CLABC 23

Chapter 23

“I’m going to give my husband’s body a nice, heated touch.”

At Bora’s soft whisper near his ear, Kang Yoon instinctively sucked in a breath and tensed his lower abdomen.

“Ah, is it fair to seduce someone when they’re completely defenseless like this?”

“What seduction? Lie down.”

As if she’d expected that reaction, Bora snorted softly and firmly pushed Kang Yoon’s broad back down onto the mattress.

“You’ve seemed really exhausted lately, Kang Yoon. Believe it or not, I actually have a meridian massage license.”

“You do?”

“Yes. I also have a foot massage certificate. Impressive, right?”

“But Bora, your wrist is barely half the size of mine.”

“That doesn’t matter. My hand pressure is amazing.”

At Kang Yoon’s doubtful tone, Bora lightly slapped his back a couple of times and slowly began kneading his neck and shoulders.

“Relax your body. Just think of it as resting. You’ve been under a lot of stress—your shoulders are like rocks.”

“What’s the difference between a meridian massage and a regular one?”

Thanks to her fingertips, which were firmer than expected as they loosened his shoulders, Kang Yoon’s breathing became easier. He closed his eyes as he asked.

“Meridians are the pathways where energy and blood flow through our bodies. We massage along those lines. That boosts the body’s natural healing ability and helps release toxins. Blood circulation improves, and muscle tension eases naturally.”

“Sounds good for fatigue recovery.”

“Yes. Especially for someone like you who deals with a lot of stress. One or two sessions won’t fix everything, though.”

“Then will you keep doing it for me?”

“Of course. I’ll do it every week. Ah, Kang Yoon, you married well!”

Despite her playful voice, Bora’s hands moved busily.

Kang Yoon’s body, honed through years of various sports, was beautiful.
But his neck, shoulders, and back were so stiff—like stone—that pressure barely seemed to sink in.

“Kang Yoon, do you ever get headaches?”

“Sometimes. I don’t really know why—they just come out of nowhere.”

“It’s because your neck is so tight. You have to loosen this area properly to get rid of the headaches.”

When the flow of energy is smoothed out through meridian massage, overly stretched muscles contract, and contracted muscles relax.

As balance is restored—up and down, front and back—the body begins to feel lighter.

“When did you start learning meridian massage?”

“When I was in college, I did a lot of volunteer work. It hurt to see how much the elderly suffered because of poor posture, so I decided to learn.”

“Does The Light have meridian programs too?”

“Of course. Our silver town is a premium one! We offer various massage programs, not just meridian therapy. Residents can choose based on their health and needs.”

“Ah… your hands are really intense, Bora. Haa….”

Kang Yoon let out a small groan at the firm, skillful pressure of her hands.

Bora rubbed massage oil between her palms until they were warm and then began in earnest. From his shoulder blades to his back, hips, thighs, calves, and feet, she massaged him thoroughly. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

“Now turn over onto your back.”

“No.”

“Why? It works better if we do both sides.”

“If I turn over now… you might get flustered.”

At Kang Yoon’s words, Bora’s large eyes rolled around.

“How can you be like that anytime, anywhere?”

“I told you—I’m very healthy.”

“I know that, but if you’re receiving a massage so reverently like this….”

“It’s not just anyone touching my body—it’s you, Bora. How am I supposed to hold back?”

“Then… let’s stop here for today….”

“Come here for a moment.”

“Huh—!”

Bora had just pulled her hands away from Kang Yoon’s warm body when his gentle grip caught her wrist, drawing her straight into his arms.

“W-why?”

“My wife is putting so much effort into massaging me… I’m getting sleepy. Stay like this for a moment.”

Still lying face down on the mattress, Kang Yoon wrapped his arms around Bora’s waist and slowly closed his eyes.

“Ah, I’m really sleepy. The massage worked.”

“That’s good. Go to sleep. You haven’t been sleeping much lately.”

Bora blinked a few times, then quietly looked at Kang Yoon’s sleeping face.

‘So handsome… and all he ever does is tease me.’

She lightly tapped the bridge of his nose with her finger.

