The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 255

A moment of silence passed.

In the sunlit, bright hallway, a teenager stood still, like a lead actress alone under the spotlight on a theater stage.

Before she could even ponder the meaning of the broadcast, Choi Mi-kyung clutched her cheeks like a character from Munch’s famous painting.

‘Noooooooo-!’

A shout.

It was a sound befitting a true cry of despair.

Jin-hyuk tried to grasp the meaning behind Choi Mi-kyung’s performance, a real-life recreation of Munch’s masterpiece in augmented reality.

‘Oh, dear…’

After all that effort, to be elected unopposed.

Choi Mi-kyung must be feeling so utterly defeated that she wants to cry.

‘I’m dumbfounded too, but how much more must Mi-kyung be?’

Jin-hyuk’s childhood friend had been sprawled on the floor, writing posters, her back and knees completely worn out. Even now, the faint scent of pain relief patches tickled his nose.

However, Jin-hyuk wasn’t the only one feeling defeated.

Kim Eun-jung, though usually quirky, yelled out in a surprisingly loud voice.

‘It’s invalid! Reveal the mastermind!’

Eun-jung, that’s a bit off-focus…

The sense of justice is not very contagious.

That’s why it’s so difficult to put into action.

That’s why even applauding and supporting a righteous act requires great courage.

Fear is highly contagious.

Because illusions combined with senses bypass the brain and control the body.

Madness is…

‘Who’s the lone candidate! Come out!’

Very contagious.

It would be more accurate to see it as an innate nature rather than contagion.

It’s something they were born with but have been suppressing, which makes them even more frustrated, and the effect is like a dam bursting.

‘Do it again, do it again!’

‘Abolish the constitution! Overthrow the dictatorship!’

‘It’s the organizers’ trickery!’

‘Direct election- what’s that? Do that!’

They looked like they were wearing sashes for a protest, not a campaign.

Shin Woo-sung suddenly took off his tie and wrapped it around his forehead, and Kim Eun-jung looked like she was about to erase the candidate’s name on her sash and write protest slogans instead.

‘Ah, guys. Stop it-.’

This is so embarrassing.

Jin-hyuk’s anxious voice was quickly drowned out.

‘Yay! It’s a demo [demonstration]!’

‘Let’s go-!’

The guys who had been watching from the classroom, their eyes gleaming, poured out in droves.

Ordinary high school students couldn’t miss out on such a fun game. They’d start a game of eraser-snatching when an eraser fell from a desk, and if a ping pong ball appeared from somewhere, they’d play ping pong with their slippers.

‘Is the school site really the problem…’

He thought only his close friends were weird, but all the students were out of their minds.

If he wanted to graduate the juniors in a normal state, he needed to hurry up and separate them.

‘Still, they look like they’re having fun.’

Embarrassment aside, he could vaguely understand the psychology of his friends who were dreaming of their own little rebellion.

Even Choi Tae-yang, when he was a high school student, would wrestle with the ginkgo tree near his house and then suddenly start rubbing against it.

Yeah, at this age, ordinary students would mix and marinate their brains in hormones and half-abandon their egos.

‘Wow-, they say it’s the first time there’s been a single candidate, the first time.’

‘Wow-, I was wondering what crazy person would run against Jin-hyuk, but thankfully, there’s no crazy person in our school-.’

‘If you’re in your right mind, you wouldn’t run.’

‘Now our school has to go to the Olympics- ah-, should I try being the president too-? That’s how it is-.’

‘Is Jin-hyuk going to be the permanent president?’

It wasn’t just because he had learned from living among these crazy people.

His nostrils were flaring wildly, and the corners of his mouth were lifting into a smirk. It showed that he too had the crazy tendencies of ordinary people within him.

‘Give the students the right to vote-!’

Murmuring-. Chirp chirp-.

Just as the unexpected event was turning into a strange game, someone started singing during a brief lull in the noise.

‘Neither love nor honor- without leaving a name-.’

You crazy people!

‘Hey, what’s the next line?’

‘I don’t know-.’

‘Who cares-.’

