The Cult Leader in the Clergy Academy

Chapter 360

—Hey.

How are our parents doing? I wanted to visit home at least once, but it wasn't easy. I was afraid to go back. I don't even know what to say when I meet them.

Please subtly tell our parents that I am doing well. I hope this letter reaches you safely.

I will stop here. I want to talk about the rest in person. It seems better that way. If you don't mind, come to the address I wrote on the 15th. If you don't want to, it's okay.

Jung Yoon-Ah.

The letter ended there. In-Ah read the letter over and over again. She wondered if someone was playing a prank, but the handwriting was clearly her sister’s. The letter was short considering they hadn’t talked in a long time, and the blunt tone in the writing pointed out that the writer of this letter was indeed Yoon-Ah.

There was an address written on a small note enclosed with the letter. Judging by the name, it didn't seem to be domestic. In-Ah understood that it meant that the sender was there. She probably would be able to meet her sister there.

"...”

In-Ah folded the letter and put it in the envelope along with the note with the address. She crumpled them and stuffed them in her pocket. Even though she knew the address, In-Ah couldn't make a decision. It was difficult for her to make the simple decision to go meet Yoon-Ah.

Was it because she resented Yoon-Ah for silently abandoning her family and becoming a Voodoo Cult member? Or maybe she was just afraid. Meeting her sister after being apart for a year and a half seemed more awkward and difficult than she thought.

*

Ten days passed since the 'coming 15th' that Yoon-Ah had mentioned in the letter. In-Ah finally decided to leave her house after she had stayed home ever since the beginning of the school break. She wanted to meet someone.

She sought out Ye-Jin, her old homeroom teacher who had been a great help to In-Ah until she became a teacher at Florence Academy. They agreed to meet at a restaurant, but In-Ah couldn't see Ye-Jin anywhere, so she looked around several times.

Then, she heard Ye-Jin's voice calling her from somewhere.

"In-Ah, over here!"

In-Ah finally found Ye-Jin, but she wasn’t alone. Do-Jin and Bok-Dong joined her at the table.

In-Ah thought she was only meeting Ye-Jin, so she was slightly surprised to see the two of them. However, she was not flustered or uncomfortable. Rather, she was happy to see them.

In-Ah bowed her head and greeted them cheerfully. "Hello!"

Ye-Jin smiled brightly and waved her hand. Bok-Dong recognized In-Ah belatedly, and he vigorously waved his hands to greet her. Although Do-Jin also waved to greet In-Ah, his expression seemed somewhat awkward.

In-Ah took a seat opposite Ye-Jin.

"I didn't know I’d see you two here. I thought I was only meeting Ye-Jin."

Ye-Jin chuckled. "Oh, did I forget to mention? Lately, I've been so scatterbrained... I must have forgotten to tell you."

"Yeah, I didn't know In-Ah was coming either. I thought we were only going to see each other," Do-Jin said.

Ye-Jin chuckled again. "Huh? I think I did mention that In-Ah was coming over. Did I not?"

"You told me. Actually, I didn't know Do-Jin was coming. I thought I was just going to see you and In-Ah," Bok-Dong said.

"What is this? I feel like I’m an uninvited guest."

Do-Jin sounded a bit annoyed.

Ye-Jin tried to smoothly navigate the situation. "I'm sorry, I've been really scatterbrained lately. But hey, what's the big deal? Just be glad we met."

In-Ah chuckled nervously. She didn't know that Do-Jin and Bok-Dong were coming. Do-Jin didn't know In-Ah was coming, and Bok-Dong didn't know Do-Jin was coming. The situation was tangled up like that. Still, they were fortunate to have gathered together. As Ye-Jin said, she was glad she was able to meet them. The four of them exchanged brief greetings and ordered food. Before the food arrived, they chatted about their recent lives.

Ye-Jin mentioned that she was living off the money she had saved up and helping with research as a part-time job at the priesthood. She only had to go to the priesthood a couple of times a week, so she felt much more relaxed than before.

Do-Jin admired her story and seemed envious. "That used to be your dream, right? Being a well-off, unemployed person. You made it come true."

"Not entirely. I am unemployed, but I don't have money," Ye-Jin said with a smile.

