Time Mansour - Chapter 87
Only Noblemtl
Episode 87 On the treadmill
It’s nothing.
Just that.
Just going to the gym.
but.
For some reason, my steps did not move easily.
I hesitate for a moment in front of the door.
I was just loitering around next to the X-Banner at the gym.
‘I wonder if other people will laugh at my body.’
It causes unnecessary worries to grow in the mind.
Deeply rooted.
Until it turns into a large, beautiful tree.
After spending a long time alone and thinking about useless things.
“Just take a look. Just take a look. If you don’t like it, just leave.”
Make up your mind soon.
I pushed the gym door open with all my might.
Half excited, half scared.
I stepped onto the soft floor with complicated feelings.
Maybe because it’s morning, there aren’t many people.
There must be about fifteen people.
Take a quick look around.
People who just quietly do their own exercises without paying any attention to me when I come in.
He doesn’t even glance at me.
Surprisingly, no one cared about me.
“Excuse me. I’d like to register.”
Even the staff at the counter.
When I spoke to him first, only then did the employee raise his head and look at me.
“Ah! Is this your first time?”
Employees getting up from their seats.
A salesy smile appears on his lips.
“Yes. Today is my first time.”
He nodded his head up and down.
I followed the directions and entered the office.
Yeah, because it’s my first time.
Let’s try it for just one month, just to experience it.
I wrote my name on the application form with a light heart.
**
and.
Naturally.
I paid for six months in advance.
‘The staff speaks well.’
I was persuaded by the desk clerk’s sales pitch.
InBody measurement results: body fat percentage 24 percent.
I took out my card after hearing the employee say that I was skinny fat.
I have never been fat in my life.
Since I’ve always been on the thin side, the word obesity felt a little unfamiliar to me.
I change clothes in the locker room and look around.
First of all, I told you to do cardio.
I got on the treadmill and put my earphones in.
When you press the button, the machine’s treadmill flows.
To the music of Red Blue.
I did my best to keep running in place.
I couldn’t move forward and just kept going around in the same place.
**
Gasp. Gasp.
After finishing cardio, sit down on a chair and catch your breath.
I’m tired just from walking.
I guess you haven’t been using your body for a while.
After wiping the sweat from my forehead with my hand.
The disc was inserted into the hole.
Oh my.
Letting out a feeble cry.
I’m trying to imitate the deadlift form I saw on YouTube.
Ugh. Ugh.
I was struggling like that, holding the pole.
suddenly.
A shabby old man slowly comes closer to me.
After taking a quick look.
“If you listen like that, you’ll get hurt.”
Just blurt out a word without thinking.
“yes?”
“Stick your butt back. Right. That’s right. Yeah. Like that.”
An old man explaining things while gesturing with his hands and feet.
It’s an ambiguous expression that isn’t specific.
Somehow, I completely understand it.
So let me lift the pole a few more times in a plausible posture.
“exorcism!”
The old man raises his thumb with a satisfied expression.
“Okay. Fighting.”
And then he coolly goes off to do his own exercise.
‘what?’
What just passed?
The old man who came like the wind and disappeared like the wind.
He just said what he wanted to say and left.
So at first, I just thought that he was a good person.
That’s what it was.
If I’m exercising.
“Straighten your shoulders a bit more. Oh. Okay, okay.”
As they pass by, everyone blurts out a word.
Even the casual tone of voice was similar.
Since then, the person who trains has changed.
“You have to use your back muscles like this. Like this. Like that. Like that.”
The comments were all similar.
‘Are all gyms like this?’
This is my first time coming here to exercise.
I’m not sure though.
Anyway, the atmosphere didn’t seem that bad.
To be honest, I was a little worried.
Deep down, I felt fortunate.
**
if.
If you could see happiness with your eyes.
It will probably be stretched out horizontally.
He muttered while lying sprawled out on the bed.
‘I’m dying. I’m dying.’
Back. Shoulders. Knees. Arms. Legs.
There is no place that doesn’t hurt.
I tried to look at my phone, but my arm started hurting so I quickly gave up.
I’m just lying on the bed like a corpse, with my phone thrown on the bed.
It’s natural to feel pain when you move your body.
Even.
Just breathing causes muscle pain in my chest.
Because I don’t have the energy to do anything.
I was lying there with my eyes closed, dazed.
So I lowered my eyelids.
A pitch-black universe unfolds before my eyes.
Because there is no oxygen in space.
so.
I guess you’re having trouble breathing.
My whole body aches as if I have a cold.
But there’s something really strange.
Even though my body hurts so much.
I don’t know why I feel so happy.
There wasn’t a single spot that didn’t hurt.
fortunately.
Thanks to that, I don’t have any muscle pain in my face.
I was able to smile comfortably.
**
The long-awaited Tuesday.
Wow.
It was a day to throw away plastic recycling waste.
The long-awaited day.
I came up to the front door carrying a recycling bag.
Trash bags piled up like a grave under a telephone pole.
Bam.
I threw the envelope on top of it.
And then I was about to turn my back.
at that time.
“Uncle! Uncle!”
Da-eun’s voice was heard from behind.
Let’s naturally turn our head towards the direction where the voice is heard.
From far away, I saw Da-eun running towards me.
“Where are you going, Uncle?”
“I’m not going anywhere. I just came out to throw away the trash.”
He gestured with his chin to the mountain of trash that had piled up.
Da-eun nods silently to my answer.
