The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 216

< Dead Point (4) >

***

Jang-gun was indeed Jang-gun.

Just when it seemed he would be caught, he’d muster strength, and when the distance closed again, he’d push off the ground even harder, distancing himself from Jinhyuk’s grasp.

“Stop it!”

Even though he was wearing shoes and a school uniform, Jinhyuk couldn’t catch Jang-gun. Realizing he couldn’t catch him like this, Jinhyuk gave up the chase.

As he clutched his knees and gasped for breath, Jang-gun, sensing that the menacing aura Jinhyuk had been emitting had subsided, came to his side and flopped down. Even if they were at each other’s throats, he knew that the safest place was near Jinhyuk.

“Haaah-! I can’t get up to speed!”

His body could still run, and his oxygen supply was fine, but Jinhyuk’s limits were too clear. Jang-gun had grown so much.

Hehehehe-.

He lay sprawled next to Jang-gun, who was panting with his tongue out and chest heaving.

Startled by Jinhyuk’s intensity, Jang-gun hadn’t been able to turn his head towards the training center, so they had ended up running around the 5-kilometer track and collapsing together.

The heat radiating from the track was intense, but it wasn’t something to worry about.

‘When was the last time I ran like this?’

Even with his head burning and his breath ragged, the fact that he was wondering about that meant he was still alive and kicking.

Come to think of it, he didn’t remember ever running this far with such desperation.

Hehehehe-.

“Don’t make Cheonma catch fish. He got sick because of that.”

That’s what he had been about to say, but Jang-gun had suddenly bolted. It was his fault for holding a broom to sweep up the spilled feed.

“Hey, what was that?”

Hehe-?

Jang-gun, with his tongue lolling out, perked up his ears.

“How did you do that? How do you look like you’re about to collapse but then suddenly find the strength to keep going?”

Jang-gun lay on his side, only his tail swaying.

It was something he often did when he was being sly.

Problems that seemed impossible to solve, no matter how much you struggled, sometimes started to unravel from the most unexpected places.

Just like now.

‘How many times did that dog cross his dead point while running?’

It was an energy that humans couldn’t even imitate, unless they had stamina bestowed by the heavens.

Was it because he ate raw fish?

Or maybe he ran with all his might because he felt his life was in danger.

Ugh-.

With difficulty, Jinhyuk got up and picked up the broom.

Startled, Jang-gun quickly stood on all fours, looking for a chance to escape.

But Jinhyuk didn’t care and just shook off his sweat-soaked uniform.

“Let’s go home.”

Hehe-.

It was getting dark, and swarms of gnats were starting to gather, plus the ground was too hot to lie on.

“It’s because I’m sweating too much, man. If my uniform pants weren’t sticking to my legs, I would have caught you.”

Hehehe-.

Whatever, you little guy with only two legs.

And your tail is in the front.

Even while panting, Jang-gun was happy.

While showering, he was lost in thought.

Had there been any moments of crisis that threatened Jinhyuk?

There had been a few moments when he had focused his concentration, but there hadn’t been any moments when he had felt lacking in physical ability.

Since his return, all physical challenges had been easy, so it was only natural.

Ironclad soldiers or hordes of zombies didn’t attack, and dragons didn’t suddenly appear and turn the village into a sea of fire, so there was no reason to fight to the death.

‘On the other hand, Jang-gun…’

That guy must have experienced it very frequently.

From his puppy days, he had fought with butterflies and flies, been bitten by mole crickets, and chased by swarms of bees. Not only that, but as he grew bigger, he was bitten by snakes, picked fights with guard dogs, and ran all over the neighborhood to escape.

Those experiences must have accumulated, allowing him to overcome his limits several times in a short period of time. In Jinhyuk’s eyes, Jang-gun was a dog who had learned the truth that when faced with a limit, if you squeezed out all your energy, you could find strength again.

‘Pushing beyond limits…’

He could vaguely understand why his records had stagnated.

He also realized that he hadn’t easily tired because of the power that lingered in his chest.

After showering, he found Yu-jin playing with Jung-won in the living room.

He had something to ask Yu-jin.

“Like this, like this?”

“Yeah. Take it all out.”

“Jung-won is watching?”

“Jung-won won’t know.”

Jung-won was an ordinary baby without any special traits.

He didn’t climb the stairs in his sleep like a sleepwalker to find his brother, nor did he have the ability to heal his own injuries. Yu-jin was the one who treated his mosquito bites every time.

If there was anything extraordinary about him, it was that he was a baby, so he was good at finding one thing.

“Unga- peepee-.”

“Ouch-.”

Even now, he was accurately pinching his brother’s nipple through his t-shirt.

Jinhyuk didn’t scold his younger brother. Yu-jin had been like that when she was a baby.

