The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 106

Although the waterway construction was in full swing, the security building construction was completed.

Son Gwang-yeon invited SSS to his house.

After contemplating names like SSS, Triple S, S.S.S., and S Bong, he decided to just call them by their individual names.

“Thanks to the eight of you guarding us, we’ve been living peacefully. There’s plenty of food, so please eat your fill.”

Among the tall and handsome men, one person particularly stood out.

He was a man who looked as strong as a bear, making one wonder if he was a direct descendant of Grandmother Ungnyeo [a mythical bear who transformed into a woman in Korean folklore].

The man introduced himself as Team Leader Yang.

Son Gwang-yeon looked at him and smiled contentedly.

“My son will be home from school soon, so after you finish eating, let’s take a walk together.”

***

Yang Kang-wook was a top-notch talent who entered and graduated from the Korea Military Academy with excellent grades.

He was not from a poor family, nor was he ambitious for success. Yet, the question of why he chose the path of a soldier is where his life began. However, no one ever heard his answer after Yang Kang-wook became an adult.

Because no one asked.

He was good at his studies, but he was also outstanding in Taekwondo and Judo, which he had learned since childhood. His Judo skills were so exceptional that he was a member of the national team’s training squad in high school. When he combined Taekwondo and Judo in actual combat, there was no one in the neighborhood who didn’t know him by his fists.

If it was said that Yang Kang-wook of Jungnang-gu was going to fight someone from such-and-such high school, the entire student body would rush to watch.

His studies were also excellent, always maintaining a position within the top 10 in the entire school. A friend who had worse grades than Yang Kang-wook even got into Korea University, so he was tired of being called a genius.

Given this reality, Yang Kang-wook lived expecting that questions would follow, such as ‘Why did you apply to the Military Academy, why are you walking the path of a soldier?’ Of course, he always had an answer prepared for that question.

‘No one’s asking me?’

When he was promoted to first lieutenant after serving as a platoon leader at a forward outpost after being commissioned as a second lieutenant, an interview was conducted as part of the consideration and support for outstanding officers.

“I want to become the commander of a special forces brigade.”

Now, the question ‘why’ will come. They’ll ask why a super-elite like me is choosing a difficult path instead of an easy one. Then I’ll answer without hesitation. Ask me quickly, you three turds.

“Okay. I think you’ll do well. Anyway, eight of the graduates from the Military Academy have to be assigned to the Special Forces, so thank you for volunteering. You’re different from the other model students.”

Eh?

Yang Kang-wook was taken aback and left for the Black 〇 Unit after shaking hands with the colonel.

After being assigned to the Special Forces, he was promoted to captain in a short period and became a company commander called a team leader. He became the first captain to be promoted among his classmates from the Military Academy.

He was able to meet the Special Forces Commander.

“You are-”

Okay, ask me.

I’ll tell you why I’m walking the path of a soldier, why I wanted the Special Forces Command. Ask me quickly, you three-star general.

“-very impressive.”

“Thank you!”

“Keep up the good work.”

“Unity!” [a common military salute and expression of solidarity]

Yang Kang-wook once again only shook hands with the three-star general and returned to his unit.

‘Is this strange?’

Even during his school days and cadet days, he had discussions with his friends about their dreams, expressed their ambitions, and lived with youthful energy. But after coming to the military, no one asks him anything.

Yang Kang-wook missed the days when he shared his dreams with his friends, discussed his ideals, and burned with youthful passion together.

Even when doing mountain runs, thousand-mile marches, and high-altitude parachute training, Yang Kang-wook felt lonely.

‘No one understands a man’s heart.’

Still, he planned to stay in the military.

Because it was the only organization where he could cultivate his spirit and show his mettle.

But then someone contacted him.

It was a young man in business attire, and the way he wore his clothes suggested that he was hiding a beast inside.

“I have a proposal for you.”

The man, who presented a Sein Chemical business card, showed him some documents.

