Hyun Kwang (4)

"Today, let's start by examining the lower legs and ankles," Mu-Jin said, placing a towel on Hyun-Kwang's calves. The towel had been soaked in warm water and wrung out to keep it warm. 

As the warmth from the damp towel began to relax the calf muscles, Mu-Jin gently placed his hands on top of it. 

"If you feel any pain, don't hesitate to let me know," Mu-Jin advised. He then began to move his hands slowly, checking the condition of Hyun-Kwang's muscles through acupressure.

'This is worse than I thought,' he mused. The muscles in Hyun-Kwang's calves were almost nonexistent, likely from being carried around for so long. What little muscle, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage remained were in terrible condition.

"Great Grandmaster, please don't hesitate to cry out if you feel any pain," Mu-Jin said, noticing that Hyun-Kwang, like Beob-Gang, was enduring the pain in silence. He then reduced the pressure as much as possible.

'Shaolin monks must be masochists. Why do they all hide their pain?' Mu-Jin thought with a slight inward sigh. Despite his inner thoughts, he diligently continued the acupressure on Hyun-Kwang's lower body.

"Now that your body is somewhat relaxed, let's proceed with the main treatment," Mu-Jin said calmly after finishing the acupressure. He began to move Hyun-Kwang's right leg in various directions to correct misaligned joints and muscles, initiating manual therapy.

Performing manual therapy on a severely ill patient can strain their muscles and joints, so Mu-Jin first used a warm towel and acupressure to relax Hyun-Kwang's body. He then began the actual therapy. Alternating between both legs, Mu-Jin spent about a quarter of an hour manipulating Hyun-Kwang's legs and ankles.

Next, Mu-Jin transitioned to myofascial release techniques. "Now, I'll move your right leg over to the left. Keep your back on the floor and turn your head slightly to the right," he instructed. After addressing skeletal issues with manual therapy, Mu-Jin used myofascial release to gradually loosen the tight muscles.

However, Hyun-Kwang's condition, worsened over decades, exceeded that of Mu-Jong's. Despite not being a warrior but a monk, Hyun-Kwang's resolve was so strong it seemed he would rather break than bend. 

The treatment, involving acupressure, manual therapy, and myofascial release, lasted nearly half an hour. Beads of sweat formed on Mu-Jin's forehead.

Having trained his body over the past year and ten months, Mu-Jin wasn't physically exhausted by the acupressure or myofascial release. But handling Hyun-Kwang's severely deteriorated body was like working with delicate glass that could shatter with any misstep. Like Hyun-Gong, Mu-Jin had to meticulously manage his strength, which naturally took a toll on his concentration.

Despite this, Mu-Jin showed no signs of fatigue or annoyance. Instead, his eyes reflected a deep sense of earnestness. 

Hyun-Kwang, undergoing treatment, occasionally caught sight of Mu-Jin's expression and couldn't help but reflect. 

'What kind of sorrow does this young disciple carry to wear such a sad face?' Hyun-Kwang pondered. Despite losing his martial arts, he was still a respected monk and had lived long enough to read a person's character from their face and eyes.

It was Mu-Jin's sincere expression that convinced Hyun-Kwang to accept the treatment. 

Hyun-Kwang's situation had been partly his own choice. Though a hero of Shaolin and its most promising talent, after surviving a war against the Demon Sect, Hyun-Kwang had been left with shattered internal energy centers. Despite the best efforts of Shaolin's leaders and the most renowned physicians, nothing could fully restore him.

The Great Restoration Pill, Shaolin's finest medicine, had no effect, and the acupuncture from famed physicians provided only temporary relief. In desperation, Shaolin leaders had invited various individuals with dubious methods, many of whom turned out to be frauds or offered inhumane treatments.

Fearing the waste of Shaolin's limited resources and the acceptance of unethical methods for his sake, Hyun-Kwang had voluntarily refused further treatment. 

Humans, when driven by noble goals, are often willing to accept unjust means, rationalizing their actions under the guise of righteousness.

Initially, Hyun-Kwang suspected Mu-Jin might have similar motives, hoping to gain fame and influence by treating a Shaolin hero. But there was no trace of such desire in Mu-Jin's eyes—only the sincere gaze of a healer towards his patient.

No, beyond that, there was a mix of unknown sorrow and a sense of duty intertwined in his eyes. As Hyun-Kwang pondered the true meaning behind Mu-Jin's gaze, Mu-Jin, unaware of his own expression due to his focus on the treatment, calmly stood up.

"That's all for today's treatment."

"Should I call those two now?" Hyun-Kwang asked.

"Yes, Abbot."

Creak. 

Shortly after their conversation ended, the door to the quarters opened, and Hyun-Gong and Hye-Dam entered. Following the previous night's rehearsal, infrared therapy and electrical stimulation treatment continued.

* * *

That night, Mu-Jin, who had become Beob Gun's disciple and thus Hyun-Kwang's grand-disciple, moved his belongings into Hyun-Kwang's quarters in the Arhat Hall. Normally, a disciple would stay in a separate room even when living with their master or grandmaster. However, since Hyun-Kwang could not move on his own, Beob Gun had been sharing a room with him to provide care.

Mu-Jin, now Beob Gun's disciple, found himself in the same situation. So, he ended up sharing the room with Beob Gun and Hyun-Kwang. 

That night, Mu-Jin had a rare dream.

