Chapter 104.2: Did people really need to do this? (1)

“Can we have a cup of tea?” Seok Kang-Ho asked Kang Chan.

“Did you think we’ll head home without doing that first?”

The two went to the specialty coffee shop at the intersection.

Seok Kang-Ho grinned. Their conversation now would be different from the one with Kim Hyung-Jung.

Kang Chan told Seok Kang-Ho about what he had heard about the United State’s Intelligence Bureau, which was something he didn’t tell Kim Hyung-Jung.

“Can you guess what that's about?” Seok Kang-Ho asked afterward.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but it could be somehow related to us being reincarnated into these bodies.”

“Phew, let’s just leave it at that. It’s something we’ll learn about when the time comes anyway. Shouldn’t we focus on the event tomorrow?”

“What about the classes that you teach?” Kang Chan asked.

“I have already discussed it with Manager Kim before you arrived. He said that he’ll take care of it himself and told me to not even worry about things like that. Aside from my face appearing on TV, I’ve got nothing to worry about,” Seok Kang-Ho said, then chewed and ate ice again.

“Tsk! Combat aside, I’m a bit uncomfortable. Security detail operations aren’t our expertise.”

“That’s true. Agh!” Seok Kang-Ho exclaimed.

“What’s wrong?”

“I bit my tongue while chewing on ice. Wow!”

Kang Chan couldn’t help but smirk.

“Would my tongue get paralyzed if I eat ice?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.

“Don’t overdo it.”

Seok Kang-Ho stuck out his tongue a couple of times, then picked up a cigarette. “I’ve been thinking about visiting the hospital sometime.”

Seok Kang-Ho was going to the hospital?

When Kang Chan looked at him, Seok Kang-Ho continued, “I realized I’ve been strangely going crazy about food. My body has been getting so hot as well. It’s as if I’m constantly angry about something. I thought it was just the summer at first, but after some time, I concluded that wasn’t the reason, so I’m thinking of getting myself checked up.”

“In all honesty, you have been going a bit crazy over food lately.”

“Even though I have just eaten, I’ll still eat two or three pastries at home before I sleep.”

“Aren’t you eating that much because you have started working out?” Kang Chan asked.

“You think so?”

From a glance, Seok Kang-Ho looked healthy. There wasn’t anything different or strange about him.

“The official schedule starts at 11 am tomorrow. I’ ’ll be inside with the National Intelligence Service agents, so I’ll see you when we arrive. What’s your gut feeling about this?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.

“I don’t feel anything yet.”

“Everything will be alright, then.”

Kang Chan decided to think of it the same way.

“Let’s smoke before we go home,” Kang Chan suggested. He then took out a cigarette and lit it.

Kang Chan felt calm yet strangely uncomfortable at the same time. However, there wasn’t anything he could do. He could only act once he had encountered it.

He arrived home at around 11 pm.

Yoo Hye-Sook greeted Kang Chan. Kang Dae-Kyung was already asleep, and Yoo Hye-Sook looked as if she was forcing herself not to fall asleep perhaps because she had to go to work at the foundation.

“Why are you still awake?” Kang Chan asked Yoo Hye-Sook.

“I was just about to head to bed. I can sleep in peace now that you’re home. You’re going to the event tomorrow, right?”

“Yes. You should go to bed quickly.”

“Okay, Channy. Sleep well.”

Kang Chan lightly washed up and went to bed.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

***

Just like any other day, Kang Chan lightly warmed up as he went down the stairs the next morning.

The morning air was now cold and brisk.

“Phew!”

Kang Chan controlled his breathing, then started to run around the apartment complex.

Although he still had some difficulties, he was in much better condition than when he was in Africa. He couldn't help but wonder whether he should run a marathon.

He would be running for about twelve kilometers if he went around the apartment complex from the entrance. He controlled his pacing for the first 11 kilometers, then sprinted at full speed for the last one. Regardless of his condition, he always did feel pain during this last kilometer.

“Huff. Huff. Huff. Huff.”

Kang Chan caught his breath in front of a bench, then cooled down by doing easy bodyweight exercises. Afterward, he went up the stairs again.

Even though it wasn’t even 7 am yet, he could already see students in their school uniforms and people going to work.

“Channy! Did you go out to exercise? You should rest on days like this,” Yoo Hye-Sook said.

“It’s okay. If anything, I’d feel heavy if I skip this.”

If Kang Chan skipped working out for every day with a big event just as Yoo Hye-Sook suggested, then he wouldn’t have even just thirty days to work out in a year. Comments like that would’ve annoyed him if he heard it before, but it made him happy now.

He had breakfast with Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook.

