The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 28

When his mother heard that the children had been cursed at and hit, her hand holding the spoon trembled. His father’s face also hardened menacingly. His eyes were more intense than the day Hong Ki-jun had first come to their house.

‘I wrote down the car number.’

Son Gwang-yeon, having received the note, went to the phone and sat down calmly.

Jinhyuk perked up his ears as his father started making calls here and there.

He was curious about where and to whom he was calling.

‘Is that Chief of Police, Kang? This is Son Gwang-yeon. Recently, in our neighborhood-.’

Chief of Police, that’s right. He’ll be helpful. The voice of the police chief on the other end of the line was full of excitement. He seemed quite pleased. But his name is unique. Does it mean he’s available?

‘Oh, Ki-jun? How are your wife and Su-jeong doing? Yes, yes. Nothing much going on? Lately, I’ve been-.’

Jinhyuk didn’t know why he was calling Hong Ki-jun, but there was no better person to vent to than a friend when you were feeling upset.

‘Is that Assemblyman Song Tae-geun’s residence? Ah, Assemblyman. This is Son Gwang-yeon.’

If you’re a member of the National Assembly, you must have a lot of connections.

As his father’s calls grew longer, Jinhyuk’s curiosity grew, and his mother’s expression returned to calm.

‘But why is he calling the county governor and the head of the agricultural cooperative?’

He heard who his father was calling, but he didn’t hear the details of the conversations. That was his father’s style of calling. When greeting, he was loud and lively, but when it came to business, he was calm and quiet. His father was a person who never got excited, except when catching mudfish and sparrows.

‘Hello, Commander.’

Huh?

Is he even going to mobilize the military?

His father is a strange person.

When did he build up such connections?

Watching his father’s expression gradually brighten, Jinhyuk thought that the fat man might soon be on the wanted list.

He clenched his fist tightly under the table. It was clenched so tightly it felt like it would break. He hadn’t lifted the fat man during the day, but it felt like he could lift him easily.

He had been so careful not to use his strength, even avoiding arm wrestling with his friends. Was that why he didn’t realize how strong he was? He should have been suspicious when he lifted a millstone without any effort and pulled out a whole kudzu root at the age of nine. But he just took it for granted.

‘I’m so dense. I need to practice controlling my strength.’

Creak-.

There was no friction in his joints, but a strange sound came from his fist.

***

Son Gwang-yeon ended up behind the wheel.

It was the day he was going to Tae Yang Elementary School for relay practice.

‘Dad, I can take the bus by myself.’

‘It’s okay. It’s more comfortable and faster than the bus when you ride in Dad’s car.’

That was true.

The speed and comfort of a car driving on a paved road were incomparable to a bus. Moreover, his father’s car was top-of-the-line.

‘I’m living the high life thanks to my dad.’

Even if it was something he was entitled to by blood, he had to be grateful. He didn’t take it for granted because he had lost it once.

A bright smile appeared on Jinhyuk’s face as he reached his arm out of the car window to grab the air.

‘If I cup my hand like a bowl and feel the air resistance in a car going 80 kilometers per hour, like when scooping water.’

Choi Mi-kyung, a married woman from Seoul, had told him that.

She said it felt similar to touching a B-cup boob.

Come to think of it, why did she tell him that?

Was it consideration for a lonely guy, to give him a virtual experience?

‘What is this…’

Jinhyuk’s face, which had been smiling brightly, contorted like a fool.

It was because he couldn’t tell if this feeling was the same as that feeling, even when he did as he was told.

He should have touched one sometime…

*

When the luxury car entered the schoolyard, Kim Young-tae and the children’s eyes widened. They had never dreamed that a kid attending a rural school would come in such a car.

‘Did you bring your spikes? What about your gym clothes? Do you have bus fare? Buy a hot dog and have some tteokbokki [spicy rice cakes] with your friends.’

He was more like a mother than a father.

Son Gwang-yeon ended up stuffing four ten-thousand won bills into Jinhyuk’s pocket before turning the car around. Did he mean for him to eat ten thousand won worth of tteokbokki per person?

