The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 271

Training was short and intense, rest was long.

For Jin-hyeok, even the usual training was a hellish ordeal that others couldn’t dare to approach. He had already experienced this during training camps with friends in middle school and while teaching his juniors in high school.

But the national team is the national team.

Jin Seon-gyu managed to handle all the training that Jin-hyeok did. Without complaining, without slacking off.

Uweeek-!

“Oh, I’m gonna die.”

He did gag a little, though.

Witnessing Jin Seon-gyu’s transformation, Jin-hyeok nodded inwardly.

‘Coach Seo Pil-gu was right.’

Intense training is the source of confidence.

Jin Seon-gyu’s eyes became sharper day by day, like a blade.

“Let’s rest this afternoon. My feet are a bit tired.”

“Yes, sir.”

*

After finishing the morning session, they opened their letters under the parasol.

‘Even friends I’ve never talked to wrote to me. I’m grateful…’

These were letters of support written by school friends and seniors before leaving Korea.

Even though the teachers didn’t force them, they voluntarily participated through the student council. It was the first time a graduate was participating in the Olympics since the school’s founding, so the interest must have been immense.

It seemed like he was being rewarded for not neglecting his relationships, even though he thought he had to live alone in this world.

「…Rather than the best, do your best…」

Well, there were many cliché phrases, but he carefully read each letter, appreciating the effort.

‘It’s better than reading a book.’

For Jin-hyeok, nothing was better than reading for mind control, but now it seemed like he could switch to letters.

He also carried around the first letter Yu-jin had written to him, printed out.

Since it was called a lucky letter, it felt like a charm.

“Sss-.”

Jin Seon-gyu, who was fixing his spike laces on a sunbed in the mansion’s garden, frowned and tilted his head.

“Uncle Gyu, what’s wrong?”

Yu-jin, who was putting a swimming cap on a clown doll to go into the pool, asked worriedly.

Yu-jin had returned from her long trip two days before the Olympics opening.

“Yeah, the inside of my big toe hurts.”

“Does it hurt a lot? Why does it hurt?”

“It’s because of the width of my feet. It’s also because it’s the break-in period for new shoes. I chose the widest shoes, but my feet are so big…”

Jin Seon-gyu’s big toe, which he had taken out of his spikes, was noticeably swollen.

In the early days of training, Jin Seon-gyu was the first to drop out, but later he endured and stayed until the end. To save face with his junior, and to tease Jonathan for his poor stamina. Anyway, he showed the grit of a South Korean national athlete.

They even did special training until this morning.

“If you do this, will it not hurt?”

Yu-jin cupped Jin Seon-gyu’s foot in her hands and pressed it gently.

“Huh? How did you do that?”

Jin Seon-gyu was startled.

The redness was still there, but the pain had disappeared.

“Yu-jin’s hands are magic hands.”

Jin-hyeok, who quickly made up an excuse, glared at Yu-jin.

You have to be careful when other people are around, you rascal.

Yu-jin, who received her brother’s glare, smiled with her eyes like crescent moons.

“Hehe, that’s right. My last name is Son, so I have magic hands.”

“Ahaha, is your family name Magic Hands? Magic Hands Son?”

It was a relief that Jin Seon-gyu treated Yu-jin like a real niece without suspicion.

Jin Seon-gyu always played along with the children at their eye level.

“I should tape it up and wear them again so it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Please wait a moment.”

Jin-hyeok put down the letter he was reading and quickly headed to the mansion.

‘He wasn’t a complete athlete yet.’

He thought he was already a complete athlete in terms of age and skill.

There was still more to fill.

*

“Can I really accept this…”

Contrary to his words, Jin Seon-gyu’s feet quickly slipped into the spikes.

If feet could possess shoes, this is what it would look like.

“Oh, it’s like wearing stockings?”

Wouldn’t this be the feeling of wearing stockings made of raw rubber?

Even while scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Jin Seon-gyu’s lips were out of control.

He looked happier than the clown doll Yu-jin was holding.

“How’s the fit? It’s made for my feet, so it might not fit you well.”

“No, no.”

After walking a few steps and jumping lightly, Jin Seon-gyu’s expression changed from smiling to serious.

“This is like, what is it, it’s like that thing.”

Did this guy suddenly become a Chungcheong person? Why is he suddenly talking about ‘that thing’ and ‘this thing’? [Chungcheong is a region in Korea known for its unique dialect and indirect way of speaking.]

“You know, Dragon Ball.”

Dragon Ball?

