The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 336

Beginning (17)

A newborn baby, a man inside.

Filthy and cruel back alleys.

A child running and running to survive.

A boy who grew up and entered the academy.

A young man, more saintly than a saint, spreading his arms to protect his weak and poor friends.

A berserk hero who lost all those friends on the same day.

A madman wandering through all worlds, other dimensions, and remote universes in search of the enemy, wielding a rusty and chipped sword.

A prisoner who killed and killed enemies and was punished by God.

The appearance of the man who entered the newborn baby felt somehow familiar. But after entering the baby, his face was never seen, and there was no voice.

In the end, only the life of a prisoner being punished continued endlessly.

“Haaah-!”

Huff! Huff!

Lee Mi-sun gasped for breath.

“Can you remember?”

The man asked, handing her the water in front of him.

Lee Mi-sun emptied the glass in one gulp and calmed her surprised heart.

“How can I forget even if I want to? I might die from my head exploding.”

“Don’t worry. The memories will be erased as soon as they are written down.”

“Ah, is that so?”

How could she not believe it?

Anyone who heard it would think she was crazy, but from her perspective, she would swear her faith even if a knife was held to her throat.

To the fact that the man in front of her was an unfathomable being.

“Um, but Master Demon? I don’t know when it will be completed, but I have to sign a publishing contract, right? But we’re a small publishing house, so I don’t know if the president will approve it.”

Lee Mi-sun was a professional.

Even in the midst of hypnosis-like confusion, she demonstrated a thorough professional spirit.

“One copy is enough.”

“Huh?”

“When it’s finished, send it here.”

The man held out a light brown leather cardholder.

When the leather was unfolded, the inside was a subtly glossy gray, and there was a name and address written on it.

“This person is…”

It was a name that no Earthling could not know.

「Son Jin-hyuk」

“He probably knows the story up to the berserk hero. He’s curious about the story of the prisoner, so write it in detail.”

“Then, don’t I need to know the beginning part?”

“Is there a result without a cause? Even if it’s a story you already know, isn’t it another fun thing to hear from someone else? Aren’t there stories that are fun to read over and over again?”

“Ah, that’s right. You’re right. I said something unnecessary.”

‘Where did I put it…?’ The man rummaged through his pockets.

“You said publishing contract, right? I really like contracts. Since I’m the one making the request, I should be the subordinate.”

Thud-.

The man, who had been rummaging through his pockets for a while, placed a glass bottle that looked to be over 4 liters on the table.

“What is this?”

“It’s called wine. It’s about thirty thousand years old.”

Thirty thousand years old means it was made in the Paleolithic era?

“Would you like to taste it?”

Popping sound-!

The man, without waiting for an answer, uncorked the bottle and then took out a glass from his left pocket.

‘The wine bottle too, where on earth is that big thing coming from?’

The man simply smiled as if understanding Lee Mi-sun’s curiosity as she peeked around, and silently poured the wine.

Lee Mi-sun’s eyes and mouth widened simultaneously.

It was a different kind of mystery than when she was looking at the business card. The shimmering purple liquid filling the glass was not wine but a jewel, and the subtle blue light that the pouring wine rippled and spread created a spectacle she had never seen before.

“It’s a crystal glass. Very precious.”

‘That’s not what I’m surprised about,’ she thought.

The man took out another glass and filled his own as well.

“I propose a toast to your writing, your health, and your tireless mating.”

“Excuse me?”

“Just do it.”

“Yes.”

Ting-.

Even though she didn’t try to tilt the glass, the liquid flowed into her mouth on its own, and she tried to hold it in her mouth and roll it on her tongue, but it moved strangely, going down her throat on its own.

That was just the beginning.

“Ah-, this is…”

“I know everything. It tastes good.”

“It doesn’t taste like alcohol.”

“Savor it. There’s only one bottle in this world.”

Having said that, the man held out his glass, which still had a lot left.

Lee Mi-sun eagerly accepted it and gulped it down.

“Thank you.”

“There’s a lot in my world.”

“Really? If you give me a few more bottles-. Ouch.”

Lee Mi-sun hurriedly covered her mouth.

She almost blurted out something shameless because she was so fascinated by the taste.

