Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Growing Pains (2)
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Regardless of the varied reactions, a flood of information poured from Yu Se-ra's mouth, who possessed human-level intelligence. It was as if she were saying she'd give all the info I knew, so interpret it as you will. It was fairly extensive, but lacked logical connections.
"Uh, growth hormones are deficient—or, no, excessive? And nutrition is all balanced—."
Jin-hyuk swallowed a laugh inwardly. Even the way she stuttered during long explanations was just like her daughter. From what he'd experienced, it happened when her quick brain outpaced her mouth. As far as he knew, they weren't the types to have slow wits.
Treating Hong Su-jeong like a sulky child, Jin-hyuk sat her on his knee and jumped in. With no one else stepping up, he intended to rescue Yu Se-ra.
"The muscles spasmed and pressed on nerves around the waist."
"Uh, yeah. That's what I—."
With nerves compressed, all treatments were temporary, and the pain persisted. That was the diagnosis from a specialist in the city. In the past, even as an adult, he'd suffered over a week immobile. In severe cases, he'd walk gingerly, like someone with one side of their waist collapsed.
"If the hospital said that, all we can do is wait, right?"
"Yeah, pretty much......"
Jin-hyuk hastily pulled down the rolled-up T-shirt.
The town clinic had just said to get a shot and lie face-down to rest. It was a fitting prescription for the pain, so it couldn't be dismissed as wrong.
His whole body felt itchy beyond tingling in the joints, so he'd wake up scratching everywhere, rolling on the floor like a caterpillar. Anyway, if this immobility from back pain was growing pains, then so be it.
'Can't exercise, so I'm antsy.'
It wasn't just regret from missing workouts.
The reason he always exhausted his body with exercise was to shake off stray thoughts, but forced rest let all sorts of ideas torment him. On sleepless nights, the question 'Who am I?' beckoned, and each time, his soul wandered a labyrinth seeking lost answers.
"Mom, could you do some heat therapy on me?"
"Sure, okay."
"Sorry about this. I'll lie face-down for a bit."
His parents and the guests from Seoul all watched Jin-hyuk with curious eyes.
Yu Se-ra's eyes even sparkled. He'd gone from pained silence to quite talkative. Pain must lead to maturity, after all.
'They're staring like they've never seen a patient before.'
Though Jin-hyuk's thoughts differed.
Unable to climb to his room, he lay face-down in the living room and attached the low-frequency heat pack. After trying various things, the 5,000-won device from the market proved most effective.
'Ooh—electric stimulation is the best, huh. Tingles.'
Zing, zing—it hurt but felt refreshing.
Adult chatter watching Olympic reruns drifted from afar as his mind hazed and sleep came. He buried his face in the pillow and dozed off.
"Oppa, oppa. Oppa, does it hurt?"
Yu-jin's voice pierced his half-sleep.
Worried the little one might make things worse, Mom had strictly kept her away from her brother.
Yet today, she charged at him unhindered. Had Mom been too busy reuniting with Yu Se-ra to stop her? Or had Yu-jin sneaked out while Mom dozed?
'Or maybe my condition improved enough to let her.'
Whatever, it had been ages since his sister played on his back. Half-asleep, Jin-hyuk spread his back wide. No danger of a baby tumbling off.
Yu-jin rubbed her face gleefully on his stubbly head, rode him like a horse, pounded his back and waist.
Smack smack—!
'Heh heh. That's it, good girl! Hands still got that sting.'
In his drowsy state, Jin-hyuk felt her slaps and palm presses. Warmth spread, bringing a thrilling, pleasurable tingle.
The pain that struck like a sudden downpour before a storm vanished just as swiftly, clouds parting.
His back, tormenting him immobile for ten days, was cured.
'......What.'
Son Yu-jin never knew how to get angry.
Normal babies wail in frustration when unable to speak, but even as an infant, Son Yu-jin smiled readily.
'She smiled even when pooping, right?'
She loved the squishy warmth, sitting on her diaper grinding her butt. Afterward, itchy rash made her fuss and tug at the diaper edges, whining pitifully. At her drawn-out whines, someone always rushed to wash and change her.
She cried from hunger or fear too, of necessity, to escape it. But never raged to shrieking fury.
'Oppa, gramps—laughed even at farts, right?'
Likely the family's wish for her constant smiles influenced her, plus the harmonious home. Logic-poor baby could only vaguely guess.
Son Yu-jin remembered words ringing in her infant mind.
More direct than eyes or mouth.
【Grow up healthy.】
A voiced presence. How sound takes form? Yu-jin couldn't explain. Like running before walking.
She yearned to find the source upon realizing family always surrounded her.
Yu-jin searched for it.
'Not Dad, right?'
