The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 288

It started with the thought that sometimes, even artificial things might be okay, despite my preference for the natural.

Like how we eat rice as a staple but sometimes enjoy tonkatsu [Japanese pork cutlet] or jajangmyeon [Korean black bean noodles].

You can call it craziness, or you can ignore the looks that call me a madman. I’m used to ignoring things anyway.

I think it was something the PR team leader from my old workplace said, that humor and events should be perceived spontaneously and shouldn’t be uncomfortable. There’s a similarity there.

‘I have to trust the chairman’s words that it won’t be uncomfortable.’

It was an impromptu event prepared for Yu-jin anyway.

I asked Hong Ki-joon to look into it, thinking it might be possible since it was the last event of the day, and he went a step further and made it happen right away.

Doo-doo-doo-doo-!

The blue and red spikes relentlessly pounded the track.

Jin-hyuk glanced at the time and kept running.

Ah, I ran and ran, trying to find improvements in the spikes.

Even the product I thought was perfect had flaws.

There was a slight uncomfortable elasticity in the outsole.

It was a problem that could have been overlooked if not for my highly developed senses, or if I hadn’t put my full weight into it.

But Jin-hyuk’s soles realized that a strange cushioning was causing the force to flow sideways between his weight and the track.

‘Too bad.’

But I have no intention of stopping.

I made a promise to my sister, and I got a promise from Hong Ki-joon.

And for the cheering crowd, I plan to break through the finish tape with all my might.

**

“Could you possibly put in a word before the final starts?”

– Well… it’s not hard to make a call to the organizing committee. But what’s going on?

“I was thinking of running the 400 meters. It’s the last race tonight, so I don’t think it’ll be a nuisance…”

– Ah, so you mean you want to do an event? You want to be the only person to run 400 meters after a 200-meter race?

I’m not the only one.

Was it an Austrian athlete? There was already an athlete who ran a full lap of the track at full speed in the Olympics in the 1960s to prove he had energy left after the 200m race.

That athlete wasn’t even in first place, and he slowed down to a jog around 300m, but anyway, there was a precedent.

“Yes, something like that. I want to leave a record that will last a long time.”

– The audience will love it. It’s not something you see often. It’ll be a great fan service.

“Thank you for understanding.”

– Anything else? If you run like that and leave a record, will you achieve everything you want in your life? Is that enough?

“That’s… not what I meant.”

– Ah…

For some reason, Hong Ki-joon seemed very disappointed.

Seriously, who would achieve all their life goals with just that? He’s acting like he’s leading a child with a loaded question.

“My life is happy now, but I want my sister to be happy too. She came all this way, and that’s the only gift I can give her. Can you help me?”

– No problem. I’m Hong Ki-joon.

He’s starting to resemble Yoo Se-ra.

“I’m also worried. I’m afraid people will think it’s weird. Like a clown…”

– No. It won’t be like that at all. I think it’s an event that only a champion can show, not a clown. It’s a display of magnanimity that goes beyond simple fan service. I’ll be cheering from New York.

“New York? Are you in the US?”

– Ah, no. I’m here in New York- Bakery. I was just buying something…

Uh-oh-uh-. He’s definitely Yoo Se-ra’s husband.

**

Waaaaa-!

[Please give a big round of applause to the athletes.]

A command to encourage a bigger response flowed through the stadium speakers.

Yeeeee-!

Clap clap clap clap-!

[Yeeeee-!]

It was a scene that everyone with a TV would be watching.

Records are bound to be broken someday.

Whether the athlete breaks it themselves, or another outstanding hero appears.

But an event like this…

It will be talked about for 25,000 years, forever.

As long as humanity exists and sports don’t disappear.

[The audience is cheering for this unique ceremony.]

[Ah! It’s really amazing! It’s touching!]

[First penguin! As soon as Son started running, the other athletes followed as if they had been waiting for this moment!]

[How thirsty those athletes must have been for a sprint! In front of that huge crowd, with no more races left, they can run without any pressure!]

[I guess that’s what I was missing when I was an athlete.]

[Actually, it’s a challenge that you can only do at that age.]

[That’s right. Adult athletes can’t help but be self-conscious.]

[It’s a perfect attempt since the men’s 200m final race was the main event tonight.]

[The adult athletes responding to the courage of their younger peer, it’s a mature friendship.]

[It’s a wonderful night!]

*

100m curve, then 100m straight…

Since the starting line is set based on the finish line, the distance is similar, but the course I’m currently running is different from a regular 400m track.

Still.

‘25,000 years.’

I squeezed my muscles for a record that would symbolically never be broken.

‘Power, power, power.’

It was clearly an event just for my sister, but seeing the cheering crowd, I felt like I was running for everyone who was cheering.

Then, can I put a little more power into my shoulders?

A ceremony for the crowd cheering and applauding me, and for those watching on TV.

I studied Michael Johnson’s running style.

