The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 231

Babies are unpredictable; you never know when or how they might have an accident.

That’s why you have to be extra careful and watch over them closely.

Even Son Jung-won, who runs around the house with his arms up like he’s doing a victory pose, is a baby who needs looking after.

“Umma, umma-. Mamma, mamma-. Daddy, you’re a baaa-boo!”

“Is our baby already hungry? Or are you just sleepy?”

Han Yu-young, sitting in the rocking chair, glanced at her young son playing while she knitted.

Was he too well-behaved when he was a baby? Jung-won often caused trouble as he grew up. Running around and falling or bumping into things was the least of it.

He’d snap off the new sprouts in the greenhouse, wiping out the winter vegetables, or he’d drag the water hose to a mole hole he’d found by chance and supply fresh groundwater all night. Because of that, the mole family had to evacuate, so maybe it wasn’t an accident but a pest control operation?

There was also the time he mixed soap, shampoo, and laundry detergent in a washbasin, turning the bathroom into a sea of bubbles, and then floundered around in it, sputtering and choking.

Surprisingly, these accidents always happened when the whole family was home.

“Aewoo-. Taga, taga-? Mamma? Cuh-!”

Cuh! Cuh-!

“Oh my!”

The baby’s gasping sound made Han Yu-young, who was knitting, rush over.

It seemed Jung-won, who had been rolling around the living room before nap time, had reached the kitchen and swallowed something. They had cleaned often when the baby was crawling to be careful, and they were still careful now, but it was hard for humans to be perfect. The house was also big.

“Baby! What is it? What did you swallow?”

She bent him over and patted his back, but the object stuck in his throat didn’t come out.

In her desperation, she screamed.

“Jinhyuk-ahhh!”

It was an instinctive call, not a thought-out one.

Her husband was in the bedroom, and her daughter was reading a book in the living room, but in that urgent moment, Han Yu-young’s choice was her eldest son. He was the most reliable and intelligent person she knew.

Thump thump!

There was no reason to hesitate at his mother’s scream-like call.

Thwoom-!

Jinhyuk landed on the living room floor without using the stairs.

Then, he slid over and picked up his younger brother.

“Heeck- cuh-.”

Jung-won’s face was turning red as he gasped for air. He was flailing his legs and reaching his arms out like he was trying to grab something in the air, but he couldn’t cry or scream. The only good thing was that he seemed to have strength in his arms and legs.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It seems like something’s stuck. I think he found an apple that fell on the floor this morning-. Oh, baby.”

The whole family rushed over after hearing their mother’s scream.

He didn’t see his mother’s face, trembling like an aspen and on the verge of tears, nor did he have time to check his father’s expression. He couldn’t even hear what Yujin was saying.

There was no time to think, and no tools to help. All he could rely on was his human judgment.

‘The Heimlich is dangerous.’

He was too young.

If Jinhyuk tried to do first aid with his strength, he could break his ribs or damage his lungs. No matter how calm a person was, it wouldn’t be easy to control their strength when their beloved family member was on the verge of death.

Yujin’s healing ability flashed in his mind, but it was better to heal without causing pain than to heal after causing it.

In this case, it was better to push it in.

Dangerous and unsanitary, you say?

It was better than losing his life or suffering brain damage from lack of oxygen.

‘Even though he must be scared, his eyes are clear. Good boy, you’re amazing.’

Maybe it was because of the breath-holding practice they did while playing in the water and diving together, but Jung-won wasn’t panicking; instead, he was looking at his brother, waiting for help. It was hard to believe he wasn’t even 36 months old yet. He was so admirable it brought tears to his eyes.

It must have been during his summer vacation when he was ten in his past life, Jinhyuk had gone to the sea alone and fallen into the water. Or maybe he had walked in on his own. He didn’t know how to swim, nor did he know how to calmly deal with the situation in the water.

It was hard to accept that he was left alone in the world, and he felt like he could just give up and drink the water. But Jinhyuk didn’t.

He seemed to have been staring wide-eyed in the water. Not to wait for someone to pull him out or to find something to grab. He was just quietly assessing the situation.

‘I’ll save you, bro.’

Jung-won’s eyes looked like Jinhyuk’s back then.

A terrifyingly persistent attachment to life.

As the scariest second in the world passed, Jinhyuk didn’t hesitate to push his index finger into Jung-won’s throat.

Then, he felt something catch on his fingertip.

‘There’s something there. It’s blocked.’

That was enough.

