Chapter 162

< Kwak Ran's Summer Camp (10) >

***

It was the most renowned hospital in Taeyang County, called “Sonaegwa.”

Son Kwang-yeon, who couldn’t bear to go to work because his son’s friends were all sick, listened to the director with a gloomy face.

“Even with diarrhea, they’re sitting here looking so healthy. Haha, these kids are really tough.”

Just as he was feeling somewhat relieved, the director of Sonaegwa adjusted his glasses and smiled at Son Kwang-yeon.

“It seems like food poisoning, sir.”

Dizziness, headache, stomachache, diarrhea, fever. After examining patients with all sorts of symptoms, the director made his diagnosis. Having already heard about what happened last night, the diagnosis wasn’t difficult.

‘Is it something like enteritis? Was it the meat after all?’

Jin-hyeok looked at his friends with worried eyes.

If it’s food poisoning, even after getting shots and taking medicine, they might not be able to exercise for over a week. Forget about muscle loss from two weeks of training, he was worried about his friends’ condition deteriorating.

“Zzzeeoogiiyo-.”

Jo Seol-chan cautiously called for the doctor while keeping an eye on Jin-hyeok.

He thought that if it were Son Jin-hyeok, he might make them exercise even while sick.

“Isn’t it just heatstroke or something? Maybe they’re just tired from running around in the heat…”

“The symptoms are somewhat similar, but you guys definitely have food poisoning.”

Director So Woo-cheol, despite his gentle appearance, was firm.

Yeom Byeong-taek also looked at So Woo-cheol with pleading eyes. There was a fear that they might have to keep exercising in this state.

“I feel dizzy, nauseous, and keep breaking out in cold sweats.”

“And you’ve been having diarrhea too?”

“Yes, yes. That’s right.”

“Yep, food poisoning.”

“Yeah. I thought so, my guess was right.”

As Yeom Byeong-taek sulkily lowered his head, the hospital entrance slowly opened.

It opened smoothly and steadily, almost like an automatic sliding door.

“Eeu-.”

“Uuuh-.”

Three zombies shuffled in.

It was Min Yong-rak and the SSS bodyguards who had eaten samgyeopsal together.

Min Yong-rak, supported by two other sick agents, dragged his feet as he entered.

Seeing this, Jin-hyeok tilted his head and furrowed his brow.

‘I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before.’

It reminded him of Aji-gom being dragged around by Yoo-jin after getting his ear pulled.

***

The background characters are quiet but busy.

In places where self-proclaimed protagonists don’t stand out, they’re busy doing miscellaneous tasks without drawing attention.

The sound of footsteps carrying firewood was frequent.

‘Hooah hooah-, the background characters are busy.’

Fortunately, the condition wasn’t severe, but to prevent chills, Jin-hyeok laid his friends down in the earthen house and lit a fire.

He also didn’t forget to turn on the fan toward their feet. It was a measure for comfortable recovery.

“Rest well. Don’t do anything.”

The friends lay side by side, only rolling their eyes toward Jin-hyeok. It was a relief they didn’t suggest going out to train. Their condition was good enough that they could if they wanted to.

Their only task was to watch the IV bags the SSS medical team had administered.

Watching the drops fall one by one was oddly entertaining.

‘Hey, don’t you feel lighter?’

‘Really? My stomach feels better.’

‘…Maybe all the toxins are out.’

Whether it was thanks to the shots at the hospital or their naturally strong bodies, the kids were full of energy, and their desires started to surface.

‘I want to read comics.’

‘Jin-hyeok’s place doesn’t have those.’

‘…I want to eat samgyeopsal again. Well-cooked. I also want to call Jeong-hwa.’

But it was just wishful thinking.

“Don’t even think about moving. Just lie down and sweat it out today.”

After half a day, Jin-hyeok looked at his pale friends with concern and stepped outside.

‘Weird. Why am I fine?’

I probably ate the most.

Well, pork should always be well-cooked.

Since oppa only picked well-cooked meat, Yoo-jin should be fine too.

Jang Gun-i and Hong-shi are fine too. Ah, they’re dogs, so it doesn’t matter, right?

Jin-hyeok got on his bike and called Jang Gun-i.

“I’ll go slow. Let’s go together.”

Hehehek-. Hong-shi followed too.

With the dog duo in tow, he headed to Jo Il-hun’s house.

Jo Il-hun’s house is about 2km toward the town along the bus route.

