The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 265

“There are a lot of them.”

Yu Se-ra had mentioned it on the plane, but there were more reporters at the airport than expected.

“How much money did this person actually spend?”

Yu Se-ra’s eyes narrowed, like a lion stepping on a hedgehog, as if she hadn’t anticipated this many. [This is a Korean idiom describing someone who is surprised and annoyed.]

Her A-to-Z money-driven mindset made her think that even the reporters were just people mobilized with money.

“I’ll be back. Please take care of Yu-jin.”

“Okay. Do well.”

Jin-hyuk entrusted his younger sister to Yang Kang-wook and also gave a look of understanding to Jin Seon-gyu.

Jin Seon-gyu was smiling brightly and waving his hand whenever Jin-hyuk said something or nodded.

‘So, I feel even more sorry that I’m the only one getting attention.’

He bit his lip so it wouldn’t show and followed the interpreter.

***

It was also Yang Kang-wook’s first time visiting the United States.

Even though he was inwardly excited, he was only watching sharply and didn’t have the leisure to look around in wonder like Son Yu-jin in front of him.

‘American beasts.’

Even though she was a sturdy kid, if little Son Yu-jin bumped into those big Westerners, she would probably fly about three yards.

Yang Kang-wook was particularly watchful of Son Yu-jin’s surroundings.

This little kid following behind her brother could jump out anywhere at any time.

‘There are a lot of beasts.’

With a stay of nearly a month, Yang Kang-wook thought this was the time he would have to be the most on edge in his entire life.

There were many people to look after, but few security personnel.

However, it was a needless worry.

Yang Kang-wook noticed a group of people in black suits greeting Yu Se-ra and then splitting into two teams. One of them, who seemed to be the leader, was approaching Yang Kang-wook.

‘A left-handed beast.’

The expertise of a professional, consistently educated and trained, was demonstrated by discerning the opponent’s characteristics through their gait, as well as the movement of their shoulders and arms. Fatigue was just a bit of cumbersome baggage, not an obstacle for Yang Kang-wook.

“You’ve had a long journey.”

A tall blonde man bowed his head lightly and extended his hand.

Although it was hard to find honorifics in English, his upright posture and clear speech conveyed a sense of restrained politeness.

“You must be Team Leader Gom, right? I recognized you at once. Nice to meet you. I’m Liam Miller, the leader of Team A at the Triple S US branch.”

“I’m Yang Kang-wook. But where did all those people come from?”

Yang Kang-wook, who had taken his hand, gestured with his chin.

More than thirty people were wearing black suits and sSs badges.

“They flew in from Washington, Chicago, and Dallas. Except for New York, that is. You can consider that most of the units without assignments are here.”

“With so much support, my shoulders feel much lighter.”

Liam slowly shook his head, a clumsy smile flickering on his lips.

“It’s not support.”

“Huh?”

Are you just going to say hello and leave?

“Local security is handled entirely by the US branch.”

“Ah… I understand.”

Yang Kang-wook nodded.

That method would be realistic, even because of local regulations.

But what kind of threat is there in a place like this that they gathered so many people?

The number of thirty people was a number rarely seen even when there were events in Korea. Even if their capabilities were somewhat lacking, it was true that they were numerous in terms of numbers.

“It’s only natural since the boss’s family has all come.”

“I see.”

It was a plausible reason.

Since it wasn’t a suitable place for a casual conversation, Yang Kang-wook followed Liam.

‘Is that a pistol on his right chest?’

He realized the metal object hidden inside his jacket and felt that he had come to the United States.

Liam, aware of Yang Kang-wook’s gaze, smiled.

“Would you like one? There are spares in the van.”

“No, thank you.”

Cough-. Yang Kang-wook swallowed the words he wanted to say.

Don’t mess with me, you punk! If you go to the Sein Technica SAKDO Research Institute, there are guns from all over the world!

“I thought you would say that. Team Leader Gom is on vacation, after all.”