“Come. When you finish writing, I’ll invite you to my world. This concludes the contract.”

“Really?”

“I, as the main body, cannot lie. There will be no pain there, you will not age in my world, and if you wish, I will even create a Playboy Nation model tribe male.”

“Excuse me? Playboy Nation what?”

“There is such a thing.”

“Is that the country where Master Demon lives?”

“The world I live in is Ataraxia, named after my name, Ataraxil.”

“Ah… Ataraxia, I think I’ve heard of it.”

“Even if you’ve heard of it, it will be a different place. Keep the ring and live if you want to be invited. The ring proves the contract.”

‘What on earth is this situation?’

It can’t be because of the alcohol.

Her head had been floating and she felt like she was walking in a dream even before she drank the wine.

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head strongly.

When she opened her eyes again, there was a large wine bottle and two crystal glasses on the table, and a jade ring that must have been one of the rings the man was wearing.

The man, who identified himself as Ataraxil, disappeared without leaving even a scent.

As if he had never existed in the first place.

“Is it strong alcohol? It was sweet, but strangely hazy.”

‘Now, shall I go fulfill other wishes?’ Only the remaining voice became a breeze and swirled around the office.

***

Still sweltering September.

Son Yu-jin, having finished class early, walked across the playground shoulder to shoulder with her friends.

“Yu-jin, what are you going to do for Chuseok [Korean harvest festival]? Jin-hyuk oppa [older brother figure] will come, right?”

“Yeah. I’m going to make ramen with oppa, go to the sea, play yutnori [traditional Korean board game], and find hazelnuts in the back mountain. Su-jeong unni [older sister figure] is coming this time too. I have to ask Su-jeong unni about university too-.”

“I thought you were going to do something amazing, but Yu-jin is nothing special?”

“Everyone lives the same way-.”

“Is the Su-jeong unni your Jin-hyuk oppa’s girlfriend? That unni is also very famous, right?”

“Ugh-, that Entertainment Relay show blabbed it all out-.”

“Ah, what are you saying-. It’s all over this person’s and that person’s mini homepage [early social media platform]?”

Indeed.

Son Yu-jin nodded.

Oppa is such a kind person to everyone that he never refused a request for an autograph or a photo. He even took them while eating.

Mom said that’s why people like oppa more.

She was chatting with her friends and walking slowly when a second-year junior kicked up dust and crossed the playground.

“Unnies [older sisters]! Go to the back gate! There’s a strange man at the school gate!”

“Again?”

“It looks like a flasher.”

He appears regardless of the season, and he’s even more extreme because it’s a girls’ middle school.

Son Yu-jin stepped forward bravely.

“Yu-jin is going to chase him away again!”

“Let’s go!”

Son Yu-jin Party’s Flasher Raid Opening Soon.

Son Yu-jin, who found the man, stopped as if frozen.

“Huh? Hehe. That ajusshi [middle-aged man] is not a flasher.”

When Son Yu-jin appeared at the main gate, the mysterious man smiled brightly and waved his hand.

“Yu-jin, do you know that ajusshi?”

“Who is it, who?”

“He doesn’t seem like a pervert?”

Water soon filled Son Yu-jin’s eyes, which were smiling brightly like a blooming flower.

“Goblin Ajusshi…”

The long-legged ajusshi who made a human body and came all the way to meet Son Yu-jin.

He moved towards Son Yu-jin.

“You’ve grown a lot.”

“Hello, ajusshi…”

Only then did Son Yu-jin shyly wave her hand.

Beyond the sunglasses, eyes containing the universe smiled back.

“Would you like to go have a cola with ajusshi?”

Her eyes sparkled as if she was about to cry, but Son Yu-jin didn’t cry.

Instead, she smiled brightly.

“Yes!”

*

Having bought cola from a store in front of the main gate, they sat side by side on a bench at the edge of the playground.

Kang Heon-chang and Jeong Sang-tae, who came to match Son Yu-jin’s dismissal time, showed vigilance. Elil stopped Son Yu-jin, who was trying to reassure them.

“Just leave them alone. I know those guys too. They won’t even remember that they saw me.”

“Me too? Will I not remember either?”

“That’s not going to happen. Those who are connected by soul will remember again even if they forget, and they will definitely meet again someday even if they are separated. That’s why I came to find you.”

