5:30 PM. As dusk approached, golden twilight stretched long beyond the old glass door of Jangchun Health Clinic and spilled through the entrance. Igyeol stretched his stiff shoulders. Before he knew it, the day was drawing to a close.
The shop was filled with the sound of the herbal medicine decoction machine running and the sweet yet bitter smell of herbal medicine. It was being operated quite fittingly for a place called a health clinic. After capping and displaying the last batch of honey water he’d prepared, Igyeol brought down ingredients he’d set aside for dinner from his home on the second floor to the first floor.
Kang Yeongwon, who had been secretly watching from inside the sliding door of the small room, quietly retreated when Igyeol looked at him. Igyeol, who had noticed everything, chuckled.
“My, already looking forward to it.”
Since Yeongwon was here too, he was planning to prepare a special dinner today. On the large grill and burner, and on the table placed on the wooden platform, various vegetables and pork belly ingredients were abundantly laid out.
“Hmm hmm hmm~”
It’s been a while since I’ve had a feast~ He was humming while trimming the ingredients.
Ding-a-ling-!
The health clinic door opened roughly and voices loud enough to wake the entire neighborhood burst in.
“Hey, Boss Moon! You alive!”
It was the trio of Dumang Mountain grandfathers who ruled this neighborhood. Old Man Seoksam, Old Man Jang, and Old Man Go made their grand entrance dressed in colorful hiking clothes. The way they held hiking poles instead of canes had the perfect form of masters.
“Oh my? Ahjussis, you really came sniffing this out properly.”
Igyeol greeted them with a sly smile while pausing his ingredient preparation.
“Ah, today’s dinner is pork belly, how did you know to come?”
“Our noses are dog noses~ We know just by looking!”
Old Man Seoksam wagged his finger at Igyeol and clicked his tongue. A gesture as if saying he still had a long way to go. Old Man Go and Old Man Jang sat on the wooden platform and said.
“It’s not like we came to mooch off what little you have~ Of course we know Boss Moon wants to take care of us. Put it away, put it away.”
“We already had our fill of samgyetang at the senior center.”
Old Man Jang laughed heartily. Old Man Seoksam said.
“Igyeol, you know too, right? That mess at Dumang Mountain yesterday!”
“Aigoo, we were all at the bottom of the mountain so we didn’t know~ Igyeol, you went up Dumang Mountain yesterday, didn’t you! We came because we were worried. Wondering if you were okay.”
“That’s right. You greeted us at the entrance in the morning and went up.”
Worry appeared on the grandfathers’ faces. They remembered that Igyeol, whom they’d cheerfully greeted yesterday morning thinking he was coming to exercise, had headed to Dumang Mountain where that accident happened.
“You know how shocked we were? As soon as we heard the news, aigoo, we thought Moon Igyeol got caught up in it and couldn’t sleep all night. We came because we were worried. Wondering if your body was alright.”
“That’s right! If something happened to you, we’d have no face to show Lady Oksoon! We’d get scolded in the afterlife!”
Old Man Go yelled loudly. Igyeol bit his lips tightly. Even though they hadn’t known each other that long, these people were truly, sincerely worried about him. A corner of his heart felt warm and fuzzy. Even though they didn’t share a drop of blood, these people always looked after Igyeol like a grandson, or like the only legacy left by Grandma Oksoon who had passed away.
‘Really now. How could I hate them when they’re like this.’
Igyeol grinned and firmly placed three heavy boxes he’d packaged beforehand on the counter with a thunk.
“Don’t worry. I’m not fated to die away from home. I was climbing the mountain when I got a bad feeling and immediately ran. You know I have that amazing instinct for avoiding shit, right?”
“Really? You’re not hurt anywhere?”
“I’m perfectly fine. Flying around just fine. Here you go. The Sipjeondaebo-tang you ordered.”
“Ooh! It’s finally ready!”
“I put extra care into it this time. Brewed it really strong, so take two packets a day without fail. When you get your strength back from it, go catch some wild boars.”
“Right, then you’re coming with us, Igyeol. You know that?”
“Ah, of course!”
Only then did the grandfathers pull out crumpled bills from deep in their pockets with relieved expressions and paid. Igyeol waved his hands saying it was fine, but the grandfathers insisted that wasn’t right and forcibly put the bills in Igyeol’s pocket. Then they each tucked a box preciously under their arms and stood up.
“Good work! Eat dinner well!”
“Go carefully! Be careful of the icy roads!”
After the warm-hearted grandfathers left, silence returned to the health clinic. Igyeol lowered the shutter halfway and hung up the closed sign.
“Hyung, I’m here!”
Just then, the inner door opened and Hyungil appeared energetically. He was in his school uniform, seeming to have come straight from school.
“You’re here? Tonight’s dinner is the special meal as announced.”
“Ha, damn, I’ve been waiting just for this.”
Hyungil quickly threw down his bag and sat on the wooden platform. Already drooling, he looked extremely hungry. Igyeol gave Hyungil a subtle glance. It was a look telling him to bring Kang Yeongwon from the small room.
“He’ll come on his own.”
“Would you come on your own?”
“No but… Ah, really.”
