S207

Society Protocol Season 2 07

Interview

Kang Min-hyuk, who was listening to Pastor Hwang of the Million Salvation Sect at a prayer retreat in Gangwon Province, felt somewhat relieved by the sermon, which was more rational than he had expected.

This was because he had been shocked after watching several documentaries about cults and subsequently searching the internet to find information about such pseudo-religions and mass suicides in Korea.

He also suspected that Mi-hee might be held captive in such a place, having been blackmailed.

This was because he could not contact her, nor was there any way to find out where she was.

However, upon actually arriving, he found the atmosphere resembled a senior care facility or nursing home, and the sermon contained content rarely heard in ordinary churches.

He also sensed an atmosphere that was slightly opposed to current Christianity.

Furthermore, despite being there for the first time today, he was not subjected to any restrictions or surveillance, so he concluded that it was a place where he could live relatively freely.

After the service ended, people began to disperse, either to pray individually or to attend to their own affairs. Mi-hee took Min-hyuk's hand and, looking joyful, pushed her way through the crowd toward the pastor.

The people glanced at Mi-hee's bright demeanor but soon went their separate ways.

Pastor Hwang had been here for several months already, so he knew all the parishioners.

However, he had never seen the young man sitting next to Mi-hee during the sermon before.

With the addition of a new believer to the usual congregation, the sermon became even more passionate.

Didn't Jesus say it too?

That one lost sheep is more precious than ninety-nine.

As he finished his sermon and took a sip of water from the table,

Mi-hee brought the young man in front of him.

He wasn't particularly surprised, as he had vaguely heard stories from the parishioners on guard.

However, he hadn't expected him to come right in front of him.

He had become somewhat hesitant to make direct contact with outsiders due to security risks.

It was known that Pastor Hwang was the head of this organization,

and among the Christian believers who designated them as heretics,

the hardliners even harbored intentions to harm Pastor Hwang.

And Pastor Hwang always kept in mind that a massive organization, though not yet revealed, was targeting him.

However, overwhelmed by Mi-hee's incredibly youthful and bright energy, Pastor Hwang ended up forgetting to be cautious.

“Pastor, he is my boyfriend. He came here looking for me. It’s okay for him to be here, right?”

Mi-hee, holding onto Min-hyuk’s hand and squirming shyly in front of the pastor, was confident and honest in her expression.

“As long as you are okay with it, there is absolutely no problem. You must have had a hard time coming all this way. I am the senior pastor here.”

As Pastor Hwang greeted him with a smile and using polite language, Min-hyuk felt slightly nervous and bowed his head in greeting.

The fellow believers, having seen him all the time, might not have noticed it, but...

Seeing Min-hyuk for the first time, he felt a certain kind of charisma from Pastor Hwang.

It was similar to the feeling one gets when seeing a great actor for the first time.

It felt as if an energy that one could not dare approach was enveloping the surroundings.

“I am Kang Min-hyuk. I enjoyed the sermon. I also enjoyed the meal.”

Beside the hesitant Kang Min-hyuk, Mi-hee was smiling brightly. Pastor Hwang had been slightly worried because she had looked so down, but seeing Mi-hee smile brightly lifted his spirits.

“Did you happen to see Miss Mi-hee’s mother? If not, I think it would be good to greet her.”

Min-hyuk was momentarily flustered. He had only been thinking about Mi-hee and hadn't considered that she might be with her mother.

“No, I haven't met her yet. Yes, I would like to say hello.”

Pastor Hwang pondered for a moment where Mi-hee’s mother might be.

“The Deacon is probably helping out in the cafeteria. He’s likely busy, so I think it would be nice to meet around mealtime. Is Mi-hee fine with that, too?”

“Yes, Pastor.”

Thinking that the matter was settled, the Pastor organized his sermon materials and prepared to return to his room.

However, Min-hyuk suddenly began asking Pastor Hwang questions.

“Pastor, I have a few questions. Can you spare some time?”

Pastor Hwang looked at Min-hyuk’s face.

He couldn’t tell what the questions were, but it was an expression that made him feel like he wanted to answer if he knew the answer.

“I’ll organize my materials and change my clothes, so I’d appreciate it if you could wait for ten minutes. Let’s meet in the lounge. Sit down, have a drink, and chat, and I’ll be right there.”

Min-hyuk nodded.

The Pastor gathered his materials and went into his room, which was attached to the sanctuary. Min-hyuk was watching the pastor's back as he entered the room. Mi-hee pulled Min-hyuk's arm.

“What do you want to eat? Believe it or not, there’s actually quite a lot to eat here. We have flower tea, fruit tea, and even savory and delicious corn tea. We have pretty much everything except coffee.”

Seeing Mi-hee’s smiling face, Min-hyuk felt better too.

He felt a bit foolish for having tossed and turned all night worrying.

Mi-hee did not let go of Min-hyuk’s hand.

She continued to hold his hand and led him to the lounge.

The lounge was located between the chapel and the dining hall, with tables and parasols like a convenience store.

There was a refrigerator filled with ice cream and snacks displayed there.

And on one side, a coffee pot, spoons, and a sink were set up so that one could drink tea.

She took three cups from the drying rack, placed them on the cooking area next to the sink,

and took one of the glass jars on display, scooped some out with a spoon, and filled it.

It was a jar of quince preserved in honey.

It was something she liked, and she figured Min-hyuk probably hadn't tried it before.

It was a kind of consideration from Mi-hee, who thought that since the pastor had used his voice so much while preaching, quince wouldn't be bad for him.

Min-hyuk sat at the table and watched Mi-hee's back as she moved slightly through the open door.

She didn't seem to have changed in weight, and perhaps because she wasn't wearing heavy makeup, she looked modest.

