“… But will you be okay?”

“what?”

By the time the building that seemed far away was now in front of me.

Edwin asked back at Caliber’s muttering in a worried voice. Caliber said, scratching his cheek with a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

“I’m going to go get a massage now. I’ve heard that it’s so difficult to make a reservation, but is it okay to take it for granted just because we bumped into each other on the street like this… I want to.”

“… Huh, true. I think of everything.”

At Caliber’s words, Edwin burst out laughing. It wasn’t a deliberate reaction, it was a really absurd laugh that burst out.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just think about fixing yourself?”

“It is, but it still bothers me in my heart.”

“You are just a person invited to go. I don’t think there will be a problem with that, and even if there is a problem, it’s not something for you to meddle with.”

“Um… is it?”

“right. In the first place, the director didn’t seem like a person who could take care of Eoyoung Booyoung’s work without thinking.”

Edwin recalled the image of Director Kang Tae-han, the man he encountered that day. The look that felt extraordinary somewhere.

To be honest, I was a little scared. Even though Edwin doesn’t twitch an eyebrow even when he encounters quite a few gangs, he felt somehow intimidated at that moment.

Of course, what Caliber said is quite possible. Even if the director himself was okay, it was something that other guests could raise a problem with.

However… The man named Kang Tae-han didn’t look like someone who would dwell on such a thing. It’s not like it would leave a corner where problems would arise in the first place.

“Well, that’s it too.”

“You should worry about yourself, while not feeling well.”

“Are you on the good side now?”

At Edwin’s words, Caliber jumped in place and spoke. A playful exaggerated gesture. Seeing that, Edwin laughed involuntarily.

“right. But now I have to go get stronger.”

“Haha, that’s right.”

In front of the entrance of the building we arrived at.

At Edwin’s words, pointing towards the entrance, Caliber smiled. The two entered the building at almost the same time, regardless of which one came first.

* * *

“If you stay here for a while, the teacher will come.”

An employee who enters the room first and points to the bed. Then, soon after, a foreign man with a slightly shy expression followed. It was none other than Caliber.

“Ah, yes. Thanks for the guidance.”

“It was nothing. Have a good time.”

The employee bowed his head, closed the door, and went out. Maybe it’s because there have been a lot of foreign customers lately, but the English of the staff seemed quite fluent and natural.

“Um… … .”

And Caliber, who was left alone in the room for a while.

He slowly looked around and tilted his head left and right with a look of surprise.

‘It’s a more ordinary atmosphere than I thought.’

That doesn’t mean the interior is meager or the exterior is shabby. Rather, the interior itself was neat and equipped with everything, and I felt like I had captured both aesthetics and practicality.

but… It was just a different direction from what he had in mind.

First of all, it was a company whose name was listed in the Fermo Guide, and tickets could not be obtained from travel agencies, and from what I heard, even chaebols can come only after making a reservation, so I imagined a splendid atmosphere.

But when he came to see me, it was completely different from what he had imagined. rather… I’d say it’s a comfortable feeling.

The oriental-style interior gave off a slightly mysterious feeling, but even that was not excessive. It was such an atmosphere that I could really focus only on rest.

‘I hope the coach is well.’

Of course, it was only Caliber who received the massage. He was the only one invited last time, and Caliber was the only one who had problems with his body in the first place.

Edwin came all the way to this building because he just followed the feelings of a guardian. It would be nice to have someone nearby who would take action if anything happened. Of course, I also went for a walk at night.

However, while receiving a massage, you naturally remain alone. In this unfamiliar place, it must be boring.

‘… Well, I’ll take care of it.’

However, Caliber immediately shook his head from side to side.

It’s not that there is only Cheonma Massage here, and contents are overflowing in this building with more than 20 floors. There are also hotel facilities, restaurants, cafes, and bars.

I know how to pass the time.

Actively accepting Edwin’s adage, “Stop worrying about yourself,” Caliber laid down on the bed as if it didn’t matter.

smart.

It was about then.

There was a knock, and then the door opened and a man entered. It was the man I met on the street that day, director Kang Tae-han.

“… Uhm?”

And the moment our eyes meet inside.

As if something was unexpected, Kang Tae-han’s eyelids flinched and moved momentarily. After staring at him for a while, Caliber opened his mouth first.

“I… Is there anything wrong with you?”

“Oh, not like that. just… Your condition is better than expected.”

The first thing Kang Tae-han does when meeting a customer for the first time is to take a quick look at the other person’s physical condition.

Of course, it is less accurate than direct contact or unfolding the feeling inside, but you can still check the rough parts just by looking at them.

‘I knew he was a man with a strong body.’

That’s why Kang Tae-han couldn’t help but admire a little. Caliber’s physical condition had improved far more than he had imagined.

‘It must have worked hard in those few days.’

Of course, the human body is affected by behavior. Even people who are born with the same constitution can be different in thousands of ways depending on what kind of life they have lived.

The effect of massage is also the same.

The effect can vary greatly depending on whether the body is relaxed immediately after receiving it, whether it is given proper rest, or whether the body is properly moved after that.

There is nothing to go far.

Taking out time for Kang Tae-han to get a good night’s sleep after the massage was also a measure taken so that he could have enough rest.

“You must still be quite uncomfortable, but it looks like you worked hard.”

“Oh, is it obvious? haha… My limbs suddenly became free, so I couldn’t sit still. Is there any problem?”

At Kang Tae-han’s words, Caliber smiled shyly and scratched his head. Kang Tae-han said it as a compliment, but he seems to have taken it in a different way.

“no. No problem. Rather, if you do that in the future, you will be able to return to your original state sooner than you think.”

Kang Tae-han shook his head lightly and said.

His words were not meant to be pleasant to hear.