Hyungil stood up abruptly and flung open the sliding door of the small room. Kang Yeongwon inside was startled and blinked his eyes with red-rimmed eyes like a rabbit. Hyungil grinned and gestured.
“Come out! Let’s eat dinner! He says it’s pork belly today!”
***
Sizzle sizzle-
Meat was piled high on the grill. The already cooked pieces were laid out neatly, glistening with juices. Hyungil and Yeongwon were already devouring the pork belly with their noses buried in it, ready to die.
“…You kids, eat a little slower.”
Igyeol looked at the two kids with a fed-up expression while grilling what was already who knows how many servings. Probably because they were in their growth period, their appetites were no joke.
“Hyung, dish ish sho good!”
“Swallow everything in your mouth before you talk….”
Hyungil nodded while wrapping a big lettuce wrap and eating it. Next to him, Yeongwon was shoving lettuce wraps into his mouth with shining eyes. Igyeol couldn’t help but chuckle watching the two kids. Seeing them eat well was pleasing to watch.
Hyungil gulped down his wrap, glanced at Yeongwon, and struck up a conversation.
“By the way, are you from Myeongil Middle School?”
Nod nod.
“Hey, I’m your senior! I’m also from Myeongil Middle School. Then you’ll be going to Myeongil High School?”
This time Yeongwon gulped down his wrap and looked at Hyungil with sparkling eyes.
“H-hyung, no, sunbae-nim. You go to Myeongil High School?”
“What sunbae, call me hyung!”
The sizzling sound of cooking meat, the bubbling smell of kimchi stew, and the children’s laughter and conversation. Igyeol listened to the conversation the two kids were having while laughing and chuckled softly.
The life full of the smell of people living, that Grandma Oksoon had loved so much.
Igyeol filled his soju glass to the brim.
‘Right. This is living.’
What about the Gate of Reversed Heaven. What about revenge… Whether it’s Sung Yohan or demons or whatever, living a humanlike life with simple pork belly and a glass of soju in a quiet health clinic was enough.
‘There’s no one looking for me either.’
Everyone must think he died inside the Gate of Reversed Heaven… The Moon Igyeol of the past. Yeah. That must be it.
Then what about Sung Yohan?
Whatever, I succeeded in escaping from that guy. And would he know? That I’m ‘that’ Moon Igyeol?
That busy gentleman wouldn’t turn all of Seoul upside down just to find one person…….
Igyeol felt extremely good. He raised his soju glass.
“Kids, let’s make a toast! How about cheongbaji, cheongbaji.”
“What’s cheongbaji?”
“Wow, hyung is so old school.”
“What’s with you? Youth is right now, you know? Old school, it’s classic! This is still used!”
As Hyungil and Igyeol bickered, Yeongwon covered his mouth and burst into laughter. Then the two held up their beverage glasses and the three cheerfully clinked glasses.
Cheers-!!
Right after the clink… sound rang out.
Vroooom-.
Outside the health clinic, a heavy, low engine sound cutting through the darkened alley could be heard.
It wasn’t the sound of an ordinary truck or sedan. An engine sound that didn’t fit this alley where only old trucks passed by, like a huge beast growling while scratching its throat, a smooth yet overwhelming vibration.
Screech-!
The vehicle stopped right in front of the health clinic, in front of the glass door with the shutter half-lowered.
“Hm? Did someone come?”
Hyungil, who was about to put a wrap in his mouth, looked out the window. Igyeol had been smiling contentedly but looked outside at Hyungil’s words. A black sedan with dark tinting was stopped in front of the health clinic.
“Wow… Crazy. Hyung! What’s that? Isn’t that a Maybach? Why would a car like that come to our neighborhood?”
Hyungil ran to the window with sparkling eyes. The car body visible through the gap was so shiny and sleek it looked amazing. Igyeol’s eyes narrowed. He gestured to Hyungil.
“Hyungil-ah, don’t go close-“
Just then. The doors of the vehicles positioned in front and behind the sedan opened, and men in black suits poured out in a rush. They instantly surrounded the entrance of the health clinic. Every one of them had intimidating builds and looked like no ordinary people at first glance.
“Huh? H-hyung…!”
Hyungil backed away in fear.
“……”
“Hyung, are they people you know?”
Igyeol stared silently outside with an expressionless face. His eyes gradually turned colder. What is this situation right now? A threat? Igyeol quickly wracked his brain, but nothing else came to mind. What if, just what if there was another ‘Apostle’ who had noticed his survival?
Igyeol’s expression hardened even more.
Just then, the back seat door of the sedan opened smoothly.
Click-
Sleek dress shoes. Black slacks with a sharp crease. And worn above that, a snow-white Roman collar shirt without a speck of dust.
The man slowly raised his head to check the health clinic’s sign. [Jangchun Health Clinic]. His eyes curved thinly.
The intimidating men pushed up the half-lowered shutter. Through the gap, the man pushed open the glass door with a very elegant motion and entered.
Igyeol stood frozen stiff and stared at him.
A noble, handsome face as if sculpted directly by God. Deer-like long eyelashes and thick eyebrows. And black eyes.
He looked straight at Igyeol and smiled.
Sung Yohan. He had come. Looking for Igyeol, turning all of Seoul upside down to find him.
