Old Man Choi's Free Gift
Park Su-hwan shoved the shaman tools and divination table that lay scattered across the shrine floor into one corner. Then he opened the drawer beneath the altar and pulled something out.
“This thing’s a real miracle worker, you know.”
Unexpectedly, it was a pink foam roller—something he’d bought after hitting a supermarket closing sale.
Under ordinary circumstances he wouldn’t have given exercise equipment a second glance. But the clerk’s remark that people who sat for a living especially needed to look after their lower backs had lodged firmly in his ears. On top of that, a price tag so shockingly low it made his eyes light up had stopped him in his tracks, and in the end even Su-hwan’s fortress-like wallet had no choice but to swing wide open.
“Ughya.”
Lying on the floor, Su-hwan slipped the pink foam roller under his neck and slowly rolled his body up and down.
“Ahh…”
The sensation of the muscles from his neck all the way through his lower back loosening so deliciously was pure bliss. When he’d first brought the foam roller home he had regretted buying it. Now, though, he was starting to understand—just a tiny bit—the importance of stretching.
Crrrk, crrk.
“This is seriously amazing…”
The feeling of knotted neck muscles releasing and his waist turning soft felt wonderful.
Knock-knock.
Then it happened. Someone rapped on the door.
“...?”
Su-hwan glanced at the old clock hanging on the wall.
What the. It’s not time yet.
Besides, today’s last consultation had been the woman client who’d come an hour ago.
“Who is it?”
“Young man! It’s me!”
The landlady’s bright, cheerful voice rang out.
“Ah! Just a moment!”
Delighted by the familiar face, he sprang up and hurriedly straightened the clothes that had gotten rumpled from stretching.
Click.
When he unlocked and opened the firmly shut door, he found the landlady standing there with both hands full of heavy packages.
“Here. Take these.”
“Oh.”
Sweating buckets, she didn’t give him a chance to speak.
“Whew… I thought I was gonna die from how hard this was.”
She wiped the sweat beading on her forehead and dragged in a rough breath.
“What are these?”
One was wrapped in a gleaming gold cloth; the other was an apple box stamped with a “Premium” sticker.
“I went to the postpartum care center today. You know those parents whose baby got switched last time. They said they were so grateful to you and insisted I pass this along.”
“Ah…”
Su-hwan hadn’t expected this news at all. With so much else going on, he’d completely forgotten about the incident at the care center for a while.
“They wanted to come thank you in person, but I barely managed to stop them. Since you told me never to tell people about you.”
“I’m sorry for making you go through all that trouble on my account, ma’am.”
“This much is nothing. It’s no trouble at all.”
The landlady waved her hand with an easygoing smile. Looking at her sweaty face, Su-hwan said,
“Right. Instead of standing out here, would you like to come in for a bit?”
“I don’t think I can. I’ve still got a lot of housework left. But before I go…”
She rummaged in her pants pocket and pulled out a gleaming gold envelope.
“This is a gift too.”
“What’s this?”
Su-hwan carefully accepted the envelope.
Money…?
But it was far too thin and light for that.
“A million-won department store gift certificate. I didn’t lay a finger on it the whole way here, so don’t worry.”
“Wow… I never even imagined this.”
Receiving a department store gift certificate was a first in Su-hwan’s life.
Should I buy a new rice cooker? While I’m at it, replace the microwave too.
His mind was already drawing up a shopping list.
“They originally meant to give cash, but then decided that would be rude, so they switched it.”
“Aigoo… The thought is what matters most.”
Su-hwan smiled softly and quickly stuffed the envelope into his pocket. Normally he would have been disappointed it wasn’t cash. But a department store gift certificate wasn’t bad at all—he could buy whatever he wanted just like with cash.
“Thank you so much. By the way, did you find a care center you like?”
“Yeah. I’m moving next month. But the place keeps calling me nonstop. Begging me not to leave. Anyone listening would think they’d been scammed out of money.”
“That bad?”
“I’m serious. Honestly they were popular because the service was good. The facilities? Meh, they were never great from the start. Anyway, I should get going now.”
“Ma’am. Just a second.”
Su-hwan stopped her as she was about to leave and went back into the shrine. He came out carrying a cold tangerine juice and ice cream from the fridge.
“Here. I can’t send you off empty-handed after you came all this way.”
“What are you talking about! We live upstairs—what’s with all the fuss.”
The landlady covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.
“Come on, still.”
To Su-hwan, the landlady was a truly precious person. After picking up the ledger, she was the first one with whom he’d formed a deep connection. Besides, he’d never expected the day would come when he could laugh and chat with her so comfortably like this.
