episode_0075

[Episode 075] Reverse Muscle

Thud.

The sound of a tray and a wooden table colliding, with only empty teacups placed in front of each other.

Glancing slightly, on the monk’s palm, burst blisters revealed hardened burn marks.

“How are you feeling now? Has your mind eased a bit?”

“Yes… thanks to you, but… haven’t I been unpleasant?”

The monk simply chuckled at my words and replied,

“Even if we go through the same thing, the weight we carry for each other is different.”

“….”

“For me, it might be as light as a feather blown by the wind, but for you, it could be as heavy as a ton of iron pressing down on your heart. Similarly, if the disciple hadn’t sought out this old man, it might have been as easy as sending a feather flying to you, but for this old monk, it was as heavy as a ton of iron.”

“…I’m sorry, Monk.”

Indeed, I had thought of not seeking out the monk.

Out of remorse… because my heart felt too heavy to visit the monk…

Yet, in the end, I sought out the monk… because avoiding that weight felt cowardly to me.

“Not speaking about people and their affairs means not knowing. Just as it was natural for you not to know that this old monk waited every day for the disciple to come and always boiled water here, it was clear that leading that child to death would have been obvious to the old monk at that time, how could the disciple have known the old monk’s heart.”

“…But you asked me to trust you.”

The monk smiled faintly.

“That probably made you even more tormented… The disciple’s affection for the old monk and the old monk’s affection for that child. The old monk wanting to kill that child and asking for trust… In between all that, you must have been in immense pain.”

“….”

Clatter…

The monk tilted the teapot to fill the empty teacup, took a sip, then fell into thought for a moment before speaking again.

“The secular world is complex. If making tea is considered a complex process, how much more so is it compared to the secular world? That’s why the secular world is even more intriguing,”

Setting down the teacup.

I tried not to miss a single word of the monk’s words, listening intently with open ears.

“The disciple could have received help from the old monk there, awakened to enlightenment, and returned as a puppy, or could have left for a place unknown to anyone, escaping the secular world. Or perhaps, could have utilized the immense power of enlightenment…”

That’s what I wanted. That’s what I desired.

“The disciple must have had doubts… Was it necessary to do this? Even though a path where neither happiness nor unhappiness was certain lay before them, a path where they didn’t have to make enlightenment dangerous… It was a thought they could naturally have… The old monk also thought the same… Therefore, the sorrow of this old man was even more profound.”

“…But why… did you do all this despite receiving my resentment and hatred?”

“It was because there was a purpose. My actions ultimately lead to a path where the two children I love can find happiness. That was my center. If I didn’t conclude my story despite your resentment, everyone might have been peaceful for a while… but eventually, it would have been clear that you all would suffer… That’s why I could do it.”

“….”

“Perhaps this old man committed a sin against the disciple. Because your torment was necessary for my story, deliberately scattering your center and causing you pain. I asked you to believe, but I acted in a way that you couldn’t believe…”

“….”

“Yet, the disciple’s pain was necessary. Because you despaired and were in agony over that child’s death, and because many people saw that, the child could gain true freedom and be with you, right?”

“….!!”

“Oh… So that’s why!”

Now, everything became clear to me.

Just as the monk had said.

What if they had left the world behind and escaped with Sari and Heeseon?

We would have lived a life of running away and hiding, waiting for when the pursuers would come. Gil-yong Ajae, Gaeddongi, the villagers who took care of me—all of them would have suffered greatly because of me.

If Sari had recklessly used her strong power to resolve the situation…?

Innocent soldiers would have been injured, causing further pain to Sari, who cares for people. And… perhaps we would have had to go to war with the country…

“…Then did you know that I could bring Sari back?”

In response to the question, the monk spoke in a mysterious voice.

“Vaguely from a long time ago… I was certain when the Immortal chose you as its master. It was then. It wasn’t the child’s destiny, nor was it mine, so I knew immediately… Shiju, Shiju probably sought out this old man to find out what power he possessed, didn’t he…?”

“Yes… That wasn’t all, but… I had such thoughts.”

“There is a being called Yeok-geun.”

“Yeok-geun?”

The monk’s face became serious, and his voice suddenly lowered.

It was a word I had never heard before. Changing roots? Why is he talking about something unrelated to the flow of the conversation?

