Chapter 39
A cafe near an apartment complex in Hwanghak-dong, Seoul.
This cafe had a bright atmosphere with stylish lighting and a wide-open space…
But one table in the corner, where a man was sitting, had a gloomy atmosphere unlike the surroundings.
“Sigh…”
In front of the man who let out a deep sigh, a latest model tablet PC was placed, and the screen displayed the storyboard the man had just drawn.
It looked clumsy at first glance, but if you looked closely, you could feel the professionalism.
However, the man’s expression, staring at the screen, didn’t brighten up as if he didn’t like the content.
“Something, please come out…”
His name was Lee Byeong-ho.
He was a webtoon artist, and a fairly well-known popular artist who was publishing a work called “Murim Hunter” on the most famous webtoon platform in Korea.
Being a webtoon artist is a popular job these days, even ranked high in the list of desired future careers, and he has reached this position, so it can be said that he has a successful life…
But if you ask him if he’s happy now, the answer is a bit ambiguous.
He works until dawn every day, falls asleep at sunrise, and yet is chased by deadlines every week…
Even if he gets some free time, after visiting the hospital a few times and taking care of his backlog, the deadline approaches again.
He tried increasing his assistants, but it’s all the same.
As a result, “Murim Hunter” went on a long-term hiatus a few days ago.
The story was stuck and he couldn’t come up with any storyboards, and the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, which he had been suffering from for a long time, worsened, causing a double whammy.
‘I wish the blocked story would open up somehow.’
But he can’t rest comfortably even though he’s on hiatus.
A hiatus is not a break from serialization, but just a postponement.
The feeling of sorry for the disappointed readers, the frustration with the next manuscript, the self-blame for not taking care of his own health…
Even if he takes a nap in bed, the anxiety doesn’t go away as if he had a sword tied to his head.
They say that an author can only rest comfortably when they finish their work, and that’s exactly right.
He came to this cafe because he thought maybe he could come up with some ideas if he changed his location…
But if it was an idea that would come to mind, it would have come to mind at home.
Lee Byeong-ho stared blankly at the innocent screen.
“Hello, artist-nim.”
“Ah, PD-nim.”
At that time, a man approached the table, greeted him, and sat down opposite him.
He was the producer in charge of “Murim Hunter”, who had just contacted him and said he would stop by for a moment.
“Hey, artist-nim. Why don’t you get some rest this week…”
“Haha… I’m too anxious to rest without a storyboard.”
When the producer expressed his concern after seeing the tablet PC on the table, Lee Byeong-ho replied with a weak smile.
Producer Kim’s face showed a look of pity.
He had a feeling it would be like this when he heard the artist was at a cafe, but it felt different seeing it in person.
“…Would you like any drinks?”
“I still have some drinks left… Buy me some sugar.”
“Alright.”
Sugar is needed to get the brain working.
When Lee Byeong-ho said so, rattling the fork on the plate next to him, Producer Kim nodded and got up from his seat.
After a while, Producer Kim returned to the table with a glass of iced Americano and all six types of cake slices available at the store.
“I like how generous you are, PD-nim.”
“It’s company money, why would I save it on you, artist-nim.”
Lee Byeong-ho smiled and put a piece of cake in his mouth.
As the rich sweetness of the chocolate cream spread, he felt like his brain was regaining its vitality.
“By the way, is there anything going on today?”
“No… Just wanted to see how you were doing since it’s been three days since your hiatus. Since you said you were out.”
Actually, he wanted to talk about the serialization schedule after the hiatus, but seeing the artist’s condition, it seemed like bringing it up now would only worsen the situation.
Producer Kim naturally smiled and hid his original purpose.
“How’s your body?”
“No… I thought it would get better if I slept well, but it’s just the same.”
Lee Byeong-ho said with a bitter expression.
His right wrist, which constantly ached as if it was being poked with needles, was a problem, but so was his cloudy head, as if covered in fog, and his creaking body.
Thanks to the hiatus, his sleep time had become a little more generous, but it was long past the point where he could recover just by sleeping longer.
He couldn’t even remember when he last woke up feeling refreshed in the morning.
Just once would be nice.
If only his body could return to its original state, if only he could wash away the traces of fatigue that were ingrained in every corner of his body along with his aching right wrist.
‘Well, there’s no way that’s going to happen.’
He often had such wishes, but that’s something that only happens in martial arts novels, and even then, only when you encounter a fortunate opportunity.
It’s something that can’t happen even with a fortunate opportunity in reality, not in a martial arts novel.
