The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 169

He pressed his hands together as if in prayer, then pushed them out strongly. With his chin tucked in a slight bow, it was a perfect Namaste [a traditional Indian greeting or gesture of respect].

It was a movement that tensed the pectorals and shoulders while relaxing the trapezius and cervical muscles.

[In a few moments, at ten o’clock, the men’s junior high 200-meter final race will begin-.]

For the next movement, he interlocked his hands like a ring and slowly pulled them. ‘My winning hand is my hand,’ he thought.

This was to prepare the shoulder joints, loosening them to make swinging motions easier. He could also check if there were any problems with the joints or any discomfort, such as pain.

Next was the chair pose. It was a step to stimulate the quadriceps and check if there were any issues with the erector spinae muscles [muscles that straighten and rotate the back]. It wasn’t a full squat, but rather a movement of sitting awkwardly and then slowly standing up.

He also did lunges to awaken the muscles at the back of his thighs, the hamstrings, and the calves, known as the gastrocnemius.

He jumped, thinking of hitting his chest with his knees, and tightened his abs. Each time he pulled up his legs, he exhaled strongly.

After doing that about ten times, he put his hands on his waist and arched his back to relax his abs again.

Finally, he tapped his thighs and wiggled his gluteus maximus, the symbol of a lifted hip, one side at a time, sending electrical stimulation to his lower body.

Now, his body seemed to be warmed up, his body temperature rose, and he began to sweat.

‘Good.’

In the lottery the day before, he had drawn the best lane, lane 4.

What was so good about the hot wind blowing from the front instead of the side?

It was probably just his imagination, but it felt stuffy and hotter because there were runners on both diagonal sides. With the front, left, and right all hot, it was like a country with three-sided heating.

‘It’s scorching hot!’

That didn’t mean the back, top, or bottom were cool.

Stepping into the starting area, Jinhyuk looked around the vast stadium and the considerable crowd.

‘It’s amazing.’

Humans are creatures of adaptation, they say.

Even though the loner Son Jinhyuk was standing in front of this large crowd with only a thin uniform covering his body, without any cover, he didn’t feel any sense of intimidation.

[On your marks-.]

He placed his left foot in front and his right foot on the block behind.

It was as if he could hear his bubbly younger sister, Yujin’s voice.

‘Try to follow me if you can-.’

[Set-.]

He relaxed the gluteus maximus that he had proudly raised and tightened his lower abdomen, putting pressure on his bladder.

He could also hear the voice of the little girl, Hong Sujeong.

‘Oppa, your butt is like a rock!’

A drop of sweat that had trickled down from his chin landed on the track with a plop.

[Bang-!]

Click-.

It was almost simultaneous.

The sound of the signal and the sound of Jinhyuk kicking off the starting block reached the ears of the starting area judge. The supervisor was on edge, wondering if it was a foul, but the signal equipment that should have indicated a foul was silent.

When the runners in lanes 3 and 5, who could be considered strong, raised their heads, Jinhyuk had already stepped with his left foot.

‘Give me courage like a gale once more-.’

He had to run 200 meters, so the deer chant was not very productive. [The deer chant is a reference to a previous chapter where Jinhyuk used a chant to boost his courage.]

He didn’t have the courage to do something crazy like Park Sanggi, and Yeom Byeongtaek’s chant changed from time to time.

He had thought about asking Jo Seulchan but decided not to. Just by looking at his mouth, he could tell what kind of chant it was.

So, he chose a song.

He just hummed whatever came to mind, not remembering what song it was or where he had heard it.

‘So that I don’t give in to a stinky butt- yeah-.’

It wasn’t like anyone was listening, so who cared if the lyrics were all over the place?

Since no one could hear it, no one would be embarrassed, but he must have imagined someone laughing.

Anyway, if he hummed like that, the finish line was right in front of him.

How much could he hum in 20 seconds? Depending on the song, it wouldn’t even be enough time for the intro.

[Bang-!]