“Did you just come out of the house?”
“No. I’m filming for Otube today.”
“Really? Did you do well?”
“Yes! Oh! That’s right! Our ad came in.”
Da-eun shyly made a V sign.
He sticks his tongue out in embarrassment.
The channel was growing steadily.
It’s slow, but we’re moving forward step by step.
“Really? Congratulations. But what kind of ad is this?”
“It’s children’s vitamins. Everyone is excited because it’s our first commercial.”
Sohyun especially really liked it. She was so happy that the filming atmosphere was good today. Da-eun said with a big smile.
It’s gotten a lot better. The shadows that filled Da-eun’s face disappeared as if it were a lie.
“Are you planning to continue doing Otube in the future?”
“Yes. I plan to continue doing it until I go to middle school.”
“Huh? Wait a minute. So you’re not going to do it when you go to middle school?
In my opinion, there was no reason not to do Otube.
Because I don’t quite understand the answer.
I was looking at Da-eun, tilting my head.
“When I go to middle school… I’m going to focus on my studies.”
An answer came to me that I had never even thought about.
What kind of studying is a middle school student? I barely held back the sound of an old man. I swallowed the long sentences that I had been trying to write.
“Studying···?”
Unfortunately, a few words that I couldn’t swallow came out of my mouth on their own.
“···I··· Ah. No.”
Da-eun tried to answer my question but stopped. She had an awkward expression on her face, as if she was embarrassed about something.
It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he kept hesitating.
After a while of just moving my lips without saying anything.
“Uncle. If you have time, could you give me a little advice? I’ll buy the coffee.”
Open your mouth carefully and let out a sound.
A shy smile.
Looking at that sight, I nodded my head up and down without thinking much.
**
When I see Da-eun smiling brightly, I feel happy too.
The day Da-eun’s father woke up.
I worried a lot inside.
I was worried that Da-eun would be disappointed by her father’s changed appearance.
But contrary to my expectations, Da-eun’s expression brightens day by day.
‘I’m glad that Da-eun has changed positively.’
With that thought in mind, I came to my seat carrying a tray of drinks.
When I came, Da-eun got up from her seat and then sat down again.
But that doesn’t change.
Well, people can’t change all at once.
There was still a bit of an old-man vibe to him.
“Uncle… I tried to buy it… but I just kept getting paid.”
“Later. I’ll get to it later. I’ve written it all down.”
I answered Da-eun’s question jokingly.
I’m not the kind of person who would be shameless enough to get something from an elementary school student.
Also, if you look at the revenue from Otube, it’s obvious. It’s just better than before, but it’s probably not that comfortable even now.
Two glasses of strawberry latte are placed on the table.
A large cup is held in Da-eun’s small hands.
After taking a sip of her drink through the straw, Da-eun slowly opened her mouth.
“When I grow up, I want to do something that helps other people.”
Like an uncle, he adds in a crawling voice.
The child is seriously misunderstanding.
I’ve never tried to help anyone in my life.
Because I am naturally timid, I avoid causing trouble.
I just got misunderstood as a good person.
I am not a good person.
He was just a weak person.
I wanted to tell you that I’m not the person you think I am.
To be honest, I knew it would only make the story longer.
“If it’s something that helps. A nurse, a doctor, or a social worker? Wouldn’t that be good?”
I just answered normally.
I listed a few jobs that immediately came to mind. These are the jobs that usually come to mind when you think of helping others.
“Oh! There are firefighters and police officers too.”
I was going to keep quiet, but just in case, I’ll mention other jobs.
Since Da-eun wasn’t very healthy, a physically demanding job didn’t really suit her.
Da-eun’s eyes sparkled momentarily at my answer.
And then I opened my mouth to answer.
“I am not that···.”
Da-eun swallows her words again.
Even though he didn’t say anything, I think I know what he was trying to say.
“Are you a doctor?”
He asked quietly, observing the situation.
Da-eun nodded shyly to my words.
Anyway, he’s too old.
I wonder if this is such a shameful thing.
There is definitely a childish side to it.
At that age, you can confidently say that you will become president.
But I’m at an age where no one says anything.
“Don’t worry. You can do it.”
“Me? I… am not good at studying.”
“No, I’m good enough. I’m smart too.”
“Huh? How did your uncle know?”
“How would you know? I was a teacher myself.”
And then he gave a thumbs up.
Da-eun smiles shyly at my words.
Still, I guess it doesn’t feel that bad.
When I praised him, the corners of his mouth hung down to his ears.
Da-eun finally has something she wants to do.
That’s fortunate.
Well, I’m still young. Dreams can change at any time.
However, unlike before, an environment was created where Da-eun could dream.
So now I’m the only one on the treadmill?
Everyone is moving forward.
I’m the only one standing still.
‘Because it’s something I want to do.’
I don’t know what to do specifically.
If possible, I wanted to do something meaningful.
Instead of using the endless time my sister gave me for myself.
It would be great if I could share it with other people.
however.
Because all I could give to Da-eun now was a little bit of confidence.
“It’s true. Da-eun is smart. She can become a doctor.”
He kept giving me thumbs up.
These are not empty words.
Of course, I didn’t think Da-eun was a genius.
But he is a child who bravely endured that difficult environment.
I thought I wouldn’t be able to do something like studying.
If it’s Da-eun, I’m sure she’ll be able to overcome anything that happens.
I trust Da-eun.