The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 297

“We’re going to walk along the track in case of an emergency. Jin-hyuk is going to have a bit of a hard time. Aigo, it’s been a while since I’ve used my strength.”

Jang Jin-nam, having exerted himself for the first time in a while, smiled while rotating his shoulders.

“Thank you for the safety management.”

Jin-hyuk, holding his stomach with one hand, handed out the life jackets that Jang Jin-nam had brought to the crew members.

The pirates, wearing life jackets, boarded the boat one by one.

Jo Seul-chan, holding a speedometer that looked like a compass, Choi Mi-kyung in her elastic-waist pants, Kim Eun-jung who wore her school uniform even on weekends because she said it was good for showing off her style, and Son Yu-jin wearing a pirate hat she bought in the US and holding a toy sword.

They also put an inflatable water play vest on Jeong-won.

“It might be uncomfortable, but bear with it. Safety comes first.”

“Yes, ehehe-.”

The older Jeong-won gets, the more she resembles her older sister. Her words, her actions.

‘Was I like that when I was young?’

If so, I must have been cute.

Since there are no photos of me when I was young, I can only guess at my younger days by looking at my younger siblings.

Having a sibling who looks like you is truly a heartwarming thing.

When there were no more people to board, General and his dog friends, who had been running fiercely, boarded the boat in turn. They are amazing to see every time. They must be imitating people.

“Oppa, aren’t you going to put life jackets on General’s kids?”

“Doggy’s don’t need them-. If they wear them, they can’t swim-. And it’s not ‘gu-nyung,’ it’s ‘gu-myung’ [life-saving].”

Jo Seul-chan took Yu-jin’s hand and led her to the center of the boat, explaining.

Even with people and dogs on board, the boat was comfortable without the slightest wobble.

It was because the design was based on a panokseon [Korean traditional warship] with a wide bottom, but Jo Seul-chan didn’t tell anyone that the angular boat was the result of him not having the skill to make it round like other boats.

Still, he made the keel, a long and large piece of timber supporting the center of the bottom, protrude more than the bottom to ensure straight-line stability.

Now it was Jin-hyuk’s turn to board after finishing the external inspection.

“Oppa, sit here-.”

Yu-jin patted the bicycle seat.

‘Hoo-.’

I couldn’t disappoint my younger sibling, so I let out a sigh internally.

The propeller was installed, but there was no motor.

There were no oars to stir the water either.

Instead, Jin-hyuk’s bicycle frame, with the tires removed, was attached to the stern.

The chain that used to be connected to the rear wheel went down to meet the propeller drive shaft, and the handlebars also went down to connect to the rudder with a wire.

When you pedal the bicycle, the propeller turns, and when you turn the handlebars, the rudder, which is mounted behind the propeller, twists left and right to change direction.

It was a perfect one-person powered boat.

‘Shibal, Jo Seul.’

It was the result of falling for the conspiracy that Jo Seul-chan and Yu-jin had hatched.

– “Seul-chan oppa, our oppa has the strongest leg strength in the world, right?”

– “Of course-. Jin-hyuk is the best-.”

– “He’s better than a motor, right?”

– “Of course-. He’s several times better than a motor-.”

– “Is he like 25,000 times better?”

– “Probably?”

– “Wow! Then if our oppa pedals the boat with his legs, a boat that’s 25,000 times faster than a motor will be born!”

Yu-jin was a smart kid, so she could do that calculation quickly.

– “That’s surprisingly logical? Then Yu-jin, when Jin-hyuk comes later, whine like I’m going to teach you.”

– “How?”

– “Heeing- Oppa doesn’t ride his bike anymore and takes the bus, so the bike is sad, what should we do, can’t we make it move the boat? You have to say that.”

– “Bi, bike? What? Make? Can?”

– “No-. You have to use Yu-jin’s way of speaking-.”

······And so, the bicycle that held Jin-hyuk’s memories from middle school began a new life as the boat’s power system.

He was optimistic that there were no uphill slopes on the water, so he could use less power by shifting to a higher gear, so Jin-hyuk had no choice but to agree in the end.

What could he do if he didn’t agree? That bastard Jo Seul had fixed it to the hull so that he couldn’t get out of it.

Well, he thought he could expect some exercise, so Jin-hyuk decided to put up with it.

Being able to exercise his lower body while boating, wasn’t that killing two birds with one stone?

“Let’s go.”

Jin-hyuk, who had rolled up the sleeves of his short-sleeved t-shirt to his shoulders and folded his shorts to reveal his steel thighs, announced the departure.

Hoo-.

He took a long breath to calm his breathing.

A summer sky without a single cloud, a wind full of the smell of water. Finally, riding a boat on the waterway······. It felt good.

‘Hmm, smell-.’

Whose hair did this fragrant shampoo smell come from? Yu-jin didn’t wash her hair today······.

“Huuup-!”

Squeak-.

The pedals screamed and slowly turned-.

“Huh?”

Why isn’t this turning?

It didn’t budge, like a tree root buried under a rock.

Did I give it too little power?

If I give it more, the chain will break.

“Oppa-! Start-!”

