The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 280

Having completed their final training and recovery sessions at the mansion, Jin-hyuk and Jin Sun-kyu rested in their rooms.

While their preparations for the competition were flawless, the fact that they had separate accommodations was the biggest advantage. Being free from the unnecessary noise and friction of the athlete’s village, which was crowded with other athletes, allowed them to truly relax.

They weren’t just idly resting. They also used this time to check if any studs were broken or needed replacing, and to inspect their spikes for any issues.

“Sunbae [senior], wear my spikes. They were custom-made for my feet, so they haven’t stretched much.”

“Then I’d feel bad. You should wear them.”

“You said you liked these shoes, right? But yours are torn, so you can’t wear them. Please, just do as I say.”

Jin-hyuk, offering his spikes, almost begged, but Jin Sun-kyu couldn’t bring himself to accept them. Unable to think of a suitable refusal, he sat on the sofa, massaging his tired feet.

After the semi-finals, Jin Sun-kyu’s ‘Taegeuk King Foot’ [Taegeuk refers to the Korean flag] had reverted to just a ‘King Foot.’

His ridiculously large foot had ultimately torn through the spikes.

The material itself was highly elastic, so there was no problem with the upper part covering the instep. However, the area where it was attached to the sole had come apart. It was the part that bent the most when he crouched down after the race.

‘I should just lie down from now on, for the sake of my shoes,’ Jin Sun-kyu thought, his lips moving slightly. Jin-hyuk, seeing this, pushed his shoes forward, urging him.

“You know, right? I set the Korean record even without these shoes.”

So, please, stop frowning like that.

Jin Sun-kyu shook his head with a serious expression.

“It’s the finals, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I have many more chances. But-.”

How many more chances do you have?

Jin-hyuk swallowed his words.

Hmm-.

Jin Sun-kyu’s brow furrowed deeply, and a long, thin breath escaped from his nose.

Chance.

Jin Sun-kyu might have at least one, maybe two more chances at the Olympics.

He would be thirty-one, thirty-five years old then.

He, Jin-hyuk, and the coaching staff all knew.

That Jin Sun-kyu’s prime was right now.

Seeing his hesitation, Jin-hyuk drove the point home.

“I can compete four or five more times.”

“You little… I can’t refuse since everything you’ve said has turned out well. I’m sorry. As your sunbae, I’m just relying on you.”

Jin Sun-kyu respectfully accepted the spikes with both hands.

“One race left.”

Jin-hyuk, trying to distract his rapidly shrinking sunbae, sat opposite him, changing the subject.

Jin Sun-kyu performed best when he was excited, so he couldn’t let him run while feeling so down. It wasn’t like he did that risky tightrope walk in the semi-finals just to see him look deflated.

“Hoo-, I never expected to run this much after coming to Atlanta…”

“Can you keep up with me?”

Jin-hyuk changed the subject again.

He was worried about Jin Sun-kyu’s sentimental mood.

That cocky little brat.

Jin Sun-kyu couldn’t even bring himself to scold him in his mind.

He gave him shoes, corrected his posture, took care of his nutrition and training.

And he was a master who played with 1/100th of a second, so it would be foolish to argue.

No, at this point, wouldn’t he be considered the absolute ruler of the track?

Jin Sun-kyu knew that Jin-hyuk was conserving his strength.

Fredericks and Ato Boldon had both given their all to warm up before the finals.

Just by observing their breathing after the race, you could tell if an athlete had given their all or conserved energy for the next race. That was why the records kept improving as they progressed through the group stage, quarter-finals, and semi-finals. It was an almost superhuman ability to adjust their performance to match the level of their competitors in the next round.

‘Have I reached that level too?’

You see as much as you know.

In the world of track and field, athletes who set world records were revered as having entered the realm of time and speed.

The level where those who run as if all things have stopped have reached.

Once Jin-hyuk developed the ability to observe the condition of foreign athletes and gauge their skills, his true abilities began to show.

During domestic competitions, it was thought that his explosive power came solely from his height and strength.