Jin-hyeok and Yu-jin tilted their heads to the side at the same time. They could make a synchronized swimming sibling team.

“I haven’t seen that cartoon.”

There were many comic books in the hideout, but those were for layabouts like Min Yong-rak and Choi Mi-kyung. To have time to read comic books, this senior must have trained quite leisurely?

“In that cartoon, there are aliens called Saiyans, right? Their battle suits stretch like this.”

Ah, he seemed to understand what he meant.

It meant that the elasticity was that good.

Jin-hyeok was 8cm taller, but Jin Seon-gyu’s feet were about 4mm bigger. Yet, instead of complaining about the discomfort, Jin Seon-gyu expressed great satisfaction.

“Even my big feet fit in, and it stretches and holds them tight. It’s really amazing…”

“Is it that good?”

The shoes were made for Jin-hyeok’s feet.

They held the feet well, but since they were made to fit his foot size, the elasticity could only be felt in the upper part that held the instep when putting the foot in.

“The design is like wearing thick stockings over bare feet. Isn’t it more streamlined than Michael Johnson’s golden shoes?”

Jin Seon-gyu’s feeling of wearing the shoes might be better than Jin-hyeok’s. Because his feet were big, they were held tightly.

‘Next time, I should ask them to make a size slightly smaller than my feet.’

Even now, his feet weren’t moving around in the shoes, but if he wore them a few more times, they could stretch and become fixed. If that happened, he would lose the effect of the elasticity.

“Wait a minute.”

“Huh? Why?”

Jin Seon-gyu, who was about to tighten the studs on the bottom of the spikes like screws, was startled. Did he want to take them back again? That was the look on his face.

“Would you like to wear blue on your left foot? I’ll wear red on my left foot.”

It was an impromptu idea, but it seemed quite plausible.

The Taegeuk colors on the left and right. [Taegeuk refers to the colors of the South Korean flag.]

“Wear them once a day until the preliminary round and break them in. If you wear them for too long, your feet might hurt because the shoes are small.”

“Okay, okay. These shoes are so good. They hold the front of my feet tight, so I can put in more power.”

Jin Seon-gyu looked genuinely excited.

He seemed to be half-listening to the part about breaking them in, but well, he was a veteran, so he would know what to do. It was already a blessing that he followed Jin-hyeok’s training plan without complaint.

***

Around the opening ceremony, athletes were allowed to train at the main stadium at set times.

Stepping on the track, running briefly, and doing a 30m sprint.

At the scheduled time for the preliminary rounds, athletes who had been granted access ran on the track in their competition uniforms.

“Wow, there are so many people.”

Jin Seon-gyu, who was in a great mood after getting new shoes, looked around the stadium with an excited expression.

The final adaptation stage to adjust the body and mind before going to the battlefield.

Some days they would run into the American athletes they had become friends with, and other days they would pass by without seeing them.

That’s why Jin-hyeok understood Jin Seon-gyu’s disappointment.

“Ah, that jerk. I wonder if he’s eaten… I hope he gets some strength from eating American beef.”

100m event alone had 75 countries. 106 of the fastest athletes on the planet. Since the track couldn’t accommodate all the athletes at once, they had to accept the reality of not being able to meet their friends.

“Seventy-five countries, you say. Where are all those countries located?”

Ignoring Jin Seon-gyu’s exclamation, Jin-hyeok took in all the athletes in his wide field of vision.

An athlete with his hands on his hips, shaking his legs alternately and moving his lips.

An athlete holding a cross necklace to his forehead and muttering something.

An athlete looking down at the track endlessly.

An athlete kissing the track and bowing.

After each serious moment, they would greet their competitors when their eyes met.

“You’re Son, right?”

“Yes, nice to meet you. You’re Vitaly Savin from the tenth heat?”

Jin-hyeok, who had memorized most of the athletes’ names, shook the other athlete’s hand warmly.

Since it was Russian, it was right to call him Savin.

“Oh, you know me?”

You know me?

“Of course. You’re from Kazakhstan.”

A language above language that even transcends language. A name.

How happy one must be to have their name called in a distant foreign land.

Vitaly, who had a sturdy physique, was soon filled with emotion.

Jin-hyeok greeted both famous and unknown athletes, wishing them good luck.

“Mr. Bailey?”

“Call me Donovan. Son! You’re famous in Canada too.”

Donovan Bailey looked older due to the dark circles under his eyes and drooping eyelids, which were much darker than his skin tone. Even though he was about 30 years old, similar to Jonathan, it was hard to call him by his first name. He was younger than Carl Lewis, but it was still awkward to call him by his first name.

