Chapter 71

71

* * * *

September 8, White Dew.

The fifteenth of the twenty-four solar terms.

As if to mark the true beginning of autumn, with the heat and the rainy season finally over, a chill tingled at the tip of my nose when I opened the window. Park Hye-yeon, sitting by the window with a clear view of the school gate, sniffed at the frosty air gathering at the tip of her nose.

She gripped the end of her cardigan with her fingers and pulled it down, resting her wrists on the desk in front of her. A cool breeze, as if carrying the dew that had formed overnight, blew into her seat.

"It's cold."

It was cold.

Class 3-4 of Cheonghua Arts High School had a view of the school gate, and there was no building to block the wind. It was about time to close the window. Park Hye-yeon rubbed her shivering arms and looked around.

It was almost time for the morning assembly, but the seats were sparsely filled.

Just a few days ago, on September 6, when the mock exam was held, the seats were all filled... but in just two days, it was back to normal. With the second semester approaching a month, it had become common for students to skip school to attend college entrance prep classes.

Park Hye-yeon's gaze fell on a particular spot.

Directly opposite her seat.

By the window on the corridor side, right in front of the back door of the classroom.

It was Kang Seok's seat.

Kang Seok, though not attending a prep school, had a significant project to create a Buddha statue for submission to the World Buddhist Academic Conference. The board of directors had approved his absence, recognizing it as attendance.

According to her mother, who had connections with the school board, the approval was given in the hope that Kang Seok, who had announced he would not pursue art school, would still contribute to enhancing the school's reputation before graduation.

Park Hye-yeon stared at the empty seat with a cold, detached gaze.

'Should I skip too?'

Though she majored in Western painting, she had already won a silver medal at the Kanghee University practical exam. If she applied through the early admission system, she could get into Do Sung University.

There was no need to attend a prep school, so she had only been going on weekends. But seeing Kang Seok not coming to school made her feel envious.

At that moment, the wind blew again.

The scent of autumn came with it, a unique fragrance reminiscent of freshly ground coffee beans and the scent of trees.

Perhaps it was similar to the smell that comes when you first roll a pencil in your hand. Sniffing the autumn morning air, Park Hye-yeon's eyes darted towards the school gate.

From the window of Class 3-4, the school gate was clearly visible.

The school gate, which had always been open for free entry and exit at Cheonghua Arts High School, was now firmly closed. To be precise, the main gate was locked, and only the side gate was open.

'Was the back gate completely closed?'

In any case, only the side gate of the main gate was open, and the security guards hired by the board were inspecting vehicles and students at the side gate, like a student council.

It was a more closed-off scene than any other school.

Until recently, it had been unfamiliar and hard to adapt to, but now it felt like it had always been this way. The memory of the day the school gate was closed flashed through Park Hye-yeon's mind.

It was the opening ceremony day.

– "Do you know about Kang Seok?"

– "Is there anyone who can tell me about Kang Seok, a sculpture major in Class 3-4?"

– "Art major, third year! You! Are you an art major, third year?"

– "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Reporters with cameras around their necks trampled the threshold of the school gate, which was usually only accessible by car or school bus, to get stories about the prodigious high school student, Kang Seok.

The school, enraged by the parade of people blinded by views, closed the gate.

And the parents, who were most troubled by their children's complaints, pulled all the advertisements from the newspapers of the most malicious reporters. The reason for the contract termination was damage to the school's image.

The reporters immediately fled from the threshold of Cheonghua Arts High School as if a fire had broken out, but the ads did not return, and the school gate remained closed.

'Really impressive.'

Park Hye-yeon rested her chin on her hand. It was astonishing that Kang Seok, who could attend school as he pleased, had even closed the school gate. It felt like he was moving the entire school.

While thinking this and staring at the school gate, three students entered the classroom through the front door: Jung Young-ho, Choi Isak, and Joo Sol-chan. They were a group of male sculpture majors in Class 3-4.

Judging from their backpacks, they had just gotten off the school bus that had passed through the school gate.

"Are you guys going to the bookstore today?"