The good thing about humming a song while running was that his chest felt less stuffy.

It was still the same in that he couldn’t pull out the hidden power, but if there was even one advantage, that in itself was positive.

‘Alright!’

His cheekbones twitched pleasantly at the relief that the competition was finally over.

Now, checking his record was an indispensable pleasure after finishing the race. Jinhyuk had become a person who gave meaning to even trivial things.

It was when Jinhyuk, with his hands on his waist, turned his head towards the electronic display board.

Pop pop-! Whoosh- pop pop pop-. Crackle crackle-.

Human-intelligence Yuse-ra was showing off her money-flaunting skills in the air.

Three million won in one go.

Even if he conceded a hundred times, he could accept the celebratory fireworks.

‘But why on earth are they setting off fireworks in broad daylight?’

Isn’t it standard to set off smoke bombs during the day?

Jinhyuk, who had been about to look at the electronic display board, opened his mouth wide and turned his head towards the VIP seats.

His cheeks puffed up at the sight of her clapping and hopping like a child.

Whew-.

‘It’s hot…’

***

He remembered Park Jibeom crying his heart out after finishing his last competition three years ago.

He hadn’t understood it then.

[The award-winning athletes, please follow the guidance to the B gate where the podium is prepared-.]

Recently, when Yeom Byeongtaek, who had finished his race as an anchor, lay on the track with his chest heaving, he felt like he could understand it a little.

‘It must be a love-hate relationship.’

Emotions that were separate from pitying or hating an unspecified number of people, a very personal sentiment of loving and hating a specific target.

In the past, Son Jinhyuk had never loved anyone with a heart-wrenching passion, nor had he ever hated anyone enough to want to kill them. He had lived as if his only goal in life was to focus on work. There was a reason for that, as he had gone out into the world early and was busy taking care of himself, but it was also because his emotions had become dull.

[The awards ceremony will now begin-.]

His indifferent personality and generous heart were also, in the end, a clumsy tolerance he had chosen because he didn’t want to waste energy on problems that had no answers. How much of a luxury was it for someone with tired emotions to care about their neighbors?

How could he define himself as a human when he didn’t have the emotions that a human should have and the relationships he should form?

‘Now… I want to become a human too.’

To love, to hate, to curse, to despise.

That’s why, when his dad asked him about his dreams, he found himself saying that he wanted to live an ordinary life, and he didn’t know if he was just repeating it like a habit.

‘It won’t be easy.’

It would definitely not be easy for a sprout to grow in a heart that held the emotions of the past. That was probably only possible when he died and was born as a different being.

[First place in the men’s junior high division, Son Jinhyuk from Taeyang Middle School-.]

He stepped onto the top of the podium as his name was called.

Observing his calm inner self, which contrasted with his excited breathing.

[He broke the 22-second barrier for the first time in the junior high division with a new record of 21.20 seconds. Please give him a big round of applause-.]

Perhaps a completely new life didn’t exist at all.

He had lived alone, so he didn’t have any useful memories, and even if he did remember them, the world had already changed so much that they were useless. The phenomenon of his memories fading as if covered in a thick fog had become worse after he had handed over the history of the past to Hong Gijun.

Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Re-starts only existed in games, and undoing things was only possible in mutually agreed-upon games. Life was only once, so in the end, Jinhyuk wasn’t repeating the same life, but rather living a long life with one soul. The fact that it wasn’t the same life was proven by the changed people and the world.

“Congratulations to our athlete on achieving a new record-. Thank you for working hard even in difficult circumstances, and we hope you will continue to do your best for the country…”

Was he a soldier? The words of the middle-aged award presenter, whose name and face he didn’t know, tickled his earlobes. He awkwardly smiled and nodded to show that he was listening.

‘I don’t know how long I’ll live, but let’s live like a human for the rest of my days.’

That was a calculation and a resolution.

