Humans were born to seek happiness, and the more happiness they accumulated, the more their “gauge” filled, enabling them to perform miraculous, almost divine acts.
This is a cult, Jiwon thought. His uncle had always been a little odd, but he never imagined this.
“With Gwon Seon-hyeong’s passing, we need a second leader, and it must be someone of his bloodline. But he had no children, so we desperately searched for blood relatives—and found you, Seong Jiwon, his nephew.”
Jiwon was speechless.
“I’m not his real nephew. My father was just close to him…”
“Who would know that?”
The sharp tone made Jiwon flinch. Lee Jak’s lips curled into a smile, but his meaning was clear. His piercing gaze seemed to see right through Jiwon.
“You have debts, don’t you, Jiwon?”
“Y-yes… how did you—”
Lee Jak pointed to the red eviction notices covering everything in the house. Jiwon’s face burned with shame. It was painfully obvious.
“We’ll pay off your debts.”
“What?!”
“Of course, since we’re taking on your debt, you’ll have to repay us. But that would just be trading one debt for another, so we won’t charge interest. After all, you’re the late leader’s nephew.”
The words were tempting. Jiwon’s mind reeled.
“So…”
“The annual donations the leader receives are roughly this much.”
Lee Jak pulled out paper and a fountain pen, scribbling numbers. The zeros seemed endless. Jiwon’s vision swam.
“With this amount, you’ll pay off your debts in no time.”
Lee Jak smiled at Jiwon, who nodded as if hypnotized. The staggering sum, the trust in Lee Jak’s smile—it all made him feel at ease.
“From today, you are the second leader of the Land of Happiness.”
“Ah…”
Leader. It was a path he’d never imagined. But he had no other choice. Either he’d be hounded by loan sharks forever, exploited by illegal means, or he’d become their leader.
“If you refuse, we can’t force you…”
Jiwon’s hesitation made the man’s words more persuasive. Finally, Jiwon squeezed his eyes shut and shouted,
“N-no! I’ll do it! I’ll become the leader!”
“We’ll discuss the details on the way. Pack lightly and meet me in the parking lot.”
Lee Jak stood abruptly, opened the front door, and disappeared. Jiwon stared blankly before snapping out of it and hastily throwing his belongings into a suitcase. He didn’t have much—just clothes and a laptop. As he dragged the suitcase to the underground parking lot, he still felt dazed, as if under a spell.
But he couldn’t stop. He had no other choice. Seeing the limousine—something he’d only seen in dramas—made it even more real. Lee Jak took his luggage, placed it in the trunk, and opened the door for him.
The car drove down a quiet, pine-scented road, winding through the mountains for a long time. Jiwon stared out the darkly tinted window at the passing trees. The scenery barely changed, but he watched intently, as if memorizing each one.
As they grew farther from his old life, he felt like he was saying goodbye to his past self. He made a silent vow: he didn’t know how to be a good leader, but he’d try his best. He’d pay off all his debts and live freely, unburdened.
In the spacious backseat, separated from the driver, Jiwon sat alone. Across from him was Lee Jak.
Lee Jak pulled out a pre-prepared leader’s manual and handed it to Jiwon. It covered everything from mindset to posture.
“You and your uncle don’t look much alike, but in front of the followers, you must seem like his spitting image. When they see you, they should think of the late leader. Here are some videos of him—study them.”
Jiwon took the tablet. Dozens, hundreds of videos appeared. As he scrolled, he found a locked folder: “Night of Grace.” Without thinking, he tried to open it—
“You don’t have time for distractions.”
“…”
Jiwon didn’t respond, just lowered his head slightly and watched the videos in order. On a lavishly decorated stage, his uncle stood in a flashy rose-patterned suit, delivering a speech to his followers. He had a commanding presence—clear pronunciation, dramatic gestures, dazzling decorations, and background music.
Could he ever pull this off? Jiwon had always avoided presentations, even in university group projects. He sighed softly. Lee Jak spoke up.
“From now on, Jiwon, you are the leader of the Land of Happiness. I’ll support you in your happiness, so you must make many people happy in return.”
His words were persuasive. Jiwon nodded. He had to steel himself—this was no easy task.
“…I’ll do my best.”
“Let’s work hard together.”
Lee Jak extended his hand. Jiwon’s fingers were clumsily enveloped by Lee Jak’s long, elegant ones. Jiwon managed a weak smile.
After a long drive, they arrived at a place that looked like a small university, with various buildings clustered together. The scale and appearance were far more impressive than Jiwon had imagined. The driver opened the trunk, took out Jiwon’s suitcase, and carried it somewhere. Jiwon looked confused, and Lee Jak explained,
“They’re moving your things to your room. You’ll have many people under you from now on. Get used to your position.”
Jiwon nodded awkwardly. It didn’t feel like something he could ever get used to, but he’d have to try.
Following Lee Jak’s lead, they passed several buildings. “This is the dormitory. This is the Happiness Hall, where you’ll give speeches. This is…” The flood of information left Jiwon slightly dizzy.
“But you won’t need to visit those places often. You’ll mostly be in the leader’s quarters.”
The building connected to Happiness Hall was two stories tall. Lee Jak explained that the entire second floor was the leader’s quarters.
Jiwon’s new room was enormous—more like a small house. Opening the door revealed a living room with sofas and tables. Beyond another door was the bedroom, dominated by a bed so large it was absurd for one person. It was draped in luxurious embroidered fabric.
Lee Jak casually sat on the sofa. A moment later, someone knocked.
“Come in.”
A group of people dressed in white veils from head to toe entered.
“Thank you for allowing us to meet the leader.”
“Thank you for allowing us to meet the leader.”
Half a dozen people bowed in unison. Jiwon couldn’t hide his bewilderment. Lee Jak added nonchalantly,
“They’re here to assist you in your daily life. You won’t see them often, but always be grateful.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Jiwon bowed slightly.
“We’re having clothes made to fit you. For now, it’s late, so change into your sleepwear first.”
At Lee Jak’s gesture, a set of clothes appeared on the table, and the veiled figures vanished. Jiwon picked it up—and froze in shock.
“This…”
“It’s the leader’s sleepwear. It suits you.”
It was barely clothing. Just layers of thin, white fabric stitched together, so sheer it might as well have been nothing. The material itself was soft and luxurious, but the sheer thinness was the problem. Wearing it would be no different from being naked.
“This suits me?” What was he talking about? Jiwon, flustered, asked,
“I brought my own sleepwear… can’t I just wear that?”
He missed the gray sweatpants in his suitcase. Lee Jak shook his head firmly.
“Even in sleep, you must fulfill your duties with responsibility.”
“But this is…”
“It’s only for sleeping, right? No one will see you.”
Lee Jak tilted his head. His attitude made Jiwon question himself. Maybe he was overreacting. Lee Jak’s persuasive appearance made it hard to argue.
“Fine… I’ll wear it.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
