Cheat day

Side by Side (4)

We decided to proceed with the promising cases among the advertising and collaboration proposals we received.

Muk-ji-ji had organized everything so well that it wasn’t difficult to choose.

After that, we planned to open a new shorts channel, and while having dinner, we were able to share the stories we had put off with ease.

“Isn’t it hard?”

Muk-ji-ji asked.

“It is.”

I had blisters on my feet, the weather was humid, and most importantly, walking for over 10 hours a day was piling on the fatigue.

Just the fact that we escaped the stagnation phase shows how tough this schedule has been.

“But it’s not bad.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I was thinking while taking a bath yesterday that I’m living quite a disciplined life.”

Muk-ji-ji nodded slowly.

“I wake up around 8, have breakfast, wash up, do some work, have lunch, walk for about 6 hours after lunch, have dinner, and then walk again. After coming back to the accommodation, I wash up, don’t waste time, and go to bed before midnight. I don’t remember the last time I lived so regularly.”

Everyone knows that a regular lifestyle is good for health.

Even so, many can’t manage it because it’s hard to wake up early to prepare breakfast, let alone do work, exercise, and household chores.

Even if there are those extraordinary people, can they really finish the day in that state?

“In the past, I used to do a lot of things for no reason when it was time to sleep. I would sleep, wake up for work, go home, and then have to sleep again. I couldn’t watch movies, play games, or read books, and I felt like a day was too precious to waste.”

Muk-ji-ji nodded.

“But for the past few days, I’ve just slept soundly without such thoughts. I didn’t feel like it was a waste to end the day like this. I felt a sense of satisfaction that I exercised and did good things.”

“Is that so?”

She smiled subtly.

“Yeah. It’s nice. It doesn’t feel bad. I thought it would be good to live like this with Eun-ji later on.”

“How?”

“I’d wake up in the morning, throw on some clothes, turn on the robot vacuum. Boramae Park is nice, and so is the Han River Park. I’d take a walk for about an hour according to how I feel that day.”

“I like walking.”

“On the way back, we’d buy a salad each to share. After that, I’d shower and lie down to watch a drama before going to work.”

“Do you like dramas?”

“Yeah. What about you, Eun-ji?”

“I prefer movies to dramas. I like short, conclusive content.”

“Then we can just watch movies.”

“If it’s a drama that Chan-yong likes, I’m interested.”

“Then we can decide on it when the time comes.”

“It would be nice to start the washing machine before watching something.”

“That sounds good. We can watch and hang out the laundry afterward.”

“What’s next?”

“We need to have lunch. Since we had salad for breakfast, I think a barley rice set near the office would be nice for lunch.”

Muk-ji-ji nodded.

“After going to work, I’ll work hard. Sometimes I’ll do broadcasts together.”

“Do you do them together?”

“There are quite a few people who ask when Eun-ji will be on the broadcast.”

“Hm.”

“Only when I feel like it.”

“Okay.”

“At 9 o’clock, we’ll go grocery shopping together. It’ll probably be at the Guro E-Mart, right? I’ll put soybean paste, zucchini, tofu, beef, mushrooms, and a bag of snacks in the cart.”

“No snacks.”

“Then I’ll just put back the snacks you take out.”

Muk-ji-ji smiled slightly.

“That sounds natural.”

“I thought so. Somehow, even if I try to go astray, I have the feeling that Eun-ji would keep me on the right path.”

“…I think I understand.”

“Really?”

“I feel the same way. If thoughts go in a bad direction, I think Chan-yong would pull me back.”

I wrapped my hand around Muk-ji-ji’s hand resting on the table.

“What are you going to buy, Eun-ji?”

“Um… I want to buy some exercise equipment. I’ve been watching workout videos with a foam roller lately, so I’m interested in that.”

“That sounds good. Let’s add the foam roller and a mat to the cart and head home. We can soak the rice we’ll eat for breakfast tomorrow and make some doenjang jjigae as well.”

“Then I’ll tidy up in the meantime.”

“That’s great. It’ll probably be around 11 o’clock, right? We can lie down together in a cozy state and whisper about what happened today. Then we’ll slowly close our eyes and wish each other good night.”

Muk-ji-ji smiles subtly.

“Is that how we’ll live?”

“Yes. We’ll wake up together, walk together, eat together. Side by side, looking at the same things.”

