The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 264

Woof woof!

Jang-gun is a smart dog, so he has a good memory.

That’s why he hasn’t forgotten Son Wang-wang’s request.

– “Protect our family so that no one can harm them. I’ll buy you lots of dog treats when I come back.”

If it were another dog, it would have taken it as an absolute command, but Jang-gun took it as a heartfelt request from the loyal Son Wang-wang.

Woof-.

It’s not because of the dog treats.

How could a virtuous dog turn a blind eye when he’s asked so earnestly?

Woof woof-!

That lucky rascal [referring to Haeng-un, the bird] is unusually busy today.

That ill-mannered young bird, did he eat the early heat or something? He kept pecking Jang-gun’s head with his beak and then flying up.

Woof!

It hurts, you rascal!

Meeeong-.

It seems like he’s telling us to follow him, Hong-si said hesitantly.

Really? Then let’s go.

It’s not like I’m going because he told me to. It’s just curiosity.

Jang-gun is too proud to do what anyone tells him to do.

Haeng-un is very small and quick, so he’s hard to see.

That’s why I lost him a few times.

Each time, he came back and tapped Jang-gun’s head with his foot.

Ah, that little bird, I’ve been holding back.

He could just chirp and I’d follow, but why does he have to hit my head so annoyingly?

Hehehe-.

After crossing mountains and streams, following Haeng-un, we arrived at a reservoir.

The same reservoir with the reed field where Son Aeng-aeng found the eggs.

Pee-ee-!

Haeng-un, letting out a long cry from the sky, disappeared into the thick reeds.

Woof!

Hey, let’s follow him.

Meeeong-.

Urrr-.

The underlings barked, saying that they couldn’t go in because there were not only reeds but also thick bushes. Those big guys are useless.

Hee-yoo-.

There’s no choice but for the nimble and brave Jang-gun to go in.

He pushed through the bushes with his head, his butt held high.

To avoid getting even a single hair dirty, I have to endure this somewhat dog-like posture.

Hehehe-. Squeak-!

Branches poked my side, and mud stuck to my paws and belly fur, making my body heavy, but I somehow managed to get in.

When I reached where Haeng-un was, Jang-gun stuck out his tongue and drooled.

Woof!

After all that doggy suffering, there’s finally a reward!

A small, delicious-looking bird was sitting quietly on the dirt floor.

Pee-ee! Flap flap-!

It just struggled and hesitated when it saw Jang-gun, unable to fly or walk, as if it was hurt somewhere.

Hehehe-. Drool is dripping.

It must be crispy and juicy.

Jang-gun is a gourmet dog, so he knows such things.

Haeng-un also looked delicious, but I had been just swallowing my saliva because of Son Aeng-aeng, but you’re in luck. Ah, Haeng-un was pecking my head to give Jang-gun a special treat!

Hehe-.

Hyah-, this one looks appetizing.

That’s when it happened.

Woof! Woof woof!

Hong-si and Geom-ma barked like crazy dogs.

So, what they’re saying right now is…

This is Haeng-soon.

Hehehe-.

Damn it. Jang-gun knew it too.

Really.

Woof woof!

Those dog bastards are making a fuss without helping.

Grrr-.

That Haeng-un bastard asked Jang-gun for help because Son Aeng-aeng wasn’t here.

Jang-gun is a smart dog, so he knows such things.

Sigh. Son Wang-wang asked me something.

If I find Haeng-soon, bury her well.

Hehehe-.

So, I started burying her.

Pushing the fine soil with my snout to cover her like a blanket.

I’ll come back at night and dig her up a little.

Woof woof woof!

Wait, but those bastards…

They’re telling me not to bury her alive?

No, I’m doing what Son Wang-wang told me to do!

Mung!

Hong-si barked.

Let’s take her home.

That kind-hearted bastard.

Grrr-.

Ah, damn it, you dog bastards.

Jang-gun, in all his life…

Hee-yoo-.

I’m getting nagged by dog bastards and end up rescuing a baby bird.

Jang-gun slowly closed his wide-open mouth and bit Haeng-soon so she wouldn’t get hurt.

Squeak! Flap flap-.

Haeng-soon, unable to resist, was flapping her wings like crazy.

She must be scared of my teeth. Afraid of getting rabies.

Grrr-.

Haeng-soon, it’s okay. I disinfected them.

Let’s go home.

***

Although she is dignified and thoughtful, she is still a young teenage girl. Jin-hyuk, who was sitting far away and checking his schedule, chuckled when he noticed Hong Su-jeong’s sidelong glance.

