LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 89
A few days after our conversation, Gong Na-ri said she had decided on a place to move.
“I’m going to move out with my brother. Since I’ve been paying more than half of the two-room rent anyway, I don’t think it’ll be much of a burden if I split it with my brother.”
“Really? That’s a great idea!”
Seo In-ae was more delighted than anyone, as if it were her own situation.
“Enjoy your freedom! You won’t regret it, I promise. …Ah, when are you moving out? Do you need help with the move?”
“Thank you all. I think I made this decision because you were all so honest with me. I’m moving next week.”
“On the weekend?”
“No. My brother suggested we do it secretly when our parents aren’t home, so we’re planning to move on a weekday afternoon.”
“That kid’s smart.”
Seo In-ae gave a thumbs up, impressed. She said it was an excellent decision, adding that they should just notify their parents instead of asking for permission, as that would lead nowhere, like with her own sister.
Oh, but if it’s just Gong Na-ri and her brother moving, how will they manage?
“If you’re moving secretly, will you be okay without a car?”
“I looked into it, and full-service moving is too expensive, so I’m looking for a driver who will just drive the truck while we do the packing and loading ourselves.”
Gong Na-ri scratched her head in response to my question.
“Are you taking the bed too?”
“No, we’ll have separate rooms in the new place, so the bed…”
“Then just load it into my car! I’ll drive you.”
“Move on Tuesday! I’ll help too. I’m good at packing.”
Why bother calling a truck? I readily offered to provide my car.
Then Seo In-ae stepped up, offering to help with the move. Seo In-ae doing work for free… this was truly a rare occurrence.
“Is it really okay to trouble you so much?”
Gong Na-ri’s face lit up.
She gladly accepted our goodwill, and we all resolved to quickly move her belongings on Tuesday afternoon when we were all off work.
◆◇◆◇◆
On the appointed day, Seo In-ae and I went to Gong Na-ri’s house.
“I’m so sorry! My mom took a half-day off this morning, so we haven’t finished packing yet. We’ll be done soon, so please wait in the car for a moment!”
They had asked us to come around 2 PM, saying the siblings would sort out the necessary items in advance, but the room was still in a very messy state.
“We came to help you move, so let’s do it together. Hmm? Do you only have delivery boxes?”
“Yes, a friend who moved recently gave me their leftover boxes.”
“Use these boxes I brought instead of those. They’re hard to carry without handles.”
Seo In-ae had prepared four plastic boxes with wheels and handles that could be used like suitcases.
“Did you buy these specially?”
“No way, I already had them.”
“Why would you have these…?”
“Oh, didn’t Na-ri-ssaem know? I run a vending machine business at Jungun High School.”
Gong Na-ri, who only knew about the NewTube and online shopping mall ventures, gaped in surprise.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t had a chance to mention that part.
“It’s quite doable. If you’re interested in trying, let me know and I’ll help you.”
Babababat!
Even as she chatted, Seo In-ae’s arms kept moving. She stacked items neatly at an impossibly fast pace.
“It’s better to take that box out. You can’t lift it if it’s full of just books, so mix in some clothes.”
While doing her own work, she even pointed out issues with the box Gong Na-ri’s brother, Gong Ma-ru, had packed in advance.
“It’s fine. I can lift it.”
“Try it.”
“This much should be… ugh?”
Gong Ma-ru tried to lift the box confidently, but unfortunately, Seo In-ae’s prediction was correct.
A post office box size 6 filled with just books must weigh about 40-50 kg, right?
“I’ll move it, so pack the next one like In-ae-ssaem said!”
Of course, it was as light as a piece of gum to me.
I snatched the box from Gong Ma-ru, who was about to dejectedly unpack it, and lifted it effortlessly.
“Huh?!”
“But, but it was definitely super heavy!”
“I can deadlift 400 kg.”
Of course, that’s 400 kg without using inner force. If I used all my strength, I could easily lift a car.
Gong Ma-ru, who had just tried to lift the box, gaped in amazement, and even Seo In-ae and Gong Na-ri, who knew I was somewhat strong, were greatly surprised.
“Keep packing. I’ll go put these packed ones downstairs.”
I stacked two more boxes that were ready on top of the book box.
“Di-Director! Won’t you get hurt? Let me help…!”
“Come on, why make multiple trips up and down the stairs?”
Gong Na-ri panicked and tried to help carry, but I declined. It’s much safer for me to carry everything alone than for others to struggle up and down the stairs.
“Oh, that’s really fast.”
By the time I returned after loading the items into the car once, Seo In-ae had finished packing at lightning speed.
“Wow… you could do professional moving.”