That’s how I was able to maintain my acceleration.

More, a little more… If I measured my top speed, it would probably be around 45km/h.

Whoosh-.

I met the straightaway again, and Jin-hyuk had to accept his limits.

If I felt lactic acid building up in my muscle fibers, it must be my imagination.

But the fatigue was piling up that quickly.

‘This should be enough.’

It’s an unofficial record that won’t be recognized.

But I ran to my heart’s content.

The experience of running in a large stadium with 85,000 people watching, with camera flashes going off constantly, is not a glory that everyone can enjoy.

‘I feel amazing.’

Only then did I realize that saying it was for my sister was half an excuse.

The boy who kept talking about being ordinary had to admit that there was a desire to be noticed lurking inside him.

The clock of desire, though not comparable to the biological clock, was slowly finding its place.

[Koo-oom-!]

The white finish tape prepared for the event gently wrapped around Jin-hyuk’s body.

Waaaaaa-!

「19.14」

「41.73」

Neither the event nor the record will be broken for 25,000 years.

Unless someone has the same explosive power and muscular endurance as Son Jin-hyuk.

Hehehe-.

My lungs felt like they were about to burst, but I gave my sister, who was jumping up and down with her arms raised, the brightest smile I could muster.

Kyaaaaaaaa-!

“Hoo-uh-uh-. It’s really hard!”

It’s been a long time since I’ve put my hands on my hips and heaved my chest.

During training, I always save my energy thinking about the next time.

I waited for a while near the newly set finish line, and my friends who had joined the sudden event came in one after another.

Jin-hyuk clapped his hands to the athletes’ strides. Clap clap clap clap clap-!

“Hek hek- Finally-.”

“Puh-uh-uh-!”

Oh, it’s so hard.

Frank Fredericks and Ato Boldon collapsed on the floor, side by side.

「49.95」

For short-distance specialists who get heavy legs from lactic acid overload even after running just 200m, running 400m at full speed is a truly great challenge.

The coaches, who should have been scolding and stopping the athletes, burst out laughing when the two athletes’ terrible records, close to 50 seconds, appeared on the scoreboard. They were still clapping to the rhythm of the athletes who were still running.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Now it’s the third group’s turn to come in.

Jin-hyuk and Fredericks held the finish tape together and greeted the American athletes.

“Euhuhuh-. Oh yeah-! I’m here!”

“Uhaha! It’s fun! It’s fun!”

Jeff Williams and Michael Marsh, who were waving to the audience, cut the tape while giggling at each other.

「56.19」

Garcia and Stevens also followed, waving their hands like they were in a parade.

They had bright smiles on their faces, as if they had completed a full marathon without any effort.

Ato Boldon, who had finished the race at full speed, lay down and shouted.

“Oh, damn it! Ostriches like short distances!”

After hugging and greeting each of the other athletes, Jin-hyuk returned to the track he had run on.

Michael Johnson, wearing golden spikes, was jogging towards him.

Limping on his left leg.

*

[Aaaah-, Michael Johnson is finally coming in with a smile.]

[Son is running alongside him. I wonder what they’re talking about?]

[Ahaha-, I don’t know.]

[We won’t forget today. The shock of the final race has already disappeared, and only the emotion remains.]

[How many people are watching?]

[Perhaps eventually all earthlings will see it? It’s a scene that will remain in the history of the Olympics forever.]

All earthian.

[From Asian to earthian! A true festival that transcends regions! The athletes are showing us what the Olympics are and what emotion is.]

[It’s a wonderful night. It lives up to the name of a festival for earthlings, a global festival.]

[It’s a wonderful night!]

[That’s an expression I already used.]

[You can use it as much as you want.]

There was even a host who was emboldened by the athletes’ sudden event and made a bold statement.

It was none other than the official broadcasting company, NBC.

[Ah-, now that the athletes have shown courage, I, as an intellectual, also want to show courage. They boasted about it being the largest Olympics ever, but haven’t they been criticized in various fields, starting with the host country’s vote-rigging scandal?]

[That’s right. The commercialism that is biased towards some companies has caused dissatisfaction among not only the athletes but also the audience. My card is useless! They don’t accept anything other than the designated credit card, so I had to settle for a square hot dog for dinner.]

[The facilities in the athletes’ village are so poor that many athletes are having trouble with their condition!]

[That’s right. It doesn’t live up to the reputation of being a world-class country.]

[And what about the mascot, Izzy? I wonder if we really need a creature like that on Earth. It’s so bizarre.]

[That’s right. Even if it’s an imaginary alien, earthlings are enough to be friends with earthlings. Alien go home!]

[I think the athletes’ actions are a consolation for that. I’m touched.]

[That’s right. I’m also being comforted. A festival where athletes comfort athletes, athletes comfort the audience, and the audience comforts the athletes. This is the true Olympic spirit. I used too much mental power, and now I’m hungry. I need to buy another hot dog.]