He had only pushed it in a little, but the esophagus had automatically contracted and sent the apple down.

“Kuh-huh-uh-. Keck keck!”

As his blocked airway opened, Jung-won sucked in the air he had been craving.

“Waaaaaaah!”

Cough cough-.

He must have been very scared and startled.

A cough-filled cry burst out, and a streak of blood appeared in the saliva flowing from the baby’s mouth.

It seemed Jinhyuk’s fingernail had scratched somewhere around his throat.

Jinhyuk patted his back, helping him breathe.

“Jung-won, breathe. Take a deep breath-”

“Huuu-. Aaaang-.”

Baaah-!

Fortunately, he was breathing normally, and his cries sounded strong.

“Oh my, what a scare. What would have happened if your brother wasn’t here? Mommy was so shocked she couldn’t do anything.”

Han Yu-young, hugging her baby tightly, patted his back and sobbed, while Son Kwang-yeon took a deep breath to calm his shocked heart.

Yujin put her hand between her mother and the baby and stroked Jung-won’s neck.

“Jung-won, I’ll go ‘hoo-hoo’ for you.”

She must be trying to heal her brother after seeing the blood.

As always, Yujin was the most mature.

“I’m sorry, baby, Mommy didn’t clean properly.”

“Don’t say that. It’s so clean here.”

“That’s right. Don’t blame yourself. Babies are most vulnerable when they’re sleepy, and I was dozing off at the time Jung-won was sleepy, so I didn’t take care of him.”

The weekends when the whole family was home were the most dangerous. It might seem like having more family members would make things easier, but it wasn’t. They relied on each other and became careless.

“Yujin also tried to swallow raw meat when she was four, and it got stuck in her throat.”

“Oh dear, yes. I was so shocked back then that my hands were shaking, and I couldn’t do anything.”

“Come to think of it, it would have been a disaster back then too if Jinhyuk hadn’t been there.”

It must have been during a neighborhood festival. Yujin had tried to imitate the adults by chewing on a large piece of raw meat, though they didn’t know what part it was, and it got stuck in her throat. Fortunately, her older brother, who was nearby, quickly pulled the meat out, averting a major incident.

‘Am I a plunger?’

He pulled out what was stuck in his younger sister’s throat and pushed in what was stuck in his younger brother’s throat.

“When there are a lot of people, it gets chaotic and confusing, and that’s when kids have accidents. It’s all just a phase, and we got through it safely, so don’t be too upset, Mom.”

Taking her eldest son’s words as comfort, Han Yu-young soothed Jung-won, who was being fussy.

“Oh dear-. I guess Mommy has gotten too comfortable.”

There were times when she wondered, ‘Are my kids stupid?’

It was a doubt that any mother could have after experiencing accidents.

They would grab and eat whatever they could get their hands on in the house, and they would put sand in their mouths outside.

Her eldest son had even caught a mole, saying he was going to grill it.

Well, he actually ate it, so maybe that wasn’t an accident.

When she asked her neighbors, wondering if she was just being too sensitive, they reacted as if it was nothing.

– “That’s just how country kids are-. They all grow up like that-”

Even so, it was inevitable for a mother to be worried when life-threatening situations occurred from time to time.

She brushed the hair off Jung-won’s forehead as he fell fast asleep.

“I’m sorry, baby.”

“It’s not your fault, Mom.”

Jinhyuk raised his voice as if scolding, frustrated.

He knew his mother was just saying that because she was upset, but seeing her in pain made him feel the same way.

Han Yu-young didn’t scold him for being rude; instead, she smiled gently and stroked her eldest son’s cheek.

‘Our son has changed a lot.’

His thoughts had been unique for a long time, but his words and actions were becoming more like those of other kids his age.

It took a long time for Son Kwang-yeon to calm his shocked heart, and he finally spoke.

He was unusually serious, unlike his usual clumsy self.

“Let’s go to the hospital anyway.”

The world had changed a lot in less than ten years. Now, even in the countryside, no one gave birth at home, and the roads were well-paved, so they could go to the hospital to see the specialist they wanted.

“Which hospital should we go to?”

“Sein Medical Center.”

Son Kwang-yeon’s expression was so serious that Han Yu-young prepared to go out without a word.

“Daddy, Daddy! I want to go with Jung-won-”

“Will our Yujin stay home with your brother?”

“Yes-, ehehe-.”

Yujin, who was about to cling to him, took a step back, sensing the mood.

His voice was gentle, but it was the first time her father had looked so scary.

‘You don’t have to go.’