However, in the semi-finals, Jin-hyuk started late and still managed to overtake the American crazy Jonathan, the Canadian weasel Surin, and the Jamaican Michael Green in an instant. It felt like he could have passed Christie but deliberately held back.

‘It’s like when adults play with kids.’

You guys are no match for me.

Jin-hyuk’s race management, which seemed to say just that, had raised uncomfortable questions for Jin Sun-kyu.

Jin-hyuk was now indirectly providing the answer to those questions.

Hey, I’m planning to run even faster than I have so far, can you keep up?

“I’ll chase you with all my might. Like you said, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, no, a never-again opportunity.”

Jin Sun-kyu’s eyes shone too brightly.

This kind of seriousness didn’t suit this sunbae.

Jin-hyuk straightened up and loosened his jaw, loading his rapid-fire speech.

Chuk-keo-deok-.

“We’ll take a nap for an hour and a half, then wake up, warm up, eat, and go to the stadium for another warm-up. If you can’t sleep, just lie down with your eyes closed. Don’t cross your legs. And don’t lie on your side either. And don’t sleep on your stomach…”

The pillow supporting your head should be a neck pillow, the soft pillow should be placed under your knees, and your feet shouldn’t be higher than your heart-.

Blah blah- nag nag- tu-ta-ta-ta-!

It must be just his imagination that his body felt like it was being forced to lie down with every nagging word.

Using the long stream of nagging as a lullaby, Jin Sun-kyu lay down and closed his eyes as Jin-hyuk instructed. With his hands clasped over his stomach like a Dracula in a coffin.

‘He just can’t stand seeing me excited.’

His abilities and mentality are not human.

How cold-blooded must he be to even think about matching Linford’s speed at the finish line?

Jin Sun-kyu, who was still full of questions and couldn’t believe he had made it to the finals, was too excited to fall asleep even with his eyes closed.

Sensing that Jin Sun-kyu’s breathing was uneven, Jin-hyuk gestured towards the door.

Silently-.

Yu-jin, who had been peeking through the crack in the door, entered like a stealthy cat. She gently placed her hand on Jin Sun-kyu’s forehead.

“Tan dog.”

Kaaa-.

“Yu-jin, can you check if this uncle is hurting anywhere?”

“Yes-, ehehe-.”

Jin Sun-kyu would be competing in the finals at 100%.

His shoe condition was also close to 100%.

Jin Sun-kyu had set his personal best in the group stage, and his spikes were almost new then.

It seemed he had gotten the hang of taking care of his high-maintenance sunbae.

‘There’s still work to do.’

Jin-hyuk rummaged through his bag and took out a thick, heavy object, shaking it up and down.

Click-click-click-.

‘Where should I use this?’

Hehe-.

Should I try to get into the mood of a school trip?

***

Da-da-da-dak-.

Among the athletes moving their feet quickly, Jin-hyuk and Jin Sun-kyu warmed up in their own ways.

Lightly-lightly-.

Before the final race, they hopped lightly on the track like kangaroos.

Properly sculpted muscles were more kangaroo-like than a kangaroo.

One-two- jump-, one-two- jump-.

A movement where they take two big steps and then jump off the ground with one foot. At this time, the other leg is raised as high as possible.

A warm-up exercise that allows you to feel like you’re floating in the air for a moment.

‘I didn’t realize it before, but the mass-produced shoes don’t have enough pressure on the instep.’

The spikes my dad made held my instep well even without laces. What a shame.

It was annoying, but he had no choice but to adapt.

Jin-hyuk rummaged through his bag and took out the soccer shoe laces he had brought as a backup. He wrapped the soccer shoe laces, which were longer than other shoelaces, around the soles and insteps of his spikes, like tying old-style soccer shoes.

‘That’s a bit better. I hope they can withstand my power.’

It was nothing new for shoes to get damaged.

When sprinting at full power, the studs would often break, the spike uppers would tear, or the laces would snap.

[Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon begin the men’s 100m final race.]

