The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 272

It’s a good thing.

Standing at the starting line, he clenched his teeth, nodded, and thought that way.

‘If I run ahead and show them, my senior will be less nervous.’

He made every effort to maintain Jin Seon-gyu’s mental state.

During the adaptation training before the opening ceremony, and even during the track adaptation training before and after the opening, he tried to show a bright side, and even cracked jokes with his non-existent talent. Not that Jin Seon-gyu laughed every time, but anyway.

‘At least I showed some effort.’

Thanks to that, Jin Seon-gyu even had the composure to wave the Korean flag and look around for where Yujin was sitting during the opening ceremony’s athlete entrance.

And about nine days have passed since the opening.

It was a period when the two national team members shared red and blue spikes, repeating the last training three times, with two days of training and one day of rest.

He felt light, with self-satisfaction that he had done everything he could, and confidence that he had stood on the test without neglecting preparation.

[Wenzhong Chen-.]

The Chinese athlete in lane 3 raised his arm high.

Some people in the audience were making eye-slitting gestures, but it was a foolish act that wouldn’t shake the athletes focused on the red track and their inner selves.

Most of the audience sent their support with applause.

[Mitchell Peters-.]

Lane 4 was an athlete from the U.S. Virgin Islands.

[Jin-hye-oak-.]

Hey, who is Jin-hye that they’re calling him an orc?

[-Son!]

Ah, that’s me.

Jin-hyeok in lane 5 raised his hand high.

Kyaaaaah-!

85,000 people. The stadium was packed, but with that roar, he could find Yujin anywhere.

Of course, that’s a lie.

‘I can’t see her, I can’t see her.’

He made a heart over his head towards where he heard Yujin’s voice.

Deliberately with big movements, with a bright smile, to shake off the tension.

‘Mom and Dad must be watching at home too, right?’

Korea is 13 hours ahead, so it must be around night time.

[Hiroyasu- Tsuchii-.]

The Japanese athlete in lane 7.

The three athletes from the three East Asian countries met in the same group.

Whoo-, whoo-.

I’m not nervous. I’m not nervous.

It’s just the preliminary round.

Even if I get eliminated, there’s nothing to be disappointed about.

Isn’t this a glorious place that most athletes never get to step on in their entire lives?

‘No, but still, it would be disappointing if I got eliminated.’

Red on the left, blue on the right.

As a habit, he tapped his left and right toes together to check if his toes were okay.

All clear during duty, good morning commander.

[On your mark.]

He had heard it at the Thailand competition, but there was a strange power in the English command.

It felt like it was saying dryly, ‘You are an inanimate object, a machine.’

The bigger the competition, the less time they give you to think after the athlete introductions.

Perhaps that’s a consideration not to give time for tension and fear to sprout.

[Get set.]

Now, the electronic starting gun will sound in 1.2 seconds at the earliest, and 1.7 seconds at the latest.

Jin-hyeok closed his eyes and maximized his sixth sense.

The American sports channel had extensively reported on the videos of Jin-hyeok that they had obtained through various means. A former track and field athlete and expert panelist had passionately raved with an excited face.

‘He is a unique individual who has the fastest start reaction speed in the world, yet never commits a foul.’

The start reaction time of world-class athletes is between 0.14 and 0.18 seconds. It’s less than 0.2 seconds.

– [Son’s start reaction speed doesn’t exceed 0.11!]

If you react within 0.1 seconds, a foul signal usually goes off.

[Bang-.]

[Bang-baang-.]

Like now.

It was a mistake that athletes who generally anticipate the start make.

Usman Diarra of lane 8, who had kicked off the starting block, hung his head low.

The rhythm of all the athletes who had started normally was broken.

However, no one glares at Usman Diarra of Mali.

Even though he had run 30m in a short time, he just caught his breath and returned to his place.

Anyway, isn’t it a competition where a conclusion must be reached?

The audience buzzed.

Is he supposed to be world-class? Why is he frozen?

Is it because he’s still young?

[Ladies and gentlemen, please remain silent for the progress of the competition.]

As the announcement was made in French and English, the supervisor also looked at the Korean athlete in lane 5 with a puzzled look.

That athlete hadn’t even taken six steps after the gun went off.

Jin-hyeok tapped the sole of his right foot on the starting block and scratched his neck.

‘It’s awkward.’

It’s good to save energy, but it feels like the attention is focused on a strange point.

He had just stopped quickly because the foul signal went off.

The better the performance of a car, the more important the brake performance is, isn’t it?

‘I don’t have hydraulics in my knees, you guys.’

Ignoring the supervisor’s glances, he took his position again.

[On your mark.]

Ziiiii-.

In the silence that returned, the speaker noise was heard like tinnitus.

[Get set.]

1 second.

