The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 189

‘She’s really down-to-earth,’ Jinhyuk thought, watching Hwang Ga-young scratch her still-damp hair.

“Did you finish your workout?”

“Yes. You’re out early again today?”

“You’re a student preparing for the college entrance exam. This is jujube tea. Drink it.”

“Thank you.”

Hwang Ga-young has been busy playing the role of an older sister these days.

He told her to focus on studying since she’s a student preparing for the college entrance exam, but she didn’t listen.

She brings a thermos of sweet tea every day, and Jinhyuk, who loves to eat, couldn’t refuse. After working out, all he had were orange juice and bananas, so he was happy to have more options.

‘I shouldn’t ignore her sincerity.’

Slurp-. Ahh- that’s the stuff.

The fragrant and sweet jujube tea, steaming gently, flowed smoothly down his throat. It warmed his stomach and raised his body temperature, making it the perfect recovery potion for the cold.

Hwang Ga-young, wearing a slightly out-of-style light brown duffle coat, sat next to Jinhyuk.

“Aren’t you going to have some?”

“No. I’m okay.”

Hwang Ga-young said she didn’t like sweet things.

He heard that she and her sister had promised each other since they were young not to be greedy for snacks or toys because their mother was having a hard time. It seemed that those years of sisterhood had made her naturally indifferent to greed. It was like seeing a child who had matured early due to their upbringing, like Jo Seul-chan.

“The college entrance exam is a little over a month away.”

“Yeah. I’m so happy.”

“You like taking exams?”

“No?”

Hwang Ga-young turned her head sharply, her eyes smiling like a mischievous child.

“It’ll all be over. Aaaah-, I’m so tired of it.”

“Have you decided on a school?”

“What? I have to decide after my scores come out. I’m not someone who gets first place on every exam like someone else, so I have to go according to my scores.”

Hwang Ga-young laughed casually.

‘Ah, that’s right,’ Jinhyuk nodded.

As he got to know her, Hwang Ga-young was the most realistic and rational person Jinhyuk had met since returning. Surprisingly, they also had good conversations.

Hong Gi-jun’s family seemed like they were from another world, and his dad was too complicated.

His mom was the most level-headed, but he felt a generational gap, perhaps due to her age.

Not to mention his friends, who were dependent on Jinhyuk in many ways.

“You know-, I think I can still go to the school my sister goes to.”

Hwang Ga-young was also capable of getting into a top university in Seoul.

But she said she was aiming for a national university in the provinces because of tuition fees.

“What are you planning to major in?”

It was nothing special, but asking the question made a refreshing breeze blow through his chest.

It must be because it was a topic typical of their age.

Byun-taek Yeom, who always talked about Japanese older sisters in adult magazines, and Lee Seung-hoon, who was worried about the rising price of kerosene, were the only ones who could have a conversation with Jinhyuk without being dependent on him. But their topics were outside of Jinhyuk’s interests, and they weren’t problems that needed solutions.

“What should I do?”

Hwang Ga-young asked, as if talking to herself, a shadow falling over her face.

Has Son Jinhyuk ever listened to someone’s worries and given advice?

Even if he tried to recall, no such memory would come to mind.

He got along surprisingly well with people older than him, but older people never asked him for advice, and it was the same with younger friends he met in society.

‘Is this older sister emotionally dependent on me or something?’

People who have become close probably share their worries like this.

Hwang Ga-young’s circumstances, where she couldn’t easily pursue what she wanted to do, must have also played a role.

When Jinhyuk turned his head, Hwang Ga-young looked like she really didn’t know what to do.

“My sister’s dream was to be a fashion designer, but she just went to a school that matched her grades.”

Hwang Ga-yoon was better off. At least she had a dream.

But Hwang Ga-young said she didn’t even have a dream.

“You know, I don’t know much about the world? I just go back and forth between school and home…”

That’s true. Jinhyuk nodded.

She hadn’t even gone to a study room, and since she became a student preparing for the college entrance exam, she had been holed up in the attic studying.

“How about aerospace engineering or robotics? Software development or materials engineering, or metallurgical engineering would be good too. There’s also mechanical engineering.”

“Wow! Just hearing about it sounds so cool!”

He didn’t know she had such a variety of expressions.

Sometimes she makes expressions that are more childlike than Yujin.

“But I don’t know how to use a computer because I didn’t go to any academies [private tutoring centers].”

“What would you learn at an academy? You’re the one who does the studying anyway.”

Oh-. Hwang Ga-young made her lips into a circle.

She herself had studied almost entirely on her own using textbooks and past exam papers, without relying on school classes or reference books, so it sounded plausible.

“A close uncle told me that you learn what you need for work at the company. He said, why would they hire new employees every year if they were going to hire people who are good from the start? He said it would be better to hire only experienced people.”

“That company must be a good place.”

