The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 115

Oysters, slightly larger than shelled clams, sparkled under the living room lights. Oysters from the market are usually grayish-white, but these small, single oysters boasted a pure white, pearl-like appearance.

*Chomp-*, Choi Mi-kyung quickly picked up a fresh-smelling oyster and popped it into her mouth.

“Huuuuh-!”

How delicious must it be to make her act so dramatically?

Choi Mi-kyung wildly flailed her arms and legs like she was doing a clumsy jump rope, bouncing around.

If someone lived downstairs, they would have come up to complain about the noise.

‘Yeah, she was this cute.’

A brotherly smile spread across Jin-hyuk’s face as he watched his childhood friend.

“Wow! It’s so delicious! Did Mom shell all of these?”

“I even stole some from Sung-chan’s and Jae-young’s moms. Hehehe.”

Kim Soon-bok glared at her playful daughter, laughing like a mischievous child.

The wrinkles around her eyes, like calluses, curved along her gaze.

“Did Mom take them by force?”

“No, you rascal. Those women gave them to me because they heard Jin-hyuk’s mom was having morning sickness. Jin-hyuk’s mom acting all delicate is nothing new. Those women would even give up their own butts for her, those girls.”

Kim Soon-bok smiled warmly at Jin-hyuk and then headed straight to the kitchen.

‘It’s your mom’s blessing, so you don’t need to be too grateful,’ her words trailed after her.

Kim Soon-bok didn’t rest even after coming home, moving busily. It was because she wanted to quickly send things over since Jin-hyuk was home.

“I tried to be careful when shelling them, but there are still so many shell fragments.”

Even while busily picking out oyster shell fragments, her habit of muttering to herself remained unchanged. She added a comment while picking out a baby crab mixed in with the oysters.

“This little rascal is acting up, crawling into the oyster shells.”

Neither Choi Mi-kyung nor Jin-hyuk found Kim Soon-bok’s habits strange.

Kim Soon-bok neatly cleaned the oyster shell fragments and took out various vegetables from the refrigerator.

“Oh my, when I was pregnant with our Mi-kyung, I craved these single oysters so much. My mother went to the sea every day to shell them for her daughter-in-law. Back then, winters were colder than now. Were there enough things to eat or wear? Everything was so poor, and my mother suffered a lot.”

It had already been three years since her mother-in-law passed away, but Kim Soon-bok still sometimes had the illusion that Lee Bok-soo would open the door and come in. She was the mother who went to her daughter’s in Incheon, stopped by the senior center, and brought back a roll of toilet paper given by a medicine seller, not for her daughter, but for her daughter-in-law in the countryside.

Jin-hyuk and Choi Mi-kyung also became somber for a moment, thinking of their grandmother.

Kim Soon-bok, who had subtly wiped the tip of her nose, picked up a knife.

“Jin-hyuk’s mom doesn’t even have such a mother-in-law, so I have to take care of her.”

*Chop chop chop chop-*

Jin-hyuk, who had lived alone for a long time, was quite skilled with a knife, but he couldn’t match the knife skills of housewives. Her skill in using the knife with precision and at a consistent speed was exceptional.

Before long, shredded lettuce, perilla leaves, radish, pear, and carrots were gathered together.

Now it was time to make the seasoning.

Red pepper paste, sugar, vinegar, red pepper powder…

‘Ah! Too fast!’

Jin-hyuk’s eyes, which had been watching the ingredients closely, lost track of Kim Soon-bok’s hand movements.

He had intended to learn because he knew what Kim Soon-bok was making and what it would taste like. It seemed he would have to ask her directly next time.

Kim Soon-bok put the separately prepared ingredients into a bag and tied it tightly.

She also made sure to pack extra oysters, telling him to make oyster soup.

“This is what your mom likes the most. When I was pregnant with our Jin-hyuk, this woman would eat it without even breathing. When you get home, mix it all together and add clean water, okay? If you like onions, add some too, okay?”

It was a fact that Jin-hyuk knew even without her saying it.

When Yu-jin was pregnant and had severe morning sickness, a bowl of cold raw oyster soup made by Kim Soon-bok would bring a happy smile to her face, as if she had the whole world.

His mother, who had neither a birth mother nor a mother-in-law, probably felt that affection from Kim Soon-bok.

“Thank you, Mother.”