It was information about young and capable special forces members. There were members from the Naval Special Warfare Flotilla, the Marine Rescue Unit, the Special Mission Battalion, and even special forces units under the National Intelligence Service, whose names he had never heard before.

Before the man even revealed the purpose of his visit, Yang Kang-wook excitedly asked.

“Are we going to Pyongyang? Is that why you called for this team leader? If so, I’ll volunteer right away-”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Ah…”

Yang Kang-wook’s passion seemed to be dampened once again.

The man introduced himself as a founding member of SSS, a security company that was in the process of being established.

“It might be something more important. It’s a mission to protect a VIP.”

“A VIP, you say?”

“It’s a VIP, so wouldn’t it be confidential?”

“Ah, I see. But why did you want to see me?”

“We need a commander. Of course, you’ll be a civilian bodyguard, so we’ll have to call you team leader. If you’re prepared for that.”

Team leader, it was not an unfamiliar title.

The unit Yang Kang-wook belonged to also used the title of team leader.

If he were a VIP bodyguard commander, he would usually be called a director or a chief. He thought that things were different in the civilian world.

Yang Kang-wook looked through the documents again.

From basic combat power measurements such as physical and fitness test information, shooting, and martial arts, to personality and mission performance capabilities, everything was recorded in detail.

‘Beasts.’

Yang Kang-wook’s heart pounded fiercely.

The reason why he had turned down Korea University and applied to the Military Academy, the motive for volunteering for the Special Forces, was shining in the documents.

‘Ah, but I have to take off my military uniform.’

Was it lingering attachment? Yang Kang-wook’s eyes wavered.

Then the beast in a suit opened his mouth.

“We promise you four times your current salary.”

“I’ll do it.”

It was too much money to insist on his military uniform.

If he saved three months’ worth, it would be equivalent to a year’s salary. Yang Kang-wook was also good at math.

Yang Kang-wook’s team was said to be in charge of exclusive VIP security. They received notarized documents stating that they would demand stricter security than even the president, and that the parent company would take all legal responsibility for any problems that arose. They also signed a contract stating that the company would be responsible for the welfare of their families for life in the event of death or injury during security operations.

‘Hmph. So, all I have to do is protect them well.’

Any entity that threatens the VIP can be rendered combat-incapable by any means necessary. What a simple security rule. To exaggerate, it was a privilege only granted to presidential bodyguards.

But.

Yang Kang-wook had fallen into a strange world.

‘Why am I protecting an old man in the boondocks?’

The working environment was also like that.

Wasn’t it worse than when he was training with special forces in the mountains?

They rented an office in the town and four people shared four cars to commute to the boondocks. When the shift car arrived, they would return to their homes in the town to rest, a two-shift duty.

There was no designated workplace either.

All they did was hide their cars in secluded places and watch the old man from the countryside from the bushes, trees, or abandoned houses.

‘He’s a VIP, and he certainly does have unusual behavior patterns.’

The old man from the countryside would brush his dog’s fur, sweep the yard, suddenly dance, and run around with his daughter on his neck. Then, when his spouse appeared, he would stiffen his face and act solemnly.

‘A beast.’

He had an incredible poker face.

When he was alone, he would show strange behavior again, but he was still a man of honor and romance.

“Euaaah-! I’m gonna shoot! Go!” [a playful warning before a mock attack]

To give a warning before attacking, that was a magnanimity that an ordinary person could never imitate.

Yang Kang-wook, hidden in the reeds of the narrow waterway, watched the VIP without caring about the hot water cannon flying over his head.

‘Oooo-, a beast-!’

What caught his eye more than the VIP was his son, who woke up earlier than anyone else, ran around with the dog, did push-ups, and pull-ups.

‘How can he do 100 pull-ups without stopping?’

Without any kipping, just with the strength of his arms.

Even Yang Kang-wook would see stars after doing 60, but that kid repeated it every morning and evening. The son was the real beast. It was fun to watch.

However, when the son went to school, he had to observe that strange old man.

When Yang Kang-wook was bored or tired, he would look at his colleagues who were lying in ambush far away.

