The Reason to Live On
“No, ugh. Really, that guy is weird? I’m the normal one.”
Choi Yeram refused to admit that her own stamina was garbage.
If that had been normal, this country would have been devoured by North Korea long ago.
“It’s embarrassing to be in the same active duty.”
She said it while looking straight at the camera, probably for the viewers watching the video.
Maybe some people would feel stung.
Good if they did.
If you don’t manage it from a young age, you could drop dead at any moment.
Health should be taken care of in advance.
“Beomjun’s stamina is good, though. There are a lot of women who can’t keep up with this.”
“Haa… yeah?”
“But among them, you’re in the serious category.”
“Ugh.”
Yeram, who had liked it thinking it was her own side, now frowned.
“Get up. It’s not over yet.”
“Uheok… I can’t. My body won’t move.”
“Isn’t it embarrassing for Beomjun to see? Get up quickly.”
Yeram glanced at me.
Just a bit of sweat on her forehead, but she was standing fine.
She let out a long sigh and somehow managed to stand up.
“Okay…! Let’s try again.”
Even though it was tough, she didn’t give up.
That was the mindset one should have as an athlete.
I wanted to clap for Yeram who had stood up again.
“Put strength in your belly! Keep balance and slowly!”
I didn’t start the exercise right away and cheer her on, but later, right after the workout ended, Yeram collapsed onto the spot as if she had fainted.
Her whole body was drenched in sweat.
“Good job.”
“Thank you.”
“Ugh, ugh, good job… ugh, thank you, ugh.”
She couldn’t speak properly because she was breathing heavily.
After doing it to the end, I was a bit out of breath too.
But it wasn’t enough.
There wasn’t enough stimulus for the muscles to end the workout like this.
Choi Heejeong, the gym director, watched Choi Yeram finish the workout with desperate effort.
I approached her and said,
“Um… Director?”
“Huh? Why, is something uncomfortable?”
“No. I’m lacking, but can I do more?”
Using it without being a member would be rude, so I needed permission.
“Oh, of course! Feel free!”
“Thank you.”
Choi Heejeong readily agreed.
“Want me to assist?”
“Then I’d be grateful.”
“Let’s go then.”
“Yes!”
With assistance! I was thrilled at the thought of being able to properly knead her.
Under Choi Heejeong’s assistance, the workout continued.
“Okay, one more!”
“Hup…! Kkha.”
“Good! How is it! Tasty?”
“This place does it well.”
Seeing her pull it exactly to the limit, I thought she wasn’t the gym director by mistake.
“Crazy humans…”
Occasionally, someone muttering could be heard, but I didn’t pay much attention.
The workout continued for a while.
“I’ll be going, Aunt.”
“Thank you.”
“Yeah. Yeram comes often, and Beomjun can come anytime to exercise comfortably.”
“Ahahaha……”
Yeram answered with an awkward smile.
When Choi Heejeong glared, she finally answered properly.
“Yes. I’ll come often.”
“Thank you.”
“Yeah. See you next time.”
Choi Heejeong saw us off with a deep smile.
When we left the gym and got into the car, Yeram’s body trembled as if she had a chill.
“Uuu. No strength in my body.”
She sat down with her whole body shaking.
Even though the intensity wasn’t that high, she was acting like she was going to die.
Yeram, who was struggling like she was doing her first workout.
Tomorrow, I could clearly see her suffering from muscle soreness.
“Let’s stop by the mart before going home.”
“Guh… Mart…?”
Yeram, who had been making groaning sounds, turned her head.
Her head turned weakly, like a zombie.
“Yeah. Let’s buy a knife and a cutting board.”
We have to eat dinner.
“Okay. Guh…”
Is she really not a zombie?
After the car started and we bought the knife and cutting board from the nearby mart, we arrived home.
We carried the purchased items upstairs.
Yeram walking unsteadily, like a zombie.
“Guewek……”
Once inside the house, she leaned against the wall and barely entered the room.
She seemed to have a lot of sweat, but no strength to wash.
“Not showering?”
“No strength…”
“Shower now. Later you won’t be able to wash at all.”
“Then… I should shower now…”
At my words, Yeram headed to the bathroom as if waiting.
I was worried she might fall, but since I couldn’t help, I looked at Gwak Hyeona, the manager, with a worried expression.
“Why?”
“I’m worried she might fall. I want to help, but I can’t enter…”
Ugh. That look.
Too scary.
Just facing her poker face, I felt intimidated.
Her intense gaze made my body shrink.
“Yes. I’ll go in.”
“Ah… Thank you.”
“Thank you? This is my job. Rather, I’m grateful you told me first.”
“Ah, yes……”
From beginning to end, with a blank face, I wonder if she was really grateful.
After Gwak Hyeona followed her into the bathroom, I also went to the room to gather clothes and entered the bathroom.
When I tried to take off my top to shower, it suddenly felt weird?
When I turned around, the camera had followed me in.
She kept staring at the lens and was focused on filming, blankly.
“I’m going to shower, are you staying?”
“……Ah! Sorry.”
She hurriedly left then.
Just in case, I checked inside the bathroom.
Fortunately, there was no camera.
Yeah, if there was, it would be strange.
After locking the door, I started the shower.
Warm water quickly wetted my body.
After the shower, I organized the clothes.
The towel went into the laundry basket next to the bathroom.
The underwear was put in a separate plastic bag I had brought.
Checking the time, it was almost evening.
Now I had to eat.
In the kitchen, I wiped the knife and cutting board I had bought.
While at it, I washed the cooking utensils hanging on the wall covered in dust.
