Chapter 34

“Hmm…”

Kang Taehan lightly crossed his arms and slowly looked around.

The place he was sitting in now was the driver’s seat of a car.

And the car was the very Santa Fe that Shin Junho had mentioned.

When Kang Taehan half-jokingly asked if the price was so low because there was something wrong with the car, Shin Junho replied, ‘Why don’t you come see for yourself?’ and immediately brought Kang Taehan to where the car was.

‘I don’t know the details, but… It’s been 5 years, but isn’t this in really good condition?’

There was no reason to refuse, so he was sitting in the driver’s seat and looking around inside… He said he didn’t drive it that much, but the mileage was less than 40,000 kilometers.

The exterior of the car was a bit dusty and dirty, but it was just because it had been parked for a long time.

At least outwardly, it was a car with no problems.

“You’re saying dealers tried to rip you off for this?”

“Haha… Well, yeah.”

To try to rip someone off for such a good product, one would have to have a heart full of hair.

Of course, since it was a made-up story from the beginning, Shin Junho’s gaze slid sideways, avoiding Kang Taehan’s eyes.

‘They say that relationships formed through good deeds bring blessings…’

A faint smile appeared on Kang Taehan’s lips as he had already figured out Shin Junho’s thoughts.

The connection that started from the accident scene they encountered that day on Gyeryongsan.

Kang Taehan could have passed by without a second thought at that time, but if he had, he would not have received the elixir, nor this gift.

“Would it be okay if I start the engine?”

“Why not? Just take it for a spin.”

Vroom…

As he pressed the start button, the engine started with a smooth sound.

It was a response that felt more like the car was well-broken in rather than old.

‘The interior doesn’t seem to have any major problems either.’

Although Kang Taehan didn’t know much about the structure of cars, he could roughly tell with his Qi sensing whether there was a problem with the internal circulation or if it was going smoothly.

Judging by the smooth movement of each part without any unusual friction or collision, it seemed that good maintenance wasn’t just on the surface.

‘Well then…’

He lightly placed his hand on the steering wheel, released the parking gear, and gently pressed the accelerator with his right foot.

The car smoothly exited the parking lot, passed through a narrow alley, and soon got onto the road.

“Ooh… You must have driven often, haven’t you?”

After a while.

Shin Junho, who was sitting in the passenger seat, casually spoke.

The process of driving around the city.

It was a short drive, but just by looking at his skill in navigating through the narrow alleyways, as well as his smooth acceleration and cornering, one could tell that his driving skills were not ordinary.

However, Kang Taehan’s answer was unexpected, something Shin Junho had not anticipated.

“No. This is the first time I’ve held a steering wheel since I got my license.”

“…Hm? When did you get it?”

“Sixty… No, about six years ago.”

As he finished speaking, the car entered a sharp curve.

The car entered the cornering without slowing down, boldly maintaining its speed.

However, only a slight inertia was felt, and the car body smoothly completed the curve without any problems.

Shin Junho, seeing that even the contents of the plastic bottle in his hand only shook slightly from side to side, had a look of astonishment on his face.

“But it’s easier than I thought. As expected, you don’t forget things you learn with your body.”

Kang Taehan looked very relaxed.

It was literally the first time he had held a steering wheel in sixty years, but after turning the wheel and stepping on the accelerator a few times, he had already mastered most of the skills and senses.

The width of the car, the feel of the steering wheel, the view, everything felt natural and effortless, like an extension of his own body.

“Yeah… You’re right. You’re doing great.”

Meanwhile, Shin Junho grabbed the auxiliary handle above the passenger seat with a slightly stiff expression.

The reckless driving of an experienced driver with an expired license…

At the combination of words that didn’t seem to fit together at all, he needed something to hold onto.

⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢

“Haaaah…”

A middle-aged man entering the bathhouse let out a long sigh.

He lightly washed his face with the bathwater, then after briefly savoring the lingering warmth, he slowly opened his mouth.