“He said that it’s society’s role to nurture and develop people. He said that a good company should be able to take someone who can understand what’s being said and understand the terminology and turn them into an expert. He said that both people and companies fall behind if they’re too afraid of failure and act like cowards, worrying about too many things.”

“It’s good that you know an uncle who says such good things.”

She understood what he meant, but wasn’t it too idealistic in a world where companies were prioritized over people? Hwang Ga-young muttered, scratching her short hair.

That uncle is Son Jinhyuk.

He was a naive idealist. Still, he was able to conduct various experiments under the tacit approval of the group owner, and he was able to complete his own personnel philosophy.

But it wasn’t always successful. No matter how much the company and those around him supported him, people who lacked basic skills were ultimately left behind. Still, one thing was certain. If the reward was clear and attractive, even the dumbest person would try to act like a human being.

“But… will I be able to get a job? In aerospace- or something like that?”

‘I have to make a living…’ Hwang Ga-young sighed quietly.

‘My teacher said that the world is ruled by liberal arts majors.’

“You’ll get a job very easily. Se-in Electronics and Technica will be giving out high salaries in the future. They’re only hiring science and engineering majors even now.”

Other companies were hiring large numbers of management and sales positions, taking advantage of the seemingly booming economy, but the most successful Se-in Group was desperately trying to secure engineers. They didn’t care about academic background and were actively using a practical internship system to select the best candidates.

Liberal arts majors might be doing well now.

But, except in special cases, has there ever been an era where major or field was important? For people preparing to run as athletes from the same starting line, individual capabilities are everything. And maybe a difficult-to-obtain certification.

“Really? But it’d be difficult if it’s too far from home. There aren’t any companies like that in this neighborhood.”

It must be because of her mom.

She had learned through their conversations that Kim Eung-nyeo was the basis of all of Hwang Ga-young’s thoughts and actions.

Just like Jinhyuk.

“Auntie said she’s going to stop running her business and rest, right?”

“That’s true. And there’s my sister too…”

Ah, if Hwang Ga-yoon marries Kim In-rang, will she settle down in this neighborhood?

Kim In-rang is so into the countryside, so it seems likely.

He meets them again, and he always realizes something new.

How much these three mother and daughters care for and rely on each other.

‘I’ll help you.’

Jinhyuk couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud and just mumbled.

Even if they were bound by a special relationship, everyone eventually lives their own life, and if they start to rely on each other, the balance will inevitably be disrupted.

Someone relies, and someone takes responsibility.

The reason Jinhyuk couldn’t readily make such a promise wasn’t because of fear of responsibility.

Hwang Ga-young turned her clasped hands over and stretched her arms out.

“The sun’s coming up. Aigoo-. My joints are all stiff from sitting and reading all day.”

“Do you want to walk around the track with me?”

“Sure-”

Hwang Ga-young shook off her bottom and stood up, and Jinhyuk followed suit.

The reason he didn’t promise to help.

It was just that he wanted to walk side by side with her.

Without relying on each other.

And continue to do so in the future.

In this relationship that he had barely regained, he wanted her to remain by his side as an older sister and a friend.

***

The unusual cold weather had disappeared, and the weather had returned to normal for autumn.

Since winter was just around the corner, it was even considered warm.

Yujin had gone out to spend some time alone with her dad for the first time in a while.

Her dad still enjoyed looking at the scenery of the neighborhood and went for walks whenever he had time, and Yujin was probably acting cute and asking him to buy her a cola at the store at the edge of the village.

Like Yujin, Jeongwon was fearless.

She didn’t get scared at all when Jinhyuk flew her around, stretching out his long legs, but instead shouted that it was fun.

“Daddy-daddy-daddy-bba-bbuuuuuuu!”

She was so excited that Jeongwon was flailing her arms and legs high in the air in the living room.

It sounded like she was saying something about her dad, but he had no idea what it meant.

‘When will Jeongwon start talking?’

Yujin seemed to have started talking before she was even 24 months old.

Jinhyuk didn’t know if that was early or late. It was the first time he had watched a baby grow up by his side.

“When did I start talking?”

“I don’t remember.”

Han Yu-young, who was wearing glasses on her nose and knitting, scratched her head with a crochet hook.

Blunt. It was the bluntness of this world.

Any more blunt and it would be too bland.

His mom sometimes seemed to live without any worries, and maybe the reason she considered Hwang Young-mo’s misdeeds as noise of the times wasn’t because she was realistic, but because she had a bad memory.

Sigh-.

Kwak Hyang-rim, sitting across from his mom at the table, suddenly sighed. Judging by the way she was glancing at Jinhyuk, she seemed to regret getting married late.

“Still, Jinhyuk’s mom must be happy. She has a grown-up son.”

“It’s because I got married early, I guess.”

‘It’s not like you got married early and had me early, you got married after you made me,’ Jinhyuk fought the urge to join the conversation and emerged victorious. These days, his mouth was trying to react before his brain at every turn.

