When Gim Hyeokgwon glanced back, Jeong Minsu begged with a desperation bordering on hopelessness.
"Me first……. Please save me. Ugh. I'm dying."
"Hmm."
"Compared to a thrown-out back……. acute indigestion is more of an emergency. Please."
Jeong Minsu was more desperate than ever.
And yet, his words were correct.
Judging by emergency priorities, acute indigestion took precedence. Depending on the symptoms, its severity varied, but in serious cases, it could even lead to death.
Of course, Jeong Minsu wasn't at that point, but it was still genuinely serious.
Taesu understood that completely.
Of course, there was a bit of trickery involved too.
"Ungh. Him first……. He couldn't sleep properly all night……. Ungh. It was a mess."
"Well then, let's do that."
Gim Hyeokgwon accepted coolly.
Soon, Gim Hyeokgwon took Jeong Minsu's hand, pulled him up, and urged.
"Dr. Jeong, try sitting down."
"My stomach is so tight……. Ugh. I have no strength……. I can't get up."
"What on earth did you eat to end up like this?"
"Dr. James, it was love."
"Hm?"
Gim Hyeokgwon's eyebrows twitched at Jeong Minsu's reply.
He looked around with a puzzled gaze, spotted the empty plates on the table, and finally understood.
"You certainly make things sound complicated. Come on, I'll help you up. Up we go."
"Guh……. Agh."
After forcing Jeong Minsu to sit, Gim Hyeokgwon moved behind him and positioned himself.
And in a calm voice, he asked.
"You trust me, right?"
"So suddenly……. What……. Of course. Oh my. Of course I trust you."
"Then it's going to hurt a bit."
"Ugh. What?"
Just as Jeong Minsu was puzzled.
Thwack.
Gim Hyeokgwon lightly pressed both thumbs against either side of Jeong Minsu's neck and said.
"I'm going to perform the secret physical therapy condensed from the long history of the Indian dynasties."
"But why my neck……"
"Because the human body is all connected. I said it clearly. It will hurt."
"Just how much…… Ugh, it hurts."
It was the face of his already tiny liver shriveling even smaller.
Gim Hyeokgwon didn't even listen to his groaning, putting strength into both thumbs as he spoke.
"It's going straight in with one breath……. Hup."
It was simultaneous with a strange breath.
The thumbs pressing on Jeong Minsu's neck swept straight down to his collarbones.
Taesu watched the scene despite his own groaning.
"What the……. is that?"
It was a physical therapy method he had never seen before, so he was full of doubt.
On the other hand, Jeong Minsu's reaction was strange.
One second……. Two seconds…….
His eyes grew hazy, then instantly returned to normal.
And.
"……Huk, Father."
Jeong Minsu suddenly shouted.
At that reaction, Gim Hyeokgwon tilted his head, then soon understood on his own.
"Ah, the direction went slightly off. Let's just say it's because I haven't done this in a while."
"I just hazily saw my deceased father, you know."
"You must have been happy to see him."
"Yes……. No, that's not supposed to happen. Don't you find this strange? Mr. Hyeokgwon."
Jeong Minsu tried to turn his head, his voice rising.
Clack.
Gim Hyeokgwon blocked that while simultaneously repositioning himself and said.
"It'll work properly this time."
"Ahhh, no……. Excuse me. Mr. Hyeokgwon."
"Let's do it in one go."
"Where exactly are you going."
"It's not going to the heights, so don't worry……. Hup."
Shhhhk.
With another heavy shout, he swept down Jeong Minsu's neck.
But this time?
"Ugyaaoo, aaaack."
Flop. Flop.
Like a live fish, Jeong Minsu flopped about and let out a bizarre scream.
Meanwhile, Gim Hyeokgwon's face was full of satisfaction.
"Hmm. It went in properly."
"My neck is tearing……. Gugh. Guaaack? Kkueok."
A burp burst out mid-sentence, and Jeong Minsu was amazed at himself.
And before he knew it, his previously slumped body no longer felt uncomfortable even while sitting.
Taesu, who had watched the whole thing, had pupils shaking violently.
The effects certainly seemed real.
But the pain that preceded them was tremendous.
'Even now.'
He felt like he should run away.
But then.
Swoosh.
Gim Hyeokgwon slowly turned his head, smiled thinly, and asked.
"Didn't you say your back was bad?"
A chill.
For a moment, Taesu found Gim Hyeokgwon's face utterly horrifying.
He quickly moved and made excuses.
"No. No way. It's all hea……. Kuk."
"Moving recklessly will make it worse. Just lie face down."
"I don't think I can move at all. How about I just don't move?"
Taesu tried to resist somehow.
Unexpectedly, Gim Hyeokgwon nodded obediently.
"Let's do that."
"Thank you."
"But if you receive it lying straight down, it'll hurt more."
The secret physical therapy seemed like it would be enforced regardless.
Sensing that, Taesu reluctantly flipped himself over, as if crying while eating mustard.
"Guuuh. I've flipped over."
"The person who couldn't even budge is flipping over so well on his own."
"Right. I think I'm all better now, aren't I?"
"Is this enough to satisfy you? Let's get healthier with physical therapy. Hup."
Clack.
Gim Hyeokgwon placed both hands on Taesu's waist.
At that moment, Taesu flinched greatly.
"Aheuk."
"I haven't done anything yet."
"……."
"Come to think of it, Dr. Choe is quite the complainer too."
At those words, Jeong Minsu welcomed it from the side.
"That's righ……. Gugh."
"You'll keep burping, so just stay there."
"This is……. Gugh. What the……. What, gugh. What is……"
He couldn't even speak properly with the incessant burping.
