The Pizza Delivery Man and the Gold Palace — Chapter 23

YOU KNOW THE PART-TIME JOB I MENTIONED LAST NIGHT?

I GAVE THEM YOUR NUMBER, SO THEY'LL CONTACT YOU SOON.

ALRIGHT. OH, WHAT ABOUT THE EVENING WALKS? HOW WILL THAT WORK?

I'LL HELP HOWEVER I CAN! JUST GIVE ME THE WORD!

HOW RELIABLE.

TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE TEN MINUTES AWAY.

I HAVE TO SLOWLY GET USED TO BEING AROUND OTHER PEOPLE.

OKAY! WHAT ELSE? TELL ME IF THERE'S SOME WAY I CAN HELP YOU MORE.

BRIMMING WITH MOTIVATION

HE'S SO EASY TO READ.

WELL, I GUESS IT'S BETTER TO GIVE HIM SOMETHING TO DO.

...AT LEAST SOMETHING.

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I ALWAYS WENT THE EXTRA MILE.

Certificate of Award

First Place 2nd Grade Math Kang Seo-an This award is presented in recognition of your outstanding achievement at the 42nd National English and Mathematics Competition, hosted by the Global Association for Gifted Children and sponsored by the Dong-ha Daily. December 11, 20xx

Sungkunkwan University President Shin Dong-jae The Dong-ha Daily Publisher Kim Ryul-ho

AT THE ROOT OF MY EFFORT WAS AN UNFULFILLED HOPE.

SOON, EFFORT BECAME AN INSTINCT TO FILL THE VOID IN MY HEART.

MY FOOLISH AMBITIONS OBSCURED THE TRUTH, PUSHING ME PAST MY LIMITS.

DOING MY BEST SERVED AS A STIMULANT, AND I DECEIVED MYSELF INTO THINKING THAT I COULD ACHIEVE EVERYTHING.

A FALSE BELIEF THAT I WAS DOING WELL.

A VAIN LONGING FOR THINGS TO CHANGE.

I CLUNG TO THAT INSTINCT MY ENTIRE LIFE.

I KNEW I WAS HEADED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION...

...BUT MY SELF- RIGHTEOUSNESS RODE THE TIDE OF PASSIVITY, AND I LOST ALL COURAGE TO LOOK BACK.

THUS, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE EFFORT I PUT INTO MY LIFE WASN'T CHANGING ANYTHING.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT COULDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING.

FROM THE START, THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO.

I WAS YEARNING FOR SOMETHING I COULDN'T ACHIEVE ON MY OWN.

BUT THIS TOOK ME TOO LONG TO REALIZE.

WHENEVER I LOOK AT HIM, NUMEROUS THOUGHTS CROSS MY MIND.

THOUGHTS I HAD SUPPRESSED LONG, LONG AGO.

I'LL BE BACK.

GET SOME REST. I'LL CALL YOU AFTER WORK.

ALRIGHT, TAKE CARE.

DAMN, I HAVEN'T SEEN SOMEBODY OFF SINCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

I JUST KNOW I'M GOING TO BE WAITING FOR WOO-WON ALL DAY LONG.

I HOPE THE TIME FLIES.

11:20

THIS IS TAKING FOREVER...

PLEASE...

I'M GROWING IMPATIENT. I'M DEFINITELY NOT CUT OUT FOR THIS.

I'VE SAID THAT LINE BEFORE...

FORGET IT. WHEN IS HE COMING?

I FEEL LIKE A DAMN DOG.

HELLO?

OH, THAT WAS QUICK. YOU CAN START HEADING OUT-

GOT IT.

I'M OUTSIDE, BUT I FEEL ON EDGE...

IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I STEPPED OUT WITHOUT MY CAR.

IT'S OKAY.

I'M NOT TOO ANXIOUS YET.

RAIN?!

YOU MADE IT.

WHAT INCREDIBLE TIMING.

GOOD THING WE MET NOW. YOU WERE ABOUT TO GET DRENCHED.

I KNOW, RIGHT? IS THAT YOUR UMBRELLA?

YEAH. THE FORECAST PREDICTED RAIN, SO I BROUGHT IT WITH ME.

I THOUGHT I WOULDN'T NEED IT SINCE IT HADN'T RAINED ALL DAY, BUT HERE WE ARE. HAHA

CAN'T BELIEVE SEEING WOO-WON'S FACE WAS ALL IT TOOK TO MAKE ME FEEL AT EASE.

HOW DO YOU FEEL?

HUH?

BEING OUTSIDE ISN'T EASY, RIGHT?

HOW IS IT? YOU FEEL OKAY?

OH, IT'S... BETTER THAN I THOUGHT.

REALLY? I'M GLAD. I'VE BEEN WORRIED, YOU KNOW.

WORRIED?

YEAH, THAT YOU MAY BE OVERDOING IT BECAUSE OF ME.

I TOLD YOU BEFORE, BUT A FAMILY MEMBER HAD PANIC DISORDER.

I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO OVERCOME.

HOW IF YOU DROP THE BALL, IT CAN BE QUITE DISHEARTENING.

BUT I'M HAPPY TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE OKAY.

THANKS.

I'LL HAVE TO OWE YOU.

THAT SHOULD BE MY LINE.

TRUE.

YOUR WRIST STILL HASN'T HEALED?

IT HAS. I'M REMOVING THE BANDAGE TOMORROW.

OH, RIGHT. YOU HEAR FROM THE PART-TIME JOB YET?

NOT YET. I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I DO!

I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO COME EARLIER, WOO-WON. WHY ARE YOU LATE?

OH...

THERE'S BEEN A LOT GOING ON...

IS THAT SO?

CAN YOU FLEX YOUR WRIST FOR ME? DOES IT HURT?

FINALLY...

NOT AT ALL.

YOU STILL NEED TO BE CAREFUL.

YOUR JOINTS MIGHT BE STIFF FROM UNDERUSE, SO MAKE SURE TO STRETCH.

AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT IF THE PAIN RETURNS.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

WE COULDN'T CATCH UP LAST TIME, HUH? HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?

GOOD! HOW ABOUT YOU, HYUNG?

NOT BAD, AS YOU CAN SEE.

YOU SURE YOU'VE BEEN OKAY? SEEING AS WE'VE MET AGAIN AT THE HOSPITAL.

YOU JUST REMOVED A BANDAGE, KID.

HAHAHA...

I KNOW, I KNOW. ANYWAY, I'M GLAD THAT YOU SEEM TO BE DOING A LOT BETTER.

I MUST SAY, YOU SAW ME AT MY WORST BACK THEN.

My Way With You

THAT MAKES THE TWO OF US.

I GOT CLOSE TO HEE-IN HYUNG...

...WHEN I USED TO SWIM BEFORE MY ACCIDENT.

WHILE SCRAPING A LIVING, SWIMMING BECAME A DIFFICULT HOBBY TO MAINTAIN.

IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE FORMAL LESSONS THANKS TO MY P.E. TEACHER. BUT HIGH SCHOOL WAS ANOTHER STORY.

I WAS DEBATING WHETHER OR NOT I SHOULD QUIT SWIMMING.

I ALREADY KNEW THE ANSWER, BUT I PURPOSELY SAT ON THE FENCE.

I OFTEN WENT TO THE POOL AND PRACTICED ON MY OWN TO CLEAR MY HEAD.

THAT WAS WHEN I GOT TO KNOW HEE-IN HYUNG.