If he didn’t keep himself in check like this every time the gap between his soul and reality reared its head, he might go crazy. It was obvious that someone who knew that the world was not beautiful would be seen as a madman in the eyes of others if they expressed their anger and hatred with their superhuman strength.

[The awards ceremony is now over. Athletes, please follow the guidance-.]

After the awards ceremony, he headed to where his friends were waiting.

「Adhering to the social norms created based on the minimum of common sense and conscience, and living within them, is the characteristic and privilege that makes humans human.」

It was a note in a book that Chae Gyuho had bound. Along with the annotation 「What the chairman said」 in parentheses. There was also Chae Gyuho’s contemplation, 「Then are the bad guys who break the rules not human?」.

The reason why it didn’t stick to his tongue even though it was easy to say was probably because of the superficiality of the phrase. Because of the hatred he had for those who broke the law, sometimes ruled above the law, sought only the interests of the group, and established intangible authority for themselves.

Could humans really be defined by a simple theory?

Clap clap clap-.

Yeom Byeongtaek and Jo Seulchan, who could no longer step on the track as athletes, were clapping and smiling more brightly than Jinhyuk. It was applause for the protagonist who stood alone on the podium.

“Our leader is the best-”

“Ah! Jinhyuk is really cool.”

He smiled awkwardly at his friends who were sending him the best praise they could muster. Then, Jinhyuk’s eyes widened. Because there was concrete evidence in front of him, rather than a theory.

“No. Friends, it’s not me.”

Jinhyuk, who had muttered to himself, took large strides towards his friends.

Yeom Byeongtaek’s eyes widened.

Because of Jinhyuk’s sudden action of taking off the gold medal that was hanging around his neck and giving it to him.

“Ah ha! Just to get in the mood?”

“I’m giving it to the rightful owner.”

Jinhyuk then took out the gold medal he had received yesterday from his pants pocket.

This was Jo Seulchan’s share.

“The real protagonists are my friends.”

No matter what role they played, weren’t the people who helped him enjoy himself the real protagonists of the play?

There was nothing to give to Lee Byeongse and Min Yongrak, but they were adults, so they wouldn’t be upset and would understand. ‘Wow-, if Park Sanggi had come, he would have been short of gold medals.’

‘Should I have participated in the long jump and the 400 meters too?’

He wrapped his long arms around Yeom Byeongtaek and Jo Seulchan, who were fiddling with the medals around their necks and rubbing their noses with their index fingers, and hugged them tightly.

“Thank you.”

For letting me live as a human.

***

Yeom Byeongtaek’s eyes widened once again.

It was supposed to be a tea house, but it was too dazzling here. There were even reporters outside, pointing cameras and being stopped.

‘It’s so different from a tea room.’

Of course, it couldn’t be compared to the hamburger shop in front of the school either.

Yeom Byeongtaek, Jo Seulchan, and Lee Byeongse didn’t even make a sound, just rolled their eyes. Along with Min Yongrak, they were sipping on sweet and cool drinks. They wanted to exclaim in admiration at the cool air conditioning, the plush sofas, and the fancy lighting, but they had to hold back.

‘She’s the prettiest of all the older sisters I’ve seen in Seoul.’

‘Wow-, she’s really pretty.’

‘That woman is the wife of the vice president of the Sein Group.’

Jinhyuk had been caught by Yuse-ra as he was leaving the stadium.

She told him to have something cool to drink, and since they weren’t strangers, he couldn’t refuse.

Jinhyuk, who had quenched his thirst with milk, looked around the corner of the store.

Seeing the SSS badges on the collars of the men who had followed them in, they must be Yuse-ra’s bodyguards, and the bodyguards outside must be of a lower rank.

But the face he had naturally expected to be there was not visible.

“Where’s Sujeong?”

“Oh, she has a kendo tournament today.”

“But is it okay for you to be here-.”

“If I follow my kids to all their events as their mom, that’s called being a helicopter mom, you know? Kim Cheolmin went with her.”

“Ah.”

I see. It was Sunday, so it would have been nice to see her face, even if just for a moment.

