Chapter 103: Maesaengi Soup-2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 103: Maesaengi Soup-2
Even as the time for my evening workout approached, I couldn't easily shake the lingering sense of unease.
It can’t be. There’s no way.
I tried to hypnotize myself into believing it, but it was no use.
Ho-cheol dropped me off at the Myeongseong Building. I swallowed hard as I looked up at the brightly lit sixth floor.
"I'll head in now. Good work today."
Ho-cheol gave a polite bow and trudged away.
"Ho—"
For a split second, I thought about grabbing him before he left, but I quickly changed my mind.
Behind his receding figure, the faces of the Chief Steward, Maebwa, and Yeonhwa appeared as faint blurs in my mind. If I had Ho-cheol’s help, I could probably find an easier way to solve this.
But what if Ho-cheol got hurt as a result? I wouldn't be able to live with myself.
Watching others sacrifice themselves while I stood by helplessly—I’d had enough of that in the last dimension. I never wanted to feel that way again.
"Alright."
I wasn't sure what was "alright," but I muttered it to myself anyway as I headed up.
Under the bright lights, I looked through the automatic doors. Garam was at the desk, busy with some task. She was likely sending out texts about the center’s grand opening to the few remaining members or handling the final payments for the remodeling.
I didn't go in immediately; I just watched her.
A beaming face, always overflowing with energy. That was the Choi Garam I knew. Of course, she had shown flashes of instability at times, but the vibrant first impression she’d made was still firmly etched in my mind.
Even if she was plotting something behind the scenes, she always showed me her best side. No, to be more precise, she tried her hardest to show me only her best side.
If I just kept hanging out with her and pretended to know nothing—if I had the kind of conscience that could simply ignore the knot of unease in my heart—her bright smile would continue to welcome me.
Should I stir the Maesaengi soup with a spoon to see if it’s scalding? Should I take a full scoop and shove it into my mouth?
Even though I wasn't certain yet that she was the culprit, I could already see the inevitable future.
Haha, fuck.
And naturally, fear began to rise like a shimmering haze. The physical pain I might endure if I had to face her. The money sitting in my bank account, an amount I’d never even dreamed of seeing in my entire life.
The primal fear embedded deep within the human psyche whispered to me, tempting me to just follow the natural order of things.
But was that right?
No, the answer was already decided. It was just that I wasn't brave enough to act on it. This kind of courage wasn't something that would fill up just because I gave it more time.
"Phew..."
I took a deep breath. Then, I pressed the button to open the automatic doors.
I decided to charge straight ahead, so this cowardly fear couldn't tempt me any longer.
"Ah! You're here?"
Garam jumped up and came trotting over. I forced a smile that showed my dimples and gave her a high-five.
"Hehe, you're early today."
Before I knew it, she had linked her arm with mine and was nudging me toward the desk. I didn't resist her strength and went exactly where she wanted.
We faced each other across the desk. She pulled out my chart, checked my physical changes, and introduced today’s workout program.
"Let's run for about five minutes to warm up."
I nodded obediently at her words, changed in the locker room, and stepped onto the treadmill. I ran at a leisurely pace of 7.0 km/h.
After five minutes, just as my body was starting to heat up, Garam stood behind me.
"Alright, let's start the workout."
Today was leg day. I followed the routine without a word of complaint, even as my thighs felt like they were tearing and growing stiff. Normally, I would have flopped onto the floor saying I couldn't do it anymore, but for some reason, I felt energized today.
"Oh! Is the workout going well today?"
Garam must have noticed the change; she gave me a thumbs-up while I was in the middle of the leg press.
*
After the workout, Garam and I finished tidying up the center and prepared to head home. As usual, I gave her a ride in my car.
Sitting in the passenger seat, she maintained the high-tension persona she always showed me.
"You've been working out so well lately. I just wish you'd be a bit more careful about eating delivery food."
"I'm always curious—how do you know so well? I try my best to hide it."
"You're so blatant about it that I don't even know what to say. It's all a trainer's intuition. Hehe!"
Seeing her strike a pose with a V-sign by her face, I momentarily forgot my unease and laughed.
"Ah, Garam. Did you ever apologize to that cafe employee from before?"
As we entered her neighborhood—a place that felt familiar now—I brought up the question that had been lingering in my mouth throughout the workout. I asked it lightly, like a spring breeze, as if it were no big deal, as if I’d only just remembered.
"Yes, I did. Thankfully, she was very understanding. I don't know what came over me back then..."
She responded just as lightly. She even gave an awkward laugh, blaming her past self.
Normally, this was a situation where I should have felt relieved, but my anxiety refused to fade.
"I went to the cafe with Ho-cheol today, and there was a new employee there."
"I guess she changed her shift."
"No, I was curious so I asked, and they said she quit. She was so good at her job and so polite, too."
I turned the car to the right.
"Oh dear... that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Even though I apologized."
"That's just how things go, I guess. I felt a bit self-conscious every time I went to that cafe after that day... If I'm being selfish, I suppose it worked out for the best."
"To be honest, I feel the same way. I don't know if it's right to think like this, though."
"Humans are selfish creatures. It's only natural to have thoughts like that."
Nodding to myself, I said, "She was such a hard worker. I'm sure she'll do well elsewhere."
"I hope so. I hope she makes a speedy recovery and returns to her daily life soon."
I stepped on the accelerator slightly to pick up speed, and the car soon arrived in front of her house.
"Well~ we're here."
I said, looking toward the passenger seat.
"Thank you as always."
"Don't mention it. It's the least I can do."
I played it off with a joke and pressed the button; the passenger door clicked open.
"You can do a morning workout tomorrow, right?"
"Ah... I have some bank business to take care of tomorrow morning. I think I can only do an evening workout like today."
"......I feel like you're getting lazy with your workouts lately."
"Hey, I still lost weight, didn't I? Go on in. There's a car behind us."
"Okay. Then make sure to send me your meal plan."
"Yes! Got it."
Garam closed the door, and I gave a small wave as I slowly drove away.
As I drove out of this residential complex—the most dilapidated part of this developed city, where even the streetlights didn't work properly—cold sweat poured down my back.
"Phew..."
Only when the car finally merged onto the bright main road was I able to exhale the breath I’d been holding. As the tension that had constricted my entire body released, I almost stepped on the gas by accident.
Just as I expected, the Maesaengi soup was scalding.