Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 225

#Extra Story 7: Boy Geun-uk (3)

8 PM.

The public gymnasium had a sparse scattering of people doing their evening workouts.

Among them, Jang Palbong was visible from afar.

White hair.

White tracksuit.

White sneakers.

There were many older people exercising under the dim lights, but Jang Palbong was particularly noticeable.

“Teacher, I’m here! Hehehe.”

Geun-uk approached cautiously.

Jang Palbong, who was warming up with basic calisthenics, turned his head.

“You really came.”

“Of course! You said you’d be at the gym every day at this time.”

“Do you really want to learn how to exercise?”

“Yes!”

“Then, from today on, call me Master at the gym.”

“Yes, Master!”

Geun-uk nodded.

Geun-uk was the type to listen well to whatever his teacher said.

As Jang Palbong had instructed, he rushed to the gym in the evening after his ankle got better.

On the other hand, he was also a little suspicious.

No matter how renowned a doctor Jang Palbong was, did he really know about exercise?

“Before we start, shall I ask you an anatomical question? If you were to describe the human body from an orthopedic point of view in three words?”

Geun-uk shouted confidently.

“Head, chest, stomach!”

“Wrong, you rascal! This isn’t an insect.”

“Blood, sweat, tears?”

“What’s that random nonsense?”

“Hey, what is it then? Just tell me!”

“. . . These three could be said to be the specialized fields that orthopedics deals with. Ho ho ho.”

Flap—

Jang Palbong took off his tracksuit.

A firm body was revealed beneath his white undershirt.

Practical muscles.

A body honed through long exercise.

It was a body that didn’t look like that of an elderly man.

Geun-uk swallowed hard. He felt like he was looking at a reclusive martial arts master who had been training for years.

No wonder his usual posture was different from ordinary old men; to think his body would be this good!

“Oof!”

Thwack!

Jang Palbong hung from the horizontal bar and lay horizontally in the air.

It looked simple, but it was a movement that not everyone could do.

It was a high-level pose called the front lever [a gymnastic feat requiring significant core strength].

Geun-uk’s mouth dropped open as he watched it.

Is that possible with an old man’s body?

“Is there anything in the world that goes my way? Nothing. Not my face, not my height, not my parents’ wealth, not the connections between people, not my fate.”

Jang Palbong climbed onto the horizontal bar. Every time he swung his body like a windmill, the wind whistled.

“But the one thing in the world that I can control… that’s my body! Exercising is about realizing that joy!”

Thwack!

He jumped off the horizontal bar and landed.

The people passing by watched in a daze and applauded.

Geun-uk was the same.

He was foolish to have doubted Jang Palbong even for a moment.

As expected, the best!

Respect itself!

He was indeed a hidden master in the wilderness hiding his identity.

“Teacher, no, Master! Please teach me how to exercise!”

Flat!

Geun-uk prostrated himself on the ground like a frog.

Jang Palbong laughed heartily and replied.

“Do you really want to learn how to exercise?”

“Yes!”

“Are you confident that you’ll do it consistently?”

“I’ll try my best!”

Geun-uk was desperate.

Now you can find exercise methods on the internet, but…

Back then, it wasn’t easy to get such high-quality information.

There were many cases where people ruined their bodies with the wrong exercises.

For example, there were many people who thought that doing sit-ups was unconditionally good and damaged their lumbar vertebrae by slamming their backs hard on the ground.

Jang Palbong was different.

He had extensive and accurate knowledge of the human body.

“There’s one condition. Don’t go around beating up kids just because you’re strong. The moment I hear you’ve been fighting at school, you’re out!”

“Yes!”

Geun-uk nodded vigorously.

After that, every day, every day.

Geun-uk learned how to exercise at the public gymnasium.

At first, he wondered how many days it would last, but after a month or two, Jang Palbong was subtly surprised.

“Hey, you came again today?”

“Of course, Teacher!”

“Oh, I’m so annoyed. I’ve been properly sucked dry by a leech-like guy.”

Even while grumbling, Jang Palbong taught Geun-uk the principles of various exercises.

“Ah, so that’s how you do it.”

“You rascal, it’s only been three months since you started exercising. The most ignorant time is when you know things superficially! Don’t be arrogant!”

“Hehehe. Yes!”

There was no end to learning.

He learned about the movements of muscles and bones.

He learned the principles of muscle growth.

He also learned how important ‘eating’ and ‘resting’ were.

He was able to do several pull-ups in perfect form.

He realized the importance of proper posture in everyday life.

Understanding, cultivating, and growing one’s own body was a joyful thing.