“Me? Who said that?”

At Yang Kang-wook’s question, Liam Miller raised his index finger and pointed upwards.

He looked up, but there were only lighting fixtures on the high ceiling.

‘Ah, it’s the president’s consideration.’

President Son Kwang-yeon must have asked Chairman Hong Ki-joon.

He was always sorry for not giving him proper vacations. He had said not to worry about it since his family lived nearby and his life satisfaction was much higher than during his military service, but Son Kwang-yeon must have had his own feelings about it.

As he tried to calm his complicated feelings, a small, soft hand grabbed Yang Kang-wook’s bear-paw-like hand.

“Let’s go, oppa is already that far ahead-.”

The kids never get tired. How can they be so energetic even after that long flight?

Among the kids, Son Yu-jin was by far the best in terms of stamina. Knowing how much this kid usually ran around and trained, Yang Kang-wook couldn’t think of the vacation as just a vacation.

“You promised to let me make a phone call-.”

“Okay. Wait a moment.”

Yang Kang-wook took out the latest model cell phone he had activated before departure.

The phone, which was the size of a child’s palm, opened up like a compact, doubling in size.

“Whoa-?”

Liam’s eyes widened at the sight.

Liam took out his Nokia cell phone from his pocket and compared the size by eye.

“What is that?” he asked.

Yang Kang-wook, who had confirmed that the dial tone was ringing normally on the phone he had put to his ear, smiled and pointed his index finger upwards.

Future, man, in English, The Future.

***

The local media’s interest in Jin-hyuk was hotter than expected.

Although the marathon is the flower or symbol of the Olympics, the most popular events are undoubtedly the short-distance track and swimming events that produce multiple champions.

Just by seeing them broadcasting live even when their own country’s athletes are not participating, you can tell the global interest. When the athletes on the starting line raise their hips, the spectators and viewers not at the scene hold their breath.

A considerable number of reporters were waiting to watch an unknown Asian athlete, who had achieved the season’s best record in the 100m and the second-best record in the 200m, enter the country separately to adapt to the local environment.

Even if it’s a popular event, this kind of attention for an athlete from a small Asian country is excessive. Jin-hyuk thought so.

‘Hong Ki-joon must have released information and money. To promote me.’

So, there was no need to be moved or flustered.

Jin-hyuk received the flashing lights appropriately and kept his gaze somewhere in the air. Because if you look directly at the flash, it’s dazzling.

Just like Jang-gun looking over the village from the top of Cheon Gil-ryong’s house, he maintained a consistently calm and relaxed expression. [This is a reference to a Korean folk tale, implying a calm and confident demeanor.]

Most of the media outlets were well-known, and there were also Korean and Japanese media among them.

The interpreter, who had been on the same plane and entered the country with him, stood behind Jin-hyuk and translated the reporters’ questions.

“You were only 0.04 seconds away from the world record. What are your resolutions ahead of the competition?”

“I will do my best.”

Resolutions, my ass, I’m just going to run my ass off.

These reporters ask such obvious things.

“Who is the most wary competitor?”

“Since the stage is the stage, all the athletes are excellent. I will approach it with the attitude of a challenger.”

Wary of whom? It’s a fight against myself to just run to the end without deviating from the designated track. But if I say, ‘My only competitor is myself,’ they’ll say I’m arrogant.

He recalled the list of athletes that Min Yong-rak had researched in advance, but he didn’t mention them. He was just responding to the interview as a formality.

Linford Christie of the UK and Donovan Bailey of Canada were the leading contenders in the 100m, and Michael Johnson of the US was the leading contender in the 200m.

Linford Christie, born in 1960, had the second-best record this season in the 100m, despite being 36 years old. He also advanced to the finals in the 200m, but few expected his success in that event. Aging and the decline in stamina due to aging cannot be hidden.

