The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 124

Son Gwang-yeon, holding the baby on the waterway bank, and Han Yu-young, holding a parasol beside him, watched in astonishment.

Their eldest son was holding up the snakehead fish by its gills with both hands.

“Uncle Jin-nam! How do you cook this?”

Without any weakening strategy, Jin-hyuk had simply lifted it up, so the snakehead fish was full of energy, and it repeatedly slapped Jin-hyuk’s cheek with its tail. It was an instinctive struggle.

Yet, Jin-hyuk was all smiles, as if he liked it.

“Ah, well, I only know how to make sashimi or spicy fish stew with fish…”

Jang Jin-nam scratched the back of his head and stepped back. Despite his armor-like muscles, he looked terrified. It must be because the snakehead fish looked like a monster.

Jin-hyuk smiled brightly and looked at his mom.

“Mom! They say this will help with milk production!”

“No! No! I don’t want it!”

It was closer to a scream.

Han Yu-young, holding her cheek and shaking her head vigorously, finally closed her eyes tightly.

How could she eat that? These days, there are many kinds of formula, so you can just buy the right product for the baby. She was happy to see her usually taciturn eldest son smiling brightly, but she was embarrassed that he was telling the whole neighborhood that his mom wasn’t producing milk.

Jin-hyuk looked devastated.

My mom…

She must think I’m awful.

She closed her eyes because of the snakehead fish, but was it necessary to reject it so desperately?

His hand lost strength, and the snakehead fish fell with a thud.

‘Heeing-.’

He wanted to go astray.

He wanted to take off his t-shirt, which had already turned yellow-brown, but there were too many eyes watching. Jin-hyuk sat down for a moment where people couldn’t see him. The overgrown reeds sheltered him snugly. He just wanted to rest, so he wiped the mud off his face.

Regardless of Jin-hyuk’s feelings, the waterway, half mud and half fish, was in an uproar.

Even men from neighboring towns came on tractors and motorcycles, adding to the liveliness, making it more boisterous than a rural school sports day.

“Catch the fish! Catch the fish!”

“Over there! There, there!”

Adults and children alike were radiating heat hotter than the midday sun.

Jin-hyuk, staring at the chaotic scene with half-opened eyes, wiped his nose with his forearm. The mud he had just wiped off was back on his face.

It was the first time he had felt such a profound sense of alienation since returning to the past.

Of course, it was just his misunderstanding, but the fact that he was being rejected by his most beloved mother made the big fifteen-year-old boy feel lonely.

‘It’s like a tragic heroine.’

More like a tragic hero.

The feeling that everyone in the world didn’t know him and that he was left alone.

He thought he would be used to such feelings, but this time it was closer to a sense of loss. It was different from the feelings he had in the past when he had no one to rely on, so Jin-hyuk realized anew that he was living a truly happy life without any shortcomings.

Everyone was laughing and chatting happily.

A boring, taciturn, and serious middle-aged teenager was sulking, heartbroken by his mother’s rejection.

But he couldn’t afford to wander for long.

“Where did my brother go? Where did he go? Hee-ing-.”

It was because of Yoo-jin’s voice, searching for him on the bank.

Everyone was laughing and chatting so loudly that they didn’t hear Yoo-jin’s worried voice, but Jin-hyuk was not the kind of brother who couldn’t distinguish his sister’s voice.

“My brother fell into the swamp and disappeared. Brother!”

Yoo-jin began to sob alone, like a stage actor.

‘Sigh, what’s with all this sulking at my age?’

Jin-hyuk jumped up and waved to his sister.

Yoo-jin, who found her brother, also jumped up and down, waving her hand. Anyone would think they were reuniting with family after being separated.

“Waaaah-. Brother!”

After confirming his sister’s bright smile, he went back into the mud.

He was proud of himself for how quickly his heart warmed at his sister’s attention. It’s good to grow up after all.

“Were there this many fish here?”

“Right? Even with the fishing nets, there are so many that didn’t get caught.”

