The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 282

I guess Dugu Elil, after reuniting with Hong Ki-joon, said something like that.

That living to one’s full potential is the true ordinary life.

That a life exceeding one’s capacity is vanity, and a life suppressed and castrated is a deception.

Yes, everything is relative.

Time, gravity, life.

You must take responsibility for your actions.

It was a saying Jin-hyuk often repeated. He had instilled it in his younger sibling as if it were an education, so it was like a belief he had to uphold himself.

The content of responsibility varies depending on the consequences of one’s actions.

For example, fame.

A method of seizing and suppressing like the dictator Hong Ki-joon is also acceptable.

If control is possible to the point where even complaints don’t surface.

However, that is not Jin-hyuk’s way.

Even on the track, he runs alongside his competitors, so how could he possibly walk the journey of life alone?

Jin-hyuk decided to walk together.

Realizing the weight of his changed life.

As he stood before the camera, an interviewer with strikingly blue eyes and brown hair held out a microphone.

“Son, first of all, I want to say congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

The brief interview on the track was not as simple as it seemed.

It was a burdensome position, as heavy as the medal around his neck.

Even the formal Q&A about his current feelings and future plans would spread across the world, so he was careful with his words.

Still, he wanted to be honest.

He revealed his inner thoughts, which might sound like the delusions of a naive teenager.

“I’m happy. My goal is to step into the 8-second zone.”

Without the help of dark forces.

Even as he said that, Jin-hyuk’s face was neither smiling nor tense.

He was simply calm.

It was an expression reflecting the realization of reality as someone who would have many responsibilities in the future.

[Tonight, I am truly happy and joyful. As I have done until now, I will continue to strive forward. I hope that I can finally walk in the eight-second area.]

Wow-!

Watching the close-up of the gold medalist’s face on the large screen, the crowd cheered as they listened to his speech through the speakers.

It seemed that his father, Son Kwang-yeon, would also have to handle quite a big job.

Not just because of Jin Sun-kyu, who had become a shoe ambassador.

“These are the shoes. It feels like I’m not wearing anything. Made in Korea.”

It was a question that was bound to come up anyway.

The media was already buzzing with interest in Jin-hyuk and Jin Sun-kyu’s matching spikes.

There was also a question about Jin Sun-kyu’s torn spikes.

“They don’t burst. It’s just because my feet are too big.”

Jin-hyuk poured fuel on the fire of the media’s interest in the high-tech shoes.

“The US team athletes are showing great interest not only in the spikes but also in the running shoes. If they had worn these shoes, the people being interviewed here might not have been us.”

Owow-.

The blue-eyed interviewer showed an unfiltered reaction.

Minions, huh?

Jin-hyuk might not know, but wouldn’t it be a bit difficult for Jin Sun-kyu? It was a thought he couldn’t bring himself to say, but Jin Sun-kyu, scratching the back of his head, seemed to already know.

Well, the aftermath would be taken care of by his Seoulite dad.

A life of taking responsibility for the consequences of one’s actions.

I’ll cheer you on.

The camera turned to Coach Kim Hyung-tak, who was watching with a pleased expression.

“I believed in the potential of our athletes. In the future, the faces of Korean athletes will be seen frequently on the Olympic stage and the World Championships. Right now, Son Jin-hyuk has excellent juniors in both short and middle distances. You can look forward to the performance of Korean athletes.”

In front of the foreign press who had attended the on-site interview in large numbers, Coach Kim Hyung-tak did not forget to promote the foundation he would be moving to.

“There is a capable development foundation that has nurtured Son Jin-hyuk. It is sponsored and operated by the Sein Group-. Uh-, we expect that in the Olympics four years from now, young Korean medalists will emerge in the 400 meters, 800 meters, and 1500 meters, and that the nation will provide generous support. Yes. That’s what we’re expecting.”

If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.

There’s even a guy who says his goal is to break into the 8-second range, so isn’t it okay for the coach to say something like this?

Watching Jin Sun-kyu, who had his arm around Kim Hyung-tak after the interview, Jin-hyuk thought about the important qualities and abilities of a leader.

While the ability to build rapport and reduce psychological distance with athletes is important…

Verbal skills.

