He felt like he could do more pull-ups if he really pushed himself.
“Hmm… done? Let’s make some breakfast.”
Startled by the sudden change, he shook his head and headed to the kitchen. He never really liked exercising to begin with.
Stopping his deep thoughts, he went back inside to make breakfast. But something felt off. The whole house was in chaos as if a thief had broken in. Books had fallen off the shelves, and chilling kitchen knives were scattered across the floor.
Kim Cheolsu stood dumbfounded and said, “… What the heck? What is this? Did a war break out here? Did I really drink yesterday? I don’t remember doing anything like this.”
He found it suspicious but couldn’t pinpoint who might be responsible. Besides, nothing seemed to be missing. Actually, there was nothing valuable in this house worth stealing.
Kim Cheolsu scratched his head and entered the kitchen, picking up the knives to rinse them. Then he pulled some beef from the fridge.
“Today, I’m a Korean chef! Feels great to have a day off.”
He hummed happily, embracing the vacation mood. First, he placed the beef for soup on a wooden cutting board and chopped it finely. Next, he peeled the radish and cut it into neat cubes.
-Sizzle sizzle…
Adding sesame oil and frying the beef filled the whole neighborhood with a delicious aroma.
-Woof!! Woof!!
Baekgu, who had already eaten breakfast, wagged his tail excitedly and sniffed the air.
“You already ate, didn’t you? Well, just have a taste.”
Throwing some beef to Baekgu, the dog swallowed it like lightning and then stuck out his tongue, begging for more. Kim Cheolsu laughed and tossed him a few more pieces before refocusing on the cooking.
“Now’s the timing!”
Just as the red tint started to fade from the appropriately cooked beef, he added soy sauce for soup. The sound of the seasoning soaking in was music to his ears. The marinade would make it even tastier.
With the beef fully cooked, he added the pre-cut radish and stir-fried them together.
Almost done! He poured water, covered the pot with a lid, and boiled it vigorously over high heat. Using a ladle, he skimmed off the foam and added minced garlic at the end to preserve its aroma.
Once the dish was complete, he ladled a generous serving into a wide bowl. Then he scooped rice from the electric rice cooker and covered the soup with it. Living alone meant adding another dish to wash was a luxury he avoided.
“Plus, it tastes better as gukbap (soup with rice). Heh, this is really delicious—”
While walking outside, Kim Cheolsu happily scooped the gukbap with his fingers, a smile of pure joy on his face. He walked under a jujube tree and sat down anywhere to eat. No matter how much he thought about it, homemade food was the best.
“Mmm, this is happiness.”
The radish had a slightly soft texture but still retained a nice chew—perfectly cooked. And how about the star ingredient, the beef? A bit fatty yet light, it slid down his throat smoothly.
Kim Cheolsu felt true joy after a long time as he admired the view outside his home.
It was mid-July now, and farmers were busy with their work. Seeing the elders rolling up their sleeves and working in the fields made him appreciate their hard labor. He worried that if they got stung by bees, it could be serious… but he quickly smiled, pushing aside the negative thoughts.
If anything happened, he’d be there to help.
“Wow… but summer is really hot. The view is just breathtaking.”
Finishing the bowl of gukbap in the wide dish, Kim Cheolsu set it aside and soaked in the scenery. This was why he came to live in the countryside—immersed in beautiful nature and the chirping of birds, enjoying each day.
After all, no one knows what tomorrow will bring in life. If you can feel peaceful today just by seeing a good view, that’s more than enough.
Smiling, Kim Cheolsu petted Baekgu’s head, who was dozing off beside him. Life in Hampyeong felt like it was just beginning. Military hospital work was important, but his role as a local clinic doctor was only starting to take shape.
He would also take good care of the villagers’ health so they could live long lives!
Speaking of which, he needed to visit them soon.
“Haha—Baekgu, I cooked a big pot of beef radish soup, so let’s deliver it to the villagers. Since we’ve been eating a lot from them, it’s time to share back. Let’s race to see who gets there first? Good! I’ll go first. Got the doctor’s bag… ready… go!!”
-Woof! Woof!!
A cool breeze tickled his ears. Running excitedly along the country road with his dog, he thought, with this mysterious energy and health flowing through my body, all illnesses must disappear if I live in the countryside.
Why didn’t I move here sooner? If I’d known it was this nice, I would’ve come long ago!
*****
“Ahh—bringing me meat soup first thing in the morning, much appreciated. This is delicious, you know?”
The village chief, already out working in the field, smiled as he spoke.
Kim Cheolsu replied with a joyful face.
“I just wanted to repay you a little, since I’ve been eating from you all the time. You already had breakfast, right?”
“Sure did—just some radish kimchi soup mixed with rice. But having hot soup in my stomach feels so good. Hey, are you not working today? You look so relaxed.”
“I had major surgery yesterday, so I took a day off. Since I’m out, I’ll help with the farm work today.”
“Farm work, huh? Well, go pick some watermelons in that greenhouse. A young couple just started farming and are struggling. Just tell them I sent you and that you moved into our village.”
“Understood.”
He had heard that people in the countryside often helped each other with farming.
Entering the greenhouse, he greeted the couple.
“Hello. I’m Kim Cheolsu, recently moved to this village. The village chief introduced me, and I’m here to help pick watermelons.”
“Oh, you’re the doctor, right? I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Choi Beodeuli, the husband who grows watermelons here in the greenhouse. We’d really appreciate your help.”