Even though many had probably escaped downstream due to the drainage work, all kinds of fish were caught in the mid-upper reaches. From large species such as carp, pale chub, snakehead fish, Korean bullhead, and catfish, to countless small individuals such as bitterling and freshwater shrimp. They filled several red rubber tubs, which were brought by tractor and used as outdoor bathtubs in the summer, and the fish were still bustling on the bottom of the waterway, looking for a place to live.

So no one paid attention to Janggun running off with a fish in its mouth.

When the other dogs followed the leader and ran towards the house one by one with fish in their mouths, people finally started to pay attention. The sight of dogs having a fish race was bound to be strange.

“That’s odd. They’re not cats, why are they doing that?”

“They’ve probably been eating only feed all the time and are craving something fishy.”

The four dogs, possessed by wild dogs, soon reappeared.

Even though they were panting with their tongues hanging out in the heat, Janggun ran again with a fish in its mouth. Hongsi, Cheonma, and Gwangma followed behind again.

“Did they eat and come back already?”

“They must have buried them somewhere. They’re dogs, after all.”

How many times did they carry the fish? Hongsi, Cheonma, and Gwangma were exhausted and collapsed in the reeds, but Janggun’s race continued until people retreated at dusk. It was truly tireless stamina.

“Wow, Janggun is a great dog. The others are all collapsed like that, but she’s the only one still stealing them until the end.”

“Isn’t she Janggun for nothing? She must be burying food for a lifetime.”

“They’ll all rot, but I guess that’s because she’s a dog, so she’s stupid.”

There were too many fish. They took only enough to eat, and the rest of the catch, including the small ones, were released into the lake downstream. Of course, some greedy people from other villages took several sacks, but no one scolded them.

They would probably ask a health center to make carp extract.

“Elder, why don’t you stay at our place tonight? We’ll have carp stew and some rice wine.”

“Do you have good liquor?”

“My son made kudzu wine, and it tastes amazing. It’s been aged for about three years.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll follow you slowly.”

Choi Jang-hwan, taking care of Cheon Gil-ryong, led the villagers away.

Their bodies were heavy from rolling around in the hot sun, but their hearts were soaring after the impromptu athletic meet.

Jin-hyuk, about to head home, tilted his head.

His gaze was fixed on some children he had never seen before, looking at the dried-up waterway.

“Seong-chan, do you know who they are?”

“I don’t know? They must be kids from that neighborhood.”

If even Yuk Seong-chan didn’t know them, they must be newcomers who had just moved in.

Jin-hyuk beckoned to the children.

After a moment of hesitation, the biggest child approached. The child was holding a light rubber tub with styrofoam crudely attached with string.

“Did you come to catch fish?”

“No? We came to ride a boat?”

With just one sentence, it was clear that they were not from the neighborhood.

They spoke with a Seoul accent, without any dialect. Their clothes were very neat, and except for the biggest one, their skin was quite fair.

So they made a boat out of a tub. Jin-hyuk had also imagined such things when he was young, so it wasn’t something he couldn’t understand.

“Hey kids, you can ride a boat over there- go down there. There’s water there.”

“No, it’s dangerous to ride that. If it flips over, it’ll be a disaster.”

Jin-hyuk quickly stopped Yuk Seong-chan’s kindness.

“Did you come to visit relatives during the vacation?”

“No? We transferred schools?”

“All three of you?”

“Yes. We’re siblings?”

They said they had transferred to Eodong Elementary School.

Thirteen, ten, and six years old. Six years old, the same age as Yoo-jin.

Yoo-jin was just blinking her eyes, holding her mom’s hand from a distance.

“I’ll give you these fish, so ask your mom to make carp stew. You shouldn’t ride a boat with that.”

“Okay.”

Jin-hyuk removed the styrofoam attached to the rubber tub and put the carp in the tub.

They were so full of life that some of the carp were still flapping, thanks to being put in a puddle of water to keep them alive.

