Chapter 10

"Then you're thinking positively about it, right?"

"Yes. It doesn't seem like there will be any harm to me."

Kang Tae-han said with a smile.

Of course, the exact terms of the contract need to be reviewed, but since what he's saying now isn't a definite answer, there's no risk involved.

"Great. Then I'll look forward to working with you, Mr. Tae-han."

"Yes, I also look forward to it."

The two exchanged a light handshake with smiles.

Just then, the tea they had ordered a moment ago was brought out and placed in front of them.

"Hmm... Can I just pour it and drink it?"

Manager Hwang scratched his head awkwardly.

In front of him was a large teapot and a small empty cup.

For someone who usually drank coffee mix, these items were inevitably unfamiliar.

"This feels unnecessarily complicated."

"It's just a cup of green tea; there's no need to be so particular about it."

While tea art is meant to enhance the charm and enjoyment of tea, if taken to extremes, it can hinder the pleasure of drinking it.

If you want to drink it comfortably, just do so.

Kang Tae-han chuckled and casually poured a cup of tea with one hand.

Steam rose, and the fragrant aroma of green tea spread subtly.

'After all, it's just a cup of green tea.'

There's no reason for anyone to say anything about this.

Manager Hwang followed Kang Tae-han's lead, poured a cup of tea, and cautiously took a sip.

'Oh?'

It felt better than expected.

It seemed to fit his palate well.

Although he couldn't exactly describe it, having only ever drunk instant green tea before, there was a definite difference in the feeling.

It wasn't just the taste.

It went beyond just being palatable...

"How is it? Better than you thought, right?"

"Yeah, I haven't really drunk much tea before, but this is pretty good."

"Originally, different types of tea leaves suit different constitutions."

Kang Tae-han replied lightly, as if he had expected this, and took a sip of tea.

A moment of silence passed. Suddenly, Manager Hwang realized something was off.

'Different types of tea leaves suit different constitutions?'

That means Kang Tae-han must have already assessed his constitution and recommended this tea leaf.

'Now that I think about it, when he recommended the tea leaves...'

It will suit your taste and constitution.

Reflecting on it, he seemed to have said something like that.

At the time, he didn't think much of it, but now it sounded as if he had seen through him.

'Nah... No way. It's not like we're in a martial arts novel.'

Unless he had taken his pulse like at a traditional Korean medicine clinic, how could he have known just by looking?

Manager Hwang had never received a massage from Kang Tae-han.

'It must be a coincidence.'

A ridiculous thought, even to himself.

Manager Hwang shook his head and lifted his teacup.

Sip.

Another sip, savoring it.

As the warmth of the tea passed from his mouth to his throat, a warm sensation spread throughout his body.

'It must be a coincidence, right?'

But the more he thought about it, the more the phrase "suits your constitution" seemed fitting.

* * *

'Somehow, my body feels lighter lately.'

Nam Woo-hyun, the first client to receive a massage from Kang Tae-han, had recently noticed a significant improvement in his physical condition.

'And my stamina isn't like it used to be.'

The common phrase "As I get older, my body isn't as good as it used to be" usually applies, but in Nam Woo-hyun's case, it was the opposite.

His body was more energetic than before.

He could handle late-night work without caffeine, and even if he felt tired, a short nap would leave him feeling refreshed.

Just as the saying goes, "A healthy body houses a healthy mind," his mind felt clearer because his body was refreshed.

Thanks to this,

His standing at the company had steadily improved.

"Nam, how's the project I mentioned last time coming along?"

"Yes, Manager."

"Almost done. I'll submit the report today."

"Really? Already?"

"Nam, how did the contract you were working on yesterday go?"

"It was finalized through Mr. Lee, the team leader."

"Mr. Lee? He's quite picky, isn't he?"

Tasks that had piled up were now being completed smoothly.

"Wow, Nam! You seem completely different lately?"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, really! You used to be just a name on a business card, but now you seem to be doing better than most managers."

"Haha, thank you."

With his work going well, his lagging performance improved, and his reputation within the department naturally got better.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was on a roll.

But even in the best of times, there are moments when luck runs out.

For Nam Woo-hyun, today was one of those days.

"Have you already eaten dinner?"

"Alcohol? I'm not really in the mood for it..."

"Let's meet another time, Nam. It's not that I don't like you, but I just feel drained lately and don't want to do anything. It's too much of a hassle."

Nam Woo-hyun laughed awkwardly at the man's words.

A cold sweat trickled down his back.

'Well... This is awkward.'

The man in front of him was Kim Kwan-ho, a manager at Chonrim Industrial.

Though his title was manager, he was expected to be promoted to a higher position within a year or two, and a significant contract was currently pending on his decision.

'Even though the upper management said it's almost a lost cause...'

It was awkward to give up, so they assigned him as a last resort.

But Nam Woo-hyun wanted to close this deal.

It was a big contract, and the dramatic reaction when it was finalized would be worth it.

He had worked hard to set up this meeting.

He needed to do something, but with the man cutting him off like that, there was nothing he could do.

No interest in dinner, no interest in drinks.

In the industry, this was essentially a polite way of saying "just go away."

Either he had seriously offended the man, or the man really didn't want to do anything.

One of the two.

'...He does look a bit pale.'

Nam Woo-hyun subtly observed Kim Kwan-ho.

