The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 211

< Luck (8) >

Having finished school, Son Yujin sat on the bus, fidgeting.

‘Hey, class president, what’s wrong? Do you need to pee?’

‘It’s not that.’

She had to go home and flip Lucky over.

Who knew what might happen if she didn’t flip it on time?

Even though she’d been doing it for over five days, she couldn’t shake the anxiety.

– ‘Oppa, if we don’t flip Lucky, will it become a Wooz-ca?’

– ‘I don’t know.’

Her brother’s expression, brushing it off with ‘I don’t know,’ wasn’t good at all.

And if her brother didn’t know, it meant they wouldn’t be able to handle it if something scary or sad happened. Son Yujin was a smart younger sister, so she was capable of such high-level thinking.

‘But, class president, did you write your Parents’ Day letter?’

‘Ah, right. There’s homework too.’

‘What should I write? I’m worried. There are too many worries in this world.’

That’s right.

She was worried about what to write.

They said that the teacher would write for the friends who couldn’t write in Korean yet.

They could just copy what the teacher wrote.

The problem was, to do that, they had to tell the teacher what to write beforehand.

It would be better to write it alone. If she knew how to write, that is.

‘Since Parents’ Day is on Monday, let’s write it together at school on Saturday.’

‘Yeah, that’s a good idea. Hya- my head hurts as soon as I hold a pencil.’

Ah, so that’s why Kim Hojin can only write his name. Because his head hurts.

She thought it was because he wasn’t smart, but it seems that wasn’t the case.

Even though tomorrow was Children’s Day, the children weren’t at peace because of homework worries.

*

As soon as Son Yujin got off the bus, she dashed home.

‘I’m home from school!’

Her shoes went flying, and her bag was tossed aside.

Thump-!

Ready to slide, Son Yujin ran to the incubator and landed on her knees.

‘Ooh-.’

Son Yujin’s eyes trembled softly.

It was because of Lucky, which boasted a mysterious and radiant light the more she looked at it.

Luckily, Lucky was safe.

In Son Yujin’s eyes, she could see a heart smaller than a red bean beating rapidly.

‘Hehe-. Our Lucky, are you stuffy? I’ll flip you over.’

‘Mom already rolled it once after lunch, you know?’

‘I still want to do it again. To ventilate it and, um, give it fresh air, they said.’

‘Ohoho-, okay.’

Han Yooyoung laughed until her eyes disappeared.

After all, in this house, no one could win against Son Yujin’s stubbornness except for Jinhyuk.

Carefully opening the incubator door, Son Yujin pondered.

Wouldn’t it be healthier the more she rolled it? When she saw her uncles working out at the gym, they kept flipping their bodies.

It wasn’t just for the purpose of flipping the egg.

When she put her hand in the incubator, the warm energy traveled through her hand, up her arm, and to her face, and that warmth made her feel as cozy as when she was in her mother’s womb, making her happy.

Now that she had flipped Lucky, it was time to move on to other tasks.

‘I’m going for a walk with Jungwon.’

‘Be careful of cars and watch out for rocks. I’ll follow you soon.’

Jungwon was a very energetic baby boy, so they said it was hard for Mom to take care of him alone.

So, kind Son Yujin took her younger brother’s hand every day and went for a stroll near their house.

Just like her dad and brother did for Son Yujin.

‘Jungwon, this is a fleabane. It’s delicious when blanched and seasoned as a side dish.’

‘Mato-.’

‘Uh-uh- you can’t just eat it like that. It’s bitter if you eat it raw.’

‘Tteo-.’

She taught him the same thing she taught him yesterday and the day before, repeating it.

That’s how Son Yujin learned about the world too.

‘Mato tteo-.’

‘That’s right-.’

When he was with his sister, Jungwon’s speech was quite good.

She could understand how her brother felt.

Looking at the baby staring intently at his sister with sparkling eyes, she felt like the strongest person in the world, and like she was happier than anyone else.

