Chapter 1502 Continuing On (2)

When a man could no longer endure, he’d have to go on a strike.

Until now, Kang Jin-Ho thought people only downed their tools because unrealistic labor conditions made it impossible to continue working. But today, he finally learned that simply being tired was a good-enough reason to drop everything and just do nothing.

How did he figure that out? Simple. Because Kang Jin-Ho was literally doing that right now!

While lying on his back, he dazedly stared at his phone. Eventually, though, the device ran out of charge and went dead all on its own. His usual self would have urgently searched for a charger and tried to reinvigorate this little tool of modern convenience that connected him to the rest of the world, but...

Nope. I can’t be bothered today.

He had precisely zero motivation to do so today. And his strange mental state was flustering him somewhat.

Just who was Kang Jin-Ho? Wasn’t he someone who fought endless battles within the violent and often dangerous halls of the Demon Cult? And to top that off, he had never skipped on training during those years, either. Factors like physical pain and fatigue had never been adequate-enough excuses for him.

He had never heard of a cultivator dying from overwork, after all!

But at this very moment, Kang Jin-Ho was genuinely doing nothing. If he were to explain his current sentiment, it’d be something like...

“I don’t want to go to work today,” Kang Jin-Ho muttered.

Park Yu-Min, lounging around not too far from Kang Jin-Ho, suddenly snapped his head in his friend’s direction. “What did you say?”

“...”

“Jin-Ho, what did you say just now?!”

“...”

Park Yu-Min rubbed his eyes before confirming Kang Jin-Ho’s face again.

“Holy cow!”

Not wanting to go to work, skipping out on school... Other people often voiced such desires, but those were just that, desires. They usually never followed through. However, to hear Kang Jin-Ho mutter that? Park Yu-Min thought a pillar of the entire world he knew was crumbling just then.

“If you live long enough, you apparently get to see all sorts of things happen, or so I’ve heard, and to think that saying would be proven true! I never imagined you’d say that one day, Jin-Ho.”

Park Yu-Min stared at his friend with a gaze filled with sympathy and pity.

Regardless of whether it was raining or snowing, didn’t Kang Jin-Ho resolutely attend school on his bicycle? Heck, not even storms and fierce winds failed to deter him back in those days.

For a man who went to school like some kind of machine to say he didn’t want to go to work! Just how torturous and grueling was South Korea’s society that it even brought down Kang Jin-Ho to his knees? Park Yu-Min could only lament at this sorrowful development.

“Hey, man. Are you feeling okay?”

“Yu-Min?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve been thinking about something lately, and...”

“About what?”

“I think everyone has stuff they are good at.”

For Kang Jin-Ho, facing a thousand enemies would be much, much more preferable than going to work.

I’m sorry, Azure Demon.

The corners of Kang Jin-Ho’s eyes began stinging a little just then. When he thought about how Azure Demon was forced into dealing with administrative duties while his boss went around creating all kinds of headaches, Kang Jin-Ho genuinely wanted to offer the rest of his body so that his loyal subordinate could stab him to death some more and vent his accumulated stress that way.

“Jin-Ho, this is just my conjecture, but... I think you’re too exhausted.”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head slightly. “Mm?”

“You know how people are supposed to take a break and get some rest now and then.”

“But... I get plenty of sleep at night.”

“That’s not enough, though. By the way, I was curious about something.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Were you supposed to go to work today, too?”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “Yeah.”

“But, uh... Today’s Sunday, though?”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho’s jaw fell slightly in silence, while Park Yu-Min stared back at his friend in pity once more.

“Uh, mm, well...” Kang Jin-Ho sheepishly scratched his head.

“Jin-Ho? Since when did you start going to work on Sundays, too?”

“Since when? Let me see...” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head again. When did he start doing that, exactly? “Huh... Since I started going to work, I guess?”

“And when did you start going to work?”

“Right after my discharge. From the army.”

“...!” Park Yu-Min’s eyes powerfully quaked just then. “J-Jin-Ho, listen. If you keep that up, you’ll die.”

It didn’t sound like Park Yu-Min was joking just then. And that frightened Kang Jin-Ho even more.

When he thought about it, he never really got to experience the concept of “weekends” ever since finishing his mandatory military service. He’d always commute to either the Assembly or MK the first thing in the morning. And once he arrived, he’d spend his day training or helping out with office work.

Maybe I overdid it a little?

Until now, he never thought he had been going overboard with his workload. For one, he never felt physically tired, after all.