“Don’t be greedy just because you’re having fun exercising. Eating well and sleeping well are much more important at your age.”

“Yes!”

Geun-uk was diligent, and Jang Palbong was cautious. He mainly taught exercises that stimulated growth without hindering the growth of the growth period.

As the seasons changed.

He became a second grader.

Around the time he became a third grader—

Geun-uk was no longer teased for being narrow-shouldered.

His friends began to call him by a different nickname.

“Hey, Muscle Kim!”

“Let me touch your biceps!”

“Muscle Kim! Teach me how to exercise!”

From this point on, he was strangely popular only with men, but…

It was still good.

Every day was new.

He had vitality in his daily life, and he had confidence in his relationships.

Above all, the biggest gain was that he no longer hated his own body.

And, meanwhile.

Yuk Jung-deok’s tyranny was getting worse day by day.

* * *

Thwack!

A dull sound echoes.

A fat middle school student wearing glasses screams and slides down the hallway.

“Knee kick!”

“Aaaagh!”

“Don’t make a fuss, you idiot.”

“I hit my bone, my bone!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re all fat! Aren’t you going to get up?”

Yuk Jung-deok chuckled and harassed the student.

Even in the first grade, it was just a big elementary school student wearing a school uniform and playing pranks.

But now…

It’s been a long time since he crossed the line.

The prank that no one could stop quickly turned into violence.

Now, as a third grader, he was a tyrant that no one could stop in middle school.

“This time it’s a headlock!”

“Aah, it hurts!”

“Pig, I’ll give you ten thousand won [approximately $8 USD] if you get out of it in ten seconds. One, two~”

“Cough, cough!”

Yuk Jung-deok’s sturdy arms squeezed the student’s neck.

The students passing by in the hallway slipped away from him.

If they offended him, they might be the next target.

But then.

Someone who appeared from the side grabbed Yuk Jung-deok’s arm.

“Stop it, you idiot. What are you doing, coming all the way to someone else’s classroom hallway?”

Swish—

The surroundings became quiet.

Yuk Jung-deok frowned. To grab his arm, whoever it was must have great courage, right?

Thinking that, he turned his head with a fierce expression—

And then, he was startled.

‘What, this guy?’

Narrow-shouldered Kim Geun-uk.

He is no longer narrow-shouldered.

His height is somewhat at eye level, and his shoulders are quite broad.

He knew that the guy’s body had gotten bigger, but…

When he faced him up close, he could see that he had definitely gotten a lot stronger.

“…You little punk, you’ve grown a lot. Are you trying to challenge me now?”

Yuk Jung-deok glared threateningly.

But Geun-uk wasn’t intimidated and looked straight at him.

He didn’t know.

That during the three years of middle school, what Geun-uk had cultivated was not only his body but also his confidence.

“Is it fun to bully someone weaker than you? If you want to find a sparring partner, go to the gym or something. I’ve made myself clear.”

Geun-uk said that and turned his back.

But then.

Thwack!

A knee hit his butt.

His body staggered and bent.

Geun-uk turned around with a surge of anger. Yuk Jung-deok was chuckling.

“It’s a flying knee kick, you punk.”

“Ah, seriously, you…”

“If you feel wronged, have a match with me. Are you scared of breaking your bones like before? Does it remind you of your narrow-shouldered days so you can’t do it?”

“This bastard, really.”

Sparks flew in Geun-uk’s eyes as well.

The hallway was instantly filled with tension.

At this Iron Man Middle School, the two were famous as the twin engines with outstanding physiques.

Born giant, Yuk Jung-deok.

Hardworking muscle man, Kim Geun-uk.

The two people’s confrontation was a heart-pounding and exhilarating spectacle just to watch.

“Are you chickening out?”

“Ugh, fine! Let’s have a sparring match or whatever!”

Geun-uk also has a temper.

He can’t stand it anymore.

His pride doesn’t allow him to stay still after being provoked to this extent.

On the one hand, he also has confidence.

No matter how much of a Yuk Jung-deok he is, he might be able to win with the exercise skills he has been taught by Jang Palbong…

‘Oops!’

Only then did Geun-uk recall the words that Jang Palbong had told him.

He had forgotten it because it had been a long time, but it was what he had heard when he first learned to exercise.

—Don’t go around beating up kids just because you’re strong. The moment I hear you’ve been fighting at school, you’re out!

I’m screwed.

What should I do, Master?

We’re already fighting?

Kim Geun-uk looked at Yuk Jung-deok’s sturdy arm flying towards his face with a troubled expression.