Taesu, his face scrunched up in a frown, forcibly turned his head and glared at Jeong Minsu.
"You filthy bastard, be quiet for a bit……. Kkugh. Will you."
"Dr. Choe, you be quiet too. I'm starting now."
"I……. Please be gentle."
"You should ask your own waist for that. Here we go. Hup."
It was simultaneous with a heavy shout.
Taesu felt a surprising movement in the muscles supporting his waist.
It felt like stiff, hardened muscles were being crumbled.
Crunch.
In that instant, every thought in his head emptied out.
When too much pain floods in, a person is temporarily rendered speechless.
Taesu, his mouth hanging open, was exactly like that.
One second……. Two seconds…….
It was around the time three seconds of silence had passed.
Finally, a scream burst from Taesu's mouth.
"Ugyaruauaa."
Pain?
It was beyond that.
It was excruciating agony, as if his muscles were tearing.
With tears even squeezing out, Taesu slumped down just like that.
A few hours later.
The curtain of James's medical tent fluttered.
James entered through the wide-open entrance.
And surprisingly, Taesu was following behind him.
Hobble.
His gait was slightly unsteady.
But compared to how he hadn't even been able to get up that morning, it was tremendous progress.
Taesu slowly walked toward the reception table.
James, who had seated himself first, asked with an inscrutable expression.
"The secret physical therapy of the Indian dynasties, you say?"
"That's definitely what I heard."
Grunt.
As Taesu sat down and answered, James lightly stroked his chin and spoke.
"To be able to move about within a few hours is certainly astonishing."
"I'm astonished too, but I just want to be astonished……. Kkung. and leave it at that."
"Hehe, hearing that it hurt a lot."
"It wasn't just a matter of hurting. It really was, whew."
Taesu was frustrated that he had no words to describe the pain from then.
Twitch.
Seeing Taesu twitch even his body, James quickly calmed him down first.
"Alright. I got it, so don't strain yourself."
"Kkung. It hurt so badly I wanted to curse, but it's amazing that I can walk."
"The surprises don't end there."
James tested the waters.
Taesu nodded vigorously in agreement.
"That's right. Because he was the one who first suggested dividing the dispatch allowance equally into thirds."
"Still, I heard he collected the interest on the emergency funds he lent you back then?"
"Yes, he was thorough enough to calculate it down to the cent."
Clink.
Taesu too seemed bewildered by that, moving his pocket to make a coin sound.
James smiled gently.
"He's someone who separates public and private matters more clearly than anyone."
"It's a bit hard to understand why such a Mr. Gim would redistribute the allowance and even perform secret physical therapy."
Taesu expressed his curiosity seriously.
It was one of the reasons they had arranged to sit separately like this now.
James seemed to have already caught on, drawing a light smile.
"You really don't know?"
"Hm, could it be the helicopter?"
"Exactly."
James nodded broadly.
But Taesu couldn't easily accept it.
"It was dangerous, but only for a moment, and after that, the emergency surgery and such……. There wasn't much commotion."
"That's just the outer appearance."
"It seems you're saying the inside is different."
Taesu asked as if chewing it over.
James pointed it out with a meaningful smile.
"It seems you didn't notice Mr. Gim consistently caring for you during meals."
"Me?"
"To be precise, both Dr. Choe and Dr. Jeong."
"Really? Don't tell me……."
As Taesu's expression changed to one of guessing something, James hammered it home.
"Yes. It means he's watching every little thing."
"Not because we're money-makers?"
"Hehe."
James let out a strange smile.
Taesu withdrew his unnecessary words and asked seriously.
"Does this mean he acknowledges Dr. Jeong and me?"
"To be precise, it means he's accepted you as his people."
"Does he have to let us know by watching us until his eyes fall out from behind?"
As Taesu spoke bluntly, James smiled gently.
"Because he has no intention of telling you."
"Even if he doesn't have to say it, it would be nicer if he was a bit more affable."
"Some people lead with words or expressions. But the Mr. Gim I've seen is the type who leads with actions."
"He is a man of action."
Taesu acknowledged that point cleanly.
James offered Taesu some more serious advice.
"That type, once they give their heart, doesn't take it back."
"That's something I felt from before too."
"Even if that person stabs a knife in their back."
Taesu flinched at the chilling example.
"James, that was a bit too harsh of a metaphor."
"It's the truth."
"Hm."
Taesu's expression became a bit complicated.
Meanwhile, James smiled proudly and comforted him.
"You've clearly gained the trust of a person that no one else in the world has."
"I suppose so?"
"You can take pride in that. Because it's something so very difficult and hard to obtain."
James smiled sincerely and encouraged him.
But Taesu still felt a bit dazed.
"It doesn't quite feel real."
"If you're really curious, try asking him for anything."
"I don't like it because it feels like I'm testing him."
As Taesu firmly refused, James's smile brightened even more.
"I figured Dr. Choe would say that."
"Wouldn't anyone?"
"Hm. Sometimes there are those who abuse that word, trust."
A weight like a thousand jun was felt in those simply uttered words.
Taesu too was deeply struck by the meaning.
"I'll be careful not to become such a person."
"Surprisingly easy, yet difficult."
"Why is that?"
"How could taking responsibility for even one lightly spoken word be easy?"
"As expected, one must watch one's words asleep or awake. Thank you for the advice."
Taesu expressed his gratitude sincerely.
Thanks to James, all the doubtful parts had been resolved, so he felt completely refreshed.
Soon, teacups were placed between the two.
Taesu smiled gently and offered.
"I've put some gratitude into this."
"Well then, let's drink and see how grateful you are."
Slurp.
It was after each had taken a sip of tea.