely come when you face them. At that time, as long as you don’t get scared and only harden your heart… I’ll tell you about this later.”
Myeongin, who had seen death messengers on the first day after leaving the hospital, became frightened for a moment.
“If we do this, will it be okay…?”
“It will.”
“Then I’ll do this.”
“Are you all right with it?”
Instead of answering, Myeongin put down his hamburger and lifted the paper.
After looking at the paper for a long time like that, the child slightly showed only his eyes above the paper.
The sight was so pretty to her that she wanted to boast to the other customers and tell them to take a look.
Myeongin carefully asked.
“Then can I call you Mom?”
“What?”
“Until my memories come back…”
“I…”
She had never imagined he would ask for such permission. Rather, it was the shaman who was flustered.
Seeing the wavering look in the child’s eyes, the shaman hurriedly answered.
“Are you all right with that?”
“Yes! That’s more comfortable for me. I don’t know why, but… Actually, there were times when I almost called you Mom without realizing it…”
It seemed the child was also feeling something, just as the shaman did.
“But is Mom’s name Muwol? Then I took Mom’s surname, didn’t I? Mom’s name is Muwol. Our birthdays are the same too.”
Using her connections, she had changed even the date of birth, surname, and name.
‘The moon must be absent for you not to be seen.’
Four Pillars had an individual influence, but the influence of those around someone, that is, their parents, could not be ignored either, so she had changed even the shaman’s own name.
Even while throwing away her god.
‘I don’t know what kind of heavenly punishment I will receive, but…’
When she looked at Myeongin in front of her right now, she felt as though she could endure it.