“Artist-nim. Why don’t you go somewhere you couldn’t go because you were busy?”
“Somewhere I couldn’t go?”
“Yes. Like going on a short trip… Or even a simple sauna. It might change your mood.”
“A sudden trip is a bit much… A sauna, huh.”
It’s a word he hasn’t heard in a while.
When he was younger, he used to go to saunas with his friends or to spend the night cheaply, but he hasn’t been near one in years.
“There’s a sauna that an artist I know goes to, and aside from the sauna, the massage shop there is amazing.”
When Lee Byeong-ho showed interest, Producer Kim added a description.
However, Lee Byeong-ho tilted his head in response.
This was because when he had received massages before, they only hurt and he didn’t see much effect.
“Aren’t all massages the same?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I heard there’s a master masseur there. That artist gets massages quite often, and he says the touch is different. You can’t even get a massage there without making a reservation.”
“Really… That good?”
He didn’t believe it all, but it was an interesting story.
When Lee Byeong-ho pretended not to be interested but showed interest subtly, Producer Kim smiled.
“Well, maybe it’s a bit exaggerated, but I thought it might be a good idea for you to go there for a change of mood. I was interested too, so I got the number…”
Ah, here it is. Producer Kim pulled up the saved contact information and held out his smartphone.
“…Then, I’ll trust PD-nim and go there.”
It’s unlikely that his body will magically feel refreshed, but as the producer said, it might change his mood.
Lee Byeong-ho took out his smartphone and quietly copied the number.
⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢
“Where the heck is the way to the subway…”
Gangnam Express Bus Terminal.
Even though it had been ten minutes since she arrived, Chae Eunbi was wandering around with her smartphone.
‘Seoul is so complicated every time I come here.’
So many people and it’s hard to find your way.
Chae Eunbi eventually shook her head and took out her smartphone.
It’s not Seoul that’s the problem, but herself for turning on the map app only now without knowing the way, but that thought didn’t cross her mind at all.
“…Sigh. Did I come here in vain?”
What glory was she hoping for to come all the way here?
…Even though she had already decided to give up.
Chae Eunbi let out a small sigh with a bitter expression.
When did it start?
Chae Eunbi felt a stabbing pain in her lower back every time she swung.
It appears and disappears quickly, but it’s just enough to make her flinch momentarily and break her concentration.
At first, she thought it was a habitual sprain caused by her lower back not being in good condition.
It was so common to hurt her lower back while playing golf that she vaguely thought it was an extension of that.
But this wasn’t that kind of problem.
To be more precise, she couldn’t figure out exactly what the problem was.
Even when she went to the hospital, all she got was a vague answer that there seemed to be a problem with her nerves.
Since she didn’t know the exact problem, she couldn’t find a solution.
‘It’ll get better if I just be careful, I have to endure it with my willpower…’
She continued her golfing life in such an ambiguous state, but the results were far from good.
It was actually natural.
It would be difficult even if she concentrated in her best condition, but her breathing would be cut off right before hitting the ball.
Finally, the day she finished her first tournament as an a*ult after graduating high school with terrible results.
After that day, she tried to overcome it by looking around here and there, even looking into folk remedies that were said to be effective, but in the end, it was concluded that nothing worked.
And on the day she reached that conclusion, she had decided to cleanly give up on golf. She had, but.
‘What can I do about the lingering feelings…’
She fiddled with the golf clubs she had put in storage.
She went to the golf driving range only to realize once again that she could no longer make a proper swing.
And now she came all the way to Seoul, just listening to the words of someone she met for the first time at the golf driving range.
Even she thought it was quite ridiculous.
There’s no way she could cure her lower back like this.
‘But… He was a strangely trustworthy person.’
His voice had a strange power to it.
His eyes were deep yet clear when they met, and his atmosphere was calm yet weighty, making her trust him.
And in addition to that.
‘He was handsome too.’
When she recalled the memory of that time, the face of Kang Taehan smiling lightly while making eye contact came to mind.
He wasn’t incredibly handsome, but she kept thinking about him.
Honestly, it would be a lie to say that his looks had no influence on her coming all the way here.
“Well… I’ll just say I came here to see that mister!”
Even if there’s no particular result for her lower back, since she called him all the way to Seoul, he’ll buy her a meal, right?
That was Chae Eunbi’s calculation that it wouldn’t be a wasted trip.
⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢
“Ugh. I’m exhausted.”
Saturday evening. A little past 7 o’clock.
Choi Seonghyeon, who had just finished work and entered the waiting room, stretched.