Their eyes were unwavering.

‘Beasts.’

His blood boiled again.

If the person that eight highly paid bodyguards were taking turns secretly monitoring, no, guarding, was such an important old man, then he must be incredibly important.

A sense of mission that he had never felt before arose.

Occasionally, when someone with malicious intent and a weapon appeared, they would scare them away appropriately. Here, ‘appropriately’ meant to the point where they would drool and wear diapers for about a month.

A fat guy appeared, and the beast’s son twisted his collar and threw him away.

‘Oh! As expected, a beast.’

According to the information, he was thirteen years old, but wasn’t that wrong?

He was as tall as the fat guy, so he was too big to be called a child.

Anyway, since he was told to record everything in detail and report it, Yang Kang-wook left a record.

「199104XX △△ City □□ minutes. Two unidentified adult males approached. Short, obese build (estimated 170 centimeters, 85 kilograms), assaulted the VIP’s son, and barely escaped before being strangled. Ordered the Bellflower team to pursue. Took measures to prevent re-approach.」

It was said that ‘습니다’ [a formal verb ending in Korean] was changed in the year the Olympics were held, but it was not easy to change a habit that was more ingrained than military training.

It was a continuous series of boring ambush missions, getting bitten by mosquitoes, getting rained on, shivering in the cold, and repeatedly dozing off. In that way, they dug pits in the boondocks, made hideouts in trees, and disguised themselves as fishermen, real estate agents, bushes, and rocks for nearly two years.

‘Should I quit?’

Yang Kang-wook looked at his bank account.

‘Beast.’

The money was properly deposited in his account. His annual salary had already become higher than that of a professional baseball player. Not just any high-salary player.

There were also generous bonuses for accident-free service and seniority allowances.

His wife was also satisfied with life in the town. After all, she was a soldier’s wife, and after living in a remote area, she felt like she had come to the city.

His colleagues also checked their bank accounts after following Yang Kang-wook and their eyes lit up.

The SSS team members looked at each other and nodded silently.

It was the look of a beast.

Since there were many people, they could use their vacation time generously.

However, there was a small complaint among the team members: they could not visit their parents during holidays even though they had been discharged from the military. So, they strongly requested holiday leave from their employer. It was probably when they received the mission to clean up the gangsters.

‘The answer was positive.’

Then, they received intelligence.

The employer had left a secret message under a rock.

In summary, it was like this:

– VIP is scheduled to travel to Hawaii during the Chuseok holiday [Korean Thanksgiving]. The entire security team will be able to spend the holiday with their families.

Yang Kang-wook and his team members, who were so excited about the Chuseok holiday, all got into their cars and sped down the farm road. Driving in a tight line, they felt like they were in a convoy. It was a sense of liberation that they could never feel during normal work hours.

How long had it been since they spent the Chuseok holiday? Finally, they said that they would officially establish SSS. They also said that they would build a new security building so that they could openly provide security without having to hide.

‘Finally.’

Yang Kang-wook felt like he was being properly compensated for his two years of hardship.

Soaked in a sense of pride, he looked around the security building under construction and the VIP’s house. The VIP invited the bodyguards into his house and gave them food and tea.

Who said that mom’s cooking was the best? Yang Kang-wook almost called the VIP’s wife ‘mom’. And her beauty. She was truly worthy of being called a national beauty.

‘Beauty and the Beast.’

He met the VIP’s son, who had come home from school.

The son smiled brightly at Yang Kang-wook.

‘That’s strange, I’ve never seen him smile like that.’

When the son, who he thought was a beast, smiled, he even felt a creepy feeling. Could he be a cannibal?

However, Yang Kang-wook’s heart melted at the boy’s words.

Because it was a warm, sun-like word that melted his frozen heart, as warm as his smile.

“You must feel secure having such strong warriors by your side.”

Yang Kang-wook’s eyes became teary for no reason.

But Yang Kang-wook was happy.

The first person he met told him the reason why he chose the path of a soldier.

***