Well, they say that the interpretation is more important than the dream.

***

I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve been knocked out like this.

Jin-hyuk, who woke up early, was suffering from muscle pain.

“Ouch ouch ouch-.”

I gave it my all in the 200m and then pushed myself to run 400m…

Maybe it was because I ran with the determination to burn my soul, but even recovery training and a sauna couldn’t soothe my exhausted body.

The muscle pain, like being hit in the thigh with a hammer, kept me from tossing and turning comfortably all night. It was a relief that I had fallen asleep.

‘Isn’t this muscle pain almost the first time?’

The power that eventually consumes you as you fight against yourself.

Even after emptying that power, I’ve been training to the point where my stamina is depleted, but wouldn’t I recover quickly after recovery training?

‘It’s also strange that even Yu-jin touching me didn’t help.’

She patted and rubbed me, saying that her brother had worked hard.

I could still feel a subtle energy flowing from my sister, but it seemed that it couldn’t penetrate Jin-hyuk’s steel muscles.

Maybe it was the influence of the pressure of the huge crowd and the Olympic stage.

It seemed that the psychological factors had a significant impact on the body.

Anyway…

“I think I had a dream.”

It’s also been a long time since I’ve had a dream that I can vaguely remember.

Maybe it was because the events of last night had ended well and I was happy, and because of the relief that I had finally finished everything. It was a dream that came to my soul after letting go of everything.

A dream that seeped in like a cloth thrown on clean water, absorbing it.

‘But I can’t remember it.’

A strange world, an ominous smell, someone being chased, and.

‘It felt like I was running like crazy too.’

I even had the delusion that maybe that’s why my whole body was aching so much.

Oh, I’m dying of curiosity.

There are times when you’re dying to know what your dream was like last night. If it’s a dream that you haven’t had in years, what more is there to say?

Drrr- Kkakakak- Pu-purrr-.

Jin Seon-gyu’s snoring was disturbing my concentration.

Sigh- and the smell of alcohol too.

If this were the army, I would have thrown a pillow at him.

I put on a t-shirt and headed to the first floor.

“Ouch ouch-.”

The thigh muscle pain is worse when going down the stairs than when going up. I couldn’t help but make an old man’s sound.

On the first floor, Yoo Se-ra was drinking coffee.

Yoo Se-ra had been thoroughly scolded by the reporters who had swarmed her last night.

– “Yes! It was all planned. As a ceremony for the audience exhausted by the heat, our agency planned and proposed it, and the Olympic Organizing Committee approved it. We scheduled it as the last short-distance race so that other athletes could also participate. Oh ho ho-. Isn’t it more effective and touching if it’s kept a secret? Oh ho ho ho-.”

Yoo Se-ra, who was looking at her notebook, glared at Jin-hyuk when she found him.

The crescent moon eyes that had shone in front of the reporters were gone, and only the cold eyes of a viper remained.

“Oh my, our champion Son, did you cough?”

“Did you sleep well?”

Jin-hyuk, who received a rather sharp glare, scratched the back of his head.

The back of my head, where Yoo Se-ra hit me last night, is still tingling.

‘I thought Hong Ki-joon would have told her.’

They say that couples are of one mind, but it seems that’s just talk.

“This mother didn’t sleep at all. Yu-jin was shouting in her sleep in the next room- oh my-.”

Yoo Se-ra shook her head so hard that her bangs flew.

“What does she say in her sleep? Oh my-.”

I sat across from Yoo Se-ra and groaned.

The tingling pain rising from my thighs made me groan involuntarily.

“I am a Son Yu-jiiiiin-. Oong-kaeng-oong-kaeng-.”

Click-.

I burst out laughing at Yoo Se-ra’s reenactment, distorting one side of her lip like a fool.

“Do you have any plans for today?”

“I have two meetings in the afternoon. Jin-hyuk, you should rest. Go sightseeing or watch the games.”

“I was wondering if…”

When Jin-hyuk trailed off, Yoo Se-ra raised one eyebrow crookedly, as if it were a big deal.

“Why? Do you have a favor to ask? The great Soooooon, huh?”

I wish she wouldn’t make that fool’s face.

Why is she shaking her shoulders from side to side?

“Could you… lend me some money…”

… I was wondering if you could, but oh my, this is so embarrassing. Jin-hyuk’s words trailed off like an earthworm crossing the road illegally.

It seems that the saying that talking about money is the most difficult thing is true.

“Money?”

I hadn’t been able to relate when others said that talking about money was the most difficult thing. I’ve never borrowed money, and I’ve lived as I could without it.

… From food to clothes, you’ve taken care of everything, so I just came here with my body, but still, I should have paid attention, but I was so focused on the competition…

While Jang-gun was muttering like a sleep-talking baby, Jin-hyuk faced his two innocent index fingers together and twirled them around.