‘Neither love nor honor- without leaving a name-.’

The student council president election ended in vain.

They would have taken care of their love on their own, and Son Jin-hyuk had left behind his honor and name.

‘Bring out the bald principal!’

Eun-jung, that’s not it…

Jin-hyuk, who had been watching his friends enjoy the commotion with a blank expression, quietly slipped back into the classroom.

Well, if he had achieved his goal of being elected, that was enough.

Let his friends enjoy themselves. He was the president.

***

There are people who think that an athlete who has been confirmed to participate in the Olympics will only train, but that is absolutely not the case.

Recovery is as important as training for an athlete, and for Jin-hyuk, being Yu-jin’s brother was more important than his identity as an athlete.

‘Oppa-? You don’t have to exercise?’

‘Yeah. I’ll just build a little boat with Seul-chan oppa and then do it.’

‘Are you going to Gubong Mountain to exercise?’

‘Yeah. I’ll go after building a boat with Seul-chan oppa.’

‘Are you going to let me ride that horse today?’

‘Yeah. Of course.’

The reason Yu-jin was like this wasn’t because she was worried that her brother would neglect his training.

She was urging him to build the boat quickly.

‘I know everything, you little rascal.’

What could be easier to understand than a child’s inner thoughts?

It was all visible in their eyes and expressions, and even the biggest fool could read a child’s face.

If there was someone who couldn’t read a child’s expression, Jin-hyuk thought it would be someone who was deliberately trying to ignore it. Even the terribly oblivious Son Jin-hyuk could tell.

Anyway.

Things had gone strangely wrong.

‘The lumber isn’t good-. It cracks easily.’

‘That’s true…’

The 2×2, 2×4, and 4×4 sized lumber in the shed were unsuitable for building a boat. To be precise, they were unsuitable for the method Jo Seul-chan was pursuing. The lengths were also too short, so they could only be used for temporarily shaping the form.

Tap- tap-.

The sound of a hammer hitting wood vibrated in the grassy garden on the weekend.

‘Ehe-, ehe-radi-ye-. You’re doing great-. Eogiya- diyeocha-.’

Yu-jin nodded her head left and right to the rhythm of the hammer.

Tap-! Tap-! Tap-!

They shaped one side convex and the other concave to fit the male and female joints, and then hammered them together. Not too hard, just enough to let the weight of the hammerhead do the work.

‘Jin-hyuk, is that a bit tight?’

‘As long as the female part doesn’t break, it should be fine, right?’

‘Right? Just do it-. The tighter, the better-.’

Would it be a stretch to say that it looked like they were assembling the pillars of a traditional Korean house on the ground?

They matched the male and female parts and removed the frame that had been temporarily constructed with lumber.

‘What a pain in the ass this is.’

He hadn’t thought that building a boat would be easy from the start.

But he had thought that he could quickly make the frame by hammering nails into the wood, but Jo Seul-chan was unexpectedly stubborn.

‘You have to make it like this to make it strong-.’

Jo Seul-chan, who had finished school early because there was no night self-study, had borrowed a book about boat building from the town library, and Jin-hyuk had almost fainted when he saw the book.

「Study of Panokseon」[A type of traditional Korean warship]

You crazy bastard.

Why did he have to build a boat like that when it was going to be finished with synthetic resin and all sorts of chemicals?

But it would be the act of a scoundrel to object when his friend was putting in so much effort and sweating so happily. Jo Seul-chan had decided to be the leader of the boat building, so he cooperated for now.

They cut down pine trees as thick as legs from the back mountain with a saw, peeled off the bark with a sickle, chopped off the branches with an axe, cut them to the right length, and dragged them to build the boat. Jin-hyuk, of course, was in charge of the transportation because of his strength.

But there was a limit to how much he could stick to the traditional method.

Tap-! Tap-!

Jo Seul-chan struck down hard with his adze [a type of axe with the blade at a right angle to the handle].

‘Are you carving again?’

‘I have to carve-.’