She nods.

Her eyes are filled with trust and love as she looks at me.

I feel the same way.

“Side by side.”

“Yes. Side by side.”

We held each other’s hands tightly.

“How will we spend our working days? And what about our days off?”

“Eun-ji, you decide.”

She thought for a moment before speaking.

“We’ll go to a restaurant that Chan-yong likes.”

“Sounds good!”

“But you have to exercise just as much. In the morning, let’s pack a trash bag and a grabber and head to the mountain.”

That’s something I do every Sunday.

At first, it was started as a meaningful activity and a way to exercise, but now it feels like a way to wrap up the week.

“Are you okay with that?”

“Didn’t I say let’s do everything together?”

“You don’t have to push yourself too hard.”

“It’s something I enjoy doing. But in the afternoon, please join me.”

“Whatever you want. What will we do?”

“I want to play board games.”

“Board games?”

“Yes. I haven’t had anyone to play with, so I’ve been doing it alone. But if it doesn’t suit your taste, that’s fine.”

“I’d like to try. I’ve never played before. What’s fun about it?”

Muk-ji-ji began to explain the board game called My City.

Her eyes sparkled, and her speech got faster, and even though I didn’t quite understand what she was saying, I nodded along.

“That sounds fun. We have to play it when we go up to Seoul.”

“Yes.”

***

We sat in a row with a desk between us.

With a camera capturing a full shot and another for individual shots, it felt just like a broadcast station filming.

“Day 11 of walking to the sky. We’ll begin the mid-term evaluation.”

Producer Ahn Sang-kyu took the lead.

“We started in Seoul and have arrived today in Mungyeong after passing through Seongnam, Dongtan, Anseong, Jincheon, Eumseong, Chungju, and Suanbo. We visited 8 orphanages and 3 nursing homes, covering a total distance of about 260 km. The accumulated sponsorship amount includes 10 million won from the monk Banya Sikgyeong, 10 million won from the porter Cha Ji-chan, 10 million won from the side dish shop Banchan-yong, and 10 million won from Woo Jin-ius Baek Woo-jin, along with the promised 90 million won and 90 WH smartphones.”

“And?”

Producer Ahn Sang-kyu paused for effect.

“The sponsorship amount sent in by our viewers has totaled 26,112,580 won, bringing the grand total to 156,112,580 won.”

“Wow.”

“Is it 150 million?”

I knew that more donations than usual had come in, but seeing it all totaled up is astounding.

“Then let’s each share our current feelings and future resolutions, starting with the monk.”

Ahn Sang-kyu passed the speaking turn to the monk.

“Well, I thought I was helping Ji-chan, but honestly, I felt overwhelmed.”

Cha Ji-chan smiled awkwardly.

“I sometimes wonder if this will work out. They say it’s going to rain a lot, so I’m worried. But when I see the kids and the elderly, I feel a sense of responsibility.”

Both I and Baek Woo-jin nodded.

“Yesterday, when I was on the phone with Taerin, my daughter, she told me that her dad is amazing. I realized, oh, I’m doing something wonderful right now. I’m showing her a proud side of myself, so I feel very satisfied right now.”

The monk turned his head.

Cha Ji-chan, who had taken his turn, took a deep breath before speaking.

“It’s true that I started this on my own stubbornness.”

Everyone chuckled softly.

“So, thanks to Ji-seung hyung, Banchan, Woo-jin, and all the staff here at WH.”

As Baek Woo-jin started clapping, everyone began to applaud each other.

“Honestly, I had underestimated some aspects. I’m confident in my exercise abilities, but the weather has been rough, and there are slopes, making it not so easy. The other day, when we crossed into Mungyeong, I honestly found it very tough.”

“The meaning of Mungyeong Saejae is that even a bird finds it hard to cross over the ridge. That’s why it has been a strategic point since ancient times.”

Baek Woo-jin, who loves to explain things, suddenly took off on a tangent, so Cha Ji-chan covered his mouth to let him continue.

“Still, thanks to everyone who’s with us, I think we can keep going.”

After Cha Ji-chan finished speaking, he looked at me.

Everyone was waiting for me to speak, and since opportunities like this are rare, it felt a bit strange.

I pondered over what to say and ended up expressing my honest feelings.

“It’s tough.”

“Ha ha ha.”

Everyone laughed.