Dugu Elil hinted at his regret by saying that he couldn’t stay long.

“Did General Saniel come?”

“He’s coming with oppa during Chuseok. I couldn’t find him because I didn’t know where he went, so I had a lot of trouble. Oppa couldn’t focus on his work either. Did ajusshi protect General too?”

“The only thing that protects something is one’s own will. I only help those who are desperate.”

‘Is it doing my best and waiting for heaven’s command?’ Son Yu-jin nodded.

“Feed this to the other Saniels.”

Dugu Elil handed over a handful of pills the size of goat droppings.

Sniff sniff-.

It smelled a bit stinky, and judging by the smell alone, it seemed perfect for dogs’ tastes.

“What is this?”

“Wish.”

He looked similar to a human, but he was still acting like a riddle.

Still, I know that he’s not a bad being.

He sometimes plays the villain because of the work his boss orders him to do, but this goblin ajusshi loves all things, likes small and cute things, and is a kind being who is amazed by trivial things. That’s what the story he told me when I was in Atlanta said.

“I’ll definitely feed them.”

“Take this guy too.”

‘This guy?’

Dugu Elil opened his jacket and rummaged through his pockets.

‘Where did he hide again?’ He muttered, rummaging through his sides and armpits, and finally took something out.

Whining-.

A puppy.

His nose and eye sockets were jet black, and his fur was a darker brown than a yellowish dog. At first glance, he looked like a mixed-breed dog, but Son Yu-jin could recognize the breed at a glance.

“It’s a gift.”

“Ooh-! So cute-.”

Son Yu-jin put the puppy to her cheek and smelled it.

Whining whining- Hehe-.

The puppy also seemed to like Son Yu-jin, wagging its tail excitedly and licking her chin.

“Kyah-, it tickles-.”

The happy memories of Hong-si, who was a puppy, stroking the Sword Demon came back to life.

“I had a hard time finding that guy.”

Son Yu-jin was greatly surprised and turned to look at Dugu Elil.

“Is he perhaps the Heavenly Demon?”

“Yes. He wanted to return to you. If you had refused, I wouldn’t have brought him by force. The Saniels are quite a world that knows romance.”

He said he was overusing grace.

But don’t worry, it’s a miracle that you can handle.

“Heavenly Demon, nice to meet you-. Thank you, ajusshi.”

“He will live as long as you do.”

Dugu Elil rummaged through his side as if someone was itchy.

“What are you doing? Do you have something like an allergy?”

“There’s more to give. Ah, I put it in my pocket.”

A transparent cube case came out of his jacket pocket. Inside was a turquoise egg tied with a pink ribbon.

Now I know without being told.

Son Yu-jin, who received the case, asked.

“Does Luck live long too?”

“He will live longer than an eagle.”

Son Yu-jin couldn’t lift her lowered head.

It was ambiguous whether she was looking at the case or at the ground.

“I’m happy, but it’s unfair.”

“Are you talking about receiving Saniel and the egg as a gift?”

“Yes. Not just anyone can enjoy it. It’s not ordinary at all.”

“Child, think about it.”

Son Yu-jin turned her head and looked at Dugu Elil.

Son Yu-jin’s face was reflected in her eyes containing the universe.

“Would it be a big deal to control a couple of souls with overflowing power?”

“Um…, that’s a bit difficult to say.”

“Don’t you think it’s a greater privilege to know me, face me, and talk to me?”

Dugu Elil stroked the Heavenly Demon’s head and continued.

“Knowing me is a privilege that cannot be compared to anything. Compared to that, this gift is as insignificant as ruling the entire galaxy. You are the human who revived my lost emotions. Don’t consider this trivial matter as a privilege.”

‘Ah, I see.’ Only then did Son Yu-jin show a reaction that she understood.

“I was taking meeting ajusshi for granted.”

“It was as natural as breathing.”

“Hehe, yes.”

“I exist everywhere and nowhere. Because there is no smell, no voice, no appearance, I am not remembered by anyone.”

“I remember. That’s special treatment, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Now tell me your story. The story I hear in your voice will definitely be different from watching from afar.”