Murmuring- Woo-woo-.

A crowd so large that you could believe there were more than 85,000 people. It was a crowd he had never seen at domestic or Asian competitions.

[Lane 1, Michael Marsh, USA-.]

The ace of the American team, whom he would also meet in the 200m, raised his hand.

Hey, don’t forget to order running shoes for my dad later.

***

The phrase ‘a taut bowstring’ is cliché.

More than that, it’s not strong enough to express the tension of the Olympic 100m final.

[Ta-aang-!]

The term ‘human bullet’ seems appropriate.

To those watching from afar, the sight of the athletes shooting out seems to arrive before the sound of the gun.

[Bang- Ta-aang-!]

The 36-year-old veteran in lane 2, unable to hide his impatience, lowered his head.

First foul.

It was what Son Jin-hyuk had advised against, and he himself had acknowledged it, but his foot had moved due to anxiety. He was not as good as Jin Sun-kyu at accepting advice and immediately applying it.

“Sorry.”

Christie, looking at the track as he returned to the starting block, moved his lips.

It was an apology to his competitors and a greeting to the track.

To show impatience in his retirement race, how unprofessional.

Looking at the red track that had shared his glory for so long with affection, Linford Christie pondered the words of the young man.

– “If you start late, you have a goal. Don’t you also feel the competitive spirit to catch up? That’s why I sometimes start late. I’m afraid of falling into a rut if I always run in front.”

It was common to deliberately start late.

Athletes who were confident in their acceleration, those perverts who enjoyed the thrill of overtaking, often did that. But to start late for motivation, that young man also had a perverted side.

But would there be a pervert who deliberately started late in an Olympic tournament, of all things?

‘Absolutely not.’

Hoo-oo-.

Christie took a long breath and raised his hand towards Ato Boldon in lane 3, who was noticeably heaving his chest behind the starting block. Sorry again.

Even if the start was late by 0.05 seconds, Christie could recover with his signature powerful mid-race acceleration, so why was he rushing?

Was it the desire to make his last race a spectacular one?

– “What if I come in last? I’ll make my retirement race a spectacular last place and shine a light on my juniors.”

It was a brilliant idea, not like a young man at all.

Rather than being disqualified for multiple false starts and not participating in the race, a retirement where he could embrace his colleagues after finishing would be several times more glorious.

Let’s hold back, let’s hold back.

For a glorious last place.

Linford Christie, crouching in lane 2, kept muttering.

Hold back, hold back.

He deliberately pushed his feet hard against the starting block.

[On your mark.]

Ato Boldon, the 24-year-old, hot-blooded athlete in lane 3, felt his forehead burning.

Tyrant.

That was the nickname he had earned for resembling an African ostrich that violently stomped the ground.

Damn it.

Trinidad and Tobago was a small island nation off the coast of South America, but they called him African, an ostrich. Sometimes when he looked in the mirror, he did see an ostrich turning its head this way and that. But he looked more like a hippo than an ostrich….

The tyrant, whose breathing had been thrown off by the old man to his immediate left committing a foul, moved his lips.

Damn it.

[Get set.]

Donovan Bailey had a volatile personality but was generally generous.

And he also had a personality similar to Jin Sun-kyu, who liked to imitate others.

He could hear the ostrich in lane 3 huffing and puffing, but since the strong athletes in lanes 4 and 5 were calm, Donovan tried not to show his discomfort. And Canada was a great nation, wasn’t it? He couldn’t act petty like that island nation guy.

[Bang-!]

Yes!

He wasn’t usually a fast starter, but this time his start was good.

[Ta-aang-!]

Oh, shit!

Was that me?

[Foul, lane 3.]

It was the foul committed by the huffing and puffing ostrich.

「React. 0.081」

Seeing Ato Boldon’s reaction time on the scoreboard, Bailey’s mood soured. He had huffed and puffed because an old man had committed a foul, but the young guy was no different.