“I’ve worked part-time at a moving company before.”
Seo In-ae nodded proudly.
“I’ll take the rest.”
“No! I must carry this one myself!”
I really could move everything alone without any problem.
But since everyone insisted on hugging one box tightly to themselves, I had to move only the remaining items.
In less than 30 minutes after arriving, the packing was finished so quickly that the once-cluttered room became empty.
“Alright~ Let’s head to the new nest~”
Gong Na-ri and Gong Ma-ru’s new home was about a 30-minute drive from this neighborhood.
It was midway between our clinic and Gong Ma-ru’s university, slightly closer to the university. Apparently, that area had more food options and cheaper rent?
It was indeed a much cleaner two-room apartment that looked newly built compared to their original home.
“Oh, this place even has an elevator.”
“Right? It’s spacious, close to the station, everything’s great!”
And after moving the luggage up?
Of course, Chinese food delivery.
It’s a time-honored tradition to eat jajangmyeon after helping with a move.
“Cheers to Na-ri-ssaem’s joyful independent life!”
Seo In-ae raised her cola glass in a toast.
“Cheers! Director, In-ae-ssaem! Thank you so much. Thanks to you two, I’m able to live on my own like this!”
“Thank you for persuading my Nuna.”
Gong Na-ri took a hearty swig, and Gong Ma-ru, having learned from somewhere, supported his right arm with his left hand as he drank his cola.
“Fighting. Everything will work out well for both of you, and your parents too. If you have any difficulties living on your own, feel free to talk to us anytime.”
“Yes!”
“Now, let’s all eat.”
“Thank you for the meal!”
◆◇◆◇◆
A few days later, Gong Na-ri’s mother called the clinic once.
Did she check the business card I gave her when we met by chance earlier? Or if she already knew where her daughter worked, she might have looked it up.
“Hello, Seongsu Korean Medicine Clinic.”
“Hey, you crazy bitch! How dare you abandon your parents and run off alone? Do you think I’ll let you live well on your own?”
As it happened, Gong Na-ri answered that call.
She had been so kind before, but this sudden change was truly something else.
“I’ll handle this, give me the phone.”
“Director, I’ll do it.”
Seo In-ae and I, understanding the situation, asked for the phone to be handed over.
But the more we insisted, the tighter Gong Na-ri gripped the receiver.
“I should have blocked the number in advance, I’m sorry.”
“You %#$!^!#&!*&!(*@&$!”
“……”
Click. Clack.
Gong Na-ri’s teeth clashed. She seemed frozen by her mother’s sudden outburst of profanity.
“Na-ri-ssaem, let me.”
“What kind of behavior is this while I’m working? I told you I’d come see you in about three years.”
But after hesitating, she finally spoke.
Calmly, enunciating each word clearly.
“Is the director there? This ungrateful child ran away secretly and took all the valuables with her! Fire her!”
Of course, if she were the type to understand when told such things, it wouldn’t have come to this in the first place.
Hearing my voice over the phone, Gong Na-ri’s mother raised her voice even more.
What a false accusation, when I was clearly there during the move.
This person must have been greatly shocked by her children’s secret disappearance.
“…If you interfere with work one more time, I’ll go to that church or whatever it is you attend and show you what a real crazy bitch is like.”
“What?”
“I’ll destroy everything, your personal information and all. You think I can’t do it?”
“How dare you threa-threaten…”
Sigh.
As expected, she’s not someone who can be reasoned with.
“Just come here now.”
Protecting employees is also the boss’s role.
I forcibly took the receiver and said.
“Ah…? Director?”
“Let’s talk in person. I’ll make sure you absolutely won’t regret it.”
“……”
Click.
Then the call ended.
“Did she hang up?”
“Seems so. I wonder if she’ll come?”
What? How anticlimactic.
“Wow, Director, you were really scary just now.”
Seo In-ae, who had been listening, gave a thumbs up.
“Scary?”
“For a moment, I felt a chill… no, killing intent.”
Huh? What did I do?
I just wanted to meet and persuade her nicely.
I’m not the type to exude killing intent towards civilians. Even if some killing intent accidentally slipped out, would it have been transmitted over the phone?
She probably quieted down because she’s the type who only acts tough towards her own child.
“Thank you, Director. I’m sorry.”
After standing firm against her mother’s profanity, Gong Na-ri began to tear up once the call ended.
“It’s nothing. You did really well.”
“Just keep doing that from now on. If she contacts you again, I’ll deal with her.”
As Seo In-ae and I patted her shoulders, saying she did well, Gong Na-ri burst into tears and clung to us.
“Waaah. Thank you all so much!”