Without using a jigsaw, or even an electric drill, he shaped the wood with an adze, chisel, and drawknife, and made holes with a hand drill where holes were needed. In the process, Jo Seul-chan didn’t allow even a millimeter of error.

‘Aheoi-. It doesn’t fit. Again-.’

Tap-tap-tap-!

Every time the clear sound of the adze hitting the wood rang out, Jin-hyuk emptied his mind as if he were meditating.

‘I didn’t know, but I like digital, automatic, and stuff like that.’

Jin-hyuk had come to dislike manual labor. Maybe he had always disliked it.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the analog sensibility of men, but Jo Seul-chan was going too far.

Jang Jin-nam and Joo Shin-young, who had said they would help out of curiosity, had long since dropped out and were just watching from afar while drinking tea.

Yu Jae-woon had also picked up a hammer once, saying it looked fun, but then he slowly backed out, saying his back hurt.

The sly Moon Seok-il had gone out to exercise the dogs and hadn’t shown his face since. He was probably drinking tea at Jo Il-heon’s house or looking at cows at Kim Chun-sik’s house.

‘Now, I need to make holes on that side and put in wooden pegs.’

‘I’ll carve the wooden pegs.’

‘Okay, okay-.’

Wooden pegs, also called wooden dowels, have one end thin and the other end thick, and they are used to tighten the wooden joints by driving them into narrow gaps. They are the wedges used when you say you’re driving in a wedge.

‘Now, what should I do-.’

Jo Seul-chan put his hands behind his back like an old blacksmith and looked around the scene of the incident, no, the work site.

When two people with different tendencies work together, the shortcut to harmony is for one person to completely eliminate their own thoughts.

Jin-hyuk, who had done a lot of collaborations, decided that since he had entrusted the leadership to Jo Seul-chan, he would try his best to suppress himself and go along with it, even if there were things he was dissatisfied with or doubtful about. Son Jin-hyuk also hated conflict.

Thanks to that, there were no unnecessary conflicts during the work.

‘Jin-hyuk, use that wood over there-. It’s a male part that’s been completely ruined-.’

‘Okay.’

Even if they were close friends, it was common for arguments to break out when working together on such a difficult and unrewarding task, but the workshop was peaceful because Jin-hyuk kept his mouth shut.

The wooden pegs were made by cutting the failed pine trees to the length Jo Seul-chan wanted, and then making them gradually thinner from the thickness of a palm, and of course, this was not an easy task either.

‘I’ve carved spinning tops with a sickle before.’

He had made spinning tops and sled runners for Yu-jin, but this was the first time he had made wedges. The task of making blunt wedge-shaped parts using wood was quite arduous.

‘Jin-hyuk, the one you’re carving now seems a bit short?’

‘Really?’

At Jo Seul-chan’s comment, Jin-hyuk put down the adze without complaint.

Then, he measured the length of the wooden peg he was working on with a ruler.

‘It is short, just like Seul-chan said.’

‘Jin-hyuk, throw that away and let’s make a new one.’

‘Okay, okay-.’

Again, he started working again without complaint.

It was said that a snake with two heads would fight each other and die.

If a leader was chosen, you had to follow them.

‘Whew-. I need to take a breather. This is not an easy task.’

You made the job bigger, you rascal.

And Jin-hyuk was doing all the hard work. Jo Seul-chan mainly used his mouth.

‘I need to go get some wood.’

‘Again?’

‘Once the frame is made, we need to cover it with panels.’

‘Panels? Are there not enough panels?’

‘The ones in the shed are no good-. They’re too short.’

‘So?’

Jin-hyuk’s eyes widened.

This bastard was about to start something again.

‘We need to split thick pine trees and plane them with a planer-.’

Why not just set up a sawmill? Even as he muttered that, Jin-hyuk dusted off his butt and got up to grab the saw.

Sigh-, if a leader is chosen, you have to follow them.

That’s how ordinary people collaborate.

‘Oppa, fighting!’

Only Yu-jin, who was eating mixed coffee with AC crackers, was happy.

It had been two weeks since they started building the boat, and Yu-jin was already showing affection by stroking the boat, which didn’t even have a frame yet.