As he entered the yard, he raised his voice.

“Anyone home? Il-hun, are you home?”

He had gotten used to calling him “hyung,” but there was no response from inside.

The truck, tractor, and excavator were all parked in the garage.

It seemed he had gone to set up camp at the scrap metal shop next to the township office.

It was a habit he picked up living with Gwak Hyang-rim—dropping her off at work and waiting until she finished to bring her back.

‘Is he waiting for his wife to finish work?’

What a devoted husband.

‘Perfect timing.’

Jo Il-hun is not just a tractor driver but also cultivates various herbs. Sometimes he goes into Gobong Mountain to dig up wild ginseng. I heard he attended an agricultural high school where only the smartest could get in, absorbing all sorts of knowledge.

He had a tendency to exaggerate, but he was a knowledgeable guy.

‘Ah, I came to get some mugwort.’

He had no choice but to turn back. He couldn’t just take plants from an empty house, and Jo Il-hun didn’t even have a cellphone to ask for permission.

Feeling sorry for Jang Gun-i struggling with his short legs in the heat, Jin-hyeok put him on the bike’s rear rack and slowly pedaled back along the bus route.

Just before heading home.

“Hey kid-, where are you going in this heat?”

An old man with a booming voice called out to Jin-hyeok—it was Cheon Gil-ryong.

“Grandpa, hello.”

“Yeah! Hey-, damn it’s hot. Why are you running around?”

Jin-hyeok explained the situation. As he did, he noticed Cheon Gil-ryong’s outfit—still in a Hawaiian shirt and a straw hat, with a gray cloth bag slung over one shoulder like a monk’s alms bag. On his feet were shiny military boots, and around his neck hung two cross necklaces.

‘He’s getting more fashionable by the day.’

As Cheon Gil-ryong rummaged through his bag, two bundles of a dull green plant resembling mugwort popped out. They had a dusty, pale hue like mugwort covered in dirt.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

Half-listening to the thanks, Cheon Gil-ryong was busy petting Jang Gun-i and Hong-shi.

“Ohoho-, other dogs tuck their tails when they see me, but these guys are something else.”

They didn’t fear him, which made them even cuter.

That’s why whenever Cheon Gil-ryong visited Jin-hyeok’s house, he brought snacks like dried sweet potato for Jang Gun-i and Hong-shi.

“Do you always carry mugwort with you?”

“Yep-, living in the countryside, you need a lot of it in summer. Heatstroke, stomachaches, water changes, low energy. And that’s not all. If it’s too hot, even your d*ck won’t stand up. That’s why there are no May babies in this neighborhood.”

“Ah…”

As always, TMI, TMT grandpa.

A true free talker who doesn’t consider the listener’s age.

“Feed it to these guys if you can.”

“Do dogs eat mugwort?”

“No, they don’t. That’s why I’m telling you to feed it to them.”

“What does that even mean…”

Before Jin-hyeok could say more, Cheon Gil-ryong turned and walked away toward the inner village.

Maybe it was the combat boots, but his stride had the precision of a military drill team.

‘I can’t keep up with his walking.’

What did he mean by “feed it to them since they don’t eat it”? Ah, was he saying to force-feed them?

Jin-hyeok held the mugwort out to Jang Gun-i.

“Jang Gun, wanna try some?”

Huff sniff sniff-.

Huff!

After smelling the mugwort, Jang Gun-i jumped off the bike rack. Following him, Hong-shi also ran away as fast as she could.

Watching the dog duo’s waddling behinds, Jin-hyeok made a resolution.

‘I’ll make them eat it.’

How dare you run away from me?

No, that’s not it.

He probably meant to feed it to them because it’s good for their health.

***

Jin-hyeok sat on the earthen house’s porch.

He laid hemp cloth over a small stone mortar and stuffed all the mugwort inside.

Now, he just needed to pound it with a pestle to extract the juice.

Even though he had a blender, doing it manually made him feel like he was becoming an old-timer himself.

‘The more effort you put in, the better the medicine, right.’

Thud thud thud-.

Jang Gun-i and Hong-shi, who usually hovered around when Jin-hyeok was doing something, didn’t come close this time. The mugwort scent was that strong.

Instead, Cheon-ma and Gwang-ma sat like good puppies, looking up at Jin-hyeok. It was a learned behavior from getting tasty treats whenever Jin-hyeok did something in the earthen house.

‘It’s done-.’

