Click.
The sound of the front door handle turning echoes.
It was the sound of the son’s return, awaited all night. Startled by the noise, the old man, who had been dozing off uncomfortably, opened his eyes.
“Oh, the lad who’s supposed to start work in a few hours is finally here.”
Feeling uncomfortable from his sleep, the old man fumbled his way up and staggered towards the kitchen. It was to fetch some water.
“Hmm. Well, sometimes you have to drink and relieve stress. He must be feeling stuffed living with a sick, elderly mother, even after sending Jae-woong to his mother’s.”
Muttering to himself, the old man’s son, Oh Jin-cheol, finally entered the entrance.
Without even taking off his shoes, Oh Jin-cheol urgently called out.
“Mom, Mom!”
“Looks like our son has had quite a bit to drink, looking for his mom.”
“Alcohol? That’s not it. More importantly, Mom, please sit at the table.”
“No time for that. Just wait a moment. I was about to pour you a glass of water.”
The old man rummaged through the cupboard. Familiar with the feeling and the blurry shapes, he found the pitcher.
“Please, Mom. You don’t have to drink that water. Just sit down for a moment.”
“Why is our son like this? Oh my, oh my.”
Taking the pitcher from his mother’s hands, Oh Jin-cheol then supported her shoulders and sat her down on a dining chair.
In doing so, Oh Jin-cheol could feel his mother’s frail arms. Despite being the arms of a seventy-year-old woman, they felt too frail.
Was it just because she was old, feeble?
Definitely not.
His mother’s deteriorating health was all because of him.
For a laborer working at the site, his body is his asset. However, last year, he had suffered an injury and had to rest at home for a few months.
Even just breathing cost money, but there was no one in the house besides Oh Jin-cheol himself who could earn money.
With him out of action, could the household run smoothly?
Pressure from overdue debts, pressure from rent, and the cost of food for his son and mother. Money was choking him.
And then, at that moment.
“Son, your mother met the landlord and paid off the overdue rent. Don’t worry. And with this money, you can also pay off this month’s bank interest.”
His mother handed him a sum of money.
It was like a drop of rain in a drought, so he didn’t ask about its source.
“Don’t worry about that. Your mother has been saving up here and there for a while.”
He just believed those words.
Unaware that it was the money earned through clinical trial part-time work.
Since then, my mother has applied for the potion clinical trial twice more, exposing herself to various side effects.
And now.
The results of the clinical trial are right in front of her. A trembling body like a bamboo in the wind, frail arms and legs, deteriorated vision, and symptoms of unknown toxicity.
Living a life where she must regularly consume intermediate potions to stay alive.
But sadly, Oh Jin-cheol doesn’t have the ability to do so. The ability to purchase intermediate potions every month.
As a result, my mother was rapidly losing her health.
“Mom, please try this.”
At that time, it was the food provided by Jong-pal.
With the hope that it might have some effect on my mother, I brought it despite feeling embarrassed.
Oh Jin-cheol placed the food from “Dok’s Family Restaurant” on the table. It was side dishes made from easily obtainable ingredients.
“Kimchi instead of intermediate potions… They’ll all think I’m insane.”
But he knows. That this isn’t just ordinary kimchi.
“Where’s that delicious smell coming from? Oh, it’s what my son brought? For me?”
“Yes. So please try it quickly.”
“Oh my, why are you eating at this late hour? Don’t eat it now, leave it for Jae-woong to have later when he comes back in the early morning. You need a full stomach if you’re going to work outside. I’ll put it in the fridge for you.”
“…Mom, please listen to me!”
“Why is he like this? Okay, then, let Jae-woong eat and leave some for me. Then, I’ll eat that. Will that work?”
“Mom, this is medicine. Medicine! It’s medicine that will make you feel better. So please try it now. Okay? Listen to your son.”
“This kid is really drunk… Oh well, fine. Fine. I’ll eat it then. Where should I start tasting? Just the taste.”