‘Fleabane has white and yellow flowers in the summer, and they look like eggs, so they’re called egg flowers.’

‘Kkoo-. Dagakkoo-.’

Even though she said the same thing every day, Jungwon diligently followed along as if he wasn’t bored. He was probably learning words little by little by imitating what his sister said.

Just like how Son Yujin learned to speak by following her brother.

Booo-oong-.

When the bus sound was heard, Jungwon pointed in that direction. It was a consistent action every time a bus appeared.

‘Eung-ah, eung-ah-ah-.’

‘Oppa isn’t coming yet. He comes when it gets dark.’

‘Eueung-eueung-. Euppa eueung-. Eung-ah-.’

Jungwon shook his head.

‘Right, to Jungwon, it’s not oppa, it’s hyung [older brother], right?’

But to Lucky, am I a noona [older sister] or a hyung?

Son Yujin, who had been mature while leading her younger brother, was caught by a strange question. But it wasn’t a question she would hold onto for long.

Her brother had said so.

Don’t worry too long about problems that don’t have an immediate answer.

Now was the time to focus on Jungwon.

‘That’s shepherd’s purse-.’

‘Naei-.’

‘That’s a crescent moon-. Wow-. It’s a crescent moon in the daytime.’

‘Todeutta-ah-. Oah-.’

‘Ah? It’s not the moon, it’s a cloud.’

‘Guoom-.’

‘Jungwon, look over there. It’s a wisp of cloud.’

‘Jogakkuoom-.’

‘An airplane is flying.’

‘Biyooong-. Eung-ah- biyuung-.’

When Jungwon heard the word airplane, he thought of his hyung first. It was natural since his hyung had taken him on airplane rides so often.

‘This is a clover-.’

‘Keureureu-.’

She wandered around as her younger brother walked, and then sat down on a hill covered in clovers. It was a sunny spot, so the grass was a deeper color than other places.

When Son Yujin was younger, she often played here with Hong Sujeong. Under the protection of her reliable umbrella, her brother.

Her brother would make rings out of clover flowers for Hong Sujeong and Son Yujin, and put crowns on their heads.

Every moment was special, but there were scenes that were remembered as particularly happy. For Son Yujin, it was the moments when she sat in the soft and cool clover field and played with her brother and sister. As the youngest, she had no choice but to monopolize love and attention.

Ah, the old days-.

‘Keureureu-, keureureu-.’

Jungwon seemed to like the soft texture of the clover, touching it with his hands. He even grabbed and tore out handfuls of it, but Son Yujin didn’t stop him. She had grown little by little by feeling the texture and moving her hands like that too.

Her mother’s voice, who had followed late to bring boiled sweet potatoes and dongchimi [a type of radish kimchi] for the children’s snack, was heard from behind.

‘Yujin-ah, shall we look for a four-leaf clover with Mom?’

A four-leaf clover······.

They said it was known as a symbol of luck.

That’s why, during breaks at school, her friends would squat down on the outskirts of the playground, groping around to find four-leaf clovers.

‘Why don’t you look for one, Yujin? Should Mom find one for you?’

Her mother, who was rummaging through the grass with Jungwon, asked. Her gaze was fixed on the clovers.

Son Yujin shook her head.

‘I’m okay.’

Her brother had said so.

Her brother and Son Yujin were people who no longer needed luck.

Wanting more was greed, and greed brought misfortune.

If you tried to have more when you already had more than enough, it would cause problems.

Like getting a stomachache from eating more when you were already full.

Her brother always smiled when he looked at Son Yujin, but his expression would change to serious when he talked about such things.

She didn’t remember what he meant, why he said those things, or how those words came about, but······.

If her brother said so, then that was the way it was.

‘If you get a stomachache, you don’t feel good.’

Son Yujin couldn’t easily fix a stomachache either.

***

The issue of participating in the junior competition was settled as Jinhyuk intended.