Dennis Mitchell in lane 4 and Fredericks in lane 5 simply placed their hands on their hips and heaved their chests, not showing any signs of agitation. However, Bailey could no longer imitate their gentlemanly behavior. His rhythm and concentration had completely vanished, so what did that damn Code of Honor matter?

He couldn’t bring himself to curse because of his flimsy sportsmanship, but this proud Canadian kept breathing roughly like the tyrant from Trinidad.

The Rocket Man was ignited.

Phoo- Phoook-.

There were others who bothered Bailey.

The two athletes in the peripheral lanes 7 and 8 were talking to each other and nodding.

They even smiled slightly, as if they had expected this to happen, and were full of composure.

An excited Kyu, and Son, who was smiling with shining eyes.

They were strange guys anyway. Perverts.

He didn’t like them.

[On your mark.]

Already the third starting position.

If there was another foul, someone might die from stress.

[Get set.]

There were several holes in the soles of the spikes, and threads were made so that studs could be screwed into them.

It varied depending on the event and the athlete, but Jin-hyuk usually used four studs only in the front. It was a setup to grip the track with his feet and then throw them back powerfully, and that method was perfect for Jin-hyuk’s smooth running style.

Before the finals, he only put in two studs.

Not in the front, but in the second row.

It was a plan to shorten his stride and run with quick steps. It was an arrangement for his sunbae, who would be running while glaring at his back.

It was a method that no one would understand even if he explained it. The stud arrangement was determined solely by the athlete’s feeling.

[Ta-aang-!]

Finally, the third gunshot rang out.

Waaa-!

Kiyaaaa-!

The foul signal did not sound.

Straight ahead.

The starting reaction times were displayed on the scoreboard in real time.

L1. 0.147 Marsh

L2. 0.159 Christie

L3. 0.164 Boldon

L4. 0.145 Mitchell

L5. 0.147 Fredericks

L6. 0.174 Bailey

L7. 0.148 Son

L8. 0.151 Jin

Son Jin-hyuk in lane 7 had the fourth fastest start.

His starting reaction time was 0.148 seconds.

His reaction had slowed slightly after two fouls, but he shot forward with his signature black chicken explosive power. The reason why track athlete Jin-hyuk was so scary was that he continued to accelerate even after that, like a rocket that never ran out of fuel.

Only Jin Sun-kyu recognized his changed stride. The smart coaches were too busy observing and cheering for their own athletes to pay attention to other athletes.

– “When a fast object passes by, your body sways and follows it.”

He said that human psychology was the same.

If you tried to compete with someone better than you, you would end up frustrated, but if you moved in the same direction as them, you could exert power beyond your own capabilities. It was called synergy.

– “Believe it or not, I guess.”

He believed it.

Because Jin Sun-kyu had already experienced synergy and had even developed faith.

Jin Sun-kyu moved his feet quickly, keeping his junior’s back in sight. He guessed this was when the expression ‘his competitive spirit was ignited’ was used. It wasn’t a competitive spirit towards his junior. It was a competitive spirit towards himself, who had no international competition results for so long.

Towards the unconquered peak, one step, one step powerfully.

He was in lane 8 anyway.

It was a position where no one could see him except for lane 7, and no one paid attention to him.

When broadcasting swimming or track and field events, commentators often used the word ‘check.’ If you see them, you chase them, you follow them….

Sports superhumans who had transformed into predators would chase and devour any prey they saw.

On Jin Sun-kyu’s spikes, the phrase ‘Olympeak’ was marked in white.

Son Jin-hyuk had written it with a correction pen while he was napping.

He said it meant that Jin Sun-kyu should finally climb the peak that no one could reach with his feet, using the spikes his father had made.

Yes, Olympeak.

It must be higher than Everest. That’s why the air pressure is low, and why his chest feels like it’s about to burst and he’s so out of breath.

He had only finished accelerating for 30m, but his heart was overloaded with several times more power than during other races. Jin Sun-kyu was now a car running alongside the beasts on the track, pushing his RPM to the limit. Beast and car. Let’s see which one is faster.

