Goblin Library - Chapter 61

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 61

Splash!
Kang Young-moon sprayed the car generously with water, then carefully wiped the exterior with a microfiber cloth.
Swish, swish.
Moving the cloth as if stealing rather than drying, he absorbed the water, then wrung out the soaked towel.
Splash!
Watching the water pour out refreshingly, Kang Young-moon laughed brightly.
Then he began cleaning the car’s interior with a vacuum cleaner.
After meticulously cleaning every corner, Kang Young-moon pulled out a lint roller from the tool belt at his side, tore off one sheet, and wrapped it around his hand.
Then he pressed and peeled it repeatedly across various spots inside the car, removing fine dust particles.
After finishing all the work, Kang Young-moon looked inside thoroughly and laughed brightly.
『Cleaning complete!』
Laughing as he shouted, Kang Young-moon closed the car door and entered the office.
『Vehicle 5027 cleaning complete!』
As Kang Young-moon raised both hands in a celebratory pose, the Car Wash Owner laughed and spoke.
『Good job.』
『Here you go.』
As Kang Young-moon handed over the car key, the Car Wash Owner nodded, checked the car on the CCTV, then spoke.
『Take a break, then wash vehicle 7654.』
『I’ll do it right now.』
『No, take a break first. Oh!』
The Car Wash Owner pulled out chocolate milk and a sandwich from the refrigerator and handed them over.
『Here, a snack!』
『Thank you!』
Shouting loudly and bowing, Kang Young-moon accepted the chocolate milk and sandwich with a bright smile.
As Kang Young-moon tried to put the sandwich and milk into his bag, the Car Wash Owner sighed and spoke.
『Young-moon.』
『Yes!』
Kang Young-moon answered loudly and looked at him, and the Car Wash Owner shook his head.
『I’ve told you several times—the weather’s hot these days, so they’ll spoil if you take them home.』
『Oh, that’s right.』
Kang Young-moon thought for a moment, then took out a pen and wrote his name on the sandwich and milk.
Then he put them in the refrigerator. He would take them when he left work and give them to his younger brother Young-sik.
『Doesn’t Young-sik tell you not to bring them anymore?』
『No. He eats them well when I give them to him.』
At Kang Young-moon’s words, the Car Wash Owner shook his head slightly and pulled out a sandwich and milk from the refrigerator, handing them over.
『I already received mine. Mine’s in the refrigerator.』
“It’s mine. You eat it.”
“That’s all right. Each employee gets one snack and one milk.”
The Car Wash Owner laughed as Kang Young-moon shook his head.
“It’s mine, so you eat it.”
“No, really, it’s fine. You must be hungry too.”
Then Kang Young-moon picked up the car key labeled 7654 from the Car Wash Owner’s desk.
“I’ll wash the car.”
At Kang Young-moon’s words, the Car Wash Owner shook his head, grabbed him, and sat him down on the sofa.
Then he unwrapped a sandwich and milk and placed them in front of him.
“What happens if you leave food?”
“You have to eat it all in Hell.”
“Since I’ve already unwrapped this, you’ll have to help me finish it, won’t you?”
“But that’s yours…”
The Car Wash Owner tore off a piece of the sandwich with his hand, ate it, and spoke.
“Now this is leftovers. Help me out, Young-moon.”
“Understood.”
Kang Young-moon grinned brightly, gripped the milk and sandwich in both hands, and began eating.
Watching Kang Young-moon, the Car Wash Owner chuckled softly.
If only his own son were as diligent as Kang Young-moon.
Compared to his son who only loved spending money, Kang Young-moon—though a bit slower and not particularly bright—seemed far more human.
The Car Wash Owner, watching Kang Young-moon, spoke.
“Is Young-sik doing well at school?”
“Young-sik is doing great at school! He even received a scholarship.”
“But there are still tuition fees, right?”
“Yes, there are.”
Even with a scholarship, it wasn’t a full scholarship, so tuition still had to be paid.
“Young-moon, you’re working hard.”
“No, I’m not!”
The Car Wash Owner watched Kang Young-moon shake his head with a bright smile and asked.
“Does the owner of Daebong treat you well?”
“Yes, he does.”
Daebong was the name of the meat restaurant. After work at the car wash, Kang Young-moon goes home to prepare meals for his grandfather.
Then at nine o’clock, he goes to Daebong Meat Restaurant to clean the grills. Originally, he only worked at the car wash, but after his younger brother Young-sik went to university, he started another job to cover the expensive medical school tuition and living expenses.
Watching Kang Young-moon eat the sandwich and chocolate milk with a bright smile, the Car Wash Owner opened the window and took out a cigarette.