Jin-hyeok, who counted exactly 1 second in his head, opened his eyes wide.

The gaze of 85,000 spectators piercing the back of his head was hotter than the morning sun.

The reason why the time it takes to blink feels so long is probably because everyone’s 1 second is combined.

[Bang!]

Whoaaaaa-!

Yeah, shout at the top of your lungs.

Only for me.

With one foul, someone might have warmed up, and someone else might have lost their breath and rhythm, but to Jin-hyeok, they were just competitors to be overtaken.

Whoooosh-!

Just as the battle of masters is decided in a single second, 0.1 seconds makes a huge difference.

What more is there to say if it’s the Olympics, the best stage?

Pooooooo-.

When approaching the finish line, he puts more strength into his rectus abdominis [abdominal muscles] and naturally relaxes his legs.

Since the top 3 in each group are given the right to advance to the quarter-finals, there is no reason to overexert himself by giving his all when the rankings have been decided.

‘Why don’t they do their best until the end?’ That’s the answer to what people who don’t know well are wondering about.

[Baaang-!]

Even if it’s just the preliminary round, I should still do a ceremony.

Because I’m first.

Will it go down in history as the first preliminary round ceremony at the Olympics? Who cares? I’m just excited.

An uppercut towards Yujin-!

Kyaaaaaaaa-!

Listening to his younger sibling’s roar like music, he checked the scoreboard.

「10.01s」

It was the best record among the five groups and 45 athletes who had competed in the preliminary rounds so far.

Sorry to Jin Seon-gyu, but Jin-hyeok got the historic record of being the first to pass the Olympic group preliminary round.

The title of the youngest participant went to an athlete from Fiji, but it doesn’t matter since being young doesn’t mean other athletes will give up their rankings.

[The results announcement is being delayed.]

Unlike the relaxed first-place finisher, the situation is different for the second-place group of athletes.

In the group preliminary round where the top 3 advance to the quarter-finals, three athletes, including 2nd and 4th place, came in tangled together.

The athletes who had given their all to follow the excessively leading first-place athlete were heaving their chests and staring at the scoreboard.

1. Son. KOR. 10.01s.

2. Aliu. NGR. 10.29s.

3. Diarra. MLI. 10.29s.

4. Chen. CHN. 10.32s.

5. Borrega. ESP. 10.47s.

···

Medvedev of Kazakhstan and Peters of the Virgin Islands, who finished 8th and 9th, smiled and patted Jin-hyeok’s shoulder.

The Japanese athlete who came in 6th left faster than anyone else.

Even the camera couldn’t capture when he returned to the waiting room.

The Nigerian and Malian athletes, who confirmed 2nd and 3rd place, clenched their fists, and the Chinese athlete squatted down, seemingly disappointed.

Jin-hyeok patted his shoulder.

“Chen, you know that four more people go up based on records, right? You’re likely to be the first in line.”

the order of priority, okay?

Looking at the records of the other groups, it was quite possible.

“Keoleo keoleo-.”

The Chinese athlete, leaving behind unintelligible words as he stood up, turned his body towards the waiting room.

‘What is he saying-?’

It sounded like he was saying my arms are thick?.

My arms are thick, though. Since I couldn’t understand, I interpreted it positively.

It’s the composure of the winner, the tolerance of the one who won.

Even if I didn’t tolerate it, there’s nothing else I could do.

‘My mood is fine, isn’t it?’

If I curse even in my mind, it might have a bad effect on my mentality.

Like a rude jerk······ or something.

‘Suddenly craving jajangmyeon [Korean-Chinese noodle dish].’

The most delicious jajangmyeon in the world that Park Jae-seung bought for me after my first track and field competition in the spring of thirteen.

‘It doesn’t taste the same now.’

Once to Yujin, and once looking at the camera that was following him.

Giving a thumbs up, Jin-hyeok also headed to the waiting room.

***

Yu Se-ra was doing calculations in her head.

Because she didn’t bring a calculator.

‘Not even for 20 million dollars.’

It’s just the preliminary round, so let’s put the record aside, look at that marketability.

Isn’t he a shining sun among world-class athletes?

He’s monopolizing the camera in a competition that’s being broadcast live around the world.

The fact that the camera briefly showed the first-place athletes from other groups and then withdrew, while following Jin-hyeok closely, also gave her confidence. Well, she had already been confident in his marketability for a while.

‘That rascal is getting more and more beautiful day by day.’

She had already had meetings with three sports apparel companies in the US.

They offered 20 million dollars for 3 years, but she postponed it until after the Olympics.

Not only that.

She also postponed meetings for advertising offers from domestic food companies such as snacks, ice cream, and ramen until after the Olympics.

Clothing brands, targeting his natural looks and body honed by exercise, were also lined up.