“Van Nam Hai from Vietnam? Is it right to call you by this name? You’re in the same heat as Savin, right?”

“Yeah, Son. Nice to meet you.”

The courage of a stranger.

Perhaps it was because their conversations weren’t as free as their native language that they could approach each other more freely.

“Mr. Christie.”

“Call me Linford.”

“I noticed you were too hasty when you were practicing your starts earlier.”

Once he could communicate and open up to someone, he would freely share his opinions.

Another privilege that only athletes who meet face-to-face on the international stage can enjoy. Because of the special and unique relationship of being both competitors and friends.

Just like the American team had proposed joint adaptation training to Jin-hyeok and Jin Seon-gyu.

They had reached out to athletes from other countries besides the Korean team.

“Oh! You were watching me closely, young friend.”

What is he saying? His mental age feels like he’s the same age as me.

‘It’s just… that’s the feeling I get.’

Jin-hyeok honestly conveyed what he had felt while observing Linford Christie.

“That person is Darren from the British team, right? I saw you practicing in the corner, with Darren clapping to signal Linford to run. It felt like you were anticipating the start rather than reacting to the signal.”

“That’s my weakness.”

Linford, who immediately agreed, blamed it on his age.

He said his agility had deteriorated too much.

“Your observation is accurate, young friend.”

Well, to Jin-hyeok, it looked like impatience.

Waiting for the starting signal, getting restless, and then jumping out before he could hold back.

But there was no need to say it as it was.

Even if it was a privilege for athletes on the same stage, speaking as if you knew everything was excessive rudeness and an insult.

“It’s the Olympic dream stage, it’s a bigger waste to be disqualified for a false start.”

“You’re right.”

You can say that again.

“Let’s definitely meet in the final, young friend.”

“That’s how it will be.”

Jin-hyeok and Linford’s season records were 1st and 2nd out of 106 athletes.

*

There were also athletes who communicated with gestures because they couldn’t speak the same language.

Like Jin Seon-gyu, who was laughing with the Azerbaijani athlete over there.

“Ahaha! You look older than you are, but you’re already married?”

“That’s right, Gyu. I’m a former weightlifter. Hahahaha!”

An Azerbaijani athlete named Arif Akundov raised both arms, and Jin Seon-gyu gave him a thumbs up.

“Wow! You’ve already had two kids, that’s amazing!”

Well…

If they were happy, that was all that mattered.

“Make a lot of friends.”

Jin-hyeok pushed Jin Seon-gyu to greet more athletes. It was his intention to have him shake off his heavy heart by making eye contact and talking.

Fortunately, Jin Seon-gyu had become more sociable after hanging out with the American athletes.

“I’m Gyu. Korea.”

“Nice to meet you, Gyu. I’m Ahmed Dohou, from Côte d’Ivoire.”

“Ahmed? Oh? We’re in the same heat? Same heats.”

“Hahaha. Get away from me, spy.”

“Thank you, thank you.”

There were also advantages to not being able to communicate.

*

Even when they met different athletes the next day, Jin-hyeok and Jin Seon-gyu acted just as sociably. It was a clear difference from the Japanese and Chinese athletes, who were only focused on catching their breath.

Jin-hyeok glanced at them and said to Jin Seon-gyu.

“If we make a good impression, our juniors will be welcomed when they come to the world stage later. At least they won’t be lonely.”

“Yeah. You are right, Jin-hyeok.”

Jin Seon-gyu, who had always been alone and worried that his juniors’ path might be lonely, how could he not know?

Jin-hyeok sometimes said presumptuous things to other athletes, and he had expected that his long conversations in incomprehensible languages were for the sake of his juniors.

He had silently followed the training because he had come to understand Jin-hyeok’s thoughts while hanging out with him.

“And every time we greet and talk, the tension is released, right?”

“That’s so true. Even the guys who were glancing at us smile like kids when we talk to them first. It seems like everyone’s hearts are the same. They’re all scared.”

Confidence can be filled by oneself, but it can also be boosted by external stimuli.

Like Jin Seon-gyu now.

It seemed like there was nothing more to do to help Jin Seon-gyu have an Olympics without regrets.

“Son-”

“Sooon-”

It was no longer surprising that athletes he had never seen before recognized him.

He had the best record of the season, and the media in each country, which had received the tailwind of ‘Sein’, had reported on him so extensively.