At that, Kang Young-moon moved to the end of the sofa and squinted his eyes.
“Smoking is bad for your health.”
At Kang Young-moon’s words, the Car Wash Owner looked at him, then gripped the cigarette again and spoke.
“Still, looking at you like this, Young-moon, it melts me.”
“Melts you?”
The Car Wash Owner chuckled softly, watching Kang Young-moon look at him as if asking what he meant.
“I’m living well and working hard.”
The Car Wash Owner was now over seventy years old.
His only child was a son who earned nothing and caused nothing but trouble, so he still clung to running the car wash.
He and Kang Young-moon’s Grandfather were friends. When the Grandfather first asked if he could give Kang Young-moon work, he felt a bit uncomfortable, but since it was a friend’s request, he agreed.
Odd jobs and exterior car washing weren’t difficult, so he thought even someone with limited intelligence could manage it.
Whatever he lacked, he or the other employees could help with.
Being the Grandfather’s friend, he simply gave Kang Young-moon the work.
But Kang Young-moon seemed to feel his younger brother’s tuition and living expenses were insufficient, so he went out searching for another job on his own.
And he found work wiping grills at a meat restaurant. That was truly impressive—a boy who could barely speak had found another job all by himself.
Even that fool manages to find work, but my son over forty years old….
The Car Wash Owner sighed at the thought of his son, then gazed at Kang Young-moon and spoke.
“You know Ho-jun, right?”
“Your son, sir.”
“Yes. When Ho-jun starts working here later, you’ll need to help him a lot.”
At the Car Wash Owner’s words, Kang Young-moon smiled brightly.
“I like Ho-jun hyung.”
“You like Ho-jun?”
Puzzled by the unexpected response, the Car Wash Owner looked at him, and Kang Young-moon nodded.
“Ho-jun hyung often buys meat for my younger brother.”
“Ho-jun bought meat for Young-sik?”
“Yes! He bought it for me too. I like Ho-jun hyung.”
At Kang Young-moon’s words, the Car Wash Owner tilted his head.
Why would he do that? That kid usually just teased Kang Young-moon when he came to the car wash. Did he actually feel sorry for him deep down?
As the Car Wash Owner pondered this, Kang Young-moon spoke.
“Then I’ll wash the car.”
As Kang Young-moon picked up the car keys and left, the Car Wash Owner watching him called his son.
“Yes, Father.”
“Did you buy meat for Young-moon and Young-sik?”
“Is that what you called to ask?”
“Did you buy it?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why did you?”
“Really? You called just to ask that?”
“I’m just wondering why you did it.”
At the Car Wash Owner’s question, his son Ho-jun replied.
“They say there are three types of people good to befriend in this world.”
“What do you mean?”
“Lawyers, wealthy people, and doctors. So I was nice to him. Where else would I find a doctor brother-in-law? I’m being nice to you too, Father. Later when you get older, you’ll probably need help from Young-sik.”
“Ah… so that’s… why you were nice to him?”
“It’s never bad to be close to a doctor, right? Oh! And Father, you should be nice to him too. When you get older, you’ll have plenty of reasons to need Young-sik’s help.”
Ho-jun’s words made the Meat Restaurant Owner sigh. People grew closer naturally, but to think he’d grown close because the other person would become a doctor….
Still, it wasn’t wrong… and somehow his mood improved a little.
It was because the boy didn’t seem completely foolish.
Of course, one shouldn’t choose friends only based on whether they’d be useful in life, but as his son said, there was nothing wrong with being close to a doctor. In fact, it was a good thing.
『Don’t cause trouble and just come work at the Car Wash.』
[I’ll find my own path. See you at home then.]
The Meat Restaurant Owner sighed as his dark-skinned son over forty acted cute before hanging up.
But then he chuckled softly. Though the boy couldn’t find a job and often caused money troubles, he was still a filial and warm-hearted son to his parents.
『Except for not getting employed and causing financial problems, he’s more dutiful than any other son out there….』
The muttering Meat Restaurant Owner shook his head and watched Kang Young-moon working on the CCTV monitor.
『Come to think of it, Ho-jun was right…. If I treat Young-sik well, I’ll benefit from it too.』
As one aged, hospital visits became frequent, so there was nothing wrong with being close to Kang Young-sik.
The Grandfather and he were friends, and Kang Young-moon had worked with him for a long time… in a way, they were like family.
『In a sense, I’ve raised him halfway.』