“Oh my, what are you thanking me for? We’re practically family. Family members give each other special treatment.”

Even though Choi Mi-kyung’s family lived comfortably, Jin-hyuk was determined to step up whenever they needed help. He bowed deeply and headed home.

Sweet, sour, and spicy cold raw oyster soup.

Just thinking about it made his mouth water. It was a winter delicacy.

‘This will do the trick!’

It would soothe his mother’s morning sickness and bring back her appetite.

Since there was plenty of seasoning, he could make cold raw oyster soup with the oysters his father had bought and share it with SSS [Special Security Service]. Even though they were bodyguards and it was part of their job, they were people who worked hard for his family.

Jin-hyuk paused for a moment, buried his face in the bag of seasoning, and took a deep breath.

‘Ummm- smell-.’

His mouth was watering.

Would his mother eat it all by herself?

Well, she would probably leave him a bite.

***

Yu Se-ra, an expert at taking just one bite and leaving the rest, shook a monthly ladies’ magazine.

On the fluttering pages, large pictures of delicious food were printed.

“Oppa! I want to eat this!”

She smiled brightly, showing a rare display of affection.

The fact that she had changed her way of addressing him was proof of that.

“What should I buy?”

“I want to eat braised spicy chicken, ramen with lots of chashu [braised pork belly], fajitas, wood-fired pizza, ham, hocks, and lion’s head meatballs too!”

She had a truly global appetite. Starting from the Korean Peninsula, she went through the Japanese archipelago, crossed the American continent, stopped by Europe, and then came back to Asia.

Hong Ki-joon had no choice but to grab his coat. To fulfill the queen’s special mission, sincerity was needed, and he couldn’t leave it to just Kim, the driver.

“Daddy-! I-.”

“Soo-jung, you can eat what Mom left behind.”

He was already bringing back so much food, and dealing with the leftovers was difficult enough. He was getting a belly from eating so much.

“Hieeeng-.”

Hong Soo-jung pouted.

After it was revealed that her mother was pregnant with a younger sibling, Hong Soo-jung was completely excluded from menu choices. It was fortunate that her mother’s taste was high-end.

Hong Ki-joon patted his daughter’s head, who had grown noticeably taller, and then left the house.

‘Just give birth healthy, Yu Se-ra.’

Hong Ki-joon wished only for the health of his wife and the unborn child.

In the 21st century, giving birth in one’s late 30s was not uncommon, but in 1993, it was rare. Yu Se-ra’s mother had also passed away after giving birth at Yu Se-ra’s current age, so it was natural to be worried.

“Vice President, where should I take you?”

“Let’s head towards the National Police Agency first.”

Hong Ki-joon picked up the car phone.

He needed to call ahead so that he could buy everything in time for his arrival.

Hong Ki-joon, who had made several phone calls to place orders, pressed the number pad once more.

“Mr. Min Yong-rak, is everything prepared?”

Everything needed for the security building, known locally as the Hobbit Bunker, would be in place, but he would need to pack his personal belongings. Following Jin-hyuk’s request, Min Yong-rak was to be dispatched as an administrative manager, following the postpartum care and medical staff.

In his previous life, Min Yong-rak had willingly bowed his head to Jin-hyuk’s proposal and joined his team. He had even served as the head of an overseas corporation, so he had every right to be proud, but Min Yong-rak did not show such behavior.

Min Yong-rak’s words during his interview with Managing Director Hong Soo-jung were impressive.

– “As you know from working with me, Managing Director, the opportunity to work with someone like him is not something anyone can get. I don’t know what kind of person he is yet, but the fact that he reached out to me, who is practically a defeated general, shows that he doesn’t care about what the world thinks. A leader who doesn’t care about what others think takes good care of his people.”

It was an assessment that he could make because he had been a leader for a long time.

Everyone in the Sein Group thought of it as the most powerful department, but Min Yong-rak had made his decision based on the individual capabilities of Team Leader Son Jin-hyuk.

How trustworthy was someone who had an eye for people? Hong Ki-joon decided to assign the most trustworthy and young person to Jin-hyuk.

“There won’t be much to do right away. Take it easy, take it easy.”

– Yes, sir!

Even if he said that, he was the type of person who would find work on his own. Hong Ki-joon couldn’t think of anyone more suitable than Min Yong-rak.

