Chapter 47

Chapter 47

...Really Thank You!

Mr. Kang absolutely couldn’t understand that Jin Myeong proposed a job to himself.

“Why to me······ making such a proposal? As you said my arm now...”

“Doesn’t matter. Asking if you have the intention to do.”

Mr. Kang was speechless.

Already an arm the hospital gave up on too.

Even so saying it doesn’t matter.

What are you trying to do...

But the aspiration in one corner of the chest was wriggling at Jin Myeong’s words.

“That······ if only possible I want to. But...”

“Understood.”

“······?”

Mr. Kang made a bewildered expression.

What did he understand.

Jin Myeong looked at him and asked indifferently.

“House is nearby?”

“Ah, that···”

Mr. Kang made a bitter expression.

Since he was kicked out of the lodging he stayed with the construction team members from today, he was in a situation with nowhere to return right now.

Jin Myeong who heard his rough circumstances took out the smartphone from his pocket.

A moment later.

Bong-gu entered the restaurant.

“Did you call, hyung?!”

“This person, can you let him sleep at your house for one day?”

“...Who is it?”

Bong-gu scanned Mr. Kang up and down with eyes full of wariness.

“From tomorrow he’ll work here.”

“Work here...?”

“Yeah.”

Unexpected.

The shabby clothes are clothes, and just looking age is around 50.

Moreover the body condition doesn’t look that good either.

But working together from tomorrow?

But if Jin Myeong says so then it is so.

Bong-gu nodded without extra words.

“Understood.”

At Jin Myeong’s words to look for a place to stay nearby if working, Bong-gu answered that he knows the nearby gosiwon village.

Just when Bong-gu was about to step outside the restaurant taking Mr. Kang.

“Dawn 4 o’clock, come in front of the shop.”

“······!!”

At Jin Myeong’s sudden words Mr. Kang was startled yet soon nodded without words.

*

Next day dawn 4 o’clock.

Pitch-black darkness.

Mr. Kang stopped in front of Jin Myeong Gak with a stiff expression.

Soon the restaurant door opened, and Jin Myeong in light training clothes came out.

“Follow.”

“······!”

Jin Myeong said one word as soon as he saw Mr. Kang and began walking ahead.

Mr. Kang hurriedly chased behind him without knowing the circumstances.

The place Jin Myeong’s steps headed was the shallow mountain located behind the neighborhood.

Even streetlight lights sparse.

Along the dark mountain path, the two’s mountain climbing began.

“Heok···! Heok···!”

Not long after Mr. Kang panted.

Whether unused to mountain climbing usually the heart seemed like bursting and breath rose to the throat.

“...”

But Jin Myeong walking ahead was strangely quiet.

Even footsteps didn’t properly sound, and breathing was constant and calm as if walking on flat ground.

Mr. Kang desperately climbed the mountain path clinging to life or death not to lose such Jin Myeong.

And a while later.

Finally arrived at the wide rock area of the mountain peak.

Faint dawn light was rising far away.

“Heoeok···! Heok···!”

Mr. Kang who became exhausted barely leaned on the large rock and sat gasping for breath.

Jin Myeong approached and looked down at him and opened his mouth.

“Sit here.”

“···Yes?”

“Don’t make me say twice.”

“······Ah, understood.”

Mr. Kang suppressed by Jin Myeong’s cold and overwhelming momentum staggered and sat up on the flat rock.

“Cross-legged.”

“...”

Mr. Kang crossed his legs with a still dazed face.

At that time Jin Myeong approached behind his back and quietly took a seat.

Cheok.

“······?!”

Mr. Kang flinched at the unfamiliar sensation of two palms pressing on his own back.

Jin Myeong with palms detached moved the position here and there and examined Mr. Kang’s back.

“The body’s balance is completely broken.”

Jin Myeong’s low and cool voice cut the dawn air.

“Not only the ligament of the right shoulder worn. To endure that you overused the waist. Because of that the energy of the spine is tightly blocked. That’s a bigger problem than the arm.”

“...!”

Mr. Kang was surprised.

Actually as Jin Myeong said there was a problem in the waist, spine.

How on earth did he know that?

This young chef on earth...

“Don’t open the mouth, close eyes and concentrate.”

“...!”

It was an absurd demand, but Mr. Kang tightly closed both eyes as if entranced.

Jin Myeong’s two palms that were touching behind stopped near the center of the spine.

And a moment later.

“······!!”

Mr. Kang’s whole body stiffened stiffly.

The strange heat that started from the part Jin Myeong’s palms touched gradually became hotter.

When the surprised Mr. Kang reflexively tried to twist his body, Jin Myeong’s heavy voice hit his ear.

“Stay still.”

“...!”

Paused at Jin Myeong’s words.

And when hot energy began circulating in the whole body, Mr. Kang swallowed his breath.

“Endure.”

Jin Myeong’s low and cool voice hit the ear.

Centered on the spine and right shoulder, with pain as if a sharp awl digs in hot heat began boiling.

“Keueueuk···!”

A groan leaked from Mr. Kang’s mouth.

But Jin Myeong’s palms stuck to the back were immovable.

Not long after the pain gradually subsided.

And in place of that a strangely soft and warm energy spread like a tide throughout the whole body.

A sensation as if blocked blood vessels opened wide and clear water flows.

How much time passed.

“Ended.”

At Jin Myeong’s indifferent voice Mr. Kang slowly opened both eyes.

When he turned his head with a blank face and looked back, sweat drops were formed on Jin Myeong’s forehead.

A face that strangely looks hard.

‘······? What on earth happened?’

What was that strange sensation felt on the back?

But something was strange.