Michael Johnson was the undisputed untouchable in the 200m. Short-distance runners usually focus on one event or, if their stamina allows, participate in both the 100m and 200m. However, this athlete was unique in that his main events were the 200m and 400m. As befitting a country with a deep pool of athletes, he also participates in the 1600m relay.

Frank Fredericks of Namibia, Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago, and Michael Marsh of the United States were all considered world-class in both the 100m and 200m. These were the competitors whose events overlapped with Jin-hyuk’s.

Except for Linford, who was recognized as the top sprinter in the 100m despite being well past his prime, they were all in their early to mid-20s, all athletes with the muscles of beasts and the explosive power of monsters.

“According to information, you also showed talent in the long jump and 400m in your youth. Why aren’t you participating in those events?”

“To focus.”

Hey, if I do all that, it’s tiring.

You have to say something that makes sense. Seriously.

People who only watch the competition might think it’s okay to do everything, but if the number of events increases, the amount of training must also increase. If the events are different, the training methods will inevitably be different, and greed is a recipe for disaster.

And because the number of track events has been limited since youth under the purpose of protecting athletes and discovering various athletes, it was not easy for athletes who had reached a certain level to change events. Unless there was a special reason.

By the way, they’re talking about my time in the junior division when I only participated once. These guys have amazing information.

Did they unleash the CIA or something?

Jin-hyuk was inwardly surprised, but he didn’t show it. It could be a formal question.

“If you were given the right to participate now, would you be willing to participate? It’s natural for track athletes to be greedy for multiple events, isn’t it?”

“If is just if. I don’t consider it. I am a student before I am a track athlete. I limited my events myself to focus on my studies. Athletes in the US and the UK also focus on some events. I also know that they have various jobs such as college students, dentists, accountants, and lawyers.”

He answered in the most concise and refined sentences possible to make it easy to translate.

While formal questions and answers were exchanged, an Asian reporter raised his hand.

Even if he didn’t specify his affiliation, his accent and pronunciation were enough to know his origin.

“Please tell us the meaning of your sportswear.”

Just by pronouncing ‘jersey’ as ‘jaji,’ it was clear that this person was Japanese. [This is a humorous way of pointing out a common mispronunciation of the word ‘jersey’ by Japanese speakers.]

I hadn’t thought much about it, but it seems like a pretty valuable question has come up. As expected, they are obsessed with symbols.

Jin-hyuk stroked the Korean flag on his chest once and took a deep breath.

“It’s my pride.”

This should be enough lip service to the country and the media. He was convinced as he watched the Korean reporter quickly writing it down.

He hadn’t often felt the existence of the nation or a sense of belonging, but as a man who had once served in the military, the meaning of representing the country was heavy in itself.

The amicable atmosphere was reversed by the next question from the Japanese reporter.

“Are you aware that the prevailing opinion is that your record is unbelievable for a track and field backwater? Locally, they are betting on whether you will pack your bags after the heats or after the quarter-finals.”

A baseless and highly provocative question.

The heats mean the group stage, and the quarter-finals mean the round after the group stage. Along with the talk of an unbelievable record, the statement that they were betting on Jin-hyuk’s elimination showed an intention to trivialize Jin-hyuk’s participation.

The interpreter did not translate the question, but Jin-hyuk’s jaw tightened as he understood everything.

‘This punk is playing cute, huh?’

Well, he’s not cute looking, but that’s what I mean.

The reporter’s words contained clear contempt.

Contempt gives birth to the monster of hatred.

The vain delusion of seeming to occupy a relatively superior position by despising others.

A worthless instinct to somehow find fault with an unattainable target to console one’s own inferiority.

In a place where reporters gather, it’s not unusual for aggressive questions to come up at any time.

He also didn’t have the romantic fantasy that they would all be friendly from the start.

He was thinking that it was flowing too formally and gentlemanly anyway.

‘Do you think I, who is equipped with a proper hatred of humanity more than anyone else in the world, wouldn’t know?’

He had seen many beautiful things since returning, but the emotions that were ingrained like calluses could not have disappeared.