Jinhyuk couldn’t think of any words to persuade his parents, so he just let it be.

Instead, he picked up the phone to help with other things.

“Who’s on duty today? Dad and Mom are taking the baby to Sein Medical Center.”

Since Son Kwang-yeon was taking the lead, Myung Hyun-woo said he would prepare the car.

If Han Yu-young was going out, then Yoo Tae-hwa would naturally follow.

‘Hmm, that’s reassuring.’

He nodded, but something was still bothering him.

‘If Sein Medical Center didn’t exist, they would have gone to a university hospital.’

That would mean at least Cheonan or Suwon, which was a four-hour round trip by car.

Since they didn’t have an appointment, it would be difficult to get an outpatient appointment on the same day, and even if they went to the emergency room, a thorough examination would be a dream.

The fact that a large general hospital was nearby was so reassuring.

As he was leaving the house, he heard his father’s voice on the phone.

“Code 0003. This is Son Kwang-yeon. My youngest son swallowed something and it got stuck in his throat, so he needs to be checked out.”

The reservation was complete by giving the Sein Medical Center VIP code and his name.

When the car carrying Jung-won arrived at the medical center, the medical staff would be waiting.

After everyone left, leaving only Yujin and him behind.

“Aaaah-, code 0003. Aaaah-. Son Kwang-, Son Kwang-.”

He strained his neck and imitated his father.

Unaware that her brother was looking at her strangely.

I’m the only one without a VIP code.

***

Only Jinhyuk and Son Yujin knew that Son Jung-won was fine.

The two siblings, big and small, sat on the yellowed grass, hugging their knees.

The two, who even sat in the same posture, chatted away, unbothered by the cold wind.

“Did Yujin touch Jung-won’s forehead earlier too?”

“Yes. There was nothing.”

Son Yujin, her eyes half-closed, shook her head.

As if she had never had a tooth pulled, Yujin’s pronunciation was as clear as before. If it was a tooth extraction due to a cavity or a break, it might have taken a little longer to grow back, but Yujin’s tooth had grown back quickly because it was shaken by a new permanent tooth pushing up.

“I saw it several times, and his heart isn’t beating either.”

Oh, she’s saying something serious.

Still, Jinhyuk, who was a year older, decided to understand it roughly.

It meant that she couldn’t see anything wrong.

“Oppa? When are Mom and Dad coming back?”

“Hmm-. Maybe before dinner?”

“Oh, really? I want to eat octopus.”

What should he do with this octopus fiend?

The funny thing was, she wouldn’t even look at the octopus they bought at the market, saying it wasn’t tasty.

‘She’s full······.’

Jinhyuk wrapped his arm around Yujin’s waist and pulled her closer.

So his sister wouldn’t get cold.

“If they come back early, I’ll catch some for you.”

“Really?”

“Have you ever seen me lie?”

“Hmm······.”

Yujin narrowed her eyes.

She seemed to be trying to remember when her brother had tricked her.

“Belly.”

“That wasn’t a lie; it’s just that I haven’t kept my promise yet.”

“Oh, is that so?”

He couldn’t make a belly right away, but he could catch an octopus.

In the neighborhood, the only people who were better at night fishing than Jinhyuk were Jo Il-heon, Choi Jang-hwan, and Yuk Seong-chan. That was how much Son Jinhyuk had grown into a perfect country teenager.

“Let’s play hide-and-seek until Mom and Dad come back-”

Suddenly?

The holder of the 100m and 200m Korean records and the Asian junior record?

Well, hide-and-seek must be one of the favorite games when you’re Yujin’s age.

When he didn’t answer, Yujin clung to his arm.

“Huh? Oppa? Let’s play-”

“Okay. Let’s play hide-and-seek.”

Jinhyuk moved behind the porch and placed his hand on the now-giant zelkova tree.

‘How many years has it been?’

The last time Jinhyuk played hide-and-seek was with Choi Mi-kyung at the village hall when he was Yujin’s age, so it must have been more than 50 years ago.

Tap tap-.

He listened to Yujin’s footsteps as she ran somewhere and started the game.

“Hide well. Don’t let your hair fall out- ah ah.”

Hair loss was too much.

“Don’t let your hair show-. Hide well-”

Oh no, this is a problem.

How was he supposed to play hide-and-seek until Mom and Dad came back?

He also had to work out.

“Did you hide?”

“Yeeees-.”

Huh?

It seemed the rules of hide-and-seek had changed a lot in 50 years.