There was even a school uniform brand, I think. To try to exploit his student status like that. Businessmen, tsk tsk-.

‘It would have been a disaster if I had signed a contract right away.’

Something was dripping from the eyes of the mother and daughter sitting side by side.

Hearts from the daughter’s eyes, and money from the mother’s eyes.

“Mom?”

“Yes, honey-. Mom is excited too! He’s my athlete, that’s him!”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Huh? Why are you suddenly using formal language?”

Normally, it would be normal to ask what it is if it’s not that, but Yu Se-ra questioned it from an unexpected point.

“Can I not go to study abroad?”

Suddenly?

Yu Se-ra tilted her head and asked back silently.

It’s not just a regular middle school, but a private school attended by the children of wealthy and powerful figures.

It was a study abroad program decided for Hong Su-jeong’s future, and Hong Su-jeong had also secretly wanted it, so it was proceeding smoothly with the Olympic trip as an opportunity.

“I’ll listen to you from now on······.”

It’s not appropriate to have a serious conversation in a noisy place.

However, because her daughter’s expression was serious, Yu Se-ra couldn’t just brush it off.

She’s a mother.

In times like this, you have to be mature and serious and promise for the future.

Yu Se-ra is a smart mother, so she knows that too.

“We’ll see how you do.”

Is this the right way to do it?

That’s what other mothers do, they say.

Even as Yu Se-ra was acting high and mighty towards her daughter, the preliminary round of the next group was proceeding smoothly.

In group 6, Dennis Mitchell, who Jin-hyeok had told her to keep an eye on, crossed the finish line in first place.

What on earth do those Americans eat to run like that?

‘Still, that rascal doesn’t have as good a record as Jin-hyeok.’

Yu Se-ra, who had been immersed in track and field videos while preparing for her business for a long time. In her eyes, which had developed quite a bit of insight, she could see the gap between Jin-hyeok and the American athlete. Even if it was a preliminary round where they weren’t giving their all.

But the idea of adjusting speed because it’s the preliminary round still doesn’t make sense. Is that even possible?

They’re running so fast, is that possible?

It’s a speed that seems like they could be pushed back at any moment.

– “That’s also a kind of relative speed. Even in a fast-moving car, the person sitting inside feels like they’re stationary. The speed of light in a vacuum is defined as absolute speed.”

Son Jin-hyeok, who was supposed to be a science major, only explained with difficult words.

Anyway, what’s amazing is that they relax at the end, and even though the gap with the second place is clearly visible, it doesn’t differ by even 0.01 seconds.

“The human eye is amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yes······, yes, Mom!”

There were no athletes worth noting in group 7.

The first place in group 7 was 10.33, a record that was even behind the 10.32 of the Chinese athlete who finished 4th in group 5.

“Run! Run! Uzbekistan!”

“Uzbekiyaaaaaa-!”

Still, as fellow Asians, she and Son Yu-jin cheered for the Uzbek athlete, but he unfortunately finished 6th with 10.71.

– “It’s good to have a group with moderately good athletes. If your rivals are weak, you tend to become weak too. But if they’re too good, other athletes might overpace and get injured. Short distance is also about rhythm. You have to run according to your own rhythm, but if you try to catch up, your rhythm breaks, your breathing gets messed up, and you won’t get your usual results. That’s what I heard too. No one has ever run in front of me, so······.”

Yu Se-ra nodded, recalling what Son Jin-hyeok had said.

“Mom, where is Vincencia?”

“I don’t know······.”

It’s not a good look for a mother, but at times like this, she can only scratch her head.

Yu Se-ra is not the only one who realizes that there are so many countries on Earth only when the Olympics come around.

“I know. That country is in the Caribbean.”

“Wow-. Yujin is amazing. Right, Mom?”

“Um, I guess so.”

Why is she keep using formal language?

It’s burdensome.

When it was group 8’s turn, Son Yu-jin pointed at someone with her finger.

“Over there, over there! The Chilean!”

“Is that athlete Michael or Mike?”

“Yes, that’s right. He’s doing both the 100m and 200m like oppa. He became good friends with oppa, but he’s a quiet person. And he’s interested in the sneakers from Gwangyeon uncle’s company.”

Hong Su-jeong took this opportunity to speak at length. In formal language.

Ah, that kid is making it so burdensome.

Yu Se-ra turned her head to her daughter, whom she no longer needed to look down at.

“Su-jeong, do you suddenly not want to study abroad?”

“Yes! I can study hard in Korea too.”

Even as she said that, Hong Su-jeong’s eyes scanned the stadium.

She must be looking for the oppa who’s already left and can’t be seen.

“Hmm-. Okay.”

“Wow! Really?”

“We’ll see how you do. We’ll talk about the details later.”

Studying abroad isn’t important right now.

[Baaang-!]