Chapter 30

30

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A dark study.

An orange desk lamp brightly illuminated the desk. Professor Minhyuk Lee's wife, Mi-jung Choi, slowly approached the desk.

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【When you affirm or deny what you do not know, you must move slowly, as if you were a tired person.

For the one who affirms and denies indiscriminately in such cases is the most foolish of all.

Often hasty judgments lean towards the wrong side, and in the end, reason is entangled with emotion.】

– Excerpt from the Paradiso, Canto 13, written by Dante Alighieri –

A man with a gentle appearance, unaware of anyone approaching, was turning the pages of a book with his glasses on.

“Are you still reading?”

Minhyuk, who was reading the original Divine Comedy, looked up. His wife, Mi-jung, was smiling with a look of exasperation. Minhyuk took off his glasses and accepted the bowl of fruit she offered.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. I peeled them in case they would go bad if not eaten today.”

Seemingly intending to share, Mi-jung offered two forks and sat beside him. Minhyuk gave her a weak smile.

Recently, due to his father's worsening condition, the usually bright and cheerful Minhyuk had become quite haggard. Mi-jung looked at him with a sympathetic expression.

Mi-jung moved her lips.

“...Still no news?”

In the silence, Minhyuk, who had bitten into an apple, turned his head to look at his phone. The phone was dark, with no news.

News.

A few weeks ago, Minhyuk had given 5 million won as an advance to a high school student named Gang-seok to commission a ginseng owl sculpture. The news Mi-jung was referring to was related to this.

“Still nothing?”

Indeed.

Minhyuk had not received any contact yet. They had not agreed to communicate periodically, and there was still time before the deadline.

However, Mi-jung seemed worried because she had given a large sum of 5 million won to a high school student.

“It’s fine.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t mind losing 5 million won. He really believed in Gang-seok. There was no solid basis to refute Mi-jung’s question about why he had so readily trusted a high school student, but Minhyuk stood by his decision that day.

– ‘I carved it.’

Minhyuk sighed, recalling Gang-seok’s calm declaration.

“Actually, if a mere eighteen-year-old student claims to have carved such an extraordinary bird, it’s natural to be suspicious.”

“Exactly.”

“But I felt my doubts dissolve.”

“...Really?”

Leaving Mi-jung’s question aside, Minhyuk, who had picked up an apple with a fork, recalled what he had seen that day.

The furniture, without exception, was crude compared to the cradle, and in terms of completion and design, it was far inferior.

It was so inferior that it was impossible not to doubt Gang-seok’s claim that he had carved the sculptures himself at the furniture store. The gap between the cradle and the other furniture was that significant.

He couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe it. The thought that it was all a lie slowly crept into his mind.

Yet, sitting down, he felt like grasping at straws.

But when the eighteen-year-old boy said he had carved it, a small glimmer of hope sprouted.

“Until now, the furniture displayed was made by my father, and thinking that this exceptionally talented son made the cradle, it seemed more believable.”

Mi-jung muttered, “What kind of logic is that? What are you talking about, flowers in a field?” but Minhyuk chuckled. If she could see it, she would understand clearly.

“Moreover, Yoonji said that the eldest son of that family attends Cheonghua High School, majoring in sculpture.”

“Cheonghua High? The Seoul Cheonghua Arts High School?”

“Is there another Cheonghua High in Korea?”

Cheonghua High. Mi-jung, now more convinced, took a bite of the apple. Seeing this, Minhyuk also calmed his growing anxiety.

Look for reasons to trust rather than reasons to doubt.

A lesson he had heard from his father since childhood. Minhyuk picked up his book again. A suitable passage caught his eye.

“Move slowly, as if you were a tired person.”

“Huh?”

It was a sentence advising to avoid hasty judgments and to act cautiously in all decisions.

People, do not judge too hastily, like those who count their harvest before the crops are ripe. Minhyuk, savoring the passage, stabbed the apple deeply.

Would the 5 million won advance bring a bountiful harvest or a poor one? Minhyuk, looking at his phone with no news, closed his tired eyes.

The apple was crisp and sweet.

* * * *

A bright furniture store.

Gang-seok slowly took a step.

Kang-hyun and Baek-myeong-hui exchanged glances and burst into silent laughter. Gang-seok’s eyes were sparkling so brightly.

Gang-seok slowly extended his hand.

The carving wood was as tall as Gang-seok’s waist, which was just entering his growth spurt. No processed wood could be this large.

It was about waist-high vertically, shoulder-width times two horizontally, and the surface of the carving wood extended slightly beyond the tip of his middle finger when he stretched it out.

There was no larger size than this. It was an impossible size unless custom-made. Why was it here? His thoughts raced, and Gang-seok quickly reached a conclusion.

There was only one reason for such a large piece of carving wood to be here.

“Is this the wood for the ginseng owl sculpture?”

How could it be?

The 5 million won advance was still in his account. He had checked it again while organizing his account after selling the exhibition tickets, and there was no missing amount. So, where did the money come from to buy this?

Moreover, he hadn’t ordered anything.

Gang-seok’s face lost all expression. He was surprised. To an ordinary person, it would be a look of intimidation, but to Kang-hyun and Baek-myeong-hui, it was cute.

“Surprised? You said you were still young enough to enjoy Christmas and Children’s Day.”

It was already February, yet it was a Christmas gift. Gang-seok looked at Kang-hyun with a bewildered expression, and Baek-myeong-hui nudged him with her elbow.

- ‘...Father, it’s not too late.’

- ‘What?’

- ‘I’m eighteen. I’m still young enough to enjoy Christmas and Children’s Day.’