Her parents kept their words, saying that their son would take care of it. Since Yoo Sera didn’t add to Jinhyuk’s opinion, there was no one who forced him to participate or who was disappointed.

‘Hey, it’s a shame. It’s a plane ride. Singapore? Singapore? They’re doing it there, right?’

Except for Choi Mikyung.

Choi Mikyung, the high school girl, had suddenly become diligent and was going to school with Jinhyuk on the first bus. Saturday was no exception.

It was obvious what she was up to, but he had to let it be.

‘The final exam period and the training period overlap-.’

‘Hey, but won’t Seunghoon be tired?’

This jerk, he was asking even though he wasn’t interested in the first place.

It was bait to naturally shift the topic to Lee Seunghoon.

‘He’ll be tired-.’

‘Let’s go visit Seunghoon’s place during our summer vacation.’

‘I’m going with my siblings-.’

‘Let’s go together-. It’s too far to go alone by bus. They say you have to go to the bus stop and transfer to a local bus. Isn’t it dangerous for a frail girl to go alone?’

Jinhyuk scanned Choi Mikyung with the least malicious gaze possible.

‘She does look frail.’

Her temper is- eh, never mind.

Anyway, she was a friend who seemed like she would break if you held her.

‘We’ll see······.’

‘Yay! You agreed to go together, right?’

He said he’d decide after seeing······.

Nag, nag-.

At home, he was getting an earful from Yujin, and on the bus, he was getting an earful from Choi Mikyung, the high school girl.

‘Should I go back to riding my bike?’

Yesterday, he was grateful to Choi Mikyung for playing with his siblings because it was Children’s Day, but now it seemed like she was doing it to ask for a favor.

*

When they arrived at school, Choi Mikyung went to the ssireum [Korean wrestling] training ground.

She cleaned the desks and chairs in the education room and did a simple tidy-up.

In fact, the ssireum wrestling training ground was well-maintained, so there wasn’t much for Choi Mikyung to do.

‘Aigoo-, my back. This frail body of mine has suffered a lot.’

Choi Mikyung whined as she pushed in the wheeled chair.

While Choi Mikyung was doing easy tasks as if they were very difficult, Jinhyuk was using a rake to push the sand and flatten the sandpit.

‘Why am I suffering like this too?’

He had decided to help because he was worried that his friend would suffer alone, but Jinhyuk was doing almost all of the work.

Still, thanks to Choi Mikyung rolling up her sleeves, the ssireum wrestling team members were paying more attention to the management of the training ground. They were also cleaning the dorm more thoroughly.

‘Hello, manager-nim-.’

‘Hehe-, hello, sunbae [senior].’

‘Mikyung-ah, give it to me. I’ll do it.’

‘Hey, it’s okay. The athletes should focus on training-.’

Even though the same-grade athlete was fidgeting, Choi Mikyung was adamant.

Sweeping the training ground with a broom was Choi Mikyung’s only exercise, so she couldn’t let it be taken away. Using a galmokbi [a broom made by tying reed ears], she swept the sand that had been pushed out of the sandpit back in, and Choi Mikyung kept her smile factory running.

‘She’s despicable.’

Jinhyuk was amazed by Choi Mikyung’s transformation.

‘Those guys, I’m doing all the hard work, but they’re not even interested in me!’

Jinhyuk’s lips pouted.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help with the training.

‘Why am I the assistant manager?’

He had never held a lower position than Choi Mikyung in his life.

He wondered why there was a manager in a high school ssireum wrestling team, but thanks to Choi Mikyung, who was bringing energy, the athletes’ faces were always smiling. No one treated her carelessly because she was Choi Taeyang’s younger sister.

It happened when Jinhyuk was away from school for the competition.

Choi Mikyung went to the ssireum wrestling team’s coach, Seong Buhyun, and passionately argued that the athletes could focus on training if there was a manager, and that a manager who knew a lot about ssireum wrestling and had an attachment to it was essential.