“An existence that parasites on others’ stories to gain personal benefit. They interfere with the owners of the stories, making them unhappy.”

“…?”

“At first, I thought you were such an existence. Your path was too similar to theirs. You naturally interfered with our story, which we could never violate, changing our destinies…”

Am I similar to Yeok-geun, then?

So… Have all my actions, which I have understood as my calling until now, been wrong?

“But you are different… I can assert that you are not like them. So, there’s no need to worry with such a concerned face.”

“…Then what am I? What kind of power do I possess?”

“The power to create stories. Not aligning yourself with the story but overlaying existing stories onto your own to create new ones… It is truly the power of creation.”

“….”

“Upon reflection, your destiny has been peculiar from the start. To a couple who always worried about not having a child, what they should have received was naturally that child…”

“What does that mean…?”

Oh? Come to think of it…

Suddenly, the tale of the Immortal Starfish comes to mind.

The owner who received the Immortal Starfish made by kneading rice gruel was undoubtedly… a couple who worried about not having children.

So, does that mean I have changed Sari’s destiny by my mere existence?

Then… because I entered as both of the two quantum states, they passed away before meeting Sari….

Thud!

The unsettling thoughts that were spiraling downward are shattered by the sound of the monk setting down his teacup.

“I can tell from Shiju’s expression what you are thinking, but that thought is incorrect.”

“Why is that? Because of me, their destinies changed, and so…”

The monk shook his head strongly, denying.

“Didn’t I say that living and dying are just part of nature? The important thing is that their destinies could become happier because of you.”

“But… because of me-”

“Would a father who protected his son and faced death think his life was miserable because he died before his son? Would a mother who smiled at her grown son’s face at the end think her life was miserable at that moment?”

I couldn’t offer any answer to the monk’s question.

“So… without you, in this long and winding story involving the old man, your parents, and the Immortal Starfish… we would all have been miserable.”

“….”

Having to send away a child like my own… At the moment when that child burned and died in the pit, we would have been more devastated than you can imagine, locked in hopeless despair.

“……”

“So you are our savior. You have made us all happy.”

The monk bowed his head towards me with folded hands.

This was…

It was too much for me, who had done nothing, to receive such words and actions… A savior…

“Master… Please take care of yourself always… Especially… It seems like an evil spirit is attached to you… Surely, he must have intervened in this matter as well…”

“What? An evil spirit was around me?”

The monk nodded slowly.

“At this moment when this old man’s story is intertwined with yours… Nosung is grateful to the Buddha. If you had been entangled with an evil spirit or an unwholesome person before… So if Nosung couldn’t help you, how terrible it would have been…”

“……”

“Since this was my story this time, despite many distortions, I was able to resolve the distortion under the guidance of this old man and awaken your power. However…”

The monk cleared his throat as if he was thirsty, then continued.

“I hope that such luck will not be repeated next time. Since Nosung cannot interfere in others’ stories, if the story does not continue, I can no longer help you. Also, your power is very dangerous and tempting… You must always be careful and wary of those who seek to use you. The Creator has reasons for being indifferent to everything…”

“……”

“You have now vaguely realized your power. But you must awaken further. Always think and ponder to create stories. Somehow, turn the stories twisted by the evil spirit into your own new stories.”

“……”

“Through experiencing many stories and creating new ones… You will become shaken. You will be confused again like this time. And… the evil spirit will surely provoke it.”

“……”

Therefore, you must quickly find your center, Master. A center of unwavering mind. Reflect on why you were confused by Nosung’s actions. Look at your center like a mirror and move forward.”

… The suddenly heavy and complicated story begins to weigh down on my shoulders.

The worry and concern in my heart are felt enough to darken my expression.

At that moment,

The monk, with a serious face, smiled slightly and added a final remark.

“Didn’t Nosung say? The affairs of the world are so complex that comparing them to tea is impossible.”

“…Yes.”

“But there is something similar to the affairs of the world.”

“What is that?”

“Even if it’s slow, if you act leisurely and step by step through the complexity, eventually the tea will come out delicious.”

Sip.

The monk contentedly sipped the now cold tea.

Shall we rest a bit more?

In response to the question, I nodded, respectfully saluted the monk, and prepared to return home after bowing once again.