The most important discovery the Seventh Man makes when he returns to his hometown is that the dark shadow of his friend K’s death-his overwhelming fear and guilt-has finally lifted. He realizes that his lifelong torment was caused by his fear of the wave, which symbolized his fear itself. By confronting that fear directly at the beach, feeling the water on his toes again, he is able to let go of the guilt and nightmares that had haunted him for decades. This marks a form of salvation and recovery for him, allowing him to move forward with his life despite the tragedy
. In essence, the Seventh Man understands that the fear he had been running from was only a ghost, and by facing it rather than turning away, he regains control over his life and emotions. This discovery is crucial because it frees him from the paralysis and self-blame caused by K’s death and the traumatic wave incident