The body that was heavy as a thousand pounds was light as a feather.

Above all the chronic pain of the right shoulder had completely disappeared.

“...??”

Even straightening the bent waist upright there wasn’t a single tingling pain.

Moreover as if fog cleared in the mind, a refreshing and clear spirit felt for the first time in a really long time.

A miraculous change as if the whole body became younger by ten years, no fifteen years easily.

“On earth what is this···”

“Absolutely don’t touch my body.”

“...?”

Jin Myeong as is sitting cross-legged on the rock closed both eyes and submerged in deep meditation.

“...”

Mr. Kang looked at such Jin Myeong’s appearance with a strange gaze.

What is he doing this time again?

But Jin Myeong was still submerged in meditation.

Don’t touch the body?

It was a strange talk, but anyway since he had a mysterious experience it didn’t sound empty.

He soon stood up from the seat and moved his body here and there.

Turning the shoulders, twisting the waist, stretching both arms straight.

The whole body moves softly.

Moreover even light.

Not a feeling, the body had really changed.

“...”

It was clear that the young youth sitting with eyes closed in front of the eyes performed an unknowable miracle.

How on earth such a thing...

Looked at him again with a shocked face.

After some time passed, finally Jin Myeong slowly opened both eyes.

“Shall we go back now.”

Jin Myeong’s complexion standing up from the seat was again the usual languid appearance.

Just when he turned his body and tried to head to the mountain path, Mr. Kang carefully opened his mouth.

“Before that······ there is one thing I want to ask.”

“······?”

“Did you do something to me?”

Jin Myeong looked back at Mr. Kang with an indifferent gaze and answered.

“Yeah.”

“What...?”

“...”

Jin Myeong didn’t answer.

A face of not particularly wanting to let know.

Even so something hot surged in Mr. Kang’s chest.

He lowered his head to Jin Myeong.

“I don’t know what you did to me... thank you. Really thank you!”

At some point even his tone had changed to polite honorific without realizing himself.

Jin Myeong who looked down at Mr. Kang who lowered his head with an indifferent gaze opened his mouth.

“It wasn’t resolved with this one time.”

“···Yes?”

“Qi and blood that rotted in for a long time. Just forcibly opened the path, still far for the body to completely find balance.”

“...”

Jin Myeong continued speaking.

“From now for a while, climb this mountain with me every morning.”

“······!!”

“Don’t like?”

Only then Mr. Kang understood Jin Myeong’s intention.

Just borrowed the kitchen once, but the youth in front of the eyes revived his life that he thought ended.

Mr. Kang’s eyes reddened again.

“No. I’ll do as said. Really··· really thank you!”

Watching such Mr. Kang, Jin Myeong indifferently turned his body and said.

“Now let’s go down.”

“Ah, yes! Understood!”

With steps that became one level lighter and lighter, in that way the two came down the mountain again.

Morning gradually brightening.

In front of Jin Myeong Gak, Bong-gu’s appearance diligently sweeping in front of the restaurant holding a broom was visible.

Bong-gu who discovered the two bowed a greeting holding the broom.

“Hyung, came? Taking the uncle and going to the mountain?”

“Yeah.”

Jin Myeong answered short and silently moved his steps inside the restaurant.

Bong-gu who unconsciously looked at Mr. Kang walking behind him tilted his head.

“...?!”

Bong-gu’s gaze stayed on Mr. Kang’s face and physique.

Something felt greatly out of place.

Until last night Mr. Kang was in an appearance like a half-corpse.

Fully bent shoulders, sunken cheeks and dark circles, and even the staggering gait.

But now he looked like a completely different person.

The bent waist and shoulders were straightened upright, and even the dead pupils were sparkling with vitality.

Even a strange feeling as if became younger by ten years overnight.

“...”

Bong-gu blinked his eyes and stared blankly at Mr. Kang’s back.

But Bong-gu soon shrugged his shoulders as if nothing special.

‘Seems slept well. Moreover vitality would have arisen while doing morning mountain climbing with hyung too.’

In that way Bong-gu who convinced himself alone hummed a tune and began broom work again.

*

Jin Myeong Gak’s kitchen.

Time before business.

Tak, taaang! Chalssak!

A huge flour dough was dancing on the work board.

Every time Mr. Kang’s rough two hands grasped the dough and stretched it long into the air, cheerful striking sounds echoed loudly throughout the kitchen.

The parents and Bong-gu watching that amazing movement opened their mouths wide and lost their souls.

“Wow··· amazing?”

“Right. First time seeing a person pulling noodles so skillfully like that.”

“But that uncle, doesn’t seem a bit changed from when saw yesterday?”

“Right? Madam also sees it that way? Indeed!”

“Well, yesterday seems was tired.”

“Still looks too changed, like a different person.”

“That’s true though.”

But the one most surprised was Mr. Kang himself.

‘Th, this can be······!’

Just last night at that time beating the dough, he experienced pain as if the shoulder bone would shatter.

But now it wasn’t.

Taaang!

Jjaak!

The foreign feeling or pain that hindered the shoulder disappeared without a trace, and the arm was only light as a feather.

A feeling as if returned to the most vigorous 20s period.

Mr. Kang who was beating the dough glanced and turned his head and looked at the burner beside.

Dalgeurak! Dalgeurak!

Hwaaaaak!

There Jin Myeong was silently frying chunjang.

Mr. Kang watching that appearance felt his chest stuffy anew.

He recalled that miraculous matter on the mountain.

‘Thank you······ really thank you······!’

Mr. Kang’s turbid eyes looking at Jin Myeong’s back reddened.

He suppressed the emotion boiling heart-swelling and concentrated on pulling the noodles.

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