‘What is my dad’s sense of economics…’

One serving of 500 won would satisfy even the big eater Son Jinhyuk, and 1,000 won would fill him up. A king-sized hot dog was 100 won.

Still, Jinhyuk’s lips curled up in a smile.

‘I’m genuinely moved to tears.’

Hasn’t life changed too much?

This was how life should have been. It wasn’t Jinhyuk who changed it. It had just returned to its rightful place.

Thinking that, Jinhyuk waved to his new friends.

It still felt a little strange to call them friends.

Teacher Kim Young-tae greeted Jinhyuk.

‘Jinhyuk, did you bring your spikes?’

‘Yes.’

The track spikes felt unfamiliar yet familiar. He felt the fit of rock climbing shoes or soccer cleats on the ball of his foot. They were cheap shoes, but they held his feet securely, so he quickly got used to them.

‘I end up walking only on the front of my feet.’

Whether playing soccer or running, Jinhyuk always ran on the front of his feet. The fact that his heels never touched the ground was because he knew that running that way could explosively increase his speed, even though no one had taught him.

‘You don’t just hand over the baton! You push it into the next runner’s hand like this!’

Kim Young-tae demonstrated, raising his voice.

As a track coach, he was more motivated than ever. It was all because of Son Jinhyuk. In short-distance running, one second makes a huge difference in distance. But Jinhyuk was more than one second faster than the other kids. Park Ji-beom, who had been the fastest until Jinhyuk appeared, was only about one second behind.

‘If we do well in the relay, we might even be able to place.’

Even a 2 or 3 second difference could be overcome in elementary school relays if the baton exchange was smooth. Kim Young-tae’s eyes lit up as he looked at Son Jinhyuk, who had changed into the blue Tae Yang team uniform.

His height was 165 centimeters.

Among the 6th grade ssireum [Korean wrestling] wrestlers, there were some students who were over 180, but it was rare to see such a tall kid among the track runners. Moreover, as far as Kim Young-tae knew, Jinhyuk had not trained professionally. He could only admire his natural physique.

‘Did he build his body in America?’

The deltoids that reminded him of Carl Lewis seemed to be shouting that he was a man born for short-distance running, and his split thighs reminded him of a wild horse. He was reminded of Jang Jae-geun’s thighs, who had won a gold medal in the 200 meters at the Asian Games.

‘Jinhyuk, do you do any weight training?’

‘No.’

I only do things like running, pull-ups, and sit-ups. I also do push-ups.

It was best not to do weight training during the growth period. Jinhyuk had studied various books and videos while exercising alone before, so he was aware of this.

‘I hope I’m taller than I was in my past life.’

In the past, Jinhyuk’s height was well above average. He thought that if he had eaten well when he was growing, he would have been taller. Looking at his parents, who were tall for people of their time.

‘Okay, don’t do weights, just do exercises that use your own body weight. Got it?’

‘Yes.’

It was Kim Young-tae’s affectionate advice.

Korea, a wasteland for basic physical education. If he could properly utilize his explosive start and tireless sprint at the end, he thought that it might be possible for him to become the 100-meter representative for Chungcheongnam-do [South Chungcheong Province]. Of course, that was assuming he could also achieve good records on a synthetic track.

Anyway.

While talking with Kim Young-tae, Jinhyuk brought up a long-standing question.

‘Why do physical education teachers wear those tight-fitting tracksuits?’

It was a question that had never been answered, then or now.

It was understandable that they wore athletic clothes since they were physical education teachers, but why did they wear such tight pants? Did they know that it made it difficult for female students, who were at a sensitive age, to know where to look during physical education class?

‘They probably do it on purpose. Those perverts.’

Who could stop a Korean man’s pride in his ‘package’? Even Jinhyuk had been proud of himself every time he went to a public bath in his previous life. Even though no one was looking. And even though he wasn’t using it.

When his thoughts reached that point, he suddenly sighed.

‘I lived a wasted life.’

***

Hong Ki-jun received an unexpected call while working.

