Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Briquette Delivery
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"Huff... huff..."
Sweat poured down his forehead like rain.
The endless hill stretched out like the gateway to hell. And if that hill was made of stairs, it was several times more grueling.
He draped a towel around his neck and took a brief rest.
'Did I sprain my ankle or something?'
Only 31 years old.
The prime of life for a man, when he should be full of vigor.
He was keenly feeling his lack of exercise.
"Alright, fiiiighting!"
"It's tough, but let's push a little harder. The top is right there!"
"The more we suffer, the warmer our neighbors can stay!"
Whew.
They were working so hard—he couldn't just stop.
The current task was briquette delivery.
Cha Se-yeon from Daehan Ilbo walked beside him, a load strapped to her back. The misunderstanding had long been cleared up.
Her parents had passed away unjustly.
Naturally, she harbored resentment toward chaebols.
He couldn't blame her. Anyone would act the same.
'Is that the next stop?'
This neighborhood was home to veterans and elderly residents, which was probably why briquette deliveries were such a big help.
When they arrived at a destination with their loads, the residents greeted them with bright smiles, offering cool water and thanking them profusely day after day.
A grandfather with a limp welcomed them warmly.
A grandmother with poor eyesight didn't even recognize him standing right in front of her.
"Thank you so much, young man..."
"No, no. It's nothing much, but I'm glad it's helping."
"Oh dear, it must be so hard helping old folks like us."
"Hahaha, don't say that. You all need to stay warm this winter."
"I feel like we're just being a burden. Old people like us who only waste rice should hurry up and go—it'd help everyone else."
"..."
"You look young enough to be seeing pretty girls. Don't waste time here. This place is rough; you could get hurt. A man's back is his life..."
"Grandma..."
The grandmother's name was Kim Sun-ja.
She had married young and had one son and one daughter.
Both had moved to Seoul for proper jobs.
She had told them not to come for the holidays and spent them alone here, quietly.
"Ahem, you must be hungry. Have some of this at least."
The food she brought out was ordinary potato pancakes, the kind you could find anywhere.
But the fresh, savory aroma from the just-made ones wrapped around his weary body like a warm embrace.
"D-delicious!"
He picked up a large piece with chopsticks, and it slid smoothly apart, revealing the golden-brown inside. Crispy outside, soft within—the perfect "crunchy shell, moist core." It danced on his tongue in a way even fancy restaurants couldn't match.
"Cha Se-yeon, you should try some too."
"Ah, yes... Well then, I'll dig in."
Nom~
She opened her small mouth and popped a piece inside.
"!"
"Good, right?"
"It's the best potato pancake I've ever had."
The plate emptied in an instant.
Grandma Kim Sun-ja went to the kitchen and soon returned with more large pieces.
"There's plenty, so eat slowly. We neighborhood ladies made some when we heard about the briquette delivery today."
"Oh my, this is too precious... I'll share with the others."
"Heh heh heh, if it's not enough, just say so. There's lots."
"Thank you."
After two more hours of diligently hauling briquettes,
they had delivered to every house.
The moment he straightened his bent back, a refreshing sensation washed over him, like a bird long caged taking flight again. A smile crept onto his face unbidden.
Crack! Pop!
Of course, the pain shot through his nerves to his brain.
"Aaaah~"
"Are you okay?"
Cha Se-yeon, at 36 a good five years his senior and still single, looked perfectly fine despite the hours of hard labor.
This was a real blow to a man's pride.
"Even men find briquette delivery tough, but you're unscathed."
Her face turned beet red at his words.
"I was on the volleyball team in school."
"...Volleyball player?"
"Yes. I wanted to go pro."
"Ahh..."
What would it feel like to get slapped by a former volleyball player?
At least a few corn kernels would fly, right?
He idly imagined that while glancing at her shoulder blades and triceps.
Whoa, the subtle muscles hidden under her clothes writhed like eels.
'Dodged a bullet. Could've been ten weeks in the hospital...'
Thank goodness the misunderstanding was cleared.
Without his sister, things might have gone sideways.
'Gotta pick up something tasty on the way home.'
To him, his little sister was no different from the goddess of fortune.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Cha Se-yeon watched him pound his back while diligently delivering briquettes.
The anger that had filled her heart was long gone.
She realized this man was different from other chaebols.
What kind of people were they?
They dumped unwanted tasks on underlings and dodged responsibility like it was their job.
She was a reporter at Daehan Ilbo.