‘Oh? It’s already this late-. Let’s get wood next time and stop here today-. It’s time to exercise.’

‘Okay. Let’s exercise and then Seul-chan can prepare for his midterms.’

‘Okay, okay.’

They hardly worked on weekdays.

All Jo Seul-chan did when he came home early was sand the wood grain, and he said that it was necessary to do that to apply the resin evenly. He said it was similar to painting.

They spent their weekends building the boat, exercising, and studying.

The completion of the boat that Yu-jin wanted seemed distant.

‘If nothing else, the construction period will be comparable to that of a Panokseon.’

Still, it was a relief that he didn’t suggest building a Turtle Ship [another type of traditional Korean warship].

It wasn’t that he didn’t have any complaints, but it was a relief that he wasn’t making strange demands like a moronic executive…

‘Jin-hyuk, while we’re at it, if we put a lid on the wooden boat, it’ll be really cool-.’

‘I’m going to kill you, really.’

‘Oh my, I was just kidding-.’

Sometimes, you need to change the leader.

That’s what ordinary people do.

***

The first student council meeting was held.

As per tradition, all the former student council executives, current executives, and class presidents and vice-presidents from each class attended.

Jin-hyuk, as the chairman, was in charge of the meeting, and Kim Eun-jung was the secretary, taking minutes.

The class president of the first grade, first class raised his hand.

‘I propose that the disciplinary committee be abolished as promised.’

It was a formal request, but it was a statement demanding the fulfillment of the promise.

Encouraged by the proposal, the students freely expressed their opinions.

‘It’s outdated for students to control students. I second that.’

‘The disciplinary committee’s nickname is the police. There are no good reviews.’

‘They are intimidating and violent, so students are afraid and dissatisfied. I second that.’

At that moment, one of the former executives stood up, his face flushed.

He was a third-year student who had been the head of the disciplinary committee, following in the footsteps of Go-eul, who had graduated.

‘Hey! We didn’t control them arbitrarily, so what’s with the talk about being outdated! The disciplinary committee was also created by the former student council and given authority by the school! If using the legitimately delegated power in accordance with the school rules is violence, then isn’t democracy itself violence!’

‘Using informal language is inappropriate.’

Choi Mi-kyung, who had been carefully observing the situation, pointed out his attitude and continued, as if she had made up her mind.

‘Last year, when I attended the meeting as a class president, I saw seniors using informal language, swearing, and suppressing others. It must have been worse in the past than last year, so was it really a democratic decision in that kind of atmosphere? The school cannot be free from criticism for delegating power and neglecting it.’

‘Hey! Are you looking down on your seniors now because you trust your brother?’

Choi Mi-kyung, who had been trying her best to suppress her temper and speak logically, had her face flushed red with the baseless provocation.

At that moment, Kim Eun-jung, who had been quietly taking notes, put down her pen.

‘Chairman, just a moment-.’

Kim Eun-jung looked at Jin-hyuk and raised her hand lightly.

Jin-hyuk nodded at Kim Eun-jung. The secretary had the important responsibility of taking minutes, so she had the right to request a recess at any time.

Kim Eun-jung, who had been given the floor, stood up and placed her hands on the desk.

‘I would like to ask that the speakers make their statements as logically as possible. What we need to pass on to our juniors is not just a clean school or uniforms. I think a mature discussion culture is the most meaningful legacy we can leave as seniors. In that sense, I don’t think there’s anything more important than the minutes, which record the facts as they are.’

Jin-hyuk’s face, which had been trying to maintain a blank expression even when Choi Mi-kyung was being attacked, turned into a foolish one.

‘Did Eun-jung have this side to her?’

A woman’s transformation is innocent, but that’s a bit… too perfect of a crime?

Kim Eun-jung might have a zipper on her back. If you opened it, there would be an alien inside.

‘I think the vice-president presented a hypothesis that was sufficiently inferable in light of the high-handed attitude shown by the seniors at the meeting. This flow of thought can also be good learning material for our juniors. It is obvious to anyone that raising the issue of a person’s background, which is unrelated to the matter, is nothing more than a low-level emotional fight.’