It’s an ability that is commonly required of both con artists and leaders.

They plant a pie-in-the-sky dream in people’s heads, making them obsessed and fixated, so in the end, what they do is similar.

Still, in terms of social benefit, the leader is obviously much better.

“Coach, do you really have any athletes who can compete in the middle distance at the next Olympics?”

“Hey, Sun-kyu. Who cares? I’m just so happy right now-.”

Because even if the lie is exposed, they don’t go to jail.

‘Hah-, I just like running. Being in crowds is tiring after all.’

The chaotic and distracting winner’s ceremony was successfully completed.

Now, I need to go to my younger sibling.

Kyaaaa-! Cough cough-.

Hey, stop it.

You’ll hurt your throat.

Still, a big heart over my lovely younger sibling’s head!

Kyaaaa-!

Oppa-!

Okay, to Su-jeong too.

Oppa- Iiii-!

Someone needs to stop that mother.

Still, I can’t leave her out, so one more heart.

Kyaaaaak-!

Yu Se-ra, who received the gold medalist’s heart, jumped around like a shaman.

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah, let’s go. Ugh-. This is the first time running a hundred meters has taken such a toll on my lifespan.”

At that moment, a staff member stopped Jin-hyuk and Jin Sun-kyu from behind.

“Excuse me. Could you please return the medals?”

It was a rather polite tone, closer to a request than an order.

“What’s he saying? Is he going to sing a medley?”

“He’s asking for the medals back.”

“Are they taking them back after giving them to us?”

What are they talking about?

They’re probably going to give them back at the official award ceremony tomorrow.

Jin-hyuk took off the medal from Jin Sun-kyu’s neck as if snatching it and handed it to the staff member.

“Thank you, Son.”

I’m the one who should be thankful.

Don’t even think about switching it out, I left a tooth mark on it.

I bit it when no one was looking.

***

After returning to the mansion and doing recovery training, he called home.

They were having a festival in the auditorium, so one call was enough to talk to his parents, Chairman Yoo Myung-sun, and his friends, including Choi Mi-kyung.

“Did you get some sleep?”

– Yeah. I went home to sleep and came back early.

– Unga. Tukatuka haettai aeo. Umma, appa ureotteo-. Mai mai ureotteo- Oong oong haetteo-.

He could hear Jung-won babbling next to him.

It must be on speakerphone.

– Jung-won, you have to say ‘cried,’ okay?

“I…”

– Ureotteo haejiyo-.

“Um…”

They were still talking among themselves, forgetting the person on the other end of the line.

– Our Jung-won, you were going to sing a song for your brother. Do it.

“No…”

I need to sleep.

Yu-jin had already fallen fast asleep, and Jin Sun-kyu had disappeared into the kitchen, saying he was going to have celebratory drinks with Min Yong-rak.

– Gom te mariga han dibe itteo. Unga gom, nuya gom, aegi gom-.

At least she doesn’t sing it as weirdly as Yu-jin.

– Unga gom ttuttuhhae, unga gom ttuttuhhae-, unga gom ttuttuhhaeeeee-.

“Ahaha-.”

Ah, Jung-won. That’s not it-.

This is the first time a nursery rhyme has mercilessly beaten up his brother like this.

It’s even weirder than Yu-jin’s song!

I know very well who taught her that.

Listening to baby Jung-won’s song, he pressed his lips tightly.

The emotions he had been holding back surged to the tip of his nose, making it tingle.

It was a feeling similar to homesickness, though it would be disrespectful to the expatriates to call it that.

‘I miss them.’

Still, it’s a relief that I’m not alone.

Because Yu-jin and Hong Su-jeong’s family are with me.

Perhaps Yu Se-ra brought so many people along to provide mental care for Jin-hyuk, who might still be longing for his family.

– Heudeuk! Eudeuk! Jaaranda-.

“Wow- my little sister is so good-.”

He gave an exaggerated response to his younger sibling’s passionate singing.

He had learned from raising Yu-jin that you have to be over-the-top when praising babies.

He also now knew that you have to be brave when needed, even if it makes you shrink back. And that regret is always too late, no matter how early it comes.

“Mom, Dad, Jung-won, I love you.”

– Kyaaaa-!