In the past, Hong Su-jeong, who was a director, would have glanced sideways because she was wary of Jin-hyuk, who was her superior.

When Director Hong Su-jeong left work early, she would look at Jin-hyuk by only moving her eyes while her face was facing forward. With a very prim face. Then, she would bump into the head of an employee who was greeting her with her chest or drop a flowerpot on a low cabinet.

‘She was cute.’

She must have been disappointed.

At the airport, they couldn’t even say goodbye properly because they had to show their faces to the league staff, the press, and the send-off crowd.

On the plane, Yoo-jin monopolized her sister’s side, so they didn’t have time to talk separately.

‘That’s how they become awkward and distant.’

He understood why childhood friends become distant.

He understood what his friends said about how the close cousins he used to see every holiday were becoming more and more awkward.

It must be because their jobs and the worlds they live in are different, making it difficult to form a common ground.

“Su-jeong, can’t you sleep?”

“I am a Son Yoo-jin!”

Wow, she scared me.

Yoo-jin, who had fallen asleep, suddenly woke up and shouted before closing her eyes again.

Hong Su-jeong nodded almost imperceptibly.

She had already far surpassed the height of the little director and Choi Mi-kyung from the past, but the cat eyes of the five-year-old who had stared at him on the day they first met were still the same.

He folded his legs, which he had stretched out, and slowly gestured with his hand. He knew what she was thinking and that she was wary of him, but he thought it was right to reach out first.

Hong Su-jeong came and sat across from Jin-hyuk.

What should he say? They had contacted each other often and had a brief conversation on the plane, but Jin-hyuk felt awkward trying to make eye contact and talk to her.

“Wasn’t the long flight boring?”

“Why do you live so hard, oppa?” [Oppa is a Korean term used by females to refer to an older brother or male friend.]

Two questions collided.

As he was about to yield the question and think about what to answer, Hong Su-jeong asked again.

“You said you were going to live an ordinary life in the countryside, so why do you live so hard…?”

It didn’t feel like she was being bold or provocative.

It was a pleasant, clear voice, as if the former Director Hong Su-jeong had possessed her.

“My dad says your dad’s company has no debt and is stable. They also make good money. Even if you don’t work there, wouldn’t my dad treat you well if you went to his company after graduating from college?”

So…

Is she asking why he keeps doing something instead of living an ordinary life like others, even though he wouldn’t have any problems making a living even if he lived carelessly?

“Why do you live so hard, Su-jeong?”

You also do something every day, right? Jin-hyuk smiled as gently as possible.

“Um…”

Hong Su-jeong blushed as if she had a shameful reason.

“Who is the person Su-jeong trusts the most in the world?”

“Um…, my dad?”

“Ah, I think I asked the wrong question.”

The former Director Hong Su-jeong said that she didn’t trust anyone.

She used to say that she hated her mom because she was a haughty idiot and that she didn’t want to see her dad because he was a traitor.

What did Jin-hyuk say back then…?

I think he felt sorry for her.

Seeing someone who lived as more of a stranger than anyone else, even though they had a family that he couldn’t even dream of.

But as the world changed and her family changed, Hong Su-jeong also changed.

Nothing remained unchanged. Only the truth that time flows existed.

“I don’t trust anyone. That’s why I live so hard.”

“Really?”

Hong Su-jeong widened her eyes as if she didn’t understand.

“I live hard because I don’t trust anyone. The only things I can trust are my head, my body, and the sweat I shed. No one will move for my rights or my interests.”

It was a statement that came from his past life experiences, but he didn’t think differently now. What if the situation changes later after trusting and relying on someone? Whether it’s the person’s heart or the situation that changes.

If he had a personality that was content with the present, he would have enjoyed the current peace and wealth moderately, but Jin-hyuk had not yet secured peace. Along with that, the uncertain future also repeatedly whipped Jin-hyuk. To run.

“Even with so many people around you?”

Hong Su-jeong asked, looking around at the people sleeping on the plane, and Jin-hyuk lowered his upper body and lowered his voice.

“If someone seems to be devoted to me, I think it’s because that person is getting something from me. What will happen to those people when they no longer have anything to gain from me?”

It was what Director Hong Su-jeong had said when she was drunk.

Would people work for me if I weren’t the chairman’s daughter?

Jin-hyuk returned the words he had heard from her.

They’ll all leave, Hong Su-jeong muttered.