“Okay. Don’t forget what I asked you to do.”

– Yes, sir!

Min Yong-rak answered energetically from the other end of the line.

Hong Ki-joon leaned back in his seat after ending the call. He let out a long sigh.

‘It’s already been five years.’

Hong Ki-joon had returned in early 1988, during the winter.

He patted his coat to make sure the parchment he had tucked deep into his inside pocket was still there.

He tapped it a few times and felt reassured.

It was a parchment he had obtained from the shadows to record the history of the world as it turned back. It was Hong Ki-joon’s most precious possession after his family.

‘It doesn’t seem to be of much use in the country anymore.’

The history he had recorded on the parchment was only fragmentary, and the world had changed too much. It was fortunate that there were no major changes in areas unrelated to the economy.

‘It’s still useful.’

At least he could know when, where, and what people who would leave a significant mark on the future economy were doing.

Hong Ki-joon picked up the car phone again.

“Assemblyman Kim? How is the discussion on the proposed bill going?”

– Wha-wha-wha-…

*Sigh*-, a sigh escaped him involuntarily.

In Hong Ki-joon’s eyes, they were nothing more than tax leeches. They said they didn’t have time to focus on the economy or people’s livelihoods because they were preparing for the new president’s inauguration, but were they the ones being inaugurated?

They were heavily promoting the launch of a civilian government, but because they still hadn’t shaken off the ghost of a dictatorship, the gold badges [referring to the badges worn by politicians] only cared about bills that were favorable to companies that gave them kickbacks.

The person on the other end of the line was still rambling about the budget and legislative activity expenses. He just wanted more money.

Hong Ki-joon, who swallowed his curse, tapped the parchment with his index finger.

‘I can’t just turn the country upside down.’

It was an imagination that was possible given Hong Ki-joon’s cold nature, which couldn’t tolerate injustice. However, it was also a fantasy that anyone who was fed up with real politics could have.

He had to end it as a momentary fantasy.

Hong Ki-joon didn’t have the power to turn things upside down, and he had decided to stay completely away from power.

‘It’s suicide.’

The moment he stepped into power, he would become the center of the world, and he would be a target for the students planted by Daejung [a powerful conglomerate]. Therefore, even though he was constantly receiving love calls from the political world, he was not paying attention to them.

If it weren’t for Yoo Myung-sun’s halo, even the Sein Group wouldn’t be able to do as it pleased. In a situation where he couldn’t even completely control the heads of the affiliates and the board of directors, a full-scale war with Daejung was premature.

Even if that wasn’t the reason, who in Korea could stand up to Daejung, which had deep-rooted ties with the political and judicial branches?

‘How else would Sein pay three times more taxes than Daejung?’

As clean as the path his father-in-law, Yoo Myung-sun, had walked, Sein’s name was all that was powerful. People in the world still didn’t fight for a company just because it was clean. It was because there was no network where good intentions could gather. The only people who fought for companies were the powers that received money and the media powers that received advertising fees.

His father-in-law, Yoo Myung-sun, would often scoff, saying that it was a sin to do business honestly in a capitalist environment.

Besides that, there was another decisive reason why Hong Ki-joon shouldn’t get involved in politics from his personal point of view.

‘If even the political history goes wrong, it will be difficult to use them.’

His head was already hot enough, and if he touched politics, it would hurt even more. There was a very simple and clear reason, without the need to talk about power or war.

‘For the time being, I should act like a lotus flower, like my father-in-law.’

He was slowly spreading money in the political world. It wasn’t for special favors. It was to at least balance the playing field so that they could fight on the same stage.

He sighed, trying to calm his irritated mood.

– 【If that’s your vow, then do well, old man.】

Hong Ki-joon’s regression was not a life given as compensation for himself.

If it was for his own happiness, he wouldn’t have had to push himself or suffer as much as he was now. He had been happy enough in his previous life and had risen to the position of owner.

There was another reason to be careful.

‘It’s a son, they said.’

Fetal sex determination was strictly prohibited by law, but there was no one who didn’t understand the doctor’s implication. When he visited a general hospital under the Sein Medical Foundation with Yu Se-ra, the obstetrician clearly said this.

– “The baby is very handsome.”

It was a son who didn’t exist in his previous life.

While he was curious about his son, whom he didn’t know, a father’s heart, wishing for him to live without any hardships, made Hong Ki-joon cautious.