She had heard all sorts of rumors.
Some chaebol third-gen crashed into a shop while drunk driving, abandoned the car, and fled. Not content, he called his secretarial office to handle the fallout.
Later, she heard the staff who cleaned it up got fired. The culprit got off scot-free, blame pinned on the underlings.
Reasons galore, all absurd.
The firing excuse? What were they doing that they let the accident happen?
They got grilled instead.
Did that even make sense?
They weren't the National Intelligence Service—how were they supposed to know everything?
"Great job, everyone!"
"You all worked hard too~"
"Come on, you must be beat from hauling briquettes—take some extra pay!"
Unlike those chaebols, this guy Kim Do-jun knew how to spend money.
"Oh, we're not volunteering for pay!"
"I'm grateful you worked so hard, that's why. At least have a meal."
"That's not why we're volunteering..."
"Hahaha, still, you should take something. See you next year too."
Cha Se-yeon looked shocked.
He was planning to do this grueling briquette delivery next year too?
Chaebols would just shove money at them and say handle it yourselves.
An envelope was handed to her too.
Peeking inside, it held a neat 200,000 won.
This much?
And not just one person—dozens?
"Alright, it's getting dark soon, and we don't want to hit rush hour. Let's head out."
"Thank you!"
"Everyone, great job!"
"See you next year~"
"..."
Cha Se-yeon had followed him to uncover some scandal.
Far from scandal, she ended up helping with briquettes.
Kim Do-jun was fascinating.
Being near him put her mind at ease, somehow.
It was the first time she'd felt this lately.
"Se-yeon, you should head back too, right?"
At his words, she hurriedly hid the money envelope behind her back.
Embarrassed.
She had boldly declared to the news director she'd expose the dirt, but here she was delivering briquettes, hanging out with him, and taking cash.
'What a humiliating mess!'
A veteran with five years in social and economic reporting.
An elite at Korea's largest paper, Daehan Ilbo.
The only female reporter there.
And she couldn't even meet the eyes of the very man she was supposed to investigate.
"I-I'm watching you!"
"...Pardon?"
"I-I'm keeping an eye on you!"
Spouting nonsense she couldn't explain, Cha Se-yeon bolted toward her beloved car.
A smile unwittingly blooming on her lips.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The news director oversaw the entire media outlet.
He held the highest rank at Daehan Ilbo.
His responsibilities were immense.
He set news strategies and priorities, planned specials and in-depth reports.
And that was just the start.
He was constantly coordinating between departments.
Ten bodies wouldn't be enough.
Yet here he was, past 11 p.m., unable to leave.
"Whew, tough gig. Not long left for me."
Three years at most?
The aged director massaged his neck and sighed deeply.
"Where the hell did that girl go?"
His plucky junior had charged out to expose chaebol secrets.
Worry for her safety came first.
Creeeak!
Then the office door opened with a small sound.
A shadowy figure peeked in, head swiveling around.
"..."
The director stared in disbelief at the woman sneaking in like a mouse.
"What the hell have you been doing, showing up now?!"
She froze at the sudden shouting.
She crept forward, shoulders hunched, fiddling awkwardly until she finally shyly offered an envelope.
"I... investigated..."
His eyebrow twitched.
"What's this? Sent you to report, and you come back with bribes?"
"N-no, it's not... Things just happened, and it ended up like this."
"What? Pfft-hahahaha!"
In five years, Cha Se-yeon had brought all sorts of rumors.
The ice-cold one who shed no tears for sob stories, acting like a rookie?
Unique enough to photograph.
"So, what'd you find?"
"Briquette delivery."
"Huh?"
"Briquette delivery!"
She squealed and grabbed her bag from her desk before storming out.
Who'd marry that spitfire?
He chuckled and pulled a cigarette from his pocket.
The dark night sky.
He cracked the window, letting in cool air.
Smoke rose from the cigarette tip, drifting lazily under the flickering fluorescent light.
'Kim Do-jun, huh...'
Bad apples were bad apples, it seemed.
She was his junior, but Cha Se-yeon wouldn't budge on mere pity.
She must have seen something on-site.
He didn't know what, but...
'Whether Selig's Korea entry truly benefits the nation remains to be seen.'
He wasn't fond of Korea.
Articles showed reality outstripping fiction, unbelievable events unfolding even now.
"Whew..."
He stubbed out the cigarette and glanced at her empty seat.
Then burst out laughing, office shaking.
Fun times lay ahead.