He was always sore after finishing a day’s work, but today he was especially tired.
‘Did I overdo it?’
After he started learning massage from Kang Taehan bit by bit, his skills definitely improved, and the number of customers looking for him started to increase gradually.
This was because Kang Taehan mainly taught him simple and efficient techniques that Choi Seonghyeon could easily apply.
Thanks to this, he was feeling a sense of accomplishment working these days…
But today, there were so many customers looking for him that he got a little excited and kept taking customers.
As a result, he inadvertently went a little past his usual closing time.
Choi Seonghyeon stretched his shoulders and hands while loosening his neck from side to side.
“How does that Taehan b*stard do this every day…”
Massage is basically a physically demanding activity.
Not only does it require a lot of strength, but because you have to maintain concentration throughout the massage, you get tired both physically and mentally.
Therefore, masseurs only take customers when they can handle it and take enough breaks in between.
But Kang Taehan takes customers non-stop.
Of course, he does take a short break in the waiting room after finishing a massage, but that’s only for about 5 minutes.
Despite that, he doesn’t show any signs of fatigue, and sometimes he even looks better when he leaves work than when he arrives.
Is that even possible unless he’s sucking someone else’s energy?
“That’s why I told you to take it easy.”
“…Huh? You didn’t leave work?”
Seeing Kang Taehan sitting on a chair and chuckling, Choi Seonghyeon reacted with surprise.
If he had made a dinner appointment beforehand, it would be understandable, but Kang Taehan usually left work right after finishing with his last customer.
“Are you waiting for me?”
“Me? Why would I.”
“…Never mind. I thought you forgot about an appointment.”
Choi Seonghyeon awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
“But if it’s not that, why are you still here?”
“Waiting for a customer?”
“…Customer?”
Choi Seonghyeon’s head turned to the clock hanging on the wall.
He wondered if he was mistaken about the time.
But the time was already past 7:00, showing 7:20.
‘Hmm…’
His friend, who usually leaves work on the dot, is waiting for a customer at this hour…
Choi Seonghyeon, who came up with a plausible possibility, opened his mouth.
“Did you lose money in stocks?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“You’re working overtime to recover your losses, right? It’s obvious. Sigh.”
Choi Seonghyeon had recently been asked about stocks while having dinner with his friend, so he had taught him about apps, how to open an account, and so on.
He had warned him to only put in a small amount at first, but it seems like he messed up.
The story of a stock he invested in for a trial soaring, getting blinded by it, putting in more money, and then getting hit by a blue beam and tasting the bitterness of investment…
It’s something everyone has experienced at least once, and Choi Seonghyeon himself had experienced it several times.
He clicked his tongue, but his eyes held pity for his friend.
“It’s okay. You can build your seed money again.”
“…No, what are you talking about?”
However, Kang Taehan was just dumbfounded.
He started fiddling with the smartphone he was holding.
“I don’t know why you’re suddenly talking about stocks, but I haven’t lost any money.”
Then he turned the screen towards Choi Seonghyeon.
A list of the stocks he was holding.
There wasn’t a single blue color, it was all dyed red.
It wasn’t a jackpot, but it was a screen that looked quite stable…
For a moment, envy flickered in Choi Seonghyeon’s eyes.
“Tsk. Mine are all blue… No, but then why are you still here?”
“I told you. I’m waiting for a customer. I have someone I’m seeing separately.”
Kang Taehan shrugged and said.
Then, as if he sensed something, he got up from his seat.
“Mr. Taehan, I think the customer you mentioned is here.”
Manager Hwang entered the waiting room just in time, opening the door.
Kang Taehan went outside as if he had been waiting, and… Choi Seonghyeon followed him a few steps behind.
His intuition was stimulating his curiosity.
“Ah, mister! Long time no see.”
And a beautiful woman who looked to be at most twenty years old, waving her hand to Kang Taehan in the lobby.
Moreover, they seemed to know each other.
Choi Seonghyeon’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected situation.
“You’re a bit later than I thought.”
“No, this neighborhood is too complicated. I didn’t even have time to dry my hair properly before coming out.”
“Haha… Well, that aside, come this way.”
Kang Taehan pointed to the hallway inside and walked ahead.
As the two disappeared into a room, Choi Seonghyeon stared blankly at the empty hallway for a while… and then scratched his head and approached Manager Hwang.
“Manager-nim. That guy is having a date at work?”
“What are you talking about, you punk. He said it’s a customer.”
Manager Hwang stared at Choi Seonghyeon with a dumbfounded look.