Jin-hyuk and Yuk Seong-chan watched with satisfaction as the kids who had transferred from the city struggled to carry the tub. Should they have helped them carry it?

‘Transferred schools…’

That’s something.

In an era when everyone was abandoning the countryside for the city, they were transferring to the countryside.

It must have been too heavy for the little ones, as the three siblings put the tub down and rested several times.

Then, their mom came running out and smacked them on the back.

They were too far away to hear what she was saying, but it seemed like their mom was quite worried.

“Hehe-. They must have snuck out without their mom knowing.”

“Were we like that too?”

Jin-hyuk asked, as if muttering to himself.

“Playing in the water is dangerous. We used to play in the stream or on the beach. The waterway is deep and dangerous.”

“We couldn’t even go near the waterway because we’d get beaten by the adults.” Yuk Seong-chan made exaggerated gestures.

Jin-hyuk nodded at Yuk Seong-chan’s answer, whose voice had changed and who had a dark stubble.

The waterway was not only deep, but also slippery, so once a child who couldn’t swim fell in, it was difficult to get out on their own.

There were so many other things to play with, why would they play so dangerously?

Maybe it was because they had lived in the city and didn’t know how to play.

If they lived nearby, he would teach them how to play.

‘Mountain running, mudflat running, digging for ginger caves, digging for kudzu roots, teasing black chickens and running away…’

The list was endless.

They would definitely enjoy it…

“Jin-hyuk, my eldest son-. Let’s go home-”

“Yes!”

He smiled at his mom’s call. Seeing his mom’s crescent-shaped eyes, he was ashamed of his misunderstanding. His mom would never hate her son, he had just misunderstood for a moment.

The large snakehead fish was released into the lake. It was too big for anyone to think of eating it. Cheon Gil-ryong’s words that it might be the guardian of the waterway helped with the decision.

‘It’s not the 80s, if you don’t produce milk, you can just feed formula.’

Jin-hyuk picked up the trash and put it in an empty sack. If he buried it in the ground like this, it would only cause more pollution. It was better to collect it and dispose of it as waste.

“Just leave that there.”

“Yes.”

He was about to collect the styrofoam that the child had brought, but Cheon Gil-ryong stopped him.

‘Let’s go wash up quickly.’

With a sack of fish in one hand and a sack of trash in the other, he turned to go home barefoot. He never found his slippers, which had disappeared somewhere.

*

As dusk approached, swarms of mayflies were rampant.

Cheon Gil-ryong, who had stayed until the end to watch over the waterway, chased away the gnats with his pipe. His loose Hawaiian shirt fluttered every time he waved his arm.

‘It’s a strange thing.’

Cheon Gil-ryong’s gaze was following the three siblings who had already disappeared into the distance.

The first one’s face was clearly one that would die young. If something happened to a young child, it would pour cold water on the festive atmosphere. So he had been watching carefully, and the moment that Jin-hyuk had removed the styrofoam from the tub, the sign of a short life had disappeared. The black haze that had been flickering around the child’s eyes had flown away like a seed.

Cheon Gil-ryong stared blankly at the two lumps of styrofoam for buoys lying on the ground.

‘Was he destined to fall into the water today?’

Interesting, interesting. It’s an interesting world. Cheon Gil-ryong, holding the styrofoam, muttered to himself as he followed Jin-hyuk from a distance.

The feeling of anticipating someone’s end was never good. The feeling of glimpsing fate while reading faces was the same. His chest was always tight, and he coughed like a consumptive. It was the same for his brother, Cheon Gi-ryong. The hospital always said that there was nothing wrong. But after finishing the guardian game and passing the job to that kid, the chest pain had disappeared as if it had been washed away.

Son Jin-hyuk’s back, walking barefoot in pain, looked broader than ever.

However, it didn’t look as lonely as his brother Cheon Gi-ryong’s.

‘He probably didn’t know, but you’re really talented.’

His mustache spread out like a fan along his smiling lips.

The kid named Jin-hyuk was making a fuss as he walked on the path covered with sharp pebbles.

