The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 279

The main auditorium of the Se-in Training Center.

The Saturday night was buzzing with the energy of over 300 people, adults and children alike.

Residents of this neighborhood, people from neighboring towns, college students like Choi Tae-yang who were home for the break, Jin-hyuk’s friends like Choi Mi-kyung and Jo Seul-chan, and company employees who came to support the boss’s son were all gathered in one place.

It was also a prime opportunity for the county governor, members of the National Assembly, county council members, and their aides to make an impression on Yoo Myung-sun. Add to that Son Yu-jin’s school friends and their parents, and it was a true festival.

“Uncle, Mom says it’s hard for you to carry Jung-won, so she told me to give him to you.”

“No, it’s okay.”

Kim Eung-nyeo’s family was also there.

In the noisy auditorium, Han Yu-young sat close to Kim Eung-nyeo, chatting non-stop. They talked on the phone every day, but women always said they’d save the details for when they met. They talked for so long on the phone that you’d think there’d be nothing left to say, but strangely, they really did talk in detail when they met.

‘Our Jagi [term of endearment, like ‘honey’ or ‘sweetheart’] was just a normal woman. She changes completely when she’s with her sister.’

My jaw hurts.

Son Gwang-yeon, who had turned away Hwang Ga-young who was trying to take Jung-won, looked at the lively auditorium and was overcome with uncontrollable tension and pressure.

‘All these people came to cheer for our son? Ugh, I feel like something’s going to come up my throat.’

Thinking that countless other people were cheering him on from unseen places made him feel nauseous, like he had seasickness.

Initially, they had opened the small auditorium that could accommodate about 200 people, but the heat was too much even with the air conditioning, so Yoo Myung-sun ordered the opening of the main auditorium that could accommodate 500 people.

Yoo Myung-sun, with his hands behind his back, approached Son Gwang-yeon, who was pacing while holding Jung-won. He had just finished greeting the politicians who had come all the way here.

“I didn’t expect so many people to come. Haha.”

“Ahaha, it’s so immersive when you watch it on a big screen.”

Wouldn’t it feel like this if you watched the Olympics on a movie theater screen?

The thrill of a vivid, live experience.

Jo Il-heon, who was watching the quarter-finals, had poured makgeolli [Korean rice wine] on his head while cheering, earning a scolding from Kwak Hyang-rim.

“Is it Saturday morning where Jin-hyuk is now?”

“Yes. The final is tomorrow morning, Korean time.”

“We’ll have to keep it open all night then.”

“We are so grateful for your kindness, sir.”

“Kindness, what kindness. Ah-!”

Yoo Myung-sun shook his head with a smile, then widened his eyes as if something had occurred to him. He was touching Son Jung-won’s cheek as the child played with his finger in Son Gwang-yeon’s arms.

“Anyone can give. Especially someone like a CEO, there are many things they can give.”

“Aha! If we make it to the finals, we should have Monday off.”

“Hehehe, the employees will be very happy.”

Son Gwang-yeon was quick to understand just by looking at his eyes, and he understood easily even with a hint, so it was fun to teach him. Yoo Myung-sun headed to his seat with a satisfied expression. Next to Chun Gil-ryong, who was yawning after filling his stomach with makgeolli.

Even after talking with Yoo Myung-sun, Son Gwang-yeon couldn’t sit down and walked around the side of the auditorium with his youngest son in his arms.

He was briefly startled by the evening news that there had been a report of an explosive device found in Atlanta. He was relieved to hear that it was just a simple incident, but another tension rose.

‘The Olympics.’

The more he thought about it, the more unreal it felt.

It felt even more like a dream than the fact that Son Gwang-yeon, who was supposed to live as a farmer, had built a business and become a local figure with the help of his friends and son.

Jo Il-heon, already drunk, tempted Son Gwang-yeon.

“Gwang-yeon, if you’re nervous, have a drink of makgeolli here.”

“Don’t talk nonsense and stop drinking, you rascal. Your face looks like a clown, you rascal.”

Choi Jang-hwan, who was eating gravel-flavored snacks next to Jo Il-heon, scolded him.

“Why are you always like this to me? I’m married now and a respectable—what do you call it—the head of a household. I’m an adult, you know?”

Head of a household, I guess. Son Gwang-yeon’s tension cautiously eased at the two older brothers’ farce.

“Talking like an adult. A clown would laugh at you.”

Good people.

Whenever there was a sad or overwhelming event, they would always come running and bring laughter. They said that even if the world ended, there was no law that said you had to die, and that laughing was the best.

The children would grow up and leave their parents’ arms and their hometown, but Son Gwang-yeon felt like he would never be able to leave this place.

