Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 2

Jjangra

Hello, Bomb!

2. He is Gwangdeok [a Korean term for a hardcore fan or enthusiast] (2)

It was because of this situation that Byeong-ho, looking pale, was scolding Jin-ho.

“You little punk! There’s a limit to covering for someone! Making gunpowder? Are you trying to get someone’s head blown off? You little punk! Not just my head, but everyone around me will be blown away!”

“No… it’s just that gunpowder is hard to get…”

“Even if you just go to a stationery store, there are tons of firecrackers! What nonsense are you spouting!”

“Impurities…”

“You little punk! Plow it all up right now!”

After that struggle, Jin-ho promised to plow up the field. Before leaving, Byeong-ho warned Jin-ho once again.

“I’m coming to check in two days, so make sure you plow it up properly! Got it?”

“Got it!”

Having received confirmation from Jin-ho again, Byeong-ho grumbled as he started the engine.

“That crazy otaku [a Japanese term for a person with obsessive interests, often in anime or manga]…”

* * *

‘Crazy otaku.’

This was the nickname that Jin-ho’s relatives, including Byeong-ho, and even Jin-ho’s parents, gave him.

Due to the various accidents he caused while indulging in his otaku hobbies since he was young, everyone in the family was worried, saying, ‘He’s going to cause a big accident someday.’

‘Gwangdeok.’

This was the nickname given to Jin-ho by acquaintances who met him through social media or online hobby communities.

Initially, they used ‘wide (広)’ because Jin-ho was into various fields, but after seeing the various incidents Jin-ho caused, they changed it to ‘crazy (狂).’

From a young age, Jin-ho showed an unusual side. Jin-ho showed significantly better concentration and memory than other children his age.

“I don’t think he’s a normal child!”

Jin-ho’s parents’ expectations grew higher and higher at the kindergarten teacher’s words.

Around the time he entered elementary school, Jin-ho’s parents had his IQ tested and received the following answer from the doctor.

“His memory, concentration, and comprehension are all above average. His IQ is also near genius level.”

“Thank you!”

Hearing the doctor’s explanation, Jin-ho’s parents were overjoyed and filled with hope.

However, their hope soon turned to despair.

Study was missing from the areas where Jin-ho’s excellent concentration, memory, comprehension, and IQ were demonstrated.

He remembered his parents’ embarrassing past from a marital fight that occurred when he was just 3 or 4 years old and used it to shut them up for years. His memory, which made him kick his blanket until he was in college because he remembered his own embarrassing past from kindergarten and elementary school, and his concentration, which made him skip meals and be taken to the emergency room after watching his favorite American drama series non-stop, showed no trace in his studies.

“He’s so smart!”

Jin-ho’s parents, who made Jin-ho study by wielding both the carrot and the stick, exploded with anger when they received his report card. Jin-ho’s grades were always in the middle, whether he was in the top class or the bottom class.

Korean language, history, and memorization subjects were very excellent, but English, which remained in the middle, and mathematics, which was at the bottom, held him back. Jin-ho was also frustrated with this situation.

“I can’t visualize it…”

Jin-ho complained to his friend.

“Visualize?”

“In Korean language, history, and other memorization subjects, scenes come to mind like a movie when I read the textbook or problems. So my memory is clear, and I can quickly understand how to solve it, but that damn math doesn’t work…”

In the end, Jin-ho had no choice but to choose a liberal arts path.

Due to these stresses, Jin-ho became even more attached to his otaku hobbies. From the 4th grade of elementary school until he entered middle school, he was absorbed in famous robot animations – a staunch supporter of the Universal Century [a fictional timeline in the Gundam anime series] and a hardcore Federation supporter – and enthusiastically engaged in online activities and made acquaintances.

Jin-ho’s otaku life became ‘Gwangdeok’ from the 2nd grade of middle school.

Jin-ho, who had a proper ‘deok-tong accident’ [a term referring to a life-changing event that deepens one’s obsession with a hobby] with a steampunk drama set in the 19th century, began to enthusiastically find and watch the drama. Because it was an extremely niche drama, he had to search for it through ‘dark routes’ overseas, and he became addicted to the drama while translating the script he found on the internet without subtitles.

Jin-ho’s parents were angry to see him immersed in the drama, but thanks to his English grades rising at super speed, Jin-ho was able to watch the drama safely until the series ended.

The impact of the problematic drama on Jin-ho was significant. Jin-ho, who was simply a ‘watching and enjoying otaku,’ had become an ‘acting otaku.’

Fascinated by steam engines, Jin-ho and his friends created a scaled-down model of Watt’s steam engine [an early type of steam engine] and the generator connected to it and submitted it to a science competition.

