Chapter 501: Side Story, Return (1)
Chapter 501: Side Story, Return (1)
Starting in the early evening, people began gathering in front of Gwanghwamun Square[1].A week had passed since the tower had disappeared after months of broadcasting nothing but a white screen. Due to that silence, the Kwon Su-Hyeok Sect had decided to hold a public assembly. It wasn’t for some grand purpose, however—they wanted the climbers to return safely.
Because of the different time zones, it was impossible to hold the gathering simultaneously across the globe. In the end, the organizers decided to begin the event in South Korea, Kwon Su-Hyeok’s homeland.
There are far more people than I expected.
The reporter dispatched to cover the event found herself quietly startled as she watched the crowd swell. She had anticipated a large turnout, but not to this extent, and certainly not this quickly.
The Kwon Su-Hyeok Sect felt the same.
Although the gathering was officially framed as a prayer for the safe return of all climbers, at its core, a religious group devoted to Kwon Su-Hyeok was hosting it. They had promoted it extensively online, but judging by the makeup of the crowd, nearly ninety percent of those present were ordinary civilians.
As the number of people continued to rise, the event supervisors hurriedly rented additional speakers. Even then, it was woefully insufficient. The police faced a similar situation. With the crowd growing beyond expectations, they urgently requested additional personnel to help manage the area.
“Hmm.”
Amid the low murmur of countless voices, Park Jong-Pil, head of the Korean branch of the Kwon Su-Hyeok Sect, glanced down at the script in his hands. When he reached the parts that read “Do you believe?” and “Sumen,” he quietly drew thick black lines through them.
He had become the branch head largely through tireless online activity. Standing in front of ordinary people and shouting slogans like that felt inappropriate.
That wasn’t to say that his faith was wavering, nor because he felt embarrassed. If anything, it was precisely because of Kwon Su-Hyeok. He believed that provoking discomfort among the general public would only do more harm than good.