Do-Jin was no longer a teacher at Florence Academy. He continued with his crusader work, but due to the dissolution of the Trinitas Crusader Order, he wandered around as a freelancer. He earned much less than before, but he seemed content with the less hectic lifestyle.

"I quit caffeine, too. I quit naturally once I was no longer as busy," he said.

"But didn't you say you started smoking again?" Bok-Dong chided with a sly smile.

"What? Really?" Ye-Jin narrowed her eyes and glared fiercely at Do-Jin.

"Lies, he’s telling lies. Smoking? What are you talking about? I quit a long time ago," Do-Jin hastily explained.

"What have you been up to these days, Mr. Bok-Dong?" In-Ah asked.

In-Ah had known about Do-Jin and Ye-Jin’s current situation for a while. However, she didn't know about Bok-Dong's current situation. Bok-Dong had retired from his teaching position at Florence Academy before the Holy War, and what he had been doing since then was unknown.

"I am running a training center. I feel at ease, and I like it."

In-Ah nodded. "Oh, that suits you well."

Do-Jin chuckled. "Honestly, Bok-Dong doesn’t look like a teacher at all. His face looks too scary to be one."

"My face is not that bad! I just look a bit intimidating."

They exchanged such trivial but amusing stories. After sharing their current situations, they engaged in a conversation about the current situations of those around them, as well as the stories of memorable students.

As Do-Jin was reminiscing, he suddenly widened his eyes and asked, "Oh, what is that jerk up to these days?"

In-Ah knew exactly who Do-Jin was asking about. "Min-Seo? I heard she is running a business. It seems to be doing quite well, right?"

"A business? That's crazy. She must be making a lot of money," Do-Jin muttered.

Bok-Dong listened with his arms crossed, and he raised his eyebrows. "Do-Jin, don't you have a lot of money too? Or have you already spent all the money you saved?"

"What are you talking about? I didn't have much saved up to begin with. I came out today because Ye-Jin said she would treat me to a meal."

"When did I say I would treat you? I said I would treat In-Ah," Ye-Jin said, looking surprised.

The food came out, and as they ate, they continued to share stories, mostly old ones. They talked about when Ye-Jin, Do-Jin, and Bok-Dong were students, as well as the memorable incidents from their time at Florence Academy. They had been friends for a very long time and still were.

When talking about old stories, of course, In-Ah had nothing to say. Bok-Dong, Ye-Jin, and Do-Jin were all friends, but In-Ah was not. She just listened to the stories and still found it enjoyable.

However, she also felt a bit bitter. For a moment, she felt envious. Maybe they could have been like that too. She had such thoughts from time to time.

"Sorry for talking so much among ourselves," Ye-Jin said as they were about to part ways.

In-Ah shook her head. "No, I also had fun!"

It was truly fun, but In-Ah still felt a bit bitter. Ye-Jin glanced at In-Ah and saw her smiling brightly. In-Ah was clearly smiling, but her expression seemed awkward for some reason.

After noticing In-Ah’s expression, Ye-Jin asked, "Are you not going anywhere for the vacation? No plans for a trip or anything?"

In-Ah hesitated upon hearing the question. She closed her mouth, bowed her head, and pondered for a while. With gloomy eyes, staring blankly into the distance, she raised her head. Then, she smiled and said, "I'm thinking of going on a trip."

"Oh, really? Where to? Have you decided?"

"I have a place in mind, but I think I need to go there to find out where it is," In-Ah said.

She returned home. On the desk, there was the letter from Yoon-Ah. She hesitated. She unfolded it, read the letter once more, and confirmed the address. Just by looking at the name of the place, she couldn't tell which country it was, where it was. Still, she thought she should go. It seemed like a good idea.

*

The address Yoon-Ah had written on the note was located in New Orleans, USA. In-Ah immediately booked a flight and accommodation, then set off for the city. It was peak traveling season, so the fare was very expensive, but she was okay with it thanks to the money she had saved up.

By the time In-Ah arrived, it was already night. In-Ah immediately hailed a taxi and showed the driver the note. The taxi driver glanced at the address written on the note and tilted his head. Then, with an uncertain attitude, he set off.

The driver parked the car in the middle of a random road. Then, he said something in some language as he gestured for In-Ah to get off. Was it French or Spanish? Anyway, it was a language In-Ah couldn't understand.