As Jin-hyeok entered the room, his friends’ eyes all turned toward the door.

Jin-hyeok grabbed their noses and forced a bowlful into each of them.

Along with an ultimatum they couldn’t refuse.

“If you spit this out, you’re dating me.”

With a “better dead than alive” mentality, Jo Seol-chan gulped down the mugwort juice.

He’s always been a good eater.

“Uwaaah-! Grandma-!”

Jo Seol-chan was indeed a filial grandson.

“Ugh-, is this the Super Holy Water…?”

Yeom Byeong-taek seemed to have channeled Dragon Ball’s Goku.

“…Ugh-, Your Majesty.”

Park Sang-ki, a historical drama fan, acted like a criminal receiving poison.

After emptying their bowls, the friends lay down, sucking on rice crust candy and rubbing their stomachs.

“Strangely, I feel better.”

“My eyes were blurry, but now they’re clear. My head feels refreshed-.”

“…I can see the spider web on the ceiling. The optimal path to the goal…”

Unfortunately, Jang Gun-i and Hong-shi didn’t get any.

They were so quick to sense danger that they didn’t come close even when Jin-hyeok didn’t have mugwort in his hands. They probably knew they’d be force-fed if caught. They must have heard the screams of Jo Seol-chan and the others echoing through the house.

‘Hmm-. I sent enough to the mole house, but what about the rest?’

It must have been my imagination hearing Min Yong-rak’s scream from afar.

As Jin-hyeok pondered over the remaining mugwort juice, Cheon-ma and Gwang-ma came into view. They were ready to be praised, sticking out their tongues and looking at Jin-hyeok.

Right.

“Cheon-ma, Gwang-ma. Good boys, come here-. Good boys-.”

Hehehek-.

***

The kids spent the day in the earthen house’s heated room, eating spinach porridge cooked by Han Yu-young.

“Ah, even with just soy sauce, it’s delicious.”

“Wow, this porridge is killer.”

“…I want more.”

Jang Jin-nam, who was clearing the empty pot, shook his head at Han Yu-young.

“Mugwort really is something.”

What kind of stomachache patients empty a whole pot of porridge?

The next day, Cheon Gil-ryong checked the kids’ pulses and gave them acupuncture.

“Wow-, it feels refreshing.”

“My head feels hot?”

“Uh…, I see a soccer ball.”

Clicking his tongue, Cheon Gil-ryong came out to the porch, where Jin-hyeok greeted him.

“How are the kids?”

“Nothing serious. Those so-called doctors aren’t quacks after all.”

From their complexion to their pulse, they didn’t seem like patients. He said their bodies were filled with clear energy. The explanation was that after going through food poisoning and sweating, the toxins had left their bodies.

Jin-hyeok beamed.

“So, can they train now?”

That’s when it happened.

“Ouch-, grandma-.”

“Ugh-.”

“…I can’t see.”

Even without the groans from inside, it was still too soon.

“It’ll take about three days of rest for their energy to return. Being clear and being full of energy are different things.”

You’re the ocean, they’re just streams. A flood swept through and cleaned them out, but the water flow is still weak. With that, Cheon Gil-ryong patted Jin-hyeok’s shoulder.

“Grandpa, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it-. I’ve got nothing else to do, so I might as well help out. Whew- it’s getting hot.”

After seeing Cheon Gil-ryong off, Jin-hyeok sat on the porch and revised his plans.

He hadn’t planned to train immediately anyway. Mentioning training was just a joke because he was happy to see his friends recovering.

‘This week, we’ll focus on resting and recuperating… Sending them home is an option, but if they want to stay, it’s better to rest here.’

With heated rooms, swimming, and facilities to stretch their bodies anytime.

A place where they can exercise and recuperate without anyone nagging—could there be a better place?

After finalizing the plan changes, Jin-hyeok took the textbook Chae Kyu-ho had made and went into the room.

“Lie down and close your eyes.”

As the patients lightly sighed and closed their eyes, a clear voice echoed through the earthen house.

“Baekje’s 4th century King Geunchogo, Goguryeo’s 5th century King Jangsu, Silla’s 6th century King Jinheung…”

Since he couldn’t give a full lecture, he focused on key points.

Whether they fell asleep or passed out.

Even as their heads tilted to the side, Jin-hyeok’s recitation continued.

A saying he once heard came to mind.

Studying is also about aptitude.

‘Right, grow.’

Sometimes, things you hear in your sleep come back to you.