“You’re staying with everyone else at the hotel today, right?” Kang Dae-Kyung asked.

“Yes. After the official announcement has been made tomorrow, I’ll drop by the French embassy before coming home. I’ll probably come home really late.”

“I heard that the entire schedule of this event will be broadcasted live on TV. A lot of people are saying that everyone should gather around and watch it together as if it’s some kind of world cup game. Some are even looking forward to what the President will say during his welcome speech at tonight’s dinner.”

“People are looking forward to things like that?”

When Kang Chan enjoyed the kongnamul guk, which he found was to his liking. Yoo Hye-Sook happily brought over more kongnamul guk.

“Everyone’s obviously interested in that. After all, we’re told that this event will make South Korea rich. We couldn’t even imagine that happening.”

“What do you think about this?” Kang Chan asked Kang Dae-Kyung.

“I’m not sure. I don’t know about anything else, but I don’t want anything else for as long as your mom is healthy and I have someone as dependable as you by my side. What do you think, honey?”

“Me? I also want the same thing as you,” Yoo Hye-Sook answered.

Kang Chan had gotten used to talking while eating.

While thinking that he wanted to finish this event quickly so he could return to his everyday life, he finished eating breakfast.

Since Yoo Hye-Sook was currently heading to work every day, they had breakfast about twenty minutes earlier than before. After all, It took that much more time for her to put makeup on.

Even then, they always left around five minutes late.

“Don’t overwork yourself. Just get good some experience, then come home, okay?” Kang Dae-Kyung advised.

“Channy! Be careful.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

After sending off his parents that morning, he sat in the living room. He was told that the car would arrive at 9:10 am, so he still had about forty minutes to spare.

During moments like this, he didn’t have to rush to do something.

He acted like this in the past as well.

The morning before a battle, Kang Chan wouldn’t do anything special other than washing up and eating.

One of his subordinates always wrote a will, and another neatly organized his personal belongings. There was also a guy who noisily—or devotedly—prayed to God.

Kang Chan just comfortably laid down among them. Whenever he did, Dayeru or Gerard would always bring over coffee.

Kang Chan absently picked up the TV remote that was next to him, thinking about watching the news channel that Kang Dae-Kyung watched every morning.

Click.

When he pressed the power button, the blue LED light flashed from under the tv as it turned on.

[We’re in front of the international hotel, which is where the representatives of different countries will be going to for the announcement of the historic Eurasian rail. With the specialized team of the military currently guarding the hotel rigorously, the rail will be announced tomorrow after delegations from each country have gathered here and signed a written agreement.]

[Alright. Reporter Huh Min-Young, how are the citizens reacting to this?]

[We can’t see a welcoming crowd, perhaps because it’s a weekday and because it’s morning rush hour, but all citizens are happy about this event. They’re expecting a lot from the Eurasian rail. Just take a look at these interviews.

The screen suddenly changed.

Yoon So-Ra (university student)

[This is something that I could never have imagined! I’m going to be thirty-seven in ten years, and they’re saying that the national income per person will be two hundred thousand dollars by then! I’m also really proud that this historic announcement will be done in South Korea! Hooray South Korea! Way to go!]

Jung Hyun-Tae (business owner)

[I don’t think I’ve ever been this proud for being born in South Korea. It’s not because we’re going to get a lot of money but because South Korea is at the center of this historic event. I can’t believe there will come a time when the United States, a country that China and Japan have to be wary of, will entrust South Korea with distributing resources. Way to go, South Korea!]

[Now! It’s about 8:50 am local time. Let us check out how each country is reacting to the announcement of the Eurasian rail. Reporter Joo Sang-In.]

[Joo Sang-In reporting in.]

[How are foreign countries reacting before the important announcement tomorrow?]

[First, in the midst of rising excitement in Europe and Russia, Japan and China's reactions are strangely different…]

Beep.

Kang Chan turned off the TV. It was time for him to get ready.

He wore a shirt and a suit.

When he saw his school uniform, which was hung up on one side of his closet, Kang Chan couldn’t help but laugh. He suddenly thought that he wanted to go to school even though there wasn’t anything for him to do there other than to stay in the athletics club room, have lunch, glare at the textbooks with a strange gaze, and listen to classes that he had trouble understanding.

It was time to leave.

Kang Chan subtly looked into the master bedroom and closed the door. He then went out of the entrance after checking if the window of the veranda was closed properly.

Ding.

The elevator door opened.

1. Also known as Korean bean sprout soup, the kongnamul guk is a cheap and easy soup to make. Like its name, it consists of bean sprouts, soy sauce, garlic, water, and seasonings.