If there was anything different about the Jin-hyuk of the past, it was that he had never expressed it even once.

Because the moment he hated someone, he felt like he would lose the humanity he was barely holding onto.

The Son Jin-hyuk of the past endured without becoming a monster.

Even in the more distant future, he had experienced racism during business trips or long-term overseas assignments. The funny thing was that many of them were Japanese, and they seemed to think of themselves as white.

And how much more would it be in this era?

The interpreter said to the reporter.

“I’m sorry… I can’t understand what the reporter who just asked the question is saying.”

Jin-hyuk thought it was a lie.

The interpreter’s English skills were top-notch, and although the reporter’s pronunciation was inaccurate and his intonation was flat, he could be considered one of the better Japanese speakers in terms of pronunciation.

Even now, the other reporters were glaring at the Japanese reporter.

The Japanese reporter, undeterred by the harsh glares, asked again.

“Everyone is wondering how an athlete from a country smaller than Japan can achieve such fast records.”

Like sees like, and true to their habit of liking fabrication and distortion, they were looking at the achievements of athletes from other countries with a twisted perspective.

Just as he was about to laugh off the question, which clearly had the impure purpose of shaking the athlete, Jin-hyuk heard a faint complaint like the sound of ants in his ear.

Rustle, rustle-.

‘They’re lying. They’re the only ones who think that. Those annoying Japs…’

It was the interpreter’s mutterings.

It seemed like he was holding back the urge to swear.

He, who had been sticking to the back of Jin-hyuk’s shoulder, stepped forward.

“The press conference will end here as the athlete is tired.”

“No.”

Jin-hyuk reached out his arm and blocked the interpreter’s path.

As he said, he was tired due to the long journey.

Therefore, he was just planning to deal with them appropriately and leave. He needed to discharge the accumulated lactic acid and toxins, do some light exercise, and then rest on the first day so that he could start training from the second day. But after hearing the interpreter’s mutterings, he changed his mind.

‘It’s not something I’m going to experience alone.’

Far behind the reporters, Yu-jin, who was on a phone call, waved her hand when she made eye contact with her brother.

Seeing his younger sister, he knew for sure.

What kind of future he had to open up.

There are those who will look down on you and continue to provoke you if you treat them politely.

Jin Seon-gyu had said something like that.

– “What I realized while studying is that the term ‘senior’ is actually burdensome. It means someone who is ahead. It’s imbued with respect.”

The role of a senior is to pave the way for their juniors to follow. Even if the senior is slow to move forward because they are removing obstacles and fighting off interferences, they are sweating with the heart of a pioneer, thinking of the juniors who will walk on the cleared track. That’s what a senior should be.

– “It’s not like I have some grand idea of becoming a shield. It’s just that if I do that, the environment will improve, and someday a junior will surpass me, and the number of athletes who are ignored because they are in unpopular events will decrease. When that happens, I’ll have to clap more happily than when I set the Korean record. That’s what I decided. You woke up too quickly, so my swagger shrunk. Hahaha.”

If you are looked down upon, you become a pushover.

If a senior is looked down upon, the juniors become pushovers.

This is not a statement that is limited to sports.

‘I can’t give Yu-jin that kind of future.’

If her brother accepts contempt, his younger sister will live in a world full of discrimination.

I’d rather choose to fight than to engrave patience three times. Even if it leads to killing people with words.

‘That’s what Hong Ki-joon meant.’

If the guy who is after my things lives in a mud pit, I will gladly step into the mud pit to kill him. And then, he said, he would completely remove the mud pit.

‘Hey, Jin-hyuk, you don’t have to deal with reporters like that. Especially the Japanese ones. No matter what you say, they’ll write whatever they want.’

The interpreter whispered in his ear, but he didn’t listen and took a step forward.

With his hands in his pockets.

“Listen carefully. Especially you. Yes, you. The one who can’t pronounce the final consonants.”

Japanese flowed from Jin-hyuk’s mouth.