“Eungaa-. Why isn’t it going?”

Hey, wait a minute.

“Jin-hyuk, if it’s stiff, shift up a gear-, ah, you can’t do that now.”

It’s common sense that a bicycle can only change gears when the sprocket is rotating.

So, you have to move first to do anything, you idiot!

“Uuuuup-.”

I don’t even know when I last used this much strength.

I pressed the pedals with great force, carefully so that the chain wouldn’t break.

Squeak- squeak-. Ping-iing-iing-.

A scream like a gayageum [Korean zither] rose from the tightly pulled chain.

“Kkeueueueue-.”

Chwa-, chwachwa-, chwachwachwachwa-!

Pukururururu-!

Not completely······ but almost silent, eco-friendly human-powered boat.

But it would be harsh on humans.

“Kkyaaaaaa-.”

The pain of a hammer hitting my thighs came in a fast rhythm.

Deong- deokdeok kungdeok kung-.

‘Wow-, how did they install it so that the gear ratio is like this.’

The power transmission system seemed to need urgent modification.

It was an ordeal for Jin-hyuk, but the pirates were in a frenzy.

“Waaaaaa! It’s going! It’s going! I am Son Yu-jin!”

“Kyaaaa! It’s as exciting as a UFO!”

Even Kim Eun-jung, who rarely expressed admiration, couldn’t hide her excitement.

Hey, don’t take off your uniform. Put on your life jacket!

“Oh my! Oh my! It’s really going? It’s so fast!”

Then would it go for fake?

Still, seeing Choi Mi-kyung, a senior in high school, smile brightly, my legs felt a surge of strength.

When did the kid who used to play Superman with a cloth grow up so much? I felt a sense of pride as if I had raised her myself. Watching a childhood friend grow up and growing together is always a special experience.

Hehehe-.

Woof! Woof woof!

Bark!

General and his dog friends were also curious, walking back and forth on the left and right sides of the boat, looking into the water. Among them, the German Shepherd, Cheonma, was poised as if he would jump in at any moment.

“Oooo-. It’s much faster than rowing.”

Yoo Jae-woon, who refused to board the boat because he was scared, applauded from the shore.

Yu-jin, wearing a pirate captain’s hat, drew her toy sword.

Then she ran to the bow and pointed forward.

“Let’s go! To the sea! Start-!”

Huff huff-.

There’s a seawall blocking the way, what sea are you talking about?

“Kyahaha! Follow me-!”

Well, it’s okay as long as Yu-jin is happy.

I’m happy.

But why am I crying?

Huh- huh-.

Squeak- creak- creak-.

Chwachwachwachwa-.

‘Wow-. It’s very, very hard.’

The load was on a different level than when running on the track.

The sweat that dripped from my chin tapped my thighs, which were swollen as if they would burst.

Huh- huh-.

My eyelashes were wet.

‘Am I crying?’

It wasn’t tears, but sweat was seeping out of my eyelids. Like squeezing juice out of dried squid.

‘Isn’t the experience of sweating from your eyelids something you only do in a sauna?’

Because the pain in my thighs was severe, I changed the part of my foot that was pressing the pedal from the sole to the tip of my toes.

Budeudeudeuk-.

It felt like I could hear the hallucination of my calf muscles screaming.

“Oppa! More more more more! Faster! Raise the sail!”

“Hwaaaap!”

There is no sail, but if the captain tells me to increase the speed, I have to increase it.

Chwachwachwachwa-!

“Fire-!”

Kkyaaaaaa-!

I’m about to have a bowel movement, not fire, you idiot!

Go!

***

Already ten years old. Third grade in elementary school.

After a few days, Son Yu-jin, who finished school early, led a group to the waterway.

“Class president, is this a boat? It’s so big-.”

“Kim Ho-jin, it’s floating on the water, so it’s a boat.”

Lee Dong-ho pretended to be quite smart.

Son Yu-jin put life jackets on her neighborhood friends and put them on the boat.

She wanted to show off the boat and share the refreshing feeling of a speedboat.

“Nunaa-! Is Jeong-won riding too?”

“Yes, should nuna carry you?”

Euchya-.

She was already five years old and her weight was considerable, but she carried her easily as if showing off her strong legs. Because she was her older sister.

After boarding with Jeong-won on her back, she urged Jang Jin-nam.

“Uncle! Start!”

“Hold on tight, it might shake.”

“Yes! Kim Ho-jin! Lee Dong-ho! Hold on tight.”

“What are you saying-, there’s nothing to hold on to. Can’t we just hold the railing?”

“Can we just sit on the floor?”

Yu-jin’s best friend, Jang Jin-nam, sat on the bicycle seat and puffed out his large chest.

He was second to none in terms of muscle mass, so this bicycle pedal was nothing.

“Ooooup!”

With a strange shout, Jang Jin-nam showed off his strength.

“Oooouoop!”

He showed off his strength.

“Uoouoop!”

Strength······.

“It’s not turning. Is there a brake or something?”

There was no way there would be such a thing.