- ‘...Haha...! Is that so?’

- ‘Yes. So, if you work hard and prepare, it will be fine.’

At that moment.

His father, who had apparently remembered the offhand comment Gang-seok had made to cheer him up, spoke.

Kang-seok looked at Kang-hyun. Under his gaze, Kang-hyun scratched the back of his neck and said, “It’s a bit late, but it’s a Christmas gift.”

“...This must be expensive...”

It was definitely expensive, not a joke. It wasn’t the soft matikana pine but a silver fir, a type of wood that was easy for beginners to handle but more durable than pine or matikana.

Moreover, it would be difficult to find a silver fir of this size for carving. Concern flickered in Gang-seok’s eyes.

“Son, I worked hard to prepare this, so don’t worry.”

“Yeah, Seok. Your father has been doing incredibly well in business lately, as if he’s been blessed.”

Baek-myeong-hui smiled, wrinkling her nose.

It was a bit rough and ordinary in design, but Kang-hyun was a skilled craftsman with decades of experience.

“This is all thanks to Seok. Ever since Seok made the cradle, everything has been going smoothly. He’s our lucky charm.”

“Right, right!”

Baek-myeong-hui clapped her hands. Thinking about it, the timing was perfect. Perhaps the Borame family had indeed brought luck to the furniture store. Baek-myeong-hui clapped her hands like a young girl.

The atmosphere remained soft and warm.

Gang-seok’s lips twitched. His smile was soft and mellow, like a piece of rice cake. He stroked the top of the carving wood. It felt relatively smooth, indicating good quality.

The exact quality would be clear only after carving.

“Thank you, Father.”

Gratitude overflowed uncontrollably.

It was the best gift.

In response to Gang-seok’s words, Kang-hyun smiled widely, as if he had received the best gift. Baek-myeong-hui, who had been watching the scene with a warm smile, turned her head unconsciously.

She saw something white moving beyond the glass wall of the furniture store. Her lips curved into a smile.

“It’s snowing.”

A dark night.

Snow was falling, as if celebrating a late Christmas. The three of them stared at the snowflakes falling from the sky for a long time. The Christmas tree, which they had not managed to set up due to their busy schedules, was twinkling with LED lights.

“Ah.”

At that moment.

Gang-seok exclaimed.

“Bibimbap.”

He had forgotten about the bibimbap in the rush of excitement. Thinking of the bibimbap waiting for them on the ondol floor, Gang-seok burst into laughter.

Seeing Gang-seok laugh out loud, which was rare, Kang-hyun and Baek-myeong-hui also laughed.

“Let’s go eat before the rice gets hard.”

Baek-myeong-hui pushed Kang-hyun and Gang-seok’s backs with her hand. They were pushed into the inner room by her weak but steady hand. The warm laughter of the three echoed through the furniture store on a late night.

It was an ordinary day in winter.

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The next day.

The early morning was as dark as the previous night.

Gang-seok moved, crunching the snow under his feet.

After sweeping the snow from the front and back of the furniture store, Gang-seok entered through the back door. The furniture store, which had been warm the previous night, was now filled with a cold chill.

Gang-seok, entering the workshop, zipped up his padded jacket and turned on the light. In one hand, he held a box that looked quite heavy.

He placed the heavy box on a corner of the workshop desk and wiped his hands, then turned on the heater. Although the heating cost was expensive, he couldn’t work with stiff hands.

That wouldn’t be respectful to the client. Muttering to himself, Gang-seok opened the box and took out the papers inside. They were all materials related to the ginseng owl.

He had recorded a little bit at a time whenever he had free time since receiving the commission. Most of them were handwritten notes with a pen or pencil, as printing them would have been too expensive.

Gang-seok, looking around the workshop, started sticking the papers roughly around the desk.

His hands, tearing off Scotch tape and sticking the papers to the walls and furniture, showed no hesitation.

On his way home the previous night, he had asked his father for permission to use the entire workshop, which made him even more determined.

After sticking the papers roughly, the entire workshop was covered in white and black. Among them were ginseng owl drawings he had printed from a copy shop and materials about the ginseng owl that Minhyuk had provided.

Gang-seok walked around the center of the workshop, looking at them, then brought the carving wood wrapped in cloth.

Due to its weight, he had to drag the cloth on the floor to move it. After a while of effort, he placed it in the center and felt his body warm up.

Gang-seok, taking off his padded jacket, ran his hand through his hair. He then put on a headband to keep his hair from falling and a work cap on his forehead.

It was still a dark early morning.

Sitting on a high shelf chair in front of the carving wood, Gang-seok picked up an 8B pencil and drew a line on the wood.

The soft, velvety texture, like a blend of the best qualities of colored pencils and conté, traveled up his fingers. Although the lead would wear out quickly, the effect was clear.

The pencil marks were clearly visible on the wood. It was a satisfying line. After drawing a deep, dark line, Gang-seok held the pencil in reverse.

He quietly looked at the wood.

For a long time in the darkness, until the sun rose. He didn’t hear the passage of time.

Surrounded by countless ginseng owl materials, he just stared at the square piece of wood, forgetting the flow of time.

Time passed.

And after a long while, at the moment the sun revealed itself in the deep darkness.

A faint image emerged from the wood as a beam of light rose. Gang-seok, startled, gripped the pencil tightly.

“I see it.”

The ginseng owl, perched on a branch, spreading its wings in a triangular shape, was just about to take off, a fleeting moment.

Following the image imprinted on his retina, Gang-seok swung the pencil.

❝I saw an angel in the marble and carved until it was set free (I saw an angel in the marble and carved until it was set free).❞

– Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni –

31. Early Morning