After the clattering dishes, a camera approached and asked,
“What are you doing now?”
“For dinner.”
The electric rice cooker had dust on top, so I wiped it once with a cloth and took out the rice pot.
After wiping the rice pot once, I put in the rice and washed it.
Three times was appropriate.
After washing the rice, I poured out the water and filled with purified water.
I adjusted the amount of water by eye, put the rice pot in the electric rice cooker, and started cooking.
Next, the soup.
From the fridge, I took green onions, onions, carrots, bean sprouts, spinach, and seafood mix.
All washed cleanly under running water, I removed the withered parts of the green onions and peeled the onion skins.
There was no way to have a potato peeler in a house without a knife.
I scraped the carrot peels with the knife.
Using the cutting board for vegetables, the cameraman talked to me.
“You seem skilled, do you cook often?”
“Yes. I eat it every day.”
“Every day? Then do you prepare it every meal?”
“Yes.”
She was surprised and continued asking in admiration.
“Isn’t it bothersome to prepare every time?”
“It’s not bothersome because I’ve gotten used to it.”
I brought a small pot, filled it with water, and put it on the gas stove to turn on the fire.
I cut the green onions in half and chopped them roughly.
I put the chopped green onions in a bowl and chopped onions and carrots into strips.
After the water boiled, I briefly blanched the spinach and moved the pot.
I brought a large pot, placed it on the lit burner, and poured oil.
While the oil was heating, I roughly washed the small pot and filled it with water.
After filling the pot with water, I placed it next to the large pot.
I scooped some chopped green onions and carrots onto the cutting board, then poured the remaining green onions into the hot large pot.
Chiiik-
The finely chopped green onions met the hot oil and smoke rose.
I turned on the exhaust fan to blow away the smoke.
After stir-frying the onions, I added carrots and onions.
More smoke came out from the pot.
When the onions were somewhat cooked, I dissolved red pepper powder.
When I shook the pot, the red pepper powder quickly clumped with the oil and a bit of moisture.
Before the red pepper burned, I added water.
The pot, full of the sound of boiling oil and smoke, regained calm.
“Oh. It smells good. What are you making?”
“Jjampongguk.”
“Eh, that jjampongguk I ate often in the army?”
Mixing army food with my food?
I slyly glanced at the camera lens.
Seeing the camera twitch, I focused back on cooking.
“Compared to that, it’ll be a hundred times tastier.”
I seasoned it with soy sauce, added sugar, oyster sauce, and beef stock to enhance the umami.
After adding the seafood mix, spinach, and bean sprouts, and boiling, the jjampongguk was complete.
Now the side dishes.
Since there was kimchi, I had to make one.
From the fridge, I took 10 eggs and chicken breast.
I finely chopped the green onions and carrots left on the cutting board and put them in a small pot.
I cracked the eggs too and seasoned with pepper and salt.
I washed the chicken breast once in water and sliced it long.
While the frying pan heated on the fire, I beat the eggs in the pot.
After pouring oil and waiting, I poured the eggs.
The eggs immediately started to cook.
I placed the chicken breast on top and left it.
I pushed the dried eggs and poured in more raw eggs.
I repeated the process to complete two thick egg rolls the size of forearms.
“Wow. What a smell.”
“Did you make jjampong?”
“Guk? Rice?”
At that moment, people started coming one by one.
Scratching their bellies as they approached, it looked like seeing a welfare recipient son.
If I looked at it this way, was it a welfare recipient daughter?
There were plenty of rice bowls and soup bowls.
Spoons too.
The rice was 5 minutes away.
I brought a ladle and stirred the pot.
This was enough.
When I turned to get the soup bowl, people were already standing with soup bowls and spoons.
“Eh……!”
“Here!”
“Ah, yes.”
I received the soup bowl and served the jjampongguk.
The salty smoke mixed with seafood smell tickled the nose.
Without tasting, it seemed I could tell the taste.
It was a taste incomparable to the army-style jjampong.
“Thank you!”
They received the jjampongguk one by one.
Even Gwak Hyeona with a blank face.
“I’ll eat well.”
“Yes.”
Yeram also approached slowly.
“A lot of seafood……”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Thank you.”
Her arms were shaking severely, yet she held the bowl well.
After cooking, I spread the rice.
Everyone had a big serving of rice, and I was the same.
“I’ll eat!”
I tasted the jjampongguk first.
Compared to eating out, the seasoning was less, but the taste didn’t fall behind.
It wasn’t because I made it; it was really delicious.
Half was due to the seasoning, but.
“Wow. You made this yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Tastier than if I used a meal kit?”
“Amazing.”
“Really delicious.”
With the unfiltered praise coming in, I didn’t know what to do.
This was the first time for such praise bombardment, so the corners of my mouth shook uncontrollably.
Gwak Hyeona also nodded and focused on eating, and Yeram, with her cheeks puffed, pressed her head to the table and gulped down the rice.
I maintained a calm expression and said,
“If there’s more in the pot, bring it if you’re lacking.”
“Yes!”
“Kruh. Good.”
“Just one more man at the table, and the quality changed.”
“Really. Eating delivery every day, eating home-cooked food for the first time in a long time, it feels like I’ve regained the reason to live.”
With the continuous praise, it was embarrassing.
I stuffed the egg roll into my mouth to cover my expression.
“Um! Umm!!”
Yeram, who kept sticking her thumb out full of food in her mouth.
“Stop and eat your rice. Beomjun is worried about you, so you can’t eat.”
After getting scolded by Gwak Hyeona, she ate her rice quietly.