Chapter 24
An early afternoon drunk driving accident in the heart of Seoul.
It was a horrific accident caused by a crazy driver who had been drinking since morning, but fortunately there were no casualties.
There was a dangerous moment when the car ran towards a pedestrian who couldn’t dodge in time, but the car suddenly swerved and narrowly missed it.
Of course, the driver and the car that crashed into the guardrail were not unharmed… but that’s just reaping what they sowed.
Still, the accident was dealt with quickly.
Since it happened in the middle of Seoul, police and ambulances arrived at the scene immediately, and the driver was taken to the hospital unconscious, and the car was towed away, concluding the incident.
Meanwhile, Kang Taehan left the scene before it became chaotic.
He hadn’t been harmed, and he wanted to avoid the commotion.
Originally, the government and the Murim had a relationship of non-interference.
Of course, this is modern times, but if he stayed at the scene, he knew he would be bothered with all sorts of things like questioning, needing witnesses, and so on.
Of course, he wanted to break at least one of the driver’s limbs… but unless the driver ran away, it was a matter for the police to handle, not him.
From saving a life to leaving the scene.
Everything went according to Kang Taehan’s plan.
However, there was one thing different from what he expected.
“Excuse me! Wait a minute!”
The person he saved followed him.
The person who had been sitting down in shock just a moment ago, somehow recovered and even ran to catch up with Kang Taehan.
“Hah, hah… Hah, why are you walking so fast?”
She was bent over, catching her breath.
Was it because she ran in heels?
She was more out of breath than usual and it was hard to breathe.
“Oh my. You shouldn’t push yourself when you’re still in shock. First, straighten your back and take a deep breath.”
Seeing her, Kang Taehan clicked his tongue and gave her advice.
Although it sounded like nagging, his deep, resonant voice gave off a strange sense of trust.
She straightened her back and slowly exhaled.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Uh… Yes.”
Was deep breathing this effective?
She nodded with a surprised expression at the unexpectedly quick effect.
“So, what’s the matter?”
“Ah, right. How can you just leave like that?”
“…What’s left?”
“I haven’t been able to repay you at all!”
Aha. Kang Taehan belatedly exclaimed.
However, he hadn’t done it expecting a reward.
He just didn’t want to see someone get hit by a car right in front of him.
Between stretching his muscles after a long time and feeling uneasy all day.
The former had a bit more weight when he compared the two.
“Repay me? How is it my doing that the car swerved on its own?”
Kang Taehan raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
It was a somewhat mischievous expression that didn’t match his deep voice.
‘No, why does he keep doing that?’
She couldn’t explain it, but she felt that the car swerving at the last moment wasn’t by itself, but that the man had made it swerve.
She had a gut feeling.
And if her gut feeling was right, he was her lifesaver.
She couldn’t be someone who didn’t properly thank him and let him go.
But what should she do if he refused to accept her gratitude?
She, Yoo Se-ah, was experiencing an unexpected frustration in this situation she had never faced before.
Maybe I look suspicious?
Maybe.
Hoo. She sighed softly and then slightly lowered the sunglasses she had been wearing.
It was a situation her manager would scold her for.
However, the man standing in front of her was frowning.
He looked as if he had seen something pitiful.
“Thinking that everyone in the world will recognize you is something only third-rate martial artists would… No, anyway, it seems like a rather embarrassing thought.”
Whaaa. Yoo Se-ah’s face flushed red in an instant.
As if to cover up her embarrassment, she lowered her sunglasses to the tip of her nose to reveal more of her face and spoke in a flustered voice.
“D, don’t you really know me? Yoo Se-ah, I’m Yoo Se-ah!”
“I don’t know who you are… Yoo Se-ah. It’s a fitting name though.”
“…Huh?”
Yoo Se-ah asked back involuntarily at his unexpected words.
Kang Taehan lightly crossed his arms and smiled slightly.
“Isn’t it a beautiful name with nice pronunciation?”
Kang Taehan spoke embarrassing words in a calm voice.
However, he didn’t have any other intentions.
Just as he said, he thought Yoo Se-ah and her name were beautiful, so he simply expressed his thoughts.
“Wh, what… do you mean?”
“It’s just as I said.”
Yoo Se-ah opened her mouth to say something, but then quickly put her sunglasses back on.
Her cheeks, visible beneath the sunglasses, were even redder than before.
“Anyway, I really don’t need any reward. Most importantly, I don’t have much time right now.”
His appointment time was approaching… and he could still soak in the hot bath for about 20 minutes if he went now.
It was a small pleasure he didn’t want to miss.
“Th, then… at least give me your number.”
Yoo Se-ah said in a clumsy voice.
To be honest, this was the first time she had asked a man she had just met for his number.
Even she thought it was embarrassing, and wondered if she really needed to go this far…
But somehow, she wanted to see him again, and that thought made her act.
Did her sincerity get through?
Kang Taehan put his hand on his chin and fell into thought for a moment.
She kept insisting even though he said he didn’t need anything.
Actually, wasn’t she just looking for an excuse to meet him…? Kang Taehan suddenly had a hunch.
“…Was Yoo Se-ah the name of a new religious group?”
“Just give it to me!”
At this point, it was just stubbornness.
Kang Taehan finally gave Yoo Se-ah his number before he could return to the jimjilbang.
⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢
After Kang Taehan’s trip to the mountain on his day off.
There was a slight change in Kang Taehan’s Master Course.
It was a cup of tea served after a good night’s sleep.