The scaled-down model, made from readily available items except for the internal pressure cylinder that had to withstand steam pressure and a few driving parts, showed performance that could light up LED lights when the boiler was heated with an alcohol lamp, and it won an excellence award.

“Jin-ho, thank you! This isn’t much, but add it to your allowance.”

“What’s the point of a liberal arts student receiving an award! You should memorize math formulas with that sincerity! Honey! Don’t give this kid an allowance! He’s just going to make something weird again!”

Jin-ho received words of gratitude and allowance from the parents of his science student friends, whose award experience was of great help in college entrance exams, and scolding from his own parents. However, the following year, he actually made a scaled-down model of a steam locomotive that moved using steam pressure, causing his parents to grab the back of their necks.

In such situations, Jin-ho did his best for the entrance exam and passed the worst gateway, the regular decision [a specific college admission process in Korea], and was accepted into the Department of Public Administration at a ‘in Seoul’ university just below SKY [the top three universities in South Korea: Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University].

On the day Jin-ho’s acceptance was confirmed, Jin-ho’s parents gathered all the relatives and held a party.

“Now that you’re in college, don’t do anything useless and just study!”

“Public Administration? You have to work hard and become a civil servant.”

“Don’t think about anything else and just study! You know how much your parents have suffered because of you!”

Jin-ho’s relatives, who gathered at the party, all gave Jin-ho words mixed with threats and advice.

Even after entering college, Jin-ho’s ‘acting otaku’ life did not stop.

In his freshman year of college, Jin-ho used the money he had earned through part-time jobs during the summer vacation to build a ‘human-powered seaplane’ and successfully flew it in the Han River estuary [the area where the Han River meets the sea].

“It’s flying!”

“It’s flying?”

The police and 119 paramedics [Korean emergency services] who were present at the scene due to safety concerns watched Jin-ho’s human-powered plane flying in the sky with strange expressions.

Jin-ho’s flight became a hot topic, even appearing on public broadcasting.

It took a part of the TV news with titles such as ‘Talented college student inventor,’ but Jin-ho’s parents had to cover their heads and lie down.

“He’s not a son, he’s an enemy…”

“What sin did I commit in my past life…”

It was the ‘First Gwangdeok Rebellion’ that relatives and acquaintances were talking about.

Was it the effect of being on TV news? Jin-ho established himself as a well-known eccentric at school.

After that, Jin-ho’s eccentric behavior continued. He was watching a historical drama that threw away historical accuracy and struggled with leather to make a proper Three Kingdoms period [a period in Korean history] leather lamellar armor, and he spent his vacation living and working at a traditional sword craftsman’s workshop, saying he wanted to properly learn how to make a Joseon ring sword [a traditional Korean sword]. During the semester, he was inspired by a movie from the Crusades and hammered away in a workshop every weekend to make Western full plate armor.

“What do I do with that bastard…”

To prevent Jin-ho’s eccentric behavior, Jin-ho’s parents even beat their adult son. Nevertheless, Jin-ho’s parents were heartbroken to see their son continuing his eccentric behavior.

“I wish he couldn’t even study…”

Jin-ho was diligently engaged in his studies during the semester – except for weekends – and was achieving excellent grades, so Jin-ho’s parents were in a situation where they couldn’t give up on their son.

Whenever Jin-ho caused such accidents, Jin-ho’s parents had to recall the words of the teacher who had consulted Jin-ho’s career in high school.

“Jin-ho is very smart. But it’s not academic. To put it simply, he’s an inventor.”

“An inventor… Isn’t it difficult to make a living in today’s world?”

“That’s why it’s a pity. If Jin-ho had been born in 18th or 19th century Europe, he would have become an inventor who would have left his name in history.”

* * *

Around the time he was about to enter his junior year of college, Jin-ho caused a super-large accident. It was because of an email from an American acquaintance he had met online.

They were gathering people to build a sailing ship that appeared in a famous pirate movie in the traditional way. Jin-ho’s eyes widened at the content that they were making it in a 1/4 size reduction, but everything was made according to actual historical research.

Jin-ho immediately took a leave of absence and flew to the United States.

It was the ‘Second Gwangdeok Rebellion.’

Jin-ho’s mother once again covered her head and took to her bed due to Jin-ho’s trip to the United States, and his father burst into anger.

“You bastard! I’m going to kick you out of the family register!”

Jin-ho’s stay in the United States was longer than initially expected. The reason for this was the Arab wealthy otaku who had funded the project.

The Arab tycoon, who was satisfied with the completed result, made a suggestion to the participants.

“I needed a cruising yacht, so how about making it in real size? I’ll support the construction funds and give you a salary. Deal?”