“Nyah-nyah, just one drink.”

It was when Son Gwang-yeon was hesitantly about to receive the makgeolli bowl.

“Uh-uh! No!”

Son Jung-won firmly expressed his refusal on behalf of his father.

Son Gwang-yeon, who had turned down Jo Il-heon’s offer, coaxed his youngest son.

“Uh-huh, Jung-won. You should say, ‘No, you can’t.’”

“No, you can’t!”

Ah, Jung-won. You should leave out the ‘you should say’ part.

The firstborn was already grown up and making his own living, but when would the youngest, who was now 36 months old, become a proper person? That’s why he couldn’t rest easy and couldn’t grow old naturally like others. Because of responsibility.

Thump-.

The speakers, which had been turned off for a while to keep the residents entertained, were turned on, and the noisy auditorium became quiet in an instant.

[This is truly a historic moment. Now! Our athletes, please do your best and have no regrets…]

The public broadcast screen was projected onto the auditorium screen, and the caster’s voice captivated everyone’s attention.

It was unusual to have such a long commentary on a track and field event. Everyone knew the reason why.

[…Now, what do you think, Mr. Lee?]

[Well, Jin Sun-kyu needs to learn Frank Fredericks’ long stride. It’s not that our athletes’ legs are short, it’s that they look short because they’re thick. But our athletes lack confidence, so they have a narrow stride. When I was training, I used to tie my legs with ropes and get beaten…]

[Now! The semi-final A group! The athletes are entering!]

Just in time, the caster cut off the commentator’s self-absorbed explanation.

*

Wow-! Clapping-!

When Jin Sun-kyu filled the screen as it was his turn to be introduced, the auditorium erupted with generous encouragement.

[Bang!]

[They’re off!]

[Jin Sun-kyu! Jin Sun-kyu! He’s fast! Fredericks! Marsh! Jin Sun-kyu!]

[More! More! More! One-two! One-two! You have to run!]

[Bang-!]

[Yaaah-! Amazing!]

[Jin Sun-kyu! He’s making history in Korean track and field! The first Korean to advance to the Olympic finals! Jin Sun-kyu in the men’s 100 meters!]

Wow-! Clapping-.

The people filling the auditorium cheered as if it were their own accomplishment.

Choi Mi-kyung and Kim Eun-jung hugged each other and wept, overcome with emotion.

Was it the power of sports, or the power of the fence that was tied together by the name of the nation? The sight of residents, company employees, parents, local politicians, and people who had never met before embracing each other didn’t seem awkward at all.

The screen, which took up a huge part of one wall, was filled with a close-up of Jin Sun-kyu’s Taegeuk-patterned [Korean flag pattern] feet.

‘Huh?’

Son Gwang-yeon’s eyes narrowed as he saw Jin Sun-kyu’s red spikes.

But the screen quickly switched, and it moved to the preparation screen for semi-final B group. The race that his son Jin-hyuk was participating in.

[Oppa-!]

[Oppa-!]

[Oppa, run!]

Wahaha-!

A burst of laughter erupted at the sound of Koreans cheering that suddenly spread through the speakers.

They said they would watch from a good spot, but it must have been near the camera. Son Gwang-yeon couldn’t laugh even when he made eye contact with Yoo Myung-sun, who was laughing heartily.

‘I’m so nervous.’

Wouldn’t it be less nerve-wracking to run there himself?

[What do you think of this race?]

[Yes, well, I think this athlete will dominate the world of track and field for the next twenty years. Isn’t it a talent given by heaven? Since he’s still young, I think it would be good for him to use this competition as a good experience. That’s how I see it.]

[Is that so? Twenty years means he could participate in five more Olympics?]

[Linford Christie is old enough to be called a grandpa sprinter, isn’t he? He’s twice as old as Son Jin-hyuk. If medical technology develops in the future, and if advanced training methods are introduced, I think it’s definitely possible. Because of this athlete’s influence, many young track and field hopefuls…]

[Yes! We’ll hear your opinion later!]

The caster cut him off firmly, and at that moment, the athletes on the screen put their knees on the ground and bowed their heads. Like knights fighting against the devil, it was even a sacred sight at first glance.

[Get set.]

The commands were not clearly audible to those watching on TV.

It must be because there was no separate audio equipment connected to the broadcast camera.

What is our son, who has his butt up high, thinking right now?

When he was eight years old, he wouldn’t leave his mother’s side, and he even fell and cried during the sports day race. The teacher gave him a pencil to stop him from crying.

Ah, the homeroom teacher at the time must have been Park Jae-seung, who is now the track and field coach at Eo-dong Elementary School. If Mr. Park Jae-seung hadn’t comforted Jin-hyuk back then, would he have been able to continue running like he is now?