"Of course. They said the second edition is being released today. I'm going to buy four copies: for collection, reading, reference, and lending."

"I'm buying eight."

"Why so many?"

"First, I'll keep three, and the other five I'll sell later if they go out of print."

"You might want to reconsider. Mr. Go Doo-han said that the response to Seok's work is so good that it will likely continue to be published."

"Really?"

Joo Sol-chan, who was taking out his textbook, fiddled with his locker that wouldn't close properly. When he saw the Buddha statue he had taken out, he let out a short exclamation.

Joo Sol-chan, who was sitting, turned his head towards Jung Young-ho, who was locking a locker higher than his own.

"Are you going today?"

"Of course."

As Jung Young-ho nodded, Joo Sol-chan also nodded and got up from his seat.

"Then I should go too."

"Were you not planning to go?"

"No, man. I have an exam at the prep school today."

"Is that so? Then I can leave a review for you. Don't go."

"Ah! I just said I'm going."

Joo Sol-chan poked Jung Young-ho and walked over. Choi Isak, who was taking out a college entrance special lecture book instead of today's textbook, tilted his head.

"What are you talking about? Is there something today?"

"······? Did you forget? It's that day today."

"What day?"

"The Olympics. The World Buddhist Academic Conference is being held today."

"Ah!"

The World Buddhist Academic Conference?

Park Hye-yeon, who had been half-listening to the conversation, opened her eyes wide. The World Buddhist Academic Conference was the one where Kang Seok was making a Buddha statue.

'Is it something anyone can attend?'

Park Hye-yeon was surprised and looked at them. She wasn't the only one.

Students who had been gathered in small groups, chatting among themselves, and a few students who had been lying down, suddenly sat up and looked at Jung Young-ho.

The interest in Kang Seok was that intense.

At least in the art department of Cheonghua Arts High School, Kang Seok was a world star, a Billboard No. 1, and a world-renowned rock band that had come to Korea. It wasn't strange for the usually aloof Park Hye-yeon to jump up and grab Jung Young-ho by the collar.

"I want to go too!"

Park Hye-yeon's eyes sparkled. With that, the students of Class 3-4 started to get up from their seats one by one.

"Me too!"

"Then I'll go too!"

"Can I go too?"

"···Sure?"

Jung Young-ho looked at the students, surprised.

It was about a week before the early admission application deadline and two months and a week before the college entrance exam.

This was the moment when the students started to actively follow their classmate Kang Seok.

* * * *

"It's quite cold."

"Yes, it is."

Foreigners in monastic robes who had just arrived in Korea looked at each other and spoke in English. Their first impression of Korea, where they had come to attend the World Buddhist Academic Conference, was that it was cold.

"It's supposed to be quite cool and pleasant during the day... I guess we came a bit too early."

"Perhaps this is all part of the karmic connection."

People with calm smiles appeared in various parts of the airport. Airports are places where people from all over the world gather, but today, there seemed to be an unusually large number of people in monastic robes.

Most of them were there to attend the World Buddhist Academic Conference, which was held every few years.

While some hotels and nearby temples offered to provide accommodation and meals in a temple stay format, the practice of Buddhism is traditionally associated with asceticism. Most monks and Buddhist scholars chose to undertake their own pilgrimage.

Thus, Buddhist scholars and monks from 39 countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Germany, Poland, France, Hungary, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Israel, Peru, Canada, Australia, the United States, New Zealand, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cambodia, and Pakistan, arrived at the Korean airport today.

However, even so, there were many.

On average, 500 to 1,000 people attend the World Buddhist Academic Conference, presenting around 490 papers.

"But it seems there are quite a lot of people attending this time."

"I'm not the only one who feels that way? Perhaps the number of people listening to the Buddha's teachings has increased..."

Two monks waiting in front of the shuttle bus looked at the window and tilted their heads in curiosity. It seemed there were at least 500 people here.

This World Buddhist Academic Conference, being held after a long time and in Korea, was expected to be a success if it exceeded 500 attendees.

Roughly estimating, there were at least 200 people in monastic robes waiting near the shuttle bus.