“This bath is pretty good too.”

“Right? And coming here during the day is especially nice.”

The young man next to him chimed in.

Hanha’s manager Oh Jae-yoon and pitcher Choi Taejun.

The two were currently enjoying a bath in the middle of the day at a sauna in Seoul.

“I feel bad about this.”

“About what?”

“It’s your day off, and you’re stuck at the sauna with the manager.”

A day off after finishing a game in Seoul.

Since they had won the previous day’s game, the manager knew that many players had already gone out to have fun.

Choi Taejun chuckled and shrugged.

“If you feel bad, you can just give me the massage appointment you’re supposed to get today.”

“What? You little…”

When the manager glared at him as if he was being impudent, Choi Taejun burst out laughing and leaned back against the wall.

Then he spoke in a casual tone.

“Well, if I didn’t want to come, I wouldn’t have come. Sauna and a massage… Of course, it would be better to get one from Master Kang Taehan.”

It would be safe to say that the fame of this massage shop was all thanks to Kang Taehan, but the massage shop’s facilities themselves were quite decent when he came last time.

It was fairly large and well-maintained.

Of course, he didn’t think it would compare to Kang Taehan’s Master Course, but it would be sufficient to enjoy a sauna and relieve fatigue.

“…You’ve definitely become more comfortable.”

“Huh? Ah. Was I being too comfortable?”

Choi Taejun flinched at the manager’s words.

But Oh Jae-yoon was surprised and waved his hand.

“This kid is making me sound weird! Not comfortable like that, you know… Like your mindset, that kind of comfort!”

Before, he seemed mentally and physically unstable.

It was as if he was trying to overcome the shock of transitioning to the pros solely through effort and training, leading to an obsession with it…

Casually joking around like this was something he couldn’t even imagine until recently.

“It’s just… I’ve let go of some baggage.”

There was no need to satisfy everyone’s expectations.

The moment he realized that, Choi Taejun’s career as a player reached a turning point.

At least he was able to overcome his long slump.

“I received a lot of help from Master Kang here. Not just mentally, but my body, which was a mess, felt almost back to normal…. Ah, of course, I received even more help from you, Manager.”

Choi Taejun, belatedly noticing the manager’s gaze, gave a thumbs-up, causing Oh Jae-yoon to burst into laughter.

“Cut it out, kid. You wouldn’t listen when I and the coach told you to rest, to rest.”

“Well, I’m sorry about that… But back then, what people said just sounded like empty words of comfort. Even when I rested, it didn’t feel like resting…”

When Choi Taejun trailed off with a slightly bitter expression, Oh Jae-yoon sighed softly and shook his head.

It was because he could fully understand how Choi Taejun felt.

Anyway, it was fortunate that things worked out well.

Oh Jae-yoon changed the subject.

“So, this Master Kang or whatever, his touch is that amazing?”

“Yes. And now, Manager, you’re about to get a massage from this amazing Master. Do you have any areas that are bothering you?”

“Well, when you think about it, I’m not here to get a massage, but to see his skills, so there’s no need for me to get anything I’m actually uncomfortable with treated.”

Oh Jae-yoon said, pretending to apply pressure with both hands.

His visit here was a kind of preliminary survey.

He came to see if Kang Taehan’s skills were really that great, and if so, how much they could help with the players’ condition management.

Therefore, what was important now was not how much he could take care of his own body.

What mattered was how well Kang Taehan could handle the areas that players frequently injured: wrists, shoulders, knees.

“…But you don’t have any injuries there, Manager?”

Choi Taejun asked, puzzled.

Hearing that, Oh Jae-yoon clicked his tongue and chided him.

“Hey, I’ll just say that area is stiff and get it treated. Even if I don’t have an actual injury, I can get a rough idea of how he works, right?”

“Well… If you say so, Manager.”

He felt like Master Kang Taehan would see through such a lie right away…

But for now, Choi Taejun just went along with the manager’s words.