It was a back view that looked pretty even in a one-piece dress.

Mi-hee brought out a tray filled with tea. Steam was rising from the cups.

Another cup was covered with a ceramic lid.

They hadn't even exchanged a few words while sitting down when Pastor Hwang was walking toward the lounge wearing a tracksuit.

Min-hyuk stood up from his seat. Mi-hee opened the lid of the cup containing the tea she had prepared for the pastor. As the fragrant scent of quince spread, the pastor smiled at Mi-hee, realizing that the tea was for him.

“There really is no one like you, Sister Mi-hee. I will enjoy this.”

Mi-hee giggled. She seemed even more delighted than usual.

As the pastor gestured for him to sit, Min-hyuk took the chair opposite him.

“I see. What is it that you are curious about?”

Pastor Hwang took a sip of the quince tea and immediately got to the point.

“I asked because I wanted to know a little more about why you came here. I haven’t heard anything directly from Mi-hee, and even when I searched the internet, I couldn’t find the exact reason. Also, listening to your sermon, there were parts that resonated with me.”

Min-hyuk asked the question confidently. There appeared to be absolutely no malice or intention to disparage him.

Seeing Min-hyuk, Pastor Hwang felt that it would be okay to open up his heart to him.

“The world we live in is in crisis. If things continue like this, humanity could face complete annihilation. Even now, Africa and some other nations are suffering from famine. Yet, some countries are producing enormous amounts of agricultural products. However, the population continues to grow exponentially. Consequently, the environment is being destroyed, and the Earth's creatures are being attacked by humans, causing their numbers to decline. Until now, there was a kind of balance maintained by a system where everything was eaten and eaten. But now, humans are becoming a form of pollution.”

Min-hyuk was slightly puzzled, as the story was unfolding in a way completely different from what he had expected.

This was because he had anticipated content regarding God and the corruption of religion.

“Are you saying that humans are creating a kind of disease on Earth?”

Min-hyuk asked the pastor a question.

It was a rare occurrence to have someone interrupt before one had even finished speaking.

However, thinking it was a reasonably valid question, Pastor Hwang nodded lightly.

“When cancer develops in the human body, it gradually grows and forms a lump.

That cancer doesn't come from the outside; rather, it is the body itself that has transformed into cancer.

Humans have become a kind of cancer cell,

and the various buildings, factories, cars, airplanes, and objects created by humans have become a kind of cancer.

Since humans cannot access the interior of the Earth.

It could be like mites that mainly parasitize the skin, or perhaps athlete's foot.

Yes, humans have become like athlete's foot on the Earth.”

Humans are the lords of creation, and what he learned in church during his childhood was that

God gave all rights to the earth to humans,

and that it was God's will for humans to rule over everything.

However, doesn't the pastor standing before him say that humans are like athlete's foot?

“There are things like parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Some of these have beneficial effects when they parasitize their human host. Lactic acid bacteria would be an example of this. However, there are also viruses that kill the host immediately.

Then, what happens if such a virus enters the human body? Our immune system will try to kill that virus.

We are currently aware that the Earth's immune system has been activated, and we are preparing for it.

It is true that mosquitoes and flies cause harm to humans. However, since mosquitoes, flies, and various other insects play a role, we should not drive them to extinction for the sake of humanity.

In fact, they probably won't go extinct anyway. So, even if humans are the cause of cancer or athlete's foot, we shouldn't drive them to extinction.

That is because humans also have their own role on this Earth.

The problem, however, is that their numbers have increased too much.

It is difficult to imagine how many lives must be lost just to keep one human alive for a lifetime. But if there were a life form whose lineage had completely dried up, humans would run out of food and eventually die as well.” "Because humans engage in farming, they produce an infinite amount of food for their own consumption.

Those creatures live their lives for the sake of humans rather than fulfilling a role for the Earth.

All of these things have gradually started to become a burden on the planet. The Earth has given us a signal."

“You mean the Earth gave a sign?”

“Yes, there are a few people who accepted it. The God we believe in governs the entire universe, but we do not believe He intervenes in the trivial lives of ordinary humans. However, if we earnestly wish for something, God often grants our faith. But this case is quite different from that. God gave us a message directly.”

Min-hyuk felt a slight tension, as it seemed the real story was about to begin.

“You mean God gave us a message directly?”

“Yes, through several rounds of verification, we have concluded that this is not merely our own personal thought or imagination. Furthermore, the same message has been conveyed globally. Through all these messages, we have come to realize that the Earth is attempting to purify itself. It has clearly conveyed the message that if things continue this way, not only the Earth but all of humanity will face destruction. Will we turn a blind eye and continue living as we have, or will we change our lifestyle patterns? The time has come to make this judgment. That is why we are trying to live a minimal life here for now and waiting for God's will to subside. We are also waiting for the next definite message, as it has not yet arrived.”

Min-hyuk became curious about what the ‘next message’ might be.

The first message was that humanity would perish if things continued as they were; if so, what would the next message be?

“Then, what do you think the next message will be?”

Pastor Hwang could not gauge how much he should tell this young man, whom he was meeting for the first time.

However, he could see a certain curiosity and passion in him. There was no reason to hide anything after saying this much.

“It would be a kind of headquarters in the United States right now. They are preparing to receive the message there and are formulating two scenarios. One involves hiding away in nature like an ark where humans do not exist, which would resolve everything, and then returning to a clean Earth for humanity to live simply. The other anticipates a more proactive approach, so they are setting up various countermeasures.”

“What would a proactive approach be? I’m not sure. Besides avoiding disaster, is there any other method humans can take?”

Pastor Hwang let out a light sigh and continued speaking with an expression that conveyed he believed such a thing should never happen.

“It will likely be a process of self-purification.”