Despite Jung-won’s interference, Yu-jin, who had been frowning as she concentrated with her hand on her brother’s chest, shook her head.

“It doesn’t work? My chest is full, so I don’t need any more.”

Yu-jin patted her chest with her palm.

It meant that it was full, like a full stomach.

Compared to the enormous power her brother possessed, Yu-jin’s vessel was too small, and because it was full from not using the power, she couldn’t draw any more out.

‘I want to know right away.’

In the past, he would have waited patiently.

Enlightenment could come like a bolt of lightning while eating, sitting on the toilet, or lying down to sleep.

But he didn’t want to wait aimlessly.

When he didn’t know anything, he had no choice but to wait, but now he knew the cause. If he had found the problem, it was only natural to think of a solution.

‘I need to drain the power.’

Not muscle strength, but the power in his heart.

He had to drain it all and face his limits with only his physical abilities.

And if he could overcome that moment.

‘I’ll see a different realm.’

It was a conclusion that was easy to deduce.

It was a bit funny that the comparison was Jang-gun.

‘Let’s find a way.’

The only method he knew was to have Yu-jin take it out, but Yu-jin said she was always full because she didn’t have a reason to use her power.

He couldn’t rush just because he wanted to do it right away.

He couldn’t just beat someone up and then have Yu-jin heal them. That was something a madman would do.

‘I’ll try it during the vacation.’

Jung-won, who had been pinching and twisting his brother’s nipple, waved his short, chubby arms up and down.

“Unga, unga-. Vroom-.”

“Okay-. Let’s fly.”

***

Middle school and high school students had different class schedules, so their break times were also different. Their meal times were also different, so the only time Jinhyuk could spend with his middle school juniors was before the first class of the morning.

Jinhyuk’s education focused on helping his juniors develop the habit of studying and exercising.

“Thank you for your hard work, Vice-Manager!”

“Have a good vacation.”

After finishing the wrestling ring maintenance as vice-manager and helping the wrestling team warm up, Jinhyuk would check the academic progress of his juniors in the study hall where Choi Mi-kyung was studying. They had promised to focus on academics rather than sports, so he was checking to see if they were keeping their promise.

“Having fun isn’t everything. You need to have something in your head.”

The juniors said they were learning English and math at the town academy.

Jinhyuk carefully examined the traces of studying on the printouts given out by the school and academy.

He mumbled non-stop like the old man.

“What’s the point of running straight on a straight track? Your thoughts need to be right.”

Choi Mi-kyung, who was studying next to him, thought that Jinhyuk’s mannerisms were becoming more and more like Cheon Gil-ryong.

Jinhyuk checked not only English and math but also other subjects.

“You need to be good at everything to find your aptitude. This answer is wrong. I said the greatest of the four virtues is not self-respect but compassion.”

Ugh-. Choi Mi-kyung let out a shallow sigh.

Even though it was academic guidance, the way Son Jinhyuk, the teacher, was mumbling like a wet hen while sitting those young kids down was too much.

“Alright-! I’m going first!”

As Choi Mi-kyung, the high school girl, grabbed her bag and stood up, the children all stood up at once.

“Goodbye, noona [older sister].”

“Okay!”

Jinhyuk tilted his head at the sight of Choi Mi-kyung stomping out.

Is she sensitive these days?

Is it because of the heat?

“You guys said that TaeYang High School is better than your school, right?”

“Yes.”

These were the juniors who had entered TaeYang Middle School instead of the sports middle school, following Jinhyuk’s footsteps. He heard that they were planning to choose the high school in the same way.

Jinhyuk vaguely guessed what they wanted, but he didn’t bother to point it out. It was probably just about connections, right?

“TaeYang High School doesn’t recruit sports students except for the wrestling team. If you don’t study well, you can’t get in. Don’t even think about studying hard in your third year to get into a good high school. That’s only possible for kids who have a foundation.”

Noh Kyung-ho raised his hand.

He was the second tallest of the three.

“Where are you going to go to college, hyung [older brother]?”

Were they going to follow him to college?

That wouldn’t be a good choice.

“Secret.”

He had something in mind, but there was no need to reveal it.

Everyone had different circumstances and goals, so it would be impossible to walk the same path.

“Are you all exercising properly?”

“Yes!”

As Jinhyuk turned the whiteboard, the paper attached to the back of the board fluttered.

「Sweat every day」

「Keep your posture correct, don’t stop breathing」

「Always keep your abs engaged」

「Stretching before and after exercise is essential」

「Don’t exceed your body weight when weight training」

「Go to the hospital no matter what when you’re sick」

「Don’t rest for more than two days, no matter how much you don’t want to exercise」

Tap tap-.

He tapped the paper with his finger.

“Are you all keeping these?”

“Yes.”

The children answered cheerfully, and Jinhyuk nodded.