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『Mr. Taehan, how’s the weather in Korea? It’s pouring rain here ㅠ』

『It’s clear and sunny here.』

『I’m envious. Coming here to s*oot is just inconvenient, unlike coming here for vacation.』

Below that was an emoticon of a short rabbit sitting down and crying.

Kang Taehan chuckled as he read Yoo Se-ah’s KakaoTalk message.

After their last meeting, Yoo Se-ah had been sending more frequent KakaoTalk messages, asking how he was doing or talking about her daily life.

It seemed that she was currently on some island in Thailand for an overseas location s*oot.

‘For some reason, it reminds me of my days in Murim.’

Back then, he also used to exchange letters with friends who were far away or whom he couldn’t easily meet due to their circumstances.

Of course, back then, it was difficult to exchange even one letter every six months due to the conditions.

Thinking about those days, it was truly convenient now.

If he had something to say, he could convey it directly, even if there were mountains or seas between them.

Kang Taehan smiled slightly and sent a reply to Yoo Se-ah’s KakaoTalk message.

KakaoTalk!

At that moment, a notification popped up on Kang Taehan’s smartphone.

This time, it wasn’t from Yoo Se-ah, but from someone else.

『Mister. I’m going to Seoul soon to meet a friend. Is it okay if I come by any time during the time slot we talked about?』

It was none other than Chae Eunbi, whom he had met at Jo Wonho’s golf driving range some time ago.

Kang Taehan thought for a moment before sending a reply.

『Come by whenever it’s convenient for you. I’ll make time whenever you say you’re coming, Eunbi.』

In this case, it was right to do so since he had invited her.

Of course, she would have to keep the condition of coming after 7 p.m.

『lol What’s that? Sounds like a cheesy pickup line.』

…Why did that sound like a pickup line?

Kang Taehan tilted his head, frowning at the reply from Chae Eunbi that arrived a moment later.

“Hey, who are you texting so diligently?”

At that moment, Choi Seonghyeon, who had finished his work and returned, sat down next to Kang Taehan.

Kang Taehan slightly tilted the angle of his smartphone so that Choi Seonghyeon couldn’t see it.

“A friend and a client.”

It was Kang Taehan’s honest statement, but Choi Seonghyeon leaned closer, his face still full of suspicion.

“No way… The feeling I’m getting is a sweet, pink feeling. Are you seeing someone or something?”

“Hahaha.”

Kang Taehan let out a dry laugh at Choi Seonghyeon’s words.

Although he had focused on honing his martial arts, he had spent sixty years in Murim.

He could confidently say that he had a good eye for people’s hearts.

In that sense.

“It’s nothing like that, so don’t worry.”

Kang Taehan spoke with conviction in his voice.

Confidence that completely ruled out the possibility that he might be insensitive to romantic feelings!

Leaving the still-suspicious Choi Seonghyeon behind, he got up from his seat.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to get ready to go out.”

It was time for clients to start arriving.

Kang Taehan left a short reply and walked toward the door.

“Ah, Master Kang! We have a client.”

“Alright. Which room is it?”

“They’re in room 3.”

Just in time, he received the room number from an employee who was coming inside, and Kang Taehan nodded and went outside.

Four rooms were allocated specifically for Kang Taehan’s Master Course.

He entered the third room.

As he stepped inside, a client wearing sunglasses was sitting on the bed, waiting for him.

‘…Sunglasses.’

There were two main reasons why someone would wear sunglasses indoors.

Either they had received some kind of medical treatment for their eyes, or they wanted to hide their identity.

Who could it be?

If they weren’t wearing sunglasses, he wouldn’t have thought much of it, but it actually stimulated Kang Taehan’s curiosity.

‘Aha.’

It didn’t take him long to recall the man’s identity.

Oh Jae-yoon, the manager of the baseball team Hanha Hawks.

It was a face he had seen a few times in sports articles on internet news.