He could hear the screams of his friends, who had been holding their breath around his family.

Ah, this doesn’t sound like speakerphone?

Could it be connected to the auditorium speakers?

“And my friends too.”

– How much! Specifically! How far can you go!

– Wahaha!

That crazy Choi Mi-kyung-.

She’s grown a lot taller, but her brain development is still lacking.

It seems her height finished the growth race first, and her brain is still catching up.

– Be careful of Area 51 in Nevada. There’s a UFO graveyard there.

Surprisingly, Kim Eun-jung, the alien, was being polite.

It must be because there are many adults around.

– Ji-hyuk, come back soon. It’s no fun making boats alone-.

– Oh my, Uncle Jo-seul. Telling an Olympic athlete to come early, that’s like saying, ‘Get eliminated quickly’-.

– Wahaha!

Jo Il-heon’s banter, and the laughter of the villagers, were both missed and heartwarming.

By the way, I’m worried about leaving Jo-seul, who is clueless and innocent, behind. What if Kim Eun-jung does something foolish?

– Excuse me, is this Son Jin-hyuk? I’m Kim Yu-deok from MBS [a Korean broadcasting company]. Is it okay to talk?”

Is this the only reporter in Korea?

It’s a name I’ve become familiar with since making prank calls to Mokpo Airport.

Ah… but why all of a sudden?

They’re not going to broadcast the entire conversation, are they?

Then Jung-won would be advertising to the whole country that her brother is a fatty?

– We’ll be recording. We haven’t started yet.

“Ah, yes. Then okay.”

That’s a relief.

– One, two…

Zzzzt-.

After the countdown, there was a brief static sound.

– Yes! We’re connected! Son Jin-hyuk! First of all, congratulations on winning the gold medal! How do you feel right now, and could you say a word to the people who have supported you!

“…I sincerely thank all the people who have supported me. I will do my best to achieve results in the 200 meters as well…”

– Yes! Congratulations again. We hope you prepare well for your next race and have no regrets. We’ll be cheering for you!

“Yes, thank you.”

– We’ve met with Son Jin-hyuk. Next, we’ll interview the village chief-.

The village chief?

Surely the village chief won’t say anything weird.

Click-.

He hung up the phone with an uneasy feeling.

Whew, that was a truly dynamic call.

It felt like he had been scammed by a voice phishing scam, even though he never had.

He called Seoul as well, but Chairman Hong Ki-joon did not answer the phone. When he called the office, the secretary said that he was away on important business.

What could be unimportant among the things that man does, but still, it was a shame that he couldn’t connect after calling for the first time in a while.

*

The next day, after the official award ceremony, he took a day off.

He was watching Hong Su-jeong and Yu-jin playing in the water while he was working on his spikes. Jin Sun-kyu had worn them once, but thanks to their elasticity, the fit was still the same.

‘Now I need to erase ‘Olympeak’.’

Because they’re my shoes.

While he was cleaning his shoes, listening to the Olympic broadcast on the TV installed in the garden, Jin Sun-kyu, who had won a bronze medal, approached him.

Jin Sun-kyu did not rush to return home, saying that he would be Jin-hyuk’s training partner for the 200m race that would be held in a few days.

It would be nice if he could take off the medal, though.

“Jin-hyuk, you know, we’re like- aren’t we?”

“Like what? What are we?”

Is he trying to say we’re soulmates or something?

“Aren’t we like Son Ki-jung and Nam Seung-ryong resurrected after sixty years?”

“Huh?”

What did you say?

Jin-hyuk, who had widened his eyes for the first time in a while, was shocked.

No, why is this senior resurrecting people who are still alive and well? [Son Ki-jung and Nam Seung-ryong were famous Korean marathon runners in the 1930s.]

Is this kind of crazy way of thinking also a personal ability?

“Hey, but we…”

Why is he suddenly twisting his body like a pubescent anaconda that needs to pee?

“Are we going to take a private jet or a chartered plane when we return home? Thanks to my talented junior, I’m living in luxury, in luxury-.”

You said you were staying to be my training partner!

You should just go home!

Sigh-, it’s not like I can’t understand.