At this rate, when they arrived at the venue of the World Buddhist Academic Conference, there would be a crowd of Buddhist scholars exceeding the average.

"What is this...?"

"What could have happened...?"

Two monks, who had been isolated from the world during the rainy season, looked around with bewildered faces.

Now that they looked, there were several monks with somewhat frivolous and excited expressions, despite wearing monastic robes that usually serve as proof of their renunciation and practice.

"We must bring back that Buddha statue, even if it means engraving Kang Seok's name on our temple's signboard."

"Yes, Abbot. But according to the rumors, Bongeunsa Temple is also participating."

"Bongeunsa Temple?"

"Yes. Abbot Beopkye of Bongeunsa Temple is personally leading the effort. Though it may sound disrespectful, the followers of Bongeunsa Temple are known for their generous offerings and donations."

"Hmm."

They were each chatting with the people next to them in their own languages.

"Our lady said to buy it no matter the cost."

"Really?"

"Indeed! She was so sad when she couldn't buy a Ming dynasty Buddha statue from Hebei Province. This time, she said to just buy it at any cost."

"But our young master also said he must have it..."

"But he already has a Buddha statue from Beijing Province!"

Upon closer inspection, it wasn't just the monks. They understood the meaning of the Buddha statue in Chinese. What was going on? They couldn't understand the situation. Two Thai monks looked around in confusion.

The shuttle bus carrying them started.

The destination was the Seoul campus of Korea University, where the World Buddhist Academic Conference was to be held.

.

.

.

In the early morning, with the sun fully risen.

Many monks got off the shuttle bus.

Ananda and Phandhin from Thailand were the last to get off. The two, wearing orange robes, looked around the Korea University campus.

It was as if they were walking through the streets of their own temple. If all these monks were walking to attend the conference, it would be the largest World Buddhist Academic Conference ever held.

Ananda looked at Phandhin in surprise.

Phandhin, who had also been surprised, quickly approached a monk wearing a brown robe, which seemed to be a Korean robe.

"Can I ask you something? Are you a Korean monk?"

"Yes, I am. What can I help you with?"

Phandhin, grateful for the monk's friendly response despite his poor Korean, asked, pointing to the people.

"Is this the World Buddhist Academic Conference?"

"Yes, it is."

The Korean monk nodded and smiled slightly.

"But it's not just that."

"What do you mean?"

Phandhin tilted his head.

The monk smiled and pointed to the Seoul campus, specifically the direction indicated by the arrow sign.

"There's something at the end. All the monks are going there to see it."

"?"

Phandhin repeated the words and looked at Ananda. After Ananda translated it into Thai, he urged Phandhin to hurry.

Thus, the two began to walk quickly for the first time in their monastic lives. The speed was almost like running.

When they finally arrived, they saw many monks gathered around something as if they had reached a holy site.

Namo Samanta Bhagavate Punjara Sutra.

(Homage to the Buddha of the Great Universe).

Chants were echoing everywhere.

It sounded like a song, a ritual to honor a deity, and many believers from around the world were bowing and praying.

Monks in different colors and styles, but all in monastic robes, created a scene that felt like the world had become one.

Ananda and Phandhin felt their hearts swell even before they knew what was behind the wall of monks.

The peace of the world was here.

What could it be?

What could make them feel so united, as if this place were the center of the universe and the world?

Driven by curiosity beyond the wonder, they took a step forward.

It was something orange.

Due to the crowd, they couldn't see what it was from the bottom of the stairs.

In front of the campus.

It looked like a statue had been placed there.

Ananda and Phandhin pushed through the crowd to get closer.

Then, they finally understood what the monk had said.

Gwanghwa Yeoraebul (Buddha of Radiant Glory).

A Buddha, radiant and beautiful, blinding to the eyes, stood there.

Truly a statue worthy of its name.

Looking at the statue in the posture of a Buddha, they couldn't tell if they were standing in front of a lamp or the sun.

At that moment.

A voice pierced the ears of Ananda and Phandhin, who were lost in emotion.

"100 billion!"

It was an absurdly large number, even if heard casually.

72. How about it!