Perhaps a small amount of attention and affection from an adult can affect a child’s personality and life. Yu-jin also learned to read on her own by reading books in the study with her mother and father.

The flood of thoughts scattered with a single gunshot.

[Bang!]

Run, run!

Jin-hyuk!

Go!

Let’s go!

Not only his family, but also Yoo Myung-sun and Chun Gil-ryong, children from other neighborhoods they didn’t know, and the General Family employees all stood up and shouted at once, as if they didn’t care about the broadcasting cameras that were filming them.

Just like when they were cheering for the relay race at a sports day.

[Yes, the B group athletes are indeed more skilled than the A group. Our Son Jin-hyuk, do your best…]

[He’s fast! He’s fast! Boldon is in the lead! Mitchell from the US! Christie from the UK! Son Jin-hyuk from Korea! Ezinwa from Nigeria!]

[Aaaah-! No!]

[Aaaah-! They’re tangled!]

The caster’s mouth, faster than the athletes’ feet, frantically reported the live situation.

5th place is not okay! Before Son Gwang-yeon could even pull his hair out, the game was over.

[Bang-!]

Ah, what happened?

What is it?

Murmuring-.

The people filling the auditorium couldn’t sit down and put their hands together as if praying.

The caster and commentator also had their lips sealed for a moment.

If it weren’t for the cheers from the stadium coming through the speakers, only silence would have filled the auditorium.

[…Ah, this… I think we need to wait for the results.]

[They’re not showing the results right away, right? So that means, they don’t know either? It seems like they’re judging. In order for our Son Jin-hyuk to advance to the finals…]

[Yes! Let’s watch it in slow motion!]

The screen was replaying the video of the second-place group of athletes crossing the finish line in slow motion.

Ato Boldon finished with a considerable lead over the second-place group. The record was a whopping 9.93. It was a result that overcame the pressure of the Olympics.

‘Please, please.’

Has there ever been a time when he was this desperate?

The moment was more nerve-wracking and frightening than when he was cheering for Jin Sun-kyu.

The slow-motion video identified the second-place athlete.

[Yes, Dennis Mitchell from the US is in second place.]

It was tricky from 3rd to 5th place.

[From Christie to our Son Jin-hyuk, and the Nigerian athlete, they’re all very close, like their nipples are touching?]

Even with the commentator’s jokes, the caster and the cheering crowd couldn’t laugh.

Our son’s chest is big! Son Gwang-yeon was burning with a strange competitive spirit.

[Yes! The results are finally out!]

The crowd filling the auditorium immediately focused on the screen.

Click, click-.

The ranking table, which was turning one line at a time like an airport flight schedule board, was fixed from 1st place.

Click, click, click-.

The Taegeukgi [Korean flag].

The symbol that struck the brain more intuitively than numbers or alphabets finally appeared on the fourth line.

Yaaah-!

Cheers-!

The auditorium was once again in an uproar.

***

Semi. B.

1. Boldon. TRI. 9.93s

2. Mitchell. USA. 10.00s

3. Christie. GBR. 10.03s

4. Son. KOR. 10.03s

5. Ezinwa. NGR. 10.04s

6. Green. JAM. 10.11s

7. Surin. CAN. 10.13s

8. Drummond. USA. 10.16s

He barely marked 4th place.

He had tried to run leisurely behind Linford Christie, even delaying his start, but the pursuit of Nigeria’s Ezinwa was not easy. Thinking that he would be eliminated, he tried to overtake at the last minute and crossed the finish line at the same time as Linford, and Linford’s chest, which had quickly leaned forward, crossed the line first. A difference of 1/1000th of a second.

Ezinwa was eliminated from the semi-finals despite having the 7th best overall record.

Jin Sun-kyu advanced to the finals with the 9th best overall record.

The athletes are upset about 1/100th of a second, but for those watching, it’s just one of the fun parts of the tournament.

Jin-hyuk hugged Ezinwa, who was covering his face, tightly and patted him on the back.

Ezinwa also put his arm around Jin-hyuk’s shoulder.

“Davidson, let’s meet at the World Championships next year.”

“Thank you, friend.”

Still, there are hardly any athletes who cry after finishing a sprint.

Most of them have bright smiles because the relief of finishing the race safely is greater.

He approached Jonathan Drummond, who was shaking his head, and lightly patted him on the shoulder. True to his nickname of a clown, he smiled brightly, but Jonathan’s eyes were full of regret.

“John.”

“Son.”

A moment when there was no need to offer any awkward comfort, and when you shouldn’t.