Of course, Caliber’s physical condition was not good enough to be counted among the customers he had seen so far.

His blood vessels were exposed to numerous shocks over a long period of time, damaged and repaired, cut off and reconnected repeatedly, becoming a mess like a tangled skein.

To be honest, it was rather fortunate that it ended with symptoms of lameness. If it had only gotten a little worse, all sorts of symptoms would have appeared, like a chain reaction.

As such, it is not something that can be easily completed in a few days. There are many parts that require separate measures, and there are parts that need to be observed with sufficient time.

At least Kang Tae-han took action and improved greatly, but it was only a temporary relief everywhere. It will take about a year or more to get it back to its proper form.

However, the moment he looked at Caliber’s body, Kang Tae-han’s calculations became somewhat fluid.

Only if one’s own will and effort are sufficiently followed and maintained at this high level can the time be pulled forward sufficiently.

“that is… Is that true?”

On the other hand, it was none other than Caliber himself who welcomed Kang Tae-han’s words more than anyone else. It was his own body, so it was a natural thing in a way.

It can be returned to its original state.

Just having that possibility is like a miracle. But can you pull that time forward a bit? It was an unbelievable best case scenario for him.

“If so, can you tell me how long it will take?”

“I do not know. If you continue to do this level of rehabilitation training, as a rule of thumb… We can finish it in at least ten months.”

“ah… Ten months.”

For a moment, a look of disappointment passed over Caliber’s face. It was because the expectation that remained in one side of my heart, ‘would I be able to participate in this season’ disappeared.

September is when the NFL starts in earnest.

Ten months from now, the league will be nearing its second half. By then it is already too late.

‘Well, it’s too much greed to try to participate until this year’s season, even if it’s not enough to recover my body.’

Caliber calmed down and nodded slowly a couple of times. However, Kang Tae-han’s words were not over yet. He shook his head and opened his mouth.

“Didn’t I say at least ten months? It will be a rather difficult and drastic process, but… If you can handle it, you can pull it forward a little more.”

“… If a little further, how much are you talking about?”

“Three months.”

“Yes?”

At Kang Tae-han’s words, Caliber unconsciously asked back. Then he opened all ten of his fingers, folded three of them one by one, and put the remaining one forward and said,

“Originally, it would take ten months… Can you shorten seven months there?”

“Yes. you’re right.”

“Is that possible?”

It’s not surprising, it’s ridiculous.

If it hadn’t been for the skill he showed on the street earlier, this would have been unbelievable. On the other hand, Kang Tae-han only nodded in a calm voice.

“Yes. However, the massage will be drastic to the point where it puts a strain on your body. Rather than loosening up and healing the body, it would be more like tearing it apart.”

However, Kang Tae-han’s voice, which had been speaking calmly, fell low when he mentioned the word ‘rip it out and fix it’ at the end. It sounded like a false warning.

‘Three months, only three months… … .’

However, that voice was not properly conveyed to Caliber now. It was because his head was already filled with hopeful thoughts.

Numerous fans, colleagues, and family who worried about him!

Fan letters that arrived several times a day, the heat and support of the stadium, and the faces of colleagues and family flashed through his mind.

The best way for them to repay their hearts is to return to the field as soon as possible and show a healthy appearance. He slowly opened his mouth with a determined expression, as if there was no need to worry.

“All right.”

“Would you like to do that?”

“I do, of course I do.”

Caliber repeatedly replied as if emphasizing.

Kang Tae-han smiled and nodded as if he knew that.

“good. Then let’s start right away.”

Gesture to turn over.

At those words and gestures, Caliber immediately turned over and tried to bury his face in the pillow… A question suddenly popped into my head, and I slowly turned my head behind me and opened my mouth.

“Me, but the director.”

“Yes. Please tell me.”

“Perhaps… Do you like football?”

“… Yes?”

All of a sudden a stupid question.

Caliber shook his head at Kang Tae-han’s puzzled reaction and said as if adding.

“No, I was wondering if you recognize me and show me kindness like this.”

“… You were a football player.”

It’s obvious, but there’s no way Kang Tae-han knew about it. He nodded slowly, as if he finally understood the reason for his shaggy body.

“Then, why are you being so nice to me?”

But then Caliber’s question deepens.

Not even his fan. I didn’t even know how to sleep. If so, what is the reason to take care of strangers, especially foreigners, to such an extent?

“… Simple.”

Hana Kang Tae-han’s answer was extremely simple.

He spoke in a calm voice with a light smile on his lips.

“When I saw you helping an old woman I had never seen before, I just thought I should help you too. That’s what I decided.”

And it is Kang Tae-han’s policy to do whatever he decides to do to the end. That was all.

“… okay.”

At those words, Caliber quietly shut his mouth.

I still haven’t been convinced. But for some reason, because of the lump in my heart, I couldn’t continue talking. It was a feeling that is hard to explain.

“… thank you.”

He struggled to say that and buried his face in the pillow. There might be more appropriate words to express this feeling, but the only thing that immediately came to his mind was an expression of gratitude.

“It was nothing.”

And Kang Tae-han smiled and answered his words. Then, after groping his back a couple of times as if trying to locate her, she opened her mouth in a low voice.

“Well then… … .”

In an instant, Kang Tae-han’s mood changed.

It was the same calm voice as before, but something was different. I don’t know what’s different… If I had to use an analogy, it was as different as a calm lake and a calm lava.

“It will hurt a lot.”

Why?

The moment Kang Tae-han said those words, a chill ran down Caliber’s spine. He unknowingly shrank to protect himself. Literally, it was a survival instinct.

However, Kang Tae-han’s hand gestures were faster than the reflexes that felt the threat to his life.

“Nooo!”

In the hallway of Cheonma Massage, the screams of a foreigner filled with pain echoed for a while.