“A guaranteed future, a promised success. Such things don’t exist anywhere. Only after putting in the maximum effort, not the minimum, can I dream of the life I want. That’s how the world is. Whether your life goal is a quiet and peaceful life or a life of luxury, it’s the same. People tend to put in as much effort as others and hope to do better than others. Even though they are not smarter or more talented than others.”

He wanted to say that it wasn’t a talent that fell from the sky overnight.

Exercise and studying too.

“Um, it’s difficult…”

Hong Su-jeong bit her lip. She was still making eye contact.

She’s a kid who’s good at eye contact even though she’s shy. Her bright brown eyes, which were clearly visible even in the dark, still seemed to be looking into Jin-hyuk’s soul. Like a curious kitten.

But Hong Su-jeong must already know. There was no need for long words to a kid who exercises and studies every day. And Director Hong Su-jeong was the most outstanding person in terms of understanding among the people he had met in his past life. It means she’s basically smart.

“So, you’re working hard to live an ordinary life later?”

“You could say that. But it’s not exactly that.”

“Are you going to live in the countryside?”

“I can live anywhere people live.”

Eyes staring intently. He couldn’t read this expression.

That was why Jin-hyuk thought of Director Hong Su-jeong as mysterious.

The only person whose eyes he couldn’t read, whether they were filled with longing, contempt, or affection. A gaze that was used to being the center of attention but was not interested in anything in the world.

“Um-, you know, my dad says there are so few people he can trust that he doesn’t have anyone to give work to. So, he has a bit of a headache. Why does he have a headache when he hires so many employees?”

Hong Su-jeong changed the subject, perhaps because she was embarrassed by the long eye contact.

“New employees are full of enthusiasm, but they don’t know how to do anything. People with experience avoid difficult tasks and only try to survive by being cunning because they have people to give work to. That’s why the people at the top are important. People in the world think about what people in high positions do, whether they work or just play around. They don’t even try to believe what they see. But if the people at the top just supervise properly, the people below will do their jobs on their own.”

“It’s difficult…”

It might be difficult for a child who has no organizational experience.

How should he explain it in this case?

“Do you remember when you were little and you hit me in the stream and cried?”

“Me?”

Hong Su-jeong widened her eyes in shock.

“You said you wanted to swim, so I blocked the stream with stones to make a dam.”

“Ah, that’s right. I remember. But why did I cry?”

“Because you said that if we blocked the water, the fish living downstream would die.”

“Ah…”

Hong Su-jeong made her sparkling eyes dull and scratched the back of her head.

She really looks like Yu Se-ra at times like this.

“The fact that you cried isn’t important. What’s important is that you thought about that and worried about the helpless fish. And you kept watching. Until I removed all the stones. A crayfish came out while I was removing the stones, and when I said let’s catch the crayfish, you pointed at me and told me to remove the stones.”

“Why are you bringing that up…?”

Embarrassed, Hong Su-jeong scratched the back of her head so hard that it made a rustling sound.

“That’s how it is. All you did was worry about the fish and watch to see if I was doing my job properly.”

“Did you remove them all because you were scared of me?”

“Of course. No organization is different. If there is someone who is not stupid, doesn’t get distracted by unnecessary things, and knows what their job is, the stream will go where it needs to go, and the fish living downstream will not suffer, even if there is a drought or a flood.”

“So, someone needs to supervise to make sure they don’t do anything else upstream.”

“Yeah. Your dad must have meant that there aren’t enough people like that. And he’s having a hard time because he has to do it himself because there aren’t enough people like that. You should grow up quickly and help him.”

Hong Su-jeong thought.

Could she really learn this kind of thing by studying in the United States?

She could gain knowledge besides learning from her grandfather, father, and imprisoned brother, but could she meet someone who could teach her in a way that would resonate with her and stick in her head? Her grandfather said that learning is important, but it’s also important how much you can trust and follow the person who is teaching you.

‘Ah, I miss it. I want to go back to when I was little.’

Could she meet more people who would gently permeate her life, like an old story told by a stream flowing under the dazzling light?

If she studies abroad, she won’t even be able to bicker with her best friend, her mom.

Ding-.

Finally.

The cabin lights that signaled their arrival in Atlanta turned on.

“Our Su-jeong, you’re going to look for a school to study abroad, right?”

At Jin-hyuk’s question, which he asked with a gentle smile, Hong Su-jeong’s head dropped, unable to answer.

[Our plane will arrive at Hartsfield Airport shortly. Passengers, please-.]

Yoo-jin, who had been mumbling in her sleep in an incomprehensible language, shouted convulsively.

“I am a Son Yoo-jin!”

We’ve finally arrived.