Once you’ve flown on a private jet, even business class on a regular passenger plane doesn’t feel good enough, so how much more would a customized private jet be? It’s only natural to be greedy.

Jin-hyuk, with a serious expression, jumped up from the sunbed.

“Let’s go train.”

“Huh? I thought we were resting today?”

“After watching Michael Johnson run the 400 meters, I can’t rest comfortably.”

Wow-.

The TV was broadcasting the 400m preliminary race that Michael Johnson was participating in.

[Johnson! Johnson! Michael Johnsooooon-!]

A unique athlete whose name itself seems to symbolize America. The strong 200m favorite walked leisurely on the track after finishing the 400m race. Along with his signature golden spikes.

Jin Sun-kyu, who had been speechless for a moment while watching TV, nodded his head.

“Then shall we loosen up a bit?”

“Sure-.”

Loosen up, my foot.

Let’s see you die, you chicken John Sun-kyu.

I’ll resurrect you.

***

When they returned to the mansion after training, Jin Sun-kyu, who was staggering like a zombie after getting out of the car, finally collapsed on the lawn.

“Iiii- I’m not going to run the 200 meters…”

Since I’m not going to run, it’s okay to overdo it with training-.

Jin-hyuk, in Jin Sun-kyu’s blind spot, swayed his upper body like a dancer, taunting him.

“Aren’t you… tired…”

“I am tired.”

Jin Sun-kyu’s eyes, looking at the sky while lying down, were quite sad.

How can someone who says they’re tired be so fine? Not only is his physical ability extraordinary, but his recovery ability is also beyond human level.

‘He’s been training lightly until now because of me.’

Jin Sun-kyu, who didn’t know what kind of training Jin-hyuk’s friends had gone through two years ago, was starting to miss home. He had been arrogant, thinking that no matter how hard the training was, it couldn’t be that bad, with only two days left until the 200m preliminaries.

‘There are still two days left…’

They do similar training, so where does that monstrous power come from? Is he just born with it? God is unfair, he thought enviously, but that was a wrong thought.

Jin-hyuk’s ability clearly came from the insane amount and intensity of his training.

So, that guy created his ability.

Training without wavering, training every day to surpass himself. It’s something that ordinary humans can’t do because it’s annoying, difficult, and uncomfortable.

While Jin Sun-kyu was struggling to stay conscious, Yu-jin ran from the back of the mansion.

“Oppa! Oppa!”

“Aigoo-, did our Yu-jin have fun with her sister?”

He picked up Yu-jin, who had run over in her swimsuit.

It was a scene that always looked like an uncle and niece.

“Yes, ehehe-. Oppa’s record is a world record, right?”

“Yeah. I guess so?”

“It won’t be broken for 25,000 years?”

“It probably won’t be that long.”

“Aww-, then do it again-.”

“You can’t redo a race that’s already finished. You have to challenge yourself in the next competition.”

Yu-jin squinted her eyes. She had discovered the zombie sprawled on the lawn and giggled.

Then, with a look as if she had remembered something, she stroked her brother’s buzz cut.

“Um, um, but you know-, Aunt Yu Se-ra said that there’s a secret? A method? Something like that, to set a record that won’t be broken for 25,000 years-.”

“Really?”

Jin-hyuk’s eyes widened.

Not because there was such a method, but because the person who said that was Yu Se-ra.

I knew she was smart, but I didn’t think she was capable enough to develop such a training method?

Yu-jin, satisfied with her brother’s reaction, smiled and narrowed her eyes.

“Umm-, I shouldn’t tell you.”

“Oh, really? You won’t tell me, even if I do this?”

“Kyahahahaha-!”

He tickled her mercilessly. It was an excellent way to make his younger sibling talk.

Yu-jin, who had been ticklish since she was a baby, had even peed her pants from laughing before.

“Help meee-.”

Yu-jin, who was struggling, escaped from her brother’s arms and ran towards the mansion.

“Stop right there!”

“Kyahahahaha-!”

Behind the siblings’ heartwarming reunion.

“Kkeueueu…”

The abandoned zombie crawled on the lawn.

“25,000 years… that method… what is it…”

Kkeueueu…

Tell me too.

Kkeueueu-.

Take me too-.

Oh, God of Imprisonment.

Quo Vadis.