In response to her son Oh Jin-cheol’s persistence, his mother picked up the spoon. Nowadays, her digestion is also poor, and eating anything is a struggle, but isn’t this food brought by her son for her? It’s hard, but she has to pretend to eat.
‘He’s just like my father in these kinds of situations. Haha.’
Her hand holding the spoon trembles.
Seeing this, Oh Jin-cheol snatched the chopsticks.
“I’ll serve it for you. Just eat, Mom.”
“Oh my, I’m being treated like royalty.”
“Come on, have a bite quickly.”
Kimchi delicately placed on top of the rice.
His mother took a spoonful.
“Hmm?”
Kimchi not soaked in brine, served with rice sprinkled with salt.
It was a familiar taste to the old lady.
But why is that?
Strangely, there was vitality surging inside his body.
“This is…”
It felt similar to when she drank the intermediate potion three months ago. The effects were the same. No, it was even better than the potion. The chronic tremors in his body vanished in an instant.
“Son? What on earth…”
Sitting face to face, Oh Jin-cheol couldn’t help but notice his mother’s change. He quickly extended his chopsticks.
“…I knew it would be like this. Phew. Mom, please try this too.”
“Oh, uh.”
Even the old lady, who had only intended to taste it, kept her mouth open.
“Am I dreaming?”
It would make sense since the food provided by her son was indeed effective.
With each spoonful of rice, the tremors in her body subsided, the pain that had been throbbing with every movement eased, and her eyes regained focus with each bite.
And so, she finished the entire bowl of rice.
“Oh my, what’s happening, really. Is this a dream or reality? My son’s face looks so clear. I can see my son’s handsome face.”
“…Mom. Do you really see my face clearly?”
“Of course. If I had just seen my son’s face properly before he left, even if I died, I wouldn’t have any regrets.”
The old lady raised her wrinkled hand and gently stroked her son, Oh Jin-cheol’s face. Oh Jin-cheol seemed to smile through tears.
***
A few hours later.
At the site of the dismantling of the forge.
The young Foreman is conducting safety training for the workers. Since it’s early dawn, there are only workers on the site. Trigo hasn’t arrived for work yet.
“As you know, today is the day we’ll be dismantling the dangerous substance, Majung Iron Ore. Fortunately, there aren’t many buildings to be dismantled, but we still need to conduct pre-operation training, so I ask for your cooperation.”
Majung Iron Ore is a mixed ore of Majung Stone and Iron Ore, developed during the chaotic early days.
With a hardness fifteen times higher than that of iron ore and excellent resistance to wear and tear.
Due to its outstanding performance, Majung Iron Ore has become an essential material in the construction industry.
However, that didn’t last long. It wasn’t long before the side effects of Majung Iron Ore were discovered.
Eventually, Majung Iron Ore was classified as a Class 1 hazardous substance.
And today was the day to dismantle such a Class 1 hazardous substance.
“Now, let’s proceed with the training on wearing safety protective clothing. First, please check the protective gear in front of you.”
The safety protective clothing training is mandatory for daily laborers involved in the removal of Class 1 hazardous substances.
However, some workers began to murmur loudly, dampening the atmosphere.
“Huh. Even though our Foreman doesn’t know the site yet, they act like they know everything.”
“?”
“Who these days actually checks and wears this? There aren’t even any newbies here. Ah, although the Foreman lacks experience on-site. Anyway, if we all keep our mouths shut, there’s no need to bother with wearing equipment, right?”
“That’s right, that’s right. None of us have ever worn safety gear before, so why bother wearing it, taking it off, and putting it on again. It’s a waste of time and tiresome…”
At that moment, the Foreman’s brow furrowed.
“So, are you suggesting we skip the legally required training?”
“Not skip, just take it easy.”
“Sigh, we can’t do that. And the on-site supervisor is here. So, everyone, please confirm the protective clothing you’ve received according to my instructions. After confirmation, proceed with wearing it.”
“Oh, that’s really inflexible! We’re not even doing the dismantling work a couple of times, but do we really have to do this? Huh?”