“Deal!”

The participants agreed in unison to the Arab tycoon’s proposal.

It was not a sailing ship that relied 100% on wind power, but a motor sailing ship with an engine installed, and a considerable modification was made to install modern convenience devices, but most of the structure and appearance of the hull were the same as the sailing ships of the Age of Exploration, and it was reborn by the hands of otaku gathered from various countries.

After the construction was completed and the launching ceremony and test voyage were successfully completed, Jin-ho returned to Korea with a copy of the design of the sailing ship.

Jin-ho’s parents, who greeted Jin-ho, said briefly.

“Go to the army. I’ve prepared everything.”

“Yes.”

Jin-ho immediately bowed his head at his parents’ command, which was full of murderous intent.

After serving in the military, Jin-ho continued his school life quietly.

Jin-ho, who diligently pursued his studies and prepared for the civil service exam, passed the 5th grade public recruitment exam [a high-level civil service exam in Korea] a year after graduation.

On the day it was decided that he would become a civil servant belonging to the central government – even the Ministry of Economy and Finance – Jin-ho’s parents once again gathered all the relatives and held a party.

“You worked hard!”

“I’ve finally relieved a sigh of relief! You’ve worked hard!”

The relatives spared no praise for Jin-ho’s parents, not Jin-ho. It was because they knew the hardships they had suffered because of Jin-ho.

With such twists and turns, Jin-ho began his civil service life.

Jin-ho’s parents sighed in relief as Jin-ho began his civil service life, but Jin-ho himself had a problem.

“It’s suffocating…”

Jin-ho was suffering from mental thirst as he was overwhelmed with work every day. To solve such thirst, he worked hard to make plastic models, play online games or smartphone games, and participate in activities such as bicycle clubs on his days off. However, his mental thirst became more and more intense, and he was eventually diagnosed with depression and had to take medication.

When the situation became like this, Jin-ho’s parents had to make a choice.

“Live as you want to live.”

“Thank you.”

The day after his parents made the decision, Jin-ho submitted his resignation.

Jin-ho, who became unemployed after submitting his resignation, immediately got a job at a blacksmith shop run by a master craftsman.

Three years after learning the trade while living and working at the blacksmith shop, the master craftsman called Jin-ho.

“Now open your own shop. You’ve learned everything from me. From now on, all you need is experience, and only time can solve that.”

“Thank you, master.”

That’s how Jin-ho came down to Yangsan [a city in South Korea]. Jin-ho bought an empty house and the attached field with the money he had saved during his four years of civil service and some support, and he opened a blacksmith shop.

* * *

Jin-ho, who turned around after seeing Byeong-ho off, scratched his head and grumbled.

“The firecrackers sold at stationery stores have too many impurities, which rust the gun barrel…”

Firecrackers sold on the market contained various impurities to produce various flame colors and to reduce the explosive power of the gunpowder. And because such impurities severely corroded the gun barrel, the gun barrel had to be thoroughly cleaned after test firing.

“Anyway, I have to plow it up because he told me to… I’ll have to borrow a tractor from old man Hwang tomorrow.”

Jin-ho, who had decided what to do tomorrow, went into the warehouse.

“Let’s see…”

Jin-ho, who entered the warehouse, rummaged through the shelves of the warehouse. Jin-ho, who pushed aside the steam engine works he had made in high school, took out a small box.

“If this had been discovered, I would have been in jail by now.”

Muttering to himself, Jin-ho opened the lid and examined the contents.

Inside the box were two small glass bottles buried deep in cushioning material. Jin-ho sighed deeply as he looked at the amber liquid in the glass bottles the size of his little finger.

“Why did I make this…”

What was in the glass bottle was nitroglycerin.

After examining the glass bottle for a while, Jin-ho closed the lid of the box and pushed it back deep into the shelf.

Rumble!

The ground began to shake the moment Jin-ho was about to come out of the warehouse.

“Huh? Is there construction somewhere?”

Jin-ho, who tilted his head at the small shaking, screamed when the shaking suddenly grew bigger.

“That can’t be! It’s an earthquake!”

Jin-ho, who judged it was an earthquake, ran out in a hurry. But before he could take five steps, Jin-ho had to turn around and run back to the warehouse.

“If that damn thing explodes, I won’t get insurance money!”

Rumble!

Staggering due to the increasingly shaking ground, Jin-ho ran into the warehouse, grabbed the box, and ran out.

Click!

Jin-ho opened the box, took out two glass bottles, and threw them towards the field.

Kwang!

“It’s…”

At the very moment when he was relieved to see a huge explosion in the field, the ground cracked and swallowed Jin-ho.

End

ⓒ Gukbbong