"No. What are you saying... Oh my, Thank you! I'll find my own way!"

In-Ah tried to communicate somehow, but finally gave up due to exhaustion.

She paid more than several times the amount she would have paid in Korea. It felt like she had been ripped off, which was unbelievable. The driver was not kind, didn't take her to the destination properly, and on top of that, the ride was expensive... It seemed like she had been a doormat.

"I’ll just think of it as a good deed," In-Ah muttered.

She decided to just think of it as charity. The thought made her feel a bit better.

She decided to search for the address and walk in the direction with guidance from her phone. But somehow, it felt like she was going deeper into a remote area. At one point, the road was cut off. Ahead, there was only a narrow path that only one person could barely pass through. It was dark and eerie, with no one around. However, her phone kept telling her to keep going straight.

"Where am I, seriously?" In-Ah murmured as she ventured into that eerie alleyway.

In fact, at that point, she even considered turning back. She couldn't imagine Yoon-Ah being in such a place. Nevertheless, In-Ah mustered courage from within and decided to keep moving forward.

"..."

How long had she walked?

The seemingly endless eerie path finally came to an end. Beyond it was a beach. The waves were gentle, and a red moon was rising above the horizon. The moonlight caused the waves to break into a red hue. It could have been a scene that seemed scary, but In-Ah didn't find it particularly frightening. Instead, it looked mysterious and beautiful.

Bang-!

At that beach, a fireworks display was in full swing. There were many people. The beachgoers were either looking at the red moon, the waves breaking in red, or the colorful fireworks bursting in the sky, chatting among themselves.

"How was seeing the Pope in person this time? She looked so pretty in the photos."

"Oh, in reality, she’s just pale. To be honest, I’m a lot better looking than her."

"You think you're better?"

"Yeah. I’m not too bad myself, don’t you think?"

"You look like the inquisitor I saw in the underground prison."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means you’re objectively not that good-looking."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean... I'll kill you!"

"Haha! If you can, go ahead and try. I bet I can run faster."

The two people, who seemed like siblings, bickered and ran along the beach.

“Yuk Eun-Hyung, you son of a gun! If I hadn’t been there, you’d have gone down the same dang path as Ha Pan-Seok, don’t ya know?"

"How long are you going to bring that up for? I don't remember."

"Gosh, you ungrateful, ungrateful person!"

The two friends exchanged glasses.

"It must be great to be the Prophet. They can even enjoy fireworks for free. Oh, Ji-Ah. Should I give you more meat?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm too full... Teacher, please have some."

In-Ah couldn’t tell if they were father and daughter or teacher and disciple. Nevertheless, the two of them grilled and ate meat together.

"I told you to take care of your body. How many times do you need to use your power?"

"I heard similar words from the one who stabbed a blade into my heart."

"Hey, th-that was unavoidable at that time!"

"I know, I'm just kidding."

"Anyway, let's stop now. You’ll harm yourself if you continue."

"Let's do a little more. It's beautiful. It adds to the atmosphere."

"You never listen."

"Like that’s new."

"That's true."

The two people who looked like lovers exchanged banter while watching the fireworks bursting in the sky. In-Ah found the back view of those two somehow familiar. Her heart raced. They looked like the two people presumed to be dead, so she thought they were among the deceased.

In-Ah squinted her eyes, trying to make out their faces. However, perhaps due to the reddish moonlight, their faces were not clearly visible.

At that moment, someone called In-Ah.

"Oh, unnie! What are you doing all the way over there?"

Startled, In-Ah turned her head.

"..."

Yoon-Ah was the one who called In-Ah. Upon hearing Yoon-Ah's voice, the others who were by the sea turned to look at In-Ah. However, none of them showed hostility or caution.

The two people In-Ah was staring at also turned their heads. Finally, their faces were visible. Sun-Woo and Jin-Seo quietly got up from their seats and approached In-Ah.

"Long time no see," Sun-Woo said with a small smile as he looked at In-Ah.

It was a familiar greeting that she hadn't heard in a long time.

The waves crashed. In the sky, fireworks were still going off. On the beach, people were sharing conversations and running around, seemingly enjoying themselves. It was peaceful. It had truly been a long time since all those moments had come together.