Dad's voice was pleasant-soft, far from deep timbre.
Mom's gentle tone was even less so.
No match in the neighborhood either. Carried on a guardian's back for years touring it, she concluded.
Closest feel was oppa, but watching, his voice changed gradually, hard to pinpoint.
Another reason it eluded her.
'People speak differently as they live?'
The mind-words differed from family's language.
Yu-jin could understand and even speak that tongue. Past tense, as she'd mostly forgotten. Few words she could utter aloud anyway.
They called it wrong, forbidden. Even Mom, who laughed cutely at "Mumya-mumya," did.
Parents pretended not to hear, but when trusted oppa said so too, she had to correct.
'But puppy is "saniel," right?'
Last, she dropped dog-word too.
Weird. Dad yelled "saniel" for dog too.
Mysterious, but couldn't defy those who fed, housed, clothed her.
Thus, Son Yu-jin began compromising with the world bit by bit.
As daily human chats increased, the voice's owner faded.
But "grow healthy" etched deep, so she would.
Squelch squelch—ptoo ptui—.
Ate dirt, sucked toes. Licked fridge door, gnawed sofa.
Gentle Mom never stopped whatever Yu-jin ate.
Well, not entirely permissive.
"Yu-jin, this is soy sauce, right?"
Mom's a liar.
Mom hid soy sauce, same hue as that infant voice. How voice has form and color? This 50-month tot can't explain. Logic is reason's realm; Yu-jin lingered in spirit's.
Anyway, grown-ups gulped soy sauce. Dad post-sauce roared monster-growl from throat. Grroooar—that sweet-scented monster noise.
Mom forbade it strictly, but Yu-jin wasn't dumb, just couldn't voice anger.
'This smell isn't soy sauce—!'
Then only one trustworthy.
'Oppa will give, right?'
Vowed to beg oppa someday for a taste.
Since he melted for his sister.
Yu-jin preferred grabbing oppas fuzzy head over Mom's mumya-mumya. Short fuzz hard to grasp, sparking challenge. Sometimes nibbled with teeth.
'Fridge has soy sauce—.'
But oppa must open fridge door.
Tall strong oppa lately not walking much.
'Oppa no school, belly-rub?'
Always jumps for sister.
Yu-jin bided her chance.
Finally.
Seoul family visited; Mom got busy.
Mom sat on bed with Seoul Mom, giggling over new cosmetics.
'Cosmetics taste bad......'
Yu-jin tasted all reachable. Most knowledgeable on flavors in this house. Cosmetics taught life's bitterness.
Anyway, chance for Yu-jin.
To oppa!
Mom's watch lax; finally reached oppa.
Smack smack—!
Pummeled long-missed oppa, full sincerity.
Oppa-exclusive joyful greeting—more like beating, but he always praised, grinning like puppy General.
Today, odd reaction though.
"Yu-jin, how'd you do that?"
Just smacked joyfully, but oppa seemed mistaken. Bolted up asking how.
Speech-poor Yu-jin could answer queries.
Beamed at oppa. Sweet-sauce giver.
"Like this, like this!"
Now for monster-roar sauce—.
Over ten days suffering, due time to heal.
Usually pain lifted after deep sleep and waking.
Feeling it vanish real-time?
'This is kinda weird.'
Too shocked, Jin-hyuk shot up.
Hong Su-jeong, using his leg as pillow, tumbled aside.
Dads mid-makgeolli with kimchi pancakes startled, mouths agape. Back-pain guy flailing on floor rose like a jiangshi—no wonder.
Son Gwang-yeon muttered lips moving, flushed face.
"Did he grow that much?"
"I thought you ditched drinks and snuck off."
Hong Gi-jun, not yet drunk, saw it as eerie too.
No sight of him standing straight during illness.
"Kyahaha—."
Only Yu-jin burst laughing at tumbled Hong Su-jeong.
Seemed only she unshaken by Jin-hyuk's sudden vigor.
Jin-hyuk touched waist first, nearly snapped before.
'No way, Yu-jin......'
Some realize via thought, but Jin-hyuk didn't overanalyze everything. Lack of mental leeway, plus hands-on learning more efficient.
Yes, Son Jin-hyuk pursued efficiency variably. At least in rationally controllable situations.
'But this. Something......'
Sudden perfect waist defied normal thought.
Due time, or Yu-jin's touch? Hard to gauge.
Gently asked beaming sister.
"Yu-jin, how'd you do it?"
"Like this, like this!"
Smack smack—.
Yu-jin giggled, slapping brother's waist with tiny hands. Didn't seem deliberate.
'Yu-jin has healing hands?'
Jin-hyuk took her hand, placed on his forehead.
Head throbbed from rude wake; test time.
Healing hands or not.