Kang Young-moon, who had wiped down the grill plates until 1 AM, removed his rubber gloves.
『Young-moon, you worked hard.』
『Yes!』
The Meat Restaurant Owner came out smiling and handed over a plastic bag.
『I just grilled these, so take them home and eat with Young-sik. It’s pork ribs.』
『Thank you so much!』
Watching Kang Young-moon’s bright smile, the owner looked at the grill plates on the floor.
The plates were gleaming, cleaned thoroughly.
『Young-moon really is good at cleaning.』
『I enjoy cleaning.』
Kang Young-moon took the bag, bowed his head, and hurried out of the restaurant.
『Thank you for everything. Thank you for everything.』
As Kang Young-moon bowed to each employee and left the shop, the Meat Restaurant Owner watched his departing figure with a satisfied expression.
『I made a good choice hiring Young-moon.』
It was a cold spring day when Kang Young-moon had first come to the restaurant.
-I’m good at this work. Please give me a job.
The Meat Restaurant Owner was flustered by his sudden appearance and request. Though he couldn’t claim to know all the young men in the neighborhood, Kang Young-moon was known as the neighborhood fool but a kind young man, so the owner knew of him.
-Aren’t you already working well at the Car Wash?
-My younger brother Young-sik got into college. Medical school! So I need a lot of money. I have to work.
-Is that so? Which medical school?
-That… that….
Kang Young-moon, who seemed unable to remember exactly which one, just kept repeating “that that” before laughing with a “hehe”.
The Meat Restaurant Owner looked at Kang Young-moon and then spoke.
-So you’re trying to get more work because of your brother’s tuition?
-Hehe! Yes. I need money. Please give me a job. I’m good at work.
At Kang Young-moon’s words, the Meat Restaurant Owner paused to look at him, then nodded.
-Then let me have you work for just one hour first. If you do well, I’ll give you more work.
-I work well.
The Meat Restaurant Owner led Kang Young-moon to the back of the restaurant. There, the metal grills used by customers sat soaking in hot water mixed with detergent.
-You just need to clean these grills.
The Meat Restaurant Owner pointed at the grills and pulled on rubber gloves as he spoke.
-The detergent is harsh, so you can’t use your bare hands.
-Detergent strong. Bare hands hurt hands. Can’t do.
-You know that?
-Use detergent from Car Wash. Have to wear rubber gloves.
At Kang Young-moon’s words, the Meat Restaurant Owner put on rubber gloves and began scrubbing the grills.
Then he showed him the cleaned grill.
-Can you do it like this?
-Can do. I’m good at cleaning.
At Kang Young-moon’s words, the Meat Restaurant Owner pulled out a fresh pair of rubber gloves and handed them over.
-Try it.
And after watching Kang Young-moon clean the grills, the Meat Restaurant Owner hired him.
The Meat Restaurant Owner, recalling when Kang Young-moon first came to the shop, nodded.
『Good hire.』

***

Yu Tae-poong smiled as he read Kang Young-moon’s story.
[There’s not much of a narrative yet… but it’s entertaining.]
At the Bamboo Sword Goblin’s cautious words, Yu Tae-poong nodded.
“There isn’t much content yet… but they seem like good people.”
[Who?]
“The Car Wash Owner… and the Meat Restaurant Owner too.”
The world is full of bosses who hire employees with modest intellects, then delay their wages with every excuse imaginable, or demand more work under the guise of treating them like family.
But these two owners actually give work fairly, pay their wages honestly, and treat them with genuine kindness.
Yu Tae-poong appreciated that aspect.
“Stories where bad bosses appear and get punished or have their wrongs avenged are good too… but stories featuring good bosses like these are nice as well.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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