He had been watching his juniors exercise actively all this time.

“There’s nothing more I can teach you.”

“Uh…”

Shin Min-sung made a regretful sound, but Jinhyuk’s job was done after correcting their posture and watching them go all out while running.

Each athlete’s body was different, so he shouldn’t order them to have the same style, and personalized education was only possible in the early stages. If he had to stick with them and guide them, Jinhyuk wouldn’t be able to do his own training, so now he just hoped that they would build their own stamina and improve their main skills.

“You guys are pros. Pros are people who master rather than learn. You realize your own limits, overcome them, and if you hit a wall again, you break through it. That’s how you develop. But if you’re still lacking in exercise, come find me anytime. I can run with you.”

“We don’t even get paid, so how are we pros?”

Shin Min-sung scratched his forehead, as if he didn’t understand.

“In my opinion, a pro is-.”

Jinhyuk paused for a moment and took a breath.

How should he explain it so that these kids could understand?

“A pro is someone who proves themselves with their skills, not their price. I don’t think money determines who is a pro and who is an amateur.”

“But when you watch TV, pro athletes get paid to play. Like you, hyung.”

“I don’t get paid either.”

He received support for equipment, supplies, and schedule management, but Jinhyuk was not yet a salaried athlete. Other agencies that imitated SI Management were the same. An agency was a company that managed athletes and shared the profits generated by the athletes. It wasn’t the agency that paid the athletes a salary, but the team they belonged to. In school sports, the team was the school, and there were no schools that paid salaries to athletes who were students.

“What do you think a pro is, hyung? You said we were pros.”

Kim Yo-han, who was more serious than the other two, asked in a slow tone.

Jinhyuk rolled his eyes for a moment and slowly opened his mouth.

“Someone who represents. Someone who represents the school, the region, the country, the world.”

Kim Yo-han pursed his lips, and Shin Min-sung and Noh Kyung-ho tilted their heads.

It seemed that none of them could immediately grasp it.

“There are athletes who become national representatives without a team. There are a lot of them. The poorer the country, the more there are, and there are even more of them in basic sports and individual sports like us. But they still compete in international competitions. Representing their country.”

“Ah…”

Only then did Kim Yo-han show a reaction that he understood.

“Someone who is dedicated to thinking that they are the best in this sport. Whether someone recognizes them or not. Whether they have a team or not, whether they get paid or not. Someone who constantly hones their skills, overcoming countless challenges with that mindset. Someone who grits their teeth and overcomes their limits. I think that’s a pro.”

In that sense, Jinhyuk was not yet a pro.

When it came to the mindset of wanting to achieve something and the experience of overcoming limits, his juniors were more qualified to be called pros.

“Oh…”

Shin Min-sung and Noh Kyung-ho rounded their lips, as if they were moved beyond understanding.

Fortunately, it seemed that he had explained it without difficulty.

After looking at the children, he added as if he was urging them.

“It’s best not to discuss what a pro is with people who define a pro as ‘an athlete who gets paid to play,’ and don’t continue the conversation for too long. Those people will never change their minds. It’s better to talk to a wall.”

Jinhyuk had never experienced such a person in the past.

But from what he had observed, many people defined a pro as money as if it were a belief.

“Pros and amateurs are the same people. But people who divide and distinguish people only by money can never respect others. I think those people are making the absurd argument that the value of jobs is different and putting a price on life. They just see people as clowns. Let’s not be like that. And let’s not be swayed by those people.”

After finishing his words, he organized his desk. For some reason, he thought that he talked too much when he talked to these guys.

It wasn’t good to talk too much.

The more thoughts you had in your head, the more your words would get twisted.

“This is Min-sung’s English test paper…”

This is Noh Kyung-ho’s math test paper, this is Kim Yo-han’s social studies test paper… He returned them to their owners one by one and patted them on the shoulder. He was proud of them for getting good grades with just one word that they shouldn’t neglect their studies.

‘My role as a mentor is over now.’

The children regarded Jinhyuk as a mentor and tried to imitate his words and actions.

Even now, they were picking up the trash that the wrestling team members had thrown away and straightening the crooked desks, even though no one had told them to.

He knew that he had to accept the fact that he would inevitably have some influence, but it was burdensome for someone to follow him.

One Son Yu-jin was enough.

There was also Jang-gun, the pro of pros.

Kim Yo-han, who was carrying his bag hunched over like a porter, grabbed his shoulder strap.

This guy always carried lead bags in his bag. He was a tough guy who also wore lead bags on his ankles and thighs.

“What are you going to do during the vacation, hyung?”

“I have to take supplementary classes.”

“What about on days when there are no supplementary classes?”

“I have to rest at home.”

“Aren’t you going to go to places like the beach?”

The beach?

Were these guys trying to ask him to go play with them?