“Open the wrapping cloth right away. I got a little tip about that one, you know.”
Leaving that cryptic remark, the landlady turned her back. Su-hwan watched her light footsteps climbing the stairs for a moment, then went back into the shrine.
“She got a tip, huh?”
He immediately looked at the object wrapped in the gold cloth. From the outside there was no way to guess the contents. Tilting his head, he carefully undid the knot.
“...!”
When he confirmed what it was, Su-hwan’s eyes went wide.
“Th-this is…”
It was beef—the deep crimson flesh looking as if white snowflakes had settled on it. And not just any beef: ultra-premium Hanwoo.
Su-hwan’s nostrils flared as he gently stroked it as if it were a precious treasure.
Riiiiing!
Just as he was drifting off, full and content after eating the gifted Hanwoo, a noisy sound erupted from the phone charging far away.
“...What.”
Su-hwan mumbled and crawled over on all fours, stretching a hand toward the phone.
Riiiiing!
“Hmm?”
He hadn’t realized how late it had gotten. Su-hwan cleared his sleep-roughened throat once and answered.
“Hello.”
“Hyung. We’re almost there.”
It was Lee Han-gyeol’s voice.
“That so? I’ll be right out.”
“Yes. We’re climbing the hill now. If you’re already outside, the timing should be perfect.”
Su-hwan nodded, said he understood, and hung up.
Ugh… I’m seriously dying of sleep.
Part of him wanted nothing more than to lie back down and pass out this second. But the items he’d ordered a week ago were finally on their way.
“Haaawn…”
He yawned once and stepped outside. Squinting against the pouring sunlight, he waited in front of the gate for Lee Han-gyeol.
Vrrrooom!
A blue truck struggled up the hill and soon came to a stop in front of Su-hwan.
“Hello!”
“Yeah.”
He tilted his head and glanced into the driver’s seat. He’d naturally assumed Choi Young-gam would be at the wheel himself. Instead, the middle-aged man who usually helped Choi Young-gam opened the door and climbed down.
“Where’s Young-gam? I figured he’d come along…”
This was the first time he’d ever ordered tools for home delivery. He’d expected Choi Young-gam to at least show his face.
“He said he doesn’t have time because of cleaning.”
“Cleaning?”
“Honestly, that old man…”
He’s properly sulking, isn’t he.
Any other excuse would have been one thing, but not coming because of cleaning simply didn’t make sense. With Su-hwan not showing his nose around Mansindang these days, the old man had clearly worked himself into a serious mood.
I should go by at least once…
Continuing to stay away from Mansindang just because Bari Gongju, the deity who possessed Choi Hana, was terrifying didn’t make sense either. He’d have to pick a time when Choi Hana wasn’t around and show his face soon. Su-hwan let out a long sigh and turned his gaze to the back of the truck. Thick blue waterproof tarps covered mysterious shapes.
“The goods?”
“I brought everything you asked for. Check it yourself.”
Lee Han-gyeol and the middle-aged man pulled back the blue tarps together. The rather impressive new statues and tools that had been hidden under the veil came into view. At the center stood a majestic general statue in full armor and a grandmother deity statue holding a fan and bells.
“By the way, he told me to ask what wind suddenly blew that made you do this.”
Lee Han-gyeol glanced at the statues once, then stepped closer and asked. It was just like a thoroughly sulking Choi Young-gam to be curious. After all, stingy Park Su-hwan buying new deity statues was an unusual event.
“It looked a little sparse. Figured I’d fill it out while I was at it.”
At present, Su-hwan’s altar centered on the Jade Emperor statue, with candles, flowers, and fruit offerings filling the space around it. Unlike ordinary shaman houses, it didn’t carry much grandeur or weight. That had always bothered him, so this time he’d made up his mind to properly decorate the shrine—shrine makeover, or “shrine-up” for short.
Then something caught his eye between the two statues he’d ordered. It also looked like a statue, but it was partially blocked and hard to see clearly.
“What’s that?”
“Ah, that? Grandfather said to take it—he’s giving it for free.”
“Is that so…?”
“One moment.”
The middle-aged man and Lee Han-gyeol climbed onto the cargo bed and carefully shifted the general and grandmother deity statues to the side. When Su-hwan finally saw what had been hidden, he was at a loss for words.
This old bastard…
It was a statue of Bari Gongju, dressed in a dazzling five-colored hanbok, holding a flower in one hand and wearing a gentle, benevolent smile.
Su-hwan clenched his teeth, jerked his chin toward the blue tarp, and said,
“Hey. Put it back on.”
Any thought of going to Mansindang vanished completely.