Like any overworked employee, Kim Kwan-ho looked particularly pale and tired.

'He really does look drained.'

A thought suddenly came to Nam Woo-hyun.

A somewhat strange and potentially inappropriate idea to propose to a stranger.

Nam Woo-hyun took out his smartphone and checked the date.

It just so happened that the reservation he had made was for today.

Frankly, it was a bit too good to share, but the company came first.

However, the key was how Kim Kwan-ho would react to the suggestion.

'...I don't know.'

If he just went back, no one would say much.

At worst, he'd get a bit of formal scolding.

Nam Woo-hyun opened his mouth, resigned to the outcome.

"Mr. Kim, how about a sauna?"

"Sauna? What do you mean?"

"Yes. I know a great place."

Kim Kwan-ho's face twitched.

His reaction was more one of disbelief than anger.

"I don't have anything against your company, but we're not close enough to go to a sauna together, are we?"

"Well, you said you feel drained and look a bit pale... I know a really good place."

Nam Woo-hyun said with an awkward smile.

A moment of silence.

Kim Kwan-ho, who had been standing still, suddenly let out a hollow laugh.

"Huh, really. Must be a pretty good sauna, huh?"

"The sauna is decent, but the massage therapist there is truly exceptional. These days, you can't even get a session without a reservation."

"Then I can't get one, can I?"

"Of course, I've already made the necessary arrangements. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have mentioned it to you."

"Hmm..."

Kim Kwan-ho swallowed and stroked his chin.

Actually, he had been planning to go to a sauna after work.

He really did feel drained.

While the proposal was still absurd, it somehow piqued his interest.

"Well, there's no reason we can't go to a sauna together."

Kim Kwan-ho let out another hollow laugh.

* * *

"Hmm."

Kang Tae-han sat in his chair, lost in thought.

Since the meeting with Manager Hwang, the premium course hadn't been added immediately, but the work was progressing steadily.

The first change was the reservation system.

Originally, they would take clients on a first-come, first-served basis or by appointment, and if the massage therapist was unavailable, clients would have to wait. Now, clients could make a reservation for their preferred time and come in.

It had become more like a proper massage shop.

Thanks to this, not only Kang Tae-han but also the other massage therapists could work more comfortably.

They could better predict when clients would come and use their time more efficiently.

However, this wasn't the reason Kang Tae-han was lost in thought.

'His speech patterns are hard to change.'

Kang Tae-han wore a serious expression, deep in thought.

His usual speech had already been corrected.

While he couldn't say he was exactly like his old self, he could speak naturally as he used to.

The problem was when he gave massages.

More precisely, when he performed actions related to martial arts.

For simple tasks, it was fine, but when he needed to focus, his old martial arts speech patterns would naturally come out, as if a switch had been flipped.

'When I was with my father, I used formal speech.'

He thought it had improved, but now that he was back and working, it hadn't changed.

Reflecting on it, it was probably because the person was his father.

Because even in the martial arts world, he would have used formal speech with his father.

'When I use the skills I learned in the martial arts world, my old speech patterns come out without me realizing it.'

Kang Tae-han in the modern world.

And Kang Tae-han in the martial arts world.

They were the same person, but the difference between them was as vast as the sky and the earth.

Perhaps this was a result of that dissonance.

Kang Tae-han vaguely speculated.

"...Well, maybe it doesn't matter."

Ultimately, there was no clear answer.

If there was a problem, it would have shown up by now.

He had been working for a considerable amount of time, and many clients had come through his hands.

However, there had been no issues related to his speech patterns.

He had even asked Manager Hwang if there had been any complaints about his speech, and the answer was that there had been no complaints at all.

'Sometimes, being assertive can be helpful.'

In service industries, politeness is the norm, but sometimes what seems like a mistake can be the solution.

Of course, Kang Tae-han wasn't intentionally being disrespectful.

'For now, I'll just keep it like this.'

It might be due to a lack of focus, or his modern speech patterns might not have fully taken hold.

Either way, it wasn't something that could be fixed in the short term.

Kang Tae-han made his decision and stood up.

It was time to receive the next client.

Feeling the presence outside the door, Kang Tae-han started to prepare.

"Mr. Tae-han, the client..."

Manager Hwang opened the door and peeked in.

But he stopped mid-sentence.

Kang Tae-han was already standing, ready.

"Are you waiting outside the door the whole time?"

"Of course not."

Kang Tae-han chuckled and headed to the room.

Room 1.

This room was practically assigned to Kang Tae-han.

As Kang Tae-han pulled back the curtain and entered, he met the gaze of a middle-aged man.

Instead of Nam Woo-hyun, it was Kim Kwan-ho, the manager.

He looked at Kang Tae-han with a slightly suspicious expression.

He hadn't expected anything extraordinary, but he had been somewhat hopeful, given that he had suggested going to a sauna out of the blue.

'...He looks much younger than I expected.'

Seeing the massage therapist's face, a look of disappointment crossed his features.

He looked like a college student, far from the image of a skilled massage therapist.

Would he even be able to give a proper shoulder massage?

Just as he was thinking this,

"Hmm... Your gallbladder is quite swollen."

"Excuse me?"

Kang Tae-han's unexpected comment made Kim Kwan-ho involuntarily repeat it.