Looking at Jang Jin-nam, whose face was pale and complaining of dizziness, Son Yu-jin recalled what Jo Seul-chan had said.

It was when he was secretly working on installing the bicycle and propeller before Jin-hyuk came home from school.

– “Hya-. This is so stiff that even an elephant would have to pedal it to make it turn-? Should we put a crank on it? No-, let’s try it first-. Ii, should we? What will happen if it’s Jin-hyuk-? Of course-. It will work-. Jin-hyuk is stronger than an elephant-.”

I thought there was a goblin uncle inside Jo Seul-chan, but Jo Seul-chan always asks and answers himself. Our oppa laughed at Jo Seul-chan, saying he looked like Gollum, but what is Gollum?

Anyway.

Uncle Jang Jin-nam is definitely weaker than an elephant.

“Ooooup!”

“Uncle, stop it. Do you want to eat tteokbokki [spicy rice cakes] instead of riding the boat?”

“Huuu-, should we? I’m hungry after using my strength.”

Jang Jin-nam patted his forehead with his apron to wipe away the sweat.

‘When is oppa coming?’

Uncle Jang Jin-nam only sat on the seat and got off, but he took a bath in sweat-.

***

Deep night.

Hong Ki-joon’s body, covered in sweat, glistened in the light of the mood lamp.

Hkkeueu-.

Keuk- keueu-.

He gritted his teeth like someone struggling and let out groans with rough breaths.

His face was contorted due to the over-immersion of his senses, and sweat dripped from his tense jaw.

“Uhuk-, huh-.”

“Honey! Oppa!”

Because he was too immersed, he couldn’t open his eyes no matter how much Yoo Se-ra shook him.

**

Three years ago, in the summer.

It was when Jin-hyuk and his friends’ summer camp was coming to an end.

A mountain near Seoul.

Tok, tok- tok-.

Hong Ki-joon’s pen nib, which was tapping the car hood out of rhythm as if expressing his discomfort, finally bent.

Since he was the one who started it, he put aside the fact that he couldn’t spend time with his family on Sunday······. Listening to the middle-aged man kneeling in front of him, he felt a sense of displeasure as if the pressure in his brain was exceeding its limit.

It meant that Hong Ki-joon, who was as gentle as Buddha, was very angry.

“The young vice president may not know, but······ I have pacified the streets with my fists and contributed to the development of the country by supporting the elders of this nation.”

Still, Hong Ki-joon was the incarnation of patience.

He let the man ramble on, considering it his last words.

He was Go Yong-kwon, the head of the New Boss faction and CEO of Jeok Song Construction. The young man kneeling next to him was a lawyer named Jin Yoon-ho.

Go Yong-kwon was a former head of the Yonggari faction who took control of the Gangnam area and expanded his power nationwide. He survived the war on crime with the help of the bribes he diligently paid. He absorbed the remaining members of rival organizations to become a huge organization, and he founded Jeok Song Construction to get involved in various vested interest projects. That was a simple summary, but he added so much seasoning to his heroic tales and hardships that it was as if my tongue was tingling even though I was clearly listening with my ears.

“So······.”

Hong Ki-joon, who had been leaning against the car with his hands in his pockets, straightened his body.

“You’re saying that because you’re such a great person, I should just leave you alone? Or are you not afraid of future troubles? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“How dare I say such a thing to the vice president when I’m already in a mess like a fool. I just-.”

“Are you asking me to save you? Is it that hard to say those words? Does it hurt your pride when you’re begging for your life?”

Hong Ki-joon’s eyes, which cut off Go Yong-kwon’s words, were filled with both disgust and contempt.

Moon Seok-il, who was watching, twitched his eyebrows.

It was because it felt like he had changed a lot in the two years since he first met Hong Ki-joon through Jin-hyuk’s introduction. He was convinced that the coldness he had felt in the office a while ago was not a delusion.

“How many lives have you killed and crippled, and now you’re begging for your life? If you wanted to live, you should have been more restrained before this happened.”

“I didn’t know that such a thing happened between the vice president’s friend and my brothers-.”

“Not knowing is a sin. The term ‘management responsibility’ is not there for no reason. You’re too naive for a man who has been a boss and a CEO. You’re much older than me. The final responsibility for an accident that occurs in the military lies with the commander, and all responsibility for an accident that occurs in the country lies with the president. Is it because you didn’t serve in the military and didn’t fulfill your duty as a citizen that you don’t know such basics?”

I’ve seen more than one or two guys who have taken executive positions and lived their lives carelessly with your kind of mindset. Hong Ki-joon smiled bitterly.

You have to know.

You have to know how to recognize a crisis as a crisis, and you have to know how to accept an opportunity as an opportunity. If you know it’s a crisis, you have to prepare and respond, and if you know it’s an opportunity, you shouldn’t miss it. Empty your mind of distractions, abandon your selfish desires, judge only according to the interests of the community, and take responsibility for the results yourself.

‘That’s the weight that the person in charge has to bear.’

You are not qualified. You are not qualified to breathe the same air as me.

He turned his body toward the man kneeling next to Go Yong-kwon, with his chin in his hand.

“Do you have a reason to live?”