“Jin-Ho, haven’t you ever thought about taking an extended break?”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly. “I mean... Even if I take a break, it’s not like I have a ton of things to keep me distracted. I don’t have a hobby to speak of, and I’m not interested in watching TV or traveling somewhere. And reading books doesn’t sound like fun, either.”

“T-then, what do you do at home to unwind?”

“Usually? I meditate, and... Mm?”

Park Yu-Min facepalmed in disbelief. What kind of barren and boring life was this young man living right now?!

“Listen, Jin-Ho! You gotta rest. Otherwise, something bad might happen for real!”

“But I’ve been fine until now, though?”

“But you are not fine right now.”

“Mm...!”

For sure, Kang Jin-Ho had to admit that Park Yu-Min was making a valid point.

“The way I see it, you’ve never been the type to sit still and do nothing.”

Well, he was right about that, too.

“But you have no hobbies to speak of. And that’s why you can’t handle your days off.”

“Mm...!”

Again, Park Yu-Min had made more valid points.

“In that case, how about finding yourself a hobby, Jin-Ho?”

“A hobby?”

“Yeah, a hobby. A pastime.”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow while scratching the back of his head. Wasn’t that easier said than done? It wasn’t as if one could find a hobby just because they felt like it.

Besides, getting a hobby he didn’t enjoy would be the same as finding extra work instead.

“But I don’t have anything I’m particularly interested in,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“That can’t be true. Think about it. There has to be something you’ve enjoyed doing before. People usually look toward something new and adventurous-sounding for their hobbies, but I think it’s better to look back at what they’ve been enjoying doing all this time.”

“Is that so?” Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. “What about you, then? Do you have a hobby like that?”

“Of course!” Park Yu-Min replied confidently. “For me, it’s cooking.”

“...!” Kang Jin-Ho’s expression subtly crumpled just then. “Hang on, you only know how to cook curry, right?”

“Nope, not true. I’m pretty handy in the kitchen, I’ll have you know. It’s just that kids want me to make curry for them all the time, that’s all.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded sagely. It seemed his dearest friend had no bloody idea why the Seongsim kids insisted on curry and nothing else besides from him!

Well, I guess it’s not so bad.

One’s hobby and specialty were two different things, after all. “Specialty” implied something one was good at, but “hobby” indicated something one enjoyed doing, regardless of one’s skill level. As long as one enjoyed their hobbies, who cared about the outcome? Even if it could be rather destructive to other people?

Still, Park Yu-Min proudly declaring his hobby as cooking served as an inspiration to Kang Jin-Ho.

“Something I enjoy, is it...?”

Wasn’t that fighting?

No, that’s not good, Kang Jin-Ho grimaced. Not only did he not have anyone he could fight to his heart’s content, but if he tried to vent his stress properly, it could inadvertently lead to the entire Assembly descending into the pits of hell.

One’s hobby shouldn’t unduly trouble other people, no? In that case, what could he do?

Kang Jin-Ho kept tilting his head. Something he enjoyed doing?

The thing was, Kang Jin-Ho hadn’t really felt “joy” while doing something until now. Of course, that didn’t mean his life had been devoid of fun. It was just that the things he had done so far weren’t fun enough for him to see them as a viable pastime. The things he derived happiness from were mostly relationships he formed with other people, after all.

In that case, which activity did he find fun doing by himself?

“...? Uh?”

Kang Jin-Ho’s eyes widened. Although it was questionable to say he had fun doing it, he could think of one activity that had given him a refreshing feeling.

“Riding a bicycle!”

Park Yu-Min perked up. “Ohh, that’s right! You used to ride your bicycle everywhere, didn’t you? Nowadays, you drive a car instead, but still!”

“Yeah, I used to do that,” Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded.

Didn’t he think about replacing his bicycle several times in the past? Riding a bicycle felt completely different from driving a fast car, after all. A car was much simpler and hassle-free to go fast, which was fun in its own right. However, riding a bicycle gave him this sense of purpose, the feeling of being one with the object, since he had to pedal it himself. And the winds brushing against his face imparted a uniquely refreshing feeling, too.

Now I remember. Didn’t I ask Lee Hyeon-Su to order me a new bicycle sometime ago?

Didn’t he say it’d come from... Italy? Was that right?

Park Yu-Min got up. “Let’s go, Jin-Ho.”

“Eh? Go where?”

“To ride a bicycle, of course.”

Kang Jin-Ho dazedly stared at his friend.

Park Yu-Min chuckled loudly. “It’s not like you’re physically tired, right?”

“No... I’m not.”