‘Kid. If you had been born in the old days, Soo-jung wouldn’t have had to go through all that trouble with management training.’

The car carrying Hong Ki-joon finally reached a certain place in Seodaemun-gu.

Kim Chul-min, who had turned on the hazard lights and stopped the car, looked in the rearview mirror.

It was an unspoken exchange of glances, a signal that he would be back.

“No, I’ll go.”

His head was hurting from thinking too much, and he wanted to get some fresh air and change his mood.

Hong Ki-joon got out of the car and wrinkled his nose.

It was still winter, but the unexpectedly warm air made his heart flutter for no reason.

It had been a long time since he had done something just for his family.

***

As if the snowstorm had never happened, the frozen ground began to thaw.

When the snow melted, the life that had been crouching with a green hue showed off its vitality.

The harsh cold was gone, so now it was his world! The way it looked was quite determined.

*Thud-!*

That was until the hoe was planted.

“Oppa, you’re good with a hoe, right?”

Hehehe-. *Whine-*. *Woof-*

Yu-jin, Jang-gun, and Hong-si stayed by Jin-hyuk’s side as he dug up shepherd’s purse.

The way they were squatting was similar, like siblings.

– “Wow-, the weather’s getting warmer. We can dig up shepherd’s purse and make stew, blanch it and mix it, and make soup, it’ll be delicious, right?”

This mom, really…

A pregnant woman was the queen. To see a middle schooler who should be running around digging up shepherd’s purse. Still, he couldn’t ignore his mother’s eyes, which were shining like stars.

If his father were here, if a guest had come down from Seoul, they would have dug it up together. Vacation was a holiday only for students, and knowing Yu Se-ra’s situation, it was a reunion he couldn’t hope for. In the end, Jin-hyuk, who was free, had to step up.

‘Aigo- it’s hard.’

His oppressed hip joint ached, and his knees throbbed.

Jin-hyuk changed his posture and crawled on all fours. It was less stressful on his joints that way.

“Ehehe-, Oppa looks like Jang-gun, right?”

Yu-jin, who was just excited, followed her brother, crawling with dirt on her hands and knees.

How much pain did the farmers who worked in the fields all day endure?

His respect for farmers rose again.

‘Soo-jung helped me last year.’

He suddenly missed the little one.

The little Seoul kid who stuck to him like glue and assisted him with his work.

Yu-jin was still young, so her hands weren’t skillful, making it difficult to expect help.

Even now, instead of helping, she was committing the atrocity of feeding the shepherd’s purse she had worked hard to dig up to Hong-si.

“Yu-jin, Hong-si is a dog, so he doesn’t eat grass-.”

-He’s eating it?

It seemed that a perfect relationship of trust had been formed between Hong-si and Yu-jin.

Even though it was grass that ordinary dog friends didn’t prefer, Hong-si diligently chewed what Yu-jin gave him with his gums.

However, he was only chewing it.

“Why isn’t he eating it?”

“It’s because Hong-si doesn’t have teeth. And he won’t actually swallow it.”

“Ah, I see. Isn’t Hong-si pitiful?”

“Why?”

To her brother’s question, Yu-jin pointed to the distant southeast.

“He doesn’t have teeth. Like the grandmother who lives over there, he needs dentures, right?”

Hong-si didn’t not have teeth because he was a grandmother.

Yu-jin would probably stop doing that soon, but it was really hard to keep up with the way children thought. Jin-hyuk had experienced it enough while talking to Hong Soo-jung, so he was less shocked.

“Hong-si will grow teeth soon. He doesn’t need teeth right now because he’s still a nursing puppy.”

Whether she understood her brother’s explanation or not, Yu-jin opened Hong-si’s mouth and examined his gums. She might make the puppy’s jaw fall out.

Yu-jin, who was looking at Hong-si’s palate, widened her eyes.

“Hong-si’s mouth is like a shark, right?”

What on earth did she mean by saying it was like a shark?

Children were very observant, but they said things that were hard to understand.

The dampness and smell of soil rising from the ground felt good.

How long had the two people and two dogs been crawling on the ground?

A figure appeared, making Jin-hyuk’s half-closed eyes even narrower.

“Jin-hyukaaaaa-.”

That punk had appeared again.

Choi Mi-kyung, Spring Youth.