“Yes, it’s really very hard, and Ji-chan said yesterday was tough, right? The mountain paths are challenging, and the rain keeps coming and going, making me feel frustrated.”

Cha Ji-chan rubbed my back.

“But when I met the people who greeted us at Mungyeong Saejae, especially the one who brought us water, I strangely felt energized.”

“Really.”

Baek Woo-jin nodded.

“The truth is, what we’re doing would be meaningless without those people. Who would give money for four guys in their 30s to walk across the country? It feels like we’re gaining attention because of your support. We’ll keep gaining attention in the future.”

I looked around.

It was meant to be a joking comment, but everyone had warm expressions on their faces.

“Thank you so much.”

I bowed my head.

“Did you all know? To get to the sea from Mungyeong, you have to pass through at least four districts or counties. There’s no other place in the country like this. Jin-an in Jeollabuk-do or Hapcheon in Gyeongsangnam-do are similar, but only Mungyeong requires passing through more than four. It’s amazing.”

As I covered Baek Woo-jin’s mouth, everyone burst out laughing.

It seems that this guy likes to make comments while having his mouth covered.

***

After reorganizing in Mungyeong, we moved on to Sangju.

On the way, we wanted to buy some snacks, but we decided to stop by the nearby Han-chang Traditional Market since it was the 1st and 6th of the month when the market is held.

It’s not a big market, but I saw fried snacks, dried fish, puffed rice, fruits, and traditional sweets on the stalls.

“Do you want to eat hotteok?”

“We just had rice.”

“Then should I just order one for myself?”

“…Make it two.”

“Three.”

“Four.”

In the end, we each grabbed a hotteok and left the market. They were just regular hotteok filled with pumpkin seeds or peanuts, but for some reason, they were oddly chewy and delicious.

“Chan-yong!”

When someone called me, I turned my head to see a cheerful-looking man I had never seen before.

“Yes?”

“Take this.”

As the man handed me a black bag, I hesitated, and he got a bit angry.

“Oh, hurry up!”

“What is this?”

“Gimbap! Eat it on the way!”

“Uh… Thank you.”

“Yeah! Stay strong!”

As I bowed my head to thank him, Baek Woo-jin asked,

“Do you know him?”

“No?”

When I turned back with Baek Woo-jin, the gimbap man was waving his hand above his head.

I waved my hand back, and he gestured for us to hurry along.

“What’s going on?”

Laughter erupted.

“What do you mean? It’s a good thing.”

“I should eat before we rest.”

“Come visit us at our school, uncle!”

Hearing the voices of some kids, I turned my head to see a few students talking to Cha Ji-chan.

“School?”

“Yes. Our school playground is really big.”

“That’s nice. But I have to go.”

“Aww.”

“Ji-seung!”

“Yeah?”

A woman approached Ju Ji-seung.

“Didn’t you follow the recipe? My husband says the taste isn’t great.”

“Really? What did you make?”

“Tum… what was it called?”

“Tuumba, right?”

“Yeah, tuumba spaghetti. What went wrong?”

“If your husband doesn’t like greasy food, you could add a bit more spice.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that. He’ll eat whatever I make, right?”

“Ha ha ha!”

Ju Ji-seung laughed heartily.

I thought it was strange for someone to say their recipe wasn’t good, but she seemed like a cheerful person.

“Aren’t you the ones who were on the news yesterday? Doing good work!”

“Ah, thank you.”

“Yeah! Where are you headed?”

“To Sangju.”

“Oh my! You just set off; when do you expect to arrive?”

“We have to move briskly.”

“Take this drink with you, okay?”

“No, it’s alright. We’ve brought our own water.”

“Take it! Go on!”

“Ah, thank you…”

Baek Woo-jin received four bottles of drinks from the angry-looking man and stuffed them into his backpack.

“Isn’t this a bit strange?”

Baek Woo-jin, who had been talking with a Mungyeong citizen, came closer, pulling his bicycle.

“Right?”

While it’s understandable for people to talk to us as we cross the city, it’s surprising that even when we got further out, people are still joining in.

With people giving us gimbap or drinks, or just exchanging small talk, we soon formed a group of about thirty.

After passing Hamchang Middle School and reaching the fields and rice paddies, people started waving us goodbye one by one.

“…Were they waving us off?”

“Looks like they were.”