‘I am sad, I am sad.’

While realizing his popularity, Jin-hyeok focused on controlling his mind so that he wouldn’t get too carried away.

Unlike Jin Seon-gyu, whose concentration improved as he became more excited, Jin-hyeok’s senses became sharper when he was calm.

***

Atlanta Centennial Olympic Stadium.

The athletes who were sweating in their respective places, the coaches who were observing and teaching, Yoo Se-ra and the foundation staff who were having business meetings, Yu-jin and Hong Su-jeong, and Yang Gang-wook who were sightseeing, all gathered in the same place.

The federation staff who had been supporting Jin-hyeok and Jin Seon-gyu also watched the opening ceremony live with tickets supported by Yoo Se-ra.

[…Korea-!]

A name that made his heart swell, even though he tried not to get carried away.

They entered wearing the team uniform with the Taegeukgi on their chests, waving the Taegeukgi. [Taegeukgi is the South Korean flag.]

“Haa, geez…”

The hearty laugh that Jin Seon-gyu burst out with caught Jin-hyeok’s attention.

“How did I get here…”

Muttering, muttering.

Jin-hyeok chuckled at Jin Seon-gyu’s mosquito-like voice.

He had been thinking the same thing.

“Still-”

“Still-”

It seemed like they had the same thoughts and wanted to say the same thing.

When Jin Seon-gyu gestured with his chin to yield, Jin-hyeok grinned.

With the brightest face he could make.

“I’m really glad we came together.”

The time for training, laughing, and chatting was about to be sent to a corner of the photo album.

“If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t have been able to talk to so many foreign athletes. Thank you.”

“Now, let’s turn those friends into enemies for a while.”

Jin Seon-gyu nodded strongly at Jin-hyeok’s words with a smile.

“That jerk is an enemy too.”

Now it was the real deal.

Jin Seon-gyu looked like he wanted to run right away.

When the real deal was right in front of him, he engraved only one goal in his heart. That was what a professional was. Perhaps the flag that was firmly engraved on his chest was given in that sense.

One name, one goal.

National athlete.

***

Under the blazing sun, they cheered and cheered again.

Some shed tears of joy, others cried out in despair.

They were bound together under the name of the team, but since their events were different, they rarely interacted with other athletes personally. Unless they had a personal relationship.

Daga-dak-.

In the waiting room dominated by the sound of the athletes’ footsteps, he asked Jin Seon-gyu, who looked calm.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah! It’s really good to do it together.”

That’s why the fact that there was one more person was so reassuring.

A staff member holding the schedule came in and shouted.

[Heat 3, Heat 4, enter!]

The athletes who would be waiting in the passage behind the starting area while the second heat was in progress were called out.

Whoo, whoo.

It was a moment when they would naturally adjust their breathing, without being conscious of it or being told to do so. Supplying oxygen to the brain and raising body temperature.

Three hours before the competition, they had finished breakfast with brown rice and sweetened their mouths with thick misugaru. [Misugaru is a traditional Korean grain powder drink.]

Ta-aang-!

Wa-aah!

Outside, the preliminary round of the previous heat was in progress.

“Hey, they say it’s better to get hit first, and that’s exactly right. Waiting for a long time makes me a little nervous, you know.”

Jin-hyeok chuckled at Jin Seon-gyu’s banter and poured some cool instant coffee into the thermos lid.

Sip.

He took a sip of the energy drink that Yoo Se-ra had been preparing every day since they came to the US, with gratitude.

He rolled it on his tongue and slowly, little by little, swallowed it.

Jin Seon-gyu followed Jin-hyeok’s lead.

[Heat 5, Heat 6, enter!]

Jin-hyeok swallowed the remaining instant coffee in his mouth.

Tuk, tuk.

Jin Seon-gyu silently patted his junior’s shoulder.

It was a moment when no words could be heard, and no words were needed.

He nodded to Jin Seon-gyu and left the waiting room.

How long had he waited in the passage, patting the outside of his thighs with his fists?

Ziiing-.

The speaker installed on the corner of the ceiling rang.

Tuk, tuk.

[Heat five, ready.]

He stepped out of the shaded passage and into the stadium.

For a moment, the whole world turned white. He should have worn sunglasses.

It wasn’t just his vision that reminded him that the stage had changed.

[Ta-aang-!]

Wa-aah-!

A stage where he had to face the thunderous cheers alone.

Whooo-!

He shook his heavy shoulders with a long exhale.

It was Son Jin-hyeok’s time.