Seong Buhyun, who had read quite a bit of Japanese manga, was completely taken in by her words and approved Choi Mikyung’s entry as manager. Along with the absent Son Jinhyuk as assistant manager.

Choi Mikyung, who was wearing a yellow armband on her left arm and rummaging through the laundry, stretched her neck.

‘Hey! Lee Seunghoon, Shin Woosung! Where did you put your undies?’

‘Ah, no. We have to wash our own undies. There’s a washing machine too-.’

‘Not those undies, you idiot! The ssireum wrestling undies! Your names are written on the undies, but your names aren’t there.’

‘Ah, right. I forgot to take them out-.’

‘Tsk tsk-. That guy’s going to get married without his balls.’

It was like living with a grandmother, not a manager-. Behind Lee Seunghoon, who was mumbling, the senior athletes giggled as they passed by.

Shin Woosung, who had been thoroughly defeated by Choi Mikyung from the first day of the semester, didn’t argue with anything Choi Mikyung said, but Lee Seunghoon added a word and got scolded.

‘Why don’t you just leave them since I’m going to wash them in the washing machine?’

‘Hey, you idiot. I’m supposed to be the manager, so I have to at least press the washing machine button-! You keep talking nonsense to your noona [older sister] for no reason.’

‘Talking nonsense is much better than falling on the sandpit······.’

Lee Seunghoon was just trying to have a few more words with Choi Mikyung.

Probably, everyone except Shin Woosung knew that.

‘Lee Seunghoon. Stop flirting and come warm up.’

‘Yes-, captain. I’m going-.’

‘Work hard, you idiot. You have to stretch well if you don’t want to get injured.’

Choi Mikyung, who had nagged at Lee Seunghoon’s retreating back, pressed the washing machine button.

Then, she picked up her school bag and moved her feet to find her real purpose.

‘Hoo-ah-. Now I have to go in and study.’

When the athletes who were surrounding the sandpit started stretching from their hip joints by bending their legs wide, Choi Mikyung went into the education room to study on her own.

The quietest and most comfortable place in the school was the ssireum wrestling team’s audiovisual education room. She could also listen to educational broadcasts on the large TV, so Choi Mikyung was using it a lot.

The power of being Choi Taeyang’s younger sister, Son Jinhyuk’s childhood friend, and the ssireum wrestling team’s manager.

Choi Mikyung’s life was going too easily and well.

‘You sly brat.’

Jinhyuk shook his head when he saw the light seeping through the crack in the education room door. His eyes were slightly closed.

What manager?.

That was more of a cushy job than a reading room manager.

Jinhyuk led the ssireum wrestling team members, who had finished stretching, to the playground together.

It was because Choi Mikyung had not only appointed him as assistant manager without his permission but also assigned him tasks.

「Manager: Overall management.

Assistant Manager: Training ground management, assisting athlete training, checking athlete condition.」

What kind of job R&R was this?

Jinhyuk was about to ask, but he held back.

After all, their training times overlapped, Jinhyuk’s individual program time wasn’t long, and they were all familiar athletes, so there was no awkwardness.

Still, he was annoyed.

‘I’m Choi Mikyung’s lackey······.’

He had lived his second life relatively proactively, but suddenly he was grabbed by the hair by Choi Mikyung.

‘If I say I don’t like it, she’ll say I’m narrow-minded and make fun of me.’

As the thought reached that point, his face naturally frowned.

Looking at the ssireum wrestling team members lined up in two rows, he announced the start of training. Not knowing that his expression was distorted.

‘Lightly run ten laps.’

‘Shibal!’

······ The words and thoughts came out reversed.

Cha-cha-chak-!

As if they had never been giggling, the ssireum wrestling team members, who had closed their mouths tightly, simultaneously brought their feet together and took a ready stance.

‘Ah, no. I mean-, that’s not it······.’

He wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, but seeing the frozen athletes, it seemed too late.

Damn it, am I the only trash?