By Zephyria 
“Oh my! Where did I put the first-aid kit! Does it hurt? Just a moment!”
“No, well… I think this much is fine….”
Jeong Deok-cheol brought over a large first-aid kit and disinfected the wound. Then, he applied a bandage and covered it with something like a finger cot to keep water out. It was such a minor injury that Jae-gyeom felt embarrassed by the fuss, yet at the same time, he felt a strange warmth blooming in a corner of his heart.
After finishing the treatment, Jeong Deok-cheol asked if he had ever received a tetanus shot, explaining that if one is unlucky, they could contract tetanus. What was that? Having never heard of it before, Jae-gyeom shook his head. Jeong Deok-cheol then explained with a serious expression, saying that in the worst-case scenario, a bacterial infection could even lead to death.
……Even lead to death?!
Jae-gyeom unconsciously let his mouth hang open. At first, he wondered why the man was making such a fuss over nothing, but as he thought back on it, the realization hit him: ‘Ah, come to think of it, I am now an ordinary person.’
Now, he could suffer an accident or fall ill if he were unlucky. If Mesani were by his side, it wouldn’t actually be a big problem, but… for the time being, he was in a situation where he couldn’t borrow Mesani’s power, and his body was now one that could die at any time, just like any ordinary person. It was different from before, when he lived however he pleased, using an inexhaustible life as collateral.
Yes, this was clearly a different life. To avoid making his precious ones grieve, he needed to put effort into even the smallest things. He had to be careful at all times to avoid getting hurt. He needed to get used to this sensation quickly.
Fiddling with the finger cot, Jae-gyeom carefully gripped the shredder and resumed his work.
After shredding the cabbage, he worked on flattening the meat with a mallet, and then moved busily through tasks like filling the fryer with oil, making sauces, and doing the dishes. In the process, oil splashed on his arm, causing a slight burn, and he nearly lost his balance and fell due to the slippery floor. Despite the kitchen being more chaotic than usual, the shop was as crowded with customers as always.
By the time he snapped back to his senses, the lunch service had ended.
Perhaps because it was so busy, time flew by in the blink of an eye without him even having a chance to look at his phone.
During the break time, they closed the shop for a while and had a period of rest where no customers were admitted.
The employees gathered in the hall and sat together for a belated meal. The menu changed every day; sometimes they made something in the kitchen, and other times they went out to eat. Today’s menu was pork kimchi stew brewed by Jeong Deok-cheol himself. Because Jeong Deok-cheol’s cooking skills were so excellent and they were eating after hard labor, the meal tasted like honey. Jae-gyeom devoured three bowls of rice right where he sat.
After finishing the meal, Jae-gyeom was led by Jeong Deok-cheol to a nearby clinic. This was due to Jeong Deok-cheol’s insistence that he must get a tetanus shot before the wound potentially worsened. Fortunately, there was a clinic nearby that remained open on weekends. Jeong Deok-cheol paid for all the medical expenses with a natural expression, as if he were the legal guardian, and even bought him an ice cream on the way back, saying he had suffered through the injection.
Hmm, he is a good person…….
Jae-gyeom walked side by side with Jeong Deok-cheol, both munching on ice pops. As they walked, something caught his eye. It was a stationery store. Jae-gyeom stopped and hesitantly spoke to Jeong Deok-cheol.
“Um… I have something I need to look at for a moment. Would it be alright if I stopped somewhere separately?”
Jeong Deok-cheol nodded readily, telling him to go ahead. He added that he would head back to the shop first, so Jae-gyeom should take his time. After expressing his gratitude, Jae-gyeom headed toward the stationery store. As he entered the shop, which was filled with various cute accessories and stationery, he looked around and spotted the employee at the counter.
“Excuse me, where are the diaries?”
“They’re on shelf number six.”
“Thank you.”
He was in a situation where he had to work part-time every weekend to earn money for the ring. Since he had to sacrifice his entire weekend, it wouldn’t be easy to spend time with Yoon Tae-hee during that period. Therefore, he thought it would be meaningful to record the events of this “blank time”—time Yoon Tae-hee didn’t know about, but which existed for his sake—in writing, or to collect the letters he wrote from time to time and bind them together. It seemed like a pretty good idea.
