episode_0153

Freedom of Religion (6) ― One Mind Salvation Church Paradise

“It’s okay, there’s still plenty of time, so take your time~!”

Kim Young-hee’s soft voice comes from outside the door.

Ha Chae-kyung’s face, reflected in the bathroom mirror, turned red like a tomato.

After quickly finishing her shower, she left the apartment again to go to cooking class with Kim Young-hee.

“It’s okay~ If anything, a woman like Chae-kyung doesn’t have to wash it for the balance to be right, hohoho―”

“… … .”

“Ah~ Men just like anything if it’s pretty. Even if you’re stupid, you’re idiotic, you’re arrogant even if you’re not rude, even if you don’t wash a little… … uh… … Hohoho—!”

Kim Young-hee tried hard to comfort her while she was walking to the cooking class, but it had the opposite effect.

Ha Chae-kyung looked at the paradise morning with an excessively red face, perhaps due to the bright sunlight.

As if last night wasn’t a mirage, the view of a dazzling paradise.

Kim Young-hee guided Ha Chae-kyung to a building of average height among the tall buildings in the forest.

[One Mind Cultural Center]

As soon as she entered the building, the sounds of musical instruments tickled her ears.

The sounds of the piano and guitar are barely noticeable to the awakened person’s hearing, as if they were soundproofed.

“The first floor only has classrooms related to musical instruments. We’re on the second floor, so we don’t have to take the elevator, we just go up.”

Ha Chae-kyung followed Kim Young-hee, appreciating the old-fashioned melody without even knowing what score she was playing.

[Faith Hall No. 2]

When I opened the door to what appeared to be a huge hall on the second floor, I saw tables arranged regularly.

Devotees occupy tables each fully stocked with ingredients and chat.

“Luckily, the teacher hasn’t arrived yet. Should we go quickly and get a seat?”

Younghee Kim moved to the back seat, responding with a smile to the believers who spotted her and greeted her brightly.

Ha Chae-kyung, who was awkwardly seated next to Kim Young-hee, couldn’t help but believe her eyes as she looked at the small mountain of ingredients.

I knew he was wealthy, but I couldn’t believe he had enough ingredients to open a cooking class.

If the cooking fails, these ingredients could have been a waste of money.

“Nice to meet you, brothers and sisters!”

“Good morning, teacher!”

Regardless of her concerns, the cooking teacher entered with a lively voice.

The teacher, who appeared to be a middle-aged woman, moved to the center table and pointed to a mountain of ingredients just like the other tables.

“Now~ Are there any brothers or sisters who are scared because there are unusually many ingredients today?”

The teacher smiled mischievously and looked at the congregation.

A friendly voice followed the believers who smiled slightly and raised their hands.

“Today’s dish is not difficult, but requires a lot of care, so I asked for an ample amount of ingredients. Have you all heard the rumor that students are planning to go on a field trip to the seminary campus?”

“Yes~!”

The teacher smiled softly and looked at the positive believers.

“There are probably many parents, brothers, and sisters whose children are students, so today we will make a pretty lunch box in preparation for the picnic.”

Soon, pretty sample lunch boxes and food shaped like animal faces that the teacher had prepared in advance were introduced.

Devotees follow the teacher’s cooking flow and make their own lunch boxes.

The teacher was moving from table to table helping the congregation with a kind smile.

Ha Chae-kyung was also making her own lunch box just like them.

This feeling of not worrying about anything and just focusing on class like before.

The nostalgic feeling of putting all your heart into the current lunch box without thinking about what comes next.

“Wow~ Chae-kyung. You were lying when you said you couldn’t cook. It’s a really pretty rabbit.”

A decoration in the shape of a rabbit showing its face on top of white rice.

“I also made it with the same rabbit.”

Younghee Kim showed off her lunch box with a sweet smile.

Ha Chae-kyung answered with an embarrassed smile.

“… … It’s a pig.”

“… … Yes?”

Kim Young-hee looks down at Ha Chae-kyung’s lunch box with a puzzled face.

“That… … I made a pig, not a rabbit.”

“Ah… … .”

Younghee Kim quietly covered her mouth with a hand wearing a sanitary glove.

“Ah… … That pig has slightly long ears.”

“Should we just use a rabbit?”

“No! This is just a pig that is white and has slightly long ears!”

“Wow~ I guess you don’t need much help. It’s the perfect rabbit-shaped decoration!”

Kim Young-hee’s eyes were shaken by the teacher’s praise that came late.

The teacher was impressed and showed Ha Chae-kyung’s lunch box to everyone.

“Everyone~ Today’s best sister has been born! Come here and take a look at the pretty rabbit-shaped lunch box!”

Ha Chae-kyung looked at the believers admiring the lunch box with an unusually cold expression.

After the slightly bitter ending of the cooking class, each person left the ‘One Mind Cultural Center’ holding in their hands the lunch box they had prepared with all their heart.

Kim Young-hee’s next stop was a small library and she borrowed two novels.

After handing one of the rented books to Ha Chae-kyung, we arrived at the park located close to the mother and daughter’s apartment.

Kim Young-hee quietly placed her lunch box on the bench and began to turn the first page with a small smile.

Kim Young-hee focuses on novels for such a long time.

Ha Chae-kyung, who was awkwardly looking at her pretty face, looked down at her hands.

A lunch box and a novel that I could never have imagined in the morning.

Could this be the morning and lunch routine at Salvation Church that she was so nervous about?

Considering my experience so far, that was highly likely.

Ha Chae-kyung turned her head once again and looked at Kim Young-hee.

Younghee Kim’s familiar face turning the page.

If the girl I saw on TV was real, she would be waiting at the park for her daughter to come back.

“Did I do something unnecessary? Do you hate reading?”