“Ouch-ouch!”

***

Even though it was dusk, the days were long.

The SSS agents, who were tired but had bright expressions, stopped walking as they crossed the bridge.

It was because Son Gwang-yeon, who was walking with the baby, had stopped. In front of them, Yoo-jin and Han Yu-young were sitting on the bridge, looking into the water.

“There were no fish earlier.”

“Really. Where did the fish come from?”

It had only been a few days since they started filling the water, so it was normal for there to be no fish. But now, there were fish swimming in the waterway. From fish the size of a palm to fish the size of an arm. The water was clear, so it was possible to identify them.

“Maybe Janggun carried them over earlier?”

Jin-hyuk cautiously guessed, arriving late.

There was no other way to explain it.

“Since she moved the water, maybe Janggun moved the residents there too.”

Jang Jin-nam, nodding, lowered the sack he had been carrying on his shoulder.

The fish, smelling the water, flapped desperately.

Jang Jin-nam threw the smaller ones into the waterway.

Splash-, splash-.

The sight of them returning to where they were supposed to be, and the sight of them diving in cleanly like diving athletes, was impressive.

The joyful movements that only life that had dramatically escaped death could show.

The conscience embedded in the human heart responded.

Moon Seok-il and Yang Kang-wook also began to rummage through their sacks. The other SSS agents also began to release the fish, as if they had made a promise.

Splash-splash-. Thud-thud-. Jin-hyuk simply poured the sack into the waterway.

Feeling embarrassed by everyone’s gaze, Jin-hyuk scratched the back of his head.

“There’s plenty to eat even if it’s not fish. Freshwater fish are also troublesome to debone…”

Everyone nodded and poured out their sacks. As if no further explanation was needed.

That’s when it happened.

Splash-!

The huge Jang Jin-nam jumped into the water.

The water splashed everywhere with a thrilling splash, as if a rock had been thrown in.

“Ah, you scared me.”

“Hyung Jin-nam, what’s going on?”

No one was worried.

Although he had become a chef after being discharged from the military because he enjoyed cooking, Jang Jin-nam was a UDT [Underwater Demolition Team] veteran. They were not foolish enough to worry about a UDT veteran falling into the water.

After a few seconds, Phew-! Jang Jin-nam, looking much cleaner, raised his head. He then began to collect the fish floating on the water. He was moving only his ankles, splashing the water playfully. He looked like an otter, lying on the surface and collecting fish.

Feeling burdened by the attention focused on him, Jang Jin-nam smiled awkwardly.

“Let’s eat the dead ones. I like spicy fish stew in the summer.”

Yang Kang-wook took off the t-shirt he had been wearing, trying to help Jang Jin-nam, so that Han Yu-young wouldn’t feel embarrassed.

“The water’s clean, let’s go for a swim.”

Splash-! Sploosh-!

The once clean water became somewhat murky. Everyone watching from the bridge, and everyone floundering in the water, laughed heartily.

“Hee-ha!”

Myeong Hyun-woo exclaimed like a cowboy. It had the effect of making even the onlookers feel refreshed.

“Jin-hyuk, aren’t you going in?”

At Son Gwang-yeon’s question, Jin-hyuk just smiled and shook his head.

He wanted to jump in, but he had something to do now.

“I need to give Janggun some dried goby.”

He didn’t know what Janggun was thinking when she carried the fish.

He just thought that the good dog had done a good deed. Janggun was a dog who often did admirable things.

If someone did a good deed, they should be rewarded and praised. It wasn’t something she did for a reward, but there was nothing as happy as an unexpected reward. It was one of the ways team leader Son Jin-hyuk used to manage people.

Janggun is better than me. Jin-hyuk muttered as he walked home.

Son Gwang-yeon, holding the baby, followed behind him, drooling.

“Jin-hyuk-ah-. Did you hide some? Dad wants a few too-”

“Hehehe-”

He was happy to see his dad’s goofy side after a long time.

The goofy son smiled and increased his pace.