Fortunately, whether she had a minimum of conscience or truly felt the killing intent in my voice…
Gong Na-ri’s mother never contacted the clinic again.
Ah… I really wanted to persuade her nicely and inspire her. How disappointing.
“Oh?”
As if to answer that disappointment, I ran into Gong Na-ri’s mother in the park again sometime later.
It seemed she often evangelized here, and I had to pass through to get to the supermarket.
“Um, not that way. Shall we go home for today?”
So I was about to approach her, but…
As soon as Gong Na-ri’s mother made eye contact with me, she linked arms with her companion and started speed-walking in the opposite direction.
Hmm.
Though I couldn’t see clearly as she disappeared so quickly, judging by the energy I sensed, she hadn’t weakened much.
At any rate, it seems she’s eating well enough.
As I said, people always manage to feed themselves somehow, even when they claim to be on the brink of death.
◆◇◆◇◆
Gong Na-ri quickly adapted to her new home, and despite her commute becoming slightly longer, her face brightened with each passing day.
Using her independence as an opportunity, she opened up more to other employees and even went out with them occasionally on days off.
Gradually, the influx of out-of-town patients that had temporarily exploded due to Hyun Joo-mi and Park Se-sun subsided, and the clinic found its stability.
“Yoohoo, hello Director~! It’s become so crowded, hasn’t it?”
Chae Ri-ra, who hadn’t been to Seongsu Korean Medicine Clinic in over a year, looked around the waiting room.
It had actually decreased somewhat, but compared to when Chae Ri-ra came for treatment… it was indeed quite crowded.
“Wow, Ri-ra-nim. It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
While I’m grateful to everyone who trusts and visits me, patients I got to know during the early days of opening the clinic were especially welcome.
Chae Ri-ra wasn’t an early regular, but as Kim Yijin’s junior, she was in a similar category.
“Has your arm been okay since then? Yijin said you’ve been exercising well.”
“Of course! Thanks to you, Director, it healed perfectly, and I’m flying around the court!”
Chae Ri-ra waved her arm vigorously to demonstrate its soundness.
True to her words, she wasn’t today’s patient.
“This time, Yijin visited our alma mater. I invited her to come to our house while she was at the school. Somehow, she ended up greeting my father too, and you know what? When I kept saying we should go to the Korean medicine clinic, he wouldn’t even pretend to listen! But as soon as Yijin suggested he try treatment, here he is!”
Chae Ri-ra introduced the middle-aged man sitting stiffly beside her, gesturing with both hands.
Unlike the brightly smiling Chae Ri-ra, the man’s face was completely expressionless.
His features were distinct, creating clear shadows, but his face didn’t move at all, giving the impression of a mannequin or statue rather than a person.
They don’t look alike at all. Is this really…?
“This is my father!”
The name on the chart was Chae Seong-gye, 58 years old.
The main symptom noted at the front desk was facial paralysis.
“Nice to meet you, Chae Seong-gye-nim. You’ve come to the right place. When did the facial paralysis symptoms first appear?”
I nodded slightly to Chae Seong-gye and asked when his illness began.
While this is true for all illnesses, the duration is especially important for peripheral facial paralysis. Over 70% of cases mysteriously improve after a month, even if there’s no change or even worsening in the first 3-4 weeks.
“It’s been a long time.”
As Chae Seong-gye said this, the right side of his face remained motionless.
His left lip did move. However, compared to normal speech, the movement was very minimal and appeared expressionless.
“Can you give me an approximate timeframe? More than 1 month? More than 1 year? More than 5 years?”
“It’s been about 30 years.”
…Pardon?
“Um, were you particularly fatigued or under mental stress at that time?”
I was a little, no, actually quite taken aback.
It was old, but too old.
Asking about the onset trigger is a routine question for facial paralysis patients, but would he even remember after so long?
“Yes. I failed the civil service exam.”
“……”
Ah, that…
Must have been… quite a shock.
“I went to Incheon’s waterfront, feeling devastated. I cried until sunrise, wondering how I should live from now on. That’s when I was struck by wind and ended up like this.”
“I… see. How did you treat it at the time?”
“I was too distraught to seek treatment then, but about three years later, I tried acupuncture for a few months with no effect.”
He missed the treatment window too.
“Let’s try moving your mouth. Ah, Ee, Oh.”
“Ah, Ee, Oh.”
Thankfully, his facial muscles did move, at least.
Though the two sides were very unbalanced.
‘Oh.’
I breathed a sigh of relief.
If the nerves had completely lost control and stiffened, there would be nothing we could do, but in this state, there were options.
However, it was a bit difficult to classify this as facial paralysis treatment.
It was essentially plastic surgery.