Kang Yoon slept deeply, lips slightly parted, seemingly unaware of her touch. After watching him for a while, Bora gently removed the arm around her waist.

She placed her hand in his palm and closed her eyes as well.

Through their joined hands, she felt their warmth slowly seep into each other.

A soft, pretty smile appeared on Bora’s sleeping face.

“Grandfather, it’s time to eat!”

Bora’s voice was bright after a rare, restful night’s sleep.

Chairman Han smacked his lips at the savory aroma and sat down at the table.

“It’s like my granddaughter-in-law crawled into my head and came back out. How do you manage to cook exactly what I’m craving every time?”

“Hehe. I slipped right into your head while you were sleeping and came back out!”

Kang Yoon smiled quietly as he watched Bora grin and scrunch her nose.

“Kang Yoon, you’ve looked a bit gaunt lately, but you must’ve slept well last night. You look much better.”

“Yes. I slept very well.”

“Good. When are you heading to the Middle East?”

“I’m thinking early next month.”

“That’s soon.”

“Yes. I’ve been busy lately because of that.”

“I see. Still, without health, everything’s meaningless. You have to stand firm and healthy at the center for the company to run properly.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Let’s eat. Ah, my dear.”

“Yes, Father.”

Jin Hyun-sook, who had quietly picked up her spoon, turned her head toward Chairman Han.

“Call Assemblyman Tak. Have him prepare some tonic medicine.”

“Yes. You still have about half of yours left, Father… should I have him prepare more for the children?”

“The seasons are changing—everyone should strengthen their bodies. You too, don’t complain about the bitterness and make sure you take it. And prepare some medicine for Bora as well.”

“For me?”

“Yes. Have him make something good for conceiving. I saw on the news that even young couples have trouble having children these days. Kang Yoon isn’t getting any younger—shouldn’t you have a child soon?”

“Pff—!”

At the words “medicine for conceiving,” Bora, who had just put a spoonful of taro soup into her mouth, choked.

“Are you okay?”

Kang Yoon pulled out a tissue and handed it to her.

“Yes—ack. I’m fine. Cough, cough.”

Despite her words, Bora coughed as if she clearly wasn’t fine. Kang Yoon gently rubbed her shoulder, his face a little flustered as well.

“Why did you choke like that?”

“I think it just went down the wrong way. Cough. I’m okay now.”

Bora wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes with a tissue and took a sip of water.

“I’m sorry to say this first thing in the morning, but this old man is just anxious. I don’t know how many years I have left—I’d like to see my great-grandchild at least once before I die.”

“Please don’t say that, Grandfather. You’re so healthy—why would you say such things….”

Bora murmured, but Chairman Han turned back to Jin Hyun-sook and repeated himself.

“Call today and have them prepare it with the very best medicinal ingredients.”

“Yes. I will.”

“And Kang Yoon, Bora—put having a child above everything else, understood?”

Not knowing how to respond, Bora glanced at Kang Yoon.

After a brief pause, Kang Yoon nodded.

“Yes. We will. Don’t worry, Grandfather. We’ll bring you good news soon.”

“Ho ho. That’s right. Good. Now, let’s eat.”

In high spirits after Kang Yoon’s answer, Chairman Han happily finished his bowl of rice. Meanwhile, Jin Hyun-sook poked at her food, lost in thought.

‘If Kang Yoon has a child quickly… Kang Moon’s position could shrink even more. Sigh… it just keeps getting worse. But I can’t go against Father’s wishes either. What on earth is that boy Kang Moon even doing these days?’

Just then, Bora spoke to her.

“Aunt, try this. You said you like eggplant, so I stir-fried some.”

As Bora placed a plate of purple eggplant stir-fried with minced beef in front of her, Jin Hyun-sook’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

‘No matter how I look at it, she’s such a waste. This is all my fault. I could’ve made her my daughter-in-law….’

Jin Hyun-sook picked up a piece of eggplant with her chopsticks, put it into her mouth, and forced a smile as she carefully managed her expression.

‘…….’

Across the table, Kang Yoon’s eyes trembled slightly as he watched her.