‘I’ve learned the fun of chatting while talking with Ga-young noona [older sister] every morning.’

Indeed, conversations with someone who had a similar level or taste seemed to be fun.

He could have conversations with his dad or Hong Gi-jun at the same level, but the constraints of their innate relationships imposed an intangible oppression, making it difficult to have fun with his peers.

“Do you have any plans for a baby, unnie [older sister]? Dr. Jo is getting old, is he okay…?”

Kwak Hyang-rim was about eight years younger than Jo Il-heon.

Next year, she would be forty in Korean age. Even if she had lived healthily and taken care of herself, it wasn’t a young age in the 20th century. Of course, it was different for everyone.

“Yeah. We’re trying. Even though my husband is old-”

Kwak Hyang-rim, who had stopped her hands that were busy knitting, leaned her upper body towards Han Yu-young after glancing at Jinhyuk. She was about to say something important. Han Yu-young also leaned her upper body and put her ear close.

Rustle, rustle-.

‘He’s strong.’

‘Oh-, is that so?’

‘Heyy-, I can hear everything.’

In the past, he couldn’t hear his parents whispering, so he couldn’t prepare for the pork cutlet incident in advance, but now his hearing was much better than it was back then.

‘But he’s strong, does Il-heon take Cheonma powder [a traditional herbal medicine] these days?’

Lying in the living room and flying Jeongwon around, Jinhyuk perked up his ears.

‘Is there a secret? Jinhyuk’s dad has been useless since he started his business-.’

Wow-. Our mom says things like that too.

He didn’t let out a cry of shock, but Jinhyuk’s eyes were bigger than his younger sister Jeongwon’s because he was so surprised.

Indeed, it was important to have a conversation partner of a similar situation and level.

Well, it wasn’t something she could discuss with her son, or something she could complain about to Choi Mi-kyung, the teenager next door. Kim Soon-bok would have just told her to eat a lot. He remembered laughing with his mom for a long time after hearing that Choi Tae-yang was made after eating three bowls of barley rice.

‘What secret is there? He just walks around all day with a shovel. It’s all about the strength in men’s thighs.’

‘So, is it because his constitution changed from doing business?’

Oh ho.

So, he was useful before?

‘Ah! Jinhyuk’s mom. That was good.’

“That? What?”

Han Yu-young’s voice grew as big as her big eyes.

Oh my, mother. Are you that happy?

‘Sea anemone.’

‘Sea anemone?’

Sea anemone?

That tentacled monster?

Han Yu-young and Jinhyuk’s eyes widened at the same time.

Han Yu-young, who had eaten sea anemone, was hearing about its effects for the first time, and Jinhyuk was surprised by the fact that they ate that monster.

“Daddy-daddy-daddy-daddy! Yabba!”

Jeongwon scolded him when her older brother’s concentration was broken.

Baby spit splattered on Jinhyuk’s face because of the commotion, but Jinhyuk didn’t care. Yujin had peed on her older brother’s back before. Right now, it was important to give Jeongwon the best flying experience.

‘Someone said that sea anemone is good for men? So I told him to catch some when we go to the sea?’

Silence fell in the kitchen and living room.

At this moment, if anyone except Kwak Hyang-rim opened their mouth, they would become a great sinner.

‘He just brought back a little bit, so I cooked it and fed it to him. And then…’

‘And then?’

Gulp-.

Jinhyuk swallowed. His eardrums were sharpened like razor blades.

Kwak Hyang-rim, who had put down her knitting needles, held up her thumb and pushed it in front of Han Yu-young.

‘Good-. Amazing-, very.’

Heo-. Han Yu-young opened her mouth like someone who had discovered a great secret. She couldn’t even blink her big eyes.

That’s how thick and sticky Kwak Hyang-rim’s ‘good’ sound was.

Han Yu-young, who had been watching Jinhyuk, sat closer.

“It’s Sunday today, what is Dr. Jo doing? Isn’t he going to the sea?”

“Where does a farmer have a Sunday? He went to the next village to plow the fields. He said the sweet potatoes grew so well that the sweet potato vines were like kudzu vines [a fast-growing vine]. It’s impossible to harvest them by hand-”

“Jinhyuk?”

While Kwak Hyang-rim was talking, Han Yu-young called her son in a soft voice.

Jinhyuk, who was holding Jeongwon so she wouldn’t fall, turned his head towards his mom.

“Shall I catch some sea anemone?”

“Huh?”

Oops! He was in eavesdropping mode.

Han Yu-young and Kwak Hyang-rim straightened their upper bodies like startled rabbits.

They spoke so quietly, but he heard everything?

Huhum-. Ahem-.

The two women’s coughs only replaced the silence.

A situation that was awkward and difficult to deal with.

“Daddy-daddy-daddy! Daddy- you’re a fool!”