"Grandpa, I'll definitely heal you," he said.

"Haha, it's alright, just go and rest," a voice replied.

In his dream, Mu-Jin was diligently massaging the calves of an old man. However, the man in the dream was not Hyun-Kwang. The elderly man was actually Cho Kang-hyuk's paternal grandfather.

"Grandpa, just trust me! I've studied so much to heal you!" Mu-Jin exclaimed confidently, though it was not the truth.

Cho Kang-hyuk had only started studying physical therapy, rehabilitation, and exercise after being forcibly discharged from the military. Tragically, his grandfather had passed away when he was still in high school.

Among the saddest experiences in Mu-Jin's—or rather, Cho Kang-hyuk's—life were not his forced discharge from the military, the struggles of his gym during the pandemic, or the stress-induced hair loss. The most painful memories were the deaths of his paternal grandparents, the only close family he had known since childhood.

When his grandfather passed away, Kang-hyuk had been just a student, helpless to do anything. He had watched his grandfather struggle with walking in his later years but could only offer occasional support and rudimentary massages.

It was this sense of helplessness that drove him to abandon university aspirations in favor of a job. Determined to support his grandmother, he chose a stable career as a civil servant, ultimately deciding to become a professional soldier, thinking physical work suited him better than studying.

However, still harboring a youthful desire for a prestigious job, he chose the special forces. Despite the challenges, he found happiness serving in the special forces and receiving a state salary, feeling a sense of duty to his country and fulfillment in supporting his grandmother.

But the demands of special forces training often kept him away from home. Two years after being promoted to sergeant, his grandmother unexpectedly passed away. The military granted him a mere two-night, three-day leave, plus an additional two days of annual leave, to handle the funeral. The short leave was due to regulations that only granted extended leave for the death of parents, not grandparents.

The brief leave was insufficient for a young man to fully process his grief. Upon returning to his unit, he was assigned a classified mission during which he sustained serious injuries. Still reeling from his loss, he nearly lost his life on that mission.

That night, perhaps because he had treated an elderly person, memories long buried resurfaced in his dreams.

Thus, Mu-Jin—no, Cho Kang-hyuk—struggled to make up for the treatments he couldn't provide in the past, for the debt of gratitude he had yet to repay, even in the smallest way.

"Grandpa! Doesn't that feel good?"

"Haha, my Kang-hyuk has healing hands. Poor boy, not getting any rest because of me."

"Oh, come on! Being with you is rest for me!"

The once taciturn grandson, now older and more genial, earnestly massaged his grandfather's calves.

* * *

While Mu-Jin was deeply engrossed in his dream, reliving moments with his grandfather, Hyun-Kwang and Beob Gun were awake, watching the sleeping Mu-Jin.

"…Grandpa."

"I'll heal you…."

"I studied so hard…."

They had been awakened by Mu-Jin's sleep-talking, which had been going on for a while.

'What should we do, Master?'

'Just leave him be.'

Disturbing the rest of the grand elder was unthinkable, but neither Hyun-Kwang nor Beob Gun showed any displeasure. Instead, they looked at Mu-Jin with faces full of sympathy.

'So, that's how it was. Amitabha.'

Hyun-Kwang recalled the treatment session with Mu-Jin earlier that day. The acupressure, manual therapy, and the muscle extension techniques—treatments he had never heard of before. He remembered the unidentified sorrow, desperation, and sense of duty in Mu-Jin's eyes. 

Although Cho Kang-hyuk, now Mu-Jin, was unaware of it himself, his childhood experiences of helplessness had embedded a deep sense of obligation in his mind. That's why he always tried his best to teach and treat the elderly who came to his gym. At this moment, Hyun-Kwang understood why Mu-Jin had been so dedicated and selfless in treating him and how he had acquired such extensive knowledge at such a young age.

* * *

The next day, the treatment for Hyun-Kwang continued as usual. Yesterday, Mu-Jin had focused on the area below the knees, treating the calves and ankles. Today, he worked on the front and back thighs and the pelvic area. 

As Mu-Jin was massaging Hyun-Kwang and performing manual therapy, perhaps influenced by the dream he had the night before, he inadvertently said, "Grandfather, if you feel uncomfortable, please let me know."

Mujin found himself uttering the word "grandfather" instead of the term "Great Grandmaster," almost involuntarily.

"What? How dare you use such language?" scolded Abbot Hyun Chun, who was watching the treatment along with Hyun Song.

"How dare you call the grand elder 'grandpa'!"

However, Hyun-Kwang, who should have felt disrespected, just smiled benevolently.

"Haha, it's alright, Abbot Hyun Chun," Hyun-Kwang said, calming them.

Then Hyun-Kwang turned to Mu-Jin and said, "Mu-Jin, it's fine for you to call this old monk 'grandpa' from now on. So, feel free to do so. Haha."

Seeing Hyun-Kwang's warm smile, Mu-Jin thought, 'Did this grandpa eat something wrong?' He couldn't understand why the elder was suddenly acting so familiar. Nonetheless, it was polite to follow the wishes of an elderly person.

"Yes, gran... grandpa," Mu-Jin said, using the term with some awkwardness.

"Hey!"

"Haha, it's alright, Abbot Hyun Chun," Hyun-Kwang reassured.

"Can I just focus on the treatment?" Mu-Jin said, feeling confused about what to do next.