Originally, it was just a cup of tea brewed from tea bags bought at the supermarket, nothing more, nothing less…
Now, it had changed to a healthy tea brewed with arrowroot syrup made by Kang Taehan himself.
“Hooo…”
A pleasant sigh escaped from the mouth of the customer who had just woken up and taken a sip of the healthy tea.
“This is really permeating…”
The deep sweetness emanating from the arrowroot soaked in honey.
The first impression is as sweet as honey tea, but then the subtle bitter aroma adds a deep flavor and a hefty weight.
Massage is the act of awakening stiff muscles and promoting blood circulation to normalize the body’s structure.
It’s natural for the person giving the massage to get tired, but the person receiving it also consumes a considerable amount of calories and energy.
Simply put, they are constantly being subjected to external shocks.
It’s not for nothing that people feel hungry after getting a massage.
Moreover, Kang Taehan even deals with acupuncture points and internal energy.
Naturally, the consumption is even more severe.
Therefore, at first, he adjusted it appropriately, and after the Master Course was introduced, he allocated time for sleep afterwards…
But wouldn’t the efficiency be even better if something was provided to replenish energy?
He had already found a useful application for miscellaneous medicinal herbs like arrowroot, which had been harvested in greater quantities than expected and were difficult to store.
“Hey, Manager! What’s the name of the tea I just had?”
“This is so good for my body. Can I have one more cup?”
“Sell me a bottle. Please, can’t you do it?”
Fortunately, it was well-received by the customers.
Arrowroot has the property of cleansing the liver and recovering from fatigue.
Furthermore, the arrowroot Kang Taehan dug up contained a small amount of spiritual energy, so it also had the effect of restoring vitality.
However, its properties are so strong that overuse can actually be harmful…
But if you have just one cup a day, there is probably nothing as effective as this for modern people.
The favorable reviews were not just because of its efficacy.
Since the purpose was also to replenish calories, he had generously added honey when making the arrowroot syrup, and thanks to that, the taste itself received many good reviews.
They said the sweet taste and the subtle bitter aroma go well together.
‘This customer… their constitution doesn’t seem to agree with arrowroot.’
No matter how good it is for the body, if it doesn’t suit your constitution, it’s poison.
In such cases, he couldn’t serve arrowroot tea.
However, he had also prepared Korean tea made with Lespedeza cuneata, which has the opposite properties to arrowroot, in preparation for such cases.
After finishing the massage, Kang Taehan informed the person in charge about it and returned to the waiting room.
“You’re done with work?”
“Yeah. Did you finish your course registration?”
“It’s screwed up…”
Choi Seonghyeon’s shoulders slumped.
Missed course registration doesn’t come back.
Naturally, contacting the department office won’t change anything.
It’s literally clutching at straws.
“Let’s have dinner together later. I’ll buy you something good.”
“…Does that include Korean beef?”
“We’ll split the bill if it’s beef.”
Kang Taehan drew the line for Choi Seonghyeon who was crossing the line.
Choi Seonghyeon himself had also said it as a joke, so both of them chuckled.
“By the way, the atmosphere here has changed a lot.”
“…Really?”
“Well, for one thing, there are a lot more customers.”
Kang Taehan’s skills spread by word of mouth.
In the process, the awareness of the massage shop also increased, and the number of customers visiting increased.
Of course, most of them would be looking for Kang Taehan, but there is a limit to the number of customers Kang Taehan can handle, and it’s hard for customers to just turn around and leave.
Originally, when one store in an alley becomes famous, the surrounding commercial district also starts to become a little more lively.
Naturally, other massage therapists also get more work, and thanks to that, the entire massage shop started to become more lively.
“Ah─ My shoulders are stiff these days.”
At that moment, someone’s voice came from inside.
Kim Seonghun.
He was the person who was originally considered the most skilled massage therapist here, and was doing the Master Course like Kang Taehan.
He exaggeratedly waved his shoulders, expressing with all his might that his shoulders were stiff.
“I’d appreciate it if someone could give me a massage…”
Glance. Kim Seonghun’s gaze turned towards Kang Taehan.
His purpose was only one.
To see how skilled Kang Taehan was!
It wasn’t out of jealousy or belittling, but pure curiosity.
Interest in Kang Taehan.
He had been a little interested when he talked with Manager Hwang before, but his interest deepened when he saw a certain customer.
He happened to see a customer before and after receiving a massage, and they had changed so much that he wondered if it was even the same person.
Since then, he thought he should get a massage from Kang Taehan sometime if he got the chance… but the opportunity didn’t come easily, so he was putting on this act.
“What’s gotten into him? This is the first time I’ve seen him complain about being tired.”
He was originally famous among the massage therapists for having good stamina.
Choi Seonghyeon looked at him curiously because he was someone who rarely complained.
‘…I guess he’s a bit of a whiner.’
Meanwhile, Kang Taehan tilted his head as he looked at him.
He had a body with no stiff or knotted areas, so anyone could see he was just whining.
Anyone could massage him, for all he cared.
Kang Taehan lost interest and started browsing internet news on his smartphone as usual.
‘…Hmm?’
Suddenly, a familiar name caught his eye.
It was a name he had encountered quite recently.
Kang Taehan showed Choi Seonghyeon his smartphone screen.
“Hey, do you know who this is?”
“This person? It’s Yoo Se-ah.”
“…Is she famous?”
“Don’t you know? That, what’s it called… That popular drama on Appflix. She was an actress in that.”
…I see.
Kang Taehan nodded vaguely and took his smartphone back.
At least it seemed his number hadn’t fallen into the hands of a new religious group.