“Who’s watching Suhyuk?”

“Him? There are so many people working at home.”

Ah, that’s right.

He was just a rich man’s son in the countryside, but sitting in front of the daughter of the richest person in Korea, Son Jinhyuk was nothing more than a country bumpkin.

“Read this and sign it.”

How should he take the idea of signing a contract while he was in Seoul?

Anyway, she was so unpredictable that he couldn’t let his guard down for even a moment.

An exclusive contract.

It was a contract that basically stated that she would be in charge of training, sponsorship, and management.

He read the contract with his eyes and mind while listening to Yuse-ra’s explanation.

“This is different from the foundation-”

While athletes belonging to a general training foundation go through the foundation’s approval process through an application, Jinhyuk’s case was that he would belong to an agency, not a foundation.

Well, it seemed like she wanted to say that it was special treatment.

“The contract period is until you turn eighteen…”

“We’ll have to do it again when you become an adult. This is just a device set up to allow promising athletes to train comfortably. You’re the only one for now. Well, you can think of it as keeping you tied down.”

She was honest, which was good.

She had built a gym and even assigned Min Yongrak to him, so what more support could he ask for? There was full support for equipment and other things, and there were no clauses that were disadvantageous to the athlete.

“I don’t think you need to assign me a coach.”

If he met someone with a different personality, it would only add to his stress.

Whether it was a workplace or an athlete, wasn’t it the same that people left because they didn’t like the people more than the work?

“Is that better? You probably have your own habits since you’ve been doing it alone. The measurement and analysis equipment will be arriving from Germany soon.”

It was an intriguing offer.

If they introduced scientific analysis equipment, it would be a great help in correcting his posture and running style.

“National Track and Field Championships, National Junior High and High School Track and Field Championships, Junior Combined Games, Asian Junior Track and Field Championships, Youth Track and Field Championships, National Sports Festival, Autumn National Junior High and High School Track and Field Championships…”

U20 Track and Field Championships, Korea-China-Japan Junior Combined Track and Field Games, some broadcasting station cup, it wasn’t even a mountaineering club, but what was with all the mountain names…?

Jinhyuk, who was reading the names of the competitions he had to participate in, felt like he was going to lose his mind.

‘Are you telling me to just run? Am I Forrest Gump?’

Fortunately, before he fainted, Yuse-ra explained kindly. She tapped the small letters with her finger.

“Three competitions a year. It’s just for conditioning and experience, and it’s been arranged after review. Other athletes don’t participate in every competition either.”

“Ah, well, that’s fine-”

Thanks to the visibility of her red nail polish, Jinhyuk was able to find it quickly with his eyes.

Training to bring his condition to its peak on the day of the competition was a process that every professional had to go through. Until now, Jinhyuk had been doing it as it came, but in order to compete with strong opponents in the future, a systematic approach was necessary. Even in the junior high division, there were athletes who could surpass Jinhyuk if he slipped up even for a moment.

But there was something that bothered him.

“Minors need their parents’ consent first-”

“Ehet, look at the back page.”

It was a contract that had been reviewed by a lawyer, so would she have done it carelessly? Yuse-ra smiled brightly.

Jinhyuk, who had found it difficult to look at her because she reminded him of Executive Director Hong Sujeong, turned the page with a sullen expression.

Swoosh-.

‘Haa-.’

Jinhyuk always sat up straight, but perhaps that was because the air in his large lungs supported his body like an airbag. As he sighed, his back naturally bent like a shrimp. His eyes closed as if he had been working overtime for three days straight and had passed out.

He put his hand on his forehead and checked the page again.

The guardian consent form had not only been stamped but also signed clearly.

It was still a heart-touching name.

But.

‘Ah. Mom, Dad…’

He had been putting his hand on his forehead a lot lately.

「Han Yuyoung♡Son Gwangyeon」

…What’s with the heart?

It must be Dad’s doing.

It was definitely Dad who drew it.