Chapter 5

: A Tightrope and a Swing [1]
‘Deng Deng Deng!’
Although it was dawn, it was still quite dark.
‘Are they crazy? Why did they ring the bell so many times?

The bell was rung twenty eight times in total.
It was found later that it was a Paru. They rang it around five in the morning, signifying the lifting of the curfew for the day.
…
Ganghyuk was already accustomed to getting up early. So, he got up from the bed and opened the door, feeling the cool and clean air.
‘This is good.’
The world he left was full of fine dust. It was a really long time since he had felt such a clean air. However, there were so many things he missed. As he did not have a mobile phone, his fingers did not have things to do, and he felt quite bored.

Have you got up, sir?

When he turned to look back, he saw Dolseok standing there, who brought a basin with hot water and placed it in front of him.
‘It is a good thing to be a nobleman.’
As soon as he got up, Dolseok served hot water for him to wash his face, seeing which, Ganghyuk nodded his head with satisfaction.

Thank you. How is Okseok?


He is better now, but…

Dolseok did not finish the sentence, looking down. It seemed like there was a problem.

Is there anything wrong?

Although it was a new style of speaking, he had already been accustomed to it.
He had never known that the historical dramas that he watched in his childhood, such as
Teardrops of a Dragon
, would someday help him.

The white and long thing that you gave me disappeared. I could not find it no matter how much efforts I put in. I am really sorry.


What? You mean the medicine that I gave you to grind for administration?


Yes, sir.


Em
Ganghyuk couldn’t help but moan in exasperation. They were two tablets of antibiotics, something that usually wouldn’t be thought of much. But, they were things that Ganghyuk could not get in this world again.
He felt sorry for that.

I will give you more. Take a good care of them.


Yes, sir. I am really sorry.

He opened the bag that he left at his bedside and searched for Mayact. But, something strange happened.

En?

There were 60 Mayacts in his bag!

What is this?

He thought that he had not counted well at first. But, he tried to count again and again, and found that there were indeed 60 tablets.
‘No way!’
But, it was already absurd to travel back to Joseon. Ganghyuk opened the operation toolset that he had used yesterday to see if his guess was correct.
‘The thread… It is intact.’
The blade that he had used with the mess was the same as before. The bag was exactly the same as the when he opened it yesterday.
‘What on earth happened? Ganghyuk rubbed his chin with serious face.
He had lived his life thinking that he was a scientist. He believed that all the phenomena in the world had causes and effects, and the process must be logical.
‘It is the kind of situation that I don’t like.’
But, what else could he do? Sometimes, things that one could never understand would indeed happen.
‘It is good to have more medicine, anyway.
It was always better to have a surplus than a deficit.
He took out two tablets and gave them to Dolseok.

Here you are. Grind them finely… No, let’s go together.


Thank you, sir.

…
Ganghyuk washed his face and neck roughly, then went to see Okseok along with Dolseok.
Okseok looked completely different from yesterday. First of all, he could now sit up. He even tried to stand up when he saw Ganghyuk.

Sir…


No need to get up. Lie down. I would like to see the stomach.


Yes, sir.

He checked the incision that he had cut and sewed meticulously. Fortunately, there was thread in the stitch.

Do they stay if they were used in the body?

If all the medicine disappeared, the ones in the body would go too. And if that happened, Okseok would never recover like this.

Good! Now, it does not need to be ground. Swallow it.


Yes, sir.


Did you make a fart?


Eo… Yes, I think so.


Then, you can take thin rice gruel.


Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.


Take a good rest.

Ganghyuk covered Okseok’s the stomach with a linen and came out of the room. After exiting, Dolseok made a deep bow.

Sir, thank you so much for saving Okseok.

Ganghyuk had received many thank you notes and bows. But, it was the first time for him to receive such a deep bow. Considering the hierarchy between them, it was nothing significant. But, he was not accustomed to it yet.
He made Dolseok stand up lifting him by the shoulders.

Why are you doing that?


It is natural to make a deep bow to the savior.


I did what I had to do. Do not make a fuss.


But how…. Ah! Should I catch a rabbit for you?

Rabbit? Wild rabbit? It must have plenty of pesticides.

No, no. Come on out with me.


Going out?


Yes.


OK. I will get your breakfast.
Having said that, Dolseok stood up quickly and went to the kitchen. It was then that he realized that there was the smell of rice coming from the kitchen, where many women were busy with cooking and serving breakfast.
‘Yes, I feel hungry.
Ganghyuk went to the room while rubbing his stomach with his hands.
While he was waiting for the table in the room, Dolseok came with the portable kitchen table.

Help yourself, sir.

It was very disappointing table that Dolseok had brought: Rice, salted crab, soy sauce, and radish Kimchi.

Em, thank you.

He tried not to show his disappointment, but he was quite surprised.
‘No meat?’
He did not know that soy sauce would be used as a side dish. He thought that it was only a dipping sauce at best.
‘Why is the rice bowl so big?’
It seemed that they served three times more than normal portions.
When he looked at out of the window, he saw all servants, including Dolseok, eating. Servants did not have salted crab; what they had was only soy sauce and radish Kimchi. It seems that they took all their calories from rice.
Ganghyuk managed to finish half of it and asked Dolseok to take away the table, who asked with concern,
Sir, are you not feeling well?


No, I am good. I don’t have appetite, that’s all. Let’s go.


Yes. I heard that there would be Sandaenori in the market today. Would you like to go there?


Sandaenori?


Yes, the theatre group in Aeogae will come to the market today.

Theatre group! It would be good to see such a performance.
If there are many people gathered in one place, there would be many conversations, and he might be able to find a way to go back.

Okay. Let’s go.


Yes, sir. I will escort you as soon as I return this table to the kitchen.

Dolseok went to the kitchen with the table that Ganghyuk asked to take away, who looked at the black home visitation bag again.
Nobody knew for how long he would be there. So, he guessed that it would be better for him to know what he had in the bag.
‘I saw antibiotics yesterday. Here are anti-inflammatory medicines, as well as medicines for high blood pressure, diabetes, and some antiseptics… What is this?’
There was a medicine that he did not expect in the home visitation bag.
‘Viagra? What a funny guy the chairman is!’
He wanted to have Viagra at his age? He must be quite a someone.
‘Anyway, it is good.’
To have Viagra was a good thing. Furthermore, there were plenty of tablets.
‘180 tablets.’
Even if the chairman used it every day, it would take six months to consume them all. He thought that the chairman might have been crazy.
He took ten tablets out of the bag while shaking his head. He wanted to check if he had made the right guess.
‘If the bag is replenished automatically…’
If that were indeed true, he could be relieved even if this strange situation lasted a little longer. With this, he could have at least something to depend on.
When he tried to keep the tablets in his pocket, he heard the voice of Dolseok.

Sir… Let’s go!