Ha Chae-kyung gazed at the park, pondering Kim Young-hee’s question.

Devotees having interesting chats and believers walking their dogs.

I was left standing in between them.

“… … I don’t know.”

“Then read one book. It will be a good hobby.”

… … hobby.

Ha Chae-kyung let out an inexplicable smile and put down her lunch box next to the bench, just like Kim Young-hee.

And then I carefully turned the first page of the novel.

Kim Young-hee, who was watching this with a gentle smile, also turned her gaze back to the book.

From then on, only the sound of pages turning could be heard occasionally from the bench where they sat.

A time to focus only on the words on paper, with the sound of children’s laughter and someone’s chatter as background music.

While the gentle breeze tickled my hair pleasantly…

“Mommy—!”

I raised my head when I heard a lively shout.

“Chaekyung unnie—!”

A high school girl running towards me waving her outstretched hand.

Younghee Kim shook her head as if she couldn’t stop him and closed the book.

Lee Soo-mi, who came running with big steps, shook her head with a face that looked exactly like her mother.

“Wow~ Mom shouldn’t read a book next to Chae-kyung! Because I have something to compare this to-”

“This bitch didn’t eat well! In my old days, I too—!”

Kim Young-hee stood up, looked at Ha Chae-kyung, and quietly closed her mouth.

“Still, you keep your last conscience.”

“Be loud, you bitch! I can definitely skip dinner.”

“Yes~ Basically, all I need is spam~”

Ha Chae-kyung immediately closed the book, looking at the mother and daughter who were becoming noisy.

“… … Tomorrow.”

The mother and daughter, who were about to give chase again, looked at her.

Ha Chae-kyung gently took the lunch box and approached them.

“I want to go to the square. Can you guide me?”

“Of course! Since tomorrow is the weekend, I will guide you!”

“Thank you, Sumi.”

There was nothing special about Kim Young-hee’s mother and daughter’s breakfast and lunch routine.

Or rather, it may be that cooking classes or reading in the park have now become special events.

Han Gu-won, who has been living in paradise for just one day, does not take any action as promised.

If there really was no interference, Ha Chae-kyung decided to find a situation that would make sense to her.

First, from the square where Lee Soo-mi sang that there were so many people.

“By the way, what are you holding in your hand?”

In response to Soo-mi Lee’s question, Young-hee Kim opened her lunch box with a bright smile.

“I was practicing making a lunch box for you to eat when you go on a picnic.”

Ha Chae-kyung, who was next to him, also opened her lunch box.

“Wow! Those are two very pretty rabbits!”

“… … This bitch continues to misbehave with customers—!”

“Ah, why~! Why again—!”

Kim Young-hee quickly closes the lunch box and runs to her daughter, and Lee Soo-mi runs away with an aggrieved expression.

“… … .”

Ha Chae-kyung slowly followed them and smiled slightly.

***

next day.

Ha Chae-kyung visited Paradise Square with Lee Soo-mi, who was not at school because it was the weekend.

Hahahaha! Hahahaha!

Children cackling as a fountain soars into the sky.

“Wow~ I thought I couldn’t get it because the line was so long~!”

The ice cream was handed to Ha Chae-kyung, who was looking at them with her chin resting at a table with a parasol.

Ha Chae-kyung accepted the ice cream with an apologetic smile.

“Wouldn’t it have been better to go and wait together?”

“A~ I don’t tolerate making customers wait in the scorching sun!”

Su-mi Lee patted her chest with a confident smile and sat down.

“Anyway, try it quickly. It’s a new beaded ice cream at Gwangjang Cafe, and the kids at school were amazed at how delicious it was.”

I waited until the weekend to eat this?!

Ha Chae-kyung lifted the spoon stuck into the beaded ice cream as Lee Soo-mi chattered.

Melon-flavored beaded ice cream that melts as soon as it enters your mouth.

“Hmm~.”

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”

Lee Soo-mi asks with wide eyes as if it were her own cooking.

Ha Chae-kyung burst out laughing at that sight and nodded.

“Yes. It’s so delicious. You should eat it quickly too.”

“Ha— I’ll just wait a moment. As long as you wait, you need to wait a little longer before eating!”

I burst out laughing again as I saw Lee Soo-mi staring blankly at the beaded ice cream with puppy-like eyes.

Ha Chae-kyung chuckled softly and looked again at today’s destination, the plaza.

An incomparable number of believers were enjoying the summer in the square, compared to the park where Kim Young-hee and Lee Soo-mi were waiting.

“If there is a place you want to go, please let me know! My sister was even allowed to enter the temple!”

The place pointed to by Sumi Lee, who is admiring the beaded ice cream in her mouth.

A pure white temple towering over the square.

Ha Chae-kyung looked at the stone statue with a now boringly familiar face above it and shook her head.

“No. Go ahead and eat the ice cream first. Everything will melt.”

“Ah, yes! Let’s eat all of this quickly and also eat waffles with plenty of whipped cream!”

Lee Soo-mi smiles and savors each beaded ice cream.

She looked at him as if she couldn’t stop him, then looked at the statue again.

There was no need to openly announce that he was wandering around here and there.

‘… … no.’

Is that really the right reason?

I ask myself, but there is no answer.

Now she couldn’t fully understand her true feelings.

All she can do now is gather more solid information.

In the end, they waited in the hot sun together and ran to the park to get the beaded ice cream to give to Kim Young-hee.

Soo-mi Lee sings for Young-hee Kim, who is reading on a bench before the beaded ice cream melts.

“Mommy—!”

Seeing them gathered on the park bench again, Ha Chae-kyung spoke as if it were deja vu.

“… … Tomorrow I’m going to visit the Tower of Babel, which I saw at the auction house.”

The mother and daughter just nodded as if it was no big deal.