‘Opinions can be different-.’

The head of the disciplinary committee tried to argue, but Kim Eun-jung, who had awakened in smart mode, didn’t buy it.

‘I also think that the attitude of packaging what is wrong as different is something we should avoid.’

Gulp-.

Everyone from the first to the third grade held their breath and listened attentively.

It was because Kim Eun-jung’s eloquent remarks, which poured out in her unique restrained tone, had captivated the meeting. And what about her moderately high-pitched voice? Jo Seul-chan would writhe like a mollusk if he heard Kim Eun-jung’s voice from afar.

‘I would also like to ask the other attendees. We have a choice. In a period of less than a year, are we going to repeat the old ways, or are we going to leave behind even one thing to learn from? I think that doing nothing is also repeating the past, but, ah, I’ve digressed for a moment. I’m sorry. I ask that you show a mature and exemplary attitude, as a student council member and as a student of this school.’

Jin-hyuk had calmed the anger that the head of the disciplinary committee had ignited.

He was even thinking of breaking a desk if necessary.

While watching the guy pointing his finger at Choi Mi-kyung.

Is the fact that you’re a senior, that you’re one year older, such an important power?

If so, let’s determine the hierarchy by force.

In a time when everyone is full of vigor, there is no power more effective than violence.

‘I almost overreacted. Thanks, Eun-jung.’

After the meeting, Jin-hyuk tapped Kim Eun-jung on the back of her head.

Even if he tried to hit her on the back or arm, the height difference was too big.

‘What was that just now?’

‘What do you mean?’

As if she had never said anything smart, Kim Eun-jung had returned to her sleepy chick expression.

‘Don’t you know? Wow-. I didn’t think it was Eun-jung.’

Choi Mi-kyung made a fuss.

‘The position makes the person.’

Kim Eun-jung shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

Then, she pointed her index finger at Jin-hyuk, who was walking right next to her.

‘Mi-kyung, look at this guy. Even if this guy takes a dump, people will applaud him. What do you think would happen if ordinary people like us did that?’

‘They’d make fun of you for taking a dump.’

‘That’s it.’

‘What is…’

Choi Mi-kyung tried to ask again, but Kim Eun-jung quickly turned around and slipped into the bathroom.

Creak-.

A faint groan leaked out from the stall next to the wall.

Along with Kim Eun-jung’s muttering.

‘You have to work hard, and pretend to be sane. Even if you work your ass off, ordinary people like us will be pushed aside by talented people…’

Mutter mutter-.

Choi Mi-kyung, nodding her head without realizing it, grabbed her nose.

She hadn’t finished what she wanted to say, so it seemed like she really needed to go to the bathroom.

***

Another weekend arrived.

The boat, with only its frame completed, was covered with a tarp and couldn’t see the world.

It was because Jo Seul-chan, who had been exercising and studying with Jin-hyuk, had collapsed.

It was something that any ordinary person would understand, that once you collapsed, your motivation wouldn’t be the same as before.

‘Oppa, when are you going to build the boat again?’

‘Oppa’s still lacking in strength-. I think it’ll have to be after summer. It’s hot, and oppa doesn’t have any strength…’

Jin-hyuk, who was about to leave for the Olympics, was also not in a situation where he could focus on building the boat with peace of mind. He was gradually adjusting his body rhythm to Atlanta.

Jo Il-heon, who had lifted the tarp and looked at the boat with its bare bones, comforted the dejected Yu-jin.

‘That’s how it is in the countryside-. You do this, then leave it, then do that, then leave it-. But as time passes, everything gets done-.’

‘Can’t Uncle Jjorongi build a boat?’

‘Huh? What are you talking about? Is there anything this uncle can’t do? This uncle can even build a plane?’

‘Then please build it for me. Okay?’

‘Huh-?’

‘Okay? Okay?’

‘This uncle is, uh, that…’

Oh my, is it going to rain…

Jo Il-heon looked at the blue sky and pretended not to hear.

‘Heeing…’

That made Yu-jin even sadder.