School stories, friend stories, family stories. Son Yu-jin told Dugu Elil the daily life he wanted to hear.

“The seniors at our school were teased for having thick legs. They said it was because the school was in a high area-. But seeing that those words disappeared as physical education was strengthened, I guess it was a lack of exercise.”

“There’s a boy named Kim Ho-jin among my neighborhood friends. One day, he said, ‘Who is Son Yu-jin going to marry?’ So I said, ‘Someone like my oppa.’ Then this guy said, ‘Eii-, she’s already married.’ Seriously-! I was about to say something, but when I thought about it, it was true, so I just laughed. Would there be another man like my oppa?”

“My dad farts too often. It was fun when I was little, but now I frown without realizing it. When Jeong-won was a baby, he was playing behind Dad and foamed at the mouth and fainted, so I had to use my hands.”

“My dream is to be an engineer. I’m going to go to my dad’s company or oppa’s company and build a huge spaceship and go to where Dugu ajusshi is, and meet the alien that Eun-jeong unni saw and grant that unni’s wish. Do you know what that unni’s wish is? To give the alien a ddongchim [prank involving poking someone’s butt]. When I asked her why, she said that aliens don’t wear clothes, so you can’t grab them by the collar-.”

A smile never left Dugu Elil’s face as he watched the chattering girl.

You’re living happily and fun.

Seeing you happy fills my happiness too. Dugu Elil wanted to keep listening to Son Yu-jin’s voice and only said it with his eyes.

Soon, heat haze rose from Dugu Elil’s body, and his existence began to disappear.

“The time allotted to me is up. Whenever you need my help, make a wish on that ring.”

‘But I know. You’ll just keep the ring to remember me……’

Dugu Elil’s voice had already become a wind and flowed.

“Yes. I’m just going to live an ordinary life. But I’d really like it if you came to visit like this sometimes. If it’s not an unreasonable request, I’d really like to ask you to do that.”

‘Let’s make a contract like that. The ring proves the contract.’

Even after Dugu Elil’s figure completely disappeared, the wind blew.

“Not a promise?”

It’s the same word.

“Hehe-. Yes. I’ll be waiting.”

‘It would be fun not to tell that guy. Let’s keep it our secret. Wouldn’t it be fun to live with something that even that guy doesn’t know?’

“Hehe-. That’s right. I’ll keep it a secret.”

To fulfill that guy’s wish, your wish, and Saniel’s wish, I temporarily created a body to contain my enormous power.

But I am still so foolish and foolish.

So I realized it late.

That all of that was ultimately a labor for my own satisfaction……

“It’s okay if anyone is good, hehe-. Oppa said that the saying ‘good things are good’ is a bad word, but in reality, everyone is good-.”

Son Yu-jin stopped talking.

It’s because the wind, which didn’t smell at all, started to smell like dust.

“Ah, he’s gone. Hehe-. Ajusshi, goodbye-.”

She smiled brightly and waved her hand at the empty air.

She put the case containing the egg in her bag and carefully held the Heavenly Demon, who was sitting quietly on her lap and wagging its tail.

Whining-. Hehe-.

“That’s right, pretty, our Heavenly Demon. Let’s live together for a long, long time.”

Hehehek-.

Soon, when Chuseok comes, oppa and General will return, and Su-jeong unni’s family will also come.

I’ll be able to see the foolishness of the neighborhood oppas and unnies.

Son Yu-jin now perfectly understands what oppa said.

– “The happiest time is when I go home. Even if I actually go and waste time reading books or taking naps, I’m not envious of anyone in the world when I go home. That was the same when oppa was younger and poorer. Mom and Dad were waiting, General came to pick me up, and little Yu-jin smiled when she saw oppa. That’s still the happiest memory for oppa.”

I thought it was just because I was tired from exercising, the competition was hard, and living alone in Seoul was lonely. Of course, there are those things too, but oppa said that he is happy when he thinks of a picture of his family gathered together, a picture of them laughing together.

“Heavenly Demon, shall we go home now?”

Hehe-. Whining-.

The Heavenly Demon wagged its tail around and around.

I guess that means he likes it.

She got up from the bench, held the Heavenly Demon in one hand, and stretched out one arm.

And shout it.

“Ehehe-! Let’s go-!”