Park Yu-Min’s understanding of the subject called Kang Jin-Ho had reached such a high level that he only needed one look at his friend’s face to arrive at a fairly accurate prognosis.

“In that case, let’s hurry. A relaxing ride around Seoul on a bicycle might improve your mood, after all. It’s worth a shot, right?”

A relaxing ride around Seoul on a bicycle sounded illogical and wrong on some level, but neither the one suggesting it nor the man accepting said suggestion found it problematic.

Because that activity really did qualify as “relaxing” to Kang Jin-Ho, after all!

“Okay! Let’s change out of these clothes, and... Nope, let’s just get going like this. We’re going to sweat a lot, after all.”

“Mm?”

While tilting his head, Kang Jin-Ho got pulled outside the orphanage by Park Yu-Min.

***

“Give us the sturdiest bicycle you have,” said Park Yu-Min.

The bicycle shop proprietor replied, “All our bicycles are sturdy, sir.”

“No, I’m serious. We’re looking for the sturdiest one you have.”

“The... sturdiest?”

The proprietor could only frown just then. He wasn’t sure what these two young men meant by “sturdiest.” The way he saw it, there could be two answers here. One, they were looking for a bicycle with a frame that could withstand most types of impact. And the other? They could be searching for a solid product that wouldn’t break down easily.

Well, now that I’ve taken a good look at these two...

The proprietor sneakily scanned Park Yu-Min and Kang Jin-Ho’s attires to make an educated guess.

They don’t look all that well-off, so the answer must be the second one. A bicycle that won’t break down easily and can be ridden for a long time, eh? But the sturdiest bicycle we have costs over ten million won, and these two don’t seem to be the type to sink that much money into a bicycle.[1]

The proprietor finished his mental arithmetic and grinned brightly. “If you’re looking for such products, please come with me. Some of the toughest, low-maintenance bikes we have are on display over here, you see?”

They walked to the bicycles on display to the side of the store. Park Yu-Min curiously asked, “What do you think, Jin-Ho?”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head slightly. “Honestly, I’m not sure. Looking at them like this doesn’t help, you see?”

Park Yu-Min glanced at the proprietor next. “Is it okay if my friend tries out a few bikes?”

“Of course. As long as you’re not too vigorous, we don’t prohibit our customers from sitting on our bicycles. Ah, how about trying this one out first, sir?”

“You heard the man, Jin-Ho.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded, then wheeled out the heaviest, sturdiest-looking bicycle on display to a nearby empty spot in the showroom.

Okay, take it easy. Gently...

Kang Jin-Ho told himself to be as gentle as possible, since the proprietor said “nothing too vigorous”. He cautiously perched himself up on the saddle, then very gently pressed down on the pedal.

Snap!

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho pouted, unimpressed, while staring at below his feet. A pedal that had been cleanly broken off tumbled around on the floor.

“Is there anything sturdier than this bicycle?”

“H-hang on? That can’t be right?”

The proprietor’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Could this bicycle be a defective product? It had to be. Otherwise, why would the pedal snap off so easily when this young man only gently touched it?

“A-ahahaha! My apologies! On some rare occasions, and I do mean rare, we’d find defective pedals like this one, sir! Well, then! How about trying out this one instead?”

The proprietor hurriedly wheeled out another bicycle and presented it to his prospective customers.

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow, still not convinced, then settled down on the saddle of this bicycle. However...

Snap!

“...”

The proprietor’s cheeks began twitching weirdly.

Park Yu-Min frowned. “Excuse me... I think you misunderstood us. Please give us the sturdiest bicycle you have. And I mean the sturdiest.”

“T-this doesn’t make any sense, though?”

The panicky proprietor hurriedly looked around. What kind of embarrassing situation was this?

He no longer cared about the price; after rushing to the back of the store, he brought out a bicycle designed for pro athletes’ usage in competitive settings and placed it before Kang Jin-Ho.

“Now, then! This is the sturdiest bicycle our store has... Eh?”

Snap!

“...Uh-whew.” Kang Jin-Ho sighed, then climbed off the bicycle. “Let’s go, Yu-Min. I don’t think this store has what we’re looking for.”

“Why are all the bicycles in this place so fragile? I didn’t think getting a ride on one would be this tough.”

“Maybe I should call Lee Hyeon-Su.”

The proprietor, now left alone, dazedly stared at the two grumbling young men walking out of his store.

“...?! W-wait! You should pay for the pedals, sirs! The pedals!”

1. At the time of TLing, ten million won is around $7238.50 US. ☜