“That’s why it’s good to have an on-site experienced supervisor. Tsk.”
Yet, two workers continued to grumble persistently. In fact, they didn’t care about the training at all.
Raising their voices was simply to deflate the young Foreman’s pride.
The day before, the young Foreman had said something unpleasant with wide eyes in front of “Dok’s Restaurant.”
“Why does he think he can boss us around like that? If I’d gotten married earlier, I wouldn’t have to deal with a foreman like him. The insolent pup! Even if a worker speaks up, he should at least pretend to listen. Dictator, is he? Urgent job or not, neglecting other tasks just for this is ridiculous!”
“That’s why we need a supervisor from the site. Just because he’s soaked in authority, he thinks he can dominate the site. Ugh, tsk.”
Yet, the two workers didn’t back down. They had a reason to be audacious: because they were skilled experts in dismantling Class 1 hazardous substances.
‘If me or my brother collapses, how are we going to work immediately? The longer the construction deadline is delayed, the more we lose.’
With that thought, they glanced at their colleagues. It was a silent signal. We’ll provide the scaffolding and set up the work environment, so follow along.
‘Looks like the new Foreman is starting to get tamed.’
‘Huh, it’s a bit tiring to deal with a Foreman who sticks to the Field Manual as it is.’
‘If we get on his good side now, the work will be a little easier.’
At that signal, one by one they began to take notice. In truth, the safety gear training is quite cumbersome. Sometimes they even take pictures during work to use as training materials. So…
“What’s the use of making a big deal out of it? Let’s just take it easy.”
“Yeah, as long as we know among ourselves. Whatever.”
“In fact, a Foreman who is flexible and takes care of the workers’ convenience is needed.”
The mood tilted in one direction.
In an instant, the Foreman clenched his fist tightly.
He had to make a decision.
In any construction site, small disturbances are bound to happen, and it’s solely the responsibility of the Foreman to handle them well and keep the construction going smoothly.
Both the Foreman and the workers knew that. That’s why if the workers collectively take action, it becomes troublesome for the Foreman.
“Sigh, yes. I lack experience on-site…”
It was time for the Foreman to reluctantly back down.
“Hats, safety goggles, safety shoes, safety gloves, safety suits. I’ve confirmed all five pieces of equipment. So, Mr. Supervisor, should we proceed with wearing them?”
Oh Jin-cheol raised his voice loudly. Oh Jin-cheol was also a skilled expert in dismantling Class 1 hazardous substances. But that’s not all. Even a rice ball rolled at the site couldn’t escape his notice. As evidence, most of the workers gathered here had some connection with him.
“Tae-soo, what are you doing? The supervisor told you to check the safety protective clothing. You need to make sure they’re all there!”
And Oh Jin-cheol intended to use all his abilities to calm the turmoil that had erupted on the site.
He owed a debt to Trigo, who had shown him his lunchbox, and to the restaurant owner who had packed the remaining food for him.
“I’ll work my bones to the bone to do my best on this project.”
“Ah, uh, uh. Yes!”
“And you, the guy next to him. Why didn’t you check? Don’t you know you’ll be fined if you get caught skipping mandatory training? I don’t know about your financial situation, but I don’t have money to pay a fine.”
“Why are you like this, hyung? I don’t have money to pay a fine either. Foreman. I’ve checked all the safety gear. There’s nothing missing.”
Just like that, the atmosphere that had been tilted by Oh Jin-cheol’s shouting returned to normal.
“I’ve finished checking the safety gear.”
“I’m done checking too.”
The voices of the workers could be heard.
The Foreman looked at Oh Jin-cheol.
‘Thank you.’
The two men stared at each other for a long time.
The Foreman expressed his gratitude with his eyes.
‘Let’s proceed with the training as planned.’
Oh Jin-cheol smiled and nodded.
A little later.
Except for two workers, everyone started to wear their safety gear. In the rapidly changing atmosphere, the two workers became like ducks in a pond.
‘Oh shit, I…’