‘Oh, yeah. Gwang-yeon! What’s up, at this hour?’

Hong Ki-jun realized that his voice was too loud. That was how happy he was to receive an unexpected call from his friend. They were friends who found it difficult to talk during the day, respecting each other’s work hours. It was a strange thing. He raised his hand to his colleagues as an apology and turned around.

His friend was making a fuss on the other end of the line.

– Hahaha! My son, you know-.

Hong Ki-jun sighed through his nose, closed his eyes, and entered listening mode.

It was hard to live without a son. Every time he called, it was to brag about his son.

‘Oh, really? He’s going to a track meet? There’s nothing he can’t do? He’s good at fighting too-.’

– Fighting? What are you talking about? Who would my son fight?

‘Ahaha, I misspoke. I was thinking about him playing with the Silkie chickens.’

Hong Ki-jun took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead.

Maybe it was because he was in a sunny office, but he felt sweaty for no reason.

He nodded to the employee who brought him coffee and continued the call.

‘So, what do you get if you win at the provincial competition?’

– Win? What are you talking about… It’s meaningful just to represent the region. Actually, I’m worried he might get hurt. If he competes among such strong athletes, he’ll feel like he’s hit a wall. Didn’t we experience that too?

Hong Ki-jun nodded. He was reminded of his college days with Son Gwang-yeon.

They lived in an era where getting into college itself meant success, but the title of the best university in the country didn’t give them the luxury of enjoying the romance of campus life. Thanks to his friend, who was always with him, Hong Ki-jun also devoted himself to his studies.

Thanks to that, he was introduced to Yoo Se-ra, so looking back now, it was the best thing he ever did.

‘Gwang-yeon was even more focused on his studies to get a scholarship.’

Son Gwang-yeon was upset that someone wouldn’t get a scholarship because of him. Even though he was the one who was in the most difficult situation.

Thinking about that, he thought that his friend, who had settled down and was living in the countryside, might have finally found peace. It was a fortunate feeling.

– But you know, the coach says he has a record that could win, but what do I know? Just in case, you know… uh-huh.

‘You still can’t ask for favors, can you? You can ask me. You’re asking how to help him if he wants to keep doing track, right?’

Son Gwang-yeon’s voice on the other end of the line calmed down.

– You’re the only friend I have.

‘You’re stating the obvious. I’ll look into it, so you just raise him well. Let’s see each other when the kids are on vacation.’

– Okay, thanks. Get back to work.

‘You too, take ca-.’

-Click.

‘Ha, that bastard…’

Hong Ki-jun had never been the one to hang up first.

He vowed to strike first next time and gestured to the new employee he could see outside the door.

‘Mr. Min Yong-rak?’

‘Yes! Manager!’

‘Is the thing I asked for the other day ready?’

‘You mean the report on the Korean academy sports system?’

Hong Ki-jun grinned.

He had brought in someone who had been rejected in the HR document review just by looking at their name, but their personality was cool and their work ethic was considerable.

‘They rejected him because he was exempt from military service…’

Hong Ki-jun shook his head.

He resolved to replace all those who abused their small amount of power soon.

Min Yong-rak immediately took the report from the bookshelf.

Manager Hong Ki-jun was a strange person.

He had heard that he had become a manager not long after joining as a section chief. There were also rumors that he would be promoted to president without going through the position of managing director.

‘He’s the chairman’s son-in-law, so it’s possible.’

Everyone else used titles like ‘Mr. Min’ and ‘Ms. Lee,’ but Manager Hong Ki-jun called them by their first names in a friendly way. Was it because he was young? It didn’t sound bad.

Employee Min Yong-rak brought a stack of documents covered with a yellow file cover.

‘Here it is!’

‘Okay, thanks-.’

The corners of Hong Ki-jun’s mouth turned up as he opened the documents.

It looked like the smile of someone who had been waiting for the right time.

‘Whatever you do, I’ll help you.’

Properly.

Live happily doing what you want to do.

‘The crow-tit doesn’t criticize the stork.’

They just don’t understand.

It was time to start moving.