Chapter 8

<Chapter 8 of "Mr. Heavenly Horse's Massage">

"......Huh."

Gang Hoyoan stood still for a while.

He watched his son's back until it became a dot, then finally moved his feet.

'How did he grow up so quickly...?'

Even back then, he was more mature than his peers.

He had always taken care of himself, and since he returned from the military, he never even asked for pocket money.

But this was more than just that level of maturity.

It felt like he had become seasoned, beyond just mature.

It was as if he had aged a few decades more.

'He grew up better than his father.'

Naturally, the awkward father-son relationship was a burden on Gang Hoyoan's mind.

He just didn't know how to resolve it because of his clumsiness.

There were so many things he wanted to ask and praise, but whenever they faced each other, he found himself at a loss for words.

But this time was different.

His son, Taehan, initiated the conversation warmly.

It must have been difficult for him too, but just that made Gang Hoyoan feel grateful and proud.

"Besides... he's really good at massage too."

Gang Hoyoan rotated his right shoulder a few times, muttering to himself.

It had only felt refreshing yesterday, but when he woke up, it was a completely different feeling.

It was as if a broken screw had been replaced with a new one and everything had been oiled.

The effect of just one massage was too remarkable.

'Well, it's probably just a placebo effect.'

How long had it been since Taehan massaged his shoulders?

By his memory, it had been almost ten years.

No wonder he felt like his aches and pains had disappeared.

He was genuinely that happy.

Gang Hoyoan knew his shoulder wasn't something that could be fixed with just a few massages.

It must be a placebo effect or something.

With that thought, he arrived at the shop and started preparing for business as usual.

"......Huh?"

But something was different.

Definitely different.

Gang Hoyoan had worked in the kitchen for over twenty years.

He knew when and how long to do each task.

Especially now that he was running the shop alone, he had a good sense of timing.

But today, everything was done much faster.

Transporting ingredients, cleaning the shop, preparing and prepping materials.

Everything was done at twice the usual speed.

And his body felt as fresh as if he had just arrived at the shop.

"Why is this happening?"

Usually, it took much longer, and he needed to take a break and drink a cup of water after finishing.

He also had to stretch his aching shoulders for a while.

But now, he felt nothing.

His breathing was not even heavy, and he didn't feel any pain in his shoulders.

In fact, he felt an overflow of energy.

'Soon, you might be able to make hand-pulled noodles again.'

Suddenly, Taehan's words came to mind.

He thought it was just a joke, but now he wondered if it wasn't just empty words.

His gaze turned to a corner of the kitchen.

A large window opened to the outside.

There, a large kneading board was placed, where Gang Hoyoan used to make hand-pulled noodles every day.

It was a space that had once been a symbol of the shop.

And a space he hadn't used since his shoulder injury.

Yet, he couldn't bring himself to remove it.

'...Should I try it once?'

Was it because he had plenty of time left?

Or because he had extra energy?

Gang Hoyoan got up and walked to the kneading board.

It felt a bit awkward after so long, but his hands soon moved familiarly.

Thud, thud, thud.

Soon, the sound of making hand-pulled noodles echoed through the alley.

* * *

After reuniting with his father, Gang Taehan headed straight to a sauna in Seoul.

He had slept well at home and was ready to start working.

Fortunately, Manager Hwang seemed to welcome this. His tone of voice rose a notch when Gang Taehan mentioned it.

Was it because they were short-handed?

Or was it a polite way of saying it to avoid making him feel burdened, arranged by Choi Sung-hyun?

If so, it meant the customers' reviews were good.

'Well, the effect was excellent, after all.'

He had awakened stiff muscles and opened blocked meridians, so it was natural that there would be an effect.

It must have felt like getting a new body.

This was not just his own satisfaction but a highly objective effect.

'Good reviews are always a plus.'

In any case, it was good news for Gang Taehan.

He had been thinking that this part-time job was a good deal.

The pay was decent, as Choi Sung-hyun had said, and he could gain inner strength through the Absorption Technique (吸星大法) as part of the treatment for some customers.

It was a win-win situation.

Of course, there might be better jobs if you only considered the pay, but it was hard to find a better deal that offered both money and inner strength.

If so, it was better to do it properly.

If the reviews were good, more customers would come, and with more customers, his performance bonus would increase, and he would have more opportunities to gain inner strength.

"......Haha. What a simple story."

Gang Taehan couldn't help but chuckle.

Considering that he had been hailed as a Heavenly Horse not long ago, it was a small-scale story.

But he didn't feel bad about it.

After feeling a sense of ennui in the martial world, where he no longer had any rivals, these simple days felt fresh.

"Maybe this isn't so bad."

...But.

Gang Taehan's simple day soon turned into a less simple and busier day.

"I want a massage right now."

"Sure. Is there someone specific you're looking for?"

"Mr. Gang Taehan, please..."

"Ah..."

Manager Hwang trailed off, scratching his temple with the cap of a pen.

He pushed forward a notepad with the names and numbers of about five or six people.

"These are all Mr. Taehan's waiting list."

After Gang Taehan officially started working, the number of customers looking for him increased daily.

Manager Hwang played a significant role in this.

He would assign Gang Taehan to important customers.

From first-time customers to difficult ones.

Especially with difficult customers, the effect was remarkable. Even customers who were troublemakers would leave calling him "teacher" after a massage from Gang Taehan.

In any business, it's hard to satisfy difficult customers.

But once they are satisfied, they quickly become regulars.

As a result, the number of customers specifically looking for Gang Taehan increased rapidly.

"Are these all the people?"

"Yes. A few have left, but there are still three left."

"Hmm..."

The man fell into thought.

At first, he seemed surprised, but then a deep regret covered his face.

It was too regretful to leave like this.

"How long will I have to wait?"

"Let's see... at least three hours."

"Then I'll come back in three hours."

"Excuse me?"

Manager Hwang, taken aback, asked.

He didn't want to lower his standards, but this was just a massage shop attached to a sauna.

This reaction was unfamiliar.

"Is that not possible?"

"......No, it's fine. Of course, it's fine."

Manager Hwang was just happy.

Regaining his composure, he nodded and wrote down the customer's name and number.

"Wow..."

Watching this, Choi Sung-hyun couldn't help but exclaim.

"What? What's wrong?"

Hearing the exclamation, Gang Taehan, who had just finished a session and was taking a break, asked.

"No, I'm just wondering if I've discovered an unreasonable talent. I'm in shock and joy right now."

"What are you talking about?"

"More importantly... aren't you tired?"

Choi Sung-hyun looked at Gang Taehan intently.

It was 2 PM.

Gang Taehan had started work at 7 AM and had been receiving customers non-stop, except for meal and short breaks.

Actually, massage is a more tiring job than you might think.

Even massaging your parents' shoulders for 5 minutes can make your arms sore, let alone massaging the entire body for tens of minutes.

It's not for nothing that they give performance bonuses.

'Has he been eating ginseng in Daejeon...?'

But this kid, after just finishing an hour-long massage, showed no signs of fatigue and even had steady breathing.

The sweat on his forehead was the only human touch.

But Gang Taehan said indifferently, "Of course, I'm tired. That's why I'm taking a break."

"No, that's not what I mean... Never mind. Let's get some food later."

"Dinner? Sure. What do you want to eat?"

"Let's have a bowl of soup. You're buying."

"Why are you nagging? Who said I wouldn't buy?"

Choi Sung-hyun burst into laughter.

He was worried that Gang Taehan might be overworking, but it seemed to be an unnecessary concern.