His Korean was decent but somewhat awkward. He was definitely a foreigner. Kim Cheolsu was so surprised he couldn’t say anything, but Choi Beodeuli laughed and said, “We’re from Nepal. You can pick watermelons here. They’re all ripe.”
“Yes, understood.”
The watermelons looked perfectly ripe. The green base with black stripes made his mouth water. Since he hadn’t eaten fruit in the morning, he swallowed hard.
Seeing this, Choi Beodeuli stopped working and pulled out a knife from his pocket, slicing a watermelon in half. He handed Kim Cheolsu a large slice.
“It’s ripe and tasty. Try it. You must be thirsty, doctor.”
“Coming to work and getting treats, huh? Thank you.”
Honestly, he couldn’t refuse because he really wanted some. The moment he bit into the watermelon, sweet juice spread around his mouth. Kim Cheolsu kept eating until only the rind was left.
Watermelon tasted best in the field. It reminded him of when he got spanked trying to steal watermelons at his grandfather’s village as a kid.
Remembering his late grandfather, Kim Cheolsu savored the watermelon. “This is delicious. People would really like this.”
“Ha ha, yes, they do. Well then, back to work.”
Having quenched his thirst, it was time to get back to picking. He crouched down and began harvesting watermelons inside the greenhouse.
Cold sweat trickled down. Farming wasn’t easy work, as he’d experienced before. He realized through this hardship that delicious watermelons came from farmers’ effort and felt grateful to them.
After about an hour of work, noon approached, and the air grew hotter. Though tired, both Kim Cheolsu and Choi Beodeuli kept working hard.
-Clang!
Suddenly, a steel bar hanging from the ceiling shook and fell over Choi Beodeuli’s head. Kim Cheolsu screamed and rushed over.
“Wait! No!!!”
-Thud!!!
Choi Beodeuli’s face froze as he looked up, but Kim Cheolsu caught the falling steel bar with his hands. Fortunately, he prevented an injury.
Kim Cheolsu was shocked that he had caught the steel bar. He didn’t understand what was happening to his body. He clearly had no athleticism… yet he caught a falling steel bar?
“Wow! Thank you for saving me, doctor. That steel bar must weigh over 10kg, how did you catch it so perfectly? Amazing!!”
The foreigner’s bright eyes praised him, and Kim Cheolsu forced a smile. He still didn’t know how this had happened.
At the moment the bar fell, they were five meters apart, yet he ran in a single step and caught it without injury.
Kim Cheolsu was afraid of the strange changes happening in his body.
“Doctor, please have more watermelon. This way…”
Following Choi Beodeuli out of the greenhouse, they headed to a shaded table. There, they ate fresh fruit and talked.
Choi Beodeuli, who had legally changed his name in Korea, said he was originally from rural Nepal. But life was hard, so he worked in factories in Korea and eventually ended up here.
“The nature here is just as beautiful as my hometown Nepal. That’s why I like working here.”
His pure face made Kim Cheolsu smile as he looked at the natural scenery. The crape myrtle blossoms swayed in Hampyeong—it was truly a paradise on earth. It warmed his heart to know a foreigner shared his love for the landscape.
Nationality didn’t matter; the love of beautiful nature was universal. At that moment, Choi Beodeuli frowned.
“But lately my arm hurts, and it’s hard to move. I can’t even sleep well. Doctor, could you take a look? I think there’s pus inside my bone.”
“I’ll examine it right now. Exactly where does it hurt?”
“My shoulder feels hot and painful.”
“How bad is the pain?”
When Kim Cheolsu touched the arm, Choi Beodeuli pulled away, trying to avoid it.
“Ow! It hurts more if you touch it…”
“How about usually? Can you move it a little?”
“Not at all. It’s like my arm is broken.”
“Well, let me take a look first.”
Normally, he would need to go to a hospital and get an X-ray, but Kim Cheolsu seemed to have one in his eyes. He scanned the shoulder like taking an X-ray right then and there.
He saw a faint cloud-like shadow above the shoulder bone. Calcification…! When something appears where it shouldn’t, it causes problems. Kim Cheolsu spoke with a serious expression.
“Fortunately, your arm isn’t broken. But… you have calcification in your supraspinatus tendon.”
“Calcification? What’s that? I’ve never heard of it.”
“The precise name is Calcific Tendonitis. In simple terms, a substance called ‘calcification’ abnormally accumulates inside the shoulder, making movement uncomfortable. It’s a degenerative change due to age. How old are you now?”
“I’m 42.”
“If you’re not careful, degenerative changes can happen to anyone from their 40s onward. Have you been doing a lot of farm work lately? This symptom comes from suddenly overworking.”
“Yes, doctor. It’s watermelon harvest season, so I’ve been working hard. What should I do now?”
“It’s important not to move your arm. Usually, you’d wear a sling to immobilize it and take anti-inflammatory meds. Can you rest from farm work for about a week?”
“Oh no—one week? It’s harvest season now, and we have so much to do. If I don’t work for that long, my whole family will starve.”
Seeing the patient distressed, Kim Cheolsu pulled out a large syringe from his doctor’s bag and smiled.
“Ha ha. I thought you’d say that, so I came up with another plan. I’ll use this syringe to remove all the calcified material inside your shoulder. It’ll hurt a little, but you can endure it, right?”
Choi Beodeuli’s face turned pale in shock. The enormous 18-gauge syringe glistened in the sunlight, and it looked painful. He stepped back, trembling.
“Th-That can’t be… isn’t there another way?”
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