Tu-ru-ru-ruk-.

*

After the 30m mark, the athletes burn all their life force within their own rhythm.

Another 30m from here.

Some athletes can accelerate further, some are barely maintaining their speed, and some are gradually slowing down.

But this was the Olympic final stage.

There were no athletes slowing down. They were pushing even harder. As if they were going to live only for today.

When the world’s eight fastest men finished their second acceleration, Frank Fredericks was shoulder to shoulder with the start master Dennis Mitchell at the 60m mark.

It was a truly legendary explosive power.

The Smiling Man, the taciturn sprinter, the eternal runner-up.

It was a nickname given to him because he was so outstanding and consistent that he would always come in second at the very least. It didn’t mean he only came in second.

The other athletes were also unique in their own right.

Dennis Mitchell, the short-sprint man who was always pushed back by Michael Johnson in the 200m and by Michael Marsh in the 100m and 200m, gritted his teeth in the prime lane 4.

Michael Marsh, for his part, moved his feet with his teammate in mind, trying not to fall behind Mitchell. However, Marsh was not in perfect condition. He had failed to manage his condition, so the outcome had already been decided during the preparation process. Marsh cursed his abs and thighs, which were not fully engaging. Damn….

A chaotic melee broke out at the 80m mark.

Donovan Bailey, whose composure had been shaken by two fouls and who had started late, caught up with the predatory power of a rocket, living up to his nickname. The Rocket Man invaded the group of Fredericks, Boldon, and Mitchell, scolding the Thomson’s gazelles.

It was like a small prey and a large predator running side by side to escape the enclosure.

Only one of them could survive!

However, there was an existence that they were not aware of.

The defending champion, the monster in lane 2, abandoned Marsh in lane 1, who was in poor condition, and joined the 20m battle, roaring.

Linford Christie’s eyes, squeezing out the last of his life force, were like brilliant fireworks.

The first time he had ever completed a 100m was when he was eight years old.

Back then, that damn finish line seemed so far away, and he was a weakling who had to stop several times along the way.

But even then, young Christie ran and ran, finally crossing the finish line.

The vague dream that another world would open up beyond the finish line had ultimately led him to challenge for his second consecutive Olympic gold medal.

But now, he was sad.

The fact that there was an end to this track.

That’s why it was even harder.

Now, the words ‘it’s over’ meant literally the end, and he knew that the rainbow to go to the next stage would no longer appear.

Only then did the old man truly realize why life was compared to running.

It was even more special for Christie, whose life was running itself.

At most, it was only 10 seconds.

However.

There was a saying from an unknown African sprinter who had already recorded an unofficial world record of 9.40 in the 80s.

Watu wanaokimbia haraka wanaweza kuishi muda mrefu zaidi. [Swahili: Those who run fast can live longer.]

Those who run fast can live longer.

It meant that they could use the same amount of time for longer.

That was what true relative speed was, he said.

Ah, damn it.

In a moment that felt like eternity, the beasts, roaring and rampaging, belatedly realized.

That they had been so engrossed in their own battle that they had forgotten someone most important.

They should have looked.

They should have glanced.

The athletes who had only thought about the podium and had only checked the existing powerhouses.

When they regained their sight just before the finish line.

The young man from the track and field backwater who had started in the peripheral lane 7, that cunning, sly, dirty, cheap, friendly, sociable, and seemingly kind young bastard….

[Ta-a-a-a-ang-!]

He had already crossed the finish line and was launching a rocket punch into the Atlanta sky.

With the athlete from the even more peripheral lane 8 in tow.

…Fucking assholes.

Waaaaaaaa-!

Kiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!

The athletes who had given their all had to watch with their hands on their hips or covering their foreheads.

Behind the head of the young man who was smiling brightly, the huge electronic display commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Olympics.

The phrase they had so desperately longed for was shining brilliantly like the grace of God that had embroidered the night sky.

「Congratulations!」

「New World Record」

「New Olympic Record」

「SON」

「KOREA」