At times like this, simply calling their name to acknowledge that they are together in this space is the best comfort.

“Fucking Kyu.”

Fucking, fucking-.

Ah, it seems like Jonathan isn’t just disappointed.

Still, there’s no reason to curse at Jin Sun-kyu when he was eliminated by his own feet in last place, right?

“When I go into the waiting room, Kyu, that idiot, will make fun of me like crazy, right? Haha, it’s so annoying.”

Close friends who call each other idiots, even though they have different nationalities and skin colors.

Well, Jonathan seems to be doing okay without any major internal injuries.

***

On the same day, early afternoon.

Inside a building that looked like a factory on the outskirts of Atlanta.

The bomb disposal squad members who had been dispatched after receiving a report were transporting a suspicious Boston bag to the disposal site.

An expert in protective gear operated the matte black panel several times and shouted.

“Clear! Opening it!”

The reaction of the explosive detection dog at the scene was exactly as per the manual when an explosive was found, such as drooling and trying to bite it.

But.

“What the…?”

“This is a fucking hell hot dog!”

A hot dog that had frozen solid, like a display model for attracting customers, appeared with a flourish.

“Is this, by any chance, Coke?”

The bubbles and foam that couldn’t escape because they froze so quickly.

Judging by the color and the frozen shape, it was definitely cola.

“It’s fucking hard!”

“And it’s sweet. Slurp, slurp-.”

After taking the time to taste the disassembled ice, it was definitely cola.

“This absolutely looks like a bomb…”

“Holy shit! It completely changed the inside.”

“Oh, my god. Does pouring Coke neutralize a bomb?”

“It’s an absurd assumption, but it seems like the carbonation’s freezing action is causing an unexpected crushing effect.”

“If that’s true, it’s a new discovery.”

“Genius! Whoever it is, they’re a true power user!”

“From now on, is Coke going to be at the forefront of the war on terror?”

“As expected of Georgia! The home of Coke!”

Are these guys… okay to leave like this?

Worthless things. They’re having fun.

Doogu Elil, who was hiding in the shadows of the ceiling corner at Son Yu-jin’s request and observing the scene, shook his head and faded away.

***

Men 100m Athletics XXVI Olympic Atlanta, United States 1996.

Saturday, 27th July.

Final.

L1. Michael Marsh. United States.

L2. Linford Christie. Great Britain.

L3. Ato Boldon. Trinidad Tobago.

L4. Dennis Mitchell. United States.

L5. Frank Fredericks. Namibia.

L6. Donovan Bailey. Canada.

L7. Jinhyeok Son. Korea.

L8. Sunkyu Jin. Korea.

The final 8 have finally been decided.

The final race of the men’s 100m will take place in the evening.

The end of the race that started with 106 participants from 75 countries, excluding 2 who did not participate due to their own circumstances.

“Ugh, I’m so nervous, it’s no joke.”

Jin Sun-kyu, who still couldn’t believe he had made it to the finals, was fidgeting, saying that the tension and excitement were different from other races.

Even now, he was still shaking his legs in the van heading to the mansion.

‘This is a big problem.’

Knowing his personality and the weight of the competition, it was understandable.

The most primal and psychologically burdensome race.

It’s just a 100m race, but no athlete runs only that one race. It’s the same for any sport, but they build their bodies, modify their routines, and manage their condition for this day over several years, so the sprint is no different from a marathon.

Moreover, the mental pressure is more severe than in any other sport because the outcome is decided in an instant.

But he couldn’t let him collapse like this.

‘I need to use my hands when I get home.’

He was a senior who required a lot of attention.

But since he got results as much as he put his hands on him, he couldn’t call him a burden.

Rather than a burden…

Yeah, like a chicken Johnson that takes a lot of effort to prepare but tastes good.

If it weren’t for Chicken Johnson, the current Son Jin-hyuk, who plays with the start, might not have existed. Thank you, Chicken Johnson.

Jin-hyuk, who was looking at the exotic buildings passing by outside the window, unknowingly stretched his neck like a rooster.

“Chicken John-son-kyu.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Wow, it seems like my teasing skills are leveling up day by day.

“You, you little…”

Still, seeing him stop shaking his legs and glare at him, it seemed like Jin Sun-kyu’s tension had eased a lot.

“Still, I’m your older brother, so don’t do that too much. I was also…”

Ah, this senior. He was just being cheeky to John in the waiting room earlier and got cursed at.

Even the freedom clown Jonathan started talking about age when he got angry.

Ahem-.

He said that he needs to loosen his vocal cords because he’s still growing. Jin-hyuk, who was babbling, turned away from his senior’s gaze and sat close to the door.

I should just stay still.