He would weave together the thoughts he had every day while working and the feelings he felt, then give it as a gift along with the ring! Through letters, he could convey feelings that he usually couldn’t express directly in words under the excuse that it was embarrassing; considering that boy’s delicate personality, he was sure Tae-hee would love it.
After much deliberation, Jae-gyeom chose a diary. It was a diary bound in a stylish leather cover.
By the time he bought the diary and returned to the shop, there were still about 30 minutes of break time left. Jae-gyeom decided to use the remaining time to write a letter to Yoon Tae-hee. He found a spot in a corner of the store and opened the diary. Holding the ballpoint pen he had bought along with the diary, he began to write a letter in crooked handwriting.
[Saturday, July 16th, Weather: Sunny]
Tae-hee!
For you.. I fried pork cutlets today..
This is the first time since I grew hair on my head that I’ve tried frying pork cutlets..
It is all for you..
I feel gyeom-yeon (resentful) because I cannot tell you the truth.
But it cannot be helped..
I hope you will hye-ryang (be understanding)..
I want to write more, but Jeong Deok-cheol is calling me to slice onions..
I must go slice onions now..
Then, chong-chong (hurriedly)..
The break time ended and the dinner service began. Although he had caused many accidents during lunch, he managed to finish the evening work safely without getting hurt again. It was thanks to Jeong Deok-cheol, who, perhaps feeling anxious after Jae-gyeom’s first injury, explained things at his eye level and looked after him meticulously one by one.
Of course, it was impossible for him to get the hang of the work overnight. He made a series of mistakes with everything he touched, leaving Jeong Deok-cheol busy cleaning up after him. There were incidents such as putting pork cutlets into the fryer when a fish fillet order came in, or failing to dry his wet hands properly before handling the fryer, causing oil to splatter everywhere and turning the place into a sea of oil, or accidentally pouring in a massive amount of sugar while measuring. Despite this, the man just laughed heartily and never showed a hint of annoyance.
Thus, the time eventually approached 7:30 PM. It was time to close the kitchen. All that remained was to tackle the mountain of dishes. By that time, Jae-gyeom looked utterly bedraggled, like someone who had just finished a war. His whole body was covered in oil, his hair was disheveled, and his expression was exhausted.
Seeing Jae-gyeom’s state, Jeong Deok-cheol and the employees burst out laughing.
“It was hard, wasn’t it? You really worked hard today.”
Jeong Deok-cheol was truly a good person. He even let the part-timer leave 30 minutes early, saying the employees would handle the remaining dishes and the closing of the store. Thanks to that, Jae-gyeom was able to leave the shop early.
And so, on the way home.
“He is a ho-in (good person). A true good person.”
Jae-gyeom nodded repeatedly with an admiring expression. He now understood where Im Hyo-mun’s optimistic and affectionate personality came from. Suddenly, he felt glad that he had come to know Im Hyo-mun. The first part-time job of his life. It could have been a harsh day. However, by meeting Im Hyo-mun, he had met Jeong Deok-cheol, and thanks to Jeong Deok-cheol, he was able to spend the day generously. He felt he owed Im Hyo-mun a great deal.
Jae-gyeom also knew that he had been lucky.
When a good person is by your side, your heart feels warm and fluffy.
While walking, Jae-gyeom pulled the envelope containing his daily wage from his trouser pocket. Since Jae-gyeom said he didn’t know his bank account number, Jeong Deok-cheol had given him the wage in cash.
With a grimy face, Jae-gyeom counted the money.
To think that earning money is this hard…… Until now, he had been busy spending carelessly without worrying about money, but because this was money earned through his own blood and sweat, he felt a deeper attachment to it. From now on, he decided he should secretly set aside cash like this.
Although he had hurt his hand and it had been an eventful day, a sense of pride filled his heart anew.
“Mm! Great!”
Let’s go back! Let’s go home! The streets of Jongno, crowded with people whose commute coincided, were bustling and incredibly bright due to the